Televisionespecially the all-encompassing networkshas served mankind in fine fashion.

In the first place, it has taught us how ignorant most of us really are.

Where else will you hear parties with opposing views (Demo and GOP) giving their partisan interpretations of what you've just heard?

These folks not only confound and confuse the issues and the minds of their listeners, but their imbecilic maunderings are punctuated with pronouncements that are soaked through with innuendoes and half-truths.

Don't you agree it would be ever so much more effective, and far less disturbing if they (the networks) would simply go back to the fireside chats of radio days, sans comment, and let you conclude what you will conclude.

It's the only adult thing to do, as Helen Bern would say.

Now, we come to the second place, wherein we might even pat national TV on the back for some of its varied entertaining features.

And yet, even given the variety shoved at us through the tube, television seems to have a death wish, so to speak, with its over-kill in many areas.

We are glutted with professional wrestling, pro football and pro all-sports, detective stories and fantasies of other descriptions.

Twould be nice to have more of the old Cowboy and Indian stories played out for us for a change.

And finally, wouldn't it be nice if the nauseous and suggestive commercials were barred from the airwaves and all the blood curdling, horrendous horror flicks were related to limbo.

If the above diatribe sounds like original Westbrook Pegler it's because it's a genuine take-off on him, one of the most acid-tongued pessimistic and great, controversial editorialists of this century.

Old Westbrook, now deceased, was a great American, a hero to us of the quill.

We at the Advocate bask in his bygone glory, and only wish he could be among the living so he could at least have a tilt at righting the trends of the ship state, and of the world in general.

Congratulations to Joe and Stephanie Massanelli, the proud parents of triplets, two girls and a boy, born at a Birmingham hospital earlier this month.

Joe is the manager of the Greenville Wal-Mart store and is active in civic and community affairs.

The boy is named Joseph Taylor, and the girls are named Haley and Jala. Total weight of the three babies reportedly comes to approximately 15 pounds.

Employees at the store said the triumvirate &uot;are beautiful youngsters.&uot;

Mrs. Massanelli is at home in Greenville and her husband was slated to bring the triplets home on Friday.

To have three offspring born at a single birth is considered a rarity.

Buster MacGuire is copy editor and columnist for the Greenville Advocate.

He may be reached by calling 334.382.3111.