“turn off the fuckin’ news”

Yesterday I saw Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real at Copper Mountain. Outside. In just about below zero weather.

Lukas and the band crushed it. Then after the show Lukas got down in the crowd for some selfies, shook some hands.

I got turned onto Lukas and the band at Desert Trip. I’ve seen them now 4 times since. I’ll be seeing them in Aspen in a couple weeks. They’re a great band. 3 of them have known each other since they were kids. If you’ve read about Lukas, it’s true. He’s a righteous dude. His band kicks ass.

Lukas sang “Turn Off The News”. I’ve heard him do it once before. But this time, it knocked me sideways. I listened to every word. I’ve written here before of my attempts to turn off the news. Each time I’ve tried I’ve failed. Trump is like a bad disease I can’t get rid of. But it’s not just Trump. My addiction goes back to my early days in tech, when I was consumed with the web and what was then, the great unknown.

For me, I can talk about something, say I’m going to do something a zillion times. But it’s not real until it’s real. Usually, I have to hear something or see something that stops me in my tracks and connects to me. Last night I saw it.

It took me a few tries to get clean and sober. I think I can do it now. That is, turn off the fuckin’ news.

Here’s Lukas & the band doing Set Me Down On A Cloud. Here’s a few pics. Lukas’ hat is an homage to Tom Petty. Tom wore one similar, see the picture. And here’s a note I wrote to few news sources and podcasts, saying goodbye.

I know you’re doing good work. But I’ve lost 13 years reading, listening, watching, and worrying about the news. I’m 59, it’s time to stop.

We bought solar. I traveled to Grant Park in Chicago when Obama was elected. I protested. My family and I have attended marches in NYC, D.C., Nebraska, and here in Colorado. We stopped eating meat and dairy. We compost. We’re super good at recycling — my wife cuts the plastic windows out from mail we get and recycles the paper. We give clothes to friends. We buy organic. We buy food from friends. We try not to buy from Amazon. We buy music. All my ski clothing is Patagonia. We bought an electric car. We’ve given way too much money away. We have the coolest VW Van there is.

Yet, Trump is President.

I read where most Americans would only give $1.00 a month to fight climate change.

The religious right has taken over our country.

Social media is a social disease.

It’s all really discouraging – if I let it.

So what I’m not going to keep doing, is what I’ve been doing. While we’re proud and happy with the actions we’ve taken, my addiction to staying informed has brought me misery. If I could suit Trump for all the time I’ve lost reading about him, worrying about him, and talking about him, I would. He owes me a lot of money. So does Obama – he turned out to be a bust.

We love being vegan. We love our electric car. We already vote, never miss an election. I’ll keep reading books. I’ll watch John Oliver. But I’m going to quit watching Bill Maher. I’m cancelling my subscription to you folks. I’ll keep my subscription to the Progressive Populist. I’ll keep listening to Ralph Nader. I’ll keep my membership to the Neil Young Archives.

I’m already not on social media, at least I don’t have that bad habit to break. I’m going to stop with the insanity of waking each day and reading all I can to find some good news, then listening to podcasts so I can learn more. I’ve lost years with my family, my business has suffered. It has all taken up way too much space in my head. If I keep it up I’ll go broke and crazy.

Last night I was at a Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real concert. Great band. Lukas sang a song I’ve heard him do before, it finally stuck. It’s called “Turn Off The News”. Here’s the lyrics:

I believe that every heart is kind
Some of them are just a little underused
Hatred is a symptom of the times
Lost in these uneducated blues

I just want to love you while I can
All these other thoughts have me confused
I don’t need to try and understand
Maybe the I’ll turn off the fuckin’ news

Turn off the news and build a garden
Just my neighborhood and me
We might feel a bit less hardened
We might feel a bit more free

Turn off the news and raise the kids
Give them somethin’ to believe in
Teach them now to be good people
Give them hope that they can see
Hope that they can see
Turn off the news and build a garden with me

Trust builds trust
And all that negativity’s a bust
Trust builds trust
Don’t you wanna be happy?

Turn off the news and build a garden
Just my neighborhood and me
We might feel a bit less hardened
We might feel a bit more free

Peace and love,
Paul