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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
Is Internet Porn Affecting Men's Relationships With Women?; Pennsylvania Police Continue Search For Suspected Serial Killer; Conjoined Twins Stay In Stable But Serious Condition After Separation Surgery
Aired October 13, 2003 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEWIS BLACK, "THE DAILY SHOW": I had always heard that the biggest souvenir of any blackout was unplanned pregnancies. But apparently the one thing people don't do during the blackout is "it." Contrary to myth, there won't be a baby boom nine months from now. Population researchers say there's no proof that people have more sex when the power goes out.
I know I didn't have any sex during the blackout. How could I? My computer wasn't working.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Well, Lewis Black on the Jon Stewart show of course isn't alone in his loving appreciation of his computer. Playing on Broadway right now is the musical "Avenue Q," which is sort of like an upset of "Sesame Street" gone very naughty. One of the puppets, Tricky Monster, sings a song about the joy he gets each and every day, sometimes each and every hour, from the Internet. It's called the "Internet is for Porn." Yes, folks, even the puppets have become online porn addicts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER (voice-over): Gone are the trench coats, the furtive visits to the seedy theaters, the fear of being outed as some perverted purchaser of porn. These days, all you need to indulge anonymously in a triple X world is a modem, preferably high speed. At home, at the office, even on the latest souped-up cell phones, cyber porn is there, tempting those who might never be tempted before.
Reliable stats are hard to come by. The number of commercial porn Web pages soared 18-fold over four years, according to the Internet filtering firm, N2H2, 260 million pages of porn. Another filter company estimates that 12 percent of all Web sites are porn sites. And the research firm Net Ratings tracked 23 million visitors to porn sites, and that was just for 2001. Now, some porn surfers say cyber sex has gone from a harmless hobby to something akin to addiction.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Well, when nice guys get hooked to Internet porn is the focus of an article in the latest "New York Magazine." The article profiles a handful of men who've gotten compulsive about their online fix. Some admit that they are even beginning to prefer cyber sex to their real-life girlfriends.
David Amsden is the author. He joins us now in New York. And in Los Angeles, the Berman sisters, Jennifer, who is a urologist, and Laura, a sex therapist. Their program, "Berman & Berman," kicks off a new season on Discovery Health Thursday night.
Appreciate everyone being with us.
David, let me start off with you. In your article, which is fascinating to look at this thing, a 26-year-old businessman told you his friends are "so obsessed with Internet porn, they can't sleep with their girlfriends unless they act like porn stars." What is going on?
DAVID AMSDEN, "NEW YORK MAGAZINE": Well, it seems like, you know, this stuff has just proliferated through the Internet, that these guys -- you know, every man is curious. Every young man is especially curious. They're at the peak of their sexuality. So if it's there, they're going to look.
COOPER: But it affects the way they view their girlfriends or their relationships or potential girlfriends.
AMSDEN: Yes. Well, imagine you look at it every day; that becomes your idea of sex. And perhaps it can affect relationships. For instance, in this man, who seems like all his friends want a kind of hyper-stylized sex, what you see in a porn star doing, basically.
COOPER: Laura, what do you think about this? I mean, does this surprise you, hearing what some of the people David talked to said?
LAURA BERMAN, SEX THERAPIST: It doesn't surprise me. I think definitely that it's very easy to become addicted to something that's so accessible and so titillating, for that matter. So it's not surprising at all.
I don't think that we can say that all men are, therefore, going to get addicted to cyber sex or cyber porn. It can set up unrealistic expectations, though, for what men should expect in a sexual partner both in behavior and appearance.
COOPER: Well, let me bring in Jennifer. Jennifer, Naomi Wolf, also in "New York Magazine" this week, writes, "The onslaught of porn is responsible for deadening male libido in relation to real women and leading men to see fewer and fewer women as porn worthy. Today, real naked women are just bad porn."
How have women adapted to this environment?
JENNIFER BERMAN, "BERMAN & BERMAN": Well, you know what? I'll say we'll use our vibrator and tune you guys out. No, in reality, I think no man can compete with a vibrator. And what woman can compete with an unrealistic porn star? So I think that that's really the problem, is that it does set up unrealistic expectations. Expectations on the male part, and expectations and pressure for women to behave or do things that they don't necessarily want to or feel comfortable doing. And that is a problem.
COOPER: Well, David, in your article you talked to one kid who said that the first time he actually had sex with somebody, he felt like he was making a porn film.
AMSDEN: Yes. Well, this was a 20-year-old college student. So just imagine the adolescents who, you know, their sexual coming of age has totally coincided with the Internet and high-speed connections. So -- as opposed to the 13-year-old boy, who is lucky to find one "Playboy" maybe.
J. BERMAN: Yes, well the thing is about the 13-year-olds is that they are getting on the Internet now. So we are really shaping our youth and the youth -- and the teens in turn. This is their sexual exposure, which is really quite scary.
AMSDEN: Yes. Well, whereas this kid, you know, maybe, you know, has -- I'm trying to think of the best way to put it. But he had a certain detachment, where sex before was this sort of ethereal, almost impossible idea, which is why as a kid you are so eager to have it. Here's this kid, who has seen so much of it, that when it finally happens to himself in reality, the only way he can process it is, oh, this is like what I've seen on the computer.
COOPER: But Laura, it affects women as well, I mean, in these relationships, because all of a sudden they are called upon to be someone that their partner has seen on the Internet somewhere.
L. BERMAN: Right. Some women will say that they feel undue pressure to look a certain way or to behave sexually a certain way. But also, the other downside for women is that, with these young adolescent boys, and even adult men when are getting their sex education from the Internet, and from Internet porn, they are getting an unrealistic expectation of what women want sexually.
COOPER: Bottom line, is there any positive then of porn for relationships for women?
L. BERMAN: Well, I think there's always a role for pornography and for fantasies if it's used to the benefit of the couple. If it's used to the point where the man cannot become aroused or doesn't want to have sex unless his partner is acting like a porn star, then that can create a problem.
COOPER: And David, you were surprised at the extent to which people in our generation talk about surfing the Web for porn openly.
AMSDEN: Yes. That's where the actual -- that was the impetus to write this article, because I just noticed every time I went out, I'd sit at a bar. You know, basically the conversation that we are having was very casual over beers, and that sort of blew me away. I mean, it's completely non-taboo, which is almost why it's difficult to pinpoint in what subtle ways this is affecting relationships.
COOPER: Right. It's a fascinating article. It's in "New York Magazine." A couple of different ways of looking at it.
