A brother’s pride and joy

Credit: Artist – Jenny Armitage

One day, a man’s TV broke.  It was a nice high def TV that he had for only 6 years.  The original TV was about $1,800.  It wasn’t a top-of-the-line TV but it was very good quality.  He called the local shop where he bought it, and also called the manufacturer, both of whom said it couldn’t be fixed.  The man was upset, really upset.  This was just one more thing that had gone wrong; one more thing in a line of things that overwhelmed him.  At the time he bought this nice TV, he had the money to do so.  He no longer had resources that afforded him the luxury of buying luxury items when he wanted them.  He borrowed some money from a very good friend to buy a new TV.  Not exactly what he would have bought under different circumstances just something relatively affordable that he could afford to pay back to his friend over time.  It may seem strange to feel you need, or are entitled, to own a television.  For this man, after living a comfortable life for many years, now faced with staring at a broken TV that he couldn’t afford to replace, was a constant reminder of his failures.

At the same time, in another place, a much younger man had a brother who was recently married.  This young man didn’t have much money to buy his brother and new sister-in-law a wedding present.  He was a bit distraught and for several months was trying to figure out a way to give the newlyweds (but especially his brother) something nice; something that they could use; something they didn’t have and couldn’t afford to buy, something he could afford.  That’s a tall order to fill.  But this younger man was patient.

The older man who had the broken TV, and the younger man worked at the same company.  The older man, having back trouble, asked the younger man to help him carry his new TV up the many stairs to his apartment.  The younger man, always eager to help anyone in need, was quick to say yes, that he would be happy to help.  When the younger man brought the TV up the 39 stairs to the older man’s apartment, the younger man asked what was wrong with the broken TV.  The older man showed the younger man how the TV picture was all messed up, and told the younger man the story of the TV being irreparable.  The “experts” said that the problem was the “T-Com” board (whatever that means), and the manufacturer didn’t even sell those boards anymore, hence why it couldn’t be fixed.  The younger man mentioned that he liked to tinker with electronics and asked that if it was OK with the older man, he’d like to take the broken TV, if for no other reason than to take it apart and see how it worked.  The older man was wondering how he was going to get rid of the old TV so he was pleased that the younger man wanted to take it.

About a month later, the younger man arrived at work one day and asked to speak to the older man.  The younger man wanted to tell him about the old TV.  Surprise cast a shadow on the older man’s face.  What was he talking about?  The younger man said that he had struggled with the old TV for a while.  But, after a few attempts on Ebay he was able to find the right T-Com board for the TV.   The younger man was a very curious and tenacious person.  He liked to learn about electronics.  The first T-Com board he bid on and got on Ebay, was the wrong one.  It took him a long time to find another possible fit.  So he bid on, and won the bid for, another T-Com board.  When the younger man had first installed the second T-Com board into the TV, the picture was blinking and flashing and wavy – not viewable at all.  But after powering it off and back on a few times, the old TV came back to life and was working perfectly.  It seemed similar to adding new hardware to a PC.  You need to give the PC time to recognize the new hardware and make the proper adjustments.  The younger man then told the older man that he had a brother who was recently married.  The younger man had fretted, and worried, and was very frustrated that he didn’t have a “proper” gift for his brother.  The younger man loved and respected his older brother very much; it would be source of pride and accomplishment if he could figure out how to give his older brother a wedding present.  After fixing the old high def TV, he sneaked into his brother’s house one Sunday when he knew his brother and sister-in-law would be out.  He setup the new/old TV in his brother’s home.  His brother did not have a TV and couldn’t afford to buy one.  The younger man wrapped the remote control to the TV in a box and gave it to his brother when the brother returned home.  The younger man was so proud, and happy.  When the brother opened the box he said “what’s this” and the younger man said “go inside and look”.   The brother did and to the brother’s surprise, in his house was, to him, a brand new big flat screen TV.  The brother stared in awe, not even knowing how to thank the younger man, let alone figure out how the younger man had pulled this off.

