The Society of the Macabre

**Pete Hanlin** · 08-28-2006, 02:06 PM

I woke up yesterday and flipped on CNN (Fox News is apparently unavailable in Montreal) while getting packed for my flight...

Of course, one of their "top stories" concerned Flight 5191, which- as we now know- attempted to take off from the wrong runway. The coverage was really slick- with the two desk anchors solemnly repeating the same empty drivel over and over- with occasional breaks to a local affiliate or the weather lady.

Of course, another of the stories pertained to Hurricane Ernesto- and the aforementioned weather lady could barely contain a meterogasm as she gleefully reported that the storm could gain enough strength to cause some "real damage" to the coast of Flordia.

All of this is normal- of course... the media (regardless of the source) seems to take some perverted pleasure from human tragedy that goes beyond simply "reporting the facts." However, sometime mid-morning, CNN managed to get a reporter to the tiny Lexington airport. It was her segment that really set me off. To paraphrase, she reported that "I'm here at the airport, and I've been told there are family members somewhere near by... We haven't been able to locate any of them yet, but we'd like to get comments on their reaction to the crash... We are told that ComAir is bringing in some counselors to blah blah blah."

This really caused me to wonder about our society. Is there anyone among us who REALLY wants to hear from a relative of a crash victim within hours of such a tragedy? What does one SUPPOSE the reaction is likely to be? More importantly, what is the purpose of such an interview- the relatives aren't likely to know anything about the crash, and I sincerely doubt they want to talk about it with a reporter at just that moment. In fact, I would think dealing with ignorant reporters is one of the topics counselors probably cover in their attempt to assist the families through this kind of ordeal.

Situations like this reinforce my perception that we live in a macabre society which is infatuated by the suffering of others- the spectacle of pain is a marketable "show" in our country. The Romans crowded into their Coleseum and paid for such spectacles- apparently Americans prefer their entertainment to come free of charge on the "news."

A tidal wave across the world, a hurricane here at home, a young girl raped and murdered, a mother-to-be killed by her insane husband, a former wife and boyfriend hacked to death by an athlete, and a plane crash have one thing in common are primarily offered to us in the coleseum of cable/network news services. Later, once we've found just the right actors and production values, we redigest these atrocities in the movie theater or on the Discovery Channel.

Whew, that's cathartic! Thanks for the opportunity to rant a bit... :(

**Steve Machol** · 08-28-2006, 02:52 PM

Originally Posted by Pete Hanlin

All of this is normal- of course... the media (regardless of the source) seems to take some perverted pleasure from human tragedy that goes beyond simply "reporting the facts." However, sometime mid-morning, CNN managed to get a reporter to the tiny Lexington airport. It was her segment that really set me off. To paraphrase, she reported that "I'm here at the airport, and I've been told there are family members somewhere near by... We haven't been able to locate any of them yet, but we'd like to get comments on their reaction to the crash... We are told that ComAir is bringing in some counselors to blah blah blah."

It's only natural that news will tend to focus on the bad and I have no quarrel with that, but this kind of thing really pi**es me off. Why don't they just leave the families alone! What possible purpose does exposing their pain and perhaps augmenting it server?

**chip anderson** · 08-28-2006, 03:23 PM

The ones I really love are people that have been injured in a tragedy and yet take the time to appear on T.V. before first aid or abulance transportation is used. I once saw a gangster (a white one, for those who would missinterpet this) with five bullet holes in him, one pumping blood just above his beltline standing up in handcuffs being interviewed by the Houston infobabe.

Chip

**optigrrl** · 09-02-2006, 03:27 PM

I just don't watch the news anymore. It's so negative and it seems to be getting more graphic. Horrific events are becoming more and more commonplace and I feel desensitizes society to the macabre behaviour of the dysfunctional members of humanity.

When crimes are sensationalized in such dramatic proportions it is no wonder breaking the law has become a media for recognition. Just like John Mark Karr in the Jon Benet case.

The Romans crowded into their Coleseum and paid for such spectacles- apparently Americans prefer their entertainment to come free of charge on the "news."

So much for the "enlightned" society. It seems as though some of humanity is taking steps backwards...

Instead I try to focus on more positive influences. Try to see more "feel good" media. Try to contribute more positivity on a daily basis. Try to be nicer, more tolerant.

