Cup of coffee, 27 March 2026

 A chilly but sunny morning here, unfortunately it feels much colder with a brisk northwest wind. The weather is schizophrenic this time of year: 70 degrees one day, 30 degrees the next. I've got a few things on my mind, so have a cup of coffee and let's talk.

My Wall Drug coffee cup. I like the old "cafe" design. I got this on vacation in South Dakota a few years ago.

For the last few weeks I have been slowly weaning myself off social media. In light of recent world events, I found myself spending too much time on Facebook, Reddit, X, Threads, etc. and it was starting to kill my soul: A state of constant anxiety. Inability to sleep at night. A never-ending pallor of impending doom. 

I decided I cannot live like this. I am old enough to remember life before social media. And it was a much better place.

I deleted all but one app: Instagram (and that is strictly because my kids like to send me things like memes, reels, or whatever the hell you call it). I don't scroll Instagram. Instead, the only time I open it is when I have a new message.

While I want to stay informed of national and world events, I have found that social media is a breeding ground for misinformation. These platforms are contributing the the downfall of our society and it is burrowing an addictive, anxiety-ridden, toxic wormhole into our consciousness.

But what caused me to finally say enough was enough? The conflict in Iran was the last straw.

First, almost everything we see on social media these days is AI generated. And so many people believe everything they see without questioning or scrutinizing. Education is important, folks.

Second, any web site can call itself a "news source" and it can post any fiction under the sun. There's always a simpleton or a malcontent out there who will take a story at face value and repost on social media, especially if the content fits their agenda.

The cesspool known as Facebook is especially bad. That platform is full of gullible, uneducated, village idiots. "News stories" are shared as Gospel without verifying a single legitimate source ...then the name calling, arguments and threats start. Family vs. family. Friends vs. friends. Strangers vs. strangers. Day after day after day. 

Daily exposure to this can kill your joy for living really fast. 

Other platforms such as Threads, X, Reddit, etc. are filled with paranoid doomsdayers, who clearly have nothing to do but doom scroll all day while curled in a fetal position. Sadly, it doesn't take much to follow them down that morbid blackhole and I admit they nearly got their hooks in me before I finally woke up.

Third, every news source in the United States has an agenda; to understand this truth is to be ahead of the game. Today's "news" falls into two categories: it is either anti-Trump or Trump-sponsored propaganda. Both are designed to divide us and it has worked spectacularly well. 

A certain faction of our populous has been led to believe if you are anti-Trump you are anti-American. Not only is this an unpatriotic, un-American way of thinking (if you know American history, you know this to be true), it is groupthink at its finest, just as Orwell predicted some 77 years ago. 

What do I mean by this? Over the years, I've know many people who were anti-Obama, anti-Bush, anti-Clinton, anti-Reagan (yes, I am that old). Did I ever think those folks (who are good friends/family/co-workers) anti-American? Of course not. Just because your political beliefs do not align with the current president's agenda, it does not make you "an enemy of the state" (unfortunately, that's a quote). However, that is the current climate in our country. 

And this sentiment is as un-American as you can possibly get. Wait... how is that un-American?

The United States of America was founded on differences. It was founded on open debate and intellectual discourse. It was founded on argument, exchange of ideas and, ultimately, compromise. The Founding Fathers were not a bunch of "yes men." They were feisty dudes who yelled, pounded tables and bickered a blue streak, but they all had a common cause: love of country. That's been recently minimized from our collective consciousness, but it doesn't change the truth. 

And the first step to the truth is getting news without an agenda. 

I have found four excellent news options: Reuters, Associated Press, BBC and Al Jazeera (yes, Al Jazeera; this is a trusted, impartial, internationally award-winning news organization -- rednecks ain't gonna like the name, but once again, education is very important). These are the news sources I personally trust.

So what do I do now that I am not scrolling on social media? The site 1440  is incredibly refreshing (I am providing the link here just in case anyone else is seeking a "way out" of the perversion of social media). The 1440 site is free and is full of awesome stories for the intellectually curious. They also provide daily news updates (email) which are balanced from an assortment of agencies, along with daily interesting tidbits from around the world.

 I am going back to a more simple time. It is difficult to do these days, but I am determined to get there. 

Go outside. Start writing. Learn a new skill. Start reading. Find a hobby.

Think of how much of your life is wasted staring at a screen. This is just a temporary stop. Make the most of it.

 

Choose Wisely

 Eighteen days ago I decided to free myself from the burden of all social media and what a difference it has made. (I should say almost all social media. I am still on Instagram to stay connected with some family.) But the rest of it -- Reddit, Threads, Twitter, and especially Facebook -- I've waived a middle finger and turned my back to the wind, as they say. I would recommend everyone to do the same.

Why did I do this? First, everything today is dominated by politics and I found myself going on social media daily (like almost everyone) and spending hours feeding into the paranoia, anxiety and outright anger of others. Even more pathetic is half the information on social media is false, but, incredibly, that doesn't even seem to matter!

Not only was I wasting hours doing absolutely nothing, but far worse than that, the time spent on those sites was weighing heavily on my mental health. I got to the point that it felt like the world really was ending. That's not how life should be lived.

If social media had a face...

So I pulled the plug.

