New Poem: SCOTT PELLEY REQUIEM

 yes it was going to happen

 Black Thursday was the original cannonball 

 heads metaphorically removed

 change ordered for the appearance of change

 for the apparent pleasure of Skydancer Son of Oracle 

 (and I’m old enough to remember other newsmagazines 

 morphed  to more profitable true crime shows

 but CBS already has 48 Hours)

 so when Bari stayed away on purpose

 that Nick and Bari’s flunky could display

 copious amounts of hyper-thin skin

 the words YOU ARE TERMINATED FOR CAUSE

 were chiseled on the Black Rock walls

 later, we may see a few not worrying about job security 

 willing to sacrifice themselves, saying I Am Scott Pelley Too

New Poem:60 MINUTES RAMBLE

 where does it go now

 more begging for government permission 

 return to Mike Wallace investigations

 maybe if certain businesses aren’t touched 

 point counterpoint with Bari Weiss and Scott Pelley

 Jesse Watters as the new Andy Rooney

 go along get along comments by Anderson Cooper

 >

 as this is being written, I’m not reading about 

 any profiles in courage people quitting on principle 

 unless that happens after Bari’s referendum on feminism

When 60 MINUTES' Lesley Stahl met Pussy Riot.

Judging from the 60 MINUTES coverage of Russian punk protest band Pussy Riot,  the women are merely brave-but-blasphemous, profanity-spewing vandals getting a heavier-than-deserved punishment for their behavior.

Here's a commenter from the JEZEBEL website:
The reporter was such a condescending asshole. Here you have these WOMEN (not girls) risking their lives and freedom to make a political statement and she treats them like angsty teens.

Lesley Stahl's aghast, where-are-my-smelling-salts utterance of the word "pussy" spoke contemptuous volumes.

Even Lara Logan or Anderson Cooper or Scott Pelley (plus producers/writers/researchers) would have tuned in a more insightful segment.

Regarding Steven Spielberg during the run-up to LINCOLN's release.

Found this on Jeffrey Wells' HOLLYWOOD ELSEWHERE site's comments section (after a thread discussing Steven Spielberg being interviewed by Lesley Stahl on 60 MINUTES); it's a commenter named "cinefan" responding to a Wells remark (partially quoted):
"He's basically in love with the mystique of being a working journeyman -- a guy who loves to make movies in order to make more movies. He loves the joy of crafting more than the finality of art that comes from the heart. He is more enterprising than thoughtful or deep."
The funny thing is I agree with everything you say here but still love his films and him as a filmmaker. For me, he's simply a virtuoso filmmaker who makes entertaining and intelligent adult films (action and otherwise). No one has ever directed action sequences more elegantly or skillfully. If a Spielberg film lacks the philophical depth or complexity of, say, a Kubrick or Malick film, then so be it. Each filmmaker is unique and should not be denigrated based on the style of filmmaking he or she excels at.

60 MINUTES cheerleads for the war in Afghanistan.

Here's an excerpt from Matea Gold's article about the new season of CBS' 60 MINUTES in Sunday's LOS ANGELES TIMES Calendar section:
[Current executive producer Jeff Fager] said he plans to make Afghanistan a major focus on the program this season, eager to challenge the conventional wisdom that the public has tired of the war [my emphasis, not Ms. Gold's].

And to that end, last night's program led with General Stanley McChrystal doing his best Douglas MacArthur impersonation and croaking SURGE!!! SURGE!!! in an effort to manipulate President Obama into not appearing "weak" and giving McChrystal his extra mass of U.S. troops.

I was surprised that the lovely war-lover Lara Logan wasn't interviewing McChrystal. Instead the stenography task was handled by CBS national security correspondent David Martin.