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Mon. Sep 15, 2008

Passing Thoughts

A few passing thoughts I had over the past few days (not to be confused with “passing gas,” although of approximately equal value):

• Perverse as it may seem, I’m actually somewhat happy there’s major news on Wall Street. Because that means there’s at least a slim chance that for a fews days, our “presidential dialogue” will turn to AN ACTUAL ISSUE, rather than continue to treat every American as if they have a room temperature IQ. I’m tired of being insulted by the very level of the “debate.”
• I just heard on CNN about the “stresses” placed on Bernake and other financial wizards, because they’ve had to work several weekends in a row on this and other problems. PUH-leeze! I think I’ve worked four of the past seven weekends, but no one is throwing me a pity party on cable news. And I make one-whole-helluva-lot less than any of them.
• And speaking of CNN, their cable news channel has been non-stop financial news today, which given the weight of events, seems totally appropriate. So, what the hell is up with their web site?
• On the other hand, to give CNN some props, their attempt to use “suitcase cameras” to show the intensity of the Hurricane Ike, rather than Real Live Reporters, is to be commended (even though the storm’s arrival in the middle of the night made them a bit superfluous). To me, This Man In The Rain Reporting is [1] entirely unnecessary grandstanding and [2] shows those who think they can stick it out, “hey, look, that guy’s standing out in the middle of it, and he’s OK. So I ain’t leaving.”
• In the same vein, props to Fox News, not for having Geraldo Rivera reporting out in the storm, but for running the clip of him getting wiped out by a wave over and over and over again. I can say that because he didn’t get hurt, he just got wet (and I loved O’Reilly being worried about his hair), but someday one of these hot dogs is going to get seriously injured or killed in a hurricane report. Perhaps even on live TV. Only then will they begin to use the technology they already have in hand, and as result, be able to show people “this is what a hurricane surge really looks like, just before our camera position got wiped out.”
• And some age-related thoughts after a “moving” weekend: two people in their twenties should not have had enough time to collect so much stuff, and someone nearly 50 takes a lot longer to recover from helping unload that much stuff.
• The scariest thing I saw this weekend is Tina Fey.
• Fear reeks. Move away from the keyboard and go take a cold shower.