The News Has Been Cancelled!

That is the clarion call of Randi Rhodes of Air America Radio. And boy, is she ever right. If there isn't a Paris Hilton, Anna Nicole or "missing white woman" story captivating the media, they'll find some other sparkly thing to attract the viewers. Let me give you an example.

We went out to breakfast, ran errands, and then did housework for the first half of the day, so I had no idea what was going on in the world this Sunday. So, I sat down in my office, and turned on the TV. And here what was on:

• CNN: "In the Money" with a very fluffy piece about cell phones with cameras



• FOX "News": Ollie North's "War Stories"



• CNN Headline News: Big fat alligator with trainer. Whaa?



• MSNBC: Crime documentary, "MSNBC Reports"

I just want the news! I tried the various web sites for the above mentioned networks, and while you can find news there, it is usually buried in the "boring" columns, away from the flashy pictures of Paris Hilton, and that missing Ohio lady (which is a sad story, but come on, a LOCAL one). I went over to the BBC, and there was some actual news:

Guantanamo closure 'not soon'
Nader mulling White House run
Extend Afghan tour, Canada told
'Drug baron' caught in Colombia
US Senate seeks fuel efficiency
House overturns abortion aid ban
N Korea 'ready to shut reactor'
"Amistad" retraces slave route
Blackstone float raises $4.13bn
New Orleans 'still a flood risk'
'Al-Qaeda gunmen' killed in Iraq

To be fair, this was also in one of their "boring" no pictures columns, but it is a far more newsworthy list than you'll find on any of the US News sites I looked at today. Oh, just checked out FOX "News" one more time. . .an interview with Carly Simon. "What advice would you have about keeping it real?" I'm not kidding, she was just asked that question seconds ago. My advice: REPORT THE FLIPPING NEWS!!!