Stop reading the news

tenchi-fan

When I was in college I used to be so disgusted when I read about Israel and Palestine, 9/11, Afghanistan, etc etc. I think I was angry in general! Then I went to Australia in 2006 and the Israelis started bombing Lebanon. Once again, i was outraged.

2007 I went on a charity thing in Tanzania for a month and the leader guy (as well as most of the other participants) inundated with with even more outrage, about how the world bank installed corrupt governments to strip africa of its assets. I saw all the Africans sunning themselves and generally not working very hard anyway. Even when I'd walk to the shop at a normal pace I'd be walking faster than the locals, who used to say "pole pole" which means "slow down" or "take it easy." The other participants on the programme constantly argued with each other, explaining why we should boycott coke, become vegetarians, and bar air travel (except of course to do back-patting far-flung charity programmes)

But what struck me - the Tanzanians all had modest houses whereas I couldn't even get on the "property ladder".. they sat in the porch watching the world go by, I was stuck in work 8 hours a day and on a bus for another 4 hours. They didn't pay into pensions, they didn't pay taxes, and i did all that! If they got sick, they went to the local pharmacy and got pills for a few shillings. I'd have to pay half a day's wages to a GP and the rest of the day's wages on the prescription.

Anyway... guess what? I more or less stopped taking an interest in the world affairs. I'd read the paper occasionally but I wouldn't seek out sources of outrage or things to wind myself up. I have enough problems without getting worked up about some greedy Israelis bombing Arabs.

A year went by where the only thing annoyed me was the rising cost of living, any savings rendered worthless by inflation, and house prices rising way out of my reach.

Come late 2008 all the indignation and outrage landed on our doorstep. The conflict that followed between the public and private sector, employed vs people who lived their lives on benefits, and employers and employees was worse than any civil war. The government's plans to strip employees of their wealth was worse than any Israeli land grab. Ireland became a depressing place.. and for what? The average public sector worker lost less than 10% of their salary. Welfare recipients lost as little as €4 and benefited from a low cost of living. Only a few people in their late 20s / early 30s were stung with high mortgages but most of the population have an affordable mortgage. Very few people actually suffered any real hardship, yet the whole country bellyached.

I think the most harmful part of the recession was the overload of bad news. Doom and gloom. It brings to mind the imagine of an American sitting on their sofa in front of the TV on September 28, 2001 grazing on a bowl of cheerios and numbly watching as the planes hit the world trade centre towers over and over and over on fox news.

If people want a more positive outlook on the Irish economy, just stop reading the newspaper!

Latchy

Dont forget to cancel subscription to sky news now ...

Sand

But how would he know he ought to be outraged by a woman putting a cat in a bin unless he had LIVE! 24 hour coverage of the cat, the woman and possibly the bin?

ZYX

tenchi-fan wrote: »

But what struck me - They didn't pay into pensions, they didn't pay taxes, and i did all that! If they got sick, they went to the local pharmacy and got pills for a few shillings. I'd have to pay half a day's wages to a GP and the rest of the day's wages on the prescription.

!

And then, the people in Tanzania die 25 years earlier than people in Ireland on average. No wonder they don't need pensions but I suppose they have 25 years less of listening to bad news.

Latchy

Whatever happened to word of mouth and the wireless ?

SamSamSammy

excellent post, the news only reports bad stuff and never real life, when you go out into the world you enjoy yourself!

REMEMBER BOARDS IS FULL OF PEOPLE WHO THINK IRELAND HAS BEEN NUCLEAR BOMBED!

ireland is still a brilliant place to live. you're so right about not watching the news....i think its so funny people get so angry about stuff that they can't control and doesn't change their life - so being angry won't change ANYTHING. just enjoy life you won't be here for forever!

emo72

not that it makes a difference anyway, but i stopped buying the papers about a year ago. why pay money to make myself more depressed?

think about this. imagine waking up in the morning and there was no radio, no tv, NO INTERNET. no communication.

would the world be better for you? I think it would.