David Amsden, appreciate you joining us. And Laura and Jennifer Berman, also, thank you very much.
L. BERMAN: Thank you.
J. BERMAN: Sure.
COOPER: All right.
ANDERSON COOPER: Top of the "Reset" -- tonight's top stories. President Bush is taking the offensive, and apparently offense, in response to criticism that he's lost control of Iraq policy amid staff infighting.
Mr. Bush insisted today that he is in charge.
The U.S. Navy agrees to limit its peacetime use of a new sonar system that may be harming Marine mammals and fish as it works to detect enemy submarines. The Natural Resources Defense Council had sued after scientists found brain and ear bone hemorrhaging in several dead whales.
Outgoing governor Gray Davis has signed a controversial domestic partners bill into law. Starting 2007, California will be the first state making business with large state contracts offered domestic partners the same benefits as married couples.
Congressman Dennis Kucinich is now officially a candidate for president. The Ohio Democrat formally announced today, pledging to pull U.S. troops out of Iraq.
Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield is asking fans to keep their cool after Saturday night's fracas in game three of the American League Championship Series. The ninth inning bullpen fight at Fenway Park resulted in fines for Red Sox team members and one New York Yankee.
Martha Stewart says although she is scared she doesn't think her stock trading indictment will land her in jail. Stewart showed a stiff upper lip in an interview with ABC's Barbara Walters.
And that is tonight's "Reset."
Earlier in the hour we told you about the hunt in Pennsylvania for suspected killer going on right now.
Hugo Selenski was jailed last June after five bodies were discovered in his back yard. This past Friday he escaped from prison by climbing down a rope made of bed sheets.
The manhunt continues at this hour and Selenski's lawyer is urging Selenski to turn himself in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEMETRIUS FANNICK, HUGO SELENSKI'S ATTORNEY: He must surrender himself. He can contact me; he has all of my phone numbers. I can arrange for a negotiated resolution to the case, a peaceful resolution so nobody gets hurt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Well, for more on the story, Luzerne County District Attorney David Lupas joins us right now from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
David thanks very much for being with us. I want to talk to you about this guy, Selenski. He's got quite a prior record, five bodies found in his back yard. I know he hasn't been found guilty of any of those crimes. How dangerous is he, in your opinion?
DAVID LUPAS, LUZERNE COUNTY DIST. ATTY: In our opinion, he is quite dangerous. The allegations against him concern an allegation of him assaulting and robbing someone by shooting at them with a firearm, and, obviously, last Monday he was charged with two counts of criminal homicide, abuse of corpse, and related charges.
So, obviously, we think the public should be on guard should they run into this guy. We believe he's very dangerous.
COOPER: There are so many questions about how this guy got out of the jail that he was in. I know that you have a lot of questions yourself.
What's the number one thing you want answered? What do you want to hear from prison officials to explain what happened?
LUPAS: Basically why and basically how could something like this occur? It just seems so elementary where someone hopped out a window, climbed out and ran away from a prison and you know by -- I stated many times in this day and age this is just appalling to me that something like this could happen.
COOPER: Do you think he's still in the area?
LUPAS: Police are following up a number of leads; we're not ruling anything out. It's possible he's in the area; it's possible he's out of the area and a nationwide alert has been put out. I can tell you most if not all of the leads police have received have been local leads. But you know we're not ruling anything out.
COOPER: Do you know how much of a lead-time he got? I mean, do you know from the time he escaped from the time it was discovered, do you have any sense of how long that was?
LUPAS: I'm not sure of the exact time frame, I believe from prison officials they are telling us that they learned of it relatively quickly when the other gentleman obviously fell and injured himself. That was heard and discovered and immediately reported.
COOPER: Right, he tried to escape with somebody else. That person got injured, he was either pushed, not really clear exactly what happened at this point. It -- when he is caught -- if he is caught -- how does this add on to his sentencing?
LUPAS: Well, obviously we've issued a warrant charging him with a felony offensive escape. Right now our main focus is on capturing and prosecuting Hugo Selenski. I'm not responsible for the operations of the prison, and as I've said, the prison officials have a lot of explaining to do, and a lot of questions they need to answer not only to myself, but to the public in general.
COOPER: This guy is still out there right now at this moment.
David Lupas appreciate you joining us, thanks very much.
On now to what must have been an amazing thing to see, a father fainting from joy after being told you now have two sons.
His sons were actually born two years ago, but last night the conjoined twins from Egypt spent their first night apart. Tonight will be their second after a marathon surgery managed to separate them. The operation succeeded, but the danger for Ahmed and Mohamed is far from over.
The latest from CNN's Ed Lavandera in Dallas.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN: Mohamed and Ahmed Ibrahim are resting in separate rooms. They've never been this far apart. After their 34- hour separation surgery doctors say so far so good.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. JAMES THOMAS, CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER: Both boys appeared to be in truly remarkable condition, considering the ordeal that they've just come through.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: Both boys will remain in a medically induced coma for another three days. Doctors are worried about infection and brain swelling as the wounds on their heads begin to heal.
Months before the surgery a balloon like instrument was put in the head of the boys to expand their skin. That skin was used to cover the wound after the separation. Doctors say there was enough skin to cover all of Ahmed's wounds, but Mohamed will need some future skin grafting to cover the area around his temples.
Despite the initial excitement that both boys survived the surgery, doctors say it is still too early to predict what will happen to them in the future.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THOMAS: It's really an hour-to-hour, almost moment-to-moment situation right now. We -- we -- I think it's really impossible to prognosticate about the future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: Each boy's developing their own personality. Mohamed is described as the rascal. Ahmed is considered the philosopher. Doctors hope this is the beginning of a successful independent life for both boys, but everyone realizes a lot of hard work still lies ahead.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Dallas.
COOPER: Yes, it certainly does. Now, we want to talk more about the surgery, what the boys face now.
We can't think of many people more qualified to do that than Dr. Sanjay Gupta who, besides being a CNN medical correspondent is also a brain surgeon.
Dr. Gupta joins us now from Atlanta -- Sanjay, thanks for being with us.
What is the biggest danger right now for these two little boys?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well a couple of things, Anderson. First of all we've been hearing so much that both boys are being kept in what's known as an induced coma, medications to do that. Basic premise is to try and keep the brain asleep -- as asleep as possible. That will reduce the brain swelling.
That is the biggest concern now. So that the brain will actually start to swell, sometimes that swelling will become uncontrollable. That is probably the biggest immediate risk.
