Thursday, February 20, 2014

No News is Good News

I've issued a "news moratorium" here at the Cat House.


This is something that I've often heard touted as an antidote to many of the ills of modern living.

You know, remove yourself from the constant flow of information and allow yourself to experience each moment as it unfolds, and to immerse yourself in the world that you actually inhabit rather than the one that comes through our many screens.



I have to admit though, that my purpose with this little exercise is well... um.... not quite so lofty.



Have I mentioned that I'm a HUGE figure skating fan? I know, I know... it's really terrible. I sorta feel like I'm promoting child abuse by watching the stuff, but I seriously just can't help myself. I see them out there twirling on the ice and suddenly I'm back in the 3rd grade watching Dorothy Hamill bring home the gold medal... yes, it's a sickness.... and yes, I had the haircut.


Anyhow, the Olympic ladies long program (the one that determines the medals) is gonna be televised tonight and I don't want anything to ruin it for me, so I'm not watching the news, or looking at Google news, or turning on the radio, or television, or anything else! And don't any of you DARE ruin it for me!!!


This is quite a challenge for a news junkie like myself - and to be completely honest, I did watch the late news last night after the broadcast of the short program (the first half of the competition.) Hey... I had to see what the weather was gonna be like. Plus, I had to know if there was anything about the body in the river!!!



Seriously, we had wonderful weather in the 60's yesterday so CatMan and I went for a bike ride. So we're riding along the South Platte river when all of a sudden we hit a section that was cordoned off with police tape. There were a pile of officers there who shooed us along.


On our way back about an hour and a half later, it was still there... only now there was just one young cadet doing the shooing, and all of the officers were down in the river inspecting something. I was afraid of getting in trouble, so I just hopped over the guard rail to the street and continued on my way like I was supposed to do... but CatMan stood there grilling the cadet trying to get some info.

When he finally crossed over to the other side where I was waiting he told me that they had found a body in the river!! He had actually seen them pulling it out! He wanted me to go back with him to see if we could see anything else, but I really, REALLY didn't want to see it. Seriously, that sort of thing could scar a person for life!



So at any rate... this no news thing is a HUGE challenge especially on a day like today, because I'm dying to know what they found... it's like CSI Denver or something like that.



But I'm holding firm... I'm not gonna peek... because the ladies are worth it.



Plus, I think it might actually be healthy for me to try to get un-addicted to the news... you know, for all of the lofty reasons I mentioned above.



So, how about you? Am I the only crazy news junkie out there? Do you think it's healthy to watch the news?


33 comments :

  1. I've noticed in the last couple of years that I can't watch the news many nights consecutively without getting quite down in myself. In Ireland (and I'm pretty sure everywhere else) it's all doom and gloom at the moment and it truly does get exhausting. No one has any money, people are being murdered left, right and centre; I just want a news segment that gives you nothing but good news. But until then, I shall stay away from the television.

    One of my favourite quotes explains this so well: The news anchors start the news with "good evening" and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.

    Enjoy your figure skating!

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    1. I can totally relate to the desire to isolate oneself from the doom and gloom. But I'm generally more likely to get really angry as opposed to depressed. Maybe that's part of the appeal for me... it gives me a place to burn off extraneous emotions rather than having to really deal with them.

      Anyhow... I'm staying strong... only 2 more hours! :-)

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  2. I used to watch NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw religiously when I was growing up. I'm not sure if it was good or bad to be as globally aware as I was at such a young age. If anything, it elevated my anxiety. I needed to know what was going on in the world! I then got into documentaries in college, which also increased the anxiety from there. I'm seriously one of those people where more knowledge does not equal power, but worry lol!

    My general news source of late has been FaceBook. I deactivated a few days ago because my addiction to it is just ridiculous. I was tired of being that involved in everyone's lives and feeling like I needed to post to keep up...or getting called out for being honest/emotional (like in a post where I suggested women should get abortions because parenting often sucks and how I wish I would have been smart enough to get them X amount of years ago....yeah, probably not the right way to vent my frustration, but not worth the immense backlash from my 47 friends either).