Dorcha

There’s nothing at all wrong with reading the news and finding out about what’s going on outside your own little space. The only thing I would say is that we should concern ourselves about our own country before we start worrying about others. We have problems in our society and I don’t see any advantage in closing your eyes and putting your hands over your ears and trying to pretend that all is well. “No man is an island” and what affects one of us also affects the rest of us in one way or another.


“Welfare recipients lost as little as €4 and benefited from a low cost of living”


This is naive. Will it stop there, or will more be taken off as the years pass by? When the cost of living rises again, will social welfare be adjusted accordingly?


Sure it would be grand to live like a dumb animal, and not worry about anything, but it just so happens we’re humans as well as animals and we have to accept and use what advantages he have over our dumb friends. If you hide your head in the sand, you will eventually get your rear end blown off.

dan_d

Have to agree.

I've stopped. It's great. Actually, scrap that...I've stopped reading anything other than headlines about bad news, and I read European news. I feel a whole lot better and I still know what's going on in the world.

We don't actually need a constant feed of information coming into our brains, we can survive without it. I've also stopped buying papers..there's no point anymore.Better off to go out and engage with the world and dip into the papers once a week than to be avidly reading every site and paper and listening all day long.It's not healthy.

Keptic

dan_d wrote: »

Have to agree.

I've stopped. It's great. Actually, scrap that...I've stopped reading anything other than headlines about bad news, and I read European news. I feel a whole lot better and I still know what's going on in the world.

+1
I'm the same myself. No point in getting depressed first thing in the morning.

Absurdum

tenchi-fan wrote: »

It brings to mind the imagine of an American sitting on their sofa in front of the TV on September 28, 2001 grazing on a bowl of cheerios and numbly watching as the planes hit the world trade centre towers over and over and over on fox news.

It was probably getting boring 17 days after the event.

VampiricPadraig

It's so good to be a teen who is not interested in the failing economy

I only look at gaming or computer sites...Everytime I look at RTE news or Sky News...I just fall asleep with the "Garbage" that comes from them.

Thank RTE/Sky for making sure that we are all depressed!

Fentdog84

I'm not that interested in the news or newspapers either- only the stuff that has value or impacts on my life.pretending everythings ok (with the economy etc) isnt going to make the problems go away If anything more people should read the newspapers etc. We need this govt and in particular, Brian Cowen out!

RichardAnd

I think it's important to be aware of what goes on in the world outside one's little bubble. However, it's important not to get in a huff about what you see on RTE news as at the end of the day, you can do very little to change what is happening.

I'm reminded of some very wise words.

So do all who live to see such times. But that

is not for us to decide. All we have to decide is


what to do with the time that is given to us.

maninasia

Dorcha wrote: »

There’s nothing at all wrong with reading the news and finding out about what’s going on outside your own little space. The only thing I would say is that we should concern ourselves about our own country before we start worrying about others. We have problems in our society and I don’t see any advantage in closing your eyes and putting your hands over your ears and trying to pretend that all is well. “No man is an island” and what affects one of us also affects the rest of us in one way or another.


“Welfare recipients lost as little as €4 and benefited from a low cost of living”


This is naive. Will it stop there, or will more be taken off as the years pass by? When the cost of living rises again, will social welfare be adjusted accordingly?


Sure it would be grand to live like a dumb animal, and not worry about anything, but it just so happens we’re humans as well as animals and we have to accept and use what advantages he have over our dumb friends. If you hide your head in the sand, you will eventually get your rear end blown off.

He has a point, for instance Irish social welfare rates are something like 1/2 higher than the UK. Even with cutbacks they are going to be relatively generous. At the worst somebody would have to actually take a minimum wage job (high pay compared to most countries) or emigrate if they were finally forced off the dole...it's not the end of the world. Things are bad in Ireland, it's a right mess compared to what it should and justice should be done, but actual 'living' is quite easy for most, excepting the ones who got themselves into big debts.

johnthemull

listening to journalism
listening to water
pouring into a sewer
on this cold blue morn
somethings are stand up wrong
mister scoop your one

femur61

Dorcha wrote: »

There’s nothing at all wrong with reading the news and finding out about what’s going on outside your own little space. The only thing I would say is that we should concern ourselves about our own country before we start worrying about others. We have problems in our society and I don’t see any advantage in closing your eyes and putting your hands over your ears and trying to pretend that all is well. “No man is an island” and what affects one of us also affects the rest of us in one way or another.


