I can’t stand people who try to be something they aren’t. And I truly despise those who try to offer poorly-acted apologies for their bad actions.

Take for example, Tara Conner, Miss USA.

By now you have all heard how the young girl from Kentucky has been “going wild” in the Big Apple, partying until all hours of the night, drinking underage (she turned 21 Monday), and maybe even taking illegal drugs, although that is only an allegation.

So here is this 21-year-old beauty queen, a role model to hundreds of thousands, if not millions of little girls, doing things that will truly tarnish her image, if not the crown she wears.

Enter Donald Trump, who, along with NBC, owns the Miss USA Pageant. Haven’t figured that one out yet … how one buys a pageant … but then I digress.

After talking to Conner about her conduct, he allows her a second chance.

Now, I am all for second chances. I think in certain circumstances they are called for, and maybe this is one of those times.

But it was Conner’s reaction to the “verdict” if you will that got to me.

She stood in front of probably dozens of media types, as millions watched, and attempted to cry as she responded to Trump’s decision.

It wasn’t a real cry; I could tell. And so could everybody else.

Her voice quivered and she shook a bit, but I never once saw a salty tear trickle down over all of that expensive makeup she had on.

It was the “Susan Smith cry.”

Remember Smith? She was the South Carolina mother who, in 1995, claimed a man had hijacked her car while her two young sons were inside.

She then went on national TV begging the man to return her babies.

She had that same, no-tears, quivering voice and shaking-body cry that I saw in Conner.

I knew Smith was faking it — ends up she killed those children — and I know Conner was too.

Mark my words. We haven’t seen or heard the last from Miss USA.

I wonder what would have happened to Conner as a contestant if she had been caught doing some of the same things during the pageant, long before she was “famous?” Or, perhaps now we should refer to her as infamous.

Why climb in December?

My heart goes out to the families and friends of the three climbers on Mount Hood, two of whom at this writing are yet to be found, and the third is a confirmed death.

I understand extreme sports, such as skydiving, solo-sailing across the ocean and even mountain climbing.

And I agree with my wife’s assessment that this is what these men loved doing and they had every right to do it.

But if I could, I would ask them one thing … Why do it in December when some of the worst weather of the year can occur?

In this case, more than 10 feet of snow has fallen on that mountain since those men started their climb about two weeks ago.

Why not wait until warmer weather? If you summit, a term for reaching the top, what does it matter that you did it in the summer instead of winter? There is still going to be snow on the ground, but there will probably be less severe weather. And that might work to one’s favor in the event rescue teams are needed to locate them and bring them down safely.

For your consideration

Vice President Dick Cheney recently said that Donald Rumsfeld was the best secretary of defense this country has ever had.

Bush, as you recall, fired Rumsfeld after the November election.

It begs this: Is Cheney lying, or did President Bush commit an error in judgement by letting him go?

Grant is the editor of the News-Herald. Contact him at 934-9603, or doug.grant@suffolknewsherald.com