A Few Brief Thoughts

I'm still thinking about my next blog topic/rant. Here are responses to a couple of today's headlines:

Octogenarian Nabbed in Prostitution Ring - LINDENWOLD, N.J. - "Police made a surprising discovery when they busted the alleged madam of a prostitution ring called "August Playmates": The woman running the show was an 80-year-old grandmother."

I really do not know what to make of this. It's funny. Who would have suspected an eighty-year-old granny of pimping out prostitutes? At the same time it's unfortunate considering the woman ran this business to "subsidize her Social Security checks". Social Security isn't what it used to be. Senior citizens cannot live off it alone, which forces them to turn to other options to make ends meet. I can't even imagine what it will be like for me in fifty years when I retire. I might as well start saving now - as if I do not have enough things to save for.

Two Charged in Aruba Missing Teen Case - ORANJESTAD, Aruba - "Two men were charged Sunday in connection with the disappearance last week of an Alabama teenager who was visiting the island with classmates to celebrate their high school graduation, Aruba's attorney general said. Authorities on the Dutch Caribbean island also requested a special diving team from the FBI because of rough currents in some areas, said Attorney General Caren Janssen."

Apparently people last saw the girl leaving a bar with locals guys in the middle of the night. Do people not use common sense anymore? Going someplace in the dark with strangers is practically begging to be kidnapped, raped, killed, etc. I doubt this girl is still alive.

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Anyway, I stayed up until one or two o' clock in the morning today tapping away on my keyboard. I was actually coming up with some pretty good ideas - not for a story, but for a travelogue I want to start. I first considered becoming a travel writer back in 2003 on my first trip to Poland. As usual, I put off making an amateur effort until last night when I decided to type up some notes on places I visited. I honestly did not write enough in my journal these past two summers, which I regret because most of what I know is coming from memory. Too bad I can't go back to Europe until next summer. Bah!

Working at a bookstore has made me more conscious about how much the media has an influence on people. I always knew that, but I never really took the time to actually reflect on it. Take Oprah for instance. Almost twenty years after she first hit the airwaves, Oprah Winfrey is a multi-millionaire who graces the television screens of women around the world. Watching her show is like watching the circus. Fans give her a shrieking standing ovation for five minutes while she coyly tries to quiet them down, and then she gives a spiel about what is ahead on the hour long show. Whether it is a makeover, making one lucky person’s dream come true, or a celebrity interview, audience members, as well as American women between the ages of 18 and 100, tune in with utter fascination at what the female mogul has in store.

You’re probably asking what my point is. There is no doubt that this woman is a cult leader. The title possesses a negative connotation, but it’s true. Oprah spotlights a book on her show, and for the next few weeks, books fly off the shelves faster than water over Niagara Falls. She encourages viewers to buy the book, and those people make the trip to the store to buy the title regardless of whether or not they looked it over. They buy the book because Oprah told them to buy it and that apparently means it’s good. The woman is smart; there is no doubt about that. She knows how to make money, and who doesn’t admire such a skill? Hell, I would love to be in her shoes. I just can’t help but be annoyed with her smug attitude and the lame silliness she displays to get a few laughs. She laughs, everyone laughs. She cries, everyone cries. I highly doubt that woman is humble in real life. People tell Oprah she is great, wonderful, etc. every day. Once somebody becomes wealthy and/or gains a little power people kiss their ass and it goes to their head.

If more people read my blog, chances are that someone would probably send an opposing message to say that Oprah has changed so many lives in a positive way, blah blah, blah. Yeah, and so do many other people around the world who do not get the recognition they deserve. She is just one of millions who just happens to get a whole lot more publicity. Oprah deserves no more respect or special treatment than the average person working for the Peace Corp. Why should she?