News you can't use

When I got up this morning, I was, like all good Americans, concerned about the world around me. I wondered how the firefighters were doing in the battle against the flames in Arizona.
I wondered if the stock market could find it's way out of the depths of hell.
I wondered if we'd get rain soon. So I logged on to my computer and hit my handy, preset News button, And found out what's trending in the "news" for the USA. Am I the only one who finds the following stories absolutely, positively stupid?

In Politics

Sociology


Crime


Now I am the first to admit that there's a hunger out there for stupid human tricks. And inane factoids. And John Boehner has said and done many offensive things in office. Lighting up? This is news?

Women shouldn't date attractive men. Or marry them. That's not worth the paper it wasn't even printed on.

Hollywood couple with matching jewelry? We're sinking ever deeper here and the stench is rising.

Pulled over for your attire? In New York? Ok. I suppose that is news.

Just not news that I need to know, care to know, or would pay to know. I don't subscribe to the local paper anymore. Not even the NYTimes online. Why? Because everything I need to know is in my inbox. I signed up for a few news alerts from reputable outlets. I watch the 10pm news. I talk to my neighbor. Actually, much of my news comes from my friends and neighbors. It's a bit old fashioned, but effective.

I learned about 9/11 when my friend phoned me at just after 6am that day, Pacific time of course.
I learned about Gabrielle Giffords when my mom called me.
I learned about the Challenger when my colleague yelled across the room.
I heard about Bin Laden from hubby who was on Facebook.

Anyone picking up a trend here? Perhaps social networking and plain old communications between family and friends has trumped the 24/7 news feed. Has anyone figured out we can't fill up 24 hours with news of import?

Apparently they have. And therein lies the crap.

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