Wednesday, May 15, 2013

I read the news today, oh boy..................

I used to get flabbergasted when people didn't know the World News - which I probably got from one of my Grandmothers, who looking back, I see now, was a complete news hog.

Don't ever be one of those people that bury their heads in the sand Suzy, she would warn
And so I learned from this lady - this lover of history - to try to keep myself informed on some level anyway.
Enough to have a conversation with people about things other than fashion and weather.

I do not judge - my brain works in such a way that if I don't understand something I google it immediately - just to learn ( I used to run to my Encyclopedia's - not kidding - but that just ages me and at this point I'm trying desperately to stop that process with anything other than a complete face lift ) but I used to read encyclopedia's as often as I read Nancy Drew - and no, I am a  far far cry from an intellect ( my brother inherited those genes - I inherited decorating genes lol ) but I am - always was - and I suppose always will be, someone who LOVES to learn.

Give me a documentary over a love story any time.
Give me a show on history - any history - over a game show any time.
Give me a biography on someone who made a difference in the world over a reality show ( please )
When my girlfriend's son was diagnosed with a terrible disease, I ran to the library - and I mean I RAN to the library that night and took out every book I could find on the subject - because I HAD to understand exactly what it was we were dealing with - ( after 2 liver transplants as a baby -  he's a beautiful boy in his 20's today - beautiful AND healthy  )
AND in the process I learned what Tyrosinemia is.

Ok so now that I've explained myself a little here - you'll " get " why I watch the news................
Canadian of course - American of course - and the rest of the world of course.
It would be completely alien to me NOT to -

BUT - I am officially bowing out as gracefully as I can at this point -
It has become the most depressing ugly part of my life.
And it's covered by some of the most idiotic newscasters I've seen in all of my 50 + years.
News is no longer reported - in a non partisan way - it's now fed to us in a non stop I.V. bag -
dripping into our systems so that there is no escaping from it, period.
And then if that were not bad enough - or insulting enough - we have 3 or 4 pundits sitting on a panel discussing and dissecting the story with their educated guesses on what may happen - what the reason could have been - how the outcome would have been different if only...............
WTH?
For a mind that has a desire to learn - I now feel like the child who is being force fed - while vomiting up the last spoonful..............It's too much.
It's all too much.

Obviously when 9/11 happened, we were all glued to our television sets - for the 24 hour visuals of the planes crashing over and over and over and over again.  And every single tragedy since then has been
forced down our hearts and souls like battering rams - threatening to rip them open because there's no room left for any more fear and grief and panic.
The left blame the right - the right blame the left - and we - who sit in the middle - and are just trying to learn something, are left in bewilderment.
BAD things happen - always have - always will - I don't need so called " experts " laying blame everywhere
nor do I need so called experts explaining their versions
I don't need pulpits - or daises - or masses of people screaming in the background
If terrorists attack - I don't need reporters to " guess " what was inside backpacks - or planes - or their clothing -
I only need you to report that terrorists attacked.
And once you have all the information required - then I need to know the rest of it - because I can
" guess " as well as any of them.
I simply want the news - and I will absorb it in the way I see fit, thanks very much.

24 hour news?
Not a good thing - in fact I fear that having images repeated over and over again can desensitize the masses.
Sort of like the medical field - where students are known to faint over what they see in the beginning - and build up a resistance out of the repetition of performing or seeing operations on a daily basis.
My ( now grown ) children have never known a world where news came on at night - for a brief period -
in their time frame it's always been about sensationalism and ratings - and they ( and most of their friends ) do not watch the news - they grab headlines from Facebook - period.

