Another Rainy Weekend.....

I wonder, dear Mortals, if it's worth speculating on the state of our society in the early summer of 2006 when I mention that today, The Jerry Springer Show, that basket case/psychological-case-history-just-waiting-to-happen, unleashes its 3000th Episode upon the world. I daresay Jerry's loyal senior sidekick/security chief, Steve, will have his hands full keeping old and new guests in line; even so, there is to be, I must own, a sizable preponderance of shouting and gnashing of teeth as we look back on the catfights, the insults, and of course, all those controversies over who slept with whom, who had a threesome with what, and all the rest of it.

I'm not sure that your Dragonmaster is the right sort of person to make these kinds of assessments, my friends, but the point is that ours is a society where even the wildest entertainments can get you either fired, suspended, or worse, forgotten. As ever, I am effectively sticking my neck out in saying this, but:

Say what you will about Howard Stern, but I believe that he saw the writing on the wall. At a time when the FCC was at its angriest, and, it must be admitted, at its most controversial, Howard Stern knew that terrestrial radio, as we now know it these days, was dying a slow, painful death --- and not even Stern's own raunchy attitude could prevent, let alone deny, that. If you ask me, Howard Stern teaming up with Sirius Satellite Radio was probably the best damn thing that ever happened to the entertainment community. And why would that be? I hear you asking.

In a word, ESCAPE.

Howard Stern realized that, if he were to bring his fans his show his way, he must flee the horrors wrought by terrestrial radio. I say we should be grateful that he even made that decision at all. As for Jerry Springer, whether he too will escape into the greater, raunchier, uncensored cosmos that is pay-per-view --- all of that is unknown. For now.

Suffice it to say, entertainment is a dangerous, sometimes cruel world that is not to be journeyed lightly. Those of you who regularly follow American Idol and Survivor should well be aware of this by now. Oh, call me a bump on a log all you bloomin' want; it's gonna rain all weekend, and since I'm going to be wearing civilian garb for most of this weekend, I figured I'd fall into meaning-of-life mode for a while. Wizards are like that at times, y'know.

Master Blackwolf