New of the world has been summarily uninspiring of late. I was briefly excited when I read about some physicists who may have shaken up the scientific world with a simultaneous transport of a particle. However, there has been no follow up and I can find no buzz in the press about it. Even searching Elsevier (the science web) has proven fruitless. It seems like the typical fall doldrums. School is starting and the usual crop of internet predator and date rape stories are sure to be popping up like crocuses in the media. The present credit crunch is being felt by some who bought homes overvalued or way over their price range (I love Dave Ramsey's quote - Act your wage!) and their less than scrupulous lenders.
The government's fiscal year is winding down and (as usual) there is a plethora of remaining funds for training, exercises and other activities that was poorly budgeted throughout the year. My own unit is preparing for its semi-annual weapons qualifications and I will be sojourning off for a week of training. The Proto-Citizens are now ensconced in their first full month of school (August is too early to start anything in Georgia) and Citizen Une and I are planning for a trip or two to see old friends.
Ah, the routine of autumn.
I hope, dear reader, that you will take some time to read and reflect on the state of affairs of our planet. May I suggest a few "non-net" titles;
1) Infidel - A stunning work of one woman's journey to understanding
2) Foreign Affairs - A collection of scholarly essays from all sides of the political spectrum
3) The Economist - Weekly news and analysis - the best balance and perspective available
Now this small selection will, hopefully, spawn some responses to the question, what do you read (non-net) that enables you to form your world view?
I would be interested to know.
8 comments:
Sigh. Why do you ask these things when you know you will hate the answer?
OK:
http://www.datalounge.com
http://www.americablog.com
http://www.towleroad.com
And, of course, The Daily Show,The Advocate, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and lately, the Sunday Guardian and the The Sunday Times(London). And on off days, The Sun and the Daily Mail. Oh yes, and the station I listen to on the way to and from school everyday: Colchester Garrison Radio. The best music, and it's all British Army all the time. Now, if it will just let me meet the gorgeous paratrooper I have seen at Tesco twice now.....
Anything else you would like from today's class, Sir?
No - non-net was the rule!
Dailies are fine, although I don't read a newspaper offline (save the terrible AJC).
How do you view above mentioned hard copy journals as providing a worldview?
The Guardian and the London Times addresses are: http://www.guardian.co.uk/
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/global/
The Advocate has an online edition as well:
http://www.advocate.com/
I think they apply to the rule, as they are pretty much the print editions........
Armed Forces Journal
The Economist
Vital Speeches
The Early Bird (printed) :)
Marine Corps Gazette
Naval Institute Proceedings
US News & World Report
The New Republic
The Weekly Standard
Foriegn Affairs
...and whatever else I happen across...
S/F
Mud-Shark
Interesting. So far no Time or Newsweek, which when I was growing up were actual news magazines.
Capt, I will allow for the net inclusion of the printe versions, however - I find that when one has the hard copy of a publication, one tends to read more - and more in depth.
Comments?
well, I give you the net versions as they may be hard to come by in the states.. I have been reading mine sunday afternoons at the pub over carvery dinner and wine:). Wonderful article in yesterdays Times Sunday Magazine about parents using horses and shamanism to treat their sons autism...worth a read.
About the only dead trees I will read on a consistent basis is the WSJ, NYT in small doses, and Linux Journal / Computer Music / and any history book that catches my fancy. My current read is "Paris 1919" documenting the Paris Peace Conference negotiations that lead to the doomed Treaty of Versailles. Good stuff.
The problem with most paper news is that by the time the newspaper and (especially) magazines gets on the shelf, the topics covered within have already been vetted on the net, or events occur either between story submission and publishing or just after can make the magazine look... well, silly. The "Flushing the Koran" thing comes to mind, as does the recent Newsreek global warming deniers story that came out at the same time the supposed "deniers" found an error in the US temps tabulations from the last 107 years, an error that falsely displayed 1998 and the 2000's as the warmest years in a century, when the correct tabulations give that honor to 1934 and the 30's. And the stupid thing about the article is that most of the scientist labeled as "denialist" don't doubt that the man-made CO2 has contributed to the recent warming trend, they either disagree about how much vs other factor such as land use (albedo issues), or quantative measurement and / or assessment of various forcings that affect climate change.
"there is a plethora of remaining funds for training, exercises and other activities that was poorly budgeted throughout the year."
Wha?! Please to send funds here!
I have less than two months before mobilization and could use extra $ to help my unit prepare...
I scratched the Economist off the list last year - they have been declining in quality (sadly) for a while now.
WSJ and my local paper are the only dead tree things I get.
Post a Comment