My beloved newspaper

The front page of The New York Times portrays harsh realities, while the advertising on pages 2 and 3 invariably features insanely priced commodities. Honestly, I look forward to seeing this each day. The ad at the top left corner of page 2 never fails to amuse; it is generally some hideous item at a ridiculous price. Today, the most prominent news was a report about economic sacrifices families are making in these lean economic times. The bottom left article was about post-war conditions in Gaza, and was accompanied by the picture of a bedraggled person standing in the remains of a bombed out building. Page 2, however, greeted readers with ads suitable only for those in denial. Today's page 2 top ad showed a pair of the most absurd looking Channel boots that I wouldn't want at $10, no less the more than $1,000 asking price. Often, I wonder whether the irony is intentional. Certainly, the effect can't be achieved in any other media form. Long live newspapers.