The younger man had, against all odds, repaired the old TV given to him by the older man.  The younger man was so happy that he finally had a present for his brother.  And the younger man’s brother was happy that he received a gift that he wouldn’t have been able to afford on his own.  The brother had no idea how the younger man accomplished this.  The two brothers loved each other very much.  It was important for the younger man to have something of value to give to his somewhat older, married brother as a wedding present.

As for the older man,  at the time, buying a new TV seemed insurmountable and he was angry at the TV and the manufacturer; he was mad at himself and the world.  The older man had limited resources, but he did have a job and a way to pay back the price of the new TV he bought (thanks to a very generous friend).

But the older man was happy, too.  When the older man found out what had happened to his old TV – that is was miraculously fixed, and that it ended up in the possession of someone who could not afford such a nice TV, and given to him by a young man who wanted nothing more than to get his brother something for a wedding present, the older man’s anger over his TV situation seemed so small.  He let the anger go.  And he thanked the younger man for letting him know what had happened to his old TV.

The older man realized that sometimes, things do happen for a reason.  While the older man no longer had the resources to buy luxury items, he certainly had more options than the younger man, or the younger man’s brother.  So in perspective, the older man felt blessed.  He realized his petty wanting of material goods was all just so stupid.

The older man was me.

Epilogue:

It can be argued that nobody “needs” a television.  And I’ve heard many in the media (OK, right-wing TV and talk radio)  talk about poor people on government assistance who somehow have a flat screen TV.  Well, the bottom line, to me, is that first, you can’t buy anything other than a flat screen TV anymore.  And by flat screen I mean high-definition TV – that’s all there is.  All new TVs are high-definition flat screen, whether it’s cheap or expensive.  Have you seen a “picture tube” television in a store lately.  I doubt it.  Secondly, television is what most people use as their connection to the outside world.  Something as simple as the news, or the weather – you get that from your TV.  Even if you don’t have cable TV, you can still use a high-definition TV (known in the pedestrian world as a “flat screen”) with rabbit ears just like in the old days.  Television also provides basic entertainment regardless of whether you are rich or poor.  You can even have a TV without actual broadcast or cable stations – just a TV with a VCR or DVD player, and use that as your entertainment.

So television is an important part of people’s lives and of the American culture.  Not having one because you can’t afford one makes you feel like a failure as a human being.  Society has taught us that we are.

But, having said all of that, it’s not what this story is about.  This story is about counting your blessings.  It’s about realizing what you have, even when you might not realize you have it.  And it’s about the fact that no matter how badly you might feel or how much self-hatred you may feel over something big, or something small, there is always somebody out there with a story that is more significant than yours.  But mostly, it’s about the love between two brothers.  Brothers who don’t count their blessings in dollars, but rather in sense.  I don’t believe in something called god.  But I do believe that these two brothers have very good parents who taught them well.  I have been reminded, through this experience, about what’s important.  I hope you do, too.  I am happy that through a series of rather strange events, my old TV made its way to a happy couple, just married and starting their life together.  I picture them sitting in front of the big high-def TV at night, snuggled up, watching a movie together, enjoying each others’ company, and always thinking how cool it is that someone in their family gave them this beautiful TV.

On one final note:  I thought for a moment that I should have bought the TV back from the young man so he could buy his brother something new.  Then I realized that all the tinkering and trying, the sense of accomplishment and the laser focus on a single purpose, the joy of giving a gift that came from the heart – all of that would not have happened if I bought the TV back.  I would have robbed the younger man of his pride and of is joy.  It all worked out just as it should have.

Are Maine and Connecticut having a culture war?

Check out this blog post about a Portland, Maine TV station’s news broadcast

and what teleprompter-reader, Sharon Rose, had to say in her “unbiased” view of “people from Connecticut”.

