I feel no need for diplomacy here. The gloves are coming off and I'm ready to administer a verbal beating. (The lack of boxing gloves also makes it much easier to type.)

There has been some dumb sentences uttered by people, but this is a whole other level of idiocy.

In a new piece in Entertainment Weekly about The Hills, executive VP of series programming and development Tony DiSanto is quoted as saying;

It's almost becoming like a novel at this point, like this generation's A Tale of Two Cities or Oliver Twist.

Are you out of your friggin' mind?!? You are comparing a "reality" television show that is either watched by morons or watched ironically so it can be mocked, to the work of the greatest writer of all time? A show that features shallow, dumb and useless people. A show that gives The Soup the majority of their material. That show, you are comparing to two of the greatest works in the history of literature. Complete illiterate television on par with the most literate example of the written word. You're kidding right? Or high? Or just an idiot?

You know that Hannah Montana is like this generations Beethoven.

The Hills is a pop-culture punch-line. It is swill. You are comparing dialogue like this, to Dickens.

Tony, that statement is a Hall of Fame-like moment of stupidity.

Bloody hell...

The Washington Post reports that the theory that we are all only six degrees away from each other, no matter where you are on the planet, is now science.

With records of 30 billion electronic conversations among 180 million people from around the world, researchers have concluded that any two people on average are distanced by just 6.6 degrees of separation, meaning that they could be linked by a string of seven or fewer acquaintances.

That's right. As you read this, you are only six degrees away from George Clooney, Osama Bin Laden and the hobo that poops in the alley behind my building. Spooky.

Considering that there once was a Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon board game, one hopes that these researchers will begin to tackle the scientific merits of Hungry, Hungry Hippos. I think these hippos really are that hungry.

Science.

If you want to know what they really are, see where I got it. But first, use your imagination for a caption.

Someone commented elsewhere that this episode was priceless not because of the talent that went into it, but that a valid point was made so effortlessly. If Jon Stewart can make mincemeat of McCain's "Celebrity" ad, then he'll have a great time with the new one that paints Obama as the messiah (or maybe Anakin Skywalker). Seriously, if the worst thing you can say about your opponent is "he's popular and everyone likes him." then you need to rethink your strategy.

The first YBNBY council gathering back in June was a smashing success. No limbs were broken. (Read about it here.) So when Scaramouch turned on the Bat signal (via email) to plan the next gathering, more people wanted in.

This time we picked another classic New York watering hole - The Old Town - to discuss the state of the pop culture landscape, guzzle a few cold ones and stay out past curfew.

The Old Town fits our needs because since 1892 it has served the finest alcoholic beverages and pub food to the public. And judging by the photos on the walls, it's also hosted many film crews. This made it the perfect place for the expanded YBNBY writing staff to disgrace.

I'm mostly upset at myself for not realizing it earlier. Josh Lanier, a former candidate for the Senate from Georgia, is an avid (well, I'm not sure about "avid") reader of YesButNoButYes. I know this because he had a link to our site on his website.

I wrongly assumed that all readers of our site spent most of their time in their parent's basement, fantasizing about women and comic books. But we had a legitimate candidate for the United States Senate not only reading this trifle, but supporting it through a link on his site! Unfortunately, Mr. Lanier did not receive enough votes in the July primary to participate in the democratic runoff this month. But I'd like to think that, with YBNBY's backing, we could have moved the needle for him.

Just think about the power this site would have if we had an active reader in congress! National Bacon Day, Take Your Monkey to Work Day, changing the name of Oregon to "The State of Echowood". Not only that, but Mr. Lanier stands for a lot (or, just about everything) I'm looking for in a Senator. So, if you live in Georgia and can vote (which would require you getting up from your computer, if your legs haven't atrophied) get out there and support Mr. Lanier's run for office (if he runs again).

There's plenty of more Monster of Montauk news floating around. Luckily, I lack researching and fact-checking skills. So we'll have to leave it to the smart and diligent folks at Cryptomundo to do the heavy lifting. One thing is for sure, they still don't know what it is.

This week in Anne Heche-like crazy-go-nuts...

Canadian psychiatrists Joel and Ian Gold say they have "discovered" a new mental malady. They say that there are those feel they are being followed around by cameras and they are in a reality show. They have dubbed this "Truman Show Delusion."

(Canadian psychiatrists, that is just adorable...)

So, if you see people wandering the streets trying to hand out roses to strangers, engaging in elaborate relay races with pigeons in the park and searching vending machines and lipstick tubes looking for hidden cameras, they are apparently suffering from "Truman Show Delusion."

Got it.

According this new spot, "pure happiness" is achieved when your girlfriend kisses you sweetly and then lets you take her up the Hershey Highway.

Something I can think we can all agree on for a change.