Another thing, Anderson, they got CT scanned today, those are sophisticated scans to basically rule out any significant bleeding. There did not look to be any.
There are going to be other concerns over the next several days but those are the big ones right now.
COOPER: I understand that during the surgery the doctors actually discovered that the brains were more closely fused than they had previously thought. Tell us about that and what sort of difficulties that led to.
GUPTA: Yes, really interesting, you know, we heard so much about the Bijani twins, those were the adult twins.
When brains grow together for a long time, sometimes they do become somewhat stuck together. You can see the animation here. With a young person now, two years old in this particular situation, you do expect the brains to be connected, so to speak, but more easy to sort of peel back from one another.
I have a little model here that I want to show you as well. This particular brain model, if you can take a look -- actually on the left side of the brain over here on one of the twins was actually closely stuck was the word they used to the right side of the brain of one of the other twins. That took some work.
And sometimes actually peeling that apart caused some bleeding, things like that. It sounds like they got through it just fine though.
COOPER: How are they expected to do? I mean best-case scenario, how soon could they recover and -- and is a normal life possible?
GUPTA: Yes, you know I think it's a fair question. I will say now that I think that doctors are more focused still on the decision tree of are they going to live or die? And I don't mean to sound too pessimistic, but I do think that that's how they're thinking right now.
Long term, it is possible that these twins could live normal lives. They will always be known as the former conjoined twins, and I don't say that tongue in cheek, but rather that that is a significant social issue that has been thought about, as well, but I think in terms of their physical and their neurological status it is possible.
Worst case scenario, the flip side of your question, I think they could get significant infections, they could have significant trips in and out of the hospital, and not develop neurologically as a normal -- as normal boys.
We have seen some of that with the -- one of the two Maria's from UCLA in and out of the hospital lots of infections. They do have the advantage of youth there Anderson, their brains are still -- still sort of hardwiring themselves, they may be very resilient to an operation like this.
COOPER: And there's another surgery for another set of conjoined twins coming up pretty soon this month as well.
GUPTA: That's right, two twins right there in New York City from the Philippines, we'll actually be following that story very closely. Very similar sort of operation connected at the head as well. That operation being taking place over the next couple of weeks down in New York City.
COOPER: All right, Dr. Sanjay Gupta thanks very much, our thoughts and our prayers certainly with these two little boys tonight, sleeping apart for the -- only the second night in their lives. Dr. Gupta thanks.
GUPTA: Thank you.
COOPER: In other health news, if you think you're seeing a lot more really overweight people these days, well you are right.
A new Rand Corporation study finds Americans are becoming extremely obese at an alarming rate. Researches say -- get this -- about four million people in the U.S. are at least 100 pounds overweight. That is four times as many as in the 1980s.
Works out to be about one in fifty U.S. adults who don't appear to work out at all. But help may be on the way. Scientists in Ft. Lauderdale have announced a sort of pacemaker for the tummy.
The electrical implant fools you into feeling full. It is still very experimental but its makers hope it will become a safe alternative to radical digestive surgery for very obese people getting nowhere with diets or appetite suppressing drugs.
Well, coming up, the story of the missing teen and the softball coach. We're going to talk with the parents of Mimi Smith struggling to find their daughter and the bounty hunter who is now on the trail of the coach.
Also tonight Pat Robertson on nuking the State Department. I'll take that to the nth degree.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Well we turn now to a case of a missing girl that is making a lot of headlines out West.
16-year-old Michelle Smith of Beaverton, Oregon -- that is her there -- known as Mimi, has been missing since September 26th.
Police believe she left willingly and they think she's with a man more than twice her age, her softball coach Andrew Garver, you see him there. He's been charged with kidnapping.
We're joined now in Portland, Oregon by Mimi's parents David and Sherry Smith. Appreciate both of you joining us; I know it's got to be really tough for you to speak out on this tonight.
Sherry if you could speak to Mimi, if she could hear you, what would you tell her now?
SHERRY SMITH, MIMI'S MOTHER: That I love her and that I miss her and that she hasn't done anything wrong and please call 911, or contact the local authorities wherever she is at, so that she can come home.
COOPER: And, David, do you think it is as easy as that? Do you think she could come home if she wanted to? What do you think is going on with her and this man Garver?
DAVID SMITH, MIMI'S FATHER: I believe she's been kidnapped and if she turned to him right now and asked to go home he wouldn't let her.
COOPER: Do you have a message for this Garver man tonight?
DAVID SMITH: Yes, I want to tell Mr. Garver to please do the right thing and turn himself in and let my daughter go.
COOPER: Sherry, I understand Mimi turned 16 just the other day while she's been gone. That must have been just a terrible day. Did you -- did you mark it in any way?
SHERRY SMITH: Yes, I found myself doing all the things I normally do in preparation for our children's birthdays. And it was hard. It was hard. I tried to hold it together the best that I can.
COOPER: I understand that. David, I guess investigators believe Mimi went willingly at least early on. Do you believe that?
DAVID SMITH: No, Mimi was kidnapped. Mimi was kidnapped by her softball coach who abused his trust and he kidnapped my daughter.
COOPER: How often are you in contact with the police? I mean do they seem to have any promising leads Sherry?
SHERRY SMITH: Yes, every single day. Beaverton Police has done an absolutely outstanding job in the search for my daughter.
DAVID SMITH: No leads.
COOPER: No leads?
DAVID SMITH: No leads.
SHERRY SMITH: I do hear from Beaverton police every day, just so you know.
COOPER: Well our thoughts and prayers are with you; we'll show that picture again of Mimi just to try to get it out there just as much as possible.
Sherry and David appreciate you joining us tonight. We will be following this story closely for the next as long as it takes.
SHERRY SMITH: I appreciate your time, thank you everyone.
COOPER: All right. Well, moving on a resort hotel overlooking the Pacific Ocean is the site of a police probe today after two young women were found dead in California's Big Sur region. Rusty Dornin reports.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN: Abigail Tapia and Jacqueline Toves were discovered last week in this $200 a night cottage lying side by side, garbage bags taped around their heads. Manager Leonard Flores (ph) found the bodies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEONARD FLORES: ... found the garbage bags and their hands tied to the back you know taped to, you know, taped to. And like a two days already.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DORNIN: A murder suicide or ritualistic killing? Flores told reporters that a Halloween mask similar to this one covered one woman's face. Circumstances strange enough that visitor Karen Phillips is wary.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAREN PHILLIPS, TOURIST: The way that it happened and I'm traveling with a girlfriend of mine and just the thought of two women -- it's just -- just a little creepy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DORNIN: Creepy enough that residents here hope the mystery is cleared up soon. Monterey County investigators say letters were also found.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CMDR. FRED GARCIA, MONTEREY COUNTY SHERIFF DEPT: There was a large envelope, which was found in there, was addressed to one of the parents of one of the subjects in the room and there were several letters and other personal contents within that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DORNIN: Police say they are investigating it as a murder suicide. Autopsy results just released show no evidence of trauma. But investigators won't make a final ruling for several weeks until toxicology results are in.
