Overreaction — Mold Wars – I understand Lt. Gov. Patty Judge’s concern about mold found in exterior water heater compartments on FEMA mobile homes. But there had to be a better way to handle this other than pulling out the homes and shaking up the lives of their occupants yet again.
Would it have at least been possible for the families to stay put until new units arrived? I’m just not sure the low-grade health threat warranted such a strong reaction.
Underreaction – U of I Assault Debacle – News flash for the brain trust at the University of Iowa Athletic department: there’s only one call to make when someone tells you they’ve been sexually assaulted, and that’s 911.
Overreaction — Obama World Tour — All three network anchors and a legion of reporters join Barack’s foreign “fact-finding” tour.
Underreaction — McCain Arrives in New Hampshire — From the Manchester Union-Leader:
In Manchester last night, there was just one reporter and one photographer waiting for McCain as his plane — a white, blue and gold Boeing 737-400 emblazoned with his campaign slogan, “Reform, Prosperity, Peace” — touched down on the Wiggins Airways tarmac.
The Vietnam War veteran limped as he made his way down the metal stairway, a leather briefcase in one hand and a cell phone in the other, and walked straight into an awaiting Chevy Suburban.
Overreaction — Newspapers are Dead — You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a commentator predicting the end of newspapers.
Underreaction – News for Sale – From the Las Vegas Sun:
Two cups of McDonald’s iced coffee (BUY!) sit on the Fox 5 TV news desk, a punch-you-in-the-face product placement (BUY!) to chase down your morning news.
They’ve been on the Las Vegas station set for about two weeks, following the lead of a few TV stations across the country, and they’re still looking every bit as frosty and tantalizing (BUY!) as they were the first day you laid your eyes on them.
But wait, here’s the best part: They’re not real. Fake coffee on the real news, two plastic cups permanently filled with some kind of bogus drink. The anchors aren’t even supposed to acknowledge them, McDonald’s reps explain. That’s part of their genius, my little lambs! They get into your mind without you knowing it. So they just sit there, two logo-emblazoned plastic cups, percolating into the psyche. Made-to-scale models that weigh something like seven pounds each – refreshing, and bottom-line boosting!
Fox is starting its day with a “nontraditional revenue source,” KVVU news director Adam P. Bradshaw says.
I’m now taking offers for prime product placements on my desk. It’s pretty messy, but for the right offer, I can make room.
