American Idol is like a rash on the body of American pop culture that no ointment can cure.

I mean, are we supposed to believe that David Cooke Cook was the best undiscovered singer in the country? No offense to the Cookies, as the devoted fans of the one-time bartender call themselves, but he was among my least favorite idols. I thought Carly Smithson had more talent, Amanda Overmyer had more spunk and Brooke White was more likable. Aussie hunk Michael Johns was my early pick to win the competition, but some weeks he seemed to just phone it in. David Archuleta always seemed like he was about to cry and Jason Castro was so laid back that he could be a La-Z-Boy recliner.

The American people are getting tired of the Fox reality TV show as well. Ratings fell during Season seven in two key demographics, women 18 to 34 and kids 2 to 11, according to the The Los Angeles Times. "That's a bad sign, because children and young adults are generally the first to bail on a show that's getting crow's feet," the newspaper said.

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Idol has gotten staler than a day-old bagel.

Every season there is more of the same. There are sweet virginal types with no real talent (Kevin Covais), sexy types with no talent (Antonella Barbra), rockers (Bo Bice), wildcards (Sanjaya Malakar) and vapid blondes (Kristy Lee Cook). People with real talent such as Melinda Dolittle and Jennifer Hudson stand little chance of prevailing.

Even with the addition of fourth judge Kara DioGuardi, ratings for the show will continue to decline unless the producers decide that they want to put on a singing competition instead of carefully orchestrated reality show. I will be tuning in to find out if they have learned their lesson.

This has been my Crocs summer.

Ever since I bought two pairs of the ugly yet comfortable shoes on sale at a local department store, they have been affixed to my feet. I have worn them almost everywhere. A few weeks later, my wife got a pair. We also got a pair for my soon-to-be two-year-old son. At times, we look like an advertisement for Crocs. Our initial enthusiasm for the shoes is starting to wane, though.

First of all, the original model Crocs don't provide great arch support. Their Swiss-cheese like design makes them impractical during the rain. They are not great for driving long distances either. Crocs has introduced new models to address these shortcomings, including the the odd looking Crocs venture leather dress shoes for men. There are also Crocs Ambler winter boots. Crocs even has something called jibbitz, "jewelry" to adorn Crocs.

Oh brother.

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Judging from Crocs' share price, many other people have grown tired of the trendy shoes as well. Shares of Crocs, which once were favorites of Wall Street, have plunged almost 90 percent this year. Moreover, loads of stores have cheap Crocs knock-offs, a trend which will only get worse.

As Crocs continues to struggle, it will likely continue to add new products. Eventually, the company will have to lower prices. When that happens, perhaps consumers will find the ugly shoes appealing yet again.

I blame the decline of Crocs -- as I do most things -- on President Bush. Last summer, the most unpopular president in modern times was photographed wearing a pair of the trendy shoes. Thank goodness this did not happen when he was meeting with the likes of Russian strongman Vladimir Putin or North Korean dictator Kim Jung-il. I am sure his enemies in Congress would have interpreted this as a sign of weakness as well.

Let's hope Bush sticks with wingtips and the odd loafer or sneaker as a footwear choice. Going trendy again could have disastrous consequences for all concerned.

Worried about being abducted by aliens? Being mutilated by an enraged lover or having your dream wedding turn into a nightmare?

Fear not, there is insurance to cover these and many other risks that you might not have even considered. Insurance is not at all restricted to cars and houses and health anymore. If you can dream up a risky scenario, chances are there's a company out there willing to hedge a bet against it. Here are ten exotic policies that actually exist:

• Alien abductions: The UFO Abduction Insurance Co. offers $10 million worth of coverage to anyone who can prove that they were kidnapped by extraterrestrials. But as with any insurance policy, it pays to read the fine print. The Florida company requires that claimants get the signature of an "authorized on-board alien" for their claim to be considered, said Mike St. Lawrence, the company president, in an interview. The policies, which cost $19.95, pay out in increments of $1 per year. Nonetheless, quite a few people take his policies seriously.

• John Wayne Bobbitt: London-based insurance broker Goodfellow Rebecca Ingrams Pearson, which quit selling alien abduction policies after the Heaven's Gate mass suicide, offers coverage to men worried that they will get mutilated in the same way that gained Bobbitt notoriety, according to Investment News. No word on whether the policy includes psychological counseling.

Successful business people know how to turn lemons into lemonade. Good products can be almost as simple.

In a world of music-playing phones, internet-enabled refrigerators and satellite-based car navigation, some companies have found success with such low-tech products as urine, mud and even air. This is not the "money for nothing" Dire Straits sang about in its classic hit from 1985, but it's awfully close.

The products that we are highlighting show that successful businesses do not always come from multi-billion dollar corporate research and development departments. Indeed, inspiration comes in many forms for these inventors. But all have figured out how to turn something mundane into something people want.

Consider these examples:

From dirt to dollars. For AHAVA, it's about location, specifically the Dead Sea in Israel whose "black mineral mud ... has been shown to contain healing properties that are ideal for the treatment of a wide variety of joint diseases and skin conditions," according to the company's Web site. It's expensive, too. A 12-ounce container was on sale for $9.99 on Cleopatra's Choice.com.

People wanting a bit of Ireland can purchase four bags of "Official Irish Dirt" along with shamrock seeds for $20.

For baseballs with that major league feel, check out Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud, the substance used before each game to remove the factory gloss and make balls easier to grip. It costs $50 for a 32-ounce container. (Remember that regular potting soil costs less than $5.)