Sex offenders and the tallest tree in the world.

I am sitting up in bed watching Visiting with Huell Howser. For those of you who don't know, (85-90% of my Facebook friends), Huell is the spokesperson for KCET's California's Gold. He does variations of the show such as CA's Golden Coast and Visiting. It's a great show for the lovely aged generation, and also for "hip-young old folk" (props to people who know what that is a reference from) like myself and a few of my friends (David Padilla and Jeremy Allison).

On today's show, Huell is showing us the world's tallest tree. As Howser would say: "Wow!" He is on this mini-journey with a group of middle schoolers. And there is something strikingly remarkable about this fact.

To my present knowledge, and to the knowledge of anyone who has read about Huell, the spokesman used to partake in mission trips to underdeveloped nations and help aid some of their needs. On those trips he would pay the local little boys to view and/or touch his penis. Now I don't know if this particular episode was filmed before or after these disturbing acts took place, but if it was after I have one question: What the fuck is wrong with Californians? Why are we letting this man go on a hike with children? (I realize I said I had one question, but the second was rhetorical so it doesn't count.) Maybe as Americans we have become so egocentric and careless to the well-being of others that molestation offenses only count if the minor is American as well.

Nonetheless, I find Howser to be a laugh-out-loud riot. Now to be fair that might be because every time I watch his program I am watching it knowing he is a sex-offender, which means he has actually taken on the role of the creepy old man you would think he is just by his appearance and voice. Sweet, sweet irony.