New York Times television critic Alessandra Stanley's tastes are difficult to discern, but she is glorious in her wrath. We know that Stanley was not particularly fond of Diane Sawyer's ''poised, creamy insincerity.'' Nor was the television critic bullish on the Today Show camera's leering fixation on Katie Couric's legs. Today, however, in wielding her stiletto-like prose against Star Jones, Stanley lands a backhand swipe on everyone's favorite journalistic punching bag, Geraldo Rivera, in the follow-through. In what can only be properly construed as a cold-blooded assault, Stanley writes in the NYT:

''The host of 'Star Jones' is highly experienced, but not necessarily ready. Even though she is on Court TV, Ms. Jones does not talk a lot about the law. On the first episode she discussed Britney Spears and other celebrity antics with Geraldo Rivera of Fox News and Rene Syler, a former co-anchor of CBS's 'Early Show.'(It's a sad day for broadcasting when Mr. Rivera sounds like the best informed and most thoughtful person in the room.)''

Oh, Where's the love Alessandra?