Did you know Bob Hope died 2 years ago according to this CNN obituary? More of those pretaped, prefabbed obituaries for television and web use. MSNBC already has a bunch of tributes going. Hope stayed with NBC his entire time, so its sorta expected the Peacock would be wringing its hands in mourning.
Just read this and you’re reminded that sometimes network news organizations have to come up with contingency plans just in case some celebrity dies.
Bob Hope? I remember his television specials with Brooke Shields and Phylis Diller. None of them were all that funny. Dry humor. I think he had a sorta emperor has new clothes wonder to it. While I was watching it as a little kid, I got Bob Hope mixed up with Bob Barker. So when they announced another Bob Hope TV Special, I was always disappointed. I really wanted to see Bob Barker since he was the personality that we all knew and loved. “A Brand New Car!” Bob Hope? My generation didn’t really know Bob Hope. I mean did he have any war tours to do in the 1980s? I didn’t think so. Bob Hope was conditioned for the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s.
I’m sure he was a good man. Doing all those USO tours and such. Still, I don’t know him. He wasn’t funny to me. So I’m not really concerned.
[Update]: CNN did use their prefabbed obituary originally designed 2 years ago.
[Update #2]: Bob Hope isn’t funny according to the Slate.

So what’s up with Strom Thumond? He died today. Longest serving senator in US history. 8 terms. 47 years in the senate.
One has got to ask South Carolinians why they kept electing a 90 year old sentator. Obviously during his latter years, he was completely out of touch with 20th/21st Century America. Have you been to a nursing home lately and spent some time with 90 year olds? Sure, they have alot of good stories to tell. But can they understand the political concerns of today’s 20something? Why did South Carolinians continue to elect him?
What is funny is a while back when some clever websurfers found the premade obituary of the senator. This is so when he does croak, the webmasters can just push a button, and “poof!” Premade obit with all the facts about the senator you could ask for. It’s creepy that major news sources already have this type of thing for Bob Hope, and any other undead celebrity.
Anyways, here are some headlines submitted by readers to the Fark discussion board:

• Sen. Strom Thurmond has died. No story yet, CNN prefab obit expected soon.
• Ding Dong the witch is dead….Strom Thruman kicks the bucket.
• Strom Thurmond finally kicks the bucket
• Strom Thurmond dies. Cause of death: being 100 years old.
• Strom Thurmond dies, no this is not a repeat.
• RIP Strom Thurmond (1902-2003), CNN scrambles to post premade obituary page.
• Strom Thurmond alive and doing just fine……sike!
• Strom “Methuselah” Thurmond is dead at the age of 296
• Strom Thurmond dead at 100; South Carolina ready to move into the 20th Century.
• Strom Thurmond dies at age of 100. Will continue being senator for 20 more terms thanks to Disney Animatronics

“Mr. Bush is the President of the United States of America. Your tone suggests a certain lack of respect for the office, and the man. Why don’t you focus on reporting the news, stop asking loaded questions, and keep your bias to yourself? Next question.”
–Bill Clinton during a press interview following a dialogue with President Vincente Fox of Mexico
Lebanon Democrat, May 12, 2003, Page 4

Some observations about this war:
One of the first things I learned in Kindergarten was how a U always follows the letter Q. In Scrabble, that’s the rules. Yet, we have countries which are gramatically incorrect. Like Iraq. Shouldn’t it be Iraqu? And this country Qatar….pronounced “Kotter” as in “Welcome Back, Qatar!” No wonder these people in these countries are always upset. Someone took away their U’s.
Also I’ve noticed Iraq’s weather is pretty crappy. Like with these sandstorms. Who’d want to live there? You’re out in the garden and here comes a sandstorm. Pretty soon you’re stuck out in the blackness unable to find your way back to the house. No wonder Middle Eastern people are upset. Shouldn’t they blacktop that sand? Clean it up, you know?
Also have you noticed how many microphones are placed on the podium anytime the Iraqis have a news conference? While the president has one lone microphone at his podium.

