Jeffrey Shaffer

NBC News found itself immersed in some big hot water recently because of one small editing decision. On an episode of the Today Show, the network aired a portion of George Zimmerman's 911 call on the night Trayvon Martin was shot and killed.

The NBC version...

Okay, I'm up early and this is it. Going to climb out of bed every morning and write for two or three hours like the experts tell me. Steady output is the key to success. A novel in six months. Time to get after it.

So, here...

The five words I try to avoid saying to anyone are, "Here's what you should do." Communication technology has created a huge population of instant commentators who pump out an endless river of opinions about all aspects of our daily lives, and I don't want to be part of that...

That was a big warning notice the eastern US got last August. You know what I mean -- the 5.8 earthquake centered in Virginia. My question for everyone who felt the ground moving that day is: are you okay for next time, all prepared for what could be a really...

Here's an idea: Each time the U.S. ends a military operation there should be public hearings to find out what went right, what went wrong, and what the impact will be on everyday life in this country during the years ahead.

Right now our system for discussing...

Basking in the afterglow of his victory in the South Carolina primary, Newt Gingrich made a statement containing a specific time reference that demands further scrutiny from the national media and an explanation from the candidate himself.

What Gingrich said was, "The American people feel that they have elites who...

"The secret is finally out! Mitt Romney has confirmed what many of us already knew -- Barack Obama is not of this Earth!"

Niles Bledsoe feels vindicated and empowered. At a hastily called news conference on his front lawn in Morlock CA, the local conspiracy theorist and his wife, Velda,...

If Rick Perry drops out of the presidential race, will he loadin' up the truck and then move to Bever-Lee? Hills, that is?

Hollywood is suddenly buzzing with rumors that Perry, having proven his TV chops during recent appearances with Jay Leno and David Letterman, is seriously considering a multi-million...

I have to be careful every time I turn on my computer and bring up one of the online news pages. I do this a few times each day, just to make sure I'm up to speed on what's happening in the outside world. But each one of these reality...

Robert Bigelow is a billionaire and longtime proponent of getting private companies to invest in space exploration. He caused a ripple in the news recently by suggesting that China may attempt a lunar land grab in a few more years.

Bigelow voiced his concerns at the International Symposium for...

In death, Norman Corwin is receiving a wave of posthumous attention and acclaim that is well deserved. His dramatic narratives are high points of radio's so-called 'Golden Age.' The highest of all was a tribute to the American effort in World War Two entitled 'On A Note of Triumph.' Unfortunately...

I'm glad to see so much attention being given to the commencement address Steve Jobs delivered at Stanford University in 2005. It's a wonderful combination of personal history and practical advice. The irony of the event was that Jobs' own experience at college was brief and he never got a...

Here's a homeland security question all presidential candidates need to answer: are you aware of how many Americans are in poor physical condition and how this trend affects our defense capabilities?

This story isn't new but it got another bump in the media recently when the Army surgeon general announced...

As a teenager in the 1960's, I thought it was hilarious whenever grownups complained about how America was going to Hell in the fast lane, standards of common decency were being trashed, and popular trends were ridiculous. Their attitudes seemed inflexible and outdated, and I assumed when my peers became...

There's been a lot of road repair activity going on where I live, and one of my personal rules is this: never yell or make rude gestures toward the men and women who are digging trenches, spreading gravel, and directing the flow of traffic with their 'Slow/Stop' signs.

I believe in the idea that every person's life is a story. And this belief creates some frustration for me because I want to know what's happening in all of those stories. My interest in the daily accomplishments of everyone else on Earth has no boundaries.

Obviously I...

This idea may strike some people as utter folly but I think it's time for a national "throwback" Halloween.

In the sports world, throwback games feature both teams wearing uniforms that replicate styles and color schemes from the early decades of the 20th century. Just once before the Grim Reaper...

I knew this was coming. It's a trend I wrote about last year. As the US economy continues to struggle, the free-market, get-the-government-off-my-back organizations will become more and more insistent that unemployed Americans are losers and loafers too lazy to help themselves.

The latest evidence of this propaganda campaign surfaced...

As kids head back into classrooms across America, I want to suggest a great reading assignment for all families. It's a column written for CNN by educator Ron Clark and I only wish it had appeared a few years ago.

Clark zeroes in on a problem that's making...