Bad Storms/Worse Coverage

[rokdog49]

Post Deleted…………

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by srick

That's a really good point. And it really exemplifies the 'entertainment' bent of today's television news. Essentially, the producer\reporters establish an outdoor 'set' with guests.

You point out that news vs commentary or pundits bit that gets confused.

Over the weekend I had a perfect illustration of why following news is important. The road our cabin is on is a very interesting mix. In what's really a tradition as the summer gets going people who are there year-round, often or seldom and some from far away all mix and socialize. While most in a gathering were not happy about some current goings on in our country and the world it was very clear some who were bothered and seemingly most bothered were surprisingly clueless to the actual news or facts. Most they brought up were pundit talking points and not really the news.

It's just not healthy for an individual or a society to be the sort of upset I witnessed in a few of them, and worse for so much of that to be grounded in nonsense or stuff engineered to manipulate vs inform.

Now back to work and a Monday I see the prep for our enterprise-wide meetings absolutely requires some of us to be up on the news and get it to nearly 1000 people whether that's the heat wave, markets intelligence or logistics and public health info. You just can't ignore news and really be strong and healthy in the context of business and community.

[rokdog49]

I feel very healthy and strong in the context of my own life.

[Murphy Slaw]

I just went 2 weeks without ANY news.

On purpose.

When I watched some news yesterday, it was the same stuff from 2 weeks ago, with a few new events.

I'm going to skip a month this time...

[KevWind]

One major observation IMO ::

The level of "stress" watching "the news" causes in one's life is primarily self inflicted

I will repeat " The level of stress that watching or reading the news causes in ones life is SELF INFLICTED. based largely on ones choices of life perspectives

While there is certainly no "Need" for a steady diet of News (especially when restricted to only the agenda driven fear based infotainment editorial pretense of news and comment ) Which unfortunately has proven to the most profitable

A much more effective means of reliving stress in life , lies in adjusting ones perspective away from the fear based ones. Much more so than just abstinence or avoiding a symptom ..

Just as it does in any obsessive compulsive behavior or addiction .

[M19]

The old saw is "If it bleeds it leads."
Lately, NBC news is "happily" touting how many MILLIONS are in the path of such-and-such.

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by KevWind

One major observation IMO ::

The level of "stress" watching "the news" causes in one's life is primarily self inflicted

I will repeat " The level of stress that watching or reading the news causes in ones life is SELF INFLICTED. based largely on ones choices of life perspectives

While there is certainly no "Need" for a steady diet of News (especially when restricted to only the agenda driven fear based infotainment editorial pretense of news and comment ) Which unfortunately has proven to the most profitable

A much more effective means of reliving stress in life , lies in adjusting ones perspective away from the fear based ones. Much more so than just abstinence or avoiding a symptom ..

Just as it does in any obsessive compulsive behavior or addiction .

A good point to bring up fear. In the pretty neat period of my life when I spent a lit of time where you live I learned a lot about fear while pursuing fun. At same time I was doing projects and work that taught me a lot about data and common cognitive biases. It really helped me take off on a new and better life just from that learning how fear impacts or promotes doing stupid things.

I had some interesting fear experiences before that but the dropping in or hang time in the sports was sort of practice or conditioning for managing it.

It is definitely possible to live without news but that's exceptions. I've seen it in people who have so much wealth and protection or staff that it doesn't matter, and have seen it in the divisions in the sorts of work or positions we have. Then comes luck.

On luck, I feel that's a much bigger matter or deal than many realize and often not considered as much as it needs to be.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by imwjl

A good point to bring up fear. In the pretty neat period of my life when I spent a lit of time where you live I learned a lot about fear while pursuing fun. At same time I was doing projects and work that taught me a lot about data and common cognitive biases. It really helped me take off on a new and better life just from that learning how fear impacts or promotes doing stupid things.

I had some interesting fear experiences before that but the dropping in or hang time in the sports was sort of practice or conditioning for managing it.

It is definitely possible to live without news but that's exceptions. I've seen it in people who have so much wealth and protection or staff that it doesn't matter, and have seen it in the divisions in the sorts of work or positions we have. Then comes luck.

On luck, I feel that's a much bigger matter or deal than many realize and often not considered as much as it needs to be.

I get what you are saying but I was not really talking about the relationship of fear and or caution in things like sports , or recreation or other personal experiences, (like say the fear experienced while being down in a storm cellar during tornado, while the rest of house gets ripped apart ).

I was talking more about how it relates to a more general world view perspective, which is much more subtle and often goes completely un self recognized as being fear based ....Like take for example blaming the poor for their poverty. The person placing that blame, does not experience it as personal fear, like the person in the storm cellar. But self recognized or not, the perspective is none the less fear based, at it's foundational core .. And that is the kind of fear that much of pretend news is exploiting and which no doubt helps raise the stress and discomfort level .. And I will stop there.......

