Checking Out Library Audiobooks, Exercise, TV, News

 This morning I avoided getting up super-early, and ended up getting a pretty reasonable night's sleep.  During the course of the day, I did some 32 minutes' worth of running-in-place...add to this that I walked a couple of inner-perimeter backyard laps.  Now it's around 7:45 and darkening into the evening time.  My intention is to throw on a light "Mister Rogers style of sweater and sit around on the front or back porch.  Baseball is on the TV schedule and I'm looking forward to enjoying some of it.  Tomorrow morning they're holding another Depot Parkrun 5K.  I'd like for Melissa to drive me down there, and it sure would be cool if I were to manage completing the entire four-lap 5k course,without any attempt to be fast.  I've also been trying to check out on Libby an audiobook version of D.S. MacHale's fantasy nove Pendragon1: The Merchant of Death.  So far I haven't been successful with this clearly-flawed app, and that book remains unloaded.  I do have a couple of old Hardy Boys adventure books ready to read, along with the original Foundation novel from that classic old Isaac Asimov series.  I think tomorrow morning during the 'race' I'll try listening in to a story.  Well, tonight I'll be tuning in to our MLB Channel to watch a couple of live contests...their presentation has been very good so far since the 2026 regular season began late last month.  I'm tired of all the war news and how our politicians and media hounds are trying to manipulate my emotions while offering little-to-nothing of value.  So, I wish you and yours a great day if you're "down under' and a wonderful, blessed weekend...

Showed up with Melissa to walk Today's Depot Parkrun5k

 I walked, with Melissa, this morning'sDepot Parkrun 5K, held just a few blocks south of downtown Gainesville.Click HERE to viewtoday's posted results...Next Saturday should be colder here, so showing up will be quite an accomplishment..I'm stiill taken aback at Parkrun's refusal to recognize my latest volunteering effort there, which would be my tenth overall... that sounds a lot like ghosting (or shunning) to me and sadly diminishes any trust I feel for this group's leadership...'

Packaged Evening News Like Box Lunches

It's hard for me to take the televised news seriously anymore, beyond the barest of facts they present before being mercilessly spun out of recognition by people with no more qualification to do so than you or me.  In the midst of all the hyper-serious stuff being presented, it gets really bizarre when the announcer keeps teasing the viewing audience to stick around to the end of the show for a preview of the network's special upcoming show.  That happened recently on ABC Evening News with David Muir, as Muir kept referring, with a twinkle in his eyes, to the upcoming National Football League draft that would immediately follow the broadcast. As if this were such a special treat that went beyond my wildest expectations.  Please. I went to a church function last Saturday that offered a lunch break on the premises, complete with box lunches.  They were very thorough and meticulous with the various nutritional components.  There was a nice little chicken salad wrap, a little cup of seasoned pasta, a little fresh fruit cup...and each packaged meal was complete with a brownie for dessert. Because, after all, we just have to have everything at least a little bit sugar-coated, right?  Somehow, though, I think I'd rather the news be free of that embellishment.  I really don't need the distraction of a football draft, or even the human interest regular segment...ABC has its "America Strong" "good news" to close out its news broadcast.  It's as if we've sat at the table, eaten our salads and nutrition like good little girls and boys, and now need our sweet dessert reward...all carefully designed and packaged in a little box. I do like those prepared lunches, though.  What was it that Mary Poppins said?  Oh yes, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.  I believe she sang that to little children, which seems to be the way that the news media treat us...

Stepping Back from Manipulative News

In case you might be wondering why on this blog I'm not deeply analyzing and reacting to all the different developing stories in this election season with the corruption charges, wars, terrorism and dictators, it's not because I'm covering up my eyes and ears to the media onslaught.  Rather I have come to a point in my life where I know that I have some degree of control over some things, beyond which I can do little about them.  It's 2024 and the press is a hotbed of manipulation, not just on FoxNews.  One of my Florida senators, Marco Rubio, whom I've never supported, was interviewed a few days ago on ABC's Good Morning America and got the hostile treatment when he simply expressed his own opinions on various topics, opinions several of which I might add I disagreed with.  But it's all in the presentation and how different "news" sources frame the real messages they are trying to get across to their audience.  I've associated in the past with people who are addicted to this kind of thing and have learned to reduce or even cut ties with them because of their obsessions...especially when they get outraged because I dared to express a thought they disagreed with.  To them I say, some are addicted to gambling, others to substances, still others to materialism, and so on: have fun letting yourselves be continually manipulated, in the end it's YOUR choice to play that game...

News Outlets Manipulative, Revolting

When I start up my computer, I get this Microsoft news feed on my screen.  It is loaded with provocative article headings, designed to inflame the readers' passions and have them click on them.  The underlying article is almost always completely different in tone and message from its misleading title...unfortunately, it's not just on my computer screen where this happens.  Even on the evening news, the host will feed teasers about a really important news development that he or she will present later on in the show...the actual story is often usually as short as the teaser!  I am so bummed out on the news, not so much by what is happening, but rather how it all is presented, even on so-called unbiased programs and sites.  I truly pity people who actually rely on and believe these manipulators of information...even more so the ones who voluntarily impose upon themselves a bubble in which they seek out sources that reinforce their biased narratives and avoid all others.  I'm looking forward with some trepidation to the next national election, in which millions of information zombies may well elect the next president and Congress.  Maybe Musk is right: is it too late for me to sign up for Mars?