News? Gossip? A Load of Bullshit

As I have grown older, I have become increasingly disenfranchised with the world's news media.  My parents grew up in different areas of the United States; they received weekly newspapers regarding the big events, and they listened to the radio each evening for current world, national, and local news.  I was born in 1956, and we sat down to eat supper at 6 p.m. each weekday - and while we were eating, the television was on, showing 30 minutes of local news, followed by 30 minutes of national and world news.  I ate my supper and watched the news about the war in Viet Nam and the unrest in the Middle East.  The family discussed the news over the dinner table, and later, after the dishes were washed and dried.
  My heroes, at the time, were cowboys and actors who portrayed cowboys.  If I had to name a hero today, I'd have to say Richard Engle, a news journalist, and the astronauts aboard the International Space Station.  When I read today's headlines (online), I almost ruined my monitor and keyboard with a mouthful of orange juice.  The first two news headlines were in regard to the terrorist attacks in Paris, but the third headline was that an actor had announced he is HIV positive on a morning national news show.  Why is this man's medical history news?
  I have never regarded "star" or celebrity status of someone as news.  It's plain old gossip.  I had my own, private news page set up to give me the "news stories" regarding several people whom I know personally.  Some are considered celebrities - but they're just friends to me, because I've known them all of my (or their) life.  I ended up removing them because there was so much awful, stupid gossip that appeared under the banner of news.   Is so-and-so dating so-and-so?  What does so-and-so eat during a day?  What does so-and-so's wife think about this? What does so-and-so's family think about that?  So-and-so said this; and a quote taken out of context follows; what does it mean?
   I am extremely un-trendy.  I have a few favorite actors, a lot of favorite authors and books, and a few favorite television shows.  Watching certain actors can make my toes curl up.  I love the way they look, the way they move, and the sound of their voices.  But I do not want to know every salacious detail of their lives.  They have kids? Good for them. They have a horrible illness and are fighting it - such as cancer, Parkinson's, or Alzheimer's?  I'm sorry for them and I will support them to the utmost of my ability.  My own family members suffer from cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, heart disease and diabetes.  I support them.  I support celebrities who create awareness of diseases that can strike all of humanity - many excellent actors and actresses have succumbed to any and all of the diseases I named.
   But it seems to me that the actor who announced that he is HIV positive today did so merely for his own personal good.  Look at me - I can't believe that I am HIV positive!  This man is a foul-mouthed person that curses and screams at other people for no reason - he delights in being "out of control" whether through abuse of alcohol or drugs, or both.  He is a danger to society at large when he is under the influence of any type of drug - legal or otherwise.  And he suddenly wants my sympathy?  He has crashed and burned too many times in public for me to give him anything...  I wouldn't urinate on him if he was on fire standing next to me - I'd just run as fast as I could to get away from his presence.
   Maybe I'm a bad person for feeling this way.  But I am sick to death from hearing about "celebrities" who are pretty much self-created.  Who the heck are the Kardashians?  I've seen the name everywhere, but why are they in the spotlight?  Did one of them create a new food source to feed the poor?  Did they discover a new medicine to help kill a disease?  Why should I care what they do, who they date, marry, or have babies with?  It's none of my business.  And I wish the "news media" would learn to accept that.

Am I Old? A Curmudgeon? A Fuddy-Duddy?

