9:46 p.m. - 2005-01-20
fox news alert
OK, so just now, as I was reading www.televisionwithoutpity.com the EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM was activated. Not just one of those drills. This was the real thing. The screen was blue and it said THE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM HAS BEEN ACTIVATED...beeep....beeep. Oh my gosh. This has never happened before! It's always a drill! What are we supposed to do?! I woke my dad up. Then, as quickly as it happened, the tv station went right back to the freaking presidential inauguration. What the hell? I have wondered my entire life what would really happen if it was the real deal. I imagined some grim-faced anchor person coming on and informing us of the worst. New of death and destruction. Instructions to get to the basement with a flash light, canned goods and three days worth of drinking water.
But nothing happened. It went straight back to George and Laura dancing at some ball. Ummm. Hello. Where are my instructions??? It always says on the drill that IF THIS HAD BEEN AN ACTUAL EMERGENCY the warning signal would be FOLLOWED BY INSTRUCTIONS. Here I am. Awaiting instructions like a good citizen. And we're back to the president twirling Laura around in all her sparkly fake smile glory.
Today, the day was spent arguing with my father about the president, the war in Iraq and the protestors at the parade. OK, fine, protest whatever you're against. I don't think it does much good, bu tat least it's something. And I have no problem putting a damper on all this silly pomp and circumstance. But at least send some articulate people up to the mike to say something interesting and at least make up some good chants if you're going to do something as un-classy as chanting. "Hey-Hey, Ho-Ho; President Bush has got to go!" is...well...lame. As were the other chants.
Also, all day the event has been listed across the bottom of the screen "FOX NEWS ALERT." I mean, ok, I know it only happens every four years, but do they consider leap year to be worthy of a FOX NEWS ALERT? We don't so much need to be "alerted" about it. What I want to be alerted about is that freaking Emergency Weather thing. There's probably a Tsunami on the way, but they're forcing me to watch this special dance first.
Here's a FOX News Alert for you: I made popcorn tonight and it is YUM.