“Welfare recipients lost as little as €4 and benefited from a low cost of living”


This is naive. Will it stop there, or will more be taken off as the years pass by? When the cost of living rises again, will social welfare be adjusted accordingly?


Sure it would be grand to live like a dumb animal, and not worry about anything, but it just so happens we’re humans as well as animals and we have to accept and use what advantages he have over our dumb friends. If you hide your head in the sand, you will eventually get your rear end blown off.

Thats why we are in debt, if we ignore the facts our social welfare is one of the most generourist in Europe, our TD/s and PS are some of the highest paid. Per capita we have the smallest economy so lets all hide and ignore the facts and the pay our taxes so some can use our taxes in order to pay their over inflated wages. Oh yeah and we can €20m a day to meet the shortfall.

mickoneill30

When I used to bus it into work I used to listen to Newstalk or RTE in the mornings and go into work in a bad mood. It took me a few months to notice the pattern and when I did I started downloading podcasts that are relevant to me or educational. It made a big difference.

So it's radio too.

I still read the odd newspaper but I try to avoid the opinionpapers. It's not about hiding your head in the sand. Pick a couple of papers and try and figure out which party or agenda they're trying to push. There's plenty of good news out there but trying to find it is like trying to find a needle in a haystack in our media. Getting people angry is what seems to pay the bills. For example, say something stupid on the radio and tell the listeners they can have their say by texting in (at 30c or whatever a text, cha ching).

It's not a new phenomena. I lived in Australia from 2001 -> 2006. Because I mainly worked and lived with Aussies it was immediately obvious that when friends visited the moaning & whinging from them was way more than the Aussies did (and this was during the boom years). Maybe we were just oblivious in Australia or maybe it's the weather
The standard of living we had down there was very similar to here but most people (that I knew down there) didn't moan (and yes their government did things as idiotic as ours).

zeds alive

femur61 wrote: »

Thats why we are in debt, if we ignore the facts our social welfare is one of the most generourist in Europe

No it's not


Luxembourg - €21,346
Denmark - €18,302
Netherlands - €15,758
France - €15,605
Portugal - €14,323
Belgium - €12,415
Finland - €12,339
Austria - €12,212
Sweden - €11,924
Germany €11,821
Italy - €11,179
Spain - €10,522
Ireland - €9,662
Greece €4,407
UK €3,631

ei.sdraob

zeds alive wrote: »

No it's not


Luxembourg - €21,346
Denmark - €18,302
Netherlands - €15,758
France - €15,605
Portugal - €14,323
Belgium - €12,415
Finland - €12,339
Austria - €12,212
Sweden - €11,924
Germany €11,821
Italy - €11,179
Spain - €10,522
Ireland - €9,662
Greece €4,407
UK €3,631

Alot of those countries have a system where initial payments are high BUT payments reduce over time, and welfare officers push you hard to get a job...

none of that here can stay on the dole for as long as you want

dan_d

RichardAnd wrote: »

I think it's important to be aware of what goes on in the world outside one's little bubble. However, it's important not to get in a huff about what you see on RTE news as at the end of the day, you can do very little to change what is happening.

I'm reminded of some very wise words.

So do all who live to see such times. But that

is not for us to decide. All we have to decide is


what to do with the time that is given to us.

It's not so much getting into a huff. It's more depression...how will I ever find a job, things are so bad, we're screwed forever, we'll never have a decent economy again, there's no politician out there that can do anything, the people running the country are appalling...etc,etc,etc.

