Britney Spears’s motorcade: $25k

I wouldn’t be happy being an American taxpayer right now.
   The Los Angeles Times says Britney Spears’ hospital motorcade, probably smaller than the one Dick Cheney has for his annual heart attack, cost the LAPD $25,000.
   There were motorbikes, cruisers and even at least one helicopter escorting the ambulance carrying the singer.
   The last time I saw a motorcade-with-ambulance that huge was in the fictional film Dave, where the President of the United States was driven to hospital.
   In fact, satirical site The Spoof wrote, ‘White House Press Secretary Britney Spears was rushed to a hospital early Thursday morning while riding with President Bush in his presidential motorcade, a White House spokesman said.’
   I can understand, for her public safety, having some police presence but considering that a few cops on duty at the courthouse were enough the last time she had to embarrass herself in the public eye, this is excessive.
   She only went in for a psych. evaluation, for goodness’ sake.
   This woman managed to get more cops escorting her than, say, a fallen US soldier who paid the ultimate price serving her or his country.
   I still vote for leaving Spears alone, and let her get her treatment in peace. She might actually get better if we treated her as a normal person and that means keeping her out of the headlines.
   I’d rather hear about someone making a difference to our world. I mean a real difference. Marrying a dude with the same name as the guy who played George Costanza does not count.
   And, if I may follow the order of the news here: ‘in other news,’ Microsoft has offered to buy Yahoo! for $44·6 billion.