Fifteen years ago, Bruce Greenwood played the ultimate identity theft victim in "Nowhere Man," an adventure series about a photojournalist whose life literally has been erased. Greenwood's character, Thomas Veil, was having dinner with his wife one evening and left to use the restroom. When he returned to the table, his wife was long gone, his mother didn't remember who he was and his credit cards no longer worked.

Veil's shocked reaction lands him in a sanitarium, but he uses all his skills to break out. Slowly, he figures out that "Hidden Agenda," a controversial photograph he took in South America, may be the source of all his troubles. A black-and-white depiction of four men hanging from ropes, "Hidden Agenda" contains details that someone or some organization wants to keep under wraps.

Hiding the negatives by mailing them from city to city, Veil begins a quest to find out exactly who stole his identity and how he can get his life back. Like the classic television series "The Fugitive," Veil takes a series of menial jobs in different towns as he gets closer to the ones who have been tormenting him. Unfortunately, he's never quite sure who he can trust.

A show that was broadcast on the United Paramount Network (UPN) before it merged with the WB, "Nowhere Man" had a devoted fan base, earning much critical acclaim before poor ratings ended Thomas Veil's quest after only one season. Still, Bruce Greenwood turned in an excellent performance as a man in search of himself.

Along the way, Veil meets several colorful characters, including a young psychic and a computer hacker who is more comfortable living inside a virtual world than dealing with reality. In an episode entitled "It's Not Such a Wonderful Life," Veil's mysterious opponents unleash the ultimate torture, namely a chance to get his old life back.

Even though it only lasted a single season, fans still fondly remember "Nowhere Man." Bruce Greenwood's career definitely has gone somewhere, namely the new "Star Trek" franchise, but many fans would like him go "Nowhere" again.

Resources:
http://www.tv.com/nowhere-man/show/2102/summary.html

Back in the 1970's, "Charlie's Angels" started a new trend on television, one in which shows were built around strong and beautiful women. Of course, a good portion of the viewing public was tuning in to see how good Jaclyn Smith looked in a bathing suit or to watch the late Farrah Fawcett chase down a bad guy. Few viewers were really all that concerned about the plot.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and other networks soon created their own brand of "Angels." A few years before she knocked on Jack Trippers door on "Three's Company," Priscilla Barnes cruised around the country as one of "The American Girls." Not to be confused with the popular line of dolls, Barnes and her equally attractive co-star Debra Clinger played Rebecca and Amy, two television journalists.

Accepting a rather unique assignment, Rebecca and Amy traveled around the United States in a remote broadcasting van. The idea was to make them real roving reporters, broadcasting the news from the most remote places for a show called "The American Report." Because this was an hour-long drama, though, Rebecca and Amy usually ended up in the middle of one crisis or another, but they managed to help out and get their reports sent back to the station.

Like a photocopy that fades each time it is duplicated, "The American Girls" turned out to be just a pale imitation of "Charlie's Angels." Priscilla Barnes and Debra Clinger gave it a valiant effort, but the show only lasted 6 episodes. Still, the whole idea of spending weeks on the road, living and working in the same van as your best friend and co-worker would drive anyone crazy. The reporters also would need a decent camp stove to cook meals under the stars.

Priscilla Barnes achieved greater success in 1981, stepping into Suzanne Somers' shoes on the hit comedy "Three's Company." Most people may have forgotten "The American Girls," but it was hard to forget Nurse Terri Alden.

Resources:.http://www.crazyabouttv.com/americangirls.html

Planning a long back-packing trip, and intend to supplement the food you carry with food you find? You'd better be certain that you know what you can eat, and what to avoid if you want to make it home.

In the mountains, the desert, or the grasslands, you can find edible plants. Some basic rules are not to choose anything with fungus or mildew, or that looks spoiled. If you've got a sensitive stomach, you may want to avoid wild greens. Know the plants must be cooked before you eat them, like those containing oxalate crystals, which can damage your kidneys. Finally, avoid plants you don't recognize if their sap is milky or off-color; if they have beans, bulbs, or seeds inside pods; a bitter or soapy taste; thorns, hairs, or spikes; plants that look like foliage from dill, carrot, or parsley; if the woody parts and leaves have an almond scent; if they have pink, purple, or black spurs on grass heads; or if they have three-leaf clusters.

