Today's News: Brought to You by....

A part of my morning routine is to grab a first cup of coffee and sit down in my recliner to peruse the news.  I read the news on my phone rather than a newspaper.  In fact, there is almost a ritual to the way I approach it.  I first take a quick glance at any e-mail or, text messages that came in over night and then do a quick daily word puzzle to get my brain in gear before opening the Fox News application on my phone.  I then go to BBC News and read it.  I have found that BBC does a much better job of covering International events than does Fox and they often release stories more quickly due to the time difference.  I then look at Reuters News Wire Services before turning to Twitter.  The reason I look to Twitter for news is that many of those I follow are also up early scanning their various news sources and post links to articles of interest from sources I may not follow -- such as their local or regional newspapers, or other national and international journals.  I tend to avoid CNN, MSNBC or some of the other news services.  Most of them get their stories from the same sources such as Reuters or the AP.  The problem with CNN et. al. is their left-leaning commentary and the pervasiveness of entertainment news scattered throughout their sites.  I couldn't care less about what some Hollywood starlet thinks.

I mention this because the first thing I feed my mind each morning is what is going on in the country and the world around me and yet I am committed to (at least trying) to keep this a positive place.  It's kind of hard to do that some days when the news all seems to be negative -- at least from my point of view.  I suppose if you have a socialist or, anarchist bent you might see it as positive, but that's not the way I am wired.

A lot of folks seem to have their head in the sand when it comes to what is going on in the world.  I admit that I am sometimes guilty of wanting to avoid the news because it is so depressing.  I continue to view Facebook most days and the things I see posted there may be the most depressing of all -- it has become a place where the political spectrum has disappeared to become replaced by distinct camps.  I won't say "armed camps" because that connotes violence, but both sides are definitely armed with memes and opinion commentaries that foment the discord.  It is not healthy.

Throughout the history of our country there have been news sources that supported particular political candidates or political points of view.  Polarization of political philosophies has been around as long as political parties have existed.  Historically, it has been fairly obvious which news sources supported which political party.  Some would argue it is the same today.  I disagree.  Today, I think it is more a matter of whether the news source supports globalization or, a more nationalist approach to government.  Since most news organizations are global in scope, most support globalization -- even those with so-called "right-leaning" pundits among their editorial staff.

I try to be a "nationalist" in thinking, but often find I am a "globalist" in my view.  What I mean is that I would like to see the rest of the world be "blessed" with the type of government ours was designed originally to be.  The problem is that I fear the concentration of power desired by most in the "globalist" camp into a one-world government.  Corruption occurs with power -- even at the city council or school board level.  Can you imagine the level of corruption that would occur with a one-world government?  (Just look at the U.N.)  Imagining such is like trying to envision a trillion dollars.  It is mind boggling.  For that reason alone, I am opposed to globalization of the political system.

Along with the push for globalization of political systems comes the power of corporations.  Most, if not all major corporations are global in scope and influence.  They probably have a greater influence on governments than does the news media.  In fact, the media is in many ways, just a tool of the global corporations.  Money is power and the amount of money in the control of some companies is enough to buy political control of most countries.  The only thing keeping it in check is that other companies are vying for that same control.  It is a matter of competition to see who is the highest bidder.

So, how do I turn this post into a positive?  I think it is simply this:  We must first recognize that there is a global power that is in control.  In fact, that power is in charge of the entirety of creation.  God is in control and our brief time on this planet matters only from the perspective of our relationship with Him.  Do we choose to accept Him and His control, or do we believe mankind knows what is best?  To me, the choice seems very, very clear -- especially after reading the news.

Romans 8:28-39

Let the Debate Continue

It was a dark and stormy night...

It is a dark and stormy night...

It's still a dark and stormy night...

From out of the dark and stormy night...

No wonder Snoopy could never get past the first line. The wind and rain and lightning are too distracting!

Growing up, the breakfast table was one place we all managed to be at the same time. Dad always had the newspaper and we waited until he was through with a section before we read it. Of course, there was only one section in my mind for many years. The Comics. I always read the Comics to start my day. The newspaper was the Lubbock Avalanche Journal. During the week, the Comics were black and white and then Sunday was color. Charlie Brown was one of my favorites. In reality, I liked them all except the "soap opera" ones like Mary Worth (I think).

As I grew older, I started reading the news sections. Dad challenged me one morning in Jr. High. He started asking "what do you think about...." questions. If I didn't have an opinion (which I didn't) he'd say, "If you don't know what you think, who does?" "If you don't form your own opinion, someone else will form it for you." So, I started reading the news and becoming informed. That way, when he asked me what I thought about something I would at least know what he was talking about.

Reading the newspaper became a habit with me. After I moved away from home and went to college, I subscribed to a newspaper. I became a news junkie. If I didn't get my newspaper "fix" each morning, my whole day was ruined.

Sometime in my 30's I quit reading the newspaper. I became completely disenchanted with all media. I felt that the stories were slanted. I still do. I felt as though I was allowing someone with wrong-headed ideas force feed me the news they wanted me to know so that I would think like they did. I still do.

A few years back I started back to reading the news again and listening to Fox News Channel. I read the news on the Internet. I don't subscribe to a physical paper anymore. I also have learned to read and listen much more critically than before.

Blogging has added a new dimension to the news. It is a way to voice, and by reading other blogs, to read a wide variety of opinions and viewpoints of newsworthy (and not so worthy) events. Many times it can become a truly informative and useful exchange of ideas and information. Many times though, it is merely a platform for ranting about a particular pet peeve. I enjoy the exchange of ideas. I've always loved a good debate.