Perhaps someone can enlighten me - in light of all that has been said about JB, why has the Times offered her so much money?? Does her column add that much to circulation? And if so, why do you think that might be?

Why does Rush Limbaugh make a lot of money? Why do sex and violence sell movie tickets? Why do most people satisfy a sense of morbid curiosity by rubbernecking at the scene of car and train wrecks? Why have vast numbers of people spent countless hours watching the slow-speed O.J. Simpson chase scene, and countless more hours watching the courtroom trainwreck that was the O.J. Simpson trial? Why do people enjoy watching the TV show "Cops"? Why, before the technology was available to bring most of this stuff to the average person in the "Civilized West", did people; regular people like you and me, spend their hard-earned money to see deformed people in circus side shows? Do you feel enlightened yet?