The Newspaper: A Sad Slow Death...

It is quite a sad sight watching the newspaper industry slowly decay and die. It's crazy to think that a medium that was so important and respected in the last century to be fading so quickly in this century. Yes now we have the internet and it's seemingly instantaneous and endless supply of news seems to be a great wonder. But, so often information found online is inaccurate or not a complete story. Those stories are often placed on pages with big headlines only to disappear just as quickly as it came. This ability to correct mistakes at a moments notice and leaving no trace of that gaffe seems to me like an environment for irresponsibility. Of course newspapers have made their share of errors in their long history (i.e. "Dewey Defeats Truman")but for a paper there is more at stake if they make an error because they can not simply erase it and move on. Their article becomes part of the public record and can't be simply wiped from the face of the earth because thousands of copies are everywhere. The newspaper's tangibility not only increases its incentive to be accurate but also allows the reader to better connect with the stories.

There is a certain connection between a story you hold in your hand than one that only lasts for moments on a computer screen. Being able to physically manipulate the pages and smell the ink turns reading the news into something more memorable and personal. Whereas reading the news online is much the same as playing a game online. It is easier to trivialize or depersonalize something found online, than in a newspaper. Because so much of what we experience on our computers is simply a game or some other form of entertainment. But the news is real things happening to real people and having something tangible helps us realize that fact.

Driving a Passion

Driving is one of my big passions in life. It offers a certain freedom to roam and explore wherever I am. This little bit of satisfaction to my wanderlust makes me wish I could drive forever, but recently this little thing called Global warming has really put a damper on my Zen like driving excursions. I get a little twinge in the back of my neck when I start to think about all the fuel I have used in the name of relaxation and my love of driving. This is a bit of a crossroads for people who like myself, love cars and driving but yet also have a little bit of environmentalist in them. Some may say "just buy a Prius". But these people don't get it. They don't understand what it means to be a car enthusiast, that driving is more than getting from A to B. It is an expression of freedom, and responsibility. The Prius may be a good thing for the world but it is lacking when it comes to expressing these things. You don't get the same amount of lovely engine noise as you accelerate out of a corner, the cabin does not feel like it was made to be driven in. Instead it feels like a washing machine or an oven. Perfectly good at what it does, maybe with some good features but it just is not exciting. Not that every car is exciting but the Prius just lacks something. Until a 'green' car is made for the car enthusiast I will continue to drive with that little bit of guilt in the back of my head.