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How many here like politics and read news articles?

I feel like I waste a lot of time reading news articles and stuff about world politics, war, and things that may not benefit me instead of spending more time learning how to make games. Do you spend lotsa time on news articles? I was the pron, movies, and games guy but as I get older I find myself wanting to read more and more news articles. v:poly127:

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  • ExcessiveZero
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    ExcessiveZero polycounter lvl 12
    I used to, now I try and minimize my reading news and politics time, simply because through experience I have found it can make me angry and depressed and theres little way to alter whatever is happening.

    I think its far better to focus on what you can change and sort of take news and politics with some healthy cynicism.
  • Lazerus Reborn
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    Lazerus Reborn polycounter lvl 8
    Most of it is just mis-information or taken out of context, blown out of proportion & loaded with as many "buzz words" that they can fit in.

    The greatest crooks wear suits, lying behind white teeth to your face ;')
  • KeithC
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    KeithC polycounter lvl 7
    Basically the same as EZ. I have a Bach. in History with a minor in PS. I used to be a news junkie until recently. Now I mainly watch Food Network and HGTV. ;)
  • Mark Dygert
    Yep, I totally agree with everyone else. That shit will drive you nuts and keep you in a really dark place for as long as you let it control you.
  • Justin Meisse
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    Justin Meisse polycounter lvl 19
    I'm sure lots of people do but Polycount adopted the policy of "discuss politics on political forums" and it's been working mostly! yay

    I mainly listen to NPR on the morning and on the way home from work and I have the AP on twitter plus various sources. Most news doesn't bug me unless I look at the comments.
  • Brygelsmack
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    Brygelsmack polycounter lvl 13
    I think it's fairly important to stay up to date with current events, things like the Boston marathon bombing and the situation in Syria is good to at least know about. Honestly you will look like a fool if you don't. I don't really watch the news on TV, but I do try to read it on the web.
  • McGreed
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    McGreed polycounter lvl 15
    I agree with watching news, especially the mainstream news channels, because I have started to analyze what they say and how they say things, and I have noticed all those scare-words and how news are twisted to say one thing, without actually saying anything about the actual subject.

    Else I had some fun watching The Young Turks on Youtube and reading Techdirt.com, but I must say that I get depressed and don't want to live in this world anymore when I do. Some of the things you hear about what people do or says makes you realize that, it's not just in movies, but those kinds of people actually exist in the real world.
  • Richard Kain
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    Richard Kain polycounter lvl 18
    I dream of a world where the vast majority of government functions are boiled down to automated processes. What people care about the most is that everything runs as it ought to, providing a decent base-line for quality of life. And most of that can be measured and regulated by technology. Minimizing the human element as much as possible is for the best.
  • Zocky
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    Zocky greentooth
    Well, i used to, but, as people said, things are just getting worse in this area (meaning geographically), and there has been all sorts of political parties, leading the country, and it always just went even worse.

    Also, some thing i hear from our politicians.....i found it's better if i rather not hear them.

    So, at the end of the day, at least here, it doesn't really even matter any more, who runs the country, meaning, what i do, or how i vote, doesn't really achieve anything, therefor, it's better to spend that time for something better, even playing games is far more productive (at least you can call it a research).

    So yeah, i mostly stopped watching politics, but i do read news in general (just not political :P).
  • D4V1DC
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    D4V1DC polycounter lvl 18
    taken the "ignorance is bliss" approach.

    While I don't generally pay much attention to the news i feel that, knowing what they are doing is most beneficial to my and others well being.

    I feel a lot of the states people are just using DB's quoted approach.

    I feel that is where most of the problem is, then you get the people who speak out about what they are doing and why they feel the need to "protest" or cause a riot.
    Then someone passes them and thinks they are a loony, yet they took the above approach before knowing the story at all, or else they would know why, besides reading there signs, (if they made any).

    I for one want to get rid of this government business as a whole globally(possibly huge discussions ahead because of this) but really, we are ignoring them now till someone states 'oh we are going to war again', well shit.. now if you have kids and they decide on a draft (not like they need to but who knows why they would want this) then your all into what is going on.

    In a small way i feel we've "leveled up", as a society as a whole but not really any further than we've been. We just 1-up'd on the tech and allowed anyone to bang anyway else if they mutually agree and not really on society as a whole. Money is the problem yet no one is trying to find a solution, as we've said we would all do this if we weren't getting paid for It.

    So make it real for a moment, take money out of that equation (Yes play pretend really, really hard) now do you still feel that way? Or would your kids, wife, other interests take over?

