Ho, Ho, Holy %$*(&

Poor Santa, or the people who pretend to be Santa. Just when you think you're doing good by bringing tidings of love and joy, you get shots fired into the fuselage of your modern day sleigh. Christmas supporters across the globe shake our fists at you, drug traffickers! Gosh, don't you know the jolly man when you see him? Er, even though he's in a helicopter?

Thank George and Ruth

She dashes across the yard, a bright yellow dot amid the fading greens and browns of the garden. Her heavy boots plod on the hardened ground as she bounces into this familiar terrain. Toothy grin and her favorite lonely blue shovel in hand, Mimi stops only when she's found the beginnings of her hole from the day before. She'd had barely enough time to begin what would be her greatest adventure to China, like Bugs Bunny she plans to go straight through the middle of the planet, when she had been called into the house for dinner. Intent on making significant progress today, Mimi sets her face in what she believes to be a stern look of determination; the closest imitation she can muster of the look her Grandmother gives when her Grandfather falls asleep in his easy chair watching television.

As Mimi carefully removes her fireman yellow rain coat, she catches a glimpse of her Grandfather ambling across the lawn to meet her.

"So. China. Do you need help getting there?"
"No." She replies, firm grimace in place.
"Are you sure?" He asks.
"Well, I think maybe I need some supplies. But the hole has to get bigger first."
"Can I dig a little? I've never been to China. I'd like to see."
Mimi crosses her arms and looks at her Grandfather thoughtfully.
"Are you going to bring supplies if you come?"
"Of course. I'll even bring the cookies Grandmomma is baking right now."
"Cookies?"
"With sprinkles." He nods.
"Okay. Only cause there are sprinkles." She says and hands him the shovel.

Together, they put on their most determined faces and begin their bitter toil against the earth to China. At least until the bell on the oven goes off.

Read all about it! ... Hrm, wait, maybe don't.

What makes for good, readable news?

There's the hard news, the "current events" that tell us how the rest of the world is fending off this political-issue, that economic-crisis, or some weather/climate induced disaster. Then, there's the "other news," perhaps what we'll refer to as the "lifestyle news." The odd bits of information that aren't shocking and mind-blowing, but they're relevant to certain groups based on their personal interests.

Stuff like how the entree is going extinct in modern dining (interesting to foodies and dining elitists), how a woman got 26 needles embedded in a her body (a personal favorite), or how the Writer's Guild of America West is still taking on LA's big studios (important to anyone who watches American television or sitcoms on a normal basis).

Any of those pieces, while interesting to me, have been critiqued for their frivolity. In fact, it was posited that I enjoy "pedantic" news. The implication being that I don't enjoy good news? So I've been considering it, what exactly makes for good news?

Is it all just subjective? Or is good news the well written news? You know, the pieces with the journalistic quality that make it worth reading? For instance, if Hemingway were alive and he popped out an Op-Ed column on drunk and disorderly conduct in America (a serious societal commentary piece), is that good news or just interesting news?

Is how widespread the effect of that news piece is what makes it important? Disasters in Southeast Asia that wipe out homes and businesses are more important than how Harvard is making financial aid more available, right? Or are they both of equal importance? They both change how people live, but one "significantly" more than the other. Is degrees of significance in overall impact on people's lives what makes the difference in what should be read and what shouldn't be read?

I'm honestly curious, so please, throw out your comments and thoughts (if anyone still reads this given my extended hiatus while traveling). I've opened up anonymous commentary too, so even if you don't have a google/blogger account feel free to respond.

In other upcoming blog updates, perhaps a Christmas story of some kind? Ho, ho, ho and all that jolliness, keep your internet stockings prepped for that little nugget of fun!