Morning- or afternoon!- from here in Arlington, Virginia. We are entertaining, hosting a luncheon here in Big Pink. Accordingly, we won’t talk about the special election in New York to replace that Soros fellow. We will not mention the big Russian landing ship the Ukrainians put under water off a former piece of their country which is not now in Crimea. And the 800 staff at the Columbia Broadcasting System that got laid off.

The morning’s haul of news hardly reflects the simple joy of the Day Saint Valentine bequeathed us.

That last event reflects some of the change sweeping over everything. Catherine Herridge is one of the reporters who got laid off. We recall her prediction of a Black Swan event that could be coming in 2024. It is possible that what she was feeling was actually what was about to happen to her entire floor in the CBS headquarters building.

You don’t have to forgive us for not understanding the nature of these changes. Boomers like us were raised in a time when the three American networks had a unique hold on the information we used to determine foreign and domestic relations. Those from Michigan used to be smug about having access to the Canadian Broadcast Corporation and that pesky UHF channel that buzzed in black-and-white.

We can no longer be smug, and rely on the date to feeling a little sentimental for this day in February. The change intrudes in unexpected ways. The old structure of news dissemination- the one that included newspapers and CBS, NBC and ABC- is collapsing, since everyone can attune themselves to their own networks. The replacement of a century of broadcast communications is in progress, and the printed page that has sustained us since Gutenburg is collapsing under the weight of its own overhead.

Like this one.

Remember when ‘the news” came to the door, delivered by an actual human? The Washington Post used to be a touchstone for leaving the house in the morning here in your nation’s capital? It no longer is. We are hoping Catherine finds a new job, or enjoys the time off. We understand the preference for a Black Swan event to be limited to Channel 2 outlets across the land.

We will see how this goes. There seem to be some speed bumps in the road ahead, so there is reason to be alert and prepared for what Catherine predicted, whatever it is. In the meantime, we appreciate the blessings that have given us the company we keep and the land that we love.

Enjoy your version of this day in February- and savor the lives we have been privileged to share in this amazing spinning world!

Copyright 2024 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com