    I think everyone right about now in one way or form hates money, even people who are well off might be in that situation now.

    Everything is about money and i don't know about anyone else but i feel like i am around primitives when i see how we act with money in our lives, i don't see a progressing society that is bent on progressing further to evolve, yet i feel we are all stagnated. I blame the government that governs us, of-course they don't like if we bring this up because they've failed and they know what might happen if one person actually got through to anyone else and the cyclone progresses. All there pieces of paper, lions & tigers & bears oh my...

    In all seriousness this is what should be said but i too just ignore this bs because really are we going to do anything about it? nope which is why no one would speak out about anything because it is in the same category as asking someone how they feel.

    Do you really want to know, do you really freaking care?
    NO.

    I just wanted to vent. :)
    If you judge me for this, idc i think that is silly i am just filling a topic that would otherwise become useless and at least this information can be absorbed by someone who might remotely feel the same why i do.

    Btw, i have a job, just not a 3D game one, like i used to, just in-case someone plays the it is because your broke card on me. ;)
    Cover your bases. :poly136:
  • passerby
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    passerby polycounter lvl 12
    what I see as the big issue, is what is best for a politician to do for him self, is very rarely what is in the best interest of the overall community and society. The system is broken here, it is in the best interest of politicians to just except the hand outs from cooperate America, while otherwise ignoring what the majority wants.

    There needs to be incentives in place, that are in line with what is best for society, and voters, or else this will keep repeating.

    I don't want to paint all of them in a bad light, since I'm sure there are many that stand up for for the belifes they ran on and stand up for there people. But the majority go where the money is.
  • MM
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    MM polycounter lvl 18
    correct me if i am wrong, but this is NOT a thread to discuss politics rather discuss about discussing politics...

    and in that regard, it seems pointless and a waste of time. get back to art i recommend.
  • Kot_Leopold
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    Kot_Leopold polycounter lvl 13
    I used to be a huge news junkie from 2007 to 2010 but it's the same negative bullshit again and again - wars, poverty, genocides, corruption, one (or two) countries trying to destabilize another country (Ukraine, Syria, etc.), public shootings, terrorist acts, etc etc. It's a rotting world alright - been that way and will stay that way. Trying to avoid most of that now by just reading headlines.

    But like Brygelsmack said, it doesn't hurt too much to at least know about recent events.. just don't really get into it and try to do in-depth research and all that - takes too much time and nothing will change. Also, I will never get paid for discussing politics but I will get paid if I make awesome art.

    To quote George Carlin: "It's bullshit and it's bad for ya".

    Also, listen to MM.
  • Mark Dygert
    Bottom line, I don't want to be sitting at a table, having a beer with friends, and when the subject of current events comes up I'm the only one unable to contribute to the conversation because I've taken the "ignorance is bliss" approach.
    You make a good point, people should be informed and know what's going on around them. I think its important that people be engaged and vote. But you do have to be careful when you dance around the rabbit hole. Balance is key and it seems like the rabbit hole is more like a black hole...

    You don't want to be the person who sits there trying to find a way to bend almost any discussion toward politics. Nothing worse than being out all night with the guy that just won't stop throwing political hand grenades, derailing almost every conversation. Even if I agree with the guy, it gets old. "We where talking about Star Wars, stop talking about upcoming midterm elections".

    In our industry our social circles tend to be those we work with and a quick way to ruin a working relationship is to start squabbling over politics. If there is a well established framework of debate and acceptance, in the friendship, then great. But often if you're just getting to know someone, its easier to just avoid the subject rather than try to build that necessary framework so that discussion can happen without it having horrific consequences in your personal and work life.

    You still need to be able to work with them and that can be hard to do once politics gets involved. Balance is very much appreciated and it seems like once people start down that road they don't turn back until they burn out on the subject.
  • PixelMasher
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    PixelMasher veteran polycounter
    its a fine balance but atleast being aware about whats going on around the world and not just your own country/city is a good way to avoid looking like an idiot/ignorant in most social situations. I agree it can be depressing as fuck but keeping somewhat current is pretty useful. I just cant handle joke "news" delivery services like fox, just too fucking painfully atrocious/religious and agenda driven to watch.
  • Snader
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    Snader polycounter lvl 15
    Depends on what you call news/politics.

    I don't watch TV, I don't read newspapers, and most of my internet feed stuff is games, art, technology. This is because most news is temporary and will be out of vogue next month. A team will win at sportsing, and lose the next time they sports. Celebrities tweet twatty