Sometimes I work with the television muted in the background, on whatever channel — MSNBC, Fox, or CNN — I happened to have been watching, just to make sure that ETP's eagle eye misses nothing (today, it was MSNBC as per these items). So, anyway, as I busily blogged away I was alarmed to see a commotion suddenly stirring my TV screen as onlookers and paparazzi pushed in a melee. What was going on? Something gone awry on the campaign trail? Was everyone okay? I reached for the remote, and learned the shocking news: Nicole Richie had been sentenced to four days in prison! Look, there she was speeding away in a black car! Damn, I had missed the chance for a screenshot. But wait! MSNBC was now rerunning the footage! Did I have time to hook up my little machine that pulls screengrabs from the telly? It was worth a shot! Plug, click, load...I held my breath as on screen, Nicole and baby-daddy Joel Madden once again fought through the throng outside the courthouse and climbed into their car...damn! Missed it again! Too bad, it would have been great to have a — but wait! Here they were, rerunning that footage AGAIN! It had to have been within a span of minutes. Anyway, you know how it ends: I got my screengrabs, and Nicole Richie has to spend 90 hours (less 6 already served) in jail, plus pay a $2,048 fine. And, oh yeah, she can't drive drunk anymore.

Alas, we didn't get to check out the coverage on Fox or CNN but judging by how soberly and calmly they handled the Paris Hilton arrest we can assume it was merely a blip.

Update: I would be remiss if I did not mention that the footage has been rerunning on MSNBC all after noon, sometimes in slow-mo.

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