This is the story that may have thrown me right off the edge - it hits home ( a little too close for comfort ) because I buy and sometimes sell furniture through Craigs list and Kijiji ( which is the American Ebay )
And I'm always terrified -
And John always minimizes my terror -
And says I over act on everything
And that I always think the worst
AND then I read this

TOM BOSMA


HAMILTON, Ont. —The young daughter of an Ontario man who was killed after posting his truck for sale online and taking a test drive with two men will grow up knowing how deeply he was loved, the man's wife vowed Wednesday.
Sharlene Bosma laid her anguish bare in a tearful public statement one day after police revealed that her husband Tim Bosma, 32, who had been missing since the test drive on May 6, is dead.
"Yesterday was the most horrifying day of my life and people tell me I have been so strong, and all I know is that I have a beautiful two-year-old girl at home who now needs her mommy more than ever and needs her mommy to hold it together, so I know that I cannot fall apart," she said.
"But I am broken because part of me is gone."
Police announced Tuesday that Bosma's remains were found in Waterloo Region, about 50 kilometres away from the Hamilton home he shared with his wife and young daughter.
His body was burned beyond recognition, police said. Still, Bosma said she was thankful.
"This was not our desired outcome," she said. "But I am still grateful to the police for finding him."
Bosma last saw her husband when he left on a test drive with two men who had contacted him about the pickup truck he had posted for sale online.
Hamilton police believe he was killed some time that night, though they don't know where and they don't know at what point his body was burned. But perhaps the biggest unanswered question at this point is why. Police have said they do not have a motive.
A Toronto man has been charged with first-degree murder. Police are still looking for a second man they say went along for the test drive of Bosma's 2007 Dodge Ram pickup, and at least one more suspect who they say followed behind the truck in another vehicle.
Dellen Millard, 27, looked tired and unshaven as he appeared in a Hamilton courtroom Wednesday. He was ordered detained until a bail hearing can be arranged, and will appear again by video remand on June 13.
His lawyer Deepak Paradkar said outside court that Millard will plead not guilty and is extremely concerned about the murder charge, adding his client is not used to jail and is in protective custody.
In court, Millard wore a rumpled white shirt and grey slacks and appeared to have dark circles under his eyes. He stood tall and straight while stating his name and was not wearing handcuffs.
Millard was arrested Friday and charged with forcible confinement and theft over $5,000. But in court Wednesday, the murder charge was added and the theft charge was changed to theft of a vehicle.
"There is a story behind this which I can't get into but obviously it's more than it appears to be," Paradkar said Wednesday after Millard appeared in court. He said it would likely be months before his client gets a bail hearing.
Millard's family is well-known in the area and has a storied past in aviation. When Millard was 14 he became the youngest Canadian to fly solo in both an airplane and a helicopter. His grandfather and father were also pilots.
"He was not hurting financially," the lawyer said. "The police have confirmed he had sufficient funds to easily purchase the truck had he wished to do so."
Paradkar called Millard a "very humble person ... an intelligent person and unassuming," adding he was not a "rich brat."
Meanwhile, about a dozen bouquets were piled up outside the Bosma family home, some with cards and notes of condolence.
"To the Bosma family, our hearts are so heavy for your loss," one read.
"Dear Tim, I do not know you but I am sorry for what happened to you. Please rest in peace," read another.
Sharlene Bosma thanked the public for the huge outpouring of support from the people who have spent hours volunteering, giving them food, flowers and cards, and keeping the case top of mind on social media.
"We know and take some comfort in that Tim has touched so many people and any words that I choose will never be able to truly express our gratitude," she said.
"It pains me to do so, but I must ask for your support and prayers for the hours and the weeks and even the years that lie ahead for us because this will never really be over for us."
Bosma nearly lost her composure when she recalled how her husband would watch their daughter sleep or chase her through the house to tickle her.
"She will know how much he was loved by me and his family, his friends and even perfect strangers," she said as her voice trembled.
"Tim will always be loved and he will always be remembered. And I love you Tim."
The family has set up a trust account where donations can be made for Sharlene Bosma and her daughter at TD Canada Trust branch 2047 account 6332096.


I've made a decision - and we'll see how long it lasts - but I am banning news from my world for 1 week.
I want to see if I feel better after I do.
I want to see if my world falls apart if I don't hear another horrific story for 7 days -
Because truly I believe, had my grandmother still been around, this lover of news, would be doing this today


source
If you need me - I'll be in the backyard - there's a nice fresh patch of sand there - with my name on it.

