Take a Breather

Such a strange turn of events this week, the Supreme Court does not reign so Supreme, The Hobby Lobby decision forces yet another setback for women thwarting individual needs and valuable health care choices, Israel mourns young lives once again, Iraq is burning, the Ukraine is burning, Afghanistan is electing, GM is scorched, the first major hurricane is brewing, Brazil is raising the global popularity of football (soccer), Cuba's face is changing, Great Britain is weighing major decisions toward loyalties and affiliations, illegal aliens are getting younger and younger and more desperate and I just learned that Willie Nelson is releasing a new album featuring his original compositions at 81 years of age and in April, earned his fifth-degree black belt in the martial art of Gong Kwon Yu Sul. This just skims the top of the barrell of world news. 

It puts in my mind Walter Cronkite hosting the TV show, You Are There. The first telecast took place on February 1, 1953, a favorite news show of yesteryear, before the Web and before hand held devices.  In movie houses, news reels reviewed the weeks' events before the feature film at the movies, when movies were only available by purchasing a ticket and bag of popcorn.  As attraction to audiences you could win a prize dinner dish, water glass, toaster or waffle iron at the theaters' raffles. And daily newspapers really reported the news. You Are There could not happen in 2014. Life is too fast, events occur at the speed of light.  Instead, You are there constantly with on the spot reporting and transmission. News reports are followed up with constant analysis, some real, some (most) biased and distorted.  Facts are challenged, propaganda grows, lobbying distorts agendas and the popularity of Comedy Central characters present news that some folks regard as true news reporting. 

I will stop so we can all return to the media via our preferred devices for another overdose of daily events, sound bytes and endless talking heads. Will there ever be a quiet moment to give us a reprieve from all of the hype;  adds that run 6-7 at a time, bombarding us with products and services and then returning back to the show for a just a few minutes before the next addtion of advertising.  A breather would be welcome but unlikely in this fast paced world.  Besides, taking a clean deep breath requires wearing a face mask of course. Time check; it is almost time for the 10:00 PM news.

Ann Carol Goldberg