The News

After catching the morning Television News and National Public Radio on the way to work the other day, I made a decision I'm hoping to be able to follow up on. By the time I got to work, I was damn near depressed. Now normally, I'm a pretty glass half full, upbeat, positive type of person but as I'm sure is true for most normal people right now, it's pretty hard to remain true to my natural attitude, what with all the crap going on in the world right now presented on the news.

Speaking of that, I know that the news did not and does not directly cause the economic problems the world has going right now. The truth is though, the news by feeding the doomsday ideas so expertly and incessantly, is making and keeping everyone nervous about spending any money until things get better. The problem with that is our entire economic system is built on consumerism. Money being spent by everyone around the whole world is the grease that makes the economic machine go around. So even though it's not the cause, it is like a giant anchor dragging everything down. If we stop buying products, the companies have to lay off or fire employees. Then those employee's don't have the money to spend and the whole thing just starts to feed upon itself.

So, here's my grand plan. I'm going to give it my best shot to not watch or listen to ANY news for quite a while. I've wondered for years if everyone might just be a whole lot better off not watching the daily barrage of negative garbage they call "the news". I've heard their lame attempt at an explanation for the negativity time and time again. They say good news doesn't sell. They say the public grows bored with anything positive but bad news catches and holds their attention. So that's what we deserve and that's what they are going to give us. It's kind of a sad commentary on our real needs and desires huh?

You know, back in the past, before television and mass media, people got by just fine day by day without knowing anything at all about most of the rest of the world and it's many problems. I really wonder if someone living in a small town in America has any need at all to hear all the crime statistics and details in some large city such as New York. Does it do their lives any good at all to know those things? I doubt it.

So, I'll let you know how successful I am with my new resolution. I'm as bad as the next guy with turning on the box as soon as I walk in the door and usually it's the news that's on, so it really has became a habit for me as I'm sure it has for most folks.

Christ, maybe I'll actually use that time to pet the cats, talk to my wonderful wife, take the time and energy to make a great meal, relax with the new found peace and quiet without the blaring box. I know the few times we have lost our power, it was amazing to realise that life went on just fine and the piece and quiet was pretty cool.



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Come on.......DO IT!