Tuesday, October 25, 2011

No News Is Good News

This week I have been enjoying satellite radio in my rental car. Nothing but music as I drive--that and the Garmin Lady (with the Australian accent) telling me where to go, which I don't mind, since I have become dependent on my Garmin GPS to go places. But the point is, I have been able to ignore the news for the past several days. I needed the relief after the twin abominations I must have seen a dozen times toward the end of last week. Did you see them?
The video of the still-alive Moamar Ghadafi being beaten moments before some low-life shot him in he head. It was gruesome and offensive.

On one of the shows I allowed myself to be subjected to, the newscaster, moments after showing us that glorious moment, actually remarked upon how amazing it was that even children stood in line to go and see Ghadafi's corpse on the floor of a freezer. This after he subjected all of us, and our children probably, to the spectre of the free Libyans abusing their prisoner as he bled from a head wound.

But that was not all. Fox News (which I usually have a lot of respect for) repeatedly shared video of an ugly incident here at home. Two girls in a brutal fight, being watched and followed around by several adults. Authorities were trying to file charges against the adults for not just failing to stop the fight, but apparently arranging for the two to meet and have their fight. More ugly television and for no other reason than to offend. Whew, I turned away from the TV on Saturday and avoided any TV news. When I am traveling, I rarely turn on the TV, so it has helped that I am on the road. I don't hear radio news, either--thanks to the satellite radio in my car. I listen to jazz on Watercolors, which I guess some would find boring. But it looks as if I will be able to avoid any news until Thursday, and that's a welcome relief.

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