So it’s been one week.
Last Saturday afternoon I suddenly decided, and announced on Twitter, that I was embarking upon a fast on news and opinion. By that I meant I wouldn’t voluntarily seek out news or opinions on current events or (especially) politics, online or in any other medium.
As I said at the time, I trusted my friends to let me know if there were, like, mile-long spaceships hovering above all the world’s cities, or ICBMs were inbound. (I can rely on you guys, right? Right?)
The idea is, over the last 10-15 years I’ve wasted way too much time and energy perusing – “sucking up” would probably be more accurately descriptive – news and opinions sites. And it’s done me enormous harm. Aside from the resources devoted to the activity itself, often hours a day, such reading (and occasional viewing) invariably left me angry, afraid, or both; and in any event, in an unresourceful state in which it was difficult if not impossible to do my real and important work of entertaining you and keeping me and my dependents (TJ, Squeak, and Emma) housed and fed.
All this about stuff I can’t do anything about.
So at last I decided: to Hell with it. And quit.
I’ve kept at it for a week. And you know what? I think I’ll stay with it a while longer.
The change has not been miraculous. I’ve not been hugely more productive. Yet.
There are still plenty ways to waste time online (there’s a revelation.) Twitter’s one, obviously. So is this blog. Or my Forum. And all of them also have actual value for me. It’s merely a matter of finding balance. Learning a skill, if you will.
But I do feel the difference. I’m less prone to fears and distractive thoughts and emotions.
It occurs to me what I’m most likely doing is detoxing. Takes a while to start seeing the real benefits.
Meanwhile, like hitting oneself in the head with a hammer, it feels so good to’ve stopped.
So please, wish me luck as I boldly go into a future where I mind my own business better, and others’ much, much less!
And Now for Something Completely Different Department: last night at IHOP after the reading (because breakfast had played such a crucial role in the excerpts John read of Black Train Coming, we one and all had a late-night breakfast) I told the crew about a book I much loved, which I blogged about back in summer of ’07, called The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril by Paul Malmont.
Bubonicon co-chair Craig Chrissinger mentioned a similarly-themed book he’d heard about in which H. P. Lovecraft teamed up with his real-life pen-pal and Cthulhu Mythos collaborator Robert E. Howard. In an email to me today he mentioned again wanting to find it.
I did. It’s Shadows Bend: A Novel of the Fantastic and Unspeakable
(As is so often the case, hit the linked titles to peruse the books for yourself, and, should you so choose, buy them through this site! Thank you.)
Popularity: 6% [?]
Well, now I HAVE to surf the web reading about poly-tics, opinion and other depredations. Victor is DEPENDING on me….
(or such is my claim….)
As much as I appreciate your support, I wonder if maybe you’re missing the point here….
Victor’s counting on me to PROTECT him????
No, no, no. Just to let me know if, like, it’s time to head for the hills.
Should I call your cell? Text you? Send you a Twitter?
Seriously, Good On You, wish I had the gumption…
Maybe try all the above. What the hell: shoot the moon.
Are you on Twitter now? Have I spread that infection?
And thanks. I didn’t think I had the gumption, frankly. I’ve tried in the past and it didn’t work. For some reason last Saturday it just clicked.
Tim Ferriss’s book helped. Some good info in there. I plan to reread it after I finish the DL rough draft, and it’s time to start seriously implementing a program to get it in front of many, many eyes.
Nah, I’m not on twitter. Hell, I don’t even have a blog (much to your chagrin, as I seem to use yours instead). I just thought it was funny. You’re right, I REALLY need to get to sleep…
“What the hell: shoot the moon.”
With a laser. Will you write the classic “CHA,” or will it be the more personal “LAR” instead?
- M. \”0
L => No chagrin here about your lack of a blog, at least for the reason ascribed. Feel free to post here; you’re always welcome, of course.
Any chagrin I feel about your lack of a blog arises from my wanting to read such. There’s the real value of Twitter: it’s sort of fast’n'loose blogging, when you don’t have enough material – or time, or interest – to churn out a full blog post. (I myself could stand to being a little less anal about my own blog posts; different issue.)
I’ve also described Twitter as “exhibitionistic IM.” There’s that, too.
M => Okay, that went right past me. Please to explain references, please.
Victor. I see what you’re doing. Stop it. You don’t have the bug-eyes for it.
UR IN MY HED. MAKIN ME BLOG N TWITTR.
Dang! Caught me!
I can do wall eyes pretty well, though.
NOW I’M IN UR HED, MAKIN U HAZ GOALZ.
You guys crack me up. But it is time for Victor to get back to writing more stuff for me to read…..
“Please to explain references, please.”
http://www.thetick.ws/tvvillains.html
Scroll down to “Chairface Chippendale.”
http://www.worth1000.com/entries/317000/317348afIE_w.jpg
- M. \”/
HM => I’m all over it, you happy curmudgeon, you. Thanks for caring.
The most blessed words of tongue or pen – “The End” – rapidly approach for The Dinosaur Lords: High Fantasy with teeth.
M => OIC.
Think you might’ve gotten me crossed with Larry. If I were to try to etch my name on the moon with a heat beam, the first three letters’d get the job done fine.