WHICH INMATES ARE NOW RUNNING THE ASYLUM?

All right, lets get serious for a moment.

In a crazy age of meaningless-soundbites, gotcha-politics, paparazzi-news, and "Jersey Shore"....well, you're reminded of the class bullies in grammar school and the class clowns in high school. Except back then they were sent to the principal's office. Today they're running the school!

To really get serious, there's that most serious of anthropologists Margaret Mead: "Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else." When you read it twice you're seriously humbled into wondering just how different or better you are than the crazies out there.

Lets begin with politics. Yes, it's our quadrennial crazy season. With 55 million Americans depending on 40% of their income from their Social Security checks, we have candidates putting the program in a grab bag of iffy alternatives. With the Pentagon standing by its decision to end don't-ask-don't-tell, we have service-less boys bellying up to the bars in D.C. yapping about how it won't work just like integrating the services wasn't supposed to work. With icebergs melting and freaky weather becoming the new norm, we have vested interests still suggesting we wait a few generations just-to-be-sure.

In a free society, people have the right to be wrong. But not to insist every wrong is right. Fortunately the Illinois appeals court came to that conclusion this summer in dismissing a suit by two adult children against their mother for -- get this -- "bad mothering."

But not to worry -- such occasional sanity will not totally overcome the crazy. Consider self-described Feminist Jessica Bennett in TheDailyBeast.com repressively arguing that "women in the work place possess erotic capital that they should consider a necessary evil if they want to win that promotion." What a great boost to the good-old-boys who will be treated to a season of "The Playboy Club," "Whitney," "2 Broke Girls," and "Pan Am." While "Mad Men" shines a light on the repressive ways women in the workplace were seen 50 years ago, these newcomers are more willing to laugh it off. You know the standard boys-will-be-boys.

Now look. We're all a little crazy. Especially behind closed doors. But once you've achieved some public status -- in government, in law, in television -- can't you keep the crazy in your soul to your private moments. Say like that occasional primal scream we all bellow into our pillow....?