confessions of a news junkie

I'm a self admitted news junkie. Junkie! Junkie! Junkie! Yep, that's me.

Daily I peruse the many news sources online, and I watch local and national news every morning and evening. I read the online versions of the small town newspapers in the towns near where I grew up. http://www.ruidosonews.com/ and http://www.alamogordonews.com/ I subscribe to Time and Newsweek. I visit websites for Denver's channel 9 News, Denver's channel 7 News, Boulder Daily Camera, Sydney Morning Herald, and Irish Times on a regular basis.

I like knowing what's going on in the rest of the world, and tend towards the more morbid and disturbing news articles, much to my IM partners dismay. It's my duty to share these stories with those closest to me; I am one sick puppy. During the day, I try to be cognizant of lunch time and will attempt to refrain from sending really gross and disturbing information just before. Although, it might be a great diet aid. Might have to try this and see if it works; I'll keep you posted.

Reading about nature and science is quite fascinating for me – it stimulates my brain. If I could go back and do college all over again, I'd go for the natural sciences stuff. Maybe I'd study zoology or botany or maybe get a degree and become a National Park Ranger. So, yeah, I read a lot of nature, animal, & plant articles. http://www.cnn.com/ has some great links to science and nature as does http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/index.html. You should check them out if you're into that sort of thing.

Since I'm a travel fanatic, I read articles related to travel. Did you know that "Urilift" is considered one of the "world's greatest bathrooms?" I didn't. Do you even know what a Urilift is? I didn't. Apparently it's a urinal in various locations in Europe that "pops" up out of the ground at night when all the drunks are out carousing. Amazing, eh?




I subscribe to just about every travel magazine there is, and read them from cover to cover. If I can't go to an exotic location or live on a Caribbean Island, I can at least read about it!

Occasionally, I'll check out articles on some of the more self destructive of celebrities. Not that I actually *enjoy* seeing celebrities crash to earth with a resounding SPLAT! but sometimes it's good to know that even with all my faults; hangups; problems; crisis; or whatever, I'm by comparison, fairly normal. Did you know Nicholas Cage is in trouble with the IRS for not paying over $6 million in income taxes? Can you imagine having the kind of money it would take to OWE over $6 million in taxes? Both Britney and Lindsey appear to not be too thrilled with the bleach blond looks they both are sporting recently. Leonardo DiCaprio is holidaying in Ibiza "surrounded by beach beauties." Victoria Posh Spice Beckham is reputedly going to replace Paula Abdul on American Idol. Not quite earth shattering, but entertaining none the less.

It is disturbing (and at times *very* amusing) some of the things I read or hear about. There are a lot of things wrong in the world – human and animal torture and abuse, starvation, poverty, epidemics, pandemics, wars, and the list could go on and on. These things have been going on since the beginning of time, but it's been just in the past several years how easily this information is shared. With the ease of getting all of this sometimes irrelevant and useless information, it's easy to see how I've become a news junkie.

In all of my news reading/watching it never ceases to amaze and amuse me some of the headlines that pop up. Just this morning on the CNN website I saw the headline, "Inmate Hides Gun In Fat Layers." My first reaction was, "whaaa?" I *had* to click on the article; this headline wasn't one I could just let go by without satisfying my curiosity. So, click I did, and was redirected to a Houston, TX television station news site. Only in Texas, right? As I read the article my "Whaaa?" reaction turned to "Ewwwwwwwwww!" Apparently a morbidly obese man (600 lbs.) had been arrested and was taken to the pokey, where he was searched, finger printed, and all that other happy inmate intake stuff. When taken to the showers he fessed up to the guard that he had a 9mm handgun and two clips of ammo on him – literally. This man had been searched three times already. Three times! One of the mucky mucks at the county lockup made this statement, "We teach officers to lift up and look under." Apparently, the staff is trained in lifting and looking, but I'm suspecting, being trained and actually having the stomach to do it are two totally different things.

So, before I head off to read some more interesting, mind blowing, mind numbing, stupid, entertaining, stimulating, and/or educational articles, I will leave you with a list of some recent headlines. Believe me, you can't make this stuff up.

Swiss Seek Pope's Blessing to Stop Glacier Melting (Reuters)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/us_pope_odd

Man on Lawnmower During Beer Run Charged with DUI (AFP)
http://www.bnd.com/news/crime/story/870766.html

Pelican at Idaho Zoo Swallows Cell Phone (AP)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_odd_pelican_cell_phone

Apple Bans Dictionary from App Store over Swear Words (UPI)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/5982243/Apple-bans-dictionary-from-App-Store-over-swear-words.html

Web Site Tells Movie Goers When to Pee (UPI)
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2009/08/05/Web-site-tells-moviegoers-when-to-pee/UPI-10411249508444/

Police Use Taser on Parade Participant (AP)
http://www.trib.com/articles/2009/08/05/news/wyoming/fa51449097d8dd688725760900046f9e.txt