News Worth

The media is really making an effort to piss me off recently.

I give you Quebec's new provincial law that winter tires are now required on all automobiles registered in the province, from December 15 onwards throughout the winter. Don't get me started on this recent particular cluster-fuck.

Back to the media.

Last week, we had a nice dump of snow, freezing rain and all around general crap befalling us from the heavens. I wake up to hear on the radio that there have been multitudinous car crashes and “sorties de route” – loosely translated as haplessly falling off the road. This occurs every year, like clockwork, the first few times it snows.

Everyone is subject to it, no matter how careful, because the physics of car control literally changes overnight, sure as it it goes for me too! Eight months of driving with one set of rules goes to pot in minutes when the roads slick up. Ok, no news there.

But now let us put two and two near each other shall we?
- Impending new law coming into effect?
- Winter weather happening right now?
- Winter tires is a word of the day?

It would seem to me that the very, very, very first issue that any reporter worth their salt would elucidate for us: were the cars involved in the crashes already shod with winter wear, or not?

I look all over for the data, the modicum of empirical evidence, an article somewhere on the subject. The sheer curiosity is killing me!

And, well…

Nothing.

Not word one.

For the love of Pete!

Now I give you multi-page articles, nay tens of multi-page articles, on some guy named Avery dissing his old girlfriends and fellow hockey players. I think “sloppy seconds” were the words used. Obviously this guy has a chip on his shoulder regarding his ex’s.

I mean seriously.

Like I give a shit that a guy, no matter how infamous he may be, would bad-mouth his former squeezes? JHC on a popsicle stick, tell me who the hell doesn’t have a few choice words for their ex’s?!?

Maybe his former lovers can put the summer tires back on his rig and get him into real trouble!

… oh no, wait, he’s in Dallas.

PS. I am NOT giving you any link to what’s-his-face. Look it up yourself, he’s all over the sad-assed waste of resources we euphemistically call “the news”!