Now I am finding myself a much happier person. Yes, I follow the news. And yes, I am among those that feel our country is in a very messed up place right now, but it cannot define my existence. 

Fast forward two and a half weeks: other than life's usual challenges, I am relaxing and reading Get Happy by Gerald Clarke, a biography of Grand Rapids' own Judy Garland. And my biggest stressors right now are my NCAA brackets and who to cut from my fantasy football dynasty team. That's the kind of stress I prefer.

Before I left social media, I remember someone, somewhere said, "How can people just go on living their lives like nothing is wrong?" That was the moment I knew I had to say adios to the screens and apps. Because what the hell am I supposed to do? Lock myself in a dark room and never come out? It seems that is what some people were suggesting.

Life is about choices. I've made mine.

^^^

On a related note, this weekend I have been enjoying watching the NCAA National Tournament... but even Instagram, my lone connection to social media, has more than its share of toxicity. 

McNeese State has a student manager named Amir Khan and he became a "social media sensation" early in the tournament after walking out with the team with a giant boombox around his neck. He even got a  nickname: "Aura." Khan is a 22 year-old sports management major from Lake Charles, Louisiana; just a typical college kid doing his job as student manager and having fun with his team; he is clearly beloved by the players. 

But the goons were out in force on Instagram. "He's an idiot" "WTF?" "A fat banana" were among the more kind comments. And it hit home AGAIN the reason why I left most social media. It is a fucking sewage tank full of pathetic souls who are miserable in the their own lives and it kills them to see anybody enjoying their own.

"Aura" Khan walking out with the team.

The fact is, these are young people enjoying the moment -- a once in a lifetime moment at that. I mean, Kahn was sitting next to Spike Lee on Saturday. How cool is that? Oh, and guess what? McNeese State defeated the heavily favored Clemson Tigers in the first round, which was their first NCAA tournament victory in school history. 

How dare anyone be happy for them? 

Life is about choices. Choose wisely.

No Social Media Experiment

 I had a revelation this morning while driving my son to school. I was surfing through channels on Sirius XM because they took away the mindless program I used to listen to in the morning, "Fantasy Football Morning." Fantasy football is a longtime hobby of mine and I enjoyed listening to fellow blockheads who shared that passion. Now it is gone.

[Whenever I find something that I really enjoy, the powers that be must find out about it and take it away, just to make me miserable: "Mike and Mike" on ESPN -- I watched that for years, then ESPN decided it was a good idea to get rid of it. Then Sirius XM launched a great channel a few years ago called "Volume," which was all music talk, all day. I listened to the channel morning, afternoon and night. I loved it. Then they took it away.]

Now they've taken away "Fantasy Football Morning," which I have enjoyed for several years. It sucks. One common theme to all these programs I enjoyed listening to? They never talked about politics. 

So, while desperately trying to find something to entertain me this morning (I settled on BBC World Service), I concluded that I cannot get away from politics anymore. And I cannot accept that. 

I know these are beyond turbulent times in the USA. We are a divided nation and I do not think that division will ever be repaired. I personally think the "great American experiment," as George Washington once eloquently described it, is sounding its death rattle. 

Politics and political talk consume everything, and seemingly, everyone. And it is ugly. 

Social media especially is a vicious, vacant black hole of political brimstone. Facebook. Reddit. Twitter. Threads. All are disgusting. Strangers insulting strangers. Threats being made. The hate in this country is palpable. I've finally reached the breaking point.

Which brings me back to my revelation today: I can control what I am exposed to. I don't need all this social media garbage! My god, what a refreshing thought! Constant exposure to negativity and anger and paranoia and outright hate wears on one's psyche. Not only is it unhealthy for the soul, it is a breeding ground for contempt, and ultimately, depression. I refuse to be pulled into the offal.

I am not sticking my head in the sand; I will continue to follow current events from proper, reliable sources (AP, Reuters, BBC -- yes, these are reliable sources; no, they do not report "fake news." Get a fucking brain cell). 

My plan of action:

I actually deleted my Twitter accounts more than a month ago, which was a good start. I knew I could control that. It's not much, but I felt good about doing it.

Reddit is gone. It is a fun place to explore, but it also has its share of angst. I'm too old for angst.

Facebook is worst of all and I only have an account because of my band; I need a personal account in order to have a business account. (Facebook used to be a fun, pleasant place to interact. It certainly isn't anymore, and I don't see it ever getting back to good). My solution to limit Facebook exposure was to download the Business Suite app which allowed me to remove the Facebook app from my devices. Again, it's not much, but I can control that.

I will keep Instagram only because my kids like to share videos and pictures with me from time to time. But the Threads app from Instagram is another dark, dark place to wander.

So I am going to try this experiment for a month (today is March 5) and see how I feel about... things. No social media other than Instagram. It will be difficult at first because social media triggers that "addictive" part of the brain. But if I could stop drinking alcohol for six weeks, I can easily do this.

It will also mean I will be reading books and writing a lot more, which is always a good thing. I think this is going to be a great, healthy change for me. I am excited to try it.

Random picture of the day: Portraits of wolves, taken at Dottie's Hometown Cafe in Grand Rapids, MN. Saturday morning, 1 March 2025.