Everyone complains that journalists sentimentalize news stories. However, news networks still have good ratings and everyone still watches the news. Knowing that what they see should be taken with a grain of salt, viewers continue to encourage sentimentalized reporting.
Think about the alternative: People stop watching news networks that demonstrate bias. Instead they opt for new coverage that is fair and controls for misrepresentation and other socio-cultural errors. These news stories would be less engaging and people would stop watching.
This accounts for why people continue to watch highly biased networks (well the news network of your choice that best fits your own news outlook) and still complain that the media is unfair and weighted.
Circular logic at its best. - wanting the best of both worlds...
Ever wonder?
Monday, February 22, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Time Speeds up with Age
We have all heard parents claim that lives pass them by quickly and that their children grow up quickly. We also recount at the end of a high school or college how quickly time has passed by.
We also remember that when we used to be kids and our parents promised us 10 more minutes, those 10 minutes seemed like forever. Now, 10 minutes is 1/4 of the time it takes to get ready in the morning...
Now it could be that we were so self absorbed as kids that we didn't know that the 10 minutes our parents promised us was really 30 minutes. but I have a different theory:
I think that it has to do with our relationship with time. Therefore, when we are 4, a year is 1/4 of our lives! That is a very long time. Similarly, when one is 16, 4 years of high school is 1/4 of our life.
However, when you are in college at 20, those 4 years now become 1/5 of your life. Then when you are 32 and you have a 4 year old who grew up so quickly, it only took 1/8 of your life.
The point is: as time goes on, your points of reference continue to expand. Long periods of time seem shorter and life seems to pass by quicker.
That is my theory. Thoughts?
We also remember that when we used to be kids and our parents promised us 10 more minutes, those 10 minutes seemed like forever. Now, 10 minutes is 1/4 of the time it takes to get ready in the morning...
Now it could be that we were so self absorbed as kids that we didn't know that the 10 minutes our parents promised us was really 30 minutes. but I have a different theory:
I think that it has to do with our relationship with time. Therefore, when we are 4, a year is 1/4 of our lives! That is a very long time. Similarly, when one is 16, 4 years of high school is 1/4 of our life.
However, when you are in college at 20, those 4 years now become 1/5 of your life. Then when you are 32 and you have a 4 year old who grew up so quickly, it only took 1/8 of your life.
The point is: as time goes on, your points of reference continue to expand. Long periods of time seem shorter and life seems to pass by quicker.
That is my theory. Thoughts?
Friday, February 5, 2010
Hiccups
Take the moment to think about hiccups.
Its pretty strange that our diaphragm twitches as often as it does for long periods of time, while other twitches that we have only last a few seconds.
what makes it different than other muscles?
I am betting that it probably has to do with the fact that breathing is both involuntary and voluntary. I don't know why I think that, but I wouldn't be suprised if those two factors have something to do with it.
Why do we get hiccups more often than any other twitch?
Its pretty strange that our diaphragm twitches as often as it does for long periods of time, while other twitches that we have only last a few seconds.
what makes it different than other muscles?
I am betting that it probably has to do with the fact that breathing is both involuntary and voluntary. I don't know why I think that, but I wouldn't be suprised if those two factors have something to do with it.
Why do we get hiccups more often than any other twitch?
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Text Messages are not IMs
Perhaps this experience has happened to you:
You get the simple text: "Hey, what's up?" Now, you obviously respond: "nm, whats up?" but you really want to say: "Thanks for wasting a text."
Then they respond: "I have a qusetion for you"
OK, two texts in, and still you don't have any information.
Then they ask the question, you respond, and then they have a follow up, so you respond again. Then they thank you.
They have sent you five, you have sent four back and you are now 9 text messages shorter than you were before.
I think that this happens because of IM technology. People become use to the ease of sending a gazillion messages a second on a computer and they translate those tendencies into phone texts. The fact that they have unlimited text messages doesn't help either.
Still, there is a much more efficient way. If you want a conversation, just call. If you can't call, then don't have a conversation. Ask the question and use all 160 characters, get the response and then be merry. If you need a follow up then that is OK. But 4 is much better than 10.
Since text messages are still new, the etiquette for their use is still under construction. Hopefully, by the end of the decade, we will have figured it out.
What other technological ettiquette are we still constructing?
Think about it!
You get the simple text: "Hey, what's up?" Now, you obviously respond: "nm, whats up?" but you really want to say: "Thanks for wasting a text."
Then they respond: "I have a qusetion for you"
OK, two texts in, and still you don't have any information.
Then they ask the question, you respond, and then they have a follow up, so you respond again. Then they thank you.
They have sent you five, you have sent four back and you are now 9 text messages shorter than you were before.
I think that this happens because of IM technology. People become use to the ease of sending a gazillion messages a second on a computer and they translate those tendencies into phone texts. The fact that they have unlimited text messages doesn't help either.
Still, there is a much more efficient way. If you want a conversation, just call. If you can't call, then don't have a conversation. Ask the question and use all 160 characters, get the response and then be merry. If you need a follow up then that is OK. But 4 is much better than 10.
Since text messages are still new, the etiquette for their use is still under construction. Hopefully, by the end of the decade, we will have figured it out.
What other technological ettiquette are we still constructing?
Think about it!
Monday, January 25, 2010
The Poke
Ever think about the Facebook Poke? From an objective standpoint, what is the point? It is alike a perpetual ping pong game. It loses its meaning and the poke continues just for the sake of pride and continuation.
At first the poke is a little fun gesture. but it never ends. And then people are poking for a month and it is habitual. And then over the years you lose touch with the other person and you are still poking them.
WHY?
