Another reason to dig Rick Steves...

Attempts to break out of your own conditioning and biases are always worthwhile.

Rick Steves: Blog Gone Europe - Help! Prostitutes Have Taken Over TV News:

"In the last year I have stopped watching TV news and the Sunday talking-heads shows. I now get my news from various newspapers and magazines online (and Jon Stewart). Of course, like most people, I gravitate to news sources that affirm my core beliefs. We all like to feel like we get it. The good news is that I probably spend six hours a week less time getting my 'news.' My challenge: to break out of the idea incest so many of us suffer from when we choose our news sources.

A year ago I had a hunch that there would be more demands on my time than ever and that the political discussions on TV would be less productive than ever. (How many hours have you dedicated to following the health care 'debate' in the last year? And, looking back, what did that earn you?) And I also had a strong feeling that the shapers of public opinion were corrupt — men and women who were selling their souls to get on the air or keep their advertisers happy, or worse, were actually secretly paid consultants of corporations with an agenda..."