At first I thought this was kind of fun:

Americans have more money, buy fancier toys, and live in bigger homes than ever before. Now we want to hear from you. What is your definition of luxury? Have the standards changed over the years or from previous generations? What things are you able to afford that were once considered ‘luxury?’ What do you consider the ultimate in luxury? Send us your thoughts, photos and more.

Because there’s a couple of things I do like that I consider “luxury” items.A nice bottle of wine every once in a while. And perfume. I tend to be rather basic in the rest of my life but I’d like to know what others consider luxurious.

But then it began to piss me off much in the same way this story did. And the way stories about how people’s homeowners associations are out of control piss me off. And the way stories about how people driving straight into the sunrise often — gasp! — find it difficult to see piss me off. Because while it might be fun to talk about shiny things on the blog, come on, I thought the “MSM” was supposed to be all held to high standards and better than us pajama-clad rabble and such.

Instead, it’s the journalism of the overinflated inconvenience. I think it was the Crack Den that called CNN a very high-priced version of the local news in Pittsburgh, and that’s getting to be a more apt description every day.

You want to know why the news is in trouble? Bullshit like this. “Health” segments on weight-loss drugs and new plastic surgery techniques. Five-part sweeps series about what the best cell phone is (bookended by commericals from Cingular and Verizon, of course). “Investigative reports” about what’s in your mascara that might dry your eyelashes out. It’s not bias, it’s triviality, and this is just one more example, and grr, you know?

And I get it, I do, sometimes you just want a little brain candy, but come on.

A.