**hotsauce** · 09-02-2006, 04:32 PM

Television news trumps all other media at one thing: Transmitting pictures and sounds of things, particularly things that are happening right now. Context, perspective, and nuanced debate (or any rational form of debate at all) are things it does very, very poorly.

It's little wonder that salacious, ridiculous stories lead the local, national and cable news shows night after night after night--it's the easiest thing to put up there, and our natural rubbernecking tendency makes it hard to break away. Watch C-SPAN (as boring as it is most of the time), read newspapers and magazines--of every political stripe--and try to glean as much from international news to gain some perspective, and make your own decisions on matters instead of relying on puppet demagogues to do it for you.

**chm2023** · 09-07-2006, 08:30 AM

It's all about quantity--need stuff to fill the gapping yaw. Quality took a header years back. Example: the croc man, Steve something from Australia. Terrible accident, terrible for his family, but COME ON!! This is major news that is again and again analysed and picked at like a scab???

Sweet mother of God! I have gotten to the point where I watch only the Sunday AM news/talk shows (hear the talking points..) and otherwise just read the paper and a few magazines. Oh and Countdown when I can, but that's mainly for the yuks.

**Judy Canty** · 09-07-2006, 08:50 AM

I get my news from "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report"...except for the weather. ;)

**Steve Machol** · 09-07-2006, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by Judy Canty

I get my news from "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report"...except for the weather. ;)

So you must 'hate America' then. Why do you want to 'cut-n-run' from Iraq instead of 'staying the course' and 'supporting our troops'? ;)

**Judy Canty** · 09-07-2006, 11:17 AM

W0rd!!!

**Grubendol** · 09-08-2006, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by Steve Machol

So you must 'hate America' then. Why do you want to 'cut-n-run' from Iraq instead of 'staying the course' and 'supporting our troops'? ;)

:cheers::D

That was awesome!

**chip anderson** · 09-08-2006, 06:09 PM

Bravo! Steve! You supprise me.

**Grubendol** · 09-08-2006, 06:18 PM

In all reality I get almost all of my news from Air America and the affiliated shows...mainly The Thom Hartman show. That man is a True Patriot.

<------Screaming Bleeding Heart Liberal ;)

**Judy Canty** · 09-08-2006, 06:58 PM

Um, Chip, have you ever actually watched The Colbert Report?

**Cindy Hamlin** · 09-09-2006, 12:10 AM

Pete,
I cannot agree more. I am already steeling myself for the inevitable footage of the planes into the towers and the towers collapsing. I remember how totally helpless and sad I felt at that time.

It is scary to even think about it now. I agree that it is horrific when news shows ram a microphone into the faces of the victims, the family of the victims during the sadness.

I cannot get those pictures out of my head. The people holding the pictures of their missing loved ones, the pictures taped to buildings, phone poles, etc. It was incredibly hard to watch them beg to help them find them. All the time knowing full well, there was no chance in ****!

It is sad indeed, but that was a tragedy, it is horrific, but I choose not to dwell on it. God bless all that were affected, though. It also tore me up when Ted Koppel on Nightline showed the pics of those killed in Iraq. All 11 minutes of it. I was a complete bucket of goo when it was over.

I think the news does what they do as we all tend to want to know. It is like when you pass an accident. You feel like you shouldn't look, you do look, and then you are sorry to see what you saw. I normally say a silent prayer for the people involved in the really bad ones.

**Jubilee** · 09-09-2006, 08:21 AM

Originally Posted by Judy Canty

I get my news from "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report"...except for the weather. ;)

I am right there with you! Got my Aussie Friend stuck on these shows as well. I love how they do a good job at poking at both sides of the political spectrum.

Though I do use the net for local news and read the paper.

Cassandra

**Optical Enigma** · 09-10-2006, 12:48 AM

I read an article today that stated that the head honcho in Iran is someone who uses "controversial rhetoric."

I suppose erasing Isreal from the face of the earth and a non existant holocost are only "controversial."

You libs never fail to amaze me.

This guy is going to have to be dealt with one day and those who do not "stay the course" could just blow it for the rest of us.

Hitler, Stalin, Saddam, Pol Pot, etc all had one big thing in common. They all told the world about their desired atrocities before they executed them.

