One of the things I do each morning (or whenever I finally wander onto the Information Superhighway) is glance through the news. I realize some of you are more advanced and efficient about this and get pertinent news fed to you. But somewhere along the line, I got in the habit of perusing headlines. I did this back when I read actual, physical, paper and ink, newspapers. I think it started when I had a paper route as a boy.
I use Goggle News. I realize there are a number of other ways to get news feeds, or headlines, or items of interest emailed to you but Google News works for me. You see, I made Google my home page a long time ago and, naturally, the News link caught my eye. The link brings me to a page full of headlines.
The purpose of headlines is to draw your attention, to intrigue you, to make you want to read the story. Some do, some don't. It's an art form, I would say, and not everyone is good at it.
One grabbed my attention right away this morning.
"Billionaires aren't as rich as they used to be"
It turned out to be a Houston Chronicle business section article that was actually titled:
"Wealth
The Rich Get Poorer"
Two things came to mind as I read the Google headline and then went to the article.
1. Was I supposed to feel sorry for the billionaires suffering in this bad economy?
2. How can someone who is rich get poorer? Wouldn't you have to be poor first in order to get more poor? It should be "The Rich Are Still Richer Than you"
I am fortunate enough to be in a position where this economic downturn will not hurt me badly. Not because I was clever and saw it coming. Not because I was smart enough to plan ahead years ago. No, like most of the good things that have happened to me in life, I lucked into this position.
But I am no billionaire. And I can't seem to work up much sympathy for people who have to consider buying a slightly smaller yacht this year.
I also can have Google News provide me with headlines from my little area. This is a nice little feature. We have four Google worthy stories. All are boring. So boring that the only one of note is:
"Sebring preparing for the future, one flush at a time"
The headline is about the most interesting part of the story. Unless you are interested in sewage plants... which I am not.
What I learn from a glance through the headlines this morning is:
That someone seems worried about what will happen to Bernie Madoff if/when he goes to prison. Yeah, that's a real concern. Still he's not a pedophile and we do try to protect them....
There's unrest in Pakistan. Now, that's a surprise, isn't it?
Remember the shoe-thrower in Iraq? He got three years in prison. I wonder if he's worried about his safety while in prison?
The space shuttle launch scheduled for this evening got scrubbed. This seems to happen often. I want to go see a shuttle launch and, since I live only a few hours away from Cape Kennedy, you'd think it would be easy. Nope, sure isn't. the least predictable thing in Florida after the weather is shuttle launches.
In sports, some teams won and some lost. High paid athletes continue to be highly paid, even in this poor economy. Ok, I am not real interested in sports news.
On the Health front, an 18 year study concluded that the air in Los Angeles could be hazardous to your health. I wonder how much that study cost?
Back to you, Chet.
[850/851]
A Night Unremembered
13 years ago
6 comments:
Every two weeks I put $400-odd dollars into retirement (half from me), and $170 gets seized from me for Social Security.
Barring another 4 or 5 "lost decades," I'll have money from one of those sources.
If Bernie Madoff deserves to be in jail, then so does most of the Imperial Federal Government.
Just my humble opinion.
Douglas,
I think you are right but maybe it is, for most people, the rich are less rich and you are more poor.
We were watching an interview with Geiorge Lucas once, the Star Wars george, and he said if you are rich you can still wake up in the morning and your car have a dead battery. Bad example. Hmm, to tak the Rolls or the Porsche, or have my mechanic look at the battery?
Dont uou love Madoff's Dickens kind of appropriate name. He made off with their money. Madoff. (Spelling?) Ah, I'm glad he is put away, the crook.
That shoe throwing guy will be a hero in an Iraqui prison. Wonder how George feels, if he thinks it is a harsh sentence?
I check out the incredible images from Hubble linked from you rblog and i am posting about them on Robot Nine tomorrow at 1PM with a link to you. Getting lots of traffic so I hpe some folks head your way!
Alan
Whenever I go places, I like to check out the local news, as it's always mildly interesting or so banal it's actually funny. Got the idea from Bill Bryson, who's writings I can happily recommend!
Steven - Assume there will be no SS when you would have been eligible and plan accordingly. It's really your only option. Madoff, well, he did intentionally commit fraud. The government gets a pass because it writes the rules.
Alan - The rich do suffer losses but they have a bigger cushion than the average person. The poor, in this country, won't really feel any impact. The poor already have their needs taken care of by the government. It is the average person who works hard, pays his own way, and tries to stay ahead of the curve... those are the ones who will suffer. Madoff going to jail will not put a dime back in anyone's pocket but he does deserve to pay a penalty and that loss of liberty is the only one we have available.
Jules - I do the same thing. When I've traveled, I tend to read local papers more than when I am at home. I love to read the Vegas papers when I am there. Some fascinating stuff. But, now, you can pretty much get local news from any town in the US (and many outside) through the internet.
Steven - Assume there will be no SS when you would have been eligible and plan accordingly. It's really your only option. Madoff, well, he did intentionally commit fraud. The government gets a pass because it writes the rules.
Alan - The rich do suffer losses but they have a bigger cushion than the average person. The poor, in this country, won't really feel any impact. The poor already have their needs taken care of by the government. It is the average person who works hard, pays his own way, and tries to stay ahead of the curve... those are the ones who will suffer. Madoff going to jail will not put a dime back in anyone's pocket but he does deserve to pay a penalty and that loss of liberty is the only one we have available.
Jules - I do the same thing. When I've traveled, I tend to read local papers more than when I am at home. I love to read the Vegas papers when I am there. Some fascinating stuff. But, now, you can pretty much get local news from any town in the US (and many outside) through the internet.
Every two weeks I put $400-odd dollars into retirement (half from me), and $170 gets seized from me for Social Security.
Barring another 4 or 5 "lost decades," I'll have money from one of those sources.
If Bernie Madoff deserves to be in jail, then so does most of the Imperial Federal Government.
Just my humble opinion.
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