You have a good day - and if you stay away from the news  -  I bet you'll have an even better one




31 comments:

  1. Hy Suzan. I read your post. I am from Romania, where horrific things happens too. I don't watch news for months now because like you I am disgusted of all the brutal, bad, violent things and most of all by the wickedness of the people. I support your decision. Have a good day to you too. Hugs, Cristina

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  2. OH Susan, that story is horrible. Yes I have buried my head in the sand since the major flooding of Australia 2 years ago. After watching the horrid scenes over and over again of people being washed away and having to explain it to my children, I watch very minimal news and I go searching 'on-line' if I believe something has happened that I need to know about.
    Enjoy your week off, if the world stops spinning, I think you'll know 'cause we'll all fall off. lol. Debra

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  3. I, too, am guilty now of rarely, if ever, watching the news. I used to watch the evening news every night, watch the news in the morning as I got ready for work, etc. No more. I stopped pretty much going back roughly 7 years ago. I catch a bit on the internet - things like new scientific discoveries, archeological digs, environmental stories, etc. - but no longer watch news on television. I am ok with that. Mostly it is horrific stories that television loves to shove at us or it is political nonsense that just makes me want to go to Washington and start slapping people.

    Stick your head in that sand. You will find yourself much more relaxed...and less likely to scream at a television!

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  4. My mother is a news junkie, but like you, I am tired of the sadness that surrounds me.
    This heinous act seems so un-Canadian-like to me...but we here in the states are desensitized to it. This stuff happens with alarming regularity...we almost don't notice it. What does that say about us? (And our country?)
    I believe we should start a good news channel. That would be worth watching 24/7.

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  5. What a terrible story, Suzan. I get so sick of the news these days too. When someone whom I thought was a fairly decent newscaster asks some stupid question like "How did you really feel when you saw that decapitated body?" It just makes me sick...seriously. Almost all of the newscasters are spin doctors here anyway and it's all so politically skewed that it makes me sick.

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  6. I know exactly what you're talking about! The sensationalism and the relentless bombardment of 'horror' stories is pushing me over the edge. Honestly, the thing that makes me want to run out of the house screaming as I pull my hair is the nauseating, annoying, arrogant panel of experts that always ALWAYS show up to 'add their two cents', which is pretty much all their opinions are worth. Two cents. Drives me over the edge. I have always been like you --- always aware of what's going on. But I'm not sure how much longer I can do this. It's mentally and emotionally exhausting, and disturbing.

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  7. Suzan, I too was a news junky for years - also being told that you needed to know about the world to be able to have an intelligient conversation with others. But, when Katrina hit New Orleans - that did it for me.... hours and hours of relentless pics of people in such distress - especially the hospital situation was beyond belief - I had to turn the TV off and turn my back on the news to even get a few hours sleep. My hubby is a news junky - 24/7 of endless news so it runs constantly here but I do not listen. The complete ignorance and insensitive questions that newscasters ask sometimes put me in awe that they can even find their way to work each day let alone run a news feed. I want to scream - "How do you think they felt?" Pure stupidity at times. Anyway - my stress level is much lower and I am actually sleeping better since I quit listening to the total ridiculousness that is repeated day after day after day. Enjoy your week in the sand - I think you will see a definite difference......

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  8. I, too, used to watch the news regularly. I wanted to know what was going on in the world. Be educated politically, economically, geographically. I don't watch it now for the reasons you state. I want facts about important people, and places, not celebrities. I'm sure I'm one of the very few that has never seen the 9/11 news footage. I felt the horror hearing about it (my own brother was taking a flight from Boston to New York city that same week), I did not want to watch it even once. I didn't watch any news stories about the recent school shooting, but I cried with everyone else. And I also cried when hearing about Tim Bosma. Not only did all this happen in the area that I grew up in, but I have relatives and friends in that very region. On top of that, who hasn't sold a truck, car or piece of furniture online? It sickening. There are killers among us and what can we do?

