Blog @ MoreWhat.com

Some months back there would be an occasional post on this blog featuring the most popular news lists from various sources, usually Google and/or Yahoo. The idea was abandoned as the results were too depressing. The stories receiving the most click attention were pathetic and only served to prove the general public was in grave danger of imploding from the suction of stupidity. Take heart, the results are improved today.

It is not suggested that everything people click for news on the net should only related to critical issues of the day. But a reasonable blend of topics would be encouraging. And today is one of those days. As the most popular news pages are updated quite frequently it is more correct to say at this snapshot in time, the results are encouraging.

Most popular news headlines from Google is below, complete with commentary

Fatah delegation in Cairo as new Hamas reconciliation talks open

Monsters and Critics.com -1 hour ago

It is good to follow foreign affairs and surprising this topic ranked number one.

National Health Care: A Disaster or Promise of a Better Future?

FedSmith.com - 48 minutes ago

Coming in at number two is it possible concern about health care has reached the general public?

Detained doctor to stay in custody

NEWS.com.au - 4 hours ago

Terrorist or related stories have been popular for some time. Eliminating terror has been a problem.

Mosque siege puts Musharraf policy under scrutiny

Boston Globe - 45 minutes ago

More than Musharraf’ policy has been under scrutiny. While making no appraisal on performance, this chief and Karzai in Afghanistan have some stones. To have that big of a bullseye on your back and stay on the job is impressive no matter one’s opinion of the two individuals

Boeing eyes Dream start

BBC News - 2 hours ago

The battle of the aviation giants continues. Things are reported as looking up for Airbus while the press likes to characterize Boeing as having one foot in the grave and the other on the proverbial banana peel. This American aircraft manufacturer certainly has a storied past. Arguably the most famous warbird ever made, the B-17, is an incredible highlight of the company’s former success. No doubt they have had considerable success with their flagship airliners also. That trend will likely continue.

Bush to Face More Pressure From Congress on Iraq

Voice of America - 30 minutes ago

There is a need for more posts in the blogosphere on this topic but from a different and largely ignored perspective. Articles abound on the two obvious viewpoints of victory or surrender in Iraq as well as Afghanistan. While most may have less objection to military operations in Afghanistan, it is almost ignored by comparison. But the point that needs to be addressed is this. If you are in favor of withdrawing from Iraq, what is the plan after that? The problem doesn’t just simply go away because you withdraw. If the peaceniks are wrong and Iraq turns into complete chaos without US military intervention, what do we do then? Go back? Continue to ignore it? Convince someone else to solve the problem? Ya, that’ll happen. It seems the left fringe surrender monkeys have no contingency plan for surrender.

Critics: Live Earth Not So Green

ABC News - 4 hours ago

Environmental issues are really important. But the two major positions on the planet are quite useless. Either you are over the top and in a panic to go off half-cocked forcing a frenzied myopic approach on environmental concerns or you simply don’t believe there is a problem. If this is not an accurate representation of the stalemate debate then why is that all one sees or reads on the topic. Head in the clouds or head in the sand the discussion is nowhere.

Mac’s stores shut out, on final Potter book

Globe and Mail - 11 hours ago

Eighth story in the list before we hit a loser. The Harry Potter book series is a good thing. This story is not.

Is Federer the greatest player ever?

FOXSports.com - 37 minutes ago

Sports can be good. Not one word about steroids or gangstas did one hear during Wimbledon. Many good stories about the human spirit to compete in a more natural less complicated venue than some. Several matches provided inspiring testimony to the heart and mind of an athlete. A phenomenon that should migrate better to other endeavors.

Appleby third as putter runs cold

Melbourne Herald Sun - 3 hours ago

Nothing worse than your putter running cold. More impressive than this may have been the scenery from the Seniors tournament at Whistling Straits in the Midwest. A golf course in Wisconsin, who’d a thunk it?

UPDATE 3-Four new abductions reported in Nigerian oil delta

Reuters.uk - 2 hours ago

It would be hard to decide which region has more trouble, the Middle East or Africa. While there are plenty of trouble spots in the world, Africa certainly has no shortage of grief. It would be great if we had something like an organization of all the world’s countries to band together and solve these problems. We could call it the United Nations.

Veggie Booty Recalled for Possible Salmonella Contamination

Lawyers and Settlements - Jul 6, 2007

Maybe terrorists are just testing our response to tainted foods before they use the really nasty stuff.

Dow Jones steps up search for alternative buyer

Times Online - 8 hours ago

It can make one lament years gone by when iconic organizations seemed to last forever unchanged. You can argue the relative merits of mergers and acquisitions but the effects on the country overall are questionable at best.

Bush Claims Privilege to Block Testimony From Former Aides

Congressional Quarterly - 30 minutes ago

This isn’t the first time and won’t be the last. In some ways invoking executive privilege is an exercise in futility. Whether it works or not the wasted time in political powerplays detract from the nation’s business. No faulting the White House or Congress as one must react to the other. But these distractions may be the primary contribution to low approval ratings of both.

Latin Mass spoken here

Providence Journal (subscription) - Jul 7, 2007

Now there’s an idea. A return to the traditions of the past. There is something mystical about religious rituals retaining content and structure from the distant past. There is something good about maintaining tradition to center or ground one’s thoughts. To renew or return one’s frame of reference to a familiar recurring process has its upside.

Sony Rolls Out New PS3

Forbes - 6 hours ago

Not bad, only two meaningless stories so far. This would be number two. But here are more.

FBI Probe Threat To Goldman Sachs

Guardian Unlimited - Jul 6, 2007

Whether a genuine threat or not, bad people know how much disruption such events cause.

Eva Longoria, Tony Parker Make It Official

Today’s THV - 6 hours ago

What do you suppose the odds are that this is the third meaningless story? Do you suppose the odds that these two will stay married more than a year are better or worse? Enough time wasted, this is the 3rd meaningless story.

How Safe Are You? Tour Helicopter Safety

ABC News - 2 hours ago

If it is from Good Morning America that explains a lot. This is easy. How many tours? How many accidents? Divide accidents by number of tours. Times 100 and you have the %. Whatever.

Gender Jabber: Do Women Talk More than Men?

Scientific American - Jul 6, 2007

A little attention getter for people with nothing else to do. That makes 3 or 4 meaningless stories but this is much better than the last time a popular news post was on this blog. While this shows no trend there may be hope for humanity after all but don’t count on it.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 10th, 2007 at 2:33 am and is filed under wordpress, News Media, Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.