I’m Plugging My Ears And Singing La La La. Because It’s The Olympics. In Another Freakin’ Time Zone.

This was me before the Olympics:

 

This is me now that the Olympics have begun:

I love the Olympics. Especially the summer Olympics.

I’m a former competitive swimmer and coach.

My daughter is a former gymnast. She has even dabbled in rowing since we live so close to the Atlanta ’96 venue.

My boys are big into soccer and baseball.

I also love the internet. I log on in the morning to check emails and do a little banking. I log on in the afternoon to craft a blog post and sneak in a little blog reading.

My home page was msn.com. “Was” because they kept telling me the results of the swimming competition before I could see it on TV. So, I switched to yahoo.com. They were a little more vague about their headlines. Until a few days ago.

So, now, my home page is Google. With their cute, clever images:

I hate knowing the results before I’ve had a chance to experience it with the rest of the television viewing audience. Today when I logged on I found out the the women’s gymnastics team blah-blah-blah-blah and Michael Phelps blah-blah-blah-blah and it all won’t be televised until this evening.

That’s it. I’m done. No more news for me until after the Olympics are over.

I sure hope nothing earth-shattering happens between now and then.

If I need to know about it, would someone please shoot me an email?

Bad News Is Free. Good News Comes At A Price.

When I was in college, I read at least 3-4 newspapers a day. Not cover to cover. But yes, I scanned 3-4 daily. The college paper, the local paper, the larger state-wide paper and a large city paper like the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, or The LA Times. I loved getting different viewpoints on various topics. I thought I wanted to be a journalist someday.

Fast forward to 2010, and we don’t even have a newspaper subscription anymore. I get all my news from the internet. I have a number of large news organization pages bookmarked. And, of course, I read what pops up on msn.com and yahoo.com.

Most of it is depressing. Just tonight (the night before you’re reading this) I saw the headlines for: 4 Decapitated Bodies Hung From Bridge in Mexico, Mosque Dispute Sparks NYC Rallies, and Iran unveils “Ambassador of Death” Bomber.

Drugs, dissent and destruction.

News isn’t news unless it’s negative. Where is the good news? Where are the uplifting stories of the other 98% of the world population?

Google to the rescue!

The Good News Network! I read about how Ethiopia has “halved malaria deaths in just three years.” Or about the Good News reporter who believes he can randomly point his finger at a page in a phone book, call the person and find an inspiring story. There’s a story about an “army of good Samaritans” or a forestry hero.

Excited, I clicked on one of the stories of interest.

I was directed to a subscription page. For just $24 or $47 or $97 a year (you pick how much you want to send them) you, too, can hear about all the good news going on around the world.

Sigh.

Apparently, bad news is free.

Good news comes at a price.