Balloon Baloney

I was in the doctor’s office the other day, getting an X-ray to find that I had fractured my knee-cap (I am currently wallowing in my own self-pity). While I was waiting for the usual hour for care (at least the system is not run by those-who-shall-named–THE GOVERNMENT), I distracted myself by watching CNN on the TV in the waiting room, and all I saw for an hour straight was live coverage of some kid in a balloon in Colorado.

Not anything about the last steps America is taking towards revamping it’s healthcare system and reviving the world economy? Nope.

Finding out that the deficit is the largest it has ever been relative to the size of the economy since 1945? Psh.

How about the death of multiple US soldiers in Afghanistan along with the rapid rise of the Taliban in the region? Tali-what?

Yup, with all the important things happening that the American people frankly do not really know about, the news-channels have used their platform to give live coverage to, not only a ridiculous story that belongs on Drudge Report, but did not even research it enough or ask the proper questions to find out if, say, the KID MIGHT STILL BE IN THE HOUSE. I watched for 1 whole hour of dumb speculation and correspondent-speculation and interviews with the local police only to find out-OMG!- He was inside the whole time!

He was in a box. In the attic. The whole time.

The situation grabbed cable-news and the nation’s attention early Thursday afternoon, after authorities reported that the experimental helium balloon was set adrift with the 6-year-old apparently riding in it. No one would stop talking about it on the news networks, or on social networks like Facebook and Twitter.

Now, the legal action against the balloon boy’s family is getting 24/7 coverage, and it might make me puke. We are never going to stop seeing the coverage of the story, along with the footage of that crazy-looking flying saucer gliding in the Colorado sky.

This story just piles on with my problems with the news-media.

Where can I find real news during the day? I know FOX News has nothing to do with actual news, but CNN and MSNBC are in love with the same irrelevant stories. Especially during such turbulent times, where the is no boundary to the substantive stories a news organization can report on, it is sad to see that there are no longer any real news organizations in America.

If I go to FOX News, I am going to get Conservative talking points/Greta Van SusterenGreta Van Susteren-esque gossip.

If I go to CNN, I get low-grade reporting with ridiculous standards.

If I go to MSNBC, I will often get some kind of viewpoint that I agree with, but that is not what one should get from news! I want one channel that will give straight, reporting news, with real insight and investigation.

Right now, the American people aren’t getting it, and they deserve better.

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