At first the poke is a little fun gesture. but it never ends. And then people are poking for a month and it is habitual. And then over the years you lose touch with the other person and you are still poking them.
WHY?
Monday, January 11, 2010
Computers From the Past
Think about all the components of the computer that have lost their significance and meaning over time.
The Keyboard
- Think about the Escape key. Escape. Now that is a word that makes you feel stuck in a program and you need to close the program. Today however, we use that key to do very little. Besides ESCAPING from a full screen video, I never use that key.
- What about the function keys. F4 and F5 I used often, but the other 10? Nope never never.
- The insert Key. Please. When do I ever type and want insert on. Whereas the escape key can sit there and not cause problems, the insert key is a pain all around. When that key is accidentally pressed, your essay or blog post will never be the same as it used to be...
-Scroll Lock?!?!
The Mouse
- Now that the mouse has scroll wheels, why include scroll bar buttons on the sides of windows? OK, so some people might not have them, and sometimes the wheels arn't accurate, but it still makes you think how redundant some features of computers are.
Other Things
- Why is the save icon a floppy disc. I bet there are people who don't even know what those are. At least printers still look like printers.
- Do you have any other thoughts?
The Keyboard
- Think about the Escape key. Escape. Now that is a word that makes you feel stuck in a program and you need to close the program. Today however, we use that key to do very little. Besides ESCAPING from a full screen video, I never use that key.
- What about the function keys. F4 and F5 I used often, but the other 10? Nope never never.
- The insert Key. Please. When do I ever type and want insert on. Whereas the escape key can sit there and not cause problems, the insert key is a pain all around. When that key is accidentally pressed, your essay or blog post will never be the same as it used to be...
-Scroll Lock?!?!
The Mouse
- Now that the mouse has scroll wheels, why include scroll bar buttons on the sides of windows? OK, so some people might not have them, and sometimes the wheels arn't accurate, but it still makes you think how redundant some features of computers are.
Other Things
- Why is the save icon a floppy disc. I bet there are people who don't even know what those are. At least printers still look like printers.
- Do you have any other thoughts?
Sunday, October 25, 2009
The Apeal of Riddles
While I know riddles aren't for everyone, what is it about riddles that is appealing to the rest of us?
Self Competition
Is it that we challenge ourselves to solve the puzzle part of us thinking we can't and another part thinking we can? Perhaps our egos are large enough, or positive enough, to think that we can do it even if that means it will take a long while?
Satisfaction
Maybe its that we want to be able to pat ourselves on the back for a job well done. There was no obvious easy solution and after hard work, our thinking paid off. Similar to doing jigsaw puzzles: the only objective is to make sense of a lot of chaos and in the end you can step back and be glad that its over and that you saw yourself through the thick of things.
Know it All
I suppose some people like to just know the answer to everything. If there is a way to know something, some people will go out of their way to get that knowledge. Perhaps some part of us riddle lovers is that the answer is right around the corner, we just have to go and get it.
Future Reference
What good is a riddle if you can't gloat about solving it. Not only to the person who told you the riddle, but also the next person you plan to tell it to. A riddle is more fun when you remember it and can gloat about having solved it when you tell it to someone else. The thrill of solving a riddle is not over when it is solved, but exists when others try to solve it.
Something up your Sleeve?
Maybe riddles are fun when you know a bunch of them, and are able to tell them to others. Part of a party trick perhaps. You can keep people busy at a boring dinner, or entertained at an airport. Perhaps the fun in riddles is that it is better than thinking about nothing.
Self Proof
I think people also like to solve riddles because it proves to themselves that they can solve problems. Knowing that there is a logical answer to the problem, people want to demonstrate independence and show that they are able to figure things out correctly on their own.
What is it about riddles that keeps some of us so entertained? Conversely, why do people not like riddles?
Think about it.
----------------
P.S. : What are the next three letters in this pattern: o-t-t-f-f-s-s-e-n-t-e-t-t?
Self Competition
Is it that we challenge ourselves to solve the puzzle part of us thinking we can't and another part thinking we can? Perhaps our egos are large enough, or positive enough, to think that we can do it even if that means it will take a long while?
Satisfaction
Maybe its that we want to be able to pat ourselves on the back for a job well done. There was no obvious easy solution and after hard work, our thinking paid off. Similar to doing jigsaw puzzles: the only objective is to make sense of a lot of chaos and in the end you can step back and be glad that its over and that you saw yourself through the thick of things.
Know it All
I suppose some people like to just know the answer to everything. If there is a way to know something, some people will go out of their way to get that knowledge. Perhaps some part of us riddle lovers is that the answer is right around the corner, we just have to go and get it.
Future Reference
What good is a riddle if you can't gloat about solving it. Not only to the person who told you the riddle, but also the next person you plan to tell it to. A riddle is more fun when you remember it and can gloat about having solved it when you tell it to someone else. The thrill of solving a riddle is not over when it is solved, but exists when others try to solve it.
Something up your Sleeve?
Maybe riddles are fun when you know a bunch of them, and are able to tell them to others. Part of a party trick perhaps. You can keep people busy at a boring dinner, or entertained at an airport. Perhaps the fun in riddles is that it is better than thinking about nothing.
Self Proof
I think people also like to solve riddles because it proves to themselves that they can solve problems. Knowing that there is a logical answer to the problem, people want to demonstrate independence and show that they are able to figure things out correctly on their own.
What is it about riddles that keeps some of us so entertained? Conversely, why do people not like riddles?
Think about it.
----------------
P.S. : What are the next three letters in this pattern: o-t-t-f-f-s-s-e-n-t-e-t-t?
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