Rusty Dornin, CNN, San Francisco.
COOPER: Coming up next on 360 the current looks at the effects smoking pot has on -- well -- the odds you'll ever have a little Dead Head of your own someday.
And, in the "nth degree" pat Robertson endorses using a nuclear device on the State Department. Yes, the American State Department. We'll take that to the nth degree. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Just responding to some e-mail. For this week's "Fresh Print" we've got some print so fresh it's not even out yet. It is the newest word by best-selling author Michael Chabon whose amazing adventures of Kavalier & Clay was about two comic book characters.
Now he himself has written a comic book story and 360 got an exclusive look. Here it is.
COOPER: Next month's issue of JSA All Stars just might be the first comic book written by a Pulitzer Prize winning novelist. "The Strange Case of Mr. Terrific and Doctor Nil." Sounds like a stereotypical comic book, but if you want slam-bang action, try the movies.
This story is about brotherhood and redemption. The art is pretty cool too. In the non-superhero press today, "TIME" magazine asks who might be the next Arnold Schwarzenegger. TIME says former meathead Rob Reiner has not denied wanting to run for California governor in 2006.
Kelsey Grammer reportedly said his goals include being senator of, quote, "whatever state I was living in." And comedian Dennis Miller is reportedly the target of a GOP recruiting effort to run for California's senate.
Miller would be the first Republican to run for office after staring in "Bordello of Blood."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know you make it sound really enticing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: I should point out I misspoke, Kavelier & Clay the Pulitzer-Prize winning book was about two comic book creators not characters -- sorry about that.
If you've ever been on a New York subway you know that staring can be hazardous to your health. But like so many other potentially dangerous activities, staring has now become a competitive sport. Well, maybe it's not a sport exactly but as CNN's Jeanne Moos reports it sure is competitive.
JEANNE MOOS, CNN: Who says it's not polite to stare? Eye to eye combat until the tears spill from their eyes until their nose runs, it's the stare master competition.
The contestants stare, the audience stares, two cameras stare at the eyes of these ocular gladiators. When blinking is prohibited.
Stare master started in Pensacola, Florida born of boredom and drink. Creator Sean Laneno happens to have an ironic quirk.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN LANENO: I have trouble, like, looking people in the eye when I talk to them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Sean and a friend made an hour long documentary. Referees keep their eyes peeled for blinks. In New York, one match lasted a mere ten seconds.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There you go, that's what you needed.
MOOS: But the real record belongs to the eyes scream right while the other guy cried like a baby, Dave Wiggin (ph) went without blinking for almost eighteen minutes to win the trophy. Don't blink or you'll miss the losing blink on your left.
Stare Master makes laser surgery look like fun.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
COOPER: Excuse me. Sorry. Time to check tonight's "Current" for the latest pop culture news.
The former Soviet Republic of Georgia says it wants to name a mountain after Arnold Schwarzenegger. The catch is that he has to visit there first. If he does it would mark the first noun usage of the phrase Mt. Schwarzenegger.
Steve Martin -- you'll get that in a second -- Steve Martin is in talks with MGM about playing Inspector Clouseau in a new "Pink Panther" film. "Variety" reports he is unsure about taking on such a famous role although reportedly one factor that could effect his decision is money.
A new study says when men smoke marijuana their sperm might also be getting wasted. Researches said the sperm burn -- excuse me -- the sperm burn out before reaching the egg. There are several theories on why the sperm fail to reach the egg, including giggle fits and frequent stops to grab a snack.
The men of Oregon's long -- excuse me -- the Men of Oregon's Long Tom Grange, which is a farming collective, are giving their all, or at least showing their all, to benefit their local schools. They're putting out a calendar featuring such local residents as Al Hasselblad, Marty Manning, and the coquettish Chris Moran.
Not appearing in the calendar Long Tom.
Coming up next on 360 don't ask him, but Pat Robertson has some ideas on where to put a nuclear device. We'll take the implications to the nth degree.
And tomorrow, John Edward crosses over to 360. He'll be answering your questions about the other side. You can e-mail them now to cnn.com/360.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: We've been asking for your e-mails all hour long instant feedback our story on Internet porn generated a lot of buzz.
Carol from Toronto writes: "My marriage of 25 years broke down because my husband preferred cyber sex to the real thing. Only thing was, he was pretending he was a 25-year-old lesbian on line. Go figure."
John from Colorado has a different take. He writes: "There is nothing wrong with Internet porn. Sure, I might not have enough time for a real girlfriend but when you write code for 20 hours a day, it helps to relax sometimes."
You can send us your instant feedback. Log on to cnn.com/360. Rolls off the tongue doesn't it?
Tonight, Pat Robertson to the nth degree. On the 700 Club Robertson interviewed the author of a new book about the State Department, which is headquartered in Washington neighborhood of Foggy Bottom.
Robertson said, and I quote, "I read your book and when you get through, you say, if I could just get a nuclear device inside Foggy Bottom, I think that's the answer. I mean, you get through this, and you say, we've got to blow that thing up."
In response, the State Department spokesman expressed his disdain saying, and I quote, "I lack sufficient capabilities to express my disdain."
In fairness to Robertson, he didn't specifically say he wanted to kill anybody, although nuclear bombs are well known for at least creating widespread inconvenience.
And while I seem to remember some obscure passage about not killing in the Bible, never specifically prohibits the use of low yield thermonuclear devices. Which might explain Robertson's previous remark in June when he said, and again I quote: "Maybe we need a very small nuke thrown off on Foggy Bottom to shake things up."
Now, we all know that nukes are pretty effective at up shaking. But in these times, especially he might want to avoid planting such ideas in people's heads. After all, the next Foggy Bottom that blows up might just be his own.
That about wraps up our program tonight. Appreciate you joining us on 360. We have a lot of good stuff coming up on 360 tomorrow.
Hope you join us then, 7 p.m. Eastern time every night.
Coming up next, PAULA ZAHN NOW.