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by KevWind

I get what you are saying but I was not really talking about the relationship of fear and or caution in things like sports , or recreation etc. fear related to experiences, like say the fear experienced while being down in a storm cellar during tornado.
I was talking more about how it relates to a more general world view perspective which is much more subtle, and often goes completely un self recognized as being fear based ....Like for example blaming the poor for their poverty. The person placing that blame does not experience it as personal fear, like the person in the storm cellar. But self recognized or not, the perspective is none the less fear based, at it's foundational core ..

Yes, but for me the the experiences were all part of getting a better view of everything and I thought I mentioned luck which I feel is often overlooked in many ways.

The sports matters were just elements in learning to be better at a lot of things and one very consistent part of that is operating outside of one's comfort zones.

I think we're both talking about fear and luck here. The luck element that got me in the Tetons so often also helped get me out of a former mindset where I'd likely blame the poor differently than I would now.

Some of the people I've admired most seem to have it right or the right awareness of fear, luck and being uncomfortable.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by imwjl

Yes, but for me the the experiences were all part of getting a better view of everything and I thought I mentioned luck which I feel is often overlooked in many ways.

The sports matters were just elements in learning to be better at a lot of things and one very consistent part of that is operating outside of one's comfort zones.

I think we're both talking about fear and luck here. The luck element that got me in the Tetons so often also helped get me out of a former mindset where I'd likely blame the poor differently than I would now.

Some of the people I've admired most seem to have it right or the right awareness of fear, luck and being uncomfortable.

Hum ? I never really considered luck in that equation but it is an interesting thought. Like most I suppose I have had both bad and good luck I suppose I am fortunate with more good than bad. And speaking of luck and hang time. Having been a Downhill ski Racer I do remember the "eternity" of the few seconds_ being upside down at well over 65 mph and coming out un scathed

I think one significant thing that contributed to a big change in perspective in my life, was training horses. And finally realizing the most efficient and effective method was more understanding what was going on from the horses perspective, as opposed to trying to force the horse to understand the situation from mine...

[rokdog49]

I am reminded of that old saying, “I quit hitting myself in the head with the hammer because it felt so good when I stopped.”
I quit the news hammer because it felt so good to stop.
I suppose my philosophy is why do something that creates a stressful scenario when you don’t have to? I don’t have to, so I don’t.

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by KevWind

Hum ? I never really considered luck in that equation but it is an interesting thought. Like most I suppose I have had both bad and good luck I suppose I am fortunate with more good than bad. And speaking of luck and hang time. Having been a Downhill ski Racer I do remember the "eternity" of the few seconds_ being upside down at well over 65 mph and coming out un scathed

I think one significant thing that contributed to a big change in perspective in my life, was training horses. And finally realizing the most efficient and effective method was more understanding what was going on from the horses perspective, as opposed to trying to force the horse to understand the situation from mine...

The latter learning was a big help as I got leadership opportunities later on that I managed but was not good at when I was younger.

Managing security and business continuity sure would be easier if force learning would work a little better.

Originally Posted by rokdog49

I am reminded of that old saying, “I quit hitting myself in the head with the hammer because it felt so good when I stopped.”
I quit the news hammer because it felt so good to stop.
I suppose my philosophy is why do something that creates a stressful scenario when you don’t have to? I don’t have to, so I don’t.

It's wonderful that you have amounts of richness and security to be able to live that way.

[leew3]

Originally Posted by imwjl

It's wonderful that you have amounts of richness and security to be able to live that way.

I suspect it's more an issue of focusing on what one can reasonably change, rather than taking in too much information about issues about which the average person has no influence.

[jp2558]

Back to the storm:

I live in NW Ohio and were were in Sugarcreek, OH for a weeklong teardrop camper rally, and we were on the border of Holmes county. We rode out the storm in our 2900 lb camper. The storm hit in two waves, and I must admit it was in the top three storms of my 64 years living in Ohio. Fort Wayne recorded a 98 mph gust and a Toledo tv station weather report said there were 17,000 lightning strikes in the viewing area. That weather hit us about two hours later, around 12:30 am. The rally had over 300 teardrops and thankfully none were damaged, and no injuries were sustained. We did however lose our less than one year old Coleman canopy, which was broken in five different places and was left in a tangled collapsed mess. Several other canopies and tents were lost as well. Tuesday the power was still out and when we got in the SUV to go get a new canopy, the temperature registered 107, but after a few miles it dropped to a balmy, muggy, 95 degrees. Luckily, the power was restored and we had our A/C by the time we went to bed. On our way home we hit a stretch of US30 heading west where we saw tree after tree downed by straight line winds for about ten to fifteen miles.

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by leew3

I suspect it's more an issue of focusing on what one can reasonably change, rather than taking in too much information about issues about which the average person has no influence.

You suspect correctly and it’s very local and personal.
Those are the kinds of things I feel I can interact with in a positive way.