From: John De Armond
Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.rv-travel
Subject: Re: Giving serious thought
Date: Wed, 07 Apr 2004 03:12:07 -0400
Message-ID: <p68770942udqpmppti40ejrs9cqohaiikg@4ax.com>

On Tue, 06 Apr 2004 21:39:55 -0400, HDinNY <error@error.com> wrote:

>I've contemplated this for awhile and have about decided.
>The flavor of this newsgroup has become a bit too bitter for
>my taste. The endless rants about politics, religion and
>what ever else causes trollers to shout with glee have
>convinced me I don't need this crap.
>
>I've met some really nice people through this group and
>value their extended friendships. I can't believe how
>rancorous the posting has become and frankly don't see the
>value of any further reading or posting by me. I'm sure some
>will jump with glee, screw 'em.

Personally, I don't care either way.  I do find it amazing and interesting
that people such as yourself let yourself get cranked up over what someone
else said.  Particularly in religious or political mud slinging.  It's like
someone sitting in front of a TV yelling at what is going on.  Change the
channel, ferchristsake!  Or better yet, pull the plug.

Nowhere else in life do you have such fine control over what you read and hear
than Usenet.  With the right newsreader you can almost completely eliminate
what annoys you.  So with those resources available, why do you keep reading
things that make you unhappy?  Especially when there is so much good in this
group.  It's like peeling off the layers of shitspew to find a diamond
underneath.  Just kill the posters and threads that make you mad and enjoy the
rest.

I will have to admit that the general stress level has increased significantly
in recent times.  People I have a lot of respect for have found themselves
wallowing in the mud (yo, Chris!!)  Some so bad that I've lost the respect I
had.

I think the central cause is TV.  About a year and a half ago I had my
intelligence insulted one too many times, got mad one too many times and just
pulled the plug on the TV.  Literally pulled the plug to lessen the temptation
to fudge a little.  This made one of the most remarkable changes in my life
that I could have ever imagined.  True, there were withdrawal symptoms but
they passed inside of a month.

Now I'm only vaguely aware of the political mud-slinging going on.  I do read
the local Pravda a couple of times a week just to stay in touch with the local
politics that do directly affect me.  I knew who I was going to vote against
(any democrat) years ago so why would I subject myself to this campaign slop?
Crazy, that's what it is.

The only election decisions I still have to make is whether to vote early and
whether to cast a protest 3rd party vote or to slide a couple of condoms over
my finger so it doesn't get crap on it and push the "bush" button.  Nothing on
TV or this newsgroup or anywhere else will help make those decisions.

I think people build up a tolerance to the crap on TV.  I know I did.  But
even though the resistance is in place the underlying irritation is still
there, causing stress and irritability.  Having been off the tube for a year
and a half I just can't believe what passes for entertainment and news on the
rare occasion I actually see some TV. Or the very real effects the TV has on
my physically. I'm just about to the point where if I can't get the person to
turn off the TV then I leave.

I've done a couple of other good things in addition to junking the TV (losing
weight, getting rid of some chronic stressors in my personal life, etc) but
I've observed the most noticeable improvement in my health to be in sync with
my eliminating the TV.  My stress level is normal, I'm off my BP meds and I'm
almost weaned off the stomach acid pills.  Plus I have time to actually DO
things.

One of the things one realizes after the tube is gone for awhile is that one
actually knows very little about the "major issues" of the day.  Almost no
citizen knows enough about, say, the Iraq situation to have an opinion either
way.  None of us are privy to intelligence, documents, communications or
competent analysis - the stuff opinions on Iraq should be based on.  All you
"know" is what has been spoon-fed to you by the media.  Think about that the
next time any of you think about spewing all over this newsgroup.

Hugh, perhaps what you need to do is to pull the plug on YOUR TV and to learn
how to use your newsreader's filters more effectively.

In any event, I strongly urge everyone to try pulling the TV plug.  Doing that
was the single best thing I've done for myself in years, maybe decades.

John

From: John De Armond
Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.rv-travel
Subject: Re: Giving serious thought
Date: Thu, 08 Apr 2004 04:50:38 -0400
Message-ID: <8i4a70tth5tkhqrmfrookb3vcc8q3glqu5@4ax.com>

On Wed, 7 Apr 2004 22:02:05 -0400, "Jon Porter" <jporter@netwalk.com> wrote:

>
>"Neon John" <johngdDONTYOUDARE@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
>news:p68770942udqpmppti40ejrs9cqohaiikg@4ax.com...
>>
>> In any event, I strongly urge everyone to try pulling the TV plug.
>> Doing that was the single best thing I've done for myself in years,
>> maybe decades.
>
>I did that way back in the mid '90s. What took you so long?

I was married until 2 years ago.  Need I say more? :-)