Four News Stories I Don't Need to Hear Anymore

[bjarvis]

Over the past few weeks, I'm finding the daily news sounds just like it did yesterday. Some minor details have been added or deleted, but effectively it's the same damn story, again and again.

1. The Olympics.
I just don't care. The international pharmaceutical face-off games are so irrelevant to me that they might as well involve bacteria on another planet. At least bacteria on another planet would be news-worthy.

Beijing has smog? China lacks human rights? Really? This is news to whom exactly?

2. Off-shore Drilling.
Republicans in favour, Democrats against. This has been the status quo for years. How can it be newsworthy when nothing has changed or will likely change in the foreseeable future?

3. The Credit Crunch
Yeah, it's bad. It's been bad for a year. It'll be bad for at least another two, possibly three. There's nothing new to say about it except updating the day's list of bankruptcies. Just once, I'd like to see headlines like "The Economy Sucks. See details on pages E3-17 of our Sunday edition 'cause it's old news."

4. Vice-Presidential Selections
Please. We all know the respective teams aren't going to announce their choice until they're ready and the odds of a leak approach zero. Why are we wasting energy on idle speculation? How is this any less pointless than betting on, say, the next celebrity drug overdose or custody battle?

Comments

[writerbear81.livejournal.com]

Can I add Brett Favre to that list?

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

We could, although I have to confess I had to look him up on Google to find out who he is. Now that I know, I still don't care about him so, sure, he's on the list. :-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Amen! And tacking on to item 3, the real estate market as a subsection of economic suckage.

[kent4str.livejournal.com]

And please add anyone's response to McCain/Obama's mentioning them or talking to them in any way whatsoever.

And, no, Paris Hilton, you're not hot. Never have been. get over yourself.

[trawnapanda.livejournal.com]

oooh, new userpic! slightly older than the child in the high chair.

(or at least, I've only just noticed it)

Nice, though I must say the "pornstar" userpic could show a LOT more skin.

[kent4str.livejournal.com]

That icon I've had for a while - this one is new, though.

[pklexton.livejournal.com]

Oh she is pretty vile. But I must concede I thought her video was amusing.

[ciddyguy.livejournal.com]

I never thought much of Paris Hilton, but that video is about as newsworthy as it gets IMO and that ain't saying much though.

I'm in agreement here, let's break the record please.

[cuyahogarvr.livejournal.com]

And add to the list - "The RACE Card."
Who doesn't think this election will be about race???

[trawnapanda.livejournal.com]

you know, the real problem is the advent of 24 hour news channels. That's an awful lot of time per news cycle, and so they take to reporting on the blandest of stuff, just to fill the empty space. and the standard of "newsworthy" goes down in direct proportion. And so you get the situation you report. It's also August, the silly season, when there's not as much happening and so again the criterion of "newsworthy" is met with less and less substance.

[ohwolfman.livejournal.com]

However, on the "ADD" list - more stories about beheadings on Greyhound busses!

[trawnapanda.livejournal.com]

beheadings plural? you mean there's been more than one beheading on a Greyhound bus?

[pklexton.livejournal.com]

I love it when Bush said he wouldn't boycott the Olympics because "the games not political." Bullshit.

Two questions:

(1) Why does he think he was invited in the first place, because they like his conversation?

(2) Why do all of the athletes compete under their national (tribal) flags - because nationalism is not political?

Gimme a break.

does this qualify as new news?

[trawnapanda.livejournal.com]

speaking of Manitoba bus murders, though: Fred Phelps and Co were planning to protest the funeral of the victim, this coming Saturday in Winnipeg. Apparently the murder is god's punishment to Canada for being so lax on abortion, homosexuals and adultery.

The Westboro Phelpsites were spozed to come to Trawna to protest a play made up largely of verbatim quotes from Chairman Phred, moving on to Red Deer AB to protest a performance of The Laramie Project, and then thought to hit the funeral en route.

They were turned back at the border, as a group promulgating hate speech.

story here on CBC.