Surely there’s a legal beagle out there somewhere who can help me out with a couple of problems I’m having. (And yes, I know I’m also an attorney, but as it happens my areas of expertise don’t reach to Family Law – which I lovingly refer to as The Area My Partnership Agreement Happily Forbids Me From Practicing.)

Item 1: MSM sources writing stories about celebrity breakups almost always lead the charge by stating that the celebrities filed for divorce, “citing irreconcilable differences.”

Now, I happen to live in California (like the Celebrities in question), and I seem to remember reading something about irreconcilable differences being the ONLY grounds for divorce in California. As in: that’s the whole meaning of “no-fault divorce.” There are no other grounds. None. Nada. Zip. “Irreconcilable differences” is your California no-fault euphemism for everything from “he beats puppies with a stick” to “she has really, really bad breath first thing in the morning” and everything in between.

Now, if I’m remembering this correctly, it suggests that (1) none of the major media outlets knows this important little factoid (because if it’s the only thing anyone can cite as a cause for divorce, it’s hardly ‘news’) and (2) the MSM is really, really slow at figuring these things out. (ok, we probably didn’t need to be told #2.)

If I’m wrong, it means someone, somewhere, found a way to obtain a no-fault divorce citing something other than “irreconcilable differences” – and frankly, I’d like to know about it.

Item 2: I don’t really understand why MSM sources constantly feel the need to write stories about celebrities getting divorced. At this point, it happens often enough that it hardly qualifies as “news” – particularly when all they’re saying is (1) A and B are divorcing and (2) they’re citing “irreconcilable differences.” (see Item #1…) Sometimes the stories mention something about who wants the kids - which can’t be good for the kids and really isn’t any of our business anyway.

I suppose the real answer to #2 is “some people actually do care about reading this, and the MSM defines ‘news’ as anything that sells papers” – but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Nuke’s news and views, Webloggin, and Conservative Cat, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

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Even with this information, the State of California recently passed ringtones metallica free phone law that requires drivers over the age of 18 to use a hands-free device while using the phone in the car.