First things first.  I am fifty-seven and a half years old, and grew up in a poor-middle class family.  My father's father, grandfather, great grandfather and great-great grandfather were farmers with large families. On my mother's side of the family, my forebears were fishermen, watermen, and farmers on Chincoteague Island, Virginia and in Denmark and Sweden.  Dad retired after 21 years in the US Navy on my fifth birthday, and we moved to north-central Florida.  We had a black and white television set until 1966, and were able to receive CBS, NBC, and the local WUFT , which turned into PBS.  We lived at the edge of the suburbs, the nest-to-last house on the end of a street, where the dirt run ran almost seamlessly into pin oak and pine woods.  We played a lot of memory games and read aloud, we played board games and cards, and we listened to the radio.  We watched the "local" (Jacksonville) news and national news, and then one or two national televised programs each night.  There was a set of encyclopedias from 1956, two dictionaries, and a family health book for reference and lots of other books that we owned, or were from the public library, for our edification.
  Now, skip to the present day.  I have a satellite television connection that gives me a choice of almost 800 channels; I have my desk top personal computer with an internet connection; I have a land-line telephone; and, reluctantly, I now have a cell phone that is only turned on when I am caring for animals away from my home, or when I'm on vacation.  I use the cell phone for emergency communications only, to or from owners; or for use on vacation when I'm mobile.  I have a CD/cassette player that also has an AM/FM radio; and I have what I call my "film viewer" that will play either a VHS video tape, or a DVD.  And I have books - lots and lots of books.   I walk between 5 and 20 miles each day, unless I'm ill; I do not own a car or truck.  There are three different grocery stores within a five block radius of my apartment, three shopping malls within that area, eleven movie theaters within that radius.  I can walk to the public library or to the library at the University of Colorado within 15 minutes.
  I have not watched more than 3 to 5 minutes of any reality show on television - and only that when I cannot escape the room gracefully.  I watch the local and national news;  I watch college and professional football; I watch any program that has to do with horses - training, showing, racing, jumping, Three Day Eventing.  Other than the game show, Jeopardy!, which I try to watch every week night, I have six televised shows that I watch weekly - or try to, anyway.  They are:  Almost Human, Sleepy Hollow, The Blacklist, NCIS, Person of Interest, and Blue Bloods.  Other than that, unless I have the Western Channel on for background noise, the television is off.  I play specific CDs and old cassette tapes for music.  If I listen to the radio, it is usually NPR, a classical station, or an Oldie Goldie Rock station.  I grew up listening to classical music, country and folk music, jazz, swing, the blues, and early rock-n-roll.  I appreciate a song that tells a story, or music that I find emotionally or physically moving.  I don't like "music" that is extremely loud, has offensive (either hate words or lots of profanity) language, or is degrading to anyone or anything.  I can listen to the new, "smooth" jazz, but I prefer the old, crisp songs.  I visit the movie theater once or twice a year - I don't like most of the films made, or re-made, today.  I'd much rather watch an old B Western  movie than one of today's dramas.
   I don't recognize most of the so-called stars or celebrities these days - I just saw an advertisement on the TV for the Grammy Awards, and while I recognized the names of most of the people, I could only identify Stevie Wonder, LL Cool J (because of NCIS: Los Angeles), Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.  I have the top ten "Entertainment" news headlines pop up on my screen, and I'm lucky if I recognize a single name.  I recognize the name of "Honey Boo Boo" but can't tell you what it looks like - the same for the Kardashians, or any other television celebrities.  Who the heck are they?  Why should I be interested in anything (much less every thing) that they do?
   I know the world changes every second, with every decision that any person makes.  I realize that a lot of people grasp every bit of technology they can, and there are those who avoid it at all costs.  I like the technology that I have and use.  But I'm not a tech geek.  I like using my PC to seek information quickly and easily; I use the telephone as a tool - it is not attached to me, nor I to it.  I like music that I can hear clearly and understand.  I am not enamored with explosions and profanity.  I enjoy going out for a hike in the woods or mountains without hearing someone else shouting on a cell phone.
   I was just notified that my high school class is having a meeting this Saturday, in Gainesville, at the downtown public library (at 1 p.m. EDT), to set up our 40th graduation reunion.  Am I old?  Am I a curmudgeon?  Am I a fuddy-duddy?  An old hag?   -  I don't care how others view me, in actuality.  I love my cats, I loved my husband, and I like who I am.  Period.

Go, Black Caviar!

Chilly, just above freezing, with 87% humidity.  The weather folks said we'd have a sunny weekend, with highs in the 60s... Unless something changes drastically I don't think it's going to happen.  Now they are calling for rain tonight, rain showers Sunday, and snow Monday through Wednesday.  We'll see; weather is extremely unpredictable here at the eastern foot of the Rockies.  I've taken care of Maggie May, Boo, and have already been home to my kits.  Promised the kits they'd see me again today, as I have to take home a lot of my spices, clothes, and work materials.  Tonight, I'll stay at Boo's and then all day tomorrow, returning home to the kits tomorrow night.  Mike has posted some photos on Facebook from his current trip to Moab - the scenery is gorgeous! - And, of course, I think my nephew is handsome, too.  

  Besides losing comedian Jonathan Winters this week, the world also lost a beautiful, gifted ballerina - Maria Tallchief.  Winters was 87 years old; Tallchief was 88.  Jonathan made us laugh until we cried, while Maria left us breathless with her grace and skill.  Both will be sorely missed.

  Yesterday, the US Horse of the Year for 2012, Wise Dan, ran his first race of this year.  The 6-year-old chestnut gelding did not disappoint his fans, winning the Makers 46 Mile with ease.  And, down under, Black Caviar won her 25th race in a row today in the J. T. Smith Stakes.  The 6-year-old dark bay mare won easily by 3 lengths, distancing the other ten runners at the top of the stretch. I don't think anyone will contest the statement that Black Caviar is a champion.