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July 23, 2007There is nothing new about the news…Two and a half weeks later…not much has changed, except, hopefully, me. When I left on July 5 I did it declaring - to myself, at least - that I was hereby “detaching” myself from all associations with news and news by-products. Not only would I not be blogging, but I would not be reading other blogs or websites. As much as I could while traveling within the world, I would not be watching or reading news unless troubling circumstances truly warranted it. They never did. While my family and I were renewing ourselves (the fish was delish - all of it!) we heard a newsy whisper here and there - someone told us “Katie Couric slapped a news editor and the stock market is going nuts” and made it sound a bit like the first directly caused the second and that amused us. Well, it amused me. My family couldn’t care less about Katie Couric and they were not that impressed to hear me chuckle that I - a mere housewife - had known better than Les Moonves in the matter of Katie Couric and the CBS News Anchor Desk, from start to inevitable finish. I tried to warn ‘em. “Watch, Couric’s next step will be to start blaming CBS (and sexist viewers) for all of her woes, and she’ll end up leaving the gig in time to be President Hillary’s press secretary; the Peter Principal at work!” “We’re on vacation; don’t want to hear it,” the family said, and I agreed, and shut up. It might have been more interesting to read some fashionista’s observation that Hillary is once again wearing pink, which she only does - at least in my memory - when she is trying to “soften” her image to court those unsophisticated suburbanites who she believes are silly enough to be swayed by seeing her swathed in pastels, or when she is trying to explain away her incredible luck in cattle futures trading. Oh, and “24″ - which I stopped watching last season because, enough, already - is going to feature a female president next season - just in time to get the world used to the idea. Ummm…not exactly news - as with the cleavage and the pink suits, we’ve been here before. Yesterday I opened the NY Times Magazine (crossword puzzles!) and read two new entries into the incredibly tired, lame and played out lefty “George Bush is stupid, incurious and he lost in 2000″ mythology, here (”It all seems so improbable. George Bush? A bookworm?“) and here (”Needless to say I was a bit stunned. A letter from President Bush’s brain?…I was also a bit stunned because the letter was funny.” Oh, look, conservatives are actually almost like real human people!) and here (”I’ve rarely voted for a winner in my political life, with the exception of Al Gore.”) and I just thought. This adolescent carping is so old, it’s so predictable, so incurious and the mythology so demonstrably false, and yet these folks never tire of it - day after day they say the same thing - year after year…and they still think it’s witty. And apparently they still giggle. I just find it boring - but then I’m no sophisticate, and I wouldn’t have hired Katie Couric, either, so what do I know? Anyhow, there seem to me to be only a couple of interesting developments within the past two weeks: some bloggers may have called foul on another story out of Baghdad, some more bloggers have created a website strictly meant to take on the myths created or sustained by the press, and oh, yeah, the Democrats want to make sure that citizens trying to report suspicious behavior by seeming terrorists can get their asses sued off for their efforts. In other words, the Dems still aren’t taking the whole idea that there are terrorists out there very seriously. As I said, nothing has changed. All the stories are the same, we can simply re-file them and change the dates. It almost feels like the press and the whole world are in a holding pattern - there is no news, there are only re-framed, re-worked narratives - until George W. Bush gets out of office and the new narratives are permitted to form. For that reason, and for some others, I think the direction of this blog is going to change soon - but more on that in the next post. For now, I have almost 2000 emails to wade through - please bear with me - a quick look at the headers tells me that the mailbox is full the usual political releases by campaigns and advocate groups, and also of hate-fueled snark from the left and hate-fueled hysteria from the right, so nothing is new there, either. Also, I have a life to get back in gear. While I do that, you can check out this marvelous commencement address to the graduates of Franciscan University at Steubenville, Ohio, by Archbishop Timothy Dolan, whom we poor foundlings in New York could surely use (and rather desperately need) to replace the foppish and remote Cardinal Egan. Dolan seems like a really swell throwback to the mighty Cardinal John O’ Connor. It’s rainy here, and I like it. Hope you’re having a good day, too. http://theanchoressonline.com/2007/07/23/there-is-nothing-new-about-the-news/trackback/ 35 Responses to “There is nothing new about the news…” |
July 23rd, 2007 at 12:46 pm
I have long thought that your spiritual posts were immeasurably more valuable than your political ones. I will actually say a selfish prayer for your leaning in that direction. I will then say prayer that you will you be able to discern the Holy Spirit’s guidance for whatever direction you go.
