Remember what I said about that first type of reaction to the Paris attacks? The xenophobic rants against Muslims specifically and refugees in general? Remember how, in Monday’s post, I said that this kind of reaction had, “for the most part subsided from the social sphere“?
Well, never mind.
Tuesday and Wednesday saw a resurgence, and my social media feeds were filled with these memes of bigotry. I ended up spending all of my social media time either arguing with the posters of those rants or trying to ignore them entirely.
I failed. At both.
Some people are so willing to hate other groups of people, so eager to hate our government and all it does, that it is pointless to argue with them. No amount of factual reportage in support of my position nor any amount of factual refutation of their opposite stance make any difference. I truly was in a “fact-free zone.”
By yesterday, noonish, I felt ill. My guts were churning. My head ached under a sharp vise-like grip. I could feel the blood pounding in my neck, hear it in my ears.
I had a clear case of social media poisoning.
So I shut it down.
I am now “dark” on social media, and now, less than eighteen hours in, I already feel much better.
Instead of spoon-feeding facts to wailing, hate-filled tantrum-throwers, I am learning how to repair fountain pens (Sheaffer vacuum-fill models, specifically), preparing meats for a long cure (bresaola and capicola), working on my bread-making skills (dough: check; baking temps/times: needs work), and getting Pepper back from our new mechanic (he’s a bit of a goofball, but excellent work).
This “social media cleanse” will last through the weekend, at least. At the end of it, I may have to “cleanse” my friends list as well.
I recommend it.
k
Unraveling Time
Desert Wind
Ploughman's Son
Ploughman King
The Year the Cloud Fell
The Spirit of Thunder
Shadow of the Storm
The Cry of the Wind
Beneath a Wounded Sky
Cryptogenesis: A Memoir
Kurt R.A. Giambastiani 
I find I have to remove myself from technology in general now and then just to get back to the real world–a world where I can make things physically happen. Just feels healthy and right.
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One thing I learned working retail: You can never educate the public. There’s always another “uninformed” person arriving soon.
And that assumes that the first person you “inform” doesn’t outright reject the implant.
People think what they’re going to think.
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Yah. Had a comment on my previous post wherein the guy pretty much said what he felt without having actually thought about what I posted. I know we live in a “TL;DR” world, now, but why even bother having an argument/discussion with someone, if you’re not going to listen to each other? Ah well…
k
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“…why even bother having an argument/discussion with someone, if you’re not going to listen to each other?”
Which is why I say to the internet: “I baked bread!”
It’s very zen. You should try it. 🙂
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[snort!]
Are you saying I am setting myself up for attacks? Quite possibly true. I must ponder this…
k
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And guess what I’m doing today?
I’m baking bread!
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They guy at the local pet store wants a brioche… maybe I’ll do that this weekend.
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That’s the spirit.
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I pray I survive the cleanse. Well said.
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Magic 8-Ball says: The odds are good.
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