I think what this world needs is a marathon of Wonder Years episodes. I’m tired of the war coverage, yet intriged enough to watch it continuously. I remember Rick Waldrop telling me about how he grew up in the 70s when there was a body count on the nightly news through the course of the Vietnam war. Maybe it won’t get that bad, yet I can see the count seemlingly going up each time I turn on the tv. We all need to stop watching tv.
I’ve been watching MSNBC since I think they have the best war coverage. CNN is too intellectual and boring, while Foxnews is not as fair and balanced as I would like to see. Besides, you can’t beat Peter Arnett in Baghdad. Where has he been for the past 10 years? He just pops up each time we have a war with Iraq then goes back to obscurity…the subject of a VH1 “Where are they now?” episode.
It’s been stressful for all of us. But not as stressful as those soldiers in the field. Or the innocent civilians in Iraq…. I couldn’t imagine what its like to be in the middle of a war. Which makes me think…do those news reporters riding around in the tanks with the soldiers…do they have a death wish or something. It’s not worth the Pullitzer.
Somehow I expect Saddam to show up on the island of Atlantis with Amelia Earheart, Elvis, and Jimmy Hoffa while the Dixie Chicks sing the national anthem. Weirder things have happened.

I met Levi a month ago. Tom, a guy who is a periodic helper in the audio visual ministry at my church, had invited his nephew, Levi, to church one Sunday. I introduced myself to him. Found out he was from Illinois, but living in Clarksville. He was in the military. That’s as far as our conversation went. Now, mind you I didn’t bring up the impending inevitable war. I didn’t really want to make him more nervous about it than what he may have been already. Besides, surely they wouldn’t be sending this kid to war…..I was sure he had just started in the military.
Levi left for Kuwait the week after I saw him. You see, Levi is a member of the 101st Airbourne. An unlikely hero. An extraordinary champion willing to put his life on the line for me, someone he had just met.
It was just recently that I realized that these are real people. When CNN says “there were heavy skirmish around Basra,” they’re talking about real soldiers like Levi fighting for your and my freedom. Freedom for us to go out without fear of some attack on our hometown. It puts a face on courage.
But what about the rest of them? Surely I know more people over there. Keith, someone who I grew up with, just got called up. Rebecca’s husband Brad is probably over there. What about Adam? I met Adam at a church camp a couple of years ago. He was just out of high school. The next thing I know he’s gone to basic training. I asked him if there was a chance he’d be going over there if there was a war. He said definitely. I hadn’t seen him online in several weeks.
Is Garrett over there? Garrett’s been in training with the air force for several months now. Surely he isn’t over there. But we haven’t heard otherwise.

Yesterday I noticed there were American flags up along the utlitiy poles on Mt. Juliet Road. They usually break out these flags on the 4th of July, Memorial Day, or some other patriotic holiday. However you tend to see them more often as current national and world events warrant. I’m not so sure this is a polticial statement….maybe it is…saying we support our troops.
I’m not going to bother reporting whatever is going on in Iraq right now. It would just be a rehash of what you already know. You know where to go to find this information. I’m just an armchair pundit. The shock and awe explosions were quite….well…shocking. Bombs hitting specific targets. Huge explosions. I can only imagine this will cause more angry young men to carry out terrorist attacks in the name of Allah.
Then again I believe these bombs will ultimately make the world safer. Mayhaps. Like I said, I’m just an armchair pundit with a poli sci degree from a podunk university. I’m certainly not an expert in anything.
Meanwhile Dan Rather keeps interupting the NCAA tourney games. March Madness, huh?
Wilkesboro Elementary School profits after Avril Lavigne wears school’s t-shirt in music video
Montreal Hockey Fans Boo US Anthem

