As I sit here typing this, with the Science Channel on in the background, I keep being confronted with the ridiculousness of contemporary television.

I'm not talking about the channel's ongoing study of such topics as whether we can survive on Mercury, what existed before the Big Bang, the torturous exercises that come from climbing Mount Everest and all the problems involved with the first Lunar Mission. No, those are the reasons why I watch the Science Channel.

What I've seen maybe a dozen times over the past week is the same ad, over and over, for the "reality show" that's being titled "Sarah Palin's Alaska."

Seriously? And I would want to watch that because ...?

Palin quotes: "Family comes first. It's just gotta be that way." This from a woman whose 17-year-old daughter was impregnated by her boyfriend, likely in Palin's own home.

"I'd rather be doin' this than be in some stuffy political office ... I'd rather be out here bein' free." This said against the backdrop of shots of her driving an ATV across the landscape. This from a woman who quit her job as Alaskan governor to become a political force, collect big appearance checks, be seen as a viable presidential candidate ... ?

I sometimes wonder why I don't throw my laptop through my television set. But hey, self-restraint comes first. It's just gotta be that way.

Below: The trailer for "Sarah Palin''s Alaska."