END
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Women?; Pennsylvania Police Continue Search For Suspected Serial Killer; Conjoined Twins Stay In Stable But Serious Condition After Separation Surgery>
Aired October 13, 2003 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEWIS BLACK, "THE DAILY SHOW": I had always heard that the biggest souvenir of any blackout was unplanned pregnancies. But apparently the one thing people don't do during the blackout is "it." Contrary to myth, there won't be a baby boom nine months from now. Population researchers say there's no proof that people have more sex when the power goes out.
I know I didn't have any sex during the blackout. How could I? My computer wasn't working.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Well, Lewis Black on the Jon Stewart show of course isn't alone in his loving appreciation of his computer. Playing on Broadway right now is the musical "Avenue Q," which is sort of like an upset of "Sesame Street" gone very naughty. One of the puppets, Tricky Monster, sings a song about the joy he gets each and every day, sometimes each and every hour, from the Internet. It's called the "Internet is for Porn." Yes, folks, even the puppets have become online porn addicts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER (voice-over): Gone are the trench coats, the furtive visits to the seedy theaters, the fear of being outed as some perverted purchaser of porn. These days, all you need to indulge anonymously in a triple X world is a modem, preferably high speed. At home, at the office, even on the latest souped-up cell phones, cyber porn is there, tempting those who might never be tempted before.
Reliable stats are hard to come by. The number of commercial porn Web pages soared 18-fold over four years, according to the Internet filtering firm, N2H2, 260 million pages of porn. Another filter company estimates that 12 percent of all Web sites are porn sites. And the research firm Net Ratings tracked 23 million visitors to porn sites, and that was just for 2001. Now, some porn surfers say cyber sex has gone from a harmless hobby to something akin to addiction.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Well, when nice guys get hooked to Internet porn is the focus of an article in the latest "New York Magazine." The article profiles a handful of men who've gotten compulsive about their online fix. Some admit that they are even beginning to prefer cyber sex to their real-life girlfriends.
David Amsden is the author. He joins us now in New York. And in Los Angeles, the Berman sisters, Jennifer, who is a urologist, and Laura, a sex therapist. Their program, "Berman & Berman," kicks off a new season on Discovery Health Thursday night.
Appreciate everyone being with us.
David, let me start off with you. In your article, which is fascinating to look at this thing, a 26-year-old businessman told you his friends are "so obsessed with Internet porn, they can't sleep with their girlfriends unless they act like porn stars." What is going on?
DAVID AMSDEN, "NEW YORK MAGAZINE": Well, it seems like, you know, this stuff has just proliferated through the Internet, that these guys -- you know, every man is curious. Every young man is especially curious. They're at the peak of their sexuality. So if it's there, they're going to look.
COOPER: But it affects the way they view their girlfriends or their relationships or potential girlfriends.
AMSDEN: Yes. Well, imagine you look at it every day; that becomes your idea of sex. And perhaps it can affect relationships. For instance, in this man, who seems like all his friends want a kind of hyper-stylized sex, what you see in a porn star doing, basically.
COOPER: Laura, what do you think about this? I mean, does this surprise you, hearing what some of the people David talked to said?
LAURA BERMAN, SEX THERAPIST: It doesn't surprise me. I think definitely that it's very easy to become addicted to something that's so accessible and so titillating, for that matter. So it's not surprising at all.
I don't think that we can say that all men are, therefore, going to get addicted to cyber sex or cyber porn. It can set up unrealistic expectations, though, for what men should expect in a sexual partner both in behavior and appearance.
COOPER: Well, let me bring in Jennifer. Jennifer, Naomi Wolf, also in "New York Magazine" this week, writes, "The onslaught of porn is responsible for deadening male libido in relation to real women and leading men to see fewer and fewer women as porn worthy. Today, real naked women are just bad porn."
How have women adapted to this environment?
JENNIFER BERMAN, "BERMAN & BERMAN": Well, you know what? I'll say we'll use our vibrator and tune you guys out. No, in reality, I think no man can compete with a vibrator. And what woman can compete with an unrealistic porn star? So I think that that's really the problem, is that it does set up unrealistic expectations. Expectations on the male part, and expectations and pressure for women to behave or do things that they don't necessarily want to or feel comfortable doing. And that is a problem.
COOPER: Well, David, in your article you talked to one kid who said that the first time he actually had sex with somebody, he felt like he was making a porn film.
AMSDEN: Yes. Well, this was a 20-year-old college student. So just imagine the adolescents who, you know, their sexual coming of age has totally coincided with the Internet and high-speed connections. So -- as opposed to the 13-year-old boy, who is lucky to find one "Playboy" maybe.
J. BERMAN: Yes, well the thing is about the 13-year-olds is that they are getting on the Internet now. So we are really shaping our youth and the youth -- and the teens in turn. This is their sexual exposure, which is really quite scary.
AMSDEN: Yes. Well, whereas this kid, you know, maybe, you know, has -- I'm trying to think of the best way to put it. But he had a certain detachment, where sex before was this sort of ethereal, almost impossible idea, which is why as a kid you are so eager to have it. Here's this kid, who has seen so much of it, that when it finally happens to himself in reality, the only way he can process it is, oh, this is like what I've seen on the computer.
COOPER: But Laura, it affects women as well, I mean, in these relationships, because all of a sudden they are called upon to be someone that their partner has seen on the Internet somewhere.
L. BERMAN: Right. Some women will say that they feel undue pressure to look a certain way or to behave sexually a certain way. But also, the other downside for women is that, with these young adolescent boys, and even adult men when are getting their sex education from the Internet, and from Internet porn, they are getting an unrealistic expectation of what women want sexually.
COOPER: Bottom line, is there any positive then of porn for relationships for women?
L. BERMAN: Well, I think there's always a role for pornography and for fantasies if it's used to the benefit of the couple. If it's used to the point where the man cannot become aroused or doesn't want to have sex unless his partner is acting like a porn star, then that can create a problem.
COOPER: And David, you were surprised at the extent to which people in our generation talk about surfing the Web for porn openly.
AMSDEN: Yes. That's where the actual -- that was the impetus to write this article, because I just noticed every time I went out, I'd sit at a bar. You know, basically the conversation that we are having was very casual over beers, and that sort of blew me away. I mean, it's completely non-taboo, which is almost why it's difficult to pinpoint in what subtle ways this is affecting relationships.
COOPER: Right. It's a fascinating article. It's in "New York Magazine." A couple of different ways of looking at it.
David Amsden, appreciate you joining us. And Laura and Jennifer Berman, also, thank you very much.