That's not anger, that's more drowning, depressing, horrible greyness. The sort of thing that makes you feel there's no way out. It's not good for people to be hearing that every day, several times a day. So as you say - I concentrate on living my life and it feels a whole lot better.

mike kelly

tenchi-fan wrote: »

If people want a more positive outlook on the Irish economy, just stop reading the newspaper!

and don't listen to liveline!

flutered

the irish rugby team were going through a very bad patch one time, so bad in fact the manager banned newspapers from the teams hotel etc, and also demanded that the team not read the papers at home, as well as been broke do people require us to become ostriches, will the 18% get rid of current affairs in the budget.

RichardAnd

mike kelly wrote: »

and don't listen to liveline!

No one should ever listen to live-line. Even in the best of days during the boom, live line was just an outlet for morons to whine about things that were getting on their nerves.

galway2007

2 weeks ago the Sunday independent ran a story
“ Burton to replace Kenny and lenihan to replace cowen within in 2 weeks”
Did it happen?
Over a week ago the Irish borrowing cost fell by all most 1% but nothing printed about it
When it went up by 0.05% it was on the front
Morning Ireland would depress you so I have switched off
Matt cooper would depress you on the way home from work
On a Sunday if you were planning to go shopping you would change you mind after listen to the Sunday business show or Sam Smith or anything on radio 1
These people are holding back the spending power of the Irish people and the best thing they could do is shut up

galway2007

RichardAnd wrote: »

No one should ever listen to live-line. Even in the best of days during the boom, live line was just an outlet for morons to whine about things that were getting on their nerves.

have to agree
the most depressing of them all and her voice

maninasia

galway2007 wrote: »

2 weeks ago the Sunday independent ran a story
“ Burton to replace Kenny and lenihan to replace cowen within in 2 weeks”
Did it happen?
Over a week ago the Irish borrowing cost fell by all most 1% but nothing printed about it
When it went up by 0.05% it was on the front
Morning Ireland would depress you so I have switched off
Matt cooper would depress you on the way home from work
On a Sunday if you were planning to go shopping you would change you mind after listen to the Sunday business show or Sam Smith or anything on radio 1
These people are holding back the spending power of the Irish people and the best thing they could do is shut up

What's holding back spending power is the blinkered attitude of the last 7 years in Ireland that suddenly got caught out in the spotlights and the massive debt that goes with it for many people. Oh and the small matter of a broke country.


But I agree it can be depressing to read bad news all the time.

mikemac

I get the Liveline podcasts, you'd be depressed after listening to them

Some are sad cases like people not getting the medical treatment they need.
And others are people blasting all councillors as their soccer club isn't getting grants and facilities.
And one was giving out about the latest design of St. Patricks Day cards and what kind of country has Ireland become to allow that.

Pick any topic and you can get somebody on Liveline to complain.
So I must stop listening to it

The media blow up stupid stories too, like that AIB sports and social club subsidy. Inaccurate reporting and causing outrage over nothing

SamSamSammy

everytime i watch the news i get so depressed i have to ring banking 365........but then i get all happy again when i hear my balance

Head The Wall

But if I didn't read the news I wouldn't have found out this nugget of info

Unofficial strike by hospital porters is being investigated

I posted a link to this story last week because a HSE staff member headbutted a fellow employee and was suspended on full pay for 9 months but it has now taken an even stranger twist although not that hard to believe

MANAGEMENT at University Hospital Galway are carrying out an investigation into how services were not affected in spite of an unofficial industrial action by hospital porters last week.

There are now fears that up to 10 temporary porters working at the hospital could be laid off as a result of the lack of impact the unofficial strike had on the service they provide.

As many as 10 hospital porters stopped work and gathered outside UHG on Monday morning following the return to work of the employee on Sunday. The hospital porter injured in the alleged incident has also not worked since the incident but has been on full pay in the
interim.


But in an ironic development, management at the hospital discovered that there was no disruption to services despite the porters being on the picket line for two days with the support of their union
SIPTU.

A hospital source has told The Sentinel that as a result of the unofficial strike, the management are now looking at cutting back on this sector and could target temporary porters as part of the overall health cuts being imposed by HSE West.

