Phase Two

The media swarm has descended on Blacksburg, Virginia. I can only imagine the phone calls to Couric, Gibson and Williams on Monday afternoon, telling them to pack (if they aren't already) and head out to Virginia. Once the national parasites checked in, it was only a matter of time (minutes) until the locals had their reservations.

Philadelphia's local news had at least two reporters from each station on the scene. Multiply that by 4 (local news here) times all the markets with local news (Umteen) and it must be a media nightmare for the locals. I don't see the value in sending a local news face to do a report on the scene. Does Action News' Dann Cuellar bring any value to the report that we couldn't get from the local ABC outlet in Virginia - who may actually know something about the town and its people? It strikes me as an invasion, and a little exploitative - but that's modern journalism for ya.

In my perfect world, as mayor of Blacksburg, it would be "Get the f*** out of my town!"

It was at this point that I was going to go on a rant about how the networks put up their own themes, replete with accompanying music - and placed their anchors in front of those Hokie stone buildings for the full dramatic effect ...

But then, I figured ... who gives a f**k? None of it matters, in the long run. They do this with every tragic story. They never camp out in front of a Mega-Millions Lottery winner's house and descend on them with reporters. It only happens when they can use the word TRAGEDY or MASSACRE in the title and build on the drama that has already unfolded. It's all part of what they all must learn at whatever school of "journalism" they attend. Probably led by some guest speaker who tells them how to pack and which eyebrow to raise when the "troubled loner" is uncovered.

By the way, that kid gives "loners" a bad name.

So, what I decided to do in response is post another picture of something that makes me happy and allow the media circus to finish its third ring. I have made my point and figure that the world will continue to spin regardless, so here is something that makes me smile and allows me to move on to Phase Three - The Entertainment of the Masses...

So, screw you if you don't agree with my opinion of how ridiculous guns are. I exhausted myself at our lunch table at work today, and I only wish I had a putter to clench between my teeth to combat the nonsense that was being spewed by my fellow workers who think that "target practice" requires a 9mm gun or that "sport" equals killing animals.

The big argument (discussion) that ensued concerned what the table considered their "loss of personal freedom" if the guns were taken away. I didn't consider it a loss of freedom, since I wasn't the least bit concerned with losing something that I didn't want to begin with.

Combine that with the fact that they still could not come up with something positive that guns did - I issued a similar challenge to the table that I issued to my readers - and you can imagine my disgust, and delight that I had finished eating prior to the beginning of the discussion (argument). Nevertheless, it was stimulating, although, since it happened a little after noon, I had nothing to do but return to work.

What I really wanted was a stiff martini and a nap.

UPDATE: The media circus entererd its third ring when I saw, as I was buying my morning newspaper, that one local news outlet was doing their morning report in Blacksburg. I repeat, I really don't see the point, other than exploitation, in which they seem to specialize.