| I shouldn't watch the news, or any television |
You might not want to turn on the news for the foreseeable future. Apparently, the world is going to hell in a handbasket. Oil prices are skyrocketing, the real estate market is dead, unemployment and foreclosures are at record highs and now flooding has damaged corn crops which will further increase the price of food.
I made the mistake of watching the news while I was home cleaning today. Holy crap what a mistake! While I was looking to take my mind off of my recent job loss (as detailed in my prior post) the news did nothing to help my mood.
Like a 12 ton crushing boulder of despair, the news just suffocated and crushed what little hope I was feeling. I had started off the day feeling positive and hopeful for future job prospects and my abilities to perhaps find work.
To hear cable news anchors tell it, the economy, the war, the weather and global warming are only going to worsen. Things will NEVER EVER get better! Stock up on food supplies and find a bomb shelter, society is falling apart. Well, just be careful WHICH bomb shelter you use. Chances are good that it was made in China and has dangerous toxins which will kill you if you touch the walls, breathe the air inside, etc...
I think I'm going to avoid televised news for a few weeks. I don't need people telling me how much the world sucks right now. What I NEED is something positive, something affirming, something ... I dunno' good. Yes, I fully recognize (and embrace) the irony of angrily ranting about a lack of positive things.
So, I asked myself, what is it that allows so many Americans to go through life obliviously happy while the world around them falls apart? Other than copious amounts of alcohol and pharmaceuticals. Then, while changing channels, I came across a possible answer... MTV.
One half hour episode of watching some spoiled brat on "My Sweet Sixteen" whine that daddy got her the wrong colored Porsche for her birthday should make me feel better, right? No, it only made me angry and in favor of forced sterilization programs for our country's ignorant.
I can't imagine who the target audience is for this show. Viewers can ONLY have one of two reactions. 1) a perfectly justified hate or 2) a desire to emulate and be like these spoiled princesses. So either a lot of people like to watch things which anger them (which I must admit to doing from time to time) or there are a lot of people emulating this lifestyle of excess and insane sense of entitlement. And that just makes me sad.
So right now, I'll go watch The Daily Show, which at least puts stupid things into perspective and gives me a laugh no matter how bad my day is going. After that, I'm going to turn off the TV and get back to working on things distraction free.
Thanks to everyone who emailed or commented regarding my job loss (as detailed in my last blog post). I am in the process of compiling a resume, getting my clips together and figuring out what I will do next.
I posted a new Todd and Penguin last night. I'll post a new comic Wednesday night.Labels: media hype |
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| 2 Comments: |
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You shouldn't watch the news. The sense of hopelessness is false. In fact, any time you listen to someone else talk about how terrible things are, you are engaging in a meditation on the negative and it's bound to fill you with despair.
The news is a mantra of suffering, but the truth is that things will get better. The news won't report that because it isn't interesting. Yes, food prices will go up more, but eventually things will work out and we may end up with a better world in the long run. Once we make some difficult adjustments, cheap labor won't be so cheap internationally and jobs will come back home. High oil prices also mean that carrying around imported goods becomes more expensive and U.S.-produced goods become more competitive.
Make your own daily meditation affirming the things in your life that are good rather than let the news dictate one for you. You'll be a happier person and it won't hurt the outcome of your efforts to find work. It'll also make you a better person.
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"If it bleeds, it leads."
Have you noticed how the news always reports the death of a great hero, but never his birth?
I gave up on network news decades ago. I could get all the same information far faster skimming the first couple of paragraphs of articles in the newspaper, and if I wanted a little more depth I could read the whole article. And the newspaper (and online news nowdays) gives me time to think about the story and decide whether it is sane or not.
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Name: Blogger Dad
Home: Florida, United States
About Me: I was a reporter at a Florida newspaper, where I covered city politics and draw editorial comics. Now, I'm a Blogger Dad (click the link for my webpage - the blog on the bottom is for Todd and Penguin) in search of a job and attempting to write a book or four.
I'm also a cartoonist, how most of you know me, who draws Todd and Penguin, Taking Up Space and the occasional other titles, featured on KeenSpot.com.
I'm married (sorry, all you ladies interested in overweight guys who spend too much time drawing) and have a one year old son and two cats. Three of the above mentioned poop way too much!
See my profile...
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posted by Blogger Dad at 
You shouldn't watch the news. The sense of hopelessness is false. In fact, any time you listen to someone else talk about how terrible things are, you are engaging in a meditation on the negative and it's bound to fill you with despair.
The news is a mantra of suffering, but the truth is that things will get better. The news won't report that because it isn't interesting. Yes, food prices will go up more, but eventually things will work out and we may end up with a better world in the long run. Once we make some difficult adjustments, cheap labor won't be so cheap internationally and jobs will come back home. High oil prices also mean that carrying around imported goods becomes more expensive and U.S.-produced goods become more competitive.
Make your own daily meditation affirming the things in your life that are good rather than let the news dictate one for you. You'll be a happier person and it won't hurt the outcome of your efforts to find work. It'll also make you a better person.