As usual what'll happen here is 10 porters on contracts will be let go.

Carlos_Ray

SamSamSammy wrote: »

everytime i watch the news i get so depressed i have to ring banking 365........but then i get all happy again when i hear my balance

Wow, I didn't think much of you before with all your queen talk, but this statement made me realise how cool you really are.

Noffles

SamSamSammy wrote: »

excellent post, the news only reports bad stuff and never real life, when you go out into the world you enjoy yourself!

REMEMBER BOARDS IS FULL OF PEOPLE WHO THINK IRELAND HAS BEEN NUCLEAR BOMBED!

ireland is still a brilliant place to live. you're so right about not watching the news....i think its so funny people get so angry about stuff that they can't control and doesn't change their life - so being angry won't change ANYTHING. just enjoy life you won't be here for forever!

This post looks very familiar and is full of ****....

The country is not briliant and it's going to get worse, there is **** all infrastructure and if you don't live in Dublin you have no public transport worth mentioning.... to mention just one thing that is not going to improve over the next few years.
You think it's funny that people can't affect the way they live their lives, ****ing great ... and this is the real bull**** "doesn't change their life"... what the **** are you on about, my life will change yet again with this budget and I will have EVEN less money... this does change mine and my families life, so **** up and talk sense!

Raging_Ninja

Head The Wall wrote: »

As usual what'll happen here is 10 porters on contracts will be let go.

Isn't that a good thing though? Cutback on unnecessary expenditures. Apparently these guys are receiving taxpayers' money to do a job that isn't essential in a hospital that is overstaffed in their area. Employing them is obviously inefficient and a waste of our money if the hospital can run effectively and with no impact on services without them.

SamSamSammy

Noffles wrote: »

This post looks very familiar and is full of ****....

The country is not briliant and it's going to get worse, there is **** all infrastructure and if you don't live in Dublin you have no public transport worth mentioning.... to mention just one thing that is not going to improve over the next few years.
You think it's funny that people can't affect the way they live their lives, ****ing great ... and this is the real bull**** "doesn't change their life"... what the **** are you on about, my life will change yet again with this budget and I will have EVEN less money... this does change mine and my families life, so **** up and talk sense!

ooooh, youre such a big man. complaining you'll have less money, bit greedy aren't ya?

Noffles

SamSamSammy wrote: »

ooooh, youre such a big man. complaining you'll have less money, bit greedy aren't ya?

"You're such a big man"... please elaborate on that.... having less money will change my life, I have a family to feed, keep confortable and a roof over their heads... and you have the gall to call me a big man for wanting to do this...?

I'm simply lost for words

SamSamSammy

i have a suggestion if ireland is so bad.......leave. bye.

fat__tony

SamSamSammy wrote: »

i have a suggestion if ireland is so bad.......leave. bye.

You sound like a moronic teenager who lives with his parents.
Do you not realise that some families can't just leave, they have kids, a huge mortage and other commitments.

You wouldn't survive two seconds in the real world.

It appears you're clearly a troll looking for a bite.

Focalbhach

SamSamSammy wrote: »

REMEMBER BOARDS IS FULL OF PEOPLE WHO THINK IRELAND HAS BEEN NUCLEAR BOMBED!

Wait. What??

sarumite

Ireland became a depressing place.. and for what? The average public sector worker lost less than 10% of their salary. Welfare recipients lost as little as €4 and benefited from a low cost of living. Only a few people in their late 20s / early 30s were stung with high mortgages but most of the population have an affordable mortgage. Very few people actually suffered any real hardship, yet the whole country bellyached.

Personally I think this is an assumption too far. I have been stung pretty badly, my wages were cut by 20%, my job moved to Sweden and come this time next year I will have to try and find another job as my contract expires (I had hoped to move back to Ireland). It also assumes that the hardship is about as bad as it gets. My sister is in negative equity and while she is able to pay her mortgage now any tax increase or rates could tip her over the edge. With 450k on the dole its pretty hard to believe that very few people have actually suffered.