My blog has been focused on politics and things that interest me, rather than my personal life, mostly by design. I didn't want to be one of those bloggers who focused on their shoe size or some other irrelevant detail that no one else really cares about, so I have avoided personal topics on purpose. So, as a result, I have focused on things that no one else really cares about, but not personal ones. It's honestly hard for me to write about my personal life because I'm not sure what I should share to the whole world, or even to a loyal reader. But I will be trying to be more personal on my blog in the future, because talking to myself about issues only I care about only goes so far. I need that personal connection to an audience out there.
So, here goes...
On an average day, I probably spend 2-3 hours online looking at things. I come home for lunch and log on to facebook, and at night I'll have the computer on my lap while watching TV. I don't know exactly what I'm looking for, but I usually bounce around among a few news sites, facebook, and my blog. I re-read my blog to get a sense for what I've said that I've forgotten and also to look for comments or other evidence that someone else is reading what I'm writing. I recently discovered a thread of comments on an old post that was entirely ads -- spam. It was really depressing to know that virtually the only visitors on my blog are people who are trying to scam others, usually with very poor grammar and sometimes even in another language.
I also rely on our local public radio station for news. I listen to them frequently, but right now they are in the middle of a fund-raising campaign, so I turn to them less frequently than at other times of the year. I do feel a little guilty for listening without donating, but then I haven't donated to a dozen worthy causes already so far this fall. I'm not sure if I should donate to public radio yet, but last year I did, so I should probably renew my membership this year. I just don't like the guilt trip over the airwaves. I will probably donate online after the membership drive ends, just so that I can say I wasn't influenced by guilt. Does anyone else out there feel the same way or resist the pull of public radio this way? I do enjoy getting news while driving around town (I drive fairly often for my job), but I don't want to feel like a heel every six months just because I haven't donated to something that they give away for free most of the time. If it's mostly free, why not make it all the way free? The other station I listen to without donating to is the Christian radio. I know I'm probably the only person in town who has those two radio stations as their primary pre-sets in the car, but there you are. I'm a little weird that way. I can't stand the news on the Christian radio, though -- I literally turn off the station every time their little jingle for news comes on. It is so slanted I can't stand it. And, for those of you who haven't been reading this blog for very long, there is a difference in the DEGREE of bias on things like Christian radio and Fox news and legitimate, responsible news sources. So, yes, public radio has a liberal slant, if only because it focuses on issues as opposed to ideologically-driven stories. But there is a difference between structural bias like that and out and out PURPOSEFUL bias in Christian radio and Fox news. So I'm torn between two worlds when it comes to my radio habits. But I enjoy the music on Christian radio. To put an end to this long post, just let me say that I appreciate any comments at all on these thoughts, and I wish you all good night and good news!
No comments:
Post a Comment