Shocker

Every once in a while, logging onto MSN.com can be a bit shocking. You navigate to the web page and see some shocking headline and you have to take a minute to re-read it to make sure that you've read it correctly.

Such was the case when I found out about that psychopath that kept his daughter locked in a basement in Austria for 24 years? Twenty-four years? I had to read that headline a few times to make sure that's really what it said.

Today, I visited the website, and was greeted with news of Tim Russert's death. I honestly read the thing a few times before I really grasped the reality of Russert's passing.

Now don't get me wrong, I didn't know Tim Russert personally or anything. Sometimes, though, a famous person's death strikes me as if I have experienced some sense of loss. I guess because Russert was so prolific in his appearances in this heated election season. (Can I really call it a "season'? Eon might be a more appropriate word.) It seemed like the guy was being featured on every single news-related broadcast on every media outlet.

And he seemed like a pretty nice guy. You know, an average Joe kind of person.

I think the irony in the whole thing is that Russert, who was known for his low-tech-ism, is now being instantaneously memorialized on the internet and on impossibly quickly compiled life retrospectives that could only have been done with the help of computers.

Already this evening, NBC resurrected Tom Brokaw (who I also really like and haven't been a devotee of any nightly network news since he retired) to host and hourlong special "a look back on Tim Russert's life."

Anyway, I kind of liked Russert, and I liked "Meet the Press" when I was around to watch it. The morning talk shows are going to have to find somebody else to come in and break down politics for the average person.

Oh well....RIP Russert.