As a child i had a Snoopy pillowcase that said "Happiness is...". Even as a child i knew how true that pillowcase was. At that young age i knew that what brought happiness was different for each individual. i knew that what made me happy was different than what made my friend, my fellow superhero, my partner in crime, my dog - happy. That little patch of sun-warmed floor did not bring me the same joy i could see on his fur-lined face.
i knew that the special edition, pre-Empire release, mail-order Boba Fett action figure which changed my life did not bring the same amount of happiness to my parents (except that they were probably overjoyed that i would stop asking if it was here yet every time the mailman came to the house). No, indeed what brings happiness to each of us is very personal and unique.
What makes us unhappy, however, seems to be quite common and similar no matter who you are. One such thing is news media. More powerful than any dose of prescription grade happy pills is the simple act of removing the news media from your life. A pie plate full of rhinoceros dung to the face would be less depressing than watching any of the 24-hour news stations.
The collapse of the newspaper industry as it has grown utterly out of date has been helpful to this end but television just seems to feed into itself like some endlessly ear piercing feedback loop from an amp turned up to eleven. One station makes a ridiculous statement and then all the other stations carry a story about it.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the day and age of the internet. If you are reading this you are indeed connected. It would be nearly impossible for one to drive in any direction for more than 5 minutes without finding some connection to the internet. You may even have it on your own cellphone.
Now, picture your favorite talking head of choice from that station you go to for those breaking news stories. Now, tell me how one day he/she/it seems to be your source of financial news, the next your source of political news, and the next your source of environmental news? That must be one smart muthafucker. Actually, they are just regurgitating some talking point given to them and then coming up with some opinion based on that fraction of a second of thought time.
All information seen, heard, or read form these news corporations is funneled through the filter of a handful of the same people at each outlet. Rarely do they have any particular knowledge of the things that they still feel comfortable reporting on each and every day. So, who is the bigger idiot: them of the people listening to them?
Again, back to the joys of the internet. Get on and get your information, not from some well lit pile of make-up and hairspray but from the actual source. Want information on the environment, go to an environmental site, or a leading scientist's site, or better yet, actually look up legitimate papers published in scientific journals on the subject in question. A little better than your daily reporter now wearing cargo shorts on the latest "green week" programing.
Financial information? Look up the stocks, check on the company's latest earnings, mission statements, and future plans all online. Do not trust some idiot with a bat and sound effects.
Politics? Good luck, they all lie anyway so if you find a source of truth somewhere you let me know.
Fuck the news media. Just like with all fucking, you will find yourself much more relaxed and calm afterwards. You will probably find yourself wanting to do it more often in the future as well. Find happiness. Less news, more piece of mind.
