Fresh: Breaking news

First entry in a month-long challenge.

The image is staged to represent the horror of the 24-hour news cycle. Ever the contrarian, I offer this interpretation of the challenge topic, Fresh.

Extra, extra, read all about it, fresh off the press.

The computer screen shows today's Top News items in Google News, excluding only the first which was about politics, where most of the news is manufactured anyway.

I am not a fan of conceptual art. You can see why--this ain't the finest moment in the history of photography. I hope to mollify you with the poem that was the original inspiration for this blip. I wrote it 10 years ago, but it seems even more appropriate (fresh?) today.

And how about that Tiger Woods! ;-)

"All the News, All the Time"

There really isn't that much news
not really
after they tell us again what they told us yesterday
in case we weren't listening all the time
and after they tell us
what they promise to tell us tomorrow
pleading "Stay with us"
so we'll be sure to tune in

after that there's nothing left to tell
except what happened today
and that ain't much
once you get past "Kitten Rescued from Tree" and
"Sports Hero Denies Drug Charges" and
"Big Kid / Corporation / Country
Bullies Small Kid / Corporation / Country"

so they fill the time with speculation
on what the news will be
when it's finally news
and all the talking heads
who live in the same Rolodex
phone in to answer unanswerable questions like

"Will interest rates go up or down or stay the same?" and
"How will the Supreme Court decide
when they decide
or will they decide not to decide?" and
"How about that Tiger Woods!"
which is the way they like to ask a question
so it sounds more like a conversation

and after all these opinions
no one ever says
"Well, you sure got that wrong on yesterday's news"
though that at least
would be news.