The staion’s news director, Maureen O’Brien, didn’t handle it any better.

http://mainehdtv.blogspot.com/2011/11/sharon-rose-on-wcsh-6-is-second-rate.html

What is this “hoarding” bullsh*%

I’m tired enough of having to skip over reality shows.  I can’t believe the mindless, unintelligent, blather that TV viewers watch.  For the past 10 years we’ve been bombarded by fake “reality”.  Starting with “Survivor”.  Do you really care about these people?  Really?!

But the worst of these shows has to be “Hoarders” and all of the shows out now with the word “Hoarder” in it.  It’s quite pathetic actually.  When one network gets so many million viewers to watch a show about “hoarding”, other networks run like crazy people to the drawing board to do a show about “hoarding”.  Apparently, “hoarding” is IN this year.

While channel surfing, I listened to a “hoarding” woman cry because during her whole life, she wanted people to like her, and she wanted everything to be perfect hoping that people liked her. And this was the reason behind her hoarding.

When you want people to like you, you don’t have possums living in your spare bed room where you have old pizza boxes and crocheted toaster cozies piled to the rafters and you refer to these items as  “keepsakes”.

You have family members who refuse to visit you because they literally can’t walk into your house because of the shit (sometimes literally) they have to scrape through with their feet like you used to do with piles of leaves when you were a kid.  Except back them, the leaves weren’t toxic waste.

I’ve heard all of the excuses.  If your father was distant or even abusive; verbally, physically, or sexually, you don’t need to pick through your neighbors trash for old buttons.

I understand that these people need help.  But sending a team in to help them organize their 600 pairs of tube socks and an old fondue pot with the rotting cheese still in it,  doesn’t seem to be the way to go.  If you read the “notes” that flash on the screen during the show to give you updates and back stories, you will see that barely one or two of these people have made positive changes to their life after the show.

Instead of  the city health department evicting these people from their own homes because the home is not fit for human use, just send them to an inpatient facility, strip the house or apartment, burn what you can, boil what’s left or just torch it all.   They will either be well enough to appreciate that the mess is gone, or they won’t be cured and shouldn’t be released.  I put the word “hoarder” in quotes throughout this post because I don’t believe “hoarding” is a disease.  It’s a symptom.

I try to have compassion for my fellow humans, but I don’t buy this hoarding bullshit as some “syndrome” or “condition”.  These people are wing nuts!!  They are not qualified to make decisions about their lives, let alone make decisions about whether or not they should throw out that dirty cookie sheet you found under the dog bed.

Check yourselves in, people.  You need in-patient,  LONG-TERM, psychiatric care.  And you’ve got plenty of stuff, so pack heavy;  you’re going to be there a while.

Is that American Idol show still using up precious airwaves?

Is that show still on?  Does anybody watch it? 

I have not watched American Idol once all season.  Well, that’s not 100% true.  I accidentally channel surfed onto it a few times and couldn’t hit the MUTE button fast enough.  So I was forced to listen to a few milliseconds of “singing”.  And if you were standing here, as much as I HATE “aire quotes” – I would definitely raise my fingers and do air quotes when I said the word “singing”. 

NOBODY ON THIS YEAR’S AMERICAN IDOL ANY TALENT!.

Idol is supposed to be a talent show.  Barring that, and most of time the show is barring that, it is a popularity contest.  Well, without any real talent and without one single contestant on the show to give a shit about, why watch?

Last season, when Kris Allen won the crown, and Adam Lambert queened in second (is queened a verb?), I knew early on, when they picked the final 12 (or 13 as it turned out that season) that there was a lot of talent in the room, I knew Kris Allen would win, and I knew he would win because he can sing, and because he was as cute as a button!  Are buttons actually cute?  I need to stop speaking in bad idioms.

Lambert wasn’t going to win; he’s too gay.  I’m gay and he’s too gay for me.  I don’t want to watch him grab his own crotch or anyone else’s. And I don’t want to watch someone else grab his.  And why does every song Lambert sings sound the same.  This is how I describe every Lambert song:

“wait for it…..wait for it…..wait for it……THERE he’s screaming now, the song is almost done”.

