# Two Deaths



## garza (Dec 27, 2016)

The end of the Christmas weekend brought endless stories on all media about George Michael. Every source I turned to for news featured headline stories about George Michael. There was no escape. Even Al Jazeera and The ABC in flippin Australia had lead stories about George Michael. Today's New York Times has a commentary on George Michael's life on the front page. The one bit of comfort I found in all this was when the penny dropped and I understood that he's dead. That means he will fade from view. 

If that sounds mean-spirited, you need to understand that before Boxing Day I'd never before heard of George Michael. Glancing through the headlines I gathered that he was a pop singer of some renown. Just how popular he could have been I question considering that I try to stay on top of most developments in the world, and even though I pay only glancing attention to entertainment news one would think I should have seen his name mentioned somewhere before this.

Now here's what stirs me up about all the attention paid to the late George whoever-he-was Michael. 

Vera Rubin died at about the same time. She was 88 and had spent a lifetime adding to our knowledge about the universe we live in. Her work should have earned her a Nobel prize years ago, but somehow that honour was never hers, Over the past few days mention of her passing has been insignificant compared to the coverage given an alleged entertainer. She leaves behind her a lifetime dedicated to expanding our understanding of the workings of nature. Her life was a liffe to celebrate, and her death a time to pause and remember her work, work which had lasting significance. 

Perhaps she should have learnt to sing and play the geetar instead. She could've been on Hee-Haw, or whatever..


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## ppsage (Dec 27, 2016)

Totally agree with the sentiment here. This does not stop me from gagging at the usual journalistic characterizations of both their accomplishments. Yours for her is far more accurate.


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## Bard_Daniel (Dec 27, 2016)

Very interesting and intriguing piece here. Your thinking is clever and clear-cut. I like this!


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## Plasticweld (Dec 28, 2016)

I read your post last night and it was on my mind today, what you said, and how you said it.  You raise an issue that hits home with me.  I don’t know whether I would classify myself as a bitter old guy, I am a lot younger than you, but as someone who is fed up with a lack of rational intellect that seems to permeate the general population. 

Most seem content with fluff, most seem content with things that have no consequence.  Today’s news seems to be a form of entertainment verses a source of knowledge.  This is reasonable to an extent because a news organization exists to sell advertising to meet its budget.  But, and this is the big “But” our news is brought to us by people who seem to either live in a bubble or their parents' basement.   I have found few reporters or journalists who seem to have level life experience that would lead me to trust their judgement.  I read the Wall Street Journal every day.  You would expect that from a publication with a conservative viewpoint and a business background, that the editorial writers would have a firm grasp on reality and business.  As a small town business owner I find that 75 percent of the writers are simply out of touch with what is going on; I often wonder sometimes if they even read their own paper.  A summer camp of reality would do wonders for their credibility, as they would be able to comment with some sense of realism instead of hype.  The mainstream media here in the US are so far removed and delusional it does not even bear mentioning and I can only wonder at what make their minds work.

It may be no different than the writer who thinks of himself as an action writer, but still lives with his parents in their cellar.  He has all the technical skills to use all the right words, but has none of the experience to make it real, he easily fools all those others who have never done any more than read a book about it.  

Today we have lots of people with a sliver of intellect that have not put the combination of both education and reality into practice… What we get is the fluff we see as news. 


It is nice to see you back on the forums and posting again.


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## dither (Jan 2, 2017)

An interesting little anecdote, a sign of the times.
Not so much liked as appreciated but liked all the same.
Life eh?


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