Many berries are edible, including blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, gooseberries and huckleberries; others, including daphne berries, jasmine berries, lantana camara berries, yew berries, moonseed berries and mistletoe berries, are fatal. Edible root plants include agave root, cammas bulbs, squaw root, wild carrots, Indian Cucumber root, wild onion, and wild garlic. Don't confuse them with flower bulbs, or candelabra cactus root. Greens are an excellent supplement to your wild diet. Dandelion greens, chickweed, clover, lamb's quarters, milkweed, and mustard greens are all good choices as well. Avoid anything that looks like dill or parsley, because it could be nightshade or hemlock.

Some plants are prepared to improve their taste; bitter greens can be soaked, acorns leached in water, and stems, leaves and buds of other plants boiled until they no longer taste bitter. Tubers, roots, and cattails should be boiled, baked, or roasted. That removes any oxalates some roots may have. Early grains can be eaten raw; once they're hard, you can grind them into flour or boil them for soup. The sap from birches and sycamores provides a sweetener like maple syrup.

Of course to do all this, you need some gear. Start with a multi-purpose tool to cut or dig up plants. You'll need cookware to cook things in, and a stove to cook on. And of course, a big backpack to carry it all.

Be careful, and bon appetit!

(Sources: http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/publications/poison/poison.html , http://www.wilderness-survival.net/plants-1.php, http://www.wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/food/edibleplants/ , http://www.essortment.com/all/ediblewildplan_repo.htm )

Whether you're heading off on a trekking adventure, kayaking through new territory or hitting the campgrounds for an overnight stay, you'll need the right gear to enjoy happy trails. Layering is every outdoor enthusiast's strategy for keeping cool winds and chills at bay, especially in areas where temperatures drop after sundown. Layering up with fleece jackets, moisture-wicking shirts and thermal pants is a surefire way to trap in much-needed body heat on cooler days, and when you do it right, you have the freedom to take off or put on just one or two garments so that your body temperature stays on the level.

Make this process easier with jackets like the Merrell Spring Iso. It's a super lightweight and slightly fitted polyester jacket designed with Merrell® Aeroblock™ technology, which blocks out harsh winds and chilly temperatures. It's your shield of resistance when you're hiking through the woods or setting your sights on an overnight trek across the Arizona dessert.

Not only does this jacket ward off ugly weather, but it also protects your skin when you're roughing it in the great outdoors. The jacket's designed with raglan shoulders that provide extra support for those heavy backpacks you're lugging around on your trail, so there's less pressure on your upper body throughout your trip. Two small zip pockets make it easy to ditch the fanny pack and store your basics safely and securely. And the seamless, flattering cut makes this a must-have cover up for any campsite party.

A few more layering tips for any avid outdoor enthusiast:

• Stick with the lightweight, zipper-free pieces whenever possible for easy layering and less bulk.
• Avoid wearing too much fleece; fleece can warm up very, very quickly when you're on the run so you could end up overheating and get tired early in your trip.
• Wear a lightweight t-shirt made with moisture-wicking microfibers under shirts and jackets for extra comfort.
• Drink more water than usual; your body needs to be well hydrated in order to conserve energy on its own, so drink as much as you comfortably can throughout the trip.
• Keep hands and feet warm overnight with hand warmers and a pair of quality socks.

A big part of the enjoyment that comes with exploring the great outdoors is doing it your own way, not the way that everyone else thinks you should. This fierce sense of outdoor independence dominates "The Straight Story," a big screen adventure that also focuses on some of the most gorgeous areas of the United States.

The late, great actor Richard Farnsworth stars as Alvin Straight, the real life Iowa farmer who rode a lawn mower nearly 300 miles to visit his ailing brother in Wisconsin. Not a person who liked to take charity from anyone, Straight spent a good portion of the summer of 1994 traveling the back roads at a blazing 5 miles per hour. At night, the proud and stubborn Straight would cook and camp out under the stars, paying for supplies out of his own pocket. When a kindly husband and wife offered Alvin the use of their telephone, he left cash by the phone to pay for the call. Most people would have given up along the way and accepted a ride or a bus ticket, but the stubborn Straight kept on going like a true outdoorsman.

Director David Lynch, known for such edgy material as "Blue Velvet," makes "The Straight Story" a virtual love letter to the great outdoors. As he shows Alvin Straight's long journey from Iowa to Wisconsin, Lynch captures some unspoiled wilderness on film.

Part biography and part documentary, "The Straight Story" is a film that will entice viewers to explore the great outdoors, but make sure to gas up your car and not the riding mower before hitting the road.