So apparently American Idol is still on television – who knew.  I’m going to suggest that instead of watching this year’s finale, because who cares, really, that you watch “Modern Family” on HULU.COM.  It’s probably the best comedy on TV right now.  Funny as hell, not dirty or crude, just real, character driven, funny-line-deliverying comedy.

I recently sent a link to a friend that led her  to the Modern Family section on HULU.  She’s a bit “born again” shall we say, and anything even remotely off-color offends her (although I can’t argue with the fact that Miley Cyrus offends her).   She watched it last night and LOVED it.  We rehashed it this morning when she got to work.  Modern Family is truly one of those shows that you can’t help but talk about the next day, at work, or with your friends.  It’s that good.

Modern Family has everything that American Idol doesn’t have.  Talent, timing, personality, good material,  humor without bad taste, and a “Randy Jackson Free Zone”.  OK I made that last part up.

I mean it – Idol is passé.  It’s so last decade.

Superbowl abortion commercial

Apparently, some former “mass of tissue” is going to star in a TV commercial that speaks out against abortion.  This “mass of tissue” is glad his mommy didn’t have an abortion.  I’m not so sure.  I say, when in doubt, ABORT, ABORT ABORT.

I hate to break it to you son, but your Mom wasn’t strong, she was weak.  She gave in to her conscience.  Some may think “Hey, had this woman aborted her mass of tissue then the mass would not have grown up to become a football player”.  I say, “all this football player did was grow up and try to divide the country, culturally, on one of few days in a the year where the country comes together to watch a sporting event”. 

I don’t think the left wingers should be mad and I don’t think they should protest.  I think they should run their own ad on Superbowl Sunday with a picture of the “mass of tissue” and the copy should say “if you don’t have an abortion, this is what you’re going to get.”

Adam Lambert at the American Music Awards SUCKED, literally and figuratively

With all the hype worthy of a White Bronco chase, Adam Lambert’s performance at the American Music Awards last night was saved until the end, and when I say “end” in mean the bitter end.  And when I say “bitter end” I mean right after the last award was given out and right before the credits.  Since when does a nobody like Adam Lambert have the clout to close a show.  Was it because his performance was supposed to be THAT good?  Or was it because the producers were giving the viewing public the option to turn off the TV or change channels because the official awards portion of the show was done.  I am assuming it’s the latter.

From the leather and chains, to Lambert pushing and pulling scantily clad dancer boys around the stage with dog collars, to Lambert literally pushing one male dancer’s face into his crotch by grabbing the back of the dancer’s head as he thrusts his hips into the dancer’s face (pew!) to Lambert deep tounge-kissing the male drummer, (or was it a female – let’s go with she-male because I have no idea), the “performance” was like the bad sex-like shows I used to see in New York’s gay night clubs.  As a gay man I watched Adam Lambert with my hand over my face; fingers splayed out so I could “sort-of” see what was going on and then wince in pain, snapping my eyes shut like an oyster with newly found grain of sand. 

Not only was Lambert disgusting, he has absolutely, (and I mean none, nada, nope, nothing, no way) no sexual appeal whatsoever.  He looked uncomfortable, he acted like he was uncomfortable, and when the screaming crowd in the auditorium stopped “raising the roof” and clapping and cheering about 30 seconds in to his “performance”, even Lambert knew it was all over.

Speaking of screaming, with his usual “flare”, Adam Lambert robotically got through the song so he could get to the parts where he could scream like a hyena caught in a bear trap.  He’s not a singer, he’s a screamer (in more ways than one).  You can tell by watching him.  He was so bored with the regular parts of the song and was literally chomping at the bit to get to the “screamy parts”.  Did you hear that final note?  Or was it notes?  Even he didn’t know where to park that thing.  That last note was like watching grandpa trying to parallel-park a Winnebago.  He’s in the general area, but you have no idea where it’s going to finally land.  And when he lands it, it isn’t at all where it should be.

