News-Record.com

"A man who doesn't read is no better off than a man who can't."

I don't understand your point about Masters coverage. I hope you are not saying that reading is worth giving up that pleasure.

John,

I have a very good friend who is a very successful businessman and has a reading disorder. He has loved the web from the beginning because the reading was typically in manageable chunks for him. Short and sweet works for him. For the same reason he likes some biz magazines. But books? Forget it.

It is easy for me to understand people like my friend who literally can't read, but for those who choose not to I don't get it either. But I guess I also have a hard time understanding people who don't like to exercise. Both activities are integral to my life so it isn't a surprise I don't understand, and I'd venture a guess that it's the same for you.

On the flip side I have friends who play video games for hours which would bore me to tears. I'm sure they don't understand me at all.

> "he isn't reading the news online. He's satisfied with what he sees on television or picks up in conversation."

Yup. He's in a society where there's no real downside - to the individual - to being uninformed.

It's not so good for the society though.

(and thanks JR for having a functional commenting system; for me, Lex's blog doesn't)

Perhaps the people with whom you spoke are illiterate? Amazing numbers of Americans are.

Okay, only partly serious.

It has occurred to me that some people are AFRAID to read; if they were to read a newspaper, or a magazine, they might find out that Fox News is lying to them. And that would shake their fragile little world to its foundations.

I don't have time to read, either, but I read nonetheless, even your blog.

:-)

Best regards,

Thanks, all. Sorry about the duplicate post, which I've now corrected, at the same time fixing your comment as requested Tony.

I know about illiteracy and reading disabilities and I've gotten no sense from either person that they suffered from those.

Patrick, I watched much of the Masters coverage, and I assure you that it was possible to read a newspaper and magazine during the broadcast...especially if you were pulling for someone other than Lefty.

My paper has been late this week so I haven't gotten it until I get home. I haven't even bothered to open it. These days it would be very easy to get out of the habit, even for news junkies, given the pace of change and the ubiquity of information.

I don't mean that to sound harsh or to be a criticism of the paper. I'm just saying that habit has a lot to do with newspaper reading and if you break it briefly there's less of a pull to go back than there used to be.

I personally can not conceive of a life without reading; actually reading everything in sight. I have even been caught reading cereal boxes and junk mail in a pinch! Of course I had a very difficult time learning to read as I am dyslexic and so when I finally did figure out the garbled mess of images that were letters and symbols at age 10 it was such an accomplishment that I just feel compelled to use this marvelous invention as much as possible. After 54 years of reading it is still a case of “So much to read and so little time!”

In this time in society, I can't really say I'm shocked that he does not read. Everyone is so into this instant gratification thing that some people have gotten lazy. Reading takes too long for some people these days.
I don't see the problem with reading. I still love to curl up with a good book.

Fox lies?? Sounds like you do not like the fact we can get more than the liberal point of veiw.
Fox is growing! Whats happen with the NR,going south???? I like the news as it is.Now how John and is gang want it to be. I well not say the news and opinion lies, they just leave out facts.!John can tell you I have questioned them many times on this!

Dog , those who only read, watch, or listen to only one point of view are worse off than the man who does not read anything.
By doing such it makes them functionally illiterate and also very boring because they have no knowledge with which to carry on a conversation within the realm of common society.
They are sort of like the old one dimensionally cartoons, very flat and lacking in content.

Who said I only read one thing????
I would I know how they slant the facts if I did not read it????? Want a example, when
Tax Hike Mike gave the teachers a raise, they left out that Tony Rand said if you teachers want to keep getting raises you must vote democrat. By news as it is I mean excatly that give me the facts!!!

Hey This Dog bites back, I was not refering to you. Read back a bit and the read your comment again.
Now do you get it??