What a week

[dampscribbler]

Massachusetts replaces Sen. Kennedy with a Republican

Speaker Pelosi gives up the healthcare bill

And the Supreme Court decides that the government may not ban corporations from spending on candidates in elections.  

History may look back on this week as the one in which the Democratic Party died.   

Comments

[jillbertini.livejournal.com]

*lalal lal ala* I CAN'T HEAR YOU *la la l al alllalalal*

I am going to bury myself in escapist pop culture because I really can't take the fucking news this week. Have you been following the Prop 8 trial, too? Looks like the Mormon church had a much bigger role (and possibly illegal) than was originally suspected. I hope the IRS gets the LDS the way they did Al Capone. I would be satisfied with that.

[dampscribbler.livejournal.com]

I think I'm going to have to do the same. I'm trying to figure out what my relationship with the media is going to look like this year, and so far the answer is "very selective" with details to develop later.

I read a couple of the early things you posted about the trial but I haven't been keeping up with anything other than headlines this week, and the Vicar of Dibley. (Maggie and I are watching the final episode tomorrow morning. I just hope she doesn't learn to tell people to "sod off.") So, justice may prevail? Here's hoping!

[jillbertini.livejournal.com]

After 9/11 I went on a media fast for quite a while. Turns out that most of the "news" is manufactured bullshit, designed to keep us afraid. And what might actually pass for news doesn't get reported through mainstream media outlets anyway. But google news may stop being my friend for a bit.

Just send Maggie on a visit to the Supremes. I'm sure they'll be charmed by her telling them to sod off! :P

[dampscribbler.livejournal.com]

I don't *think* I spend much time looking for headlines or paying that much attention to news in a day, but somehow, between FB and LJ, I manage to pick up a lot, and it finally occurred to me this evening that I need to examine my filters and actually either (1)look at a wider variety of media or (2)ignore more (most) of the links and items that people are posting and somehow reconcile myself with being uninformed (maybe I'm already uninformed and I'm just kidding myself that I'm aware of anything.) I think choice #2 is fine, as long as I fill that time with things that are important to me. I feel like I need a personal guide through the coming year -- sort of like a personal coach, but more personal and spiritual. I'm a little out of practice at setting realistic goals and working consistently toward them.

[jillbertini.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I found that when I stopped reading the newspaper and looking at the news online, I still found out what was happening in the world because people would tell me. I don't expect that to stop; I just can't handle reading it directly. When it's packaged with my friends' frustration, it makes it much more palatable somehow.

Being intentional is hard and it's good to get support. Also, baby steps are fantastic.

[dampscribbler.livejournal.com]

I think I'm burned out on the frustration. I totally understand it and relate to it, it's just too much. There always seems to be so many things to respond to, and only so much me to respond.

Hmmm....

I think this week was especially hard because of recovering from surgery. I couldn't take any action and I took in a lot of info. I'm just glad I had the sense to put something funny on the television for myself, it helped a lot. But I can see that more than a couple of hours a day spent online following blogs and reading about people's concerns takes something out of me. I need to respect that and make sure that my time is going other places.

Which reminds me, I'm reading "Proust and the Squid" right now, and I'm only a little way in but so far it's fantastic. Have you read it? I'd love to know what you think. :)

[jillbertini.livejournal.com]

I feel pretty frustrated as well, and I haven't been recovering from surgery. It's so hard to know what action I can take that might make a difference.

I haven't read that book. I'll see if the library has it and let you know! Thanks for the rec :D.

P.S.

[dampscribbler.livejournal.com]

I'm going offline now to read a bit and get some more sleep (beloved sleep!) Good night! :)

Re: P.S.

[jillbertini.livejournal.com]

Sweet dreams!