Remember Gabby Giffords--you know, the one who opened her eyes and got Obama a standing ovation? Any thoughts on her lately? She dominated the news and our thoughts for weeks just a month or so ago, I can't remember when. Now, nothing. No more daily updates from the doctors about how she swung her feet over the side of the bed or smiled at one of the nurses. No long, weepy editorials. And no crazy pictures of Jared, the "demented" shooter. FYI, Gabby is still in that hospital, and Jared is still in jail, and those other people are all still dead. But time marches on and now the word of the day is Gadhafi.Fresh horrors sweep away everything in their past, just like that tsunami in Japan. (You still remember that, right?) Meanwhile someone few remember, film actor Farley Granger, one of Hollywood's first gay/bi film stars who I loved deeply and sincerely during my high school years, died this week at age 85. Rent Hitchcock's "Rope" to see him at his peak.
You are so right. We live a life of the 24 hour cable cycle; the fast paced, premium ad rates, breaking news flash, "HOLY SHIT THERE'S A CAR CHASE IN BFE HAPPENING RIGHT THE HELL NOW", controversy sells, Wolfe Blitzerized, hyper-fragmented, disintermediated and reintermediated, mass-customized, news is a profit center now, post-apocalyptic (not really but it seems like it should be in this sentence), convergence happened, 140 character mobile alerted, pull your goddamn car over so I can fire you in time for the lede...
ReplyDeleteActually, I read the other day that she is still progressing well and there was consideration of bringing her to Florida to watch her husband's launch but they didn't know if they were going to do that yet. But her main doctor apparently made a statement over the weekend that he thinks there needs to be better gun control. For what its worth.
Thanks for the update, Keith!
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