The only way that Paris Hilton will go away is if the media stops writing about her. The reason I have subscribed to Salon for all these years is because I want to read about things that matter. I want to read about people who matter. I don't subscribe in order to read the same crap that I can find on Perez Hilton's blog or TMZ or one of the seemingly thousands of websites devoted to the worship of empty celebrities.

Unfortunately, like every other third rate blog, tabloid, entertainment news show and all the other tools out there that work so hard at distracting people from issues that are actually important, Salon can't resist jumping on the slowest moving bandwagon and devoting an article a day to this totally irrelevent person. The bulk of the American population has turned into junkies, Paris Hilton is the most powerful drug since crack cocaine and the Catholic church, and the media has become nothing more than the archetypical drug dealer hanging out in front of elementary schools.

Please stop. If no media outlets would print articles about that stupid publicity seeking self promotional war of the (dim)wits between Rosie O'Donnell and Donald Trump, it would go away. As long as Salon and every other newspaper, magazine, blog and tabloid continue to write and print stories about them, they're getting just what they want. Please stop. Please.

From what I've seen, being a parent whether by birth, adoption, insemination, or immaculate always seems to involve interference and complications. Try having four social workers looking over your shoulder while your parents question your every decision, siblings wonder just how crazy you are to have become a parent in the first place, the landlord is trying to evict you since the kids aren't white, your friends have absolutely no time for the guy who can't go out without arranging for a sitter and four birth parents are always hovering somewhere overhead. I have two adopted sons, both have always been in contact with their birth parents, and yeah, sometimes it's a pain in the rear. On the other hand, both my kids love their birth parents very much and they play an important role in their lives. I'm glad they're around.

I have to say that I'm with chirugby, though - Lesbian parenting is hardly a pioneering experience. I'm not sure that I know any lesbians who don't have kids. I'm a gay male who's been a parent for 15 years and it wasn't exactly a unique experience in 1992. When I first started thinking about adopting kids I went to a Gay Fathers support group in 1980. This has been going on for a long time - there's even rumours about my grandfather! I know there are support groups for gay and lesbian parents where this issue has been hashed out again and again. But I'd come down on the side of having an actively participating father. The kid will appreciate it and the dad will love it. And besides, do you know how expensive it is to be a parent? Medical expenses? College? Car insurance? Clothing? Hell, I'd want Dad around just to help with the expenses!

Thank you. It's about time someone addressed this issue rationally.

Was I the only person who could hear a faint refrain of Rosemary Clooney singing "I'm going to get you on a slow boat to China" as that ship sailed into the sunset?

I saw the Larry King interview and was shocked at how ill prepared Larry King was - you'd have thought he'd never heard of Liza before the camera started rolling AND that he didn't have a staff of twenty people doing his research for him and coming up with questions for him to ask. The man was an idiot. Liza was simply Liza. I love the updated "I'm Glad I'm Not Young Anymore" song, it says it all. And as to the London performance, well, she's had vocal problems for years and probably shouldn't be performing anymore, but I'll bet she still got a standing ovation. If Liza qualifies as a train wreck then the Jessica/Brittany/Christina/Paris crew are nuclear disasters.

Wow, if I was to go out looking for an expert on irrelevent, over-the-hill pop icons, Camille Paglia would be my first stop! I can't wait for the companion to this series: Andrew Sullivan's critical analysis of Boy George's drug problems?