Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Brain Damage

I'm not happy with this post but I'm trying to "get back on the horse" so to speak. I'm hoping commenters will better articulate or expand upon the theme as they see fit (because I've done a lousy job of it)

Coincidental with a recent bout of “blogger’s block” my internet connection went AWOL for about a week. The combination seemed like a “no-harm, no foul” situation—if I couldn’t come up with anything entertaining or thoughtful I had no reason to post, so being without the internet for a while seemed no big deal.

But then I had to rely on broadcast TV, the radio and newspapers for my news. And it dawned on me how important the internet was to me so that I might stay informed.
ABC, NBC and CBS are near identical-devoting the same amount of time to the same stories in the same slots. NPR is about the only choice of radio news service. AAR is informative but hard to listen to all day due to the occasional excess of personality and especially the constant interruption of truly execrable adverts. Newspapers are incredibly inconvenient.

With the internet however news and information is available at any time. One can not only pick and choose one can absorb information at one’s own pace, compare, investigate and most importantly participate.

Now that I’m back online the only brain damage I’m prepared to accept will come from a can or a bottle.

8 comments:

Carl said...

Well, Brit, you didn't miss much....Naomi and Ana had a fight, so Ana moved in with Brad but he secretly was seeing Ana's sister Kate, so now there's this big to do at the Maxwell household.

Mrs. Maxwell has been flirting with the handsome-in-an-effeminate-way, Dr. Mason, an earnest gynecologist whose dark secret past is soon going to haunt him as the last show panned to the bus terminal in Kingston, NY, where a shabbily dressed college aged girl is boarding...

Doctorboogaloo said...

Hey, 5th. Good to have you back. I thought you might have been bummed out about that whole 'Judas Gospel' thing... or Tom Cruise writing recipes for baby placenta.

Anyway, now that you're back... keep on bobbin' and weavin'. There's bullshit afoot. And we're going after it.

Snerd Gronk said...

Mr Brit: "I'm not happy with this post but I'm trying to "get back on the horse" so to speak. I'm hoping commenters will better articulate or expand upon the theme as they see fit (because I've done a lousy job of it)"

SG: Since we were investigating your disappear, I am unable to comment on anything that might touch upon an ongoing or a previous ongoing investigation ...

Snerd

eyedoc333 said...

Glad to see you back, Britisher!

I think we should have a support group for "blogger's block".

Red Tory said...

I’m not much of a media basher. For the most part, I think they do a decent job and certainly their original reportage far outstrips that of bloggers. That said, I can’t imagine relying on it for all my information. The Internet allows you to draw from all sorts of different sources and do your own digging to provide perspective. The nightly newscasts and morning shows are fine as far as they go, but it’s pretty superficial stuff. The cable news networks are tedious, but good for a laugh.

Anonymous said...

i think you should only believe what i tell you, and nothing else. . . . that is - if you can identify my source.

5th Estate said...

And the comments win!
Of course it wasn't difficult for such an erudite audience. Thanks to all, really!

On the point it's the breadth, depth and accessibility of new and information via the Web that facilities increased knowledge and a greater perspective on issues that leads to deeper understanding and a more independent analysis than pre-packaged TV and newspapers usually offer. I really missed that--that and the fact that I don't yell at my PC, only at the TV.

KEvron said...

"....news and information is available at any time."

and then:

"....it's the breadth, depth and accessibility of new and information via the Web that facilities increased knowledge and a greater perspective on issues"

that's it in a nutshell for me. as soon as i'm struck with the notion, i can get the days news and more. and the "more" is the truly gratifying aspect.

KEvron