Comments on: A very public sense of loss http://www.britoutofwater.com/2009/09/02/a-very-public-sense-of-loss/ One man's struggle in a foreign land Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:51:10 -0500 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: fishwithoutbicycle http://www.britoutofwater.com/2009/09/02/a-very-public-sense-of-loss/comment-page-1/#comment-13694 fishwithoutbicycle Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:13:07 +0000 http://www.britoutofwater.com/?p=642#comment-13694 Hey Dylan, I completely hear you on this one. Yes it's all very sad, but does it really warrant blanket news coverage at the expense of other more important things that are no doubt happening in the world. I find CNN to be especially guilty of doing this and will dig up any old nobody for a comment. Tiresome!! Congrats on impending fatherhood by the way. Fish Hey Dylan, I completely hear you on this one. Yes it’s all very sad, but does it really warrant blanket news coverage at the expense of other more important things that are no doubt happening in the world. I find CNN to be especially guilty of doing this and will dig up any old nobody for a comment. Tiresome!!

Congrats on impending fatherhood by the way.
Fish

]]> By: Expat Mum http://www.britoutofwater.com/2009/09/02/a-very-public-sense-of-loss/comment-page-1/#comment-13515 Expat Mum Sun, 06 Sep 2009 17:40:12 +0000 http://www.britoutofwater.com/?p=642#comment-13515 Well, I wasn't here for the Kennedy coverage but I agree with you anyway. Look at the Michael Jackson stuff - I was horrified (yet watched) when they showed him in a body bag being lifted out of the ambulance. And in all cases, I wish the media would remember that there are other things going on around the world at the same time, possibly more important. Reducing them to a crawler on the bottom of the screen for 48 hours is ludicrous and crap journalism. Well, I wasn’t here for the Kennedy coverage but I agree with you anyway. Look at the Michael Jackson stuff – I was horrified (yet watched) when they showed him in a body bag being lifted out of the ambulance. And in all cases, I wish the media would remember that there are other things going on around the world at the same time, possibly more important. Reducing them to a crawler on the bottom of the screen for 48 hours is ludicrous and crap journalism.

]]> By: Brooklyn http://www.britoutofwater.com/2009/09/02/a-very-public-sense-of-loss/comment-page-1/#comment-13358 Brooklyn Fri, 04 Sep 2009 01:21:56 +0000 http://www.britoutofwater.com/?p=642#comment-13358 . .

]]> By: Alasdair http://www.britoutofwater.com/2009/09/02/a-very-public-sense-of-loss/comment-page-1/#comment-13355 Alasdair Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:59:44 +0000 http://www.britoutofwater.com/?p=642#comment-13355 Dylan - you have aroused my curiosity ... You say "To be fair, Kennedy did much more for the world than the People’s Princess, ..." - ummmm - can you, just off the top of your head, list 2 or three of the things that Senator kennedy did "for the world" ? I have been looking, but have yet to find 'em ... so, as I said, I'm curious ... I do know he was a major originator of the techniques of "The Politics of Personal Destruction" ... he fund-raised actively for the Irish Republican Army cause ... he and his car killed more people than radiation leaks from all of the US's nuclear power plants combined ... and the only people with who I have talked who actually knew him personally thought him to be fun to be around but wouldn't trust him at all ... (Now, I duck !) Dylan – you have aroused my curiosity …

You say “To be fair, Kennedy did much more for the world than the People’s Princess, …” – ummmm – can you, just off the top of your head, list 2 or three of the things that Senator kennedy did “for the world” ?

I have been looking, but have yet to find ‘em … so, as I said, I’m curious …

I do know he was a major originator of the techniques of “The Politics of Personal Destruction” … he fund-raised actively for the Irish Republican Army cause … he and his car killed more people than radiation leaks from all of the US’s nuclear power plants combined … and the only people with who I have talked who actually knew him personally thought him to be fun to be around but wouldn’t trust him at all …

(Now, I duck !)

]]> By: Brooklyn http://www.britoutofwater.com/2009/09/02/a-very-public-sense-of-loss/comment-page-1/#comment-13335 Brooklyn Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:10:04 +0000 http://www.britoutofwater.com/?p=642#comment-13335 "If I were Madonna, I’d be looking nervously over my shoulder the next time a guy comes to fix her cable box, I can tell you." "Interesting comparison. And yes, watch out Madonna!" Maybe Madonna made her respectful visit to the Western Wall (http://blog.beliefnet.com/windowsanddoors/ 2009/08/madonna-visits-holy-land-model.html) because she follows this blog, and took Dylan's warning seriously enough to cause her to seek Divine protection at a site said to provide a direct line of communication Upstairs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_wall#Prayer_at_the_Wall). “If I were Madonna, I’d be looking nervously over my shoulder the next time a guy comes to fix her cable box, I can tell you.”

“Interesting comparison. And yes, watch out Madonna!”

Maybe Madonna made her respectful visit to the Western Wall (http://blog.beliefnet.com/windowsanddoors/
2009/08/madonna-visits-holy-land-model.html) because she follows this blog, and took Dylan’s warning seriously enough to cause her to seek Divine protection at a site said to provide a direct line of communication Upstairs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_wall#Prayer_at_the_Wall).