L. BERMAN: Thank you.
J. BERMAN: Sure.
COOPER: All right.
ANDERSON COOPER: Top of the "Reset" -- tonight's top stories. President Bush is taking the offensive, and apparently offense, in response to criticism that he's lost control of Iraq policy amid staff infighting.
Mr. Bush insisted today that he is in charge.
The U.S. Navy agrees to limit its peacetime use of a new sonar system that may be harming Marine mammals and fish as it works to detect enemy submarines. The Natural Resources Defense Council had sued after scientists found brain and ear bone hemorrhaging in several dead whales.
Outgoing governor Gray Davis has signed a controversial domestic partners bill into law. Starting 2007, California will be the first state making business with large state contracts offered domestic partners the same benefits as married couples.
Congressman Dennis Kucinich is now officially a candidate for president. The Ohio Democrat formally announced today, pledging to pull U.S. troops out of Iraq.
Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield is asking fans to keep their cool after Saturday night's fracas in game three of the American League Championship Series. The ninth inning bullpen fight at Fenway Park resulted in fines for Red Sox team members and one New York Yankee.
Martha Stewart says although she is scared she doesn't think her stock trading indictment will land her in jail. Stewart showed a stiff upper lip in an interview with ABC's Barbara Walters.
And that is tonight's "Reset."
Earlier in the hour we told you about the hunt in Pennsylvania for suspected killer going on right now.
Hugo Selenski was jailed last June after five bodies were discovered in his back yard. This past Friday he escaped from prison by climbing down a rope made of bed sheets.
The manhunt continues at this hour and Selenski's lawyer is urging Selenski to turn himself in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEMETRIUS FANNICK, HUGO SELENSKI'S ATTORNEY: He must surrender himself. He can contact me; he has all of my phone numbers. I can arrange for a negotiated resolution to the case, a peaceful resolution so nobody gets hurt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Well, for more on the story, Luzerne County District Attorney David Lupas joins us right now from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
David thanks very much for being with us. I want to talk to you about this guy, Selenski. He's got quite a prior record, five bodies found in his back yard. I know he hasn't been found guilty of any of those crimes. How dangerous is he, in your opinion?
DAVID LUPAS, LUZERNE COUNTY DIST. ATTY: In our opinion, he is quite dangerous. The allegations against him concern an allegation of him assaulting and robbing someone by shooting at them with a firearm, and, obviously, last Monday he was charged with two counts of criminal homicide, abuse of corpse, and related charges.
So, obviously, we think the public should be on guard should they run into this guy. We believe he's very dangerous.
COOPER: There are so many questions about how this guy got out of the jail that he was in. I know that you have a lot of questions yourself.
What's the number one thing you want answered? What do you want to hear from prison officials to explain what happened?
LUPAS: Basically why and basically how could something like this occur? It just seems so elementary where someone hopped out a window, climbed out and ran away from a prison and you know by -- I stated many times in this day and age this is just appalling to me that something like this could happen.
COOPER: Do you think he's still in the area?
LUPAS: Police are following up a number of leads; we're not ruling anything out. It's possible he's in the area; it's possible he's out of the area and a nationwide alert has been put out. I can tell you most if not all of the leads police have received have been local leads. But you know we're not ruling anything out.
COOPER: Do you know how much of a lead-time he got? I mean, do you know from the time he escaped from the time it was discovered, do you have any sense of how long that was?
LUPAS: I'm not sure of the exact time frame, I believe from prison officials they are telling us that they learned of it relatively quickly when the other gentleman obviously fell and injured himself. That was heard and discovered and immediately reported.
COOPER: Right, he tried to escape with somebody else. That person got injured, he was either pushed, not really clear exactly what happened at this point. It -- when he is caught -- if he is caught -- how does this add on to his sentencing?
LUPAS: Well, obviously we've issued a warrant charging him with a felony offensive escape. Right now our main focus is on capturing and prosecuting Hugo Selenski. I'm not responsible for the operations of the prison, and as I've said, the prison officials have a lot of explaining to do, and a lot of questions they need to answer not only to myself, but to the public in general.
COOPER: This guy is still out there right now at this moment.
David Lupas appreciate you joining us, thanks very much.
On now to what must have been an amazing thing to see, a father fainting from joy after being told you now have two sons.
His sons were actually born two years ago, but last night the conjoined twins from Egypt spent their first night apart. Tonight will be their second after a marathon surgery managed to separate them. The operation succeeded, but the danger for Ahmed and Mohamed is far from over.
The latest from CNN's Ed Lavandera in Dallas.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN: Mohamed and Ahmed Ibrahim are resting in separate rooms. They've never been this far apart. After their 34- hour separation surgery doctors say so far so good.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. JAMES THOMAS, CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER: Both boys appeared to be in truly remarkable condition, considering the ordeal that they've just come through.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: Both boys will remain in a medically induced coma for another three days. Doctors are worried about infection and brain swelling as the wounds on their heads begin to heal.
Months before the surgery a balloon like instrument was put in the head of the boys to expand their skin. That skin was used to cover the wound after the separation. Doctors say there was enough skin to cover all of Ahmed's wounds, but Mohamed will need some future skin grafting to cover the area around his temples.
Despite the initial excitement that both boys survived the surgery, doctors say it is still too early to predict what will happen to them in the future.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THOMAS: It's really an hour-to-hour, almost moment-to-moment situation right now. We -- we -- I think it's really impossible to prognosticate about the future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: Each boy's developing their own personality. Mohamed is described as the rascal. Ahmed is considered the philosopher. Doctors hope this is the beginning of a successful independent life for both boys, but everyone realizes a lot of hard work still lies ahead.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Dallas.
COOPER: Yes, it certainly does. Now, we want to talk more about the surgery, what the boys face now.
We can't think of many people more qualified to do that than Dr. Sanjay Gupta who, besides being a CNN medical correspondent is also a brain surgeon.
Dr. Gupta joins us now from Atlanta -- Sanjay, thanks for being with us.
What is the biggest danger right now for these two little boys?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well a couple of things, Anderson. First of all we've been hearing so much that both boys are being kept in what's known as an induced coma, medications to do that. Basic premise is to try and keep the brain asleep -- as asleep as possible. That will reduce the brain swelling.
That is the biggest concern now. So that the brain will actually start to swell, sometimes that swelling will become uncontrollable. That is probably the biggest immediate risk.
Another thing, Anderson, they got CT scanned today, those are sophisticated scans to basically rule out any significant bleeding. There did not look to be any.
