BTW, I am a first time reader and poster. I'm hooked, great blog!

BTW, I am a first time reader and poster. I'm hooked, great blog!

never dwell on the past.
stay fully engaged in the present.
am grateful

never dwell on the past.
stay fully engaged in the present.
am grateful

I’m not a huge news reader but I always thought the “news” was a worthy thing to watch on tv. After reading this comment, I will have to rethink that idea.

Mike

Let’s define news, though. First: I say something is news if it in some way provides me with information that affects my life. Where I draw the line is arbitrary. Troubles in Pakistan may someday cause me trouble due to their possession of nuclear weapons. Fair enough. Will knowing about riots and so on in Pakistan now cause me to act differently? No. Does it help my career? My family? My relationships with others? No, no, no.

Second: the US media does not actually give us “reporting of events”. They SELL us news. NBC or CNN or FOX receive money for an entertainment program. Some people enjoy the part of the entertainment program that tells them about Paris Hilton, or a triple murder, or Pakistan riots. But each of those networks are using those stories to entice viewers to watch advertising. Same with papers, or online news. There is no not-for-profit news. I also particularly pick on the TV news and yes, I dismiss it both on the basis of style AND content.

Third: the perception of the entire US media towards external events is flawed. If you saw the runup to the Iraq War it is clear that our media is unable to accurately determine the truth of events. They do not investigate. They report others’ assertions. Watch any news program for 30 minutes and at least once I guarantee you’ll see a reporter ask another reporter his OPINION of an event. That is not news.

I love reading history. History is also seen through the eyes of the victors and so on, but there is some sort of consensus on events after the passage of time that you can’t get AS events occur. I can even start to agree that there is simply some benefit to being educated about the history of mankind in a general sense. I should know who Caesar is, who Robespierre was, who Hermann Goering was, I guess.

I simply don’t think there is much value in learning too much that is not relevant to my daily existence unless I derive some other value from it. I have a lot to keep up with, as we all do. I do not find that knowing Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize is useful information for ME. I’m terribly glad, I think he represents what is best about America and I wish he was our president today. It might even just make me happier to know. Fine. But knowing he won an Oscar or a Nobel doesn’t really enlighten me, or help me. Reading his book and watching his movie did. Reading about the prizes he won for them didn’t. And hearing about a triple murder in San Diego or Dallas or the Bronx certainly helps me in no way, shape or form.

Out of all of this, too, I’m just skipping past the fact that 90% of the news is ridiculous entertainment junk. Britney blah blah blah.

My background is this: I used to be a news junkie. All day every day I read about death, stupid politics, the hopeless lives of so many of the world’s people and the sex lives of celebrities. I filled my head up with tension and worthless knowledge. Then one day, after reading a particularly horrible series of news stories about abused and murdered and mutilated children in the Sudan and in the US, I decided enough was enough. That time I spent reading about abused children? Better spent working to make more money and give it to causes I support like children.org and the Russian Children’s Welfare Society. The time spent on politics? Pointless – if you think anything these politicians say will come to fruition, go read about Bush’s compassionate conservatism. Go read about Clinton’s promises in 1992. There is nothing there. Time spent on celebrity news? Life wasted.

And as far as the question “who am I to decide what learning is?” I cannot learn for you, or for my wife or my family or my friends. I can only learn for myself. For others I can teach, or give opinions, but I cannot learn for them. So who am I to decide what learning is? Since I am the only person I can learn FOR, I am the ONLY person who can decide what learning is for me. I turn around and explain my position, but whether you accept it as knowledge for yourself is up to you, just the same as my decision to watch the news or not was mine.

And really, if the tone of this seems overly angry it’s not meant to be, but I do feel it strongly. None of this, finally, is original thinking. Thoreau said it best:”If we read of one man robbed, or murdered, or killed by accident, or one house burned, or one vessel wrecked, or one steamboat blown up, or one cow run over on the Western Railroad, or one mad dog killed, or one lot of grasshoppers in the winter, we never need read of another…. All news, as it is called, is gossip, and they who edit and read it are old women over their tea.” Thoreau had a strong opinion, and while I’m not THAT aggressively angry about it, he has a point.

I recieve news from friends, that I read, on a daily basis. I was pleased to read that Al Gore won the nobel peace prize.

