In the news

Yet another edition of stuff I'm reading and enjoying.

• For some reason I like articles about crazy, indulgent parents and their spoiled children, a seemingly growing phenomenon. The Weekly Standard calls the country a "Kindergarchy." The article's long and tedious, to be frank, but I'm with this Joseph Epstein guy: What happened to just having kids and letting them grow up? Nowadays, they're pruned and pampered like showdogs, to the detriment of both children and parents.

• Going to the Olympics this summer? You might want to read up on how to use the local facilities. "Rule One: Exhaust all other possibilities." I started laughing hysterically at that sentence and didn't stop until the end of the piece. A friend of mine who's in the Marines was kind enough to send me a picture of one of these from Iraq; I'll be kind enough not to post it on the blog. Suffice to say: Nasty. And he reports that he did, in fact, have to use one.

• The National Enquirer claims to have caught former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) visiting his "mistress" and "love child" at a Los Angeles hotel. This story raises all sorts of interesting issues for us in the so-called MSM. First, is it believable? The Enquirer isn't exactly known for its truthiness. But in this example, they appear to have legitimately caught Edwards skulking around a hotel late at night where a female acquaintance of his was known to be staying, and where he was not a registered guest. Edwards had no ready explanation for his behavior and freaked out when confronted. Given all that, the second issue for us MSMers is: Should we pursue this as a news story? Edwards holds no public office and is no longer a candidate for one. I say it's a story because he is a public figure, though not an elected one. Third, how do you pursue such a story? "Illicit sex" stories are notoriously difficult to report. I doubt Edwards, his wife, or his lady friend are talking, and I doubt he'll be caught in circumstances like these ever again. So short of citing the Enquirer's work -- which most news organizations are loathe to do -- there are few sources to work with. That's why you haven't read much about it.