Time's Top Ten, revisited

Stephan Savoia / AP

One week later and Time's Top Ten still lists five articles re: Sarah Palin (down from six stories last week):

1. Sarah Palin

The Republic Veep pick is the first female vice presidential candidate in GOP history

2. The Evolution of the College Dorm

From the monastic rooms of world's first campuses to today's luxury residence halls, TIME examines the ever-changing ways that students live

Interviews & Captions by M.J. Stephey

3. Photos: September 11, 2001

Photographs from the archive of TIME photographer James Nachtwey

4. Poll: Obama, McCain Split Key States

By TIME Staff

Despite McCain's poll surge, Obama leads in Michigan and New Hampshire, while McCain is up in Missouri and Virginia

5. Sarah Palin's Alaskonomics

By Michael Kinsley

Viewpoint: The candidate says she's a tough fiscal reformer. But Alaska leads the nation in leeching off Washington

6. Can Obama Win Back Wal-Mart Moms?

By Karen Tumulty / Washington

Is Sarah Palin's appeal to white women voters a temporary blip or a real problem for the Democrats?

7. Sarah Palin Hits the Campaign Trail

TIME photographer Brooks Kraft travels with the Alaska Governor during her first week as the official GOP vice-presidential nominee

8. On 9/11, Obama-McCain (Briefly) Unite

By Michael Duffy

After days of trading insults, the candidates make two joint appearances. Will the suspension of hostilities last?

9. Steve Jobs: Not Dead Yet

By Josh Quittner

Despite rumors of illness, the Apple chief appeared in good health at his San Francisco press event — but his software could sure use some work

10. Searching for Palin's 'Hot Photos'

By Bill Tancer

The current Republican vice-presidential candidate is shaping up to be not only a celebrity, but a sex symbol, according to popular Internet searches

Come on, stop with this "silly" stuff!

What's wrong with this picture? It's okay that six (yes, SIX!) of Time's Top Ten stories this week are about Republican Vice Presidential candidate, Governor Sarah Palin. This election season is ground-breaking, to be sure. (Three were environment-related and #10 a tongue-in- cheek piece on the Obama/O'Reilly interview).

However, how sad is this commentary? Why is our main focus a search for "celebrity" status and "sex symbol" pictures of Governor Palin? Come on! Get with the election issues, and STOP turning TIME into People Magazine or US Weekly. STOP "dumbing down" the news, please.

1. Searching for Palin's 'Hot Photos'

By Bill Tancer

The current Republican vice-presidential candidate is shaping up to be not only a celebrity, but a sex symbol, according to popular Internet searches

2. Are Evangelicals Really Sold on Palin?

By Amy Sullivan

Viewpoint: Her anti-abortion credentials are impeccable. But some of her views are at odds with younger Evangelicals

3. Mayor Palin: A Rough Record

By Nathan Thornburgh / Wasilla, Alaska

Despite her reformer reputation, McCain's Veep pick was a polarizing figure in normally friendly small-town politics

4. In Wasilla, Pregnancy Was No Secret

By Nathan Thornburgh / WASILLA, ALASKA

Sarah Palin's hometown knew she was going to be a grandmother but also assumed it was nobody's business

5. Could Florida Survive the Big One?

By Michael Grunwald

The next big hurricane could leave the state not merely damaged but in financial ruin

6. Sarah Palin's Breakout Night

By Nancy Gibbs / St. Paul, Minn.

With curiosity high and expectations low, the vice-presidential nominee delivered a homespun howitzer of a speech

7. The Man Behind Palin's Speech

By Massimo Calabresi / Washington

Bush speechwriter Matthew Scully had crafted the words even before Palin was picked. A match made in heaven

8. Collider Triggers End-of-World Fears

By Eben Harrell

Scientists are dismissing critics who warn that the Large Hadron Collider could create Earth-swallowing black holes

9. Why Disasters Are Getting Worse

By Amanda Ripley

Hint: It's not really climate change. There's more destruction because humans have created more stuff to be destroyed

10. Obama Meets O'Reilly: No One Dies!

By James Poniewozik

In a (mostly) civil exchange, the Democratic nominee and Fox kingpin talk about the U.S. and the threats abroad

Four-Day School Weeks, you've GOT to be kidding, right?

A recent article in TIME magazine has me more than a little verklempt! It seems that rising gas prices, poor infrastructure and lack of funding is prompting some school systems across the U.S. to resort to a 4-day school week.

Ok, what part of this actually makes sense? Save $$-Ruin a Life?

In math and science achievement, our kids' test scores already rate behind (and in descending order): Korea, China, Japan, Russia, Netherlands, Canada, England, Australia, and students in all of these countries go to school more days than our kids in the U.S., on average three weeks longer! Students in China and Korea go to school for 220 days per year; that's 20+% more than our average national requirement of 180 days. And, with shorter breaks, teachers in these countries don't spend an inordinate amount of time reviewing materials to bring kids back "up to speed".

If anything, U.S. students should be attending school MORE days per year AND year-round to avoid empty, under-utilized school buildings, working families with daycare problems and dumb/dumber kids. Ideas like 4-day school weeks has got to make home-schooling look better and better to parents who really want their kids to do well in life.