]]> By: Iota http://www.britoutofwater.com/2009/09/02/a-very-public-sense-of-loss/comment-page-1/#comment-13328 Iota Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:18:18 +0000 http://www.britoutofwater.com/?p=642#comment-13328 Interesting comparison. And yes, watch out Madonna! Interesting comparison. And yes, watch out Madonna!

]]> By: Almost American http://www.britoutofwater.com/2009/09/02/a-very-public-sense-of-loss/comment-page-1/#comment-13301 Almost American Thu, 03 Sep 2009 01:08:22 +0000 http://www.britoutofwater.com/?p=642#comment-13301 One of my friends actually commented on the lack of ads during the coverage of Kennedy's funeral. I didn't watch much of it myself (though I listened to part of the service on the radio) so I can't comment on that. I did notice that the Kennedys kept it political to the last with one of the prayers being for the passage of a health care bill.("Lord hear our prayer!") Diana's death did hit me personally - but only because we were the same age and I was appalled that she would be so poorly 'minded' that an accident like that could have happened. Still, I was bemused by the over the top outpouring of grief in the UK. They were both flawed people (aren't we all though?!) but he lived longer, and I think was more driven to make up for past failings and the deaths of his brothers, so consequently managed to accomplish more. One of my friends actually commented on the lack of ads during the coverage of Kennedy’s funeral. I didn’t watch much of it myself (though I listened to part of the service on the radio) so I can’t comment on that.

I did notice that the Kennedys kept it political to the last with one of the prayers being for the passage of a health care bill.(“Lord hear our prayer!”)

Diana’s death did hit me personally – but only because we were the same age and I was appalled that she would be so poorly ‘minded’ that an accident like that could have happened. Still, I was bemused by the over the top outpouring of grief in the UK.

They were both flawed people (aren’t we all though?!) but he lived longer, and I think was more driven to make up for past failings and the deaths of his brothers, so consequently managed to accomplish more.

]]> By: Brooklyn http://www.britoutofwater.com/2009/09/02/a-very-public-sense-of-loss/comment-page-1/#comment-13299 Brooklyn Thu, 03 Sep 2009 00:43:41 +0000 http://www.britoutofwater.com/?p=642#comment-13299 Dylan: I share your wonderment, but then I view all such public enthusiasms with wonderment. I occasionally watch a sports match (boxing in the heyday of Muhammed Ali) or follow a series of sport matches, but only as entertainment with no more lasting impact than a good action movie. To me, as exciting as it was, the 1986 World Seriew was a great miniseries, and I was happy the good guys (to me) the Mets won, but either way, I wasn’t getting a World Series share and had to go to work the next day no matter who one the deciding game. The only really newsworthy aspect of Ted Kennedy’s death was its possible impact on US health care legislation. The wall-to-wall coverage of the Ted Kennedy funeral events is attributable to cable news networks' desire (need?) to fill broadcast time when there is no national election and the national debate on health care debate doesn’t produce “visuals” (with the exception of the “town hall” nutcase outbursts). Dylan:
I share your wonderment, but then I view all such public enthusiasms with wonderment.

I occasionally watch a sports match (boxing in the heyday of Muhammed Ali) or follow a series of sport matches, but only as entertainment with no more lasting impact than a good action movie. To me, as exciting as it was, the 1986 World Seriew was a great miniseries, and I was happy the good guys (to me) the Mets won, but either way, I wasn’t getting a World Series share and had to go to work the next day no matter who one the deciding game.

The only really newsworthy aspect of Ted Kennedy’s death was its possible impact on US health care legislation.

The wall-to-wall coverage of the Ted Kennedy funeral events is attributable to cable news networks’ desire (need?) to fill broadcast time when there is no national election and the national debate on health care debate doesn’t produce “visuals” (with the exception of the “town hall” nutcase outbursts).

]]> By: NFAH http://www.britoutofwater.com/2009/09/02/a-very-public-sense-of-loss/comment-page-1/#comment-13290 NFAH Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:27:56 +0000 http://www.britoutofwater.com/?p=642#comment-13290 You should have seen the recent madness over here with Jade Goody grief. Even stranger. You should have seen the recent madness over here with Jade Goody grief. Even stranger.

]]> By: Limey http://www.britoutofwater.com/2009/09/02/a-very-public-sense-of-loss/comment-page-1/#comment-13285 Limey Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:43:38 +0000 http://www.britoutofwater.com/?p=642#comment-13285 I was still in the UK when Diana died, but I remember being baffled by the devastation felt in America in particular. And people do ask me about it now and then and I never know what to say - it was a shame for the sons, but that's life. I don't want to be callous to people when they ask me about it, but I feel like saying, "Why do you care what I feel about it? And why do you care about it at all?" I was still in the UK when Diana died, but I remember being baffled by the devastation felt in America in particular. And people do ask me about it now and then and I never know what to say – it was a shame for the sons, but that’s life. I don’t want to be callous to people when they ask me about it, but I feel like saying, “Why do you care what I feel about it? And why do you care about it at all?”

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