More WaPo Love

Continuing from yesterday; all the stuff I wanted to share before going off on the Front Runners tangent:

Post retail reporter Ylan Q. Mui became a holiday temp at Sam's Club for a day, and here's her evaluation (it ran yesterday). I can't explain why, but I really liked this piece. I've read a lot of her articles, and it's nice getting a glimpse at the person behind the byline.

Today's Business front has some tips (seven to be exact) to get your new computer running right, and then five things that should be on everyone's computer. All this computer talk, coupled with the fact that my mom found a trojan on my dad's computer, made me rush to mine and back everything up. As quickly as I can, I'll explain my beef with computers: You see, I'm a pack rat in real life, meaning I throw absolutely nothing away (though I've gotten a lot better over the past few years. This summer I actually brought myself to recycle all my old algebra II notes and chemistry lab write-ups, though it was quite the tearful good bye). So, when it comes to saving things on the computer, I feel the need to back up and save every single thing I type, even though we all know I'm never going to look at it again. The other thing that drives me crazy is that even though I'm not a terribly organized person in real life, on the computer, I want everything to be hyper-categorized in folders arranged by date and everything. You don't know how many hours I've wasted organizing it all, only to find out I messed it up somehow, and have to do it over again. (Man my eyes are going to haaate me for making them stare at this screen for so long). Okay, phew, enough with the rant; now back to interesting articles.

Quarter collectors rejoice! DC will be getting its very own quarter (as will Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands.)

And on a side note - the English dork in me had to point out the beauty of this sentence:

"We get snubbed, disrespected, belittled, forgotten, overshadowed and minimized in every way," said WTOP radio political commentator Mark Plotkin, a virtual thesaurus of how the city is disparaged, denigrated, underrated and calumniated.

I love it, just love it.

Complaining about the commercialization of Christmas? Then you may not like this Post piece on the cost of Twelve Days of Christmas. That's right, they found out how much each of the items from the famous carol cost, and it looks like the traditional turtledoves and leaping lords will set you back a little more than $36,000 (Though you may have to bend the rules a bit when it comes to the French hens and the maids-a-milking. Just read the article, you'll see.)

In other, more serious news, Fareed Zakaria's column, The Power of Personality, in this week's Newsweek, which I read at the dentist's office, made an interesting point that I wish other people would understand. America may be the dominant power in today's world, but it certainly isn't the center of the universe. Not everyone thinks like we do, and that is so important for us to understand.

And, on that slightly philosophical note, I'm off. Happy reading!

The Washington Post's "Front Runners"

I love the Washington Post. Granted, it's the paper I've grown up reading it, but I love it nonetheless.

Since the media frenzy over the presidential election began what seems like eons ago, I told myself I wouldn't get caught up in it until 2008 (you know, the actual year in which the election will be taking place). And since the new year is now barreling down on us, I guess it's time for me to strap on my political thinking cap and dive into this mess. Enough with all the speculation, bring on the caucus results and lets get some answers.

But what does that have to do with my love for the Post, you ask? Well, luckily for me, just when I decide to start paying attention, guess what appears in the paper. Last week the Post ran a series called "The Front Runners," profiling the eight leading presidential candidates - three Democrats and five Republicans. Each day for a week, the paper ran a double truck biographical piece ("How (S)He Got Here") and three shorter pieces: "How (S)He Runs," "How (S)He Talks" and "How (S)He Looks" on the candidate of the day. On the last day, the paper also ran shorter pieces on Biden, Dodd, Richardson, Kucinich, Paul and Tancredo. Though I still can't tell you what each individual's plans are for immigration, social security or the war (though there is this extensive quiz on the Post's site that will tell you just that), I enjoyed reading about the people, not the candidates, who want to run my country.

The series wasn't a recap of each campaign's progress, it was a look at the individuals at the center of the campaign. I can look anywhere to find out where Clinton, Obama or Huckabee stand on a specific issue, but this series told me about Hillary and Barack and Mike, where they've come from and how they've gotten here. Sometimes we get so caught up in the debates, the stump speeches, the photo ops that we forget that at one point, these candidates were regular people. They were kids who goofed off in class, they were teenagers who argued with their parents and as much as all this media coverage bothers us regular people, the whole campaign process takes quite a toll on them.

But back to the series. I especially loved the tag clouds. (Here's Romney's, which I found interesting because "woman" wasn't the largest word for Clinton and "black" wasn't the largest word for Obama, but people still seem to characterize Romney by his religion). The Post created these graphics based on survey results where people defined the candidate in a word. This seems like just the type of thing our journalism professors keep telling us we need think about if we want to be successful in this field.

This whole series embodies what how we should be thinking. Yes, there was a paper component, but online, the series used flash graphics, videos, audio and regular slide shows, discussions, and comment boards - all the weapons in the online journalism arsenal. And while I haven't really looked at many of these online-only components, they are at least making use of the medium. So, from a student whose professors keep telling her the internet is the way to go, thanks WaPo for providing me with such a good example.

