Turn off the "yak"...

I have stopped watching the news.  I just can't bring myself to listen to the talking heads that yak and yak and yak about their own opinions.  I remember when I was younger and the NBC Nightly News was led by Huntley and Brinkley.  They brought a kind of elevation to the news.  As I recall, there were only one or two news programs on.  You watched David Brinkley and Chet Huntley on NBC or Walter Cronkite on CBS...I don't remember the ABC guys, at 6pm, and the local news came on at 11pm. Then, if you were not too tired, you watched the "Tonight Show".

Somewhere in the 70's the "news" began to get cutesy, bantering anchors and beautiful babes shared the anchor spots.  They seemed so chummy, and then began reporting on nonsensical stuff: hot dog eating contests, pet parades, toddler beauty contests...really??? News??? I think not.

Nowadays, the news is on all day long.  The first one on local TV is at about 6am...then again at 8am...then the "pseudo-news". You know, those news info programs that are merely advertisements for the latest pop culture event: latest movie, newest Gladwellian book, new TV series, or latest music video from a "hot" group.  They are more like cheerleaders for the media companies that own them, rather than provide any meaningful information for the masses.  And every cable network has tons of news channels: CNN, FOX, CNBC, Al-Jazeera, BBC...you can watch news all day long, but I would not advise that you do.  It will make your brains fall out your ears.

And while I am at it, there are three phrases I don't ever want to hear coming out of any anchor's mouth.  Those would be: "This is unacceptable", "I feel...", and "...zero tolerance." They are like the empty suits who are usually heard uttering these over-used platitudes.  I certainly know what is unacceptable; how about you do something about it?  I don't care what you feel, I care what is fact and true.  And if there was real 'zero tolerance", you wouldn't have to keep saying it...there would be real consequences for those who crossed the line.

I am also less and less tolerant of apologizing politicians or government bureaucrats.  Stop asking for  forgiveness and get on with it....fix it, stop it, or walk away from it.

Perhaps as I am getting older, I am getting cantankerous. I may be turning into a curmudgeon.  A new phase of life??? Hummm...