My wife just subjected me to the first few minutes of E! TV (link witheld because I hate them) wherein Paris Hilton's recent DUI (link also witheld for the same reason) caused quite a stir.

Wake up, people. She's freaking useless, a complete waste of a vagina. The story mentions her associates 'rushing to the police station', looks of concern washed over thier faces. Yeah, they were concerned about getting a fair share of face time in association with a rich moron.

She and her publicist tried to wave it off because 'she had a long day, she was tired and hungry'. Sorry, but she was driving a half-million dollar MacLaren SLR. And she couldn't be bothered to grab a burger *before* the alcohol. As if it matters, anyway.

You wanna know why the terrorists hate us? Take a look at E! Entertainment, reality TV, Maury and Jerry, G4 (I really miss TechTV), you name it. The stale candy of 'somebody else's problems' always trumps actual thought. The effect is undeniable - we feel better about ourselves watching some other poor slob in worse shape than us.

Yeah, I'm on a soapbox right now. Deal. Better yet, defend your position if you disagree with me... let's see if you have the cognitive and linguistic skills to offer a challenge. I'm gonna bet 'no'. I figure that's pretty safe because most people who disagree with me won't have read this far. Or they're looking up 'cognitive' right now.