God, it was awful.  I read somewhere that Adam Lambert is being shoved down our throats by the media.  Well, he is being shoved down someone’s throat;  just ask the male dancer on stage last night.  I wanted Adam  to do well.  I wanted to like him.  I wanted to like his performance.  But I just can’t.  As an openly gay man who has no problem with objectifying  men, I think Adam Lambert is an abomination.  The sad part is, he’s got some raw talent there.  If he could just tap into it, we’d all be better off. 

Meanwhile the winner of American Idol, Kris Allen, was “allowed” to stand on stage for about 6 seconds to introduce somebody, or something, or some award.  I don’t even remember.  Kris Allen WON Idol, and he can sing.  But Kris Allen hasn’t been given the media attention that Lambert has gotten ever since Lambert “Yup, I’m gay” cover story.  Who cares?  Like it was a newsflash anyway.  It would have been WAY more surprising if he said, “Yes, I”m hetero” then I would have run out and bought that magazine, all the while screaming “WHAT?????????????”

One more thing:  Whitney Houston sucked, too.  She may have a new lease on life, but mabye she should have sub-let.

David Letterman: leave him alone.

The media is ready to pounce on David Letterman for using humor to explain to the public how someone tried to extort money from him.

David Letterman owned up to what he did.  This is more than I can say for most people who live public lives.  How many times have public figures denied, denied, denied, and then when the facts come to light and there is undeniable proof of their actions, THEN they admit to it and try to explain it away.

Letterman neither denied to tried to explain it away.  Above all, Letterman is a humorist.  You can NOT fault him for using humor during his explanation.  He didn’t give any excuses for his actions and he tried to be as honest as he could.

But the media is already crucifying him.  The morning talk shows are already saying how reprehensible David Letterman is for making a joke out of the whole thing.  That is NOT what he did.

He never said whether or not these affairs happened since he was married or not.  He did not force himself on these women, it was their choice to have sex with him.  The only thing he is guilty of is bad judgment.  Who among us hasn’t made some bad choices in life.  I can’t count mine on 2 hands and 2 feet.  Can you?

So before anyone points fingers at David Letterman, I suggest you take stock of your own life.  And I mean your whole life, not just the parts you choose to remember; and if you can say you’ve never made a bad choice, then you can have an opinion about David Letterman.  And even if you feel like you can have an opinion.  Keep it to yourself.  This is a matter for David Letterman and his family, not us.

He did his best to tell his side of the story before all of the conjecture.   This story was bound to go public because he had to testify before a Grand Jury so it is a matter of public record.  As a comedian, how else would he tell this story except to apologize to the women who had to admit now that they had sex with him.

 David Letterman is a human being.  And I believe that all humans are very much the same.  If you were being black-mailed for something you did, how would you feel, how would you handle it.  Don’t for one minute think that David Letterman is not embarrassed, humiliated, and hoping that he can just get through all this somehow with his life intact.  That’s exactly what I would be doing.

Mika Brzezinski hits new low on Grayson comments

What is worse than Mika Brzezinski using “Morning Joe” (weekday mornings on MSNBC) as a platform to pretend she’s a journalist?  Having to watch Mika Brzezinski pretend to be a journalist without Joe Scarborough there to put her in her place.  I watch “Morning Joe” for the guests.   It seems as if anyone involved with current events is a guest on that show.  Joe Scarborough pisses me off and co-host Mika Brzezinski annoys the hell out of me.  Yet still I watch.

This morning, Joe was not there again.  He had some surgery on his sinuses which can’t be pleasant, so I do wish him well.  But what his absence has left is a political talk show with only Mika Brzezinski to steer the ship.  Permanent guests Willie Geist and Mike Barnicle help, but Mika Brzezinski running the show? Oh man, what a week.

