Random Thoughts - The Almost Interesting Items Edition

There are so many of these around, I just don't know where to start.  It's not that they are silly.  It's not that they don't reveal pieces of our character, our governance, our way of life.  They are not and they do.  It's just that I don't think they are worthy of discussion.

And yet, here I am.
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Who is Jodi Arias?  Why should I care?  Was she abducted by aliens?  Beyond that, what made her murder trial any more heinous than any other murder trial?  What made it so interesting?

No, don't tell me.  I didn't follow it then, and I don't want to follow it now.
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The IRS seems to have taken an unhealthy interest in the tax status of groups identifying themselves with the Tea Party edge of the political spectrum.  There is a great deal of moral outrage running around, and it is warranted.

On the other hand, it's not the first time that politics has played a part in the administration of rules and regulations and it won't be the last.  It should be investigated and punishment should be meted out appropriately but it is ultimately not that interesting.
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Darryl Issa is on a witch hunt. Today it's Benghazi.  Yesterday it was Eric Holder.  Tomorrow it will be something else.  Facebook is full of Democrats didn't try to overturn No Child Left Behind a zillion times the way the Republicans keep going at Obama-care and it's true and it's annoying and I don't find it compelling.

We are screaming at each other across an ever widening divide.  Then, again, so were my father and I during Vietnam; he with his American flag waving from the Austin America's antenna and I with the American flag patch on my jeans.  That seemed un-breachable just as today's state of affairs seems un-breachable.  It's nothing new.
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Angelina Jolie is talking about her prophylactic double mastectomy.  She's raising awareness and creating the opportunity for conversation and that's wonderful.  A Google search for her image is a sea of breasts and pouts and provocative glances; her message is powerful  because of how she is defined.

If she saves one life by making her story public, I am glad.  But the meta-story, the lurking-behind-the-medical-piece story, the focus on those marvelous breasts which no longer exist... that's just not that much fun for me.
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Tiger Woods exhibited bad behavior and Sergio Garcia's bogeys were all Tiger's fault and character is being called into question on all sides.  Watching Stephen A Smith try to justify it was one of those train-wrecks-you-just-can't-ignore but beyond that, who cares?

Two men who make enough money in an afternoon to send a kid to college for four years behaving badly is no surprise to me.
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The NBA playoffs are happening and TBG and Big Cuter are loving the Bulls-who-have-no-bench-and-are-exhausted and Kobe's not around and I've read several mysteries and done many crossword puzzles while it's been going on.  I just can't seem to muster any interest in the subject.
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I think I need a vacation.... from the news, at least.