July 23rd, 2007 at 1:40 pm
What a relief to have you back! The longer the silence went, the more anxious I became. Write whatever you wish to write. I’ll read it.
July 23rd, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Every few years I put myself on a complete news blackout for 6 weeks. It’s not easy, but it’s a great experience. It helps me to realize just how unimportant it is to stay informed about current events (the opposite of what we constantly tell ourselves).
News is such a source of unnecessary stress. Very little of it impacts us directly and virtually none of it can we affect (the decision makers don’t much care what I think, and much of the time that’s just as well). Eliminating news helps us focus on our personal lives and the things that really matter in our day to day existance.
July 23rd, 2007 at 2:32 pm
What? No Harry Potter commentary?
July 23rd, 2007 at 2:37 pm
Still haven’t rec’d my copy, but that’s okay, I’m inundated just now. I’m avoiding all websites that discuss it just now!
July 23rd, 2007 at 3:27 pm
glad you’re back!
July 23rd, 2007 at 3:30 pm
Lady fine, I am glad you are back…have been reading you for some months now and enjoying your great spirit…be strong and of a good courage, be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest…can’t say it better than Joshua.
July 23rd, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Re Potter: you will find that Rowling has written a truly gracious, wonderful story…better than any of the others.
July 23rd, 2007 at 4:19 pm
Welcome home, A! Join me in a couple squares of good dark chocolate followed by a yummy dark Guinness. Put your feet up enjoy the rain….meditate a little and chuck the news. As you have discovered, good ‘news fast’ is very refreshing.
kelleyb
July 23rd, 2007 at 4:59 pm
Welcome back! I too have been none too aware of the daily news as my grandchildren are visiting and keeping me happily busy. When I do happen to see or read something, I find you are spot on - the same old same old.
July 23rd, 2007 at 5:21 pm
I am glad you had a nice time. I know what you mean about detaching. I have not watched cable news in months. I have taken most of the blogs I used to read off my bookmarks and I rarely blog myself anymore. It is the same old same old, from the left and right.
Just yesterday I heard someone yammering about Halliburton and weapons of mass destruction and I thought My God, have these people been stuck in a time warp? And then of course the right is whining about not getting a “real” conservative. blah blah blah.
I think that when Bush leaves, we we have retroactive Bushbashing because these folks are not capable of assuming responsibility for anything, they need someone to blame.
And it does get old.
July 23rd, 2007 at 6:20 pm
Welcome back!!!! I was getting worried when your silence lasted more than 10 days.
July 23rd, 2007 at 6:45 pm
The Anchoress is back from vacation:…
and finds There is nothing new about the news………
July 23rd, 2007 at 7:02 pm
Glad you’re back!
July 23rd, 2007 at 7:35 pm
My sentiments exactly…
The Anchoress has returned and I find her latest post echoing a feeling I have had for some time now about the daily news.
As I said, nothing has changed. All the stories are the same, we can simply re-file them and change the dates. It almost feels l…
July 23rd, 2007 at 7:46 pm
I’m so glad to see you’re back to writing and I don’t care how long it takes for your next post. I’ve been checking in regularly anyway and will continue to do so.
Welcome back, A! And to heck with the news!
July 23rd, 2007 at 7:47 pm
Oh, and about those hate emails? Just chuck em.
July 23rd, 2007 at 7:58 pm
Yep. Me, too.
