Our Media is out of control

Perhaps I’m a little Grumpy this morning. DSC_0843

Well in truth I’m usually grumpy in the morning. I’ll eventually become human at some point during the day.

In recent history we’ve seen major news organizations take what they’ve read online for granted. Then without vetting the information, or checking any ancillary sources they’ve published as true and correct, completely fictitious stories.

The most recent example of this are the blog posts supposedly from a “Gay Girl in Syria” These posts garnered a lot of media attention. Mainstream and local, news outlets were taken in.

All anyone had to do was check the originating IP addresses on the blog posts or the emails supposedly coming from this poor girl. And the hoax would have been immediately apparent. Eventually someone technologically savvy did precisely that, discovering that the emails originated from an American in Edinburgh.

Faster communication doesn’t necessarily mean better communication.

What someone writes on a blog isn’t necessarily true. ANY Idiot can write a blog, (I’m an Idiot and you’re reading my blog) when did blogs, which are essentially the personal opinions of the writers become valid news sources? At best blogs should be treated as editorial pieces and at worst ignored completely.

Our media need to return to being Journalists instead of talking heads looking for the most salacious, sensational bits of information or misinformation they can find.

They need to actually investigate their stories, and they need to stop relying on purely online resources for their research.

There was something called Journalistic responsibility once, perhaps it’s time to make that concept a priority again.

Just THIS Village idiots opinion…

Rambling thoughts for a Sunday

 

I have got to stop reading the news! It just pisses me off. I’ve developed the habit of reading the paper over my first cup of coffee. I don’t need to be pissed the first thing in the morning even if I am moving slow.

I’m being a lazy bum today, I do need to get my sorry ass in gear and work in the yard but right now I’m just enjoying a coffee and being a bit lazy. I haven’t even bothered to pull on any clothes.

I think this is probably the second or third morning where it’s been warm enough to be comfortable nude. So I’m’ enjoying it. There’s still time for me to do the chores that I need to do.

I’ve been thinking about putting up a screen around part of the deck railing so that when it’s really nice outside I can have coffee out on the deck in the sun and not bother with clothes either.

Thinking about it… The deck would be a nice place to do morning yoga and then have coffee. If you’re going to do a sun salutation you might as well salute the sun in all it’s glory… in all your glory.

Yikes! Another project. I keep doing that to myself… Well at least this project should be on the simpler side. Although lately it seems that the simplest things seem to always snowball into layer on layer of complicated. Is it just my luck or am I somehow cursed?


Was at a friends house for dinner yesterday and I think he introduced me to a potentially expensive new hobby. It sounds interesting and would allow me to get a lot better at shooting. For me that’s a twofer. I don’t get to shoot nearly enough and want to build skill and be much more comfortable with my gun.

It means that I’m going to have to get up early next Saturday to make it to the range. I’ll also need to get more ammo sometime during the week.

I know the things above seem un-related.

Allow me to explain. Over the past three years I’ve had a monster of a commute through some of the worst traffic LA has to offer.

Most days I was on the road four hours some days it was six.

The schedule was like this, drive 2 or 3 hours into work, work a 10 hour day, drive 2 or 3 hours home. Eat dinner way too late, crash for the night and repeat. By the time the weekend rolled around I had no energy to do shit.

Now that my company is “laying me off”, I’ve been home for a few weeks.

During that time, I’ve been filling my days with chores, and workouts and writing. Now I’ve got enough energy to start new projects, and try my hand at hobbies that I couldn’t commit time to before.

As I’ve stated elsewhere in the blog I’m planning to take a driving trip up the coast. If I can fit my dive gear in the car I’ll take it with me too. I’ve got at least one buddy up the coast that dives and I’m hoping to coax him into a dive or two.

The point is, now that I have the time I’m trying to use it well. I’ve been wanting to get to the shooting range more often. I want to dive more. I want to get out and take more photos. I’m working on a book and my goal is to complete that by the end of the year.

Those are the personal goals.

At the same time I need to figure out what I’m going to do for work. There is enough money so that with unemployment and  if I’m not crazy in my spending I can go for a while. But ultimately I will need to have a source of income.

I’m far more relaxed and in general much happier than I have been for a while.

The only fly in the ointment is that the company hasn’t yet said “you’re laid off” (there’s a long story there which I’ll blog about sometime). They’ve told me not to bother coming in because there’s little to no work for me. I check my company email once a day or so and they’re still paying me. (I know… it’s a great fucking gig! Too bad it won’t last.)

If another project wants me, I’m obligated to join the new project when and where they want me. If I refuse the position then technically I’m quitting and that means no unemployment benefits.

For the moment I’m in a kind of employment limbo and while having a job is preferred, I’m done with the commute. I just can’t stomach the thought of 2 and 3 hour drives to work every day anymore. There has to be a better way to make a living.

So for the moment I’m in a holding pattern.

I suspect that the company will give me the official word soon. When they do I’ll take my work computer back to them and process out.

At that point it’s new career time. But first….

I’m going to go play!

Today is a strange day

3 years ago today I was looking at the burned out hulk of my house. My vehicles were unusable, I had no money, no wallet, no car keys, and exactly 1 item of clothing that was mine (a bathrobe).  I was wondering what to do next, and frankly I was at a complete loss.

My other half was walking around at least as perplexed as I was and neither of us had any idea about anything Other than we were missing 5 pets… And a house!

I knew the two retrievers had gotten out but had a terrible feeling about the 3 unaccounted for pets. As it turned out they died that night. I buried them myself several days later. I occasionally visit the spot, suppose I’ll be brushing away the pine needles sometime after sunrise.

I’m writing this at 1 in the morning, I just can’t sleep.

This is the first anniversary where I’ve been unable to sleep since that night.

The fire consumed the house between 3 and 4 am. Tonights sleeplessness is like an itch in the back of my head, like I’m waiting for something to happen, like I’m catching movement out of the corner of my eye. It’s maddening!

I know there is nothing there but for some reason the primitive part of my brain is on full alert.

Things even worked out OK. The house was rebuilt, the retrievers came home and I eventually got my stride back figuring out what to do next.

One of the dogs is dozing at my feet. He wakes up, checks on me nuzzles my toe then goes back to sleep like a sensible creature at this time of night.

He knows something is up with me. He’s not sure what it is but he’s going to look after me in any case.

That I have any pre-fire possessions at all,  I owe to  a small group of dedicated and loving friends. They simply would not let me chuck it all in the bin and move on. It’s a mixed blessing to be sure.

There were a surprising number of things that survived but most of my possessions were lost. Because of that, I appreciate the items that made it all the more.

I’ll run across something and it takes me back. But in all I’m thankful for those friends who loved me enough to fight me. They were keeping my best interests at heart even when I would not.

It’s funny to say it this way, but my friends are dogs.  Just like the real dog at my feet they look after me with unflinching dedication. I must let them know more often how much they mean to me. Especially when I have so dang few friends to begin with.

I’m very tired, my thoughts are not coherent. For some reason I keep flashing to that night and while I’m not reliving it completely I’m seeing images of things that stick out in my mind.

I was asleep even while evacuating. The most primitive part of my brain was processing data with nothing more than survival in mind. I guess that’s a reasonable place to be in an emergency situation.

I still feel guilty about the pets. I wonder if I’d been more alert and thinking with a little more 21st century brainpower could I have changed things.

The primitive says NOPE! definitely Not… Well who am I to argue?

Perhaps this is about letting go of the guilt. It’s a burden I’ve carried long enough.

The goofball sleeping on my foot forgave me… I’m going to follow his lead.

Forgive myself and go to bed.

In that order.