I was truly aggravated this evening to be shown over and over a sobbing relative of the military personnel lost in Iraq yesterday.
When did someone decide that it was appropriate to intrude on these people in their time of grief? What makes the TV stations feel that it’s NEWS to tightly focus on a woman who has just lost her son? Why do they send reporters out to stand on the lawn and comment on the serviceman’s home?
I just don’t understand this approach to news. I think it stinks! If they are newsworthy, then approach them in a few weeks, when they have had a chance to deal with the first rush of loss. Don’t push your way into their homes and harass them in the hope of raising your ratings. Both network news and local news ought to be more circumspect. We don’t need our newsrooms sinking to the level of a Jerry Springer show.
If the families are newsworthy, give them time to grieve, and then make a podium available to them. Otherwise you’re exploiting them.
Monthly Archives: November 2003
Blogger Wrangler
Dear Husband has a new job for me. Somehow he has become aware that there are corporations which have blogs. He feels that I should now spend my time trying to match up bloggers and corporations.
I’ve pondered the small circle of blogs I currently read, and here are some of my recommendations.
Following Jamie’s latest post, I suspect that Penthouse or one of the men’s magazines might be our best bet, or better yet…..PLAYGIRL! (I guess this means we have to give up the phone sex idea, Jamie.)
Dr. D, I can see several choices here. You could blog for Coppertone, but I think you’d be a very eloquent spokesperson for Trojans!
Billy, perhaps you could make a splash by blogging for Depends, but I bet you’d opt for Spiderman comics.
Speedbump, you could sweet talk the New Zealanders into being their blogging wizzard, but I bet you’d enjoy championing the Kiwi industry. WEG
I suppose it’s just too trite to assign Pepcid to Acidman, but DH would be thrilled that I opted for the simplest shot.
Pob is already working at an airport. I doubt he’d want to blog for them. We need to find him a cushy job that will put him in contact with a LOT of beautiful women. Let’s see…….a modeling agency?? Maybe a casting agency. Hmm…perhaps he could blog for the Miss America contest!
WichiDude and the Dudette might be great spokespersons for the wine industry. Maybe the ‘Dude could blog for the Amateur Writer’s Association.
Red Eagle, who already has more than enough on her plate might be able to blog for Avon…….or perhaps for PartyLite!
Bogie. Hmmm…..the Firefox woman……I can see her representing the wilds of Montana or Alaska. Or perhaps she could blog for animal adoption. Or maybe for Quizilla as they develop the newest quiz “What kind of animal owner will we let YOU be?”
Essay, how do you feel about being the blogger for Prozac??
Dawn has the first hand experience to take on the Detroit Department of Streets.
Can’t you see T-bone as spokesblogger for Pampers??
Okay…..I’m sorry that I didn’t reach out to each and every one of you, but I need to eat my dinner.
Baby showers
I went to a baby shower today. My youngest nephew is going to be a proud papa in about five weeks. The women in his family arranged a shower. I was astounded at the decorations, the brunch, and the endless gifts that were given.
It seems that babies are big business these days. The couple spent an afternoon at Babies R US registering, and I’ll bet they got most of the six sheets of items that they put on the registry.
The grandparents purchased a bed and armoir. Relatives bought things like a high chair, the car seat, a baby monitor, a diaper disposal system, and several other big ticket items. Friends brought things like sleep sets and onesies, outfits complete with hats, receiving blankets, diapers, disposable changing pads, diaper bags and bottle bags. There were ball player outfits, a Santa outfit, dungarees, sweats, Oshkosh b’Gosh, and Ralph Lauren.
It makes me feel a bit old to remember that it once was perfectly okay to have hand me downs for your baby, and that special safety seats weren’t required. I can remember cloth diapers, and I bet my brother-in-law thinks we should return to them. So much has changed! It seems that every 20 years or so they change their minds on whether a baby should sleep prone, or supine.
I’m delighted that this couple have all they wished for to care for their baby. I’m sure they will put it to good use. I hope, when the baby outgrows the clothes, the bed and the furniture, that it will go to someone who needs it who might not otherwise have it. And…..I hope they have the joy of a happy, healthy baby!
Ewwwwwww!!
Dear Husband is watching a program on MSNBC called the Ultimate Explorer. The program is discussing the rangers and climbers at Denali in Alaska. I looked up in time, the first time, to see a helicopter carrying off the splayed, frozen bodies of climbers, who were stranded and died.
Fretting
This has turned out to be a very frustrating day.
I got a later start than usual, and worked in the garden. With rain coming in, we pulled the tarp with the herb cuttings to the compost pile, and covered two bales of straw, and then I came in for the afternoon.
I have numerous quilting projects underway, and I’ve been trying to finish some of them before starting new projects. I managed to get a twin-sized signature quilt top finished today. I pieced the back, too. Now all I have to do is pack the top, back and batting and mail them off to the ladies who will machine quilt them for me. Perhaps I’ll have a special Christmas present for my mother if they finish in time.
Alfalfa
I have a friend in the Fort Worth area who is a superb gardener. She’s always researching ways to have healthier soil and stronger plants. We’ve had many a conversation about the use of compost. She feels that it should be incorporated into the top three inches of so of the soil to make the best use in feeding plants organicallybecause the plants feed mostly in those three inches.
I’ve read somewhere that double digging is the best way to prepare a new garden, adding compost in as we turn that soil. My friend is trying to persuade me not to disturb the soil, but to add compost on top.
She has also taught me about corn gluten meal, and alfalfa.
It seems that if you put alfalfa on your iris in the fall you’ll have huge numbers of blooms in the spring. You can use pellets, meal, or hay to achieve this. I’m going to try it. I’ll let you know in the spring how it turned out.
If you’ve tried this, I’d like to hear from you.
The aftermath
After waiting for FOURTEEN YEARS, we finally had our first trick or treaters. Four boys came to the front door. I’d say they were in a range between nine and fourteen. They were dressed as bums or mimes, and carried pillowcases to hold the candy. DH actually had them come into the house. The only thing we forgot to do was to take their picture!
Mother slept through the whole thing.
No eggs, no tricks that we have found yet, and nobody was hurt.