News Suckage
I have a confession: I looked at the news this week for the first time in ages. I have no newborn to blame anymore either.
It's just that it's all just so very tragic. And where there's no real tragedy, by God you can always count on a news producer to find some for you. Because even if no Americans died in Iraq today, there's still a three-legged dog somewhere who bit a homeless orphan with colitis before being run over by a drunk schoolbus driver. And now, here's Bill, with sports.
So I peek today, just for a bit, and here's what I see:
-2 more soldiers missing in this stupid useless occupation. Which is horrible, of course. But how many non-soldiers went missing today? While all life is sacred, it's like we hold up two missing US men as the worst thing in the world, and describe whole villages (towns, really, but we call them villages so that they seem less important) blown up in a quick blurb on page 23, right after Ann Landers and Your Lucky Numbers.
-The grieving man whose wife and two little girls plunged over a cliff at Bear Mountain in their minivan? Yeah, he might not be an innocent bystander after all. However the good news, according to the newscast, is that the kids "suffered only minor injuries." I guess losing your mother and finding out your philandering father might have played a part counts as minor these days.
-$1.4 billion of FEMA money --our money--after Katrina went to bogus claimants for bogus purchases like Saints tickets and Carribean vacations. Way to go Brownie. Another heckuva job you did there.
The only good news seems to be that An Inconvenient Truth is kickin' box office booty.
Please someone. Please give me some good news. I need a lift.
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Edited to add: I had originally referred to this Iraq fiasco as a war, and not an occupation which is what it is. Thanks to my ever-astute mother for the correction.
It's just that it's all just so very tragic. And where there's no real tragedy, by God you can always count on a news producer to find some for you. Because even if no Americans died in Iraq today, there's still a three-legged dog somewhere who bit a homeless orphan with colitis before being run over by a drunk schoolbus driver. And now, here's Bill, with sports.
So I peek today, just for a bit, and here's what I see:
-2 more soldiers missing in this stupid useless occupation. Which is horrible, of course. But how many non-soldiers went missing today? While all life is sacred, it's like we hold up two missing US men as the worst thing in the world, and describe whole villages (towns, really, but we call them villages so that they seem less important) blown up in a quick blurb on page 23, right after Ann Landers and Your Lucky Numbers.
-The grieving man whose wife and two little girls plunged over a cliff at Bear Mountain in their minivan? Yeah, he might not be an innocent bystander after all. However the good news, according to the newscast, is that the kids "suffered only minor injuries." I guess losing your mother and finding out your philandering father might have played a part counts as minor these days.
-$1.4 billion of FEMA money --our money--after Katrina went to bogus claimants for bogus purchases like Saints tickets and Carribean vacations. Way to go Brownie. Another heckuva job you did there.
The only good news seems to be that An Inconvenient Truth is kickin' box office booty.
Please someone. Please give me some good news. I need a lift.
----
Edited to add: I had originally referred to this Iraq fiasco as a war, and not an occupation which is what it is. Thanks to my ever-astute mother for the correction.
posted by Mom101 at 1:30 PM
29 Comments:
in 947 days we can look forward to being rid of dubya (unless we can get him impeached sooner...)
i love this post on many levels... as a former news producer (actually, for the most part i did news specials/docs) i find myself watching with the same thoughts running through my mind... what the heck?
this is why, for the most part, i only watch The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. news *and* laughter. a match made in tv heaven! (for, sometimes, if we didn't laugh, we'd all have to cry)
have a good weekend (or try) : D
"what the heck"??? apparently i'm in a PG mode today... for the words out of my mouth are generally more...uh... colorful!
and, i *do* love this post on "many" levels... but my ADD is in high gear at the moment, so i'm not able to write the actual words being formed in my head. (oh how i *hate* when that happens!) : D
While all life is sacred, it's like we hold up two missing US men as the worst thing in the world, and describe whole villages (towns, really, but we call them villages so that they seem less important) blown up in a quick blurb on page 23, right after Ann Landers and Your Lucky Numbers.
I just want to say, I totally agree with this. It is terribly tragic that we continue to lose our men and women in this horrible war. But it is equally tragic that we are killing innocent civilians (families, children...) over there and yet these deaths are hardly even mentioned. Hardly. even. mentioned.
And as to good news, hmmmm, I'll have to get back to ya.
I just noticed the date on your page says 7.17.2006.
And...my brother is in Kuwait, I miss him terribly. But he's doing his part to keep our country safe and to help the soldiers in Iraq by keeping machinery up to standards, etc. Those men and women are helping Iraq to stand on their own. I know I want my brother home, but America can't just cut and run in the middle of something so important. We need to do our duty to show the world that America does not make empty promises. We have to remember 9/11. I know it's a cliche by this point, but it's something that we all suffered from as a whole. I do know what you mean about a useless war, but I don't think it's useless. My brother is proud to serve and to help Iraq become a strong government entity!