And on a completely unrelated note - I think I finally understand the meaning of that phrase, oh how does it go, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing? After learning some basic coding in my online class, I keep wanting to overhaul the layout of this blog, but every time I play around with the coding, Blogger's mean red text pops up and I'm left with the regular old layout I started with. *sigh*

Nothing Wrong With Aiming High

During a break in one of my classes I was catching up on the Post's coverage of the Yankees loss Monday and came across Thomas Boswell's column. It was depressing, yes, to read that the Yankees"are the aging patient" and this last game " felt like a night-long vigil around a sick bed." But there was one thing Boswell wrote that really bothered me. While discussing how even the Yankees inflated payroll couldn't translate into a World Series win, Boswell wrote, "Luckily, in baseball, money apparently can't beat the best. Not anymore. Not, at least, under the Boss's ludicrous edict that anything less than a World Series win is a failure"

Now wait just one minute here.

Okay, maybe calling this season a "failure" is a bit extreme, but don't tell me there's anything wrong with expecting the best and only being satisfied with the best. Tell me, does it make any sense to tell your team, hey guys, why don't you just go out there and try to do well. It doesn't matter that we're investing all this time and money into your performance, just go out there and play. And then if you lose, we'll just pat you on the back and go grab a couple of beers and everything will be fine.

No. That's not how the world works. Nobody says, Hey team, let's aim for third place this year!
The whole 'winning doesn't matter' deal only works when you're teaching Little Leaguers how to play baseball. Not in the majors. In the real world, results matter.

Don't get me wrong. Losing is valuable too. There are certain things you can only learn from losing. And sometimes, yes, even when you put forth your best efforts, you fall short. And no, you should never resort to cheating to win. And yes I've heard enough about the big, bad Yankees who just buy all their talent and don't let anyone else share the glory of winning the World Series. To all that I say, first of all, a lot of their money comes from a fan base still willing to pay hundreds of dollars to see their games and buy their merchandise, despite the World Series drought. It's basic capitalism guys. Do I think any player is truly worth $250 million? Probably not. But hey, if that's how people want to spend their money, good for them. And secondly, yes, the Yankee are the winningest team in sports. But what's wrong with rewarding the best. What would you rather see, a cap on the number of titles someone can win? It takes work to win. With determination, hard work and a bit of luck, any of the other 29 teams can win it too.

In short, there isn't anything wrong with expecting nothing but the best from your team.

People sometimes accuse me of bandwagoning when they learn I like the Yankees though I lack a direct New York connection. Now I know exactly why I was drawn to them. They're a team that refuses to settle and will do whatever it takes to succeed. They expect nothing but the best from themselves, and neither do their fans. If only other people could think the same way. If only other people would stop settling for mediocrity when they're capable of so much more.

Nocturnal News Update

So clearly, because I have nothing better to do with my time, (and well, let's be honest, neither do you if you're actually reading this), here are some interesting news tidbits that should keep you occupied for the next couple hours if you're also finding sleep to be elusive:

First, here's a guy whose not exactly in the running for father of the year; after all, he left his son behind while swimming in the Dead Sea.

Yankee Stadium was certainly the place to be this past weekend, what with A-Rod hitting his 500th homer on Saturday and Matsui getting his 100th long ball yesterday. However, can't say the same for things over on the west coast, where Angel Stadium seems to have a slight rodent problem (um, gross) and another record-breaking shot was greeted with a mixture of boos, cheers and nonchalance, on the part of commissioner Bud Selig.

But of course, life is more than just sports, so we turn now to the state of our country. There was a really interesting opinion piece in the Post about how the United States has slipped and fallen one too many times on the global stage, and something needs to be done.

While I was reading that article, a sad thought entered my head. Change takes a long time, and even if we start now, turning this country around is going to take fifty or a hundred years. And more likely than not, I'm not going to be around to see the effects of those changes. Think about it, George Marshall isn't around to see the legacy of his plan to reconstruct Europe in the wake of WWII. FDR isn't here today to see how dependent we've become on many of his New Deal Programs, especially Social Security. I guess when working in the government, you have to accept that no matter who you are, whether you're a lowly House intern or the president him(her) self, you're just one small piece in the jigsaw puzzle that makes up the institution. You've just got to have faith that the job you're doing now will someday make a difference to someone. If fame is what you're after, the government is the last place you should be looking.

Morning News Update

Ever since I was a young child, I've always marveled at man's ability to build. Boats, planes, bridges and dams, how such massive devices and structures are created and how they function has always been a mystery to me. Driving across a large, water-spanning bridge, be it the Golden Gate or the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, leaves me gazing in amazement. Just how those massive concrete pylons below and the web of steel girders above manage to hold up the weight of all those cars is beyond my comprehension. But in the back of my head, that wonderment has always led to the morbid question, what if the bridge isn't actually able to hold up all that weight? It's just a quick thought, a flit of fear running unconsciously through my head, quite similar to that split-second fear people have when boarding an airplane as to whether they'll be landing safely at their destination. We've learned to dismiss these fears, much like those childhood ones about the bogeyman and the dark, as irrational and most unlikely, and move on with our lives.

