I don't know about you all, folks, but I am personally sick of the "Happy News" format when it comes to serious news.

Maybe it's just the mood I'm in on Monday morning, but the "news babes" at CNN and the local happy news people on the local NBC affiliate talked about the large dust cloud heading for Florida as if it was just a weather phenomenon that would make the sunset "prettier."

Of course TV news people don't actually write their stories, they just post the Associated Press story on their Web sites.

An enormous, hazy cloud of dust from the Sahara Desert is blowing toward the southern United States, but meteorologists do not expect much effect beyond colorful sunsets.

The leading edge of the cloud - nearly the size of the continental United States - should move across Florida sometime from Monday through Wednesday.

"This is not going to be a tremendous event, but it will be kind of interesting," said Jim Lushine, a severe weather expert with the National Weather Service in Miami.

He said the dust could make sunrises and sunsets spectacular.

Of course if you read down in the story, you will see this.

If the dust is concentrated enough, it could create some problems for people with respiratory problems, said Ken Larson, a natural resource specialist with the Broward County Environmental Protection Department.

Duh. This is a serious air pollution event that should be treated as serious news, not a happy news event. The air pollution that hangs over Mobile also causes the sunsets to look prettier over Mobile Bay from Fairhope, but that is not something to celebrate or laugh about. Is it?

Also, don't try to use the Channel 13 Web Forum to post comments. It is just a joke and a sham to give viewers the false impression that anyone at the station cares about your views. I tried to login and post something today and ended up in an endless loop and was never able to post a comment.

The form for sending comments to them doesn't work either. I just got a bounced e-mail for news tips and the Web meister. Boycott these people or call them and harass them. Trying to get to them online is a waste of time.