I managed to contract bronchitis, and the doctor mentioned pre-pneumonia, which was enough to scare me into bed. Actually, I couldn’t really do much else anyway…too wiped out. The meds are starting to help me and I’m on the road to recovery, but my husband reminds me that I don’t want to take a detour, so I’m spending yet another day on the couch. Thought it was a good chance to catch up a bit on this blog. So, media-wise, here are a few things I’ve been thinking about:

Paris Hilton: OK, so I never thought I would blog about Paris Hilton, but I’ve been watching a lot of television for the past few days and got caught up in the story of her impending jail sentence. Actually, this article from YahooNews gives lots of interesting details about her unwillingness to take responsibility for herself along with insight into the parenting skills that have led to this situation. (Her mother called prosecutors “pathetic,” an epithet she might well turn on herself at least in the mothering department, especially considering the fact that the reason her daughter is in the situation in the first place is for a drunk driving violation. She was over the legal limit and never attended the alcohol classes that were required. Where were her parents then??) But the saddest part is where the media commentary comes in. This, according to several sources, will actually help her, not because she will learn that she is accountable just like everyone else but because it will simply add to her mystique as a celebrity. EEK! She is already making the most of it: using her myspace page to appeal to her fan base to petition California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is, IMHO, wisely staying out of it. We live in a really screwed up time when going to jail can actually be good for your career. Maybe I’ll organize the Paris Hilton boycott.

Speaking of television…we do not have very good cable access, mostly use it to get internet access so choices are very limited for me or, maybe it is just limited in general. My recurring headache makes it tough to read so I’ve been surfing the channels. First, I’m wondering if I can market my own new weight-loss plan: the bronchial pneumonia cure. Just get really sick so all you can imbibe is orange juice. Do that for a week and voila, lose 10 pounds! Then, there was the Jerry Springer show that I only saw for a few minutes…a woman in a bikini painting a half-naked man then rolling with him on the floor. Please tell me why this is allowed at a time when kids are watching TV? It is clearly pornography. We filter the Internet like there is no tomorrow, but this kind of garbage seems to get no comment. Mostly, I end up at Food TV; I can always watch someone cook. Sorry…didn’t mean this to be a rant, actually, but I’ve been through all my Netflix movies.

I’m going to escape it all by taking a nap…