BEGGING FOR A 1 DAY MORATORIUM ON POLITICAL NEWS 9/2

Dear NBC, ABC, CNN, FOX NEWS, WALL STREET JOURNAL, WASHINGTON POST, ETC. ETC., ETC.

I suggest we declare a one day moratorium on political news on September 2, commemorating the end of World War II in 1945.  

Think of how wonderful it would be.  You open your newspaper and read about important events going on in the world or your own city.  You check your computer or cellphone, and don’t see a picture of Stormy Daniels or Paul Ryan.  You turn on the evening news and once again, you can trust that you will not have to look at  Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin.  You will not hear one newscaster spending a full hour berating the president, or turn to another station to hear another newscaster defending the president.  Nada. Nothing. Verboten.  I don’t know what they will find to talk about, but surely they can think of something.

Isn’t there anything else of interest going on in the world but politics?  Wildfires and flooding are actual news.  Tragedies like school shootings and duck boat accidents are deserving of all the news reports they can get.  We know that negativity is the name of the game in the media racket today.   Sex, lies, murder, disgrace, downfalls of the rich and famous.  That’s what sells, so we can understand that sort of coverage is never going to end.   Honestly, I don’t care what you report or don’t report.  Just please, please, all media sources: get together  and announce that for one pleasant, beautiful day, we don’t have to read or hear about politics.

Let's try and extend the moratorium across the country, and encourage people to talk about anything but politics. You know what might happen on that particular day?  People might carry on conversations about last night's baseball game, or where they went on vacation.  The “socialist” on the left and the “nazi”  on the right might find out they actually kind of like each other.

What will the activists do that day?  I would suggest they pack up a picnic lunch, buy a bottle of wine, and go to the beach.

FASCINATING OBITUARIES

Have you written yours yet? A few years ago, I realized I had begun to read every obituary in both the #IndianapolisStar and our local paper.  Many days, they are the most interesting thing to read, especially if you're fed up with political news.

Some obits are long and extremely detailed, which leads me to believe the deceased may have had a hand in it. Who else would remember every single award a person ever won, all the countries visited on their many trips, every job they've held, and all of their hobbies? Still, I enjoy all the details, but then I've always loved #autobiographies.

The published  names are also interesting.  Women often list three or four last names, beginning with their maiden name, then on to the surname of each husband. Some people who've been married more than once start by naming their first husband from whom they were divorced and had x number of children with. Then, they go on to name subsequent spouses and progeny. Inevitably, these detailed obits also describe the person's social life, club memberships, achievements not only of themselves , but their children.

Many spiritual people confidently state that the dead person has been received into the arms of their "Lord & Savior." I always admire that kind of faith.

Finally, will they have a conventional church funeral or a heathen #memorial service at cocktail hour? Some have both, but it's usually one or the other. Many opt for nothing at all as it is stated, " at Jack's request, there will be no services."

So, the next time you think there's nothing of interest in the newspaper, head for the obituaries!