An off the cuff, bereft of attribution Flag Day

There are times in life when you just have to say I’m all about the good stuff.

I remember when the B-52s sang about your dang good stuff.

The media continues to accentuate the negative.

They report their opinion and speculation.

Objective, fact-based news stories seem to be relics of the 20th century.

I say this because many times even the perpetual staple and top of the old guard print media heap New York Times opinion pieces have usurped its old-world reporting featuring balanced writing and pyramid-style news writing.

I get it.

Access Hollywood gets clicks.

In the process, a story citing something other than anonymous sources for attribution is now more the exception than not.

The conglomerates that own these print media vestiges drive their own agenda.

Online journalism is not a money-maker, yet it is a vehicle to communicate in such a fashion that it can drive less than productive thought, action, and behavior.

The media should be a watchdog of government.

Make no mistake about it.

The writing that supports these efforts, however, should be balanced to the point where the reader can form their own opinion after reading a story that portrays both sides of a given issue (or news item).

The only way to do that is to account for both sides of news stories with substantiation from authorities that represent these sides.

It’s been so long I can’t remember when that happened more often than not.

The media’s representation of current events is embarrassing, disrespectful, self-serving, and irresponsible to anyone that gets their news online, via television, radio, and print media.

I don’t include social media, podcasts, and blogs as news sources; these areas largely represent one-sided opinions and rarely deliver objective journalism–this blog included.

But in the case of this blog, the disclaimer on the main page clearly states the posts contained herein are my opinion only (except where identified otherwise).

Healing

We can’t heal if rumors of continued violence, predictions of further destruction, and apocalyptic warnings on the state of the economy and COVID-19 continue to dominate headlines.

We need stories that bring people together rather than divide.

This will take some creativity, hard work, and yes courage on the part of journalists to forego driving the fear and panic that sells for the positive news articles that can also sell if given half a chance.

Until then, I’d like to mention a few good things, aka good stuff…

He’s back! Big Red, our 12-year-old pond patriarch has resurfaced after a month-long absence. I was cleaning out some algae, rocks, and debris in front of the pond’s cave entrance this past Saturday. When I was done with replacing the filter cartridge, refilling the pond, and firing up the waterfall, Big Red blasted from the cave and back in the swim of things with his two new little buddies–Little Red and Sidekick.

Adjustable height standing desks. I’ve become a fan after using one for a week. My back hurts less and so do my knees and legs. Although I take frequent breaks from sitting, any amount of sitting you can avoid during your daily workday is a good thing. So, I recommend giving standing more often than not a try.

Purging. Goodwill and other charities need the stuff you no longer use. If you’re not of the mindset of trying to get any dollars you can for your old and/or largely discarded stuff, why not consider donating it?

A lot of people are hurting. Giving to those less fortunate helps foster gratitude not to mention more space in your closets and on your shelves.

In closing, helping others, and contributing to the greater good are the right things to do.

Journalists and editors, please take note.