All the News That's Fit to Miss

Oh, fortuitous circumstance, Lord!

The newspapers today are focusing on the Department of Public Services's concern about the financial health of Entergy's proposed spinoff, Enexus, and totally ignoring a better, "if it bleeds it leads" opportunity for drawing in readers.

A contractor tried to bring a handgun into Entergy's Indian Point plant in Buchanan, NY.

Yes, Enexus "would have to borrow in excess of $4.5 billion and would in effect have negative equity...." Yes, "Enexus would be below investment grade." (That's Stephen Wark I'm quoting, the Department of Public Services' Director of Consumer and Public Affairs. The quote is in this morning's Brattleboro Reformer.) And Stephen is also right when he says, "[This] places the proposed corporation at substantial market risk and calls into question the amount of funds on hand to meet unanticipated capital expenditures."

But the average reader doesn't like to read about "unanticipated capital expenditures." The average reader skips right over headlines about corporate finances. They don't believe they're smart enough to understand such matters.

Everyone, on the other hand, reads gun stories.

What were those editors possibly thinking? Don't they worry about selling newspapers anymore?

Thanks for letting me celebrate, God.

Fake-Rob

PS: (Note to self: Continue policy of no Entergy donations to after-school math programs. In the long run, math phobias serve us well.)