The list for September 17, 1997
NOTE FROM CHRIS:
Vacation Report From Italy (Last in a series)

September 17: I’m entering the home stretch of my vacation in Italy.
My single favorite moment of the entire vacation: Before the Awards Ceremony on the closing night of the Venice Film Festival, I saw an extremely arrogant, snotty-looking
young Italian film studio executive-type, with the requisite beautiful model on his arm, walk right through a large pile of something left behind by the horse of a mounted
policeman, ruining his $500 shoes and leaving him smelling like *Hollywood* film studio executives for the remainder of the evening.
— Arrivederci! Chris

The Top 15 Indications It’s A Slow News Day

  1. Big story on child labor focuses on the sweatshop environment of the lemonade stand.

  2. Weather reporter shows footage of clouds shaped remarkably like bunnies.

  3. Katie Couric takes a long lunch and seven bodies turn up in the dumpsters behind Rockefeller Center. Coincidence? I think not.

  4. Peter Jennings manages to make a balloon poodle on-air after only six tries.

  5. “This just in – Goobers and Raisinets are actually BOTH chocolate-covered treats AND mighty good to eat.”

  6. Barbara Walters and Mike Wallace exchange false teeth and read the news in their best Beavis and Butt-head voices.

  7. “Let’s see what our extended 100-day forecast looks like…”

  8. Tom Brokaw opens with: “Let me tell you about my grandchildren!”

  9. Tonight’s feature story: “Nothing Brings a Family Together Like a Turtle.”

  10. I-team bursts into Dunkin’ Donuts to expose police “Cruller Corruption.”

  11. Ted Koppel investigates Sam Donaldson’s bad haircut.

  12. Daily on-air blood quota met by staging an Ultimate Fighting contest between the weather guy and the traffic reporter.

  13. Only thing on the front page is a giant Family Circus.

  14. You’re Dan Rather, and you’re wearing a halter top.
And the Number 1 Indication It’s A Slow News Day…

  1. For the last hour and a half on CNN, it’s been nothing but Bernie Shaw, his comb, and some tissue paper.
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CREDITS
Selected from 90 submissions from 35 contributors.
Today’s list authors were:

  • Jason Anderson, Birmingham, AL — 1, 8 (3rd #1)
  • Laura A. Hyatt, Albuquerque, NM — 2 (Rookie!)
  • Jim Rosenberg, Greensboro, NC — 2
  • Bill Muse, Seattle, WA — 3
  • David Kass, Brooklyn, NY — 4
  • Hank Weilevy, Fairless Hills, PA — 5, 10
  • Peg Warner, Derry, NH — 6
  • Steve Hurd, San Ramon, CA — 7, 9
  • Wade Kwon, Birmingham, AL — 9
  • Paul Paternoster, Redwood City, CA — 11
  • Jeff Scherer, Brooklyn, NY — 12
  • Caroline Gennity, Virginia Beach, VA — 13
  • Martell Stroup, Reno, NV — 14
  • David W. James, Los Angeles, CA — 15
  • Jose J. Bartolomei, Ann Arbor, MI — Topic
  • Lev L. Spiro, Los Angeles, CA — Banner Tag
  • Huey Lewis, San Francisco, CA — Ambience
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