    I hope you can hold out, so your surprise is not ruined! I don't have that sort of patience!

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    1. I cancelled my FB account a few years ago - I just couldn't resist the pull, and I also found myself in constant conflict with random people - generally idiots who wouldn't even give me the time of day back in high school, but who just HAD to be my FB friend - perhaps there was a reason we weren't friends in high school dudes!!

      I personally think that your honesty in terms of the parenting thing is refreshing - and I also think that the backlash is probably due to the fact that a lot of people have similar feelings but are too guilt ridden to actually express them.

      But I honestly don't think that covering up those sorts of emotions does anyone any favors. I mean my mom HATED being a parent, but she couldn't accept the fact that she felt that way. As a result everything she did was motivated purely by guilt, and I was left with a mother who spoke nothing but saccharine sweet BS while she was busy taking out all of her anger on me when nobody was looking. I mean, part of me understands, because I think I'd hate being a parent too, but I think it would have been a lot less damaging if she'd accepted her feelings and tried to deal with them rather than just running away and trying to cover it up all the time.

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  3. I don't watch the news any more because it just depresses me, but like Megyn I'm a bit of a facebook junkie. I get my news that way, which gives me an interestingly biased version of what's going on in the world. I do avoid it for very similar reasons to you - when everyone's talking about Strictly Come Dancing and we haven't seen it yet! If I want the weather forecast, I go straight to the Met Office website.

    I can't be bothered with the skating, though. I mean, there'll never be another Torvill and Dean, will there? ;-)

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    1. OK, now you've done it. I'm gonna be humming Bolero all night long! :-)

      Actually, for me, Michelle Kwan was the absolute pinnacle of figure skating perfection. I still get chills thinking about her Fields of Gold performance.

      So what is Strictly Come Dancing? Is that like the UK version of Dancing with the Stars?

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    2. No, Dancing with the Stars is the US version of Strictly Come Dancing!

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    3. Ha! Important clarification, thank you! Not that I've ever watched it. Gotta admit sounds deathly boring to me - especially since I've never heard of most of the "stars" who they dance with.

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  4. Megyn - both my parents (divorced) have told me at different times that they mean me no disrespect, but if they had known what parenting involved they would not have done it. I didn't take it personally, I quite agree and I was sensible enough to avoid it, thank goodness. But most people either don't see it as a mistake (which for them it may well not be, for me it would) or aren't prepared to admit to themselves that it wasn't a great idea after all, so I'm not shocked that you got shouted at.

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    1. CatMan once read something about the advertising industry... and why they so often use pictures of babies to sell things - I think this was back in his psychological studies days. Anyhow, the thing said that just the image of a baby was enough to evoke such incredible ambivalence and guilt that it would get people to buy things that they didn't really want or need simply to make the feelings go away.

      Anyhow, I think your parents did a wonderful thing by facing their feelings rather than trying to cover it up. It's soooo much less hurtful that way. And I think that I am incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity for a "test run" with kids. My Ex had a young daughter from a previous marriage, and being her step-mom pretty much convinced me that I didn't have it in me to be a parent.

      It wasn't that I didn't love her, because I really, really did. It was that I got to see firsthand how all-consuming the job of being a parent is, and it became crystal clear to me that I had a TON of personal work to do before I could even consider the idea of bringing a child into this world. I mean, when your 2 year old is throwing a temper tantrum, you can't exactly say "Gee - I'm sorry that you're having a meltdown, but this is bringing up some long-buried childhood shit for me and I need to go deal with it."

      Anyhow, I could suddenly see how it was that family dysfunction gets passed along from generation to generation, and I was pretty determined to break that link. I've gotta say, that I can't really think of a time I've regretted my decision.

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    2. I stopped watching the Olympics when the first Dream Team was created for basketball. It cheapened it for me that these multi millionaire professionals could compete.

