TV Ads: Bearing Witness

Should I be watching TV now? The political campaign ads have started to run. Do I really need to bear witness? Aside from making me feel angry and hopeless, will watching these anti-marriage-equality and anti-Obama ads educate me, sway my vote or in any way heighten my consciousness?

The answer is no. I'm only a voter nowadays. I'm not even a bit political player or a volunteer. Last election I worked on M street, which is just around the corner from K street. During the '08 campaign I was in the thick of it and it was great. I remember seeing Bush's Press Secretary at a lunch spot that I ate at too. I felt like I had arrived or at least I was rubbing elbows with people who had arrived.

Nowadays I get my news (read: propaganda) on Facebook. I love this social media, but its virtual reality will never replace the nowness of being there in the flesh.

But I have retired from the fray of politics. Now I just share on Facebook. And sometimes I think I've shared too much and too often. (One's home page is really a very private space on Facebook.) But I still follow the postings because in many ways that's my connection to the outside world. So please share. I love it when things go viral!!!

I've Gone Mobile

I went to Panera today. At 7:30 am with a crowd of coffee seekers and early morning people. I got there so early to beat the traffic that consumes Georgia Avenue even on Saturday mornings.

So I'm one of "those people" now. I bought a light-weight laptop for just these mobile occasions. It was easy to connect to the wifi, but the signal was weak. I couldn't bring up Facebook or Yahoo. What will I do? I surfed the real media, CNN, NYT and the BBC, and quickly got depressed.

There must be some happy sites out there. Something for a quick pick-me-up that doesn't involve religion or motivational speakers. Maybe I should have gotten caffeinated coffee, but that would have put me at 3 cups before 8 am, and I don't zoom that well any more.

I really missed my Facebook. I missed all my liked pages. I missed all the pages about cats, hippies, Buddhism and a little politics thrown in for good measure. Now you must understand I woke up at 5:30, made coffee, and looked at my Facebook. I had only been without my Facebook for a few hours. Just goes to show you that I've become a Facebook junkie.

We all need something to fill our free time with. For many it's TV, music or any chosen hobby. I fill my time with the Internet. I've been warned against it. But for someone interested in news, research and writing, it's a dream come true. I'm intellectually stimulated and easily amused in one place. Needless to say I spend hours on the Internet. I'm completely transfixed.

For better or worse, I now take a laptop with Internet capabilities to public places. If I could only have a wifi implant, I'd truely be mobile. But I guess that's what a smart phone or tablet does. So maybe my Xmas list will have another device on it. And then I'll never be without my dear Internet.

Rx: Send me your kitten videos

The news isn't too funny lately. All that talk about rape and abortion can really blow your socks off and can get a girl down too. But we showed them. We fought back with the Internet. Yeah, did we pack a punch or what? But we'll see if it changes the way people vote.

Sometimes it's truly shocking to discover how other people think. I'm of the firm belief that there are a lot of crazy people out there in dire need of medication. Because people have some truly unique and strange ideas about things.

But I can't wait to get back to the kitties on Facebook. I'm all for cute and cuter. And well, send me your favorite kitten video in the comments section (just the link.)

Yeah, I'm in need of some good news and a few laughs! Send me some soon!!!