Computer start times too long?

One of today's front page stories, was about how some people were complaining about the 3-5 minute boot time for their computers. People demand that companies should start making fast booting computers... Now don't get me wrong I don't just sit there for 3 minutes looking at it boot. I'd do something else like some of the people in the article said they do. Whether it is brush teeth, use the bathroom, what ever. But it is definitely not something to complain about. I just feel it is ridiculous how impatient society has become. Everything needs to be quick, with instant satisfaction. Cell phones, texting, emails, the internet high speed, faster cars, everything needs to get quicker and quicker. Which I feel is a good thing... if the technology is there use it. But the impatience is ridiculous... People can't live without instant gratification, 3 minutes for the computer to boot up is not the end of the world to make the front page of the paper!

Way too many garage sales...

One of the front page stories today in the New York Times was about the limiting of garage sales to some households to 3 a year. Many people are desperately selling items in their households for dirt cheap prices to pay the bills. The story mentions a family's selling their child's tricycle for $3, while the child was still riding it! Although, in my opinion that seems a little exaggerated... the imagery of desperation for these people seem to be having is sad. I sympathize with all those who are struggling, and I've also been seeing many people around where I live have garage sales. In this time of a financial crisis, it seems as though the government is just trying to make it harder to pay the bills as it is.

Story gets a 5 for proximity... I see these garage sales every weekend. (well except for this one... I didn't go out today... I'm a loser."

This story also gets a 5 for currency.

As for titillating and sensationalism, and uniqueness, it's about a 1... it isn't too interesting nor special... the story is just reporting on one of the ways families are struggling to pay the bills in this time of crisis.

Silencing a Journalist

I feel that politics have not place in journalism, I know we all feel this way too. Unfortunately that is not the case. In Afghanistan a 23 year old journalism student wrote about Islam and woman's rights. Somewhere along the way he puts down the prophet Muhammad. Pressure from militia and political leaders which he also criticized, led to the panel of judges to sentence him to death. Afghanistan's freedom of speech isn't as abundant as it is here in the United States. However, it was overturned, but he was still sentenced to 20 years... This is still sad though... that a journalist cannot print and distribute what he wants to say, because of a ideology that limits any kind of defamatory remarks towards their beliefs. I'm grateful we live in a country that gives us the freedom of speech and press, and not having to worry about getting arrested.

Susan G Komen for the cure!

I came across an article a little while ago about breast cancer and pregnant women, that pregnant women are more likely to suffer from breast cancer, because some women overlook the fact that there are lumps in their chest. When pregnant it is natural for a woman's breast to be tender, so statistically most women don't report it until about 12-16 months after birth. I'm glad that there are so many things being done to support the Susan G Komen cause. Never in my life have I seen so much support for breast cancer awareness. I saw many people wearing the shirts, pink empire state building, the whole block where bloomingdales is in the city was all pink in honor of it, pink nike swooshes on baseball player gloves, pink nintendo DS, pink HP laptop from bestbuy... and many other various things. It is great to see a cause getting so much recognition, that kind of stuff is always pretty cool in my opinion.

I want to become rich!

Investors are saying that right now it's time to invest in some stocks... they're at dirt cheap prices and... history shows that... stocks pretty much rubber band back up. Now there are concerns that this time stocks may not see themselves coming back, I believe and some experts are saying that this is the perfect time to buy and that they will come back up. G. Kenneth Heebner, a mutual fund manager, says that the stocks are falling not, because of any statistical or rational reason, but because people are panicking and overselling. That is one of the reasons why he believes the stocks will come back up. David P. Stowell, a former managing director from JP Morgan Chase, says that a few years from now people are going to look back and say that this was a total value-buying opportunity. So, with that all said, I think I want to buy some stocks... some extra money in my pocket would be nice.

Wind Energy

"The wind is free. There's energy here all the time", says a poor tribal official Ken Haukaas. However, their lack of financial abundance may turn around. The reliable winds in Rosebud, South Dakota may become a great inheritance to the tribes that inhabit the plains. The natural, free, and constant energy source is just what America should be investing their time and focus on, as the outlook for oil is not promising. Not to mention oils being incredibly costly. The booming wind-industry is something that the Energy Department has invested in with nearly $450,000 invested in wind farms to be built on the Rosebud reservation. Hopefully this project, and many of this sort come through, as our reliance on foreign oils, or oils in general, seems like a dead end.

Suicide is always selfish and cowardly

Karthik Rajaram killed himself and his family on Monday October 6th, because (based on suicide notes left behind) he had "broken down emotionally, physically and financially." This man killed his 3 sons, who seem as though their lives had bright futures. One of the sons had a full scholarship at UCLA! Rajaram's act was nothing, but a selfish act that probably made him feel as though he was running away from his problems. That's fine... for him to run away from his problems, if he saw fit that killing himself was his only escape from his problems, great whatever... but why kill your family too? What a selfish act a person can do. This sort of thing is always confusing and frustrating to fathom. It reminds me of the double-murder suicide by professional wrestler Chris Benoit a little over a year ago. Both were selfish acts, and both seemed very out of the blue, based on what close friends and family say.

For newsworthy value... I feel as though the proximity gets a 1, why does this story get a spot in the NEW YORK Times... if it happened in Los Angeles... probably the titallizing macabre interest people have in stories like these.