Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough...
I'm sure that many of you out there wake up every morning with a sincere hope or wish that TODAY will somehow be just a tad BETTER than yesterday...I know I do (or at least try).
Despite my recently discovered cynicism (twelve LONG years and counting - the same amount of time I've lived in Fort Wayne...weird, huh?), I remain relatively optimistic...always been that way.
So when I step out the door to retrieve the morning paper, take a deep breath and smell clean, fresh air, and the only thing I hear are songbirds chirping nearby (because they want me to feed them), that alone is enough to set my compass pointed in the right direction...
After that, things tend to go a bit more "downhill", shall we say.
I've made the coffee, and that goes swimmingly well, but it's when I either turn on the TV or open that paper to read "the news" that reality creeps up from behind and smacks me square in the back of the head.
Everywhere I look...it's something about the recently-deceased Michael Jackson...!
(and therein lies the meaning for the title to this day's post)
I suppose mainstream America hasn't gotten their "fill" of "The Gloved One's" death...but I know I have.
In his day, he was an innovative performer and he sold a lot of albums...period.
His later life was a train wreck, and he died pathetically...period.
Let it GO, for God's sake.
I mean, lottery tickets for a memorial service???
WTF is this world coming to, anyway?
I do find it curious that this "Cap & Trade" fiasco was basically "snuck" under OUR NOSES the DAY AFTER Jackson's death...don't you? I would think THAT bears a lot more air time and scrutiny that ALL this media frenzy over Jackson. It's like sharks circling the freshly-tossed chum.
Like I said...going downhill...a bit faster now.
Unless you change the channel to QVC or the HISTORY CHANNEL, you're going to be hard-pressed to escape Michael Jackson-Mania. Enough is enough (for me). Can we all PUH-LEASE move on with some REAL problems facing the world?
Yesterday, I talked about the "locals" that infest...I mean LIVE in this area.
And, like most EVERY other day, "they" will arise from their drug-induced slumber to walk the earth once again...usually around 1100 hours. Cripes, it has damn near all the makings of a George Romero movie synopsis, doesn't it?
Kinda makes me feel like Will Smith in the movie I AM LEGEND, except I can't go around wasting the zombies...dammit!
But I digress...
When I spoke about MISDIRECTION last week, it was to plant the seeds of thought regarding this nasty habit the MSM has with certain issues while ignoring those we SHOULD be paying attention to.
They, in no small part, perpetuate the "ADHD" America suffers from (as well as a lot of it's apathy).
Hell, they CAUSED it.
It doesn't matter if it's Sarah Palin leaving her governorship (it's HER decision...deal with it and leave her alone), Michael Jackson, or some other stupid thing Lindsey Lohan might be getting ready to do this week (and we know that somewhere...she is)...people gravitate to this tripe...and want even MORE.
Benjamin Franklin once said:
"EVERYTHING in MODERATION...NOTHING to EXCESS."
And for Ben, that even meant dallying about with French women (while he was married), but at least he followed his own words...it was just that he was one "busy" guy in MANY respects.
Still, too much of ANYTHING is not necessarily a GOOD thing...(yes friends, even chocolate).
So when, exactly do we say that ENOUGH is truly enough?
Sure, the mainstream media is there to (obviously) entertain, but when do they turn THAT off, and provide us with what we NEED to know, instead of what we "want" to know?
I think the MSM has gotten more than a bit off the tracks here.
They have marvelously confused what we NEED with what we WANT, unless "we" have decided to feed our wants instead of needs.
And that asks an interesting question of us all:
Are our WANTS more important to us that our NEEDS?
I don't know about you, but I was raised to take care of your NEEDS...FIRST, and worry about what you "want" when the timing's right and you have the resources to pursue them...and not before.
Sounds like having the HORSE BEFORE THE CART works damn well there.
And it also sounds like many people have got that all ass-backwards.
Which would explain why people find all this over-exposure on the news "fun". It's like the MSM wants us to all become a bunch of closet voyeurs...peeping in on everyone's life for the sake of entertainment.
I've got bigger fish to fry, and I'm still working on MY life...probably be "fine-tuning" it until I leave this world, too.
Life is way too short and precious to waste watching OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES.
And most of you out there already know that...or are learning it.
Damn shame our "locals" here haven't...(won't).
You know what the really ODD thing about this whole media-entertainment thing?
Those who hang on every word, do so in order to fulfill something missing in their life...it HAS to be.
Maybe what they need are a few more songbirds in THEIR mornings...
Or even a bit more cynicism to ground them in reality.
Reality can be one helluva wake-up call...that's for sure.
And it would certainly be a pleasure to see a lot more people refrain from rolling over (in life) and hitting that damn snooze button...wouldn't it?
Now that would make (common) sense.
We can but hope.
Stay safe out there, America.