There are going to be other concerns over the next several days but those are the big ones right now.
COOPER: I understand that during the surgery the doctors actually discovered that the brains were more closely fused than they had previously thought. Tell us about that and what sort of difficulties that led to.
GUPTA: Yes, really interesting, you know, we heard so much about the Bijani twins, those were the adult twins.
When brains grow together for a long time, sometimes they do become somewhat stuck together. You can see the animation here. With a young person now, two years old in this particular situation, you do expect the brains to be connected, so to speak, but more easy to sort of peel back from one another.
I have a little model here that I want to show you as well. This particular brain model, if you can take a look -- actually on the left side of the brain over here on one of the twins was actually closely stuck was the word they used to the right side of the brain of one of the other twins. That took some work.
And sometimes actually peeling that apart caused some bleeding, things like that. It sounds like they got through it just fine though.
COOPER: How are they expected to do? I mean best-case scenario, how soon could they recover and -- and is a normal life possible?
GUPTA: Yes, you know I think it's a fair question. I will say now that I think that doctors are more focused still on the decision tree of are they going to live or die? And I don't mean to sound too pessimistic, but I do think that that's how they're thinking right now.
Long term, it is possible that these twins could live normal lives. They will always be known as the former conjoined twins, and I don't say that tongue in cheek, but rather that that is a significant social issue that has been thought about, as well, but I think in terms of their physical and their neurological status it is possible.
Worst case scenario, the flip side of your question, I think they could get significant infections, they could have significant trips in and out of the hospital, and not develop neurologically as a normal -- as normal boys.
We have seen some of that with the -- one of the two Maria's from UCLA in and out of the hospital lots of infections. They do have the advantage of youth there Anderson, their brains are still -- still sort of hardwiring themselves, they may be very resilient to an operation like this.
COOPER: And there's another surgery for another set of conjoined twins coming up pretty soon this month as well.
GUPTA: That's right, two twins right there in New York City from the Philippines, we'll actually be following that story very closely. Very similar sort of operation connected at the head as well. That operation being taking place over the next couple of weeks down in New York City.
COOPER: All right, Dr. Sanjay Gupta thanks very much, our thoughts and our prayers certainly with these two little boys tonight, sleeping apart for the -- only the second night in their lives. Dr. Gupta thanks.
GUPTA: Thank you.
COOPER: In other health news, if you think you're seeing a lot more really overweight people these days, well you are right.
A new Rand Corporation study finds Americans are becoming extremely obese at an alarming rate. Researches say -- get this -- about four million people in the U.S. are at least 100 pounds overweight. That is four times as many as in the 1980s.
Works out to be about one in fifty U.S. adults who don't appear to work out at all. But help may be on the way. Scientists in Ft. Lauderdale have announced a sort of pacemaker for the tummy.
The electrical implant fools you into feeling full. It is still very experimental but its makers hope it will become a safe alternative to radical digestive surgery for very obese people getting nowhere with diets or appetite suppressing drugs.
Well, coming up, the story of the missing teen and the softball coach. We're going to talk with the parents of Mimi Smith struggling to find their daughter and the bounty hunter who is now on the trail of the coach.
Also tonight Pat Robertson on nuking the State Department. I'll take that to the nth degree.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Well we turn now to a case of a missing girl that is making a lot of headlines out West.
16-year-old Michelle Smith of Beaverton, Oregon -- that is her there -- known as Mimi, has been missing since September 26th.
Police believe she left willingly and they think she's with a man more than twice her age, her softball coach Andrew Garver, you see him there. He's been charged with kidnapping.
We're joined now in Portland, Oregon by Mimi's parents David and Sherry Smith. Appreciate both of you joining us; I know it's got to be really tough for you to speak out on this tonight.
Sherry if you could speak to Mimi, if she could hear you, what would you tell her now?
SHERRY SMITH, MIMI'S MOTHER: That I love her and that I miss her and that she hasn't done anything wrong and please call 911, or contact the local authorities wherever she is at, so that she can come home.
COOPER: And, David, do you think it is as easy as that? Do you think she could come home if she wanted to? What do you think is going on with her and this man Garver?
DAVID SMITH, MIMI'S FATHER: I believe she's been kidnapped and if she turned to him right now and asked to go home he wouldn't let her.
COOPER: Do you have a message for this Garver man tonight?
DAVID SMITH: Yes, I want to tell Mr. Garver to please do the right thing and turn himself in and let my daughter go.
COOPER: Sherry, I understand Mimi turned 16 just the other day while she's been gone. That must have been just a terrible day. Did you -- did you mark it in any way?
SHERRY SMITH: Yes, I found myself doing all the things I normally do in preparation for our children's birthdays. And it was hard. It was hard. I tried to hold it together the best that I can.
COOPER: I understand that. David, I guess investigators believe Mimi went willingly at least early on. Do you believe that?
DAVID SMITH: No, Mimi was kidnapped. Mimi was kidnapped by her softball coach who abused his trust and he kidnapped my daughter.
COOPER: How often are you in contact with the police? I mean do they seem to have any promising leads Sherry?
SHERRY SMITH: Yes, every single day. Beaverton Police has done an absolutely outstanding job in the search for my daughter.
DAVID SMITH: No leads.
COOPER: No leads?
DAVID SMITH: No leads.
SHERRY SMITH: I do hear from Beaverton police every day, just so you know.
COOPER: Well our thoughts and prayers are with you; we'll show that picture again of Mimi just to try to get it out there just as much as possible.
Sherry and David appreciate you joining us tonight. We will be following this story closely for the next as long as it takes.
SHERRY SMITH: I appreciate your time, thank you everyone.
COOPER: All right. Well, moving on a resort hotel overlooking the Pacific Ocean is the site of a police probe today after two young women were found dead in California's Big Sur region. Rusty Dornin reports.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN: Abigail Tapia and Jacqueline Toves were discovered last week in this $200 a night cottage lying side by side, garbage bags taped around their heads. Manager Leonard Flores (ph) found the bodies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEONARD FLORES: ... found the garbage bags and their hands tied to the back you know taped to, you know, taped to. And like a two days already.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DORNIN: A murder suicide or ritualistic killing? Flores told reporters that a Halloween mask similar to this one covered one woman's face. Circumstances strange enough that visitor Karen Phillips is wary.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAREN PHILLIPS, TOURIST: The way that it happened and I'm traveling with a girlfriend of mine and just the thought of two women -- it's just -- just a little creepy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DORNIN: Creepy enough that residents here hope the mystery is cleared up soon. Monterey County investigators say letters were also found.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CMDR. FRED GARCIA, MONTEREY COUNTY SHERIFF DEPT: There was a large envelope, which was found in there, was addressed to one of the parents of one of the subjects in the room and there were several letters and other personal contents within that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DORNIN: Police say they are investigating it as a murder suicide. Autopsy results just released show no evidence of trauma. But investigators won't make a final ruling for several weeks until toxicology results are in.