      News, nope I check online every other day or so and my kids tell me about stories they know I will care about but I can't stand the over the top way its delivered and how its all sensationalism to keep you there.

      As for having children, its the hardest job there is and one that comes with no help, no manual and lots of unpredictability. Would I do it again? No. It was very hard and some days even years were so hard i wouldn't have done it the first time if i knew what i was in for. I had to work at being the parent i wanted to be. That said i love my kids and grandkids but find myself selfish now in that i put myself first. There's this part of me that needs to be the focus after 21 years of putting two boys' beds before my own.

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    3. Hmmm... I didn't even know they had basketball in the Olympics. I dunno - I don't really watch much beyond the figure skating - but I'm a big skating fan anyhow, so from my perspective it's really just another excuse for an international competition... one that actually gets televised on regular TV so I can watch the whole thing! But for me, these are girls who I've followed for years, so it's interesting from that perspective - can't imagine what the appeal is of these team sports especially when the team is just tossed together for the sake of the Olympics themselves. Sorta defeats the whole "team" aspect of it if you know what I mean!

      Anyhow, I guess I have mixed feelings on the Olympics in general. It's nice for sports that seldom get much attention to be in the spotlight for a change, but I just hate the whole medal count BS, and this year has been especially annoying since the media seems soooo focused on hyping up some sort of "thing" between the US and Russia. Let it go already!

      I think I'm going to try to pare back my news watching in general. It was nice to feel less tied to it over the past few days. And in reality, very little of it has any impact on my real life.

      From the things you've told me about your situation, I can only imagine how hard it was for you raising two kids on your own. I don't think putting yourself first is selfish at all... I actually think it's healthy for parent/child relationships to evolve once the kids themselves are adults.

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  5. It's always interesting to read the trail where the comments go! But, back to topic, I was just checking the news and, sadly, I saw the results of the long program, which I was bummed about because, like you, I wanted it to be a surprise. I won't tell, though!!!!!!!! I'm not quite the skating fanatic you are but it is my favorite part of the winter Olympics.

    I find, in general, it's good for me to limit my exposure to televised news. Somehow when I read it online it doesn't have the same effect on me as it does viewing it on tv. Especially with super-horrific stories when they keep showing the same footage over ... and over ... and over. I want to be informed, not over-saturated.

    I have never opened a facebook account because, frankly, it rubs me the wrong way. It seems so "all about me", which I guess it is, but I like to be a private person and not share everything. I also don't want to be contacted by people I knew 30 years ago--I'm glad to not be in contact with an awful lot of people. It can be a good thing to move on in life and forget some people/circumstances. That being said, when my kids get "of age" I will probably open an account to keep up with them. I'm hoping by then it will be a thing of the past.

    If there's anyone out there reading who is ambivalent about having kids--I was ambivalent when we decided to start a family but I was of an age where it was "now or never". The baby/toddler years were TOUGH but now the joys strongly outweigh the negatives. I think the hardest part is that with every new family member to love, I have become more vulnerable--their pain is my pain and all that. But in my case, I wouldn't trade it for the world. I have friends who have never had children and they live happy and productive lives so there is room for all kinds of child-rearing decisions out there! :)

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    1. Ha! I loved your comment about not wanting to connect with people from your past. As a friend of mine says, there's probably a reason they didn't make it to your present!

      I'm so sorry the figure skating results got ruined for you... only an hour left to go, and I'm avoiding all TV and anything on the interwebs that could spoil it. But I do plan on talking to CatMan in a little bit - of course he's be put on notice with this one. He's also not exactly a figure skating fan. I was blathering about it the other day and he was like, "What? She did a triple klutz?" At least he tolerates my passion for it.

      Your comment about kids pretty much made me cry... that's exactly how I feel about my cats - their pain is my pain. Unfortunately, with my mother it was more like "their pain is another wonderful excuse to express a whole pile of my anger." Anyhow - I have nothing against kids or parents, I just think that people should have kids because they really want them and not because they think it's what they are supposed to do. Call me a cynic, but I think we'd all be better off that way.

