Two legends died. One was the epitome of class and trust who got off the stage at the top of his game so people would always remember him at his peak and not as his skills and reputation declined. The other was Michael Jackson.

Perhaps had Walter Cronkite decided to stick around and get weirder and weirder then maybe we would’ve paid half as much attention to his death at the age of 93 than we did to Jackson’s. Perhaps if Walter Cronkite admitted to sharing his bed with thirteen-year-old boys and dangled a baby over a balcony, it would’ve been him in the gold casket as Mariah Carey sang while doing that stupid thing with her hand that just screams, “Hey, look at me – I’m a SINGER!” Perhaps if Walter Cronkite had an over-inflated ego and thought himself to be a real “prince,” Nancy Pelosi would be commenting on whether or not Congress was considering a resolution honoring him.

But Walter Cronkite didn’t do any of that. He simply presented the news and left it up to us to form our own opinions. According to legend, the term “news anchor” was coined to describe Cronkite’s role covering the 1952 Democratic and Republican conventions. During one of his most famous moments – his astute commentary on the state of the war in Vietnam and the Tet Offensive – he hesitated to offer his own views on it on the air, for he did not think that was the role of the anchor. It was after much coaxing by his bosses at CBS News that he finally agreed to offer commentary. Yet he refused to do it on his CBS Evening News – he did it at the end of a CBS documentary entitled Report from Vietnam. “It seems now more certain than ever,” Cronkite said that night, “that the bloody experience in Vietnam is to end in a stalemate.” He then continued: “To say that we are closer to victory today is to believe, in the face of the evidence, the optimists who have been wrong in the past.” Instead of closing with his customary “And that’s the way it is,” he merely said “Good night.” Many historians believe that Cronkite’s report on Vietnam was, at the very least, partly responsible for shifting public opinion on the war. Legend has it that President Lyndon Johnson watched the report and said at the end, “That’s it. If I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost middle America.” It was a watershed moment for the country – just like Joe McCarthy was for the man who brought Cronkite to CBS, Edward R. Murrow.

Today, in the 24-hour news cycle, networks seem to prefer being first rather than being right. So you can imagine how some of these so-called “journalists” of today would react to watching the famous footage of Cronkite announcing President John F. Kennedy’s death – over a half-an-hour after doctors pronounced JFK dead. Cronkite wanted it confirmed and confirmed again before he was going to bring the nation the gravest news it had heard since the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Nowadays, we don’t even know where to draw the line between entertainment and news – it’s been combined into a whole new genre described as “infotainment.” And nowhere has that been more evident than in all of the hoopla over the death of Michael Jackson. If Cronkite was considered “the most trusted man in America” then Michael Jackson had to be one of the least trusted. Yes, the man changed the face of music and pop culture forever. Yes, he holds the record for best selling album ever. And yes, he was one of the most amazing singers ever – just listen to “ABC” (my favorite MJ era) and remind yourself that the person singing lead vocals hadn’t even reached puberty yet.

But will he be remembered for that or will he be remembered paying millions of dollars to make child molestation charges disappear (and I do need to mention that Jackson faced a jury and was subsequently acquitted)? Will he be remembered as the guy whose face came to resemble a hunk of Silly Putty left in the sun for too long? Even his memorial service was a gaudy, self-indulgent affair – his body was placed in a gold casket, for God’s sake! And on top of that, the city of Los Angeles – a city in dire financial straits, as is the rest of California – is footing the nearly $4 million bill. By contrast, Walter Cronkite’s memorial service was a somber, dignified affair befitting of the man to whom it was paying tribute. And yet there was no round-the-clock coverage (“This just in – Michael Jackson is still dead!”), none of the networks cut away for the service and I can guarantee you that “Uncle Walter” was not laid out in a gold casket. So which one garnered more attention? If that doesn’t tell you about the state of the news media today, then I don’t know what does. And that, sadly, is the way it is. —Ron Motta

At weddings these days, it isn’t enough for the bridal couple to plot out a perfect first dance with dips and twirls. Now, the whole wedding party has to get into the act, as evidenced by the hottest video on YouTube, where the bridal party boogied down the aisle (including a spectacular somersault from the groom).

All I have to say, is where are the ladies finding a whole group of friends ready to step up to the challenge? I know that my husband and all of his groomsmen would have boycotted the wedding if there was a choreographed dance involved. —Lisa Milbrand

I think luxury is situational. Let’s be clear: I can Ritz-Carlton-it with the best of them. I deeply appreciate in the wonders of mega-thread-count sheets, Michelin-starred meals, diving-pool-sized bathtubs and spa treatments using exotic ingredients. But sometimes, luxury is something else entirely—something exactly like what I discovered during my Adventure Island Week at Long Caye, on Glover’s Reef in Belize.

Amenities you won’t find at this eco-resort: Private baths with flushing toilets (guests share composting toilets; I’ll post more on that sometime), a fancy spa, or a daily linen change. Amenities you will: Seclusion (the private island resort only offers spaces for 32 guests), private thatch-roofed cabanas right on the beach, Caribbean waters that put Corona ads to shame, and the chance to learn watersports like sea kayaking, surf kayaking, windsurfing, and paddle-boarding (all included) from staff who are having as much fun as you are. Not to mention the nightly treat of watching the sun go down, cocktail-filled coconut in hand.

It was a perfect version of summer camp for grown ups, right down to the home-baked cookies every afternoon. And I felt pretty darn indulged throughout. What’s not luxury about that? — Jennifer Dennis

Did you miss last night’s special 20/20, Over a Barrel? Charlie Gibson investigated the oil industry, uncovering some unsavory speculating that led to our $4 a gallon prices last year, and the sad truth that our country uses much more oil than India and China combined—way more than we should, based on our total population.

One of the ways we do use a lot of gasoline, according to Barbara Kingsolver, in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, most of the price we’re paying for the food we eat is for shipping it from halfway around the world. So I’ve started making the commitment to shopping more at our local farmer’s market—so not only are we eating better, fresher, tastier food, but we’re cutting back on our carbon footprint, and trying to help cut back on the amount of oil we’re using.

Want to do the same thing? Check out Local Harvest, where you can find nearby farmers, farmer’s markets, co-ops and other places where you can eat good and eat local. —Lisa Milbrand

Earlier this month, Pamplona, Spain held its annual Running of the Bulls – you know, where they let loose a bunch of really angry and ticked off bulls in the streets as they chase a bunch of guys who feel the need to prove how brave – or how stupid – they really are. While bull running might might not be your speed, may I suggest waiting around for the next “Running of the Urinals” at the Preakness Stakes horse race in Maryland? The only thing you’ll be sacrificing is your dignity. As a wise scholar once said, “Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son.” —Ron Motta