Rusty Dornin, CNN, San Francisco.
COOPER: Coming up next on 360 the current looks at the effects smoking pot has on -- well -- the odds you'll ever have a little Dead Head of your own someday.
And, in the "nth degree" pat Robertson endorses using a nuclear device on the State Department. Yes, the American State Department. We'll take that to the nth degree. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Just responding to some e-mail. For this week's "Fresh Print" we've got some print so fresh it's not even out yet. It is the newest word by best-selling author Michael Chabon whose amazing adventures of Kavalier & Clay was about two comic book characters.
Now he himself has written a comic book story and 360 got an exclusive look. Here it is.
COOPER: Next month's issue of JSA All Stars just might be the first comic book written by a Pulitzer Prize winning novelist. "The Strange Case of Mr. Terrific and Doctor Nil." Sounds like a stereotypical comic book, but if you want slam-bang action, try the movies.
This story is about brotherhood and redemption. The art is pretty cool too. In the non-superhero press today, "TIME" magazine asks who might be the next Arnold Schwarzenegger. TIME says former meathead Rob Reiner has not denied wanting to run for California governor in 2006.
Kelsey Grammer reportedly said his goals include being senator of, quote, "whatever state I was living in." And comedian Dennis Miller is reportedly the target of a GOP recruiting effort to run for California's senate.
Miller would be the first Republican to run for office after staring in "Bordello of Blood."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know you make it sound really enticing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: I should point out I misspoke, Kavelier & Clay the Pulitzer-Prize winning book was about two comic book creators not characters -- sorry about that.
If you've ever been on a New York subway you know that staring can be hazardous to your health. But like so many other potentially dangerous activities, staring has now become a competitive sport. Well, maybe it's not a sport exactly but as CNN's Jeanne Moos reports it sure is competitive.
JEANNE MOOS, CNN: Who says it's not polite to stare? Eye to eye combat until the tears spill from their eyes until their nose runs, it's the stare master competition.
The contestants stare, the audience stares, two cameras stare at the eyes of these ocular gladiators. When blinking is prohibited.
Stare master started in Pensacola, Florida born of boredom and drink. Creator Sean Laneno happens to have an ironic quirk.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN LANENO: I have trouble, like, looking people in the eye when I talk to them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Sean and a friend made an hour long documentary. Referees keep their eyes peeled for blinks. In New York, one match lasted a mere ten seconds.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There you go, that's what you needed.
MOOS: But the real record belongs to the eyes scream right while the other guy cried like a baby, Dave Wiggin (ph) went without blinking for almost eighteen minutes to win the trophy. Don't blink or you'll miss the losing blink on your left.
Stare Master makes laser surgery look like fun.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
COOPER: Excuse me. Sorry. Time to check tonight's "Current" for the latest pop culture news.
The former Soviet Republic of Georgia says it wants to name a mountain after Arnold Schwarzenegger. The catch is that he has to visit there first. If he does it would mark the first noun usage of the phrase Mt. Schwarzenegger.
Steve Martin -- you'll get that in a second -- Steve Martin is in talks with MGM about playing Inspector Clouseau in a new "Pink Panther" film. "Variety" reports he is unsure about taking on such a famous role although reportedly one factor that could effect his decision is money.
A new study says when men smoke marijuana their sperm might also be getting wasted. Researches said the sperm burn -- excuse me -- the sperm burn out before reaching the egg. There are several theories on why the sperm fail to reach the egg, including giggle fits and frequent stops to grab a snack.
The men of Oregon's long -- excuse me -- the Men of Oregon's Long Tom Grange, which is a farming collective, are giving their all, or at least showing their all, to benefit their local schools. They're putting out a calendar featuring such local residents as Al Hasselblad, Marty Manning, and the coquettish Chris Moran.
Not appearing in the calendar Long Tom.
Coming up next on 360 don't ask him, but Pat Robertson has some ideas on where to put a nuclear device. We'll take the implications to the nth degree.
And tomorrow, John Edward crosses over to 360. He'll be answering your questions about the other side. You can e-mail them now to cnn.com/360.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: We've been asking for your e-mails all hour long instant feedback our story on Internet porn generated a lot of buzz.
Carol from Toronto writes: "My marriage of 25 years broke down because my husband preferred cyber sex to the real thing. Only thing was, he was pretending he was a 25-year-old lesbian on line. Go figure."
John from Colorado has a different take. He writes: "There is nothing wrong with Internet porn. Sure, I might not have enough time for a real girlfriend but when you write code for 20 hours a day, it helps to relax sometimes."
You can send us your instant feedback. Log on to cnn.com/360. Rolls off the tongue doesn't it?
Tonight, Pat Robertson to the nth degree. On the 700 Club Robertson interviewed the author of a new book about the State Department, which is headquartered in Washington neighborhood of Foggy Bottom.
Robertson said, and I quote, "I read your book and when you get through, you say, if I could just get a nuclear device inside Foggy Bottom, I think that's the answer. I mean, you get through this, and you say, we've got to blow that thing up."
In response, the State Department spokesman expressed his disdain saying, and I quote, "I lack sufficient capabilities to express my disdain."
In fairness to Robertson, he didn't specifically say he wanted to kill anybody, although nuclear bombs are well known for at least creating widespread inconvenience.
And while I seem to remember some obscure passage about not killing in the Bible, never specifically prohibits the use of low yield thermonuclear devices. Which might explain Robertson's previous remark in June when he said, and again I quote: "Maybe we need a very small nuke thrown off on Foggy Bottom to shake things up."
Now, we all know that nukes are pretty effective at up shaking. But in these times, especially he might want to avoid planting such ideas in people's heads. After all, the next Foggy Bottom that blows up might just be his own.
That about wraps up our program tonight. Appreciate you joining us on 360. We have a lot of good stuff coming up on 360 tomorrow.
Hope you join us then, 7 p.m. Eastern time every night.
Coming up next, PAULA ZAHN NOW.
END
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Women?; Pennsylvania Police Continue Search For Suspected Serial Killer; Conjoined Twins Stay In Stable But Serious Condition After Separation Surgery>
