Do not continue reading this blog post until you have thoroughly read the above link from Campus Reform!
So how am I protecting myself — both my mental and physical health? See my recent comment at Politics Rewritten. The complete content of my comment is below the fold.
Are we living in bizarro world, or what? It is almost impossible to discern the truth about the Russia-Ukraine situation, the safety of COVID vaccines, the actual need to COVID vaccines, the intractability of school boards with regard to CRT and the transgender agenda, etc. I could go on and on!
I’ve never felt more politically powerless!
I’m taking measures to protect both my mental health and my physical health. Those measures include reading novels, watching historical documentaries on YouTube and various offerings at Amazon Prime (including As We See It, a situation comedy about three autistic adults), taking a nap every day, playing with our two dogs, and enjoying my husband’s company.
The above said, I refuse to give up! I do spend a few hours on the “political web” every morning. Overall, at the end of that time, I’m saddened by the state of our republic. As one of my former students used to say, when I handed out homework assignments “I feel doom!”
Prayers for our nation!
...and some people wonder why we have "university graduates" with "degrees" wandering around who can't get a real job...
ReplyDeleteBAYSIDER
DeleteA problem is many of those with the least credible degrees land in Human Resources where they ignite or co-conspire to drag all their garbage into the workplace and force everyone to participate.
I'm recommending Jon Ronson's podcast on the origins of the culture wars, "Things Fell Apart" to everyone. It's terrific. I listened to it from the bbc site, but if that's not available to you in America I think you can get it from apple or somewhere.
ReplyDeleteJez,
DeleteJon Ronson? The author of The Psychopath Test?
The links to Jon Ronson's podcasts Things Fell Apart.
DeleteThank you for that recommendation. I read his book, so you have been publicly shamed. Excellent reportage on the early stages of our cancel culture and digital dog piling.
Delete@aow: yes, him!
DeleteThanks for the links, Warren.
He does a good job, I think. Some marvellous interviews. Funnily enough there's a brief aside in one episode about how his own book on public shaming was part of one of the high school book protests.
Your welcome, jez.
DeleteGenerally speaking, in the US you can directly link to anything that isn't protected by a 'Paywall', then there are other possibilities.
The book in which I'm engrossed at the moment: the novel Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (also the author of Everything I Never Told You.
ReplyDeleteYesterday, I read over 170 pages of Little Fires Everywhere, and the book has teeny-weeny print. I can hardly wait to resume reading today!
Excellent book and I watched the mini-series on Hulu. Excellent!
DeleteElizabeth,
DeleteI wasn't aware that there was series based on Little Fires Everywhere.
I've read the Everything I Never Told You is even better than Little Fires Everywhere.
BTW, several of my Asian-American students (10th and 11th graders) read Everything I Never Told You and loved the book.
I have read Everything I Never Told You, both are stellar. I enjoy VC Andrews, Mary Higgins Clark, Robin Cook, yes more into thrillers and mysteries. It is my escape. I am looking for the full collection of The Nancy Drew Mystery Stories from Simmon & Schuster. I want an older addition because after the 1960s they began updating and in particular deviated from the original story theme, such as "The Moss Covered Mansion." The republished version from the 1970's has them in Florida and it is just a totally rewritten story and not as good. Yes, I admit I have some on digital and still read them when I am really crazy and wish we were living back then when people were not uncouth. It is either read them or lose my mind.
DeleteHAHAHAHA!!! Word Criminal ALERT!!!!! *Older edition..... :)
DeleteElizabeth,
DeleteI grew up reading the Nancy Drew Series. Loved 'em!
I also read a lot of Zane Grey. My cousin Jack, 10 years older than I, had a whole shelf of Zane Grey books.
I discovered Stephen King shortly after the publication of Carrie. I've read almost everything he has written. My two favorites are 11/22/63 and The Green Mile.
AOW...our posts sure matched, didn't they... The way this country's suddenly going is astonishing. ANd there IS grounds for worry...to say the least.
ReplyDeleteA people ARE politically powerless when their media is only representing its side. Period. It's PRAVDA. It's keeping truth from voters.
CNN doesn't cover the enormous border problem; even Psaki says the most ridiculously dumb things correcting (!) what we've seen with our own eyes!! Cnn and she are excellent comedy relief ...I have to keep reminding myself "CNN's ratings are in the tank...don't worry"
People seem to be waking up a bit, but I AM worried. And I just copy/pasted one of your paragraphs above on my blog...so they could get some ideas of how not to worry.
NOVELS are MY 'cure'...NEVER nonfiction....that seems to too often border on politics or our rotten culture!
Z,
DeleteI just copy/pasted one of your paragraphs above on my blog...so they could get some ideas of how not to worry.
Thanks! People need to find ways to protect themselves. Novels may not be for everyone, Of course. But respites are definitely needed if we are to keep our mental balance.
