But some events are just so important that I have to watch them myself. Such was case with finals of this year's American Idol. The space shuttle Columbia crash in Texas earlier in year was another event that (sadly) I just had to watch. And I certainly did not want to miss thrill of seeing America's Cup sail into Switzerland.

Of course, I regularly turn on tube whenever a George Bush invades Iraq. Hopefully, this one will soon finish invading; my electricity bill is suffering.

The latest must-see event is Michael Jackson arrest, an event of such momentous importance that all news shows, gossip shows, comedy shows and just about everybody else is offering wall-to-wall coverage. It has been estimated that 37% of American population has been interviewed by media for their inside-knowledge of "the pop superstar's" personal life.

So I was most shocked when I flipped to a channel that was not helping me track down most fascinating intimate details and most intriguing and succulent minutiae of all things Michael Jackson.

"What?!" I demanded. "This is impossible. What is this trash?"

"That's Touched by an Angel," my wife offered. "It's one of your favorite shows."

"That's no excuse," I blustered. "The network should be hot on Jackson case. How could this be? I'm calling cable company to complain."

"But dear ..." my wife tried to interrupt.

"It's no use," I insisted as I dialed. "My mind is made up. Don't try to stop me."

"But dear ..." my wife tried to interrupt me again.