Last summer we sold our small ranch in Napa and moved across the country in search of some liberty. We love it here in western North Carolina, which confirmed the years of planning it took to get here.

But amongst the chaos of a major cross country move, remodeling a new place and an unscheduled heart attack, I looked up to realize I hadn’t been tethered to the morphine drip of the daily news cycle. So when we finally got around to getting the cable hooked up on October, I was suddenly inundated with the sounds and controversy of the partisan spin doctors strutting around with their meaningless press credentials. I had an immediate physical reaction that put a queasy feeling In the pit of my stomach, like I had just received a death notification. I turned it off and have not watched it since. I will always stay up to date, but I will do it on my time, on my terms.

Akin to Para’s post on politics, I am done with the insanity of “the news” and it’s constant “scab picking” attention vacuum. And that goes for the news outlets with issues I actually believe in. No more.

Instead, I am focused on me; my health, my relationships with my family, friends, God. I want to be a good neighbor and friend, I want to be more giving and less consuming.

The inadvertent break from the media gave me some perspective and showed me how much of my life I gave up to all that noise.

Yep, that was it.

The wife and I aren't making quite that far of a move, but we are doing about the same. Turning off the "news", exercising more, eating healthier. Not watching pod casts, enjoying being retired.

Greetings Nick, and welcome to Western NC, we gave up national news TV when we moved here and don't miss it one bit. We have Roku and Prime along with internet access.

We love western NC, small town life really agrees with us1

When it was inevitable that Trump was not going to get a consecutive term given the Supreme Court, I quit participating in political threads outside of Sigforum. There's no point.

I have nothing in ideas that need defending. I'm not going to feed trolls. I have nothing to say to anti-Trump people who are giving Trump free residence in their spacious heads.

As me to the list. For the past 8+ years I would listen to the news on the drive to work, listen to political commentary show on the drive home, and get several “breaking story” news alerts throughout the day.

After the election, I did away with news and opinion on the commute. Killed the Fox alert notifications, but still checked in on Newsmax once or twice a day.

Started to extract as much as I can from FB and moved to MeWe. Now, it is just SF and a few MeWe groups. I listen to nothing but music when I drive and just bought a decent stereo for the house to better enjoy music there as well.

Hopefully things won’t go to total shit before I can retire and move to a better place as well.

I’ll have to look into western NC, might add it to the list of potential retirement destinations.

I watch or listen to no "news" at all, anymore. What news I get, I get from here or whatever floats across my Gab feed.

I am glad that I don't watch news, aside from local news at 0530. Even that is losing its value. Weather by apps like Dark Sky are superior for the day forecast, but I still need the long range for my exercise planning.

Anyway, the news is filled with people who think they can lead a people-group to a new reality, based on their appearance, sincerity, and beliefs. I know of one news personality that might share my conservative ideals, but she hasn't been to my church in a long time. Another radio personality is fast becoming a thorn in the side of his employer, and I doubt he will be long on the air. He could replace Rush, with his sincerely held conservative beliefs and intellectual acumen.

But, it all makes me feel badly. So I don't listen. I just enjoy watching history and old entertainment shows on YouTube, and focusing on my hobbies and family.

Nick you very eloquently said what both my wife and I realized last summer when we were traveling to Alaska. The world will go on just fine without us getting all worked up by the idiots on TV sensationalizing every little bit of pseudo news.

Out collective blood pressure dropped several points as a result and I couldn’t be happier.

Greetings, from Boone.

We quit watching national news way back when Brian Williams was relating his made up war correspondence history.

We stopped local news about 3 weeks into the 1st Coof lockdowns. We had DVR'd the local 10pm show for about a decade and we'd wind up watching maybe 30% of them maximum. After the lockdown, the local newscasts became like a psychiatrists' couch video about how someone (some random single entity) feels. With no sports, these sessions would take up 15-20 minutes of a 30 minute newscast. I made it about 3 weeks before I stopped recording and watching. After that, nothing but SigForum.

About 6 weeks ago I made a custom recording every night, four minutes long, when the weather is usually on. It usually works pretty good at catching just the weather only. It shows up in my recordings as 'Just F'n Weather'.

I cannot remember the last time I watched a news broadcast. I haven’t watched Fox in perhaps 6 or 8 months.

I get my news from SigForum and Gab. Subscribed to Epoch Times and get updates during the day. I skim most, read few.

What news I get comes from this forum, Blaze, OAN or Newsmax. I will not watch network news.

I do miss the ladies on Outnumbered on Fox.

quote:

About 6 weeks ago I made a custom recording every night, four minutes long, when the weather is usually on. It usually works pretty good at catching just the weather only. It shows up in my recordings as 'Just F'n Weather'.

Surprised no one mentioned it earlier.
I've stopped watching the weather, really weather related advertising in the last year.
Even that has become contaminated and is mostly glitzy graphics with advertising around the edges.

Nick I walked away about 6 weeks ago. Not even local news now. I can't imagine anything so earth shaking locally that I would miss it anyways. And I get my weather "fix" via smartphone or net site.

Begone you media devils! Be gone!

Sigforum serves as my reality anchor. Thanks para!

Bald1, can you contact me?
I have tried email to you and no luck?
I would like to settle up with you, been to long!
Jim

I've said the same thing several times lately. I don't watch the news outside of the weather. I just said no to it all. I really do feel better and am getting a lot of stuff done around the farm. So there is that.

Hey Nick, these days, I too, have a different focus - family, community, church and the community.
The 6 0'clock news is more like a horror movie, full of personal opinions and carefully scripted wordings.
And malvertising courtesy of marketeers..

--chris

quote:

Originally posted by bald1:

Sigforum serves as my reality anchor. Thanks para!

Indeed, THE island of reality ...

quote:

Originally posted by 220-9er:

quote:

About 6 weeks ago I made a custom recording every night, four minutes long, when the weather is usually on. It usually works pretty good at catching just the weather only. It shows up in my recordings as 'Just F'n Weather'.

Surprised no one mentioned it earlier.
I've stopped watching the weather, really weather related advertising in the last year.
Even that has become contaminated and is mostly glitzy graphics with advertising around the edges.

My morning ritual over the past few months was to watch the Weather Channel while drinking my coffee / breakfast..no politics...

Until this morning, they were featuring Biden's Rejoining the Paris accord, ANWR oil halt, etc.

Click. They never featured Trump thst I can remember. So I went up one channel to the other national weather channel.

I'm done too and I've been a political junkie since Bush-Gore recount and voted every election since Nixon.

One of the best things I've found, thanks to this forum, is the Libby library app for audio books. That puts me to sleep now.

quote:

Originally posted by walkinghorse:
Bald1, can you contact me?
I have tried email to you and no luck?

Email sent Jim.