Keith Olbermann out of a job

I know, I know, I said that this year I wanted to focus on building ideas rather than commenting or criticizing others or events.  To an extent I have done some of that this year, and I still intend to get more done in that direction.  But this is too good to resist.

 Keith Olbermann's show on MSNBC is now officially, gone.  Keith Olbermann is now physically unemployed - he's been mentally unemployed for a while.  Okay, that's not nice - it's not nice to kick a guy when he's down.  That said, I'm currently still out of work myself, so it's okay for me to make fun of him - he's one of us, and we can make fun of our own.  Heaven help you if you aren't one of us and try to make fun of us.  That's just wrong.

But since I can...

-How is Keith Olbermann like an unemployed teacher?  Both have no class.

-Perhaps a job as a mime...

-Seriously, I've heard better babbling from a brook.

-I think we have finally reached an acceptable level of unemployment.

-Olbermann leaves his studio for the final time and takes a walk to reflect on his career options. He ends up in the countryside and comes across a shepherd with a large flock of sheep. He tells the shepherd, "I will bet you $100 against one of your sheep that I can tell you the exact number in this flock." The shepherd thinks it over; it's a big flock so he takes the bet. "973," says the man. The shepherd is pleased, because that is completely wrong.  There are only 57 sheep and the shepherd wins the bet. But then the shepherd feels bad for Olbermann because he looks so dejected. 

He tells Olbermann "I will let you have a chance to get even. Double or nothing that I can guess your exact occupation." Olbermann thinking he's already won because he's out of work, says sure. "You are unemployed now but you were a talking head for a liberal television network," says the shepherd. "Amazing!" responds Olbermann, "You are exactly right! But tell me, how did you figure it out?"

"Well," says the shepherd, "you got the details on my flock completely wrong - that means you're liberal.  You tried to take one of my sheep anyway, not realizing how wrong you were - that means you're a liberal journalist unconcerned with the actual facts that don't support your case.  I'm also pretty sure I saw you trying to calculate the methane emissions from my flock because your lips were moving."  "Okay," replied Olbermann "But how did you know I was out of work?" The shepherd replied "As you were approaching me I saw you quickly editing your resume to include your experience as a sheep - unemployed, liberal, journalist."

Now that MSNBC has hit the mute button (actually it's not quite clear if he quit or was asked to leave), is Olbermann looking for work now?  While it's hard to say, I can't see him not wanting to get into politics.  Remember when Chris Matthews, his MSNBC cohort, was mulling over running for the Senate? Perhaps Keith Olbermann thinks of himself as just that good. Perhaps he's already had those designs and this was a part of that plan. While I'm curious as to what his next move might be, I can definitely wait.  Having Olbermann off the air for a while will be a nice respite.

Meanwhile back at MSNBC the slightly more unlikable Ed Schultz will move into the top dog slot.  MSNBC has made itself marginally no different with this move.  That will surely help the abysmal ratings to stabilize.  Schultz's spot will apparently be taken over by Cenk Uygur of the Web-based progressive liberal show "The Young Turks". I'm left wondering when they'll find time to squeeze in a show for Alan Grayson.