Aim Higher ...

I'm not going to write about her because the last thing she needs is another search result in Google.

But you know who I'm talking about, the woman who deposed Paris from the famous-for-being-famous throne.

What a circus. What a joke.

My brain keeps asking, "Why does anyone care?"

Why the television show? Why the merchandise?

When did vapidity become a virtue?

I was sad the night the world learned that Steve Jobs had died. But I was glad that so many people cared.

Yes, let's mourn the loss of a visionary. Let's celebrate all that he contributed to the way we live.

More of that, please.

More substance.

Of course, stories are emerging about how difficult he could be, how demanding.

Well, yes, I expect so.

It takes a lot of effort to change a part of the world. You need people to help you who are up to the task.

But the awesome thing about Jobs is that he set the bar so high because he knew people could reach it.

More of that, please.

In high school, English Teacher Dave used his own grading scale. I've written about Dave before.

Dave used to piss me off.

But his expectations made me work harder.

Back in the day, I thought of it as "getting" an A out of him.

Oh, Beth.

I didn't realize at the time that I was getting an A out of myself.

I wasn't making him give up anything. He was making me try harder.

And I am so grateful for that. I still thank him from time to time.

Which is not to say that there isn't a place for fun, for escape. Of course there is.

I am not the self-righteous sort who proudly proclaims that they don't own a TV.

I like TV. I like "House." I like "The Daily Show." I like a few things on HGTV.

But kids. Really? "The Real Housewives of ... ":

... New Jersey ...

... New York City ...

... Miami ...

... DC ...

... Orange County ...

... Atlanta ...

and ... Beverly Hills?

Really?

And "Big Rich Texas" and "Toddlers and Tiaras" and "Jerseylicious" and "Jersey Shore"?

Why?

Just why?

What is the world gleaning from any of this?

I understand that it's the junk-food equivalent of programming.

But we can't live on junk food. Look at us. We're trying. It's not working out well.

And so the alliterative one's announcement this week made me a little nuts.

All that money, wasted. Well, not for her. She'll do just fine.

But where does it end?

I used to joke with my friends that "Idiocracy" is here, but it's not really a joke anymore.