1515 When Was Yesterday?

1515 When Was Yesterday?

Remember the phrase “that’s yesterday’s news”?  The modern internet era has put us all in a time warp.  There was no yesterday.  Everything is “now.”

Back in ancient times, maybe five or ten years ago, you’d learn the state of the world by turning the TV on at around dinnertime. Or you’d start your day with a bowl of cereal and the morning paper.

Our first journalistic attempt to erase time came with the advent of the “evening paper.”  But by the 1950s, there really never was such a thing.  Late afternoon or mid-day, maybe.  But not evening.  Where were the sports scores?  Where was the market closing?

Long ago, the wire services stopped using AM and PM cycles.  It’s all one cycle now.  Once a day with updates as they happen.

In any event, with the exception of a few remaining dinosaurs, the evening paper project failed.  Bowed to the 24 hour news cycle and the advent of CNN, all-news radio and its imitators.

So this rids us of the pesky old idea of “yesterday,” unless you’re a Beatles fan, in which case it merely limits it to periods ranging from two to four minutes, depending on which version you’re hearing.

Good thing the days have names, because along with yesterday, we’ve also lost “today,” “tonight” and “tomorrow.”

When they push “send” or “transmit” at the Associated Press, the pusher has no idea when someone will read the story.

Such a catastrophic loss should have aroused people or at least got them to notice something missing.  It did neither.  Chances are you never really pay attention to details like these.  And probably you shouldn’t.

As computerism at once makes the world smaller and its parts more isolated, the terms don’t really mean much anymore.

We’re not at the point yet where on, say, Monday, we arrange an appointment for Tuesday instead of “tomorrow.” But we’re getting there.

And there’s no such thing anymore as “yesterday’s news.”

Shrapnel:

--In case your tinfoil hat was out at the dry cleaner and you didn’t get the message telepathically, the serial retiree and grandfather of flying saucer radio programs, Art Bell is back on the air. Check your radio listings for times, stations and internet locations.  And wave hi as you pass near Area 51.

--As quarterly earnings reports roll in and one analyst after another is shown for the umpteenth time to be wrong in predicting, companies are thinking about automating that function.  Not only will it save them all those enormous salaries, but it can blame wrong predictions on computer glitches and/or hacking.

Grapeshot:

-Tronald Dump and Sick Rantorum/ one will rile ’em one’ll bore ‘em.

-Real estate magnate Mort Zuckerman’s New York Daily News has come out against real estate magnate Tronald Dump, but of course, business competition has nothing to do with it.

-Sorry to hear of the death of Theo Bikel, 91, folksinger, storyteller and actor who portrayed Baron von Trapp, Tevye and countless other heroes and villains on Broadway, on TV and in film.

I’m Wes Richards. My opinions are my own but you’re welcome to them. ®

Please address comments to wesrichards@gmail.com

© WJR 2015