In the News

I love the news. I watch news shows and I read many online news sources to see what is actually going on in the country and the world or to see what someone wants us to believe is going on. The problem with the news is that it is no always apparent what stories have at least some semblance of truth or accuracy and what stories are essentially totally bull pucky. I suppose I have come to the point as a news reader that it doesn’t really matter to me if a news story is accurate or a total fabrication and I have taken to reading the news purely for its entertainment value. I treat many news stories as fictional short stories and try to get some kind of “gee whiz” pleasure out of them. Here are a few recent items in the news that may be true, may not but who cares they are nice reads.

Yesterday it was announced that 84 year old Hugh Hefner is now engaged to a 24 year old woman. I am sure there are plenty of skeptics about the motivation of both Mr. Hefner and his lovely fiancée, Crystal Harris, for deciding to enter into an engagement and presumably marry in the near future. I for one have concluded they are a perfect match and have much in common. Crystal was born 24 years ago. Hef started collecting social security 24 years ago. Hef likes like women that look good in skimpy clothing. Crystal looks good in skimpy clothing. When Hef was born in 1926, Calvin Coolidge was president. When Crystal was born in 1986, Ronald Reagan was president. Both presidents were republicans. If Hef was an 84 year old man working part time at 7-11 rather than the fabulous wealthy founder of the Playboy empire he would still want to marry Crystal, a 24 year old sex goddess. If Hef was an 84 year old man working part time at 7-11 rather than the fabulous wealthy founder of the Playboy empire, Crystal would still want to marry – ok forget that comparison, it may not be the best example. Anyway if Hef wants to marry Crystal and Crystal wants to marry Hef, who cares. Congratulations to the both of them.

There have been a lot of news articles lately debating the issue of whether Oprah and her friend Gail are lesbians. Why is this news? Does anyone truly care whether Oprah is a lesbian? I don’t. I think Oprah is a self-made, successful person who has become an iconic cultural force. Her recommendations cause books to become best sellers. She interviews entertainers, politicians and ordinary folks who have had extra ordinary things (good or bad) happen in their life. She has produced movies and starred in movies. She has developed several television shows that have become successful. I think she seems like a decent person. Who cares if she is or isn’t a lesbian.

Here is a story I read on December 9, 2010 written by Buck Wolf:

“I had no idea Harry Potter was so... erotic. On the other hand, the name "Harry Potter" does have a certain porn-star quality to it. In any case, police in South Carolina say this man was caught in a theater touching his own magic wand during a showing of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," which I'm going to have to see now. Police say they received a 911 call from the theater. When officers arrived, employees took them to the "projection booth" (doesn't that sound dirty, too?) where police say they were able to watch the man cast spells all over himself, according to Savannah Now. No idea how long they watched, but the man was ultimately charged with felony exposure."

I really don’t have anything to add to this story.