Watching this back to back war coverage is sorta tiring. I’m getting sick of it. Over analysis. Rescripting and restating the obvious. Newsmen in gasmasks. Kids, turn off the TV or just change the channel.
This whole Iraq War is something out of Quantum Leap. If you knew something bad could be prevented, wouldn’t you do anything to prevent it from happening? Maybe Bush does know something we don’t know. Maybe that’s why it is so urgent to take Saddam out. The world doesn’t understand that. Colonization? Nope. Protecting our interests. And plenty of Iraqis feel as though Saddam is a bad man whom they would like to get rid of also. So its against international protocol. September 11th was against international protocol too.
I recently found that I HATE video phones. Seeing these grainy images all over my TV screen courtesy of these phones is worse than having no images at all. I’d rather have a map of Iraq and a picture of Geraldo than seeing this poor excuse for a slow internet connection. Sure, you can transport them in and out of remote areas easily. But the output sucks. Just plain sucks.
You know, during the 1991 Gulf War, I don’t recall hearing about soldiers getting right with God before going on the battlefield. But right before this war, soldiers are getting baptized. Maybe its a whole new world. Maybe there’s a greater chance of getting killed out there.
Brentwood Hills Church of Christ is part of an AP/CNN story.
Soldier Changes Name to “Optimus Prime,” heads to the Middle East.

“This is what we’ve waited for.
This is it boys, this is war.”
–Nena – “99 Red Balloons”

It appears war has begun. As I recall the Gulf War started on Wednesday night too….right before church. Now this appears to be deja vu all over again. My thoughts are with our troops and their families during this crucial time.
Helpful hint: In case CNN.com goes down due to too many hits, go to robots.cnn.com instead.
I wish I had more to say. I probably will later on….

“another day, another dollar, another war…”
-Jewel – “Who Will Save Your Soul”

MTV has, and always will be biased. The latest example comes from their 2 minute news brief I just saw. Pay attention to the bolded line:

“Hi, I�m John Norris with an MTV News brief.
A number of country western radio stations are boycotting the Dixie Chicks. This after the group�s lead singer, Natalie Maines, told a London audience she was ashamed that President Bush came from the Chick�s home state of Texas. KSCS FM in Dallas-Ft. Worth polled their audience and after over 93% said they didn�t agree with Natalie�s comment, they pulled the plug on all Dixie Chicks songs. KPLX also in Dallas-Ft. Worth followed suit as did stations in Houston, El Paso, North Pratt, Nebraska and Talladega, Alabama. At one Kansas City, Missouri station they held a �Dixie Chicken toss� party on Friday where people dumped the group�s tapes, CDs, and concert tickets into trash cans.
And these are people who presumably support the implementation of democracy and freedom of speech in Iraq.
Maines has since apologized for that comment and issued a statement saying:

“As a concerned American citizen, I apologize to President Bush because my remark was disrespectful. I feel that whoever holds that office should be treated with the utmost respect.”

However Maines reiterated her opposition to the war in Iraq.”

Yeah, John Norris is anti-war. You know it’s cool to be anti-war these days. It’s the happening thing. But next time, John, don’t bring your views into a news broadcast. What made mainstream news sources good? It was their lack of commentary, or bias in news reporting. Remember, in Iraq they don’t have fair and balanced news. It has state controlled media, where nothing bad is said against Saddam. The moment that News crosses the line in expressing opinion, it is no longer news, but an editorial. John should have said “Here is an MTV Editorial.”
Natalie said something stupid. She expressed her opinions knowing full well that many of her fans do not share her views. Fans are certainly free to dislike someone because of their views. Do you watch television shows which you don’t agree with? Is that a slam against free speech? Certainly not. Are the fans advocating the total destruction of all Chicks merchandise? Certainly not. They are just expressing their views by burning their tapes, CDs, and concert tickets.
And don’t get me started about MTV’s “Choose or Loose” broadcasts – an obvious front for a pro-Democrat party. Remember, they had a MTV Presidential ball when Clinton got elected in 1992. Did they have a Presidental ball when Bush got elected? Nope.