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Attention-Getters
Real Clear Politics ^ | June 26, 2007 | Thomas Sowell

Posted on 06/25/2007 9:51:39 PM PDT by gpapa

People can get attention either from their accomplishments or from their deliberate attempts to get attention. Today, almost everywhere you look, people seem to be putting their efforts into getting attention.

Wild hairdos, huge tattoos, pierced body parts, outlandish clothing, weird statements -- all these have become substitutes for achievements.

Some parents give their children off-the-wall names, as if that is the way to give them some kind of individuality. On the contrary, it means joining a stampede toward showiness.

(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: clothes; fads; kids; parents; sowell

1 posted on 06/25/2007 9:51:43 PM PDT by gpapa
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To: gpapa; AbeKrieger; Alia; Amalie; AmeriBrit; American Quilter; arthurus; awelliott; Bahbah; ...
A second column by Thomas Sowell today.

*PING*
Thomas Sowell

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Recent columns
Cultural Heritages
Monopoly And Government
Unfinished Business

Please FReepmail me if you would like to be added to, or removed from, the Thomas Sowell ping list…

2 posted on 06/25/2007 10:05:32 PM PDT by jazusamo (http://warchronicle.com/TheyAreNotKillers/DefendOurMarines.htm)
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To: gpapa
Wild hairdos, huge tattoos, pierced body parts, outlandish clothing, weird statements -- all these have become substitutes for achievements.

Or to put it another way, it's like how non conformists all dress the alike. :)

3 posted on 06/25/2007 10:30:48 PM PDT by GOP_Raider (FReepmail me to join the FR Idaho Ping List.)
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To: jazusamo

A two-fer. Who’d a thunk it? Thanks.


4 posted on 06/25/2007 10:30:51 PM PDT by dcwusmc (We need to make government so small that it can be drowned in a bathtub.)
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To: GOP_Raider

Get rid of “the” in that response.


5 posted on 06/25/2007 10:31:19 PM PDT by GOP_Raider (FReepmail me to join the FR Idaho Ping List.)
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To: dcwusmc

I just happened to stumble on it after it was posted. It happened once before.


6 posted on 06/25/2007 10:34:09 PM PDT by jazusamo (http://warchronicle.com/TheyAreNotKillers/DefendOurMarines.htm)
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To: gpapa
A group of Freepers are about to republish Dr. Sowell's "Unfinished Business" in a special edition of The Chronicle, the campus newspaper. This is being done with the approval of Dr. Sowell and Creators Syndicate. For information on this, and an opportunity to take part, please click below.

Congressman Billybob

Latest article, "Duke is Not Off the Hook"

7 posted on 06/26/2007 5:54:12 AM PDT by Congressman Billybob (Please visit www.ArmorforCongress.com)
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To: jazusamo; GOP_Raider; dcwusmc; gpapa; Congressman Billybob; The Spirit Of Allegiance; ...
In sum, the people who decide who and what gets attention are superficial.

But then, you could tell that by the fact that they write to short deadlines, or even go on-air to report "breaking news." They have a saying for it, "There's nothing more worthless than yesterday's newspaper." That speaks to the imperative to make the deadline for today's newspaper. But if yesterday's newspaper is already junk, just how valuable can today's newspaper actually be?

And although Fox News Channel is supposedly less liberal than the rest of the alphabet soup, it is just as driven by deadline pressure as any other journalism outlet, and therefore is just as superficial as the rest - only slightly less negative and slightly less arrogant. The combination of superficiality, and arrogance (in its presumption of objectivity and its presumption of moral superiority over those who actually do things as opposed to merely criticizing) is what gives journalism its so-called "liberal" (actually socialist, of course) character.

Why Broadcast Journalism is
Unnecessary and Illegitimate


8 posted on 06/26/2007 3:13:44 PM PDT by conservatism_IS_compassion (The idea around which liberalism coheres is that NOTHING actually matters except PR.)
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To: Congressman Billybob; The Spirit Of Allegiance; atomic conspiracy; Fester Chugabrew; ...
A group of Freepers are about to republish Dr. Sowell's "Unfinished Business" in a special edition of The Chronicle, the campus newspaper. This is being done with the approval of Dr. Sowell and Creators Syndicate. For information on this, and an opportunity to take part, please click below.

Congressman Billybob

Latest article, "Duke is Not Off the Hook"

7 posted on 06/26/2007 8:54:12 AM EDT by Congressman Billybob (Please visit www.ArmorforCongress.com)

9 posted on 06/26/2007 6:04:36 PM PDT by conservatism_IS_compassion (The idea around which liberalism coheres is that NOTHING actually matters except PR.)
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To: conservatism_IS_compassion
*DOUBLE PING* ...In today's sensation driven culture, it has gotten extremely difficult to separate the wheat from the chafe when it comes to 'News'.

Here's my take: 'News' is nothing more than what the Elite Press Corps deems worthy of printing or breaking. One glaring example of this is the underwhelmingly reported story of the NAACP's shortfall in contributions due to their stance on Gay Rights, thus resulting in the 40% cutbacks. But of course you're getting wall to wall reports on the discord among the GOP faithful.

...As you've contended and I now fully agree, 'Broadcast News Is Unnecessary And Illegitimate'.

10 posted on 06/26/2007 7:51:56 PM PDT by T Lady (The Mainstream Media: Public Enemy #1)
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To: gpapa; conservatism_IS_compassion; Congressman Billybob

Thanks for posting. BTTT!


11 posted on 06/26/2007 8:02:55 PM PDT by PGalt
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To: conservatism_IS_compassion

BTTT


12 posted on 06/27/2007 2:53:48 AM PDT by E.G.C.
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To: conservatism_IS_compassion

BTTT


13 posted on 06/27/2007 2:55:20 AM PDT by E.G.C.
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To: IncPen; BartMan1

ping


14 posted on 06/27/2007 3:14:19 AM PDT by Nailbiter
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