Media Contexts

As I was walking around Lake Merritt, while listening to NPR, I heard two different dispatches, one that segwayd into the other? I will never attempt to discover the connection because there is none . Well there is; capitalism gone rogue; the media no longer being run by real journalists, but people who edit content as my mate clearly and wisely stated. So here goes. A tragic accident happened in China where 5  children died of carbon monoxide poisoning when the pile of trash they were digging through for food caught fire. At an auction, the cane that  Charlie Chaplin best known for his roles of the Tramp, used in many of his historic roles, fetched a  price of 60,000.00 dollars, considered to be on the high side of the bidding previsions. Oh I get it!!! Ahhhah..ah..ah...the children who died in the fire were the little Tramps of which Mr. Chaplin a life long socialist who was eventually thrown out of the USA and lived out the rest of his life in Swizerland. Sometimes it just takes getting up really early in the morning to put 2 and 2 together. Sad state of affairs that 100 years later, children are still dying of condition linked to extreme poverty, especially in a country such as China were that should not be happening. Oh yes, but it is. We only hear of the 200 million middle class and rich buying up all the Channel bags. What about the other what, 1,200 billion people. I would say that they are still living in abject poverty with no health care, no social security and all the safety nets we take for granted in the West and which so many people are working so hard at removing them from us!!!Life goes on...
Lake Merritt is beautiful though. I strongly suggest walking its 3.1 miles and enjoying the many beautiful gifts it holds forth, from the birds, to the collection of Bonsai trees to a cafe and other treats. Go and enjoy the mixture of people and nature.