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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
August 15, 2006
/ 21 Menachem-Av 5766
When time comes for banishment
By
Lloyd Garver
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
For many of us, every four years, we go through an arduous selection process. We agonize over our choice, and after we've made it, we worry that we made the wrong one. I'm not talking about something as easy as voting for president. I'm talking about buying a new computer.
Computers seem to be considered obsolete in three to five years. I don't know of any other thing that we happily buy, knowing that we're not going to be happy with it in a few years. OK, there's that purple shirt that is a little "out there," but I'm talking about major purchases. Even if we get a new car after a few years, how much faster is that new car than the old one? And can it carry four times as many people in it than the car you bought a few years ago?
So, we buy computers, and then buy them again. We've become so dependent on them that we don't feel we have any choice. When my computer is "in the shop," I panic until it's back home. And there are other computers in our house, so I can still write my column and check my e-mails, but it's not the same as using my "baby." Yes, it's almost like a member of the family is being operated on except I know this family member will be obsolete soon.
And one reason we panic when something's wrong with them or when it looks like we may need a new one is because so many of us have no idea how they work. So we have to trust the expert our Computer Guy. And when our Computer Guy says it's time to buy a new computer, we do it.
Last week, my Computer Guy said it was time. After bringing it back to health following a nasty virus, he said it would still work for a while, but he could "hear it strain" as it booted up and performed other operations. It sounded the same to me as it did four years ago, but I trusted what he said. After all, he's the guy wearing the blue shirt with the company logo on it.
He recommended a computer with a 160-gigabyte hard drive, 1 gigabyte of RAM, and a speed of 2.13 gigahertz. This would make it much faster and it would have a much greater storage capacity than my old one which was much faster and had a greater storage capacity than I ever needed. (I use it almost exclusively for word processing and e-mail. I'm rarely called upon to figure out pi to a thousand decimal places while simultaneously creating a birthday card that sings and dances.) My Computer Guy's answer was that I should get the computer with all of this technology that I don't really need because all of these improvements are so cheap.
It's true that as computers have gotten faster and better over the years, they've gotten less expensive. But they're still not as cheap as if you didn't have to buy a new one. They're not free.
So, I thought it was time for me to actually find out what I was buying. I knew that gigahertz (GHz) was a measure of speed, but just how fast was it? My only frame of reference was miles per hour. Was this new computer faster than my car? So, I looked it up and learned that a gigahertz is a unit of alternating current or electromagnetic wave frequency equal to one billion hertz.
That definition wasn't particularly helpful, since I guess I'm one of the few people in the world who doesn't know how fast a "hertz" is. (I can tell how fast a Hertz rent-a-car is, but that comes with a speedometer.)
So, I wasn't able to calculate how many miles per hour a megahertz is. But one billion of anything sounds like a lot, so I assume a gigahertz is very fast. After all, it's got a one with nine zeroes after it (1,000,000,000 Hz). That's got to be speedy. And my new computer will be going at an amazing rate of not just 1, but 2.13 of those giga-puppies. My Computer Guy told me that's blazing fast! But, of course, in four years, he'll be telling me how slow it is.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Lloyd Garver has written for many television shows, ranging from "Sesame
Street" to "Family Ties" to "Frasier." He has also read many books, some of
them in hardcover. Comment by clicking here. Visit his website by clicking here.
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© 2005, Lloyd Garver
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