You can't keep a bad man down: Don Imus is back.

After setting off one of the most annoying spectacles of the 21st century, the nasty-mouthed talk-show host has a new job.

According to news reports, Imus will return to the airwaves on New York City's WABC, replacing two liberals who actually got better ratings than he did before he got sacked last spring. But, as The Associated Press pointed out, "Imus has the reputation, the buzz, the potential for national syndication."

While you used to be able to see him on MSNBC early in the morning here, Imus has only rarely been heard in San Diego. Apparently, his brand of East Coast talk show could never find an audience in these parts. But you can bet that some local station will try to buck that trend.

After all, there are now six -- six! -- conservative talk stations competing for listeners in San Diego, and one is sure to snap Imus up if he becomes nationally syndicated.

Meanwhile, the fact that pundits still can't stop talking about the aftermath of his use of the Insult That Shall Not Be Named reveals everything that's wrong, wrong and horribly wrong with American society: We're either too accepting of horrible racism or, from the other perspective, there are too many aggrieved minorities that just need to put a sock in it.

The latest personality to jump on the bandwagon is the seemingly mild-mannered Dick Cavett, of all people, who hosted a TV talk show back in the Pleistocene era or something. In a New York Times blog entry, Cavett -- an occasional guest on Imus' show -- hyperventilated about the terrible injustice that his buddy faced. You know, being censored and losing his free speech and all.

The poor thing. Imus spouted something really stupid on the job, got sacked and ended up rebounding with a multimillion-dollar contract that should make him bigger than ever.

I have a dream: That one day I can be so unjustly treated.

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Quickies

Veteran local disc jockey Delana Bennett may soon be the hardest working radio personality in town. In addition to providing news updates during Star 94.1's "Jeff & Jer," she's now got not one but two shifts (1 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 10 p.m.) at sister country station U.S. 95.7. You may remember Bennett as co-host of the morning show on Magic 92.5, where she once sat in a giant tub of mayonnaise for charity. (This gives me a chance to resurrect the funny comment I made at the time: "Be safe: Always wear a condiment!" (Hey, what are jokes for if they can't be recycled?)