ThirstyFish

From the list below, pick the one headline that interests you most:

1. The Exploitation of Beyonce for Political Agendas
2. Jon Stewart's Replacement On 'The Daily Show'
3. Kim Kardashian's Chicken Fried Rump
4. Ocean Life Threatened With Mass Extinction
5. Benefits of Moderate Drinking 'May Be Overestimated'

No need to worry. This isn't a poll, and I'm not monitoring your choice. But chances are, the least chosen headline is going to be #4. Studies are predicting not only the mass extinction of ocean life due to climate change and pollution, but also that overfishing could leave our oceans empty by 2050. Kim Kardashian's backside is definitely a more upbeat story.

One could argue that having to 'choose only one' is an artificial constraint, but it isn't. We all have time constraints and what we do with our time matters. The reason we show interest in feel-good and insignificant stories is because we have been conditioned to do so. Can anyone come up with any other explanation for why America is obsessed with Kim Kardashian's Internet-breaking butt? It may be that manufacturing desire from ground-up might not be possible, but majority of us are vulnerable to the external redirection and reeducation of our curiosity.

Fisheries of Karaburun inspired this post. Can you imagine an ocean with no fish?