So today they were talking about Alan Grayson’s apology.  He didn’t apologize in the manner the Republicans wanted, but he did apologize to all the families and other loved ones of people who DIED as a result of not having health insurance.  He apologized for not getting the job done; the job being providing reasonable health insurance to all Americans.

Another semi-permanent guest, Pat Buchanan, weighed in.  Pat said something about how Alan Grayson was getting his 15 minutes of fame, and that he was the hottest thing going right now for the Democrats (see previous article on why that is).  Mika then asked the producer to put up the picture of Grayson again.  It was a picture of Grayson on the floor of Congress with his “charts” that say “Die Quickly”.  Mika actually said, while she was sort of laughing  (this is paraphrased but close enough) “So this is what’s considered HOT in the Democratic Party”.  She was taking
pot-shots at his appearance.  Alan Grayson was dressed nicely enough.  He appeared to be a bit portly and maybe didn’t belong on the cover of G.Q., but her best argument against him is that he’s not pretty enough?

For someone like Mika Brzezinski who talks almost everyday about how the media should have more decency, more integrity, and watch what they say, she comes out with a pot-shot against a politician because he isn’t skinny enough for her standards.

Well, Mika, I’m talking to you directly now and here’s my take.  First, take your own advice and keep the comments to yourself if they have nothing to do with the real story.  That’s what you preach.  Second, we all know that you are a runner and run 8 miles a day, every day.  You act as if a potato chip has never entered your virgin mouth (which bring me to a whole new topic on frigid women but that’s for another day).  Let’s face it, you are of Polish descent.  I don’t believe for one second that you haven’t gone to a family gathering where they are serving kielbasa and pierogies and you aren’t scarfing them down.  And third, I think you doth protest too much.  You are literally running a crusade against people who are overweight.  The reason you run your ass off everyday and preach about good eating habits is because you have such an inferiority complex, text book insecurity issues, and you live with the fear that other people will judge you in the same wat you judge others.

Making a comment about Alan Grayson’s looks, or appearance, is not right, not fair, not professional, and certainly not journalism.  You are not raising the journalism bar, your are doing the limbo right under it, and then claiming that other journalists aren’t up to your standards.  You are a hypocrite.

Celebrate Good Times, Come on! Brzezenski still missing from Joe

It is highly unusual to write a blog post about a topic when you just posted one about that same topic a few days ago.  But I just can’t say it enough.

MORNING JOE IS FUN AGAIN!!!!   And informative.  And most importantly, Watchable. Why?  Because Mika Brzezenski is on Vacation this week!!!!  No one word comments, no glazed over looks when guests use big words or talk about big ideas.  No pretending to understand what the topics are really about.  No judgement and eye-rolling at comments she disagrees with even though she has no idea what the topic really is.  It has been simply divine.

Joe Scarborough, Willie Geist, Mike Barnicle; talking news, politics, pop culture.  This week they talked freely and openly.  They were sometimes irreverent, sometimes serious, often funny, and didn’t have to waste precious time explaining things to Mika or defending their opinion to Mika.  It’s not as if the three co-hosts agree on everything and it’s not as if they all agree with the guests.  But when you don’t have Mika Brzezenski around to completely stop the natural flow of conversation with such pertinent interjections like “yes”, and “oh yeah” and “there are other opinions on that” (not that she has one or could verbalize one), Morning Joe becomes an insipid, unpalatable soup of words and opinions that makes no sense.

Dear MSNBC:  Thank and for the retooling of Morning Joe without that ridiculous co-host, Mika Brzezenski.  I know you tried, we all try sometimes, and fail.  It is a shame that a man with a brain, like Zbignew Brzezenski (whether or not you agree with him) can produce offspring that borders on mentally retarded.  She can read a teleprompter, I’ll give you that.  But if it is not written down for her to read, Mika has no independent thought.  But we forgive you.  You didn’t know.

