Before the storm

It's hard to think of an event that might take the place of Holiday Hype in the media. One week before Christmas is prime time for all that. Every TV and newspaper ad is wrapped up with some kind of holiday connection (well, most of them I guess). Every cooking show has got holiday recipes. There are endless gift idea segments. Newspaper ads have our local car and appliance sales people with Santa hats on. This year I've seen vehicles with reindeer antlers hooked into the windows. Used to be just a wreath on the grill.

One of my least favorite scenes is when the local channels (they all do it) hype their news by wishing us all a happy holidays with the newscasters clad in a scarf and/or Christmas sweater. They usually pair a male and female together. Perfect hair, perfect teeth - perfect cliches.

OK, so I have time to absorb all this. I guess it's always been around but just not at this level of saturation. So what can top all this? I guess the Super Bowl, but that's not until February. Tiger Woods? I think that's already taking a back seat. The economy? It's not getting worse which is big news. Health Care? I'm sick of that. So what's left to lead the news??

The old standby is coming to town.. A good old snow storm. It's rumbling up the east coast and being treated like it's the second bombing of Pearl Harbor. It's the lead story on all news outlets. The video is all the same. They get those Weather Channel consultants to stand in snow drifts in Virginia holding a ruler in a drift. Locally you get the standard footage of the lines at Home Depot and those predictable interviews. Yes, buy batteries and shovels.. WHY, is this happening just hours before the storm hits..I've had the same snow shovel since 1977 and it works. AND, don't forget to stock up on bread and milk - yes, the old survival standbys. I was in the supermarket and it was starting to get picked clean.

The good news, they say, is it's hitting us on a weekend. I'm not sure that's best for me personally. As a professional time killer I'd be better entertained by seeing schools closed, commuter trains delayed (like they always were when I used them). Folks getting a free day off and sleigh riding while they should be working. That actually does bring back nice memories.

So let's see what happens as we are now hours from the first flakes. I'm going to follow up to this rant after things hit the fan. I will prepare for wall to wall TV coverage of snow amounts, plows scraping local roads and those once-primped newscasters standing on road sides.. uhhh, follow up on local coverage and doing a blog entry??? What could prevent that? Please oh Gods of the wind and trees don't let us lose power!!