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  9. We have a case here right now where a man held three women hostage for a decade in his home. Yesterday when I was watching the news a panel of three started discussing it,

    'It may have been that this girl was the feisty one of the bunch and that's why she was allowed to carry her baby to term while the others were not.'

    'It may have been this feisty girl was the favorite.'

    Okay...so 'may have been feisty,' was turned into 'definitely feisty' for the second remark, making speculation fact for anyone who turned in at that second. And I turned it off.

    And I agree with you on the speculation being for the birds, the potential for a desensitized society occurring because of the ubiquity of news, and news running inaccurate facts. Not to impugn the news, I think it is our right to have it...but I do think it's being handled as a tool for ratings instead of as a means to provide valid information.

    Thanks for touching that nerve. We can't be the only ones, so why does it continue? These things bother me. Can you tell? :)

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  10. Silence the television, silence the mind.
    I can't stand it, either.
    I watch old reruns of Little House and The Waltons- and Bewitched if I need noise in the house. Hubby is a Fox News junkie- if he's watching I'm elsewhere.
    No more CL for me.
    What a horrible tragedy.
    Dig your head in deep, Suzy.
    xoxo

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  11. I try to avoid the news... such sad & tragic stories.. sometimes you just have to wonder what is going on?

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    1. You have to wait until the " book " comes out to find out the truth I suppose -
      sad state of affairs - literally!
      XOX

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  12. I very rarely watch the news anymore. You are right, they sensationalize everything and make up the rest as they go along! We do not need every gory detail!!! What really makes me angry is when they steer the story towards a political agenda. He used assault rifles to kill those people. But during the police conference, they announce that the rifle was in the car that was parked in the parking lot and he only had a handgun on him. So which is it? If it is news, it should be the same from every reporter from every news outlet! Enjoy the sand, maybe you will figure out a solution while you're in there :)

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  13. I have to respond here, but I am SO passionate about this type of thing it is hard to restrain myself.
    1. The sensationalism that is created when news channels try to outdo the others by putting some type of unique spin on stories is asinine. As you have said and others in these comments, the lack of compassion displayed in their attempts to create 'entertainment' instead of reporting facts is unacceptable. Unfortunately, there are willing citizens that expect/require that type of B.S.
    2. I have had to stop reading the comments attached to online news stories. I cannot fathom the ignorance and stupidity of some of the general public's reactions. Kneejerk and simplistic, there is frequently blame placed on the heroes of the stories, and I cannot stomach that. So many people need to avoid their keyboards until they have enough facts to make an intelligent response. That may end up being 'never'.
    3. I 100% agree with you that hearing news feeds 24 hours every day is not good for anyone's psyche. It is good to be informed. It is not good to have tragic news be a primary influence in our daily lives.
    4. Please be proud of yourself for always seeking out the truth. I have good friends that I love but do not respect their willingness to believe whatever they've been told, no question.
    5. I will make my last statement as positive as possible. We are besieged daily with bad news stories. But we must also be fully aware of all the progress the world has made. A trip through those encyclopedias will introduce anyone to Genghis Khan, Attila the Hun, The Crusades, Bubonic plague. We must celebrate the areas of the world that have risen above a lot of the depravity that was rampant in other eras.

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  14. I'm with you. The tv news is either depressing (the guy who locked up those three poor girls pushed me over the edge), over dramatic or so stupid. My bff just reads the wall street journal every day. She watches zero television. She is very intelligent and knows what is going on in the world. I think she has it right.

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  15. Hi Suzan, I too feel it's important to know what's going on in the world, but nonstop news is not a good thing, nor is hearing about sensationalized trials of depraved individuals, or terrorist bombings day in and day out, or how bad the economy is or how deceitful our government is. It does get depressing after awhile, and after finding out what the current events of the day are so I can have an intelligent conversation, I have to walk away. It can become a drug after awhile and we just sit and stare and absorb too much. It's better to take a walk and enjoy the good and the beauty around us.

