In the span of one half hour I have heard on the morning news:
* 8.2 million jobs have been lost in the past two years.
* Kids are playing the 'choking game'. Purposely choking one another or themselves to receive a brief high as they are asphyxiated. More than 80 kids have died playing this so-called game.
* A Dancing with the Stars participant is receiving serious death threats.
* An anti-government group is ordering the state governors out of office. The FBI calls it exercising free speech.
* There has been a 250% increase in militia groups since President Obama took office.
* iPad goes on sale today. Thousands line up to buy it.
And this is just a lightweight morning show. An interesting glimpse of American society, in abridged form.
* Edited to add the other within the 30 minutes. How could I forget this one.
* The Michigan Militia members who were about to go on a cop-killing spree were arraigned.
12 comments:
An abridged look that is quite sad. It's why I prefer to turn off the tv most days and enjoy the solitude, the peace and quiet out here on the plains.
Wishing you a beautiful Saturday (minus the horrible news). :)
Ahh yes, I call it psychic shielding. News programs make me physically ill. My husband and I have a deal. He lets me know if there is anything going on that I really need to know about...Some may think that is irresponsible. But, I know myself. So Sandra, I hope you'll be able to give yourself a break tomorrow (one day only?) and enjoy some peace and quiet. There's a lot of love out there that we don't hear about too! Here's some from me to you.
This was hardly a news program, but rather ABC's morning show. Fluff & buff. But it is a glimpse into the society in which we live. Interesting from an anthropological standpoint.
I did not get into what the jobs numbers mean!
it's brutal.
the world.
but it 's also beautiful .
wish a day of it for you.
We have to be careful not to succomb to the fear these broadcasts engender ... I think we are much more easily manipulated when fearful. That said, we cannot bury our heads in the sand either ... How to find the balance. Perhaps justified anger that leads to constructive acts ...
Perhaps we can start at home - making our surroundings ones of peace, compassion and inquiry.
You know perhaps as well as anyone close to me how I feel about the prevailing insanity.
No tv now for over 20 some years, no radio since NPR went on some tangent that they appear to have a hard time abandoning and going back to all things considered the way they were once considered the rational, neutral and unbiased reports of what was wrong and how to fix it.
I glance at the paper these days mostly because I want to know about the weather. Barry is a news hound, he reads so many blogs and so much in order to make up his own mind about things...I read foreign press mostly and get news from friends all over the world.
Depressing? Cannot think of anything more depressing than to contemplate the state of our so called "culture", reality shows? what the heck is that? are they showing people dying because they don't have health insurance?
As soon as I can I am going back to plant tomatoes and basil and feed the hummingbirds because the world we live in these days makes as much sense as falling day in and day out through the rabbit hole and never being able to get away from that.
Have a good weekend, go outside and forget if you can for a day the madness that is visiting us all.
I'm not having a bad day. My point was that in 30 minutes time a morning show presented reports that basically summed up American culture: violence and consumerism. I don't know why, but I noticed.
I like to know what is going on, but I don't look to this type of programming for it. Sometimes I need to get away from it though.
I am also looking forward to planting my tomatoes and herbs and if I could figure out how to keep Grace away from them, I would get some laying hens. And it was a sort of nice day and I did enjoy it!
I'd like to say that I hate the news but I actually find it endlessly fascinating - the stuff that affects me personally is depressing (i.e. healthcare reform) but for the most part, I enjoy it, like you, from perhaps an anthropological stance -- probably more from an ever-curious mind. I have to say that those men in that militia in Michigan were the highlight of my week, especially given their mug shots. It looked like some really bad Saturday Night Live skit come to life -- such was the stereotype of stupidity/in-breeding and who knows what else. I think we live in almost Swiftian times...
I, and many of my friends have given up watching tv, particularly the news shows.
No need to wonder why so many people are suffering from depression and anxiety or why the levels of violence have risen so drastically and anti social behavior is so prevelant. Basically, it is what we are force fed.
Unfortunatly, I believe our tuning out is part of the plan. we'll either become desensitized, apathetic or overwhelmed and the power mongers can continue to collect oil, money, whatever.
You should read homeschooling blogs. Fascinating insight into the levels of educational stupidity [hence the removal of children from the public system] breeding an even more stupid generation who couldn't reason their way out of a wet paper bag & have no idea they are being manipulated. No surprises then.
Unfortunately even my sense of the ironic & satirical is deeply disturbed by the trend western culture in general has taken.
um, sorry KGV, is me, Ganeida. Signed into Dearest's account obviously...
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