Accreditation

You may have heard that the most popular show in the world during the 1990s was the bathing-beauty vehicle "Baywatch," but the current leader may come as a surprise. One study of ratings put "CSI: Miami" ahead of all other shows on the planet, beating telenovelas in Spanish and other shows that are more popular in the United States. Perhaps "CSI: Miami" does the best job of meeting an international demand for sunshine, suspense, and escapism (with a dash of bathing beauties). For whatever reason, it directs a lot of attention to our hometown, or at least Hollywood's depiction of it.

EVER SINCE REVOLUTIONARY times, America's schoolchildren have learned about the central role the merchant marine has played in the nation's defense, transportation, and commerce. Whether in times of war or peace, the U.S. merchant marine has secured our ports and the safe passage of commerce across the seas.