American life has become a carnival in which we either watch or perform. We seldom do both at once - The Carnival of Lost and Found. The found seek lost. The lost seek each other. All entertain and owner sells tickets. It's hard to lose money with good entertainment - money and entertainment. That's best marriage of all. Radio, print, television, video, computers, politics and religion; surely difference is in profits.

Have you heard about Ad Busters? They are making thirty second TV un-commercials. The message tells viewer he or she is being controlled and manipulated by all other messages on screen. TV stations and networks refuse to air ads. They don't want to risk offending people who pay to control and manipulate us. Ad Busters' strategy is to pass legislation that forces TV guardians to sell two minutes of each hour of programming for consumer de programming or what we might call public service announcements. I think there is a good chance they will obtain this legislation.

I think ads might backfire. I don't watch much TV, but I think I'd like to see these ads. It would probably be unrealistic to expect them to have any more effect than Surgeon General warnings on cigarette packs. Ad Busters spokesman said idea is to shake people out of their apathy. An admirable goal to be sure, it may be like getting a sleeping man out of bed. You can get him out, but you can't keep him out.

Apathy itself is an interesting thing. How is it created? How is it overcome? Surely apathy is created by a perception or a point of view. Perhaps it comes from wanting and infrequently obtaining what is wanted. We develop a sense that our efforts achieve little positive result and we are mocked. Make no effort, get no result and there is no mockery.