That’s it, I’m off again. Eliminating Safari bookmarks to AmericaBlog, Crooks & Liars, Juan Cole, Daily Kos, Eschaton, Firedoglake, Glenn Greenwald, Huffington Post, Hullabaloo, Paul Krugman, MyDD, Talking Points Memo, TalkLeft, and Think Progress now… [done!]
The reason is simple. These days nothing makes me feel so completely worthless and terrible as reading about attempts to “fix” the American way of life, which I have neither the desire to repair nor the identification with to savor. I have more in common with chipmunks on the side of the road than I do with politicians, mass culture, or ideologies of any stripe — we all do, actually — and I simply must look out for myself. There’s no other answer. (I’m sure I’ll backslide again eventually, but never mind.)
Onward, chilluns, we each have lots to do.
UPDATE: It isn’t the blogs, is it! I will really have to get one of those things that keeps you from posting when depressed (a brain). As for online reading and the state of my psyche, the political stuff, which I’m addicted to and eat up like candy, really is very bad for me just now. It pulls me down and marches me in directions I don’t want to go. Your mileage may vary, as the saying goes. I’m sure I’ll go back to reading great articles by Digby, for instance, but I do need to take that world in very small doses, for my own good. It blocks out so much else that I have to fight to keep it in its place.
The “problem” is that blogs are where I get my news. What I’m really addicted to is the news itself, and in the current context, all the news is bad. Mainlining bad news depletes psychic energy and creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. I was already rocky this a.m., and then I hit the blogs…
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
You, Mr. Farr, are a beautiful writer, or you write beautifully. If there is a difference. You’ve sparked my minds eye and I can see a New Mexico that has completely altered my assumption that NM was a warm desert kind of place. I assumed it always like SCalifornia.
It was a pleasure visiting. Thanks.
(BTW-jumped over from Digby’s place)
Susan
Thank you, Susan. I wish I were in a better mood today to respond to such praise. As you can tell, however, I’m not, alas.
The world deserves better than what I’m giving it. I’ll remember your comment. Thank you again.
Dr. Farr:
I celebrate your decision and hope that I can muster the nerve to do the same. I have been a long-time reader, since before the move….
Love the stories of Taos. I recently moved to Halfway between Pojoaque and Los Alamos. Sure has been beautiful here, but we haven’t had the snow that you, what — 50 miles away — have had. I’d like to come up and buy you a cup of coffee in town — Thanks for your writing all these years!
Go easy with burning the resin!
Graaaack!
Spence
“An intellectual hatred is the worst,
So let her think opinions are accursed.
Have I not seen the loveliest woman born
Out of the mouth of Plenty’s horn,
Because of her opinionated mind
Barter that horn and every good
By quiet natures understood
For an old bellows full of angry wind?”
That’s from W.B. Yeats’ “Prayer For My Daughter”, but the words are not in my mind gender-specific. Some political writing has civilizing qualities such as grace, wit or elegance. Most is flat, pedestrian, unoriginal – in short, not worth getting worked up over. As we used to say in the 60′s, “if it’s not part of the solution, it’s part of the problem”.
John- Thanks for the vicarious adventures! 2007 was a great year. But, as you… I live in the moment… I agree with KJ’s comments… especially, “if its not part of the solution, its part of the problem”. Let’s look ahead to brilliant moments tomorrow. You have the magical ability (and stamina) to touch, absorb and process the simple sensations that most of us only dream about. Keep it coming!
Ty