Or half . . . whichever is less.  Tiger Woods action figures.  Right.

The man’s personal life is in shambles. Whether or not his professional life takes a hit remains to be seen.  Sponsors are backing out just as more women and hookers are coming out.  On thing is certain:  Tiger’s problems are his own, and do not affect my life  (except that I probably wouldn’t have anything to write about today without him)!

This whole Tiger incident appears to be yet another smokescreen thrown at us to hide the shenanigans going on over at Capitol Hill.  Maybe we won’t notice that the things they do over there DO affect our lives??!

News always demands a crisis, and those who understand how to use memes (politicians and their handlers) to control crises news reporting will always be in charge of the content of our wallets.

The best solution?  Chill out.  Relax.  Turn off the news.  Go to a show.  Meditate.  Play with your kids.  Do the mental detox thing . . .

Muckraking journalism, believe it or not, has been around for hundreds – maybe thousands – of years, and will continue for a thousand more.  So it won’t do any good to get all worked up about it!  Just when you think journalism has sunk to a new low, remember Thomas Jefferson.

Back in 1802, the illustrious author of the Declaration of Independence was serving as our third president.  It was in September of that year that journalist James T. Callender published his expose of Jefferson’s affair with his mullatto slave, Sally Hemming.

The liaison was denied by the family and others for two hundred years, but shown by DNA testing to have a basis in fact.  There was indeed a connection – if not with Jefferson, then with one of his white family members.

Does this redeem James Callender? Yes, and also Jefferson as well.  For it was Thomas Jefferson who wrote repeatedly that, although he detested most of what journalists of his day said about him, he would forever stand for their right to say it. Freedom of speech was his cornerstone commitment.

Let it be known that I, too, defend the rights of people (in the immortal words of author Stuart Wilde) to be as stupid as they want to be!

I also have the right NOT to listen!