Tuning out

I knew there was a reason why I try NOT to listen to network news.

Paying any critical attention, at all, to what’s put out there as being newsworthy is enough to raise anyone’s blood pressure and, with my job, I don’t need any other excuses to raise my BP to stroke level -  thank you very much.

Watching the Today show this morning however, it was the juxtaposition of the programming, as much as the content, which pushed my buttons.
Did you see it?

After showing us several minutes of moving testimony from parents who lost children to gun violence during the gun-control hearings - followed by the Second Amendment/NRA talking heads pontificating about why they would work hard to see that every proposed measure failed because it somehow infringed on their ‘rights’ to own an Uzzi - the segue way to a piece about counterfeit NFL merchandise was enough to induce whiplash.

Nice to hear that Federal Prosecutors are going after the sellers of bogus t-shirts to protect us from showing up on ‘Super Sunday’ wearing an oversized  shirt of whatever team we’re rooting for where the profits from the sales aren’t going directly into NFL coffers.

 Clearly we can go about our lives more safely today knowing that our legal system has its priorities in order.

We can’t seem to  do a ‘sting’ on gun shows to get the gun sellers and manufacturers who sell to the mentally deranged with no background check – but by God we can pour our resources into getting the sweat shop owners who produce T-shirts with no NFL tags!
Nice to know.

And, if I hear one more story about the ‘love triangle’ between the Polynesian football player, the stalker with the unpronounceable name and the pretend girlfriend, I think I’ll scream.

Really, he’s an example of the best education Notre Dame can provide?
The guy can make the Deans List of a supposedly prestigious university – yet he can’t distinguish between reality and make-believe?
What’s wrong with this picture?

Obviously, he’s a perfect example of what too much blunt force trauma to the head looks like!

Just as obviously, it’s time for me to turn the TV off again – and go back to just listening to my music in the morning!