John Paul a "rock star?" What about George, Ringo?

[Atman]

Seriously, what am I missing? I was a catholic as a kid. On odd weekends. On even weekends I went to Protestant church. Thus was the compromise my Boston Irish Catholic father made with my Berkshires WASPy mother (admittedly, the odd-even dictum might have more to do with my long-held interpretation of ancient memories at this point). So I wound up being nothing but confused. To compound matters, when the inevitable divorce came and we moved to be near an aunt, we began attending her Lutheran Church of the Resurrection. Christ. By high school I'd had enough. I grew up on Florida's "Space Coast" among literal rocket scientists and engineers, and watching rockets blasting off every week or so kind of gave science the edge in my mind.

Point being, partly because of my "genericized" religious upbringing (we made an attempt to re-join a community church after our first kid was born -- didn't last long), I've always viewed the Pope as purely symbolic. Yet, the talking heads are saying things like "he was a rock star" and "will youth follow a new Pope's teachings?" and I'm thinking, huh?, what did I miss? Do people really pay attention to what the Pope says? I'm serious about this...this is a guy elected by other guys to tell everybody else how to run their lives, and this pope has been an crotchety old fossil for as long as I can remember. ROCK STAR? He makes Kieth Richards look good! His Pope-mobiles make him look even more like a parody of himself, like a sketch from a comedy show.

Sorry for being so harsh while the man is on his death bed, but crikey! I guess my main issue is, once again, with the media. WHO THE HELL IS WRITING THIS CRAP THE TALKING HEADS ARE SPOUTING? Think about that! It is just some guy with a job, just like you and me. He commuted to Manhattan via subway or taxi, went to his office, had a morning staff meeting where some other guys decided what to tell us, then he wrote something for Bill Hemmer and Jack Cafferty to say. He even wrote in their break lines and intros and "natural" banter.

And then they stare into a camera and tell us that the 112 year old pope was a "rock star" to many, and that he was charismatic and charming...WHEN? What century? AAARRCGGGG!

Okay. Rant over. Back to your regularly scheduled DU.

NEW NBY Toon - "Passion Fruits"