Okay, I'm silent now. Sorry I rambled.
Now to lighten the mood with some good news, ummm... err... Anna Nicole Smith is expecting.
I wish your brother all the best Dana. I have several family and friends over there myself. I can only say that I believe he and the other brave soldiers deserve a whole lot better.
amen.
Mom, the good news is that tomorrow, your sig-oth gets to celebrate Father's Day. I hope your daughter bought him a suitable gift. I'm in the office at the moment preparing for a trial next week and I'm looking at a collection of mugs, plaques, trinkets, hand made clay thingies, etc., each of which proclaims a variation on the theme, "I'm an OK Dad."
Have a good Father's Day.
Cheers.
My friend Kristin calls a poopy diaper "good news" -- does that count?
Oh, in that case Joys: there is some good news in my day!
Okay, I'm not understanding your logic. You don't consider "So You Think You Can Dance" being on as good news? You are obviously warped and jaded. On a more serious note, it is amazing how our entire government can ignore what's going on with this administration. I can't even read about it without having to pop an extra clonopin.
Wow, that is wh I stick to NPR. Where I actually did what I call good news the other day. It was about the opening of a Jewish Community center in Shanghai, and how the community was exsperiencing a regrowth. It was an inspiring story. Also I thought the dedication of the new national landmark was good news, yeah ocean conservation. I do not know if that helps.
We've had three sunny days - the roaes are blooming and that's about it.
In case you think those are weird British plants - they are ROSES and its past myy bed-time!
GOOD NEWS HHHHMM....
I JUST SAVED A BUNDLE CALLING GEICO INSURANCE!
OKAY THAT WAS WAK BUT...I AM DELIRIOUS TODAY!
In Montreal, there are three bakery's within walking distance of my house. And everyone buys fresh bread every day. I will bring you fresh croissant if you visit me.
And good wine.
Dawn, I will SO take you up on that. Thalia was conceived in Montreal. I loves me some Montreal.
Okay. Happy news, because I want you to have a good day after all:
Romance is not dead
There is still honesty in the world
While I know that there are awful things happening in the world, there are many, many days when I just don't look at it all. My sadness is always not as bad as someone else's, but that doesn't make it any less real or sad to me. My joys may not mean anything to most people, but they are my reason to live. I try not to let my life be diminished because others have it better or worse. Maybe I have my head in the sand, but it's the only way I can survive without anti-depressants.
Happy news... It rained here today! We are in the middle of a terrible drought here in South Texas and today for the first time in a very long time, it rained. What a nice day.
Happy news...It's Not raining here today!
And HHS is considering putting warning labels on cans of infant formula. That's good news in my book. About f***ing time!
This is a sweet story from my home state.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110AP_Child_Superhero.html.
I've always said there should be a channel called the flip side, showing us all the good things that happened today.
What we really need is a special section in the newspaper set aside for pregnant women and moms to choose NOT to read, where they put all the bad things happening to babies and toddlers, instead of springing them on you in the local news section, right below the picture of happy kids jumping through sprinklers.
Um, good news. Huh. I'll have to get back to you on that one.
The best antidote to the crappage in the world is to look at your child. Then hug. Repeat as necessary.
I wonder whether motherhood has something to do with this News Aversion thing. I avoid it too. I don't want to know. I want to remain in my insular bubble and just think about me and mine, and not have to think about all the awful stuff going on out there. I already know the world stinks. I don't need to know the detail.
I think it's partly that every time I hear of human suffering, I instantly think of my son, and get terribly upset by the thought of him suffering similarly. And it's partly that as a parent, your focus moves inwards. Your priority is making things good and right for your child, not the rest of the world.
Maybe maternal instincts are turned outwards before they get a child to work on?
Or maybe I'm just an inslar selfish cow, and other mothers actually care just as much about the rest of the world as they always did. Or even more.
Blog-olicious: I LOVE that idea. Really I do.
This is slightly old news, but it was printed again today in my newspaper: dirt is good for you. The more allergens you're exposed to, the healthier you will be. Burn those Swiffers, ladies! Good times have arrived.
yeah, I can't look, either. I usually manage to swallow most of what Keith Olbermann's spooning out, but even then, it's tough. lately, though, can't. press. play. on tivo.
argh.
I soooo love you. I might propose marriage soon.
And thanks for the reminder that Gore's movie is out!
I wish I had some good news. My stomach hurts every morning after watching the news but I feel like I need to watch it. I need to know if it can possibly get any worse and then it does. And I feel sick again.
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