Could the the little man in the dirty night shirt from Iran be next? Lets appease him and find out.

**Grubendol** · 09-10-2006, 12:30 PM

Iran is a minimum of 10-20 years from having nuclear capability, the people of Iran are extremely westernized, and they will/would rise up against him eventually, they have essentially been doing that progressively more and more over the past 10 years.

He is a rhetorical masthead who does not have the support of the people, or at least he didn't until we started saying we'd bomb them into oblivion if they didn't do things our way.

The same was true in Iraq and we can all see how well that's gone.

**rinselberg** · 09-11-2006, 01:21 AM

Originally Posted by Grubendol

Iran is a minimum of 10-20 years from having nuclear [weapons] capability ...

I wonder if you have a good source for that. I'm not researching it (tonight), but my guess is that if they can't build one primitive atomic bomb in five years, then they can't do it period. And I have little doubt that they can build one, with the help that they received from the Khan network in Pakistan.

I wouldn't count on the current Iranian regime being overthrown in a popular revolt anytime soon.

Here's the latest on the diplomatic front from MSNBC:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14769669/

Mike Wallace interviewed Ahmadinejad on CBS Sixty Minutes just recently. It's a fun thing to watch. You can watch and hear the interview online via the link (below). Look in the sidebar, over on the right.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/...n1879867.shtml

Ahmadinejad also has his own Internet blog, with an English language option, and you can find a link to it about halfway down in the middle of this one page news article.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satelli...cle%2FShowFull

If you bring up the blog, there is a miniature Anglo-US flag to "click" in the upper right. It doesn't work for me, but that may be because I am using a Mac with the Safari browser instead of a Windows PC with Internet Explorer.

Image hosting: http://imageshack.us/
Poster art: http://www.linotype.com/

"I want justice," Bush said. "And there's an old poster out West, I recall, that said 'Wanted, Dead or Alive' ..." The President was talking about Osama bin Laden, but there's another suspect still at large, just as elusive or even more so. And they're not looking near the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan. To join the hunt, just CLICK on the poster art (above).

**chm2023** · 09-11-2006, 10:00 AM

When 9/11 happened, there was a huge pro-American rally in Teheran. (Of course I was in Paris at the time, and the Parisians were openly weeping in the streets; the headline in du Monde was "We are all Americans.) Where has than goodwell gone? Is it still there?

**Grubendol** · 09-11-2006, 10:27 AM

That's sort of the point I was making, thanks there chm

**rinselberg** · 09-12-2006, 06:02 AM

Originally Posted by chm2023

When 9/11 [struck], there was a huge pro-American rally in Tehran. I was in Paris at the time, and the Parisians were openly weeping in the streets - the headline in du Monde was "We are all Americans." Where has the goodwill gone? Is it still there?

Goodwill?

USAID: Assistance for Iranian Earthquake Victims (2003)

USAID: US Agency for International Development

Maybe some Iranians have a short memory.

Of course, when you're busy brewing up new troubles for the world, who knows what you're liable to forget.

Around and around the centrifuge goes.
Where it will stop - nobody knows ...

The centrifuge process for uranium enrichment is relatively simple in concept. It employs an evacuated casing containing a cylindrical rotor that rotates at high-speeds. Uranium hexafluoride gas, UF6, is fed into the rotor where it takes up the rotation. Centrifugal forces push the heavier U-238 closer to the wall than the U-235. Thermal gradients along the axis of the machine create a circulation cell in which the depleted gas near the wall flows to one end of the machine, while the UF6 gas further from the wall (which is enriched in U-235) flows to the other end of the machine. Scoops located at each end of the machine remove the enriched and depleted UF6 gas streams. If a sufficient number of centrifuges are staged or cascaded, a nuclear weapons fuel production facility can be created. Iran acquired advanced P2 model centrifuges with the assistance of the Khan network, which revolved around Pakistan's leading nuclear weapons scientist.

http://www.ornl.gov/sci/ees/nuclear_...ms/Uenrich.htm

As for the French - they seem to be lending a capable, if not overly generous hand, in Afghanistan (via NATO) and in Lebanon, as part of the newly expanded UN peacekeeping force.

Ancient surgical instruments: For the full story, see Cataract surgery - looking back on a 3700 year old procedure.