Tuesday, August 10, 2010

The News

I used to be a news junkie.

I started my day, (every single day) reading all the major news on my computer.

Now?

Pfft.

I rarely open one of the big dot com newspaper sites.  And no, I don't watch the news on TV - the visuals are upsetting and stay with me much too long.  Besides which - there's all the dumb tabloid "stuff" that is supposed to be news.  But it's not news - it's just junk celebrity gossip and there's a place for it, I'm sure, but not on what's billed as "the news." 

I now get my news fix from NPR.com and BBC.com because they're able to give me the news without the tabloid crap and without putting an "in your face" slant on everything.  Today's big news corporations tell me what "they" want me to hear, and some of them don't give a flip about the truth and validity of what they're telling (or selling).  The days of unbiased news in this country are, in my opinion, pretty much gone.

Oddly enough, I also catch some news at Facebook.  I love Facebook.  I love it for any number of reasons, but today I'll just pick one.

The news.  (We can talk about the other things we love (or hate) about Facebook another day).

Because a large percentage of my Facebook friends share the same political and ideological views I do, it makes sense that news articles I especially enjoy pop up with regularity.  However, I also see articles posted by friends who do not share my views - but they're posted without the nasty rhetoric you might have to put up with in some corners; and that's lovely.  It's enough to keep me informed and able to form my own opinions; which are not as clear cut and straight down a party line as they once were.

Anyhoooo . . .

Facebook brought the following stories to my attention which I've enjoyed - see what you think - - - (i know, i know - some of these may "not" be news, but they're stories I enjoyed.  Is the girl who quit her job even the truth?  I have no idea - but I loved it anyway).

A "Fed-Up Flight Attendant Makes Sliding Exit."

A "Girl quits her job on dry erase board, emails entire office (33 photos)."

 and in the book world - two of my favorite authors - - -

Pat Conroy and the e-book future

and

Laura Lippman talks about The Nature of Memory

and

finally - one more thing I found at Facebook is just for fun - Enjoy!!

2 comments:

Vicki Lane said...

I get my news pretty much the same way -- with the addition of a quick look at the Huffington Post some days and Doonesbury every day.

Love the Girl Quits Job link!

le0pard13 said...

I couldn't agree with you more regarding this, Kaye. The corporate infotainment being practiced today is a slap in the face of real journalism. I find I'm muting or changing the station on my TV more and more when the news is on. Thanks for posting this.