I have a long rant about News and TV about how people dismiss the medium independant of content as a choice of style.

I enjoy the news and tv, and know many who don’t. I feel that it is just too simple to find elements of socity that you find distasteful and shoot the messenger.

Sorry again for the hippie comment. Most people I know that live by the code you posted would consider it an honor.

—

Again though, the human experinace is vast …
Who are you to decide what learning is? how did you learn to not read the news?

Student: Clinton camp fed me question
Police kill unarmed man holding brush
Surgeon claims he operated on Kanye’s mom
Blacks half of AIDS cases, 1% of AIDS quilt
Ticker: Terrorist attack on mall portrayed in ad
Governor calls on higher power for rain
Man tortured 10 months wants apology
WPLG: Man fleeing police killed by alligator
Blast rips off man’s fingers at ball game
Chlamydia cases sets STD record
Suspect tries to flush gun down cell toilet
Time: Alicia Keys gets phished
How to keep sane on your holiday visit
Casino implodes in way-cool glitzy fashion

Tell me how many of those are “learning new things.” You call it news, I call it a waste of time. It doesn’t make me a hippie by any stretch of the imagination to dismiss news stories about flushing guns down toilets or casino fashions, does it?

Why do hippies hate the news? But promote what it is?

Hank – way back in #7 I pointed out that I’m not 100% of the way there on all of these. I do watch TV from time to time, although I’m substantially better than I was a year ago. I used to come home and turn it on and leave it going all evening. Now I mostly watch movies, and I’ve been forcing myself to cut back on the blast-em-up movies that are (honestly) my favorites. I haven’t had more than 3 or 4 sodas in the last 3 years, though (once every few months I may have a Sprite, but it usually disgusts me right after I drink it).

Fecundity – you’re right, there are no guarantees. The real purpose of the list is to highlight – as you said – behaviors that PROBABLY would contribute to an increase in longevity. I just wanted to get people talking, and I guess I did that, at least!

Chance and genetics will play a big part in my longevity. I don’t deny that at all. But someone who engages in healthy behavior has a better shot at a long life. No guarantee, but a slight edge, maybe. Nothing can help versus fate, though. I’ve seen two middle-aged, relatively healthy people in the last year go into the doctor and come out with a diagnosis of terminal cancer (both died within weeks). And I have seen relatives who smoked, drank and never broke a sweat for 20 years live to be mid-80s.

But who knows? I generally feel better when I do most of the things in that list, so why not keep at it? Most of it’s not for everyone but it would be impossible to write a list that would fit everyone’s expectations AND needs. Did my best

The way I see this is that brip blap is going with things that are statistically correlated with living longer (guns in the house, wearing a seatbelt), things that give him peace of mind (being kind to the elderly, meditating, religious resolution, enjoying reading) and things that science has shown to be good for your health (not smoking, going easy on the red meat and alcohol, cutting back on salt).

Obviously none of these things guarantee a long life, but each will improve the quality if not the quantity of his life.

Do I agree with all of his points? No. I like to read the news from time to time, I like to watch TV, I hate that I’ve had to give up caffeine during my pregnancy (not to mention my beloved red wine and brie ), and I won’t be becoming an agnostic anytime soon. But if all of these things work for him, then he’s statistically increased his odds of a long and happy life.

If you’re like Hank and you’re opening up a real discussion of various points of view of these items, great. I’m all for exchanging knowledge, values and considered opinions. But if you just dislike some of the points here, come up with your own list. I’ll be pondering mine over the next few days.

Oh, and as a pharmaceutical worker I have to say: alcohol is not more dangerous than heroin. Alcohol is an addictive substance, and has caused many problems for many people. However it is less addictive than heroin (as in a far smaller percentage of people who use alcohol will get hooked then people who use heroin), has caused less crime (except during prohibition) than heroin, and is less likely to kill you simply because it’s regulated by the government. Alcohol manufacturers must follow safety standards and labelling requirements or they have their ability to sell their product revoked. The same can’t be said for heroin, pot, cocaine or any illegal substance.

Unfortunately for him, poor Brip brap is unable to be one thing that is highly correlated with exceptionally long life: being female. Enjoy it while it lasts, girls. The advantage is fading fast.

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