So here’s the plan.  We tell Mika that the Morning Joe studios have been moved to the family room in her house.  And the show will now be all hers.  She can set up her own live camera feed (or ask for help, more than likely) and she can interview all of the people that appear on that box in the corner, you now, the one with the word “Sony” on it and it has a power button and other buttons that say “volume” and “channel”.  Tell her she got a promotion.  She is now the producer, director, and star of her own version of Morning Joe except Joe won’t stop by that often.  Unless you see him on the “Sony” box at which point you can feel free to speak to him and even interview him.  Now, he may act like he’s not answering your questions but that’s just Joe’s way.

She’ll buy it, trust me.  And then the rest of America who used to enjoy Morning Joe, and has done so again this week, can continue on in peace.  And she’ll be none the wiser.  Mika may even get nominated for an Internet award for funniest video outtakes for a web-only broadcast show.

I can’t wait until Monday; does anyone know if Mika took TWO weeks off?  Oh please, Oh please, Oh please.  If I were a religious man I would pray my heart out that Mika took an extended vacation.  But I”m not, so I have to rely on luck.

Morning Joe is finally palatable with Mika Brzezenski on Vacation

Morning Joe on MSNBC can be, and used to be, informative, funny, and opinionated.  Over the past several months the show has been hijacked by Mika Brzezenski’s righteous judgement of absolutely everything discussed on that show.  One of her daily “tasks” is to simply read the days top news stories at the top and bottom of every hour.  She can’t even get through that without rolling her eyes at something she’s reading from the teleprompter.  The holier-than-thou attitude she brings is annoying and is by no means funny or professional. 

Finally. Finally. Finally. Mika Brzezenski temporarily relinquished her position as Joe Scarborough’s lap dog for just a few days while she’s on vacation. As a result, Morning Joe is actually watchable this week (August 3 – 7, 2009).  Let’s enjoy it while we can.

It is not common for many news or commentary television programs to have an opening or parting “shot”.  Morning Joe often uses skyline pictures of major U.S. cities featured from live web cams around the country.  Is there really anything wrong with that?   I don’t think so.  But Brzezenski does.  It’s safe to say that almost 100% of the time when MSNBC airs one of these “scenery” shots, Brzezenski will say something like “OK enough, that’s just a waste of time” or “I don’t get it, what’s the big deal and how is that news”.  IT’S JUST AN OPENING SHOT YOU IDIOT!  Nobody said that a web cam shot of a sunrise over the White House is news.  But neither is your face; so why is that on TV?

This is just one example of the ridiculousness that passes for Mika’s journalistic talents. Do you think she knows she is just a foil for the rest of the bunch.  The producers only read emails from viewers when the emails contain commentary about what Mika is wearing or that she looks “hot” in her glasses.  Scarborough, Geist, and the rest of the gang of merry men often play her like a fiddle, making her feel important yet all the while making fun of her.  Does she know?  Is this all for entertainment value?  Or does she really think the show wouldn’t be the same without her.

I’m here to tell you that Morning Joe will do just fine without her.  And this week while she’s on vacation proves it.  The show moves along, is irreverent when necessary, and doesn’t take itself too seriously all the time.  They discuss current events, give their opinions and move on.  This week, the show has been easy to watch.  My suggestion to MSNBC and the Morning Joe producers is to reconsider whether or not they really need Brzezenski.   She is the reason most people watching are likely to change the channel.  When Scarborough takes a day off and Brzezenski runs the show, it is unwatchable.  I don’t even bother.  I don’t need to waste an hour of my day watching someone pretend to have independent thoughts and opinions.  And I certainly don’t need Brzezenski preaching to me the dangers of sugar in my coffee, obesity, fast food, reality television, celebrity gossip and any number of subject that “big sister” doesn’t think I should be exposed to – in her opinion – which she got from somewhere else.

 I hope you enjoy your time off, Mika, and with any luck, you’ll be able to enjoy more of that real soon.