I’m with Big Sissy. Your spiritual insights are way out in front for me.
You read more rested. I hope you are.
You were missed.
July 23rd, 2007 at 11:27 pm
Glad to have you back ~ I missed your writing while you were out frying fish and enjoying life. I do a news fast each year during the two weeks I’m in Alba, Italy for the music festival. I’m sure I do miss something, but it’s a really wonderful break from all the misery in life!
July 24th, 2007 at 6:24 am
Oh, I’m so glad you’re back! I, too, was getting a bit antsy that maybe, just maybe. . . you wouldn’t be back. . .
And no matter what direction the blog goes, I’ll still be readin’!
July 24th, 2007 at 8:25 am
Dear Anchoress,
Thanks for coming back…I’ve really missed your insights and observations. I just read Archbishop Dolan’s commencement address - thanks for the link.
July 24th, 2007 at 10:21 am
Your desire to link your readers to Archbishop Timothy Dolan’s commencement address to the graduates of Franciscan University at Steubenville, Ohio, was divinely inspired, I’d say. I hope all your readers read it because it is probably the most brilliant commencement address I have ever read, full of humor, good sense, admiration for Christ and the Church and encouragement for the graduating students and their families. After reading Archbishop Dolan’s commencement address, I am convinced there is still hope for the Catholic Church in America. Anchoress, how do you manage to find these marvelous links?
July 24th, 2007 at 10:25 am
Glad to have you back - kept checking and checking to see if you were here to comment on all the nonsense going on.
July 24th, 2007 at 10:57 am
Welcome back! I hope this finds you refreshed and recharged. You had some 2000 abusive e-mails waiting for you? Heavens. As we say here in the Middle East, “The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on”.
July 24th, 2007 at 11:06 am
Thanks all - I’m easing back in slowly, and have discovered that I’m not yet ready to articulate where I think the blog is going - largely because I’m still not sure - but I think less politics, more life-and-faith ruminations…for better or worse!
A clarification has been added to the post - of the huge amount of email I’m wading through comparatively little of it is hate from the left (but there is always some, alas) - a lot of it is hysteria from the right (the right really needs to stop hyperventilating and start gulping down what seems to have become an instinct to the kneejerk reaction…which is probably what I’ll post on today.
July 24th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
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July 24th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
I can see getting away from the politics. I was so heartbroken for Pres. Bush after the elections I couldn’t stand to look at the smug victors and MSN commentators. I also was mad at certain conservative bloggers who wrote things that threw him under the bus so I only listened to music and read Harry Potter and Jane Austen for four months before slowly venturing back to certain shows and blogs. I thought before, that if I read every conservative blog for “talking points,” I could spread the word and save the day for my causes, but it’s too big a burden to bear. If writing about it gives you a headache, then let someone else do it and follow your own bliss!
July 24th, 2007 at 10:35 pm
Hey woman! You’re back!
July 25th, 2007 at 10:05 am
[...] on the wrong side of Cuba (again), the Siggster talks about Voldemort, oops, I mean Harry Reid and The Anchoress is fffiiiiiiinnnnnaaallllyyy back from her [...]
July 25th, 2007 at 10:32 am
Very nice to hear you are well…
Such precious time to spend with your fine Family.
“Also, I have a life to get back in gear.”
I have a feeling, you are in gear, but might not realize you are doing just fine.
My best wishes to you and yours…
July 25th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
[...] There is nothing new about the news… [...]
July 26th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
I am very happy that you are back. My computer has been down and I am just now finding out that you are back. Welcome back and I trust you had a very rejuvenating, relaxing and healing time for yourself! Looking forward to good reading again!
July 30th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
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August 29th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
[...] thing is I go away for almost a week…and once again I find that there is nothing new in the news. To my way of thinking both the most entertaining (and least surprising) story in the current [...]
September 10th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
[...] woman, I hear you! I’ve pretty much observed the same thing about there being nothing new in the [...]