Alrighty … so what do parents of two children both under 18 months do with the majority of their free time? RECOVER!!! And what’s the best thing to do to recover? WATCH THE BOOB TUBE!!!

Shari and I haven’t been too bad with getting sucked in lately … we’ve only added Hell’s Kitchen to our schedule in the past couple of weeks … watching the ‘new’ season at 8 and then last season on the Food Network right afterwards at 9 … (I like it when Ramsay yells at the cooks … it makes me laugh … I’m cruel like that) …

However Shari and I are going to be in BIG trouble REAL soon … for one … Survivor starts next week … ruh ruoh … and then the following week, not only does Thursday get better with the CSI premiere … but also the Amazing Race starts that weekend … god, and that’s just one network …

Apparently the Race is going to have a pair of Harlem Globetrotters this year … I can’t wait to see two gigantic basketball players crammed into tiny little taxis …

Alright … I watch Jon and Kate Plus 8 … it doesn’t matter how that started … or whether or not I watch it religiously … suffice to say in the Carder household on Monday nights, the tube is tuned to TLC … Now if you’re not aware, Jon and Kate themselves are going through a rough patch … and might be headed for divorce …

This is troubling to my wife (who’s the real reason why I ‘watch’ the show) … but it’s more troubling for me because what seems to be the root of just about all of their problems … is their new fame … the season premiere last night showed just how bad things have gotten for them.  They actually had paparazzi shadowing them at the kid’s fifth birthday party.  Like, camped out on the other side of a river with telephoto lenses!

I mean, who are Jon and Kate really?  At best, they’re maybe MAYBE C Grade celebrities … and yet they have a small gaggle of newsies chasing after them.  How bad is it that I can even GRADE how much of a celebrity they are?  You know, they may not be the perfect couple, but like I’ve said this celebrity has to be the cause of many of their problems.

Now in recent times … I’ve tried my best not to support the media circus … I haven’t read anything about Brittney or Lindsay … I don’t hit TMZ unless it’s to hear Christian Bale losing it at a sound tech … I’ve basically not supported the beast by not paying attention to it.  It’s been tough in recent weeks because I have become interested in Jon and Kate … and I have been curious as to what’s been going on with them.

All this may sound a little hypocritical from a guy who runs a blog … has a Facebook page AND a Twitter account … all of which is of course the biggest “come look at me” in this day and age … however the purpose of my blog has changed from when I first set it up … initially yes, I was trying to get the world to shine a little bit of a spotlight down on me … but now?  I look at these tools as more of a chronicle for myself and more importantly my children … my random thoughts as I say …

I really do hope that Jon and Kate can work things out … figure out a way to be together under the glaring spotlight … after all, fame is fleeting and the media circus will eventually leave town.  Once that’s happened, they’ll still have each other and their family.  Let’s just see if we can help them out a little and not fuel the hype machine.  Put down the tabloid.  They’ve already invited you into their lives.  Meet them on their own terms.  After all, wouldn’t that be what you would ask for?

OK … it’s September which means it’s time for the new season of shows to start up … this week is particularily heavy with premieres for the Carder household … lessee … Monday night we’ve got the CSI: Miami premiere for Shari … Sunday night is the start of the next season of The Amazing Race … Thursday sees the return of our Thursday night favourite, Survivor … plus the final season for ER starts that night too …

Hmmmm … anything else?

Oh yeah – YATTA!!!!