Renee is the happiest person I know of. And this after 21 years of being with me — an avowed malcontent, through all my ups and downs. She’s always got a smile on her face, she’s always bright.
When we met she knew almost nothing about politics. She knows a lot more now, she’s an activist. I’m proud to take the credit here. But her max for information, politics, and what’s up is Last Week Tonight, John Oliver’s brilliant show. She never misses it, watches with our son Justin.
Renee doesn’t read the NY Times, Politico, CNN, Fox, the Wall Street Journal, blogs (other than this one of course!), or news sites. Not due to lack of interest — she cares deeply for others and what’s happening to our country. She despises Trump, DeVos and the rest of the thugs otherwise known as the Trump Administration.
Renee isn’t on social media. On this one, she didn’t get her queue straight from me. I think she just never got the point of digital “friends”. Maybe for a year or so she was mildly interested in Facebook, if for only to watch the train wreck. Though me, she came to see the deleterious effects of social media. I doubt she’d quote my line that “social media is a social disease”. Instead she’d say, “it’s not all that and a bag of chips”.
Back to happiness. Lately I’ve been checking CNN, Fox, Politico, and WSJ. Okay, obsessively. I just can’t seem to put Trump out of my mind. Each morning I wake up and check if we’re in WWIII, or looking for some good news — “we got him”.
When the news broke over the weekend about the indictments, I kept going back and forth from CNN to Fox. On CNN the stories leaned to surely this meant collusion had legs. On Fox, the indictments weren’t even a story. How could it be a giant story all weekend on CNN, not even be a headline on Fox?
I tuned into CNN Friday night. Anderson Cooper had a panel on, the noise was all about collusion. This went on all weekend.
Then Monday the indictment was unsealed, nothing to do about collusion.
It’s not that CNN or Fox is right or wrong. It’s that they’re both about infotainment, not journalism. For the record, the NYT didn’t cover the story until Monday.
CNN, Fox and social media are about keeping people agitated and distracted. They’re battery acid for the soul. CNN and Fox isn’t journalism and social media isn’t a news source.
I’m already off of social media, that’s a bad habit I never started. But I’ve got to get off of CNN, Fox, Politico, and the Wall Street Journal. So today is day 1. Today, I’m going to support journalism — The New York Times and truthdig. I’m going to pick up my books again. I’m turning off the noise. But Sunday night I’ll be watching John Oliver, because right now I think he’s the smartest person in the room.
Or in other words, I’m going to do what Renee does. Because I want to be happy.
Rich Brooks wrote a good piece today, When Politics Becomes Your Idol. His piece is prescient.
Renee gave me this today for Halloween. I doubt she spent more than $10 bucks on it. But it’s priceless. It’ll never leave my desk.
I think most days she’s the taller one in the top hat, wrapping her arms around me. But I’ll do my best to live up to the caricature.
Thank you my love.
Here’s a Yacht Rock song for you. It’s 90 on the Yachtski Scale, essential.
We’re In This Love Together
Al Jarreau
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