OD on NPR

"Young man found in alley in an apparent state of acute shock. Emergency response personnel found the man shivering, spasming, and mumbling incoherent strings of words and phrases. The only decipherable words, say personnel, were 'Dow Jones Industrial', 'Palin vetting', and 'Iraqi surge'."

. . . You might soon find this report in your local news. I realized today I may well be overdosing on my consumption of news. I realized this today as I was walking to the subway from class and I glanced at the front page of a newspaper. I think it was the Washington Post. I could be wrong. The headline was about misconduct by department of interiors employees, accepting gifts and sexual favors. "Ugh," I thought,"that is such old news. I can't believe it's still on the front page."

Then I realized I had just heard that news story yesterday or that very morning and that it was actually pretty new. I had just heard so much news between the time I had heard that story and the time I saw the headline, that I had already tired of the news I had already heard. Before I had hit that news stand, I had glimpsed CNN Headline News talking about the Obama lipstick story and thought,"Can we please put this story to rest!" but my classmates had not heard about this news story at all. All of this happened while I was listening to a podcast of a discussion panel on NPR. Hmm. Perhaps I am exposing myself to a glut of news. I hear it so much, even the new stuff is getting old.

Perhaps I need a hiatus. At present, I have 11 different news agencies on my internet bookmarks and regularly read whatever pops up on Yahoo's main page. I also subscribe to two magazines (GQ and Conde Nast Portfolio) and browse through the Newsweek and Entertainment Weekly that arrive at our home. I also regularly listen to NPR on average and hour and half a day. No wonder I feel I don't have enough time! Bah!

When I wake up, my first move is to open my lap top (before I have even gotten out of bed), check my email, and then check the New York Times to make sure the world hasn't come to an end while I slept.

The thing is, if I took a hiatus, I know I would come back and immediately check the papers and NPR to catch up on what I missed while I was gone. Maybe I should just budget. No more than half an hour of news reading in one day. Hmm. We'll have to see. I think school will soon solve the question of discretionary time anyway.

*The above photo is me in a sports bar this past Monday with some friends. I haven't been in a sports bar in awhile, but it was fun to play pool. Apparently, this is what I do when I am not having an aneurysm over the Right's (and much of middle America's) blind support of hypocritical politicians.