In Treatment

Hollywood TV shows, with their constant depiction of screwed- up relationships, are no doubt a major cause of mental illness among addicted viewers. What brought on Transport Minister Vít Bárta's deep insecurities isn't entirely clear, but rumor has it that the strong desire on the part of his Falcon Crest mother for him to become president left its long mark on him. The story of Bárta's plate-less Maserati is like something straight out of the day-time soap "The Young and the Restless." Rich boy gets married to a beautiful babe in an expensive ceremony at a chateau, drives off in his Maserati, only to be caught by the tabloids breaking the law by failing to have a front license plate. Instead of being a man about it and pleading, "My bad, my bad," rich boy concocts an elaborate lie that is easily refuted (by Blesk). As any soap-opera lover knows, relationships built on a lie, no matter how small, are in for trouble down the road. Momma's- boy-turned-minister might want to see a shrink before the cost to taxpayers gets too high. [Czech Republic Věci veřejné VV transportation]