TMI

Most people know what that TLA stands for (TLA -- Three Letter Acronym). "Too Much Information." You know how that goes. "Oh, Mom, we don't need to hear about your sex life." "Oh, man, Ted, the news that you had a colonoscopy is enough. We don't really want to hear the particulars." "Kids, really ... do you think we want to hear about what Jenny did in school when Bobby threw up?" Too Much Information.

Somewhere along the way we acquired a new right -- the Right to Know. I don't know where it came from . It wasn't listed in the Bill of Rights. I don't find it in the Bible. And I can't imagine what generations before ours who had the right but not the technology did about it. But it's a given, right? "The people have a right to know!" It's the mainstay of the Press.

I submit that it's nonsense. I submit that the people do not have the right to know and should not have the right to know. Seems to me that what we're seeing today between the mainstream media and the Internet is a glut of TMI. You know ... there are just lots of things that we don't need to know.

We don't need to know every nuance and step that Lindsey Lohan or Britney Spears or whatever other "celebrity" takes. Seriously. Why does it matter? First we follow them around and find out that he is arrested for hiring a prostitute for oral sex (like we're surprised or something?) and she just bought the latest Gucci bag (like it matters or something?) and they are breaking up (oh, were they still together?). Then they think that our keen interest means that they have something to add about whether or not we should be in Iraq or who is the best candidate for president or whether or not Arizona should be allowed to pass laws enforcing immigration laws. I mean, by all means they have the right to say something, but their celebrity status and our unending attention gives them a platform that makes no sense. TMI.

We didn't need to know that some loon down in Florida was planning to burn the Quran. Afghanistan didn't need to know it, to be sure. Neither did we. But because we have TMI, everyone knows that this guy who unfortunately represents himself as a Christian pastor is now the face of America and Christianity and we're all sorry about that. In days gone by this pastor of 35 would have never been a blip on the news media radar, never have been heard of, never have threatened to get Americans killed at home and abroad. But thanks to Facebook and other technology, well, TMI. Way too much.

Remember the days when Hollywood covered up their stars indiscretions? They thought that it would be too much information. We agreed. Remember when the government had the right to allow or disallow information about wartime operations? They thought it could be information used by the enemy, not necessarily for the public use. We agreed. And so it went. Not today. We're much smarter now. Much wiser. I mean, look at kids these days. They know so much more than we ever did as kids and they're so much more responsible because of it ... oh, wait ... well, maybe not. I'm telling you ... TMI.