Why the news doesn't matter

When I started this blog, I was what you may call a news junkie. I didn't like to watch the news that much. I thought (and still think) cable news is ridiculous and largely consists of regurgitated information that is communicated because, well, you have 24 hours to fill up and you have to find something to say in that time.

However, I read the news religiously. I kept up on my Yahoo News, cnn.com, foxnews.com, etc. Sometimes I'd browse other off-beat news sources like The Drudge Report. I used to love reading World Magazine.

Why doesn't it matter that much to me any more?

I still read scan the news. I think it's important to be informed. But how much does "the news" affect my life? I've realized that the answer is most definitely "not at all."

Current top stories on Fox and CNN include a bus crash that killed two, speculation on Iraq (because that's new...), speculation on Iran, a story on a former Russian spy in Britain who was poisoned, Kissinger's thoughts on Iraq, the seizure of 3 tons of cocaine from a submarine off Costa Rica, and the fact that the winning numbers in an Ohio lottery Saturday matched the score of the Ohio State-Michigan football game.

If you can find something in one of those stories that matters to you or me, let me know. I can't.

When it comes to where I'm spending my time, I know where I'd rather be. In front of the TV, buried in a newspaper, and surfing the web happen to be three of the last things I'd rather be doing.

I just can't justify hours of my life being sucked away in solitary absorption of information. If you can, I'd love to hear how.