Thunk.. thunk.. thunk..

That's the latest PYWGIT (prounced pewgit), for "pretty young white girl in trouble." The story is the TOP story on yahoo news right at this moment.

Nearly every single day, I get small postcards in my mail box with a picture of a kid that says "have you seen me?". Sometimes they are white, sometimes boys, sometimes black or hispanic kids. But there are a lot of them - a whole lot. These are kids that have just gone missing, and the media does not seem to give a whit about these kids, for whatever reason.

I'm sorry our current PYWGIT might have fallen victim to a cruel fate. I'm sorry she didn't get to live out her perfect life (assuming she's not okay). But, I just want to start beating on the editors who think that the story is more than a footnote on the back page of the paper, if that.

Go to just about any news web site right now and see if they report the number of American soldiers that died in Iraq yesterday. See if they report the number of dead Iraqis. How about the number of dead in Africa, from disease or starvation?

The PYWGIT story dominates the news every single day. It's dominating the online news. Why is that? Is it because the news organizations have to compete for advertising dollars, so they have to appeal to the interest of their viewers? If that's so, what is the interest of their viewers? People must be more interested in pretty young white girls than wars, or the economy, right? If that's true, then what is the basis of the viewers interest in pretty young white girls?

Connect the dots.. it's about sex.. and in this case, it's a nubile, pretty, young, blonde, highschool senior..

I am more convinced than ever that every single thing that happens in this world is related to sex and/or money.

Meanwhile, Americablog has posted the story of the Anglican church in Rwanda refusing financial assistance from the American Anglican church. Why? Because the American Anglican church has confirmed an openly gay bishop.

They would rather have people starving than take money from a church that doesn't hate.

However, as Rwandan Bishop John Rucyahana of the Diocese of Shyira put it, "if money is being used to disgrace the Gospel, then we don't need it.".... I applaud the actions of the African Anglican churches. No amount of silver is worth sacrificing your duty to your congregation and to God...

So what does that have to do with the latest PYWGIT? I mention it as a contrast. Why is the American media obsessed with the latest PYWGIT instead of stories affecting large numbers of people world wide?



Well, that's the answer, isn't it? Most people would rather have sex with the pretty young white girl than the starving black Africans.

CJR Daily has the story of the difference between the CNN we watch, and CNN international. Apparently the CNN international news is actually news.

And what we really need to remember is that the news that the media presents to the American public is MUCH different than the news that the rest of the world sees. You really have to dig to get to the real issues.

** update **

The current "most popular" news stories on yahoo news.

Most Viewed
Aruba Arrests 3 in Missing Student Case AP - 51 minutes ago
Tropical Storm Arlene Forms in Caribbean AP - 1 hour, 24 minutes ago
Hollywood unions reach deal with video game makers Reuters - Thu Jun 9, 7:36 AM ET
Possible Ice Volcano Found on Saturn Moon AP - Wed Jun 8, 9:47 PM ET
Culkin Pleads Guilty to Drug Charges AP - Wed Jun 8, 9:00 PM ET

** update 2 **

In other violence Wednesday:

• Gunmen killed two industry ministry officials in a drive-by shooting in the capital's New Baghdad neighborhood.

• One police officer was killed and six injured in clashes between Iraqi police and gunmen in northwest Baghdad after gunmen attacked a police car.

• In Mosul, police Col. Nashwan Hadi was killed in a drive-by-shooting near his home. The attackers then fired a rocket at his house, injuring five people — including two children.

• An officer was shot and killed in eastern Mosul.

• A car bomb in Baqouba, northeast of Baghdad, killed two people. Gunmen also killed Mustafa Ashraf, a translator at an American base.