Let me tell you of my dream. Wouldn't it be nice if, in addition to overturning terrorists and their regimes across the world--wouldn't it be nice if we could overthrow the stranglehold the media has on this country? Wouldn't that be nice? Just for once to get some actual NEWS instead of the ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMS that grace our boob tube screens every night?

Do you remember when the news actually used to give you information you needed? Information that actually had a potential impact to your life? That must have been before my time--granted I am old and senile now, but still--I can't remember for the life of me a time when the news was anything but a litany of depressing and irrelevant sensationalistic trash.

Whatever happened to being given information that, you know, could potentially affect our lives? Instead, these days, we get break-ins on radio stations about local sensationalized court cases that won't do anything to anybody not directly involved with the case--when the regular programming was an interview/discussion with the U.S. Speaker of the House--a man who can most certainly affect our collective life and well-being, usually to our detriment. Just a single example, but there's so many more to get hacked off about.

The CNNs and the Fox News Channels and the NBC Nightly News's of the world--are, in my mind, on the same level as Access Hollywood. 10% of what they shell out you can actually do something with, the rest--forget it. (And mostly, that 10% consists of the weather report.)

Originally, after the events of 9/11, I commended the media for actually pulling together to try and help us make sense of what happened. They did pull together, they shared information, they basically did what they're supposed to do--give us news.

But in the weeks since then, I believe the media has done more to damage this country during our war on terrorism than the terrorists ever could. Please don't think that I'm equating the news anchors with the maniacs who blew up the World Trade Centers. But a little perspective here: thanks to the media, we have people all over this country who are afraid to open their mail. People wonder why the plague or small pox hasn't come streaming out of a crop duster at us? I'll tell you why: it's unnecessary. Terror doesn't work against corpses. Instead, send around some anthrax and watch the postal system get disrupted.

I know you're asking yourself, am I not concerned about anthrax? Of course I'm concerned. Who wouldn’t be? But I'm concerned about anthrax around the same level that I'm concerned about having a car accident while on my cell phone--which accounts for about 1% of all automotive accidents. And anthrax? Twelve cases out of a nation of millions. I'm not belitting the fact that these people have gotten sick, but please--all I'm asking for is a little perspective.

For every media news story that's actually been calm and rational about this assault through the mail, there's been ten talking about the death and destruction that are being rained down on us using stamps. The terrorists behind the 9/11 attacks and these anthrax attacks (if they are indeed completely the same people) must be laughing their asses off if they think that the media is representative of our nation's mindset.

As part of the ongoing Paradigm Shift, here's what I propose: stop watching the news. You need weather? Go to the Weather Channel's homepage. You need breaking news? Drudge Report gets stuff hours before the news channels anyway. Go to World Net Daily. Go anywhere but the television. Maybe then if we just quit watching them, the network news and the news channels will dry up and blow away.

Just remember this equation: television = entertainment. Seek anything else there at your own risk.

Be good.

=Widge.

P.S. Box Office Poison.

Ah Christ. I give up.