The Lazy Media

I was watching my local news the other day and saw a story about college students on spring break. The story focused on binge drinking and how college students still drink excessively. This is news? Come on, this has been going since there was college, but every year the news folks drudge it up and try to pretend it is a "new" thing.

I saw a story the other night, that the Bush administration is creating "news" stories (whether this is right or not is a other story) and that local news stations are airing them unedited, as if they are actual news. Good grief Charlie Brown! Those news directors should be fired! Is the news now up for sale? If I have a piece on a subject I care about, then if I create a story on it and send it in, will the station air that as well? News is not for sale.

And finally, I do not want to hear the argument that the news media is simply giving the public what it wants. News is not about that, it's about telling the public what is should hear it, whether they like it or not. News should not pander to popular tastes.

It is because of things like this that I rarely watch my local news. I want to be informed when I watch the news and not feel like I have wasted my time.

The power of 'Free'

I was walking to work today and Tropicana was giving away orange juice. What struck me was the fact that people were lined up to get their free juice. Lining up! I can see grabbing one as you go by but standing in line on a chilly morning for orange juice. It's not like you can't just run into a store, put down you two bucks and walk out with one.

It amazes me how people act when things are free. Things they wouldn't want to pay for, now become "must haves" when someone is giving them away. Things that people don't want, are now desirable if some struggling actor is handing them out on the street corner. I have seen people get things and then say "I won't use it, but you know it was free so I decided to take one." Look folks, free does not equal valuable. If you don't want something you should not grab it just because it is being given away.

Also people seem to lose their sense of self-restraint with these giveaways. When Dannon was giving away some of their smoothies people were grabbing four or five at a time. I wanted to tell these people that it was a pretty good bet that if they really wanted more, they could probably find a store that was carrying them. But I guess things just don't taste the same once you have to but them.

Been a while

I have not posted anything for a couple of weeks which is the result of two things:

1) I have been sick and have not felt like posting anything.

Something has been going around the Chicago area and I got it. I have fel bad for the last two weeks. Fortunately, I think I am on the downside of it.

2) There has not been anything happening that I have felt compelled to comment on.

Which may shock some folks.

I hope to get back to some regular postings, not that anyone is reading this anyway.