Of course, this logic was turned on its head when I saw images of the collapsed Interstate 35W bridge on CNN shortly before dinner last night. It was like something you would see in an action flick, not in real life. Can you even imagine, one minute you're driving down the road, the next minute the road is creaking beneath you and suddenly just drops out into the murky Mississippi River below. It really makes you wonder what's going on when the state department of transportation issues a report stating that a bridge "should not have any problems with fatigue cracking in the forseeable future" and six years later what once was a bridge now resembles a gigantic concrete accordion. But I guess it's best to avoid passing judgement until officials can determine what exactly caused the collapse.

In other news, this time turning to the election trail, last night I found and read, out of pure curiosity, that Vanity Fair piece on Judith Nathan, aka the new Mrs. Giuliani. Now, believe what you want about the woman, I'm here to comment on the writing. As a journalism student, I'm really wondering how you can get away with such snarky writing in a publication not titled The National Enquirer. I mean, the piece was downright Rita Skeeter-esque, and that woman isn't even real. Don't tell me you didn't picture Judy Bachrach sucking on a Quick Quotes Quill when you read the line: "An interesting question. Who does Judith Stish Ross Nathan Giuliani think she is?" I know that public officials are held to a much higher standard when it comes to proving libel, but this almost seems to be toeing the line to me.

But this isn't to say I'm defending Nathan in any way. Trust me, when looking at public officials, marital habits are at the top of my list, and I don't approve of anyone who can't keep them in check, no matter what party you are. (That goes for you too Bill.)

And of course, what would the morning news update be without some juicy celeb gossip. Apparently, Nicole Richie is preggers; 4 months, to be exact. Hmm...now remind me again, how long ago was that DUI incident? Why is it that the relationship between parental capabilities and fertility seems to be an inverse one?

But anyways, that's all the news on my mind this morning. Let's hope that despite the rush hour traffic on that bridge, the body count doesn't increase too much.

(Oh, a quick side note: You'll be happy to hear my tummy finally grumbled with hunger this morning - I'm all back to normal now :)

Time to rewrite the textbooks - there's a 4th branch of the government?

Looks like all that stuff we learned in elementary school about the three branches of government was incorrect, at least according to Dick Cheney. After reading Dana Milbank's column in today's Washington Post, I can scratch "government spokesman" off my list of potential careers to consider.

Time is running out for the watch

So, way back on May 20, the Washington Post published an article on how text messaging is killing the cell phone bills of families with teenagers. The story cited a study by Teenage Research Unlimited that said "texting is the second most popular use for cellphones, right after using them to check the time." Funny, I always thought a phone's purpose was, you know, to call up other people. I hate to break it to you, but I'm pretty sure we already have fancy gadgets designed to tell us the time. You know, oh what are they called? That's right, it's called a WATCH.

Call me old-fashioned, but I can't go anywhere without wearing a watch. Inside the house it doesn't matter, but literally, the moment I step outside, even if just to grab the mail, I feel its absence. Without the narrow metal band hugging my wrist, I feel naked and exposed. Yesterday, I got in the car to go to work and as soon as I sat down I realized I had forgotten my trusty timepiece inside. But I was running late and had to leave it behind. Seriously, I don't know how I made it through the day. I had to find a wall clock to monitor and at times even had to resort to using (gasp) my cell phone to figure out how long it was til I got to go home. I tell you, I barely made it through the day.

For as long as I can remember, I've worn a watch, though I graduated from the flowery blue and yellow bubble watch to the leather-strapped, gold-faced, Winnie the Pooh watch given to me one Christmas by one of my best friends. My current watch, which I've had since high school, has a metal link strap with a two-toned face. I still remember, a few weeks before Christmas one year, Mom asked me if I had liked any of the multicolored watches advertised in that week's department store circular, to which I replied not at all. Yet, Christmas morning, I unwrapped a small box and found a brand new green-and-blue-faced watch. I assured her that I truly liked this one, and to this day, I can't even tell you the number of compliments I've received on it.

Anyways, I got off topic. When I set out to write this post, I didn't actually intend to give you my entire watch-wearing history. I meant to point out how all this crazy technology is changing everything. Maybe that's how you know you're getting old - when you start to say, when I was a kid, things were done differently, and you're actually right. Seriously, when I was a kid, we actually played outside on real playgrounds and climbed real trees. None of this virtual reality, let's rot my mind by staring at a computer screen for 65 hours in a row crap. But a couple months ago, I realized just how intertwined my life has become with this computer, meaning I'm no exception to this tech craze, but that's another rant for another post.

Oh, and one last thing. Two days ago, I was sitting in my room on the computer, zoned out with the ipod headphones on, when I got a call on my cell phone. It was Papa calling from downstairs telling me that dinner was ready.