The Uselessness of the News

I have recently stopped paying attention or viewing the news. I have certain things that come into my Google Reader that are “news worthy” in the political sense, but for the most off I have been abstaining from everything revolving around traffic jams, stabbings, crane accidents, murders, and the weather.

I didn’t realize how much time the average person spends listening to weather forecasts. Here’s a hint: go outside.

I have been preparing to leave work by looking out the window, evaluating the weather, then stepping outside. Or, when I water the plants in the morning I decide whether I’ll need to bring a raincoat or not and then dress accordingly. No weathermen, no Weatherbug in my system tray, just eyes and a brain.

What is newsworthy, what is really important to oneself is what is happening around you throughout the day. Everything else, if it is big enough or important enough I will simply hear about in conversation. I let others do my news gathering for me, and I can relax in the morning and be surprised by rain clouds or the progress on fence building in New Mexican deserts.