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    2. I still got to enjoy the skating. Watching the Korean woman skate (sorry, I don't remember her name) was like watching beautiful music. She is so lyrical when she skates.

      I fully agree with you--parenting is a huge commitment and not one to enter into lightly. I am always so sad when I hear stories like yours (or watch what goes on with some of the kids we know). Raising children can be frustrating and I, like all other parents, have had those moments where I "lose it" with them, but I try to have that be the exception and not the rule in our house (and I try to make myself ask them for forgiveness when I do mess up!). Anyway ... you seem to have turned out to be a pretty decent person despite the parenting (or lack of!) that you had! :)

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    3. Yu-Na Kim is the name of the South Korean girl, and she is indeed beautiful to watch. And I was soooo happy for Adelina (the Russian girl who won.) She had such a tough season, and was under immense pressure. And then Julia came along and just turned on the jets in the past few months and everybody just forgot about Adelina. She was devastated to be left out of the team competition, so it was really heartwarming to see her pull it all together and win the gold.

      In terms of my mother - I have to remind myself that she did the best she could. It's not exactly like she had great role models when it came to parenting. Her father was an abusive alcoholic and her mother was a manipulative and controlling enabler. So, she came by her anger honestly. I think part of the reason she got married (which she did in defiance of her parents) and had kids was to get away from them. But alas... when one doesn't really deal with one's own shit, one is sorta doomed to pass it along to others.

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  6. I hope this doesn't mean you can't watch The Daily Show or Colbert!

    My husband loves to watch men's skating and hope they fall. If I'm in the other room and I hear him yell "YES!!!" I know some poor dude wiped out.

    I love him anyway (or because of this???).

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    1. Oh my... sounds just like my brother... only in it for the crashes. I don't generally watch the short track stuff because those crashes frighten me. I really don't wanna see somebody get sliced up by a skate blade. But if he likes crashes, I bet he LOVED the men's figure skating - I don't think anybody stood up their program.

      At least the ladies competition was a good, better, best situation where pretty much everybody skated well... even if there is a judging controversy... AGAIN. Sigh.

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    2. ps. Can't watch Stewart and Colbert anyhow because I'm too cheap to have cable. I can watch them on the web, but it's usually a day or two old so I don't generally get around to it. Though it might be a better use of my time than watching every local newscast I can get my paws on!

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  7. My strategy for news is not to listen to any breaking news. I check the news online once or twice a day, and I prefer reading in-depth stories that tell about the background of an issue. The kind of story that says, "There's a commotion down by the river...officers are on scene...what will they find?" I just tune out and the next day I catch up. I was happy the Canadian women won gold in curling and hockey today, though!

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    1. Seriously? Curling and hockey?!? I think curling has got to be the most boring sport ever created and hockey... don't EVEN get me started - it's like thugs on ice as far as I'm concerned. Of course, the fact that I was an RA in college and most of the hockey team lived in my dorm might color my view on that sport a bit.

      Seriously... a sophomore girl is supposed to be the disciplinarian for the entire hockey team at a HUGE hockey school - they practically had diplomatic immunity! Not kidding... one day they were celebrating a big win and they threw a soda machine out a plate glass window! Any other student would have been expelled, but they didn't even get a slap on the wrist! Ok... let it go Cat, let it go...

      Anyhow, I think you have a wonderfully healthy approach to the news. I fear I tend to get caught up in the "breaking news" "crisis around the corner" aspect of it. After 9-11 it was really bad - I was just glued to the TV for the entire next few months waiting for the next shoe to fall. I think I'm gonna try to cultivate a more balanced approach.

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  8. I think it's important to know what is going on in the world, but like with all modern technology, it can become a bit of a problem when it starts to take over your life! I have been watching much less news as there has been Winter Olympics to watch (I love the skiing and snowboarding with tricks and jumps- partly for the random commentary and partly because they all seem super chilled out. Favourite event was the ski cross where three out of the four competitors in one semi final crossed the line on the floor after crashing in the most hilarious photo finish ever).

    I have a bad habit of leaving the news channel on even when I have seen all of the stories/footage- I need to stop doing this!

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    1. Just one more reason not to have cable TV - no 24 hour news channels over the air!

      I was too afraid to watch the ski cross because I feared seeing a terrible accident. I did hear about that finish though, perhaps I should Google it now that I know nobody got killed! :-)

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    2. The BBC has a 24hr news channel, so you don't need cable (well, usually Sky satellite here) to get permanent news!
      I watch the news, documentaries and some sports- wouldn't bother with more than terrestrial channels if it was just me, but the bf loves having Sky.

      Definitely Google the skicross! I think I like watching it because of the danger- though I don't like it when they get hurt!

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    3. So I did Google it and you're right, it was totally hilarious! I think I have sort of a love-hate relationship with dangerous stuff. Part of me loves the excitement of watching the crashes etc, but I wouldn't want to see someone get really hurt - like that girl who died doing the ski half-pipe a few years ago. You know... the whole thing about not being able to "un-see" something terrible.

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  9. I avoid the tv news like the plague. I hate how they dramatize everything and I cannot stand how they determine what should be the first news story of the evening. My husband will watch it sometimes and if they're leading the broadcast with a sports story, I'm already doubting their motives. Is that score really the most important news of the day?

    But my in-laws buy me a subscription to the Sunday paper every year for Xmas, so I'm not completely out of the loop. And if someone mentions a story I want to know more about, I find an article about it online. I prefer reading anyway.

    I hope you enjoyed watching the skating sans spoilers :)

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    1. I think you're absolutely correct about the news, and it's gotten sooo much worse in recent years. I think there has just been so much loosening of the FCC regulations, and when you combine that with the fact that all of the news agencies are now owned by massive corporations who are anything but unbiased when it comes to the views that they want to impart to the public, well, it's kind of a farce. What really gets to me is when they start announcing things like the release of the new iPhone as if this is somehow "news". Seriously? It starts to get pretty hard to tell where the program stops and the commercials begin these days!

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  10. I started to watch the women's figure skating last night until someone fell. I felt so bad for the competitor, that I changed the channel. Also, I didn't have her haircut, but I loved Dorthy Hamil.

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    1. I know what you mean. I feel soooo bad for them when they fall and have their little hearts broken. I mean, they're just kids after all. I sorta want to go hug them and try to explain that in the broad scheme of things a stupid skating competition is meaningless. I always hope that they have someone in their lives who is telling them all that.

      So there were a few dreams dashed last night, but by in large it was a competition where most of them skated well. That's what I'm always hoping for - I want them all to skate the very best that they can and to feel good about themselves.

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  11. I go back and forth on this issue. Mr. Money Mustache had a compelling post on a low information diet, and I can see the benefits. Still, I hate being uninformed when I have a conversation with friends about the political/economic/social issue du jour. My happy balance is listening to NPR, rather than watching television news.

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    1. What a sensible compromise! I generally get sucked into the local news because I want the latest weather info for the sake of planning both bike rides and gardens... but once sucked into the vortex it's just sooo hard to get out! Plus, I loves me my Broncos, and I have to be up on the latest! Oh well... so much for centered intentional living.

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  12. I am somewhat like Done By Forty...not the sensible part of listening to NPR but the part of being on a low information diet. I listen to the headlines but DVR it passed the disturbing parts. ( I realizing DVR isn't really a verb but in my house it is an "action" not an electronic) Sure that makes me semi-informed but I tend to get irritated at so much of the nonsense that makes the news these days, I refuse to listen.

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    1. Well, at least it's an active process for you. My problem is that I tend to just leave the news on in the background - which is really an unhealthy backdrop for life! But I'm trying to reform. I've only watched one newscast in the past 24 hours... that's pretty good for me! :-)

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Thanks, and have a fabulous day!