From Jake's blog -

On the off chance you noticed I haven't been around lately it's because I spent the last week in the hospital. Don't worry, I'm ok and haven't been in any pain (except for some of the tests they ran, especially the bone marrow aspiration, which I'll be glad to never do again)... it was just a complication from a medication I've been on for about 2-3 years to combat a disease I have called ulcerative colitis. I went to my doctor and got a blood test last Friday and ended up getting called to the ER the next day because the results said my platelet count was "dangerously low". I went in to my doc again last Monday and they decided it wasn't safe to send me home and .. 7 days later, here I am. I've never been hospitalized before, so everything was a new experience to me. I am SO lucky to have a great support system, both in terms of actual coverage and my family. My doctor is excellent and I'm confident I'll recover.

One of the things about being in the hospital was I didn't have Internet access but I did have TV. And a TON of time that needed passing. My roommate watched the news a lot, both local stuff and the cable networks. If you've read me before you know how I feel about TV news and ... well, I've had this rant brewing in my head all week and have been dying to get it out so here goes.