h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

...so why is it on the news? I've made clear my disdain for football on another thread here, so I won't repeat myself. However, even if I did like 'the beautiful game', I wouldn't like it to take an almost equal billing with the politics, wars etc that shape our lives.

So - why?

(and Kate Winslet last week, why was that on the main bulletin on ITV?)

I know there is too much of it! Football that is. And why are celebrity weddings etc. more important than wars?Posh whatever is on the front page for having something pierced....Israelie bombings don't make the front page.
I'm with you on this one

"I'm with you on this one"

....not like the rest of the nonsense I spout? 8)

You could argue that people aren't interested in 'hard news' anymore - but what comes first - nonsense on the front page, or the apathy?

The apathy.

Although it's fashionable to argue that things like 'compassion fatigue' don't exist, there's only so many times you can read about Israelis and Palestinians killing each other without switching off. Nothing new seems to happen in these situations, and a news story of 'Everything's still the same' doesn't grab the attention; although people are still dying, it is in effect, not news. Thus, 'Ulster Catholics and Protestants each admit that the other side has some genuine grievances' would be the headline of the century, but 'Ulster Catholics and Protestants still hate each other' prompts the response of 'Yeah, yeah. Get back to me when something changes'.

Germany 1 England 5 reversed the trend of the last 35 years dramatically, and made the front page. Had Germany won, it would have just been on the back page as usual. It would be the same if we won the Ashes.

(With regard to Kate I would guess a)slow news day - we are still kind of in the silly season or b) dumbing down. Take your pick!)

..But perhaps not as important as people dieing from hunger,poverty,bombings etc.
Any one who has bought a copy of `the Sun` newspaper is guilty of the apathy that allows a supposed
instrument of information to masquerade under the serious title of newspaper instead of `comic` which would be
more accurate. News by definition is `previously unknown information`, hence NEWs. Old infomation is not news.
Newspapers are in the business of making money. They print what they think we want to read. If you all boycotted
the rubbish tabloids and only bought `real newspapers` maybe they would be forced to change.

The bad thing is newspapers no longer feel a responsibility. They used to bring actual news, and if people didn´t buy it then they went down. Today they just give people what they want, which is more gossip than news really.

The news today of the thousands of lives lost in New York and elsewhere rather puts this into perspective.I hope all the researchers in NY and elsewhere in the USA are safe.We are thinking about you and wishing the best possible outcome for you.

The atrocitys that occured in America today, I'm praying for the entire of the US (and the world). I was too upset about this to post on the other thread. Just think earlier this week it was a national tragerdy that Bob the Builder got to number one in the charts. I hope that a lot of people on h2g2 are praying today.

I started this thread fairly flippantly, but after today's events, I think I'd rather have a bulletin full of football news and celebrity gossip, than that.

I hope all everyone is okay, and I hope this isn't the start of something bigger. My fear is that the US will have to be seen to seek justice, and show the world what happens when you dare to harm them.

Nothing further to add. Nothing seems enough.

DG

What would I know. I'm a Wimbledon FC fan.

PP

That would be the Wimbledon in Buckinghamshire then.

That's the one. A complete and utter b*gg*r isn't it!

PP

Well I'm not a Wimbledon fan, but if the move does come off, it opens up the spectre of football clubs as franchises that can be moved around willy-nilly.

Anyway, what would the club be called. Surely Wimbledon would no longer be suitable. Could you face being called Milton Keynes United?

The arguement in favour of moving Wimbledon to MK is entirely fiinancial of course. Although in my view this is not a good thing, in many ways it differs very little from the practice of throwing loads of money at a team and buying success. Chelsea, Man Utd, etc have all bought success in this way. That is the way of modern football. Given that the genie is out of the bottle surely there can be no logical arguement against the Dons moving to MK. And Manchester United to Wembly Stadium.

I will remain (illogically) in favour of The Dons moving back to Plough Lane.

PP

If football isn´t important stop talking about it

What about the pacifier at the end of the news? Don´t the rest of you also find that quite annoying. After having heard all those horror stories, they give you a cute little story at the end to tell you the world isn´t such a bad place after all. So no reason for us to go out and change it.

Hey!

I didn't start this thread for you to discuss football.

Desist!

Ah, football! The great escape.
~ apologies to UCI ~