The other night, as I finished editing the most recent podcast, which naturally keeps me up til 2am… for some strange reason I turned on the TV with the sound off… not really sure what I was looking for. Sure enough, as I pause on CNN international, they’re following a plane with as it flies in circles… and suddenly i was locked on this story.
As I was watching I realized what a media event this was. They had plenty of time to give you so many different zany camera angles. And naturally they got “former pilots” and other so-called experts to call in and give their experienced opinions. There was plenty of time for anything… even updates about hurricanes and probably some story about JayLo or something. While I was very worried about the fate of all those on that plane, I was also fretting about the way information is presented to the public… like we need to be entertained and stimulated in order to pay attention. Myself included, apparently.
So while I really needed to sleep and would have to be up for work in a very short time, I couldn’t stop watching. Somehow I had to watch that plane land.. and I had to see with my own TV-eyes if they would survive.. or if it would be a disaster. I remember questioning my own role… “Does it matter if I watch or not?.. how can that change the outcome?” sure enough… I dosed off for 5 minutes, and when I came to… big yellow fire engines had surrounded the plane as it came to a stop and everything was fine.
Irritatingly enough, the next day I can hardly stay awake, and everyone I talk to has no idea what the hell Im so worked up about because for them it was a NON-event. And so it goes if you stay up late on Central European Time.
Speaking of LA, how about the Green LA Girl and her outstanding blog.
AudioCommunique #68(mp3)
Soundtrack
Amazingly no police in Texas, the alleged bastion of conservatism, took microphones away from the scores of people camped out at Crawford. No, they had to go to New York City, the alleged bastion of open minded thinking, where the police decide they need special permits to speak their grievences, and some of them claimed to have
So where are you from originally?
Our wacky german neighbors are having elections. And I just love when it’s election time in the .de. Not only because I think it’s an extremely interesting and fairly healthy democratic system, but because it brings back memories of me and my buddy… Koblenz’s Martin G.. when we first arrived at University in Amsterdam and I’d wonder down to his apartment on election night.