Didja Hear this?

I guess news isn't anymore shocking or extraordinary than in days gone by, we just seem to have better access to the news now. Or, we seek out the strangest stories we can find and fixate upon them, something like that, anyway.

And, what's the deal with our attention span? If it doesn't fit in a paragraph or can be heard in a few seconds we don't seem to want to deal with all the overwhelming input bombarding us from all angles and all levels.

I enjoy the offbeat, the persistantly odd and outrageous. The truck chock full 'o donuts stolen from a convenience store parking lot and chased down by siren blaring cop cars. A big old truck with it's back doors swinging wide in the night, cops careening along behind it being pelted with fresh krispy treats.

Jennifer L. Hewitt's backside emblazoned on the covers of tabloids in grocery stores all over America. A cellulite smorgasbord for all of us who want to feel at least a bit better about ourselves now that we've seen a young female Hollyweird heartthrob with her butt hanging out of a binkini.

Is Brittany preggers or is she not? Can Brad indeed rebuild New Awlins almost single-handedly? Pink tents notwithstanding, perhaps he can, and if he does, more power to him, I say.

Can Senator Craig GET any stranger with all these men hanging around claiming the good, honest politico cruised them or had sex with them at one time or another. Sheesh, ever since that particular story broke I have been squeemish about using public restrooms. I keep my feet very still while in any public stall doing what business we all must do in those situations.

Perhaps we could stop a minute and take a breath in between all the strange stories about people who frankly seem to have way too much time on their hands and reflect on what is news and why it needs to be reported.

News is something that affects us all in some way. Natural disasters come to mind. Politics is another news event we can all learn from. Every now and then we need a "Forrest Gump" tearjerker moment to keep some balance but overall news used to be, and should be, something that inspires, educates, or whips us into a passionate frenzy.

News should be reported in a bit more detail than the current fare of blips and bleepswe seem to get today on any given newscast. For once I'd like to hear an early morning newscast that will tell me, to the best of anyone's knowledge, WHY some nutcase kid walks off an elevator in a mall in Omaha and blows away 8 innocent people with a stolen ak-47.

I'd like to actually hear the ideas and goals of politicians who are poised to be elected to run the free world this coming go-round. I am thristy to hear more of the nuts and bolts of how they intend to go about fixing a severly flawed nation.

News is important. Done well, it can inform a great many people and inspire true change. I just don't think Eva Mendez and her wardrobe choices for the next big awards show or the clandestine romances kindled on Dancing With the Stars qualifies as news.