AOW, do you remember when FOX was only talked about on Cable as a new station ? I so distinctly remember watching CNN (we all did..) and wondering why they were so negative about a channel that hadn't even come on yet. And, now we see...they set it ALL UP. You mention FOX today to anyone not Conservative, or so Liberal they can't see it, and they flip out immediately...when FOX has probably 70% more articulate Democrats on regularly in their discussions than CNN ever did, even till today. I'm seeing a few more Conservatives there, but SO few, really. They used to push that Ana Navarro, the NEVER TRUMPER who's often on THE VIEW now (from what I hear) as their REPUBLICAN! You can't make this up. !!! Just wondered if you remember that pre-FOX scuttlebutt which worked SO very well.......
ReplyDeleteFox News has been reliable for the most part. I do not care for how cheaply some of the women dress. They look like they are going to a cocktail party instead of being the professionals they are and delivering the news. It is hard to take those women seriously when they dress that way. Furthermore, Hannity is dating Ainsley Earhardt, and Watters had an affair; "Jesse Watter and his wife Noelle Watters’ marriage was called off after it was revealed that Jesse Watters was having an External affair with his girlfriend. The affair was with a considerably younger Fox employee who worked as an associate producer on his show Watters’ World (Paraphrased)." So, the Fox people live in their glass houses and lecture about decency and morality but are more guilty than those they accuse of having no morals. I have lost a lot of respect for workers not being professional at Fox and some of their shoddy sensationalism. They are in no way that much better any more than other news agencies or cable networks. The elite lecturing the "little people" as Fox frequently refers to us viewing as.
DeleteZ,
DeleteYou mention FOX today to anyone not Conservative, or so Liberal they can't see it, and they flip out immediately.
Yes, indeed.
Closed minds.
Elizabeth,
DeleteI do not care for how cheaply some of the women dress. They look like they are going to a cocktail party instead of being the professionals they are and delivering the news. It is hard to take those women seriously when they dress that way.
So true! Drives me up the wall. Have they been out all night and not find time to change clothes. Sheesh.
And some their personal lives are not good models, either. Glass houses -- as you said.
Women in short skirts crossing their legs and shaking them around is a key part of the fox news business model. Sex sells.
DeleteSF,
DeleteI will note that Fox also tries to put on male hunks. **wink**
Fortunately, they don't appear shirtless. Yet.
Breaking through the glass ceiling, only to be made to sit at a glass desk. Oh the irony.
Delete@jez That is too funny! :)
DeleteWell, the only hunk that Fox has ever had is Bill Hemmer and he does not roll like the rest of them. He keeps his life private and devotes much of his time to his family. They spread rumors he was gay since he is not married but turns out in 2015 or 2016 he broke up with his girlfriend of eight years. Hemmer truly is one class act.
I agree about dangling bejeweled earrings at 8 am!
DeleteI don't think of their personal lives much when I like what they're saying...I know Julie Banderas, Sandra Smith, Kayleigh, Dana, Harris Faulkner, and most of the men, have apparently beautiful family relationships and would never suggest they're more immoral for having been divorced than any other news channels are. I guess I feel it's their thoughts/opinions/knowledge which attracts me more.
I don't look to others for validation of my moral standards, neither do I emulate their conduct. If I find their standards reprehensible then I ovoid personal contact.
DeleteBravo to you, AOW.
ReplyDeleteI am a regular reader of Campus Reform. That means I've seen a lot of egregious stuff. But when I saw that post I nearly fell off my chair. To get that course credit you virtually have to set up a straw man and go out looking for trouble. I kept picturing myself asking such a caller "what do you mean by that" and "how did you come to that conclusion" throughout the script.
BAYSIDER
Baysider,
DeleteCampus Reform carries stories that other sites do not.
I wonder if the course mentioned in this blog post is a required course. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that it is.
Rational people [those who don't validate their self esteem from politics, social media or general drama] absolutely need their own firewall to maintain sanity in an insane world.
ReplyDeleteHistorical books are my quiet time go-to....but working out, shooting and hiking are my active defense [with a Utility Kilt in the warmer months....equal parts comfort and entertainment in the reaction].
Both can usually be followed by a nice single malt Scotch and a cigar.
The key [for me] is recognizing the political theater and it's media/social media accomplice for what it is. And not get suckered in by charlatans, grifters and hucksters.
I discuss politics online where it's relatively safer to do so. With 74 million volunteer Russian FSB agents on our soil awaiting orders from Trump to kick off a civil war it's just too much risk of violence to talk politics in person with anyone you can't pat down for a pipe bomb first.
DeleteI go online to get away from the crazy. Weird, huh?
AOW, I took yesterday off. Sunday is my now news day. It's a lot of information to disseminate and most if not all is truly negative. Take care of yourself and your mental health. No one can do that, but you and you know what and how much is enough.
ReplyDelete*no
Delete