To be certain, it is not NASA’s finest hour when one of our most heroic members is caught in an act of befuddling behavior more fit for a Jerry Springer show. The fact that such a story can garner more press than the routing of NASA’s budget on the very same day is positively infuriating.
The major American media outlets don’t even pretend to try anymore. They want their stories handed to them in unchallenged press releases, one-source rants, and i-Reports. The media has turned itself into nothing more than a third-rate connoisseur of A la carte News.
I imagine an exchange in Potential News Restaurant going something like this:
Waiter: What can I get you for an appetizer?
Media: Oh, I’d like to start with something light and fluffy.
Waiter: Perhaps some Cuddly Kitten Puffs or Sappy Kid Quotes?
Media: Perfect! I’ll take both.
Waiter: Would you like Unchallenged Intelligence on Iran Stew or Iraq Quagmire Soup?
Media: The stew, of course. I prefer fresh uncooked meat, not something constantly reheated that always tastes the same regardless of what spices are added.
Waiter: For the main course I would suggest either a hard-hitting exclusive on the tragic genocide of thousands in Africa or a juicy Astronaut Love Triangle.
Media: Ooh! Astronaut Love Triangle! Nobody likes chewing over genocide anymore.
Waiter: And may I recommend a bottle of 2008 Peak Oil? It’s a very good year.
Media: Hmm…is that easily digestible into sound bites?
Waiter: No, it is daring, complex, and requires rigorous analysis for proper presentation.
Media:
Waiter: We have a very nice 2020 Extreme Global Warming. It has unparalleled credibility smoothly blended with recommendations for lifestyle change.
Media: Just bring me a bottle of Boone's Farm in a Britney Spears cup.
The major issues that actually affect our lives (or soon will) are tossed aside in favor of inconsequential personal tragedies. This fact is probably not news to you. But just consider, as the media relishes in the plight of a fallen hero, who serves the news and who pays the bill.
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Sex & Lunatics Sell
He he . . . I was going to tease you about the NASA love triangle, but decided it wasn't in good decorum.
Ah, that's alright
It just goes to show you that NASA engineers are as nutty as everybody else :)
EXCEPT
Ah . . . but the distinction needs to be made that it was not engineering staff involved in the triangle, it was the astronauts. True engineers are just too down to earth for that nonsense. :)