Mourning the News
I am a political and news junkie.
I am also in mourning.
In better days, I would settle down each night at 10PM and turn on CNBC to watch Brian Williams recap the daily news. It was more than information or entertainment. Brian became part of my family. I was on a first name basis with him.
"Brian," I'd comment at 11PM, "Great cast today." I knew he couldn't hear me. But in some fashion, I was also sure he appreciated it.
Brian moved on to greater things, and for a short time after he left, I floundered during the evening, at a loss for a new evening friend. I flipped past Fox news (not a chance) and lighted on "Newsnight" on CNN with Aaron Brown.
At first it felt like I was cheating on Brian. But over time, I grew to enjoy Aaron's moods and expressions. At the risk of being fickle, Aaron replaced Brian in my heart. (Dare I admit it, I'd even tape the news if I wasn't home.)
Alas, all relationships end.
Recently, "Anderson Cooper 360" replaced "Newsnight". Anderson's cute. He even has some gravitas. I enjoyed his reporting when he appeared with Brian. It seemed only fair that I'd give him a try.
Our affair is now over; I am jilted.
On a day when Iran withdrew from nuclear proliferation talks, Dick Cheney was in a hassle over a hunting accident, riots were taking place in Europe over a cartoon, CNN led with 30 minutes of "When husbands kill…" focusing on the arrest of the Entwhistle guy who allegedly shot his wife and baby. Not only that, they had to bring back old footage of Scott Petersen and OJ Simpson - just in case we forgot!
Don't get me wrong. Men who kill are scum. I feel deeply for their family and cannot imagine the horror of such an event, irrespective of who killed them. But is it really worth a half hour at the top of the national news?
Thank God for the newspaper.