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  16. Such a tragic story. The world is wicked. You are so right about the news. It is so depressing and lone can actually feel sick watching or listening to it. Enjoy your week without. Thanks so much for stopping by Suzan. I appreciate your kind words. I am lucky to have my awesome hubby. xoxo Linda

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  17. I usually watch a short news program that we have on the French sixth channel, but except if I miss it, I don't wtach the 24h news channels. I have nightmares all night if I do, because pictures that run all day on these channels get stuck in my brain a lot more than words somehow. I live without a working TV since the renovation began at the cottage and I only rely on headlines on the Internet lately and I don't feel worse!

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  18. I don't watch the news on TV anymore, and haven't for years, because the way it's presented these days sickens me. It seems everyone is just so interested in breaking the story first. It's all about ratings and the all mighty dollar just like everything else. I prefer newspapers because I can pick and choose what stories to read, and not have stuff just thrown out at me. The Tim Bosma story does hit very close to home here in Ontario. It's just too tragic for words.

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  19. Is it our age (50+) is it the era, is it technology. I live in an area where he had family and friends, I saw the posters and was heart stricken when I heard of outcome.... Then I remembered how stupid my post seems,asking which was better, Craigslist or Kijijji.....

    Everyone seeks a way to cope with tragedy and the uncomprehensible. There has always been depravity - Jack the Ripper, son of Sam... etc., but in an era when technology can open doors for sooooo many people, it has a very dark and depraved side. How do we protect ourselves while trying to find our kindred spirits? I think your post is brilliant and if taking a break from the world news helps you heal, then I personally give you permission (not that you need it). Kudos on the post..

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    1. It all seems so random now that I have no idea how one would protect themselves - we have to keep believing in the good of people I guess - sometimes harder to do than other times...............
      There's a serious breakdown in the health care systems also - far too many mentally challenged people roaming the streets - ( that were once locked up in hospitals )
      Much love,

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  20. When tv went digital, I had already decided it wasn't worth taking time from my LIFE to watch, so didn't have tv until recently, when my sweetheart missed having something to watch while i was busy with other things.

    I got tv and the only things we watch are soccer, rugby, and the weather. Except for those, what a waste of money for a new tv and satellite service. I'm glad to read that so many other women are as disgusted with the steady parade of idiocy, stupidity, and repetition of horror that must be all over tv, judging from the stories i hear on NPR radio, which has slid into constant repetition of the horrible details of so many events.

    It seems as if the whole country is depraved, degenerate, and vicious, but i know in my heart that there are so many good people, who are hurt and killed by the people who allow their worst demons to come to the fore as they repeat the criminal, vile, things they learn from tv. If the news weren't bad enough, the entertainment programs I hear about are shockingly depraved. It was hard enough to watch the programs from half a dozen years ago, but today, I don't think my heart could stand the strain.

    I cringe when I;m in a place with tv and they are showing videos of stupid stunts and the audience laughs at the pain and discomfort of the people hurt and ridiculed in the segments. It's all too much and makes me long to retire to a more civilized country. I worry about this US and its future. The movie "Waterworld" comes to mind, and the Max Headroom tv series.

    Thanks for bringing this up and I promise you the world won't end because you don't abuse yourself watching the television.

    Play classical music instead and let your spirit soar to good places instead of sinking into the mire. You will be glad you did. Wishing you all good things.......

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    1. It's not just the U.S. - it's the whole continent really................
      There seems to be an epidemic of mental health care break down..............and it's extremely frightening.
      I didn't play music - but the t.v. I watched today were only old comedies - I love Lucy - All in the Family - Golden Girls - and the Jeffersons - I needed some of that :)
      Much love,
      XXX

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  21. We live within an hour of where the Bosma family lives, so this is a "local" story for us. So sad. The authorities are now saying that this church-going family man was "targeted" for some reason. We'll never know the truth of what really happened that afternoon. I just pray that now that they have found him that his family will have some peace.

    As for your comments about not watching the news.....I'm with you 100%. My husband is a retired CSI from Toronto Police and he would listen to the news every morning wondering how busy his day would be in response to what happened overnight. Horrible. He said listening to the news was part of his job. I'm so glad that he doesn't have to do that anymore.

    CNN, Fox News, CP24 - whatever you have on your listings that covered news 24/7 has desensitized us to the horror that we are facing in our society.

    As usual, Suzan, you've captured what so many of us are thinking. I'm going back to my painting and forgetting about what's happening out there. Sometimes ignorance IS bliss.

    Hugs

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    1. I'm going back to painting too Heather - have some custom pieces to do - and did not look at any news today!!!!!!!!!
      Much love,

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  22. Suzan - I completely understand. My heart breaks for Tim and his family and I do want to know what happened but just the facts, not the speculation. I don't want to hear all the stories about how wonderful the accused is. If he is guilty, he is a monster - period. Maybe I need to boycott the news too. May help my depression to be oblivious. J

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  23. a couple years ago i realized i was coming home from work & watching 2 hours of news every night -- same stories over & over. what did it benefit me except to get upset? and all the stupid tv shows are just that, stupid! so i cut the cable & now, 2.5 years later, i get more done, i read more, i rest more & there is no crime, no war, no murder, no accidents etc. in my happy little world!!! (if there's anything i really need to know, i'll hear about it somewhere!!) do it, suzan -- you'll be so much happier!!! luv ya!

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  24. I stopped purposefully watching the news a few months ago. Now, if it's on, whatever. But I couldn't take anymore of the "child neglect/abuse" reports or the "animal cruelty findings." No, thank you. Call me uniformed, but I don't care. It's all too much sometimes.

    XOXO,
    Meredith

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  25. Oh....how I hear your anguish, Suzan. When Rog and I watch the news each night (since we don't get the newspaper), we are always stunned by the death, violence, unkindness, and horror that grips this world of ours. The only thing we cling to is that God is still in control, and we rest our trust and find our comfort only in Him. It's the only thing we can do at this point. And it's what He wants us to do. Revelation reveals these terrible things to us....and we're just watching it all unfold before our eyes. Keep praying and keep the faith, sweetie. ♥

    xoxo laurie

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  26. Susan, ugly horrible awful things happen every day in the world. This has NOTHING to do with God, or faith, or the Universe or the Great Mother Goddess. This has to do with people who have haywire "wiring" inside their brains. Avoiding the news won't make you feel better, it will just make you into that ostrich your grandma told you not to become. We have too many ostriches in the world today as it is. I'm sure one or both of your grandmas told you at one point or other something along the lines of 'those who do not know history (herstory, actually, but that's another story, har!:)) are doomed to repeat it.' So buck up, Girlfriend. The world ainna coming to an end, it's just the old fricking world with too many people in it and 24-7 coverage by people who have nothing better to do. The internet is a blessing, and a curse, and so is television. But personally, I'm glad I do not live in a world where it took a week and sometimes weeks or more for news to reach outlying areas of the USA that President Lincoln had been assasinated, or that the Civil War was over, or that millions of people around the entire globe had been wiped out by the so-called "Spanish Flu." We all have crap that we have to deal with, Susan, but let me tell you, ignorant people are the pits! Don't turn yourself into one of them, please!

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    1. It isn't the news so much Jan, it's the sensationalism of it all - and the speculation versus actual reporting - and all the BS that goes with it...............and most of it is BS unfortunately - it's hard to hear the news without a " spin " on it any more, don't you agree?
      I really am taking a week off - only a week - not eternity - let's see what I miss out on.
      It isn't my nature to be an ostrich lol -
      Much love,
      XOX

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Due to a large amount of spam ( that I'm tired of going back to posts and deleting ) I'll be using comment moderation from now on !!!
Can I beat these spammers at their own game? Probably not - but I'm going
to try my damnedest !!!
xoxo