news fast

This week David and I implemented a news fast; that is, we are not allowed to check ANY news. Period. Zero, zip, nada. Both of us have become rather addicted as of late, our primary sources being BBC, MSNBC, Deseret News, and Wikipedia* (in that order). I'd have to say (and I'm not trying to brag), but we were becoming quite well-versed in current events. I focused on legal current issues (what can I say? I've become rather obsessed) and David focused on science current issues (BBC's biohacking article from last week was quite informative). And then, of course, there's entertainment (want the inside scoop on Downton Abbey, Anne Hathaway's Les Mis diet, or the Man Booker Awards? I've got you covered), U.S. and world news (blah blah...fiscal cliff... blah blah blah), and anything you ever wanted to know about British football (that's what you get for following the BBC (let's just say that impartiality to U.S. events makes all of the talk about football worth it)). And so on and so forth. There's a lot happening in the world! And we had to know about it! (really we just wanted to procrastinate doing homework, but what a great way to procrastinate! Learn about the world! Become educated! Be in the know!).

All frivolities set aside, let me first say a) this news fast been good for me. Not only have I regained hours of studying time (and when I say hours, I am not exaggerating (which is rather embarrassing. I'm rather ashamed at my poor time management skills)), but it has been rather refreshing to not have so much extra junk buzzing around in my head; b) David and I are much more productive (I think that's a given); and c) it's rather nice not to be caught up in everything that's going on and to sit back and smell the roses (or to imagine the roses returning...).

The challenge now is to not find another way to procrastinate. Online sudoku has its merits. So does Purble Place memory. Not to mention blogstalking and facebooking and email checking and rechecking. But hey, at least with the news thing, we're making progress. As dumb as it may sound, I'm a firm believer in baby steps (which is probably why I walk so slow). In reality though, it's the baby steps that keep me going, because as with everything, it's the little things that count.

On that note, I shall tiptoe back to my property notes (I don't want to wake the sleeping giant that is constitutional law along my way).

* I know Wikipedia is not a news site, but if there's something we don't understand from BBC's science section or if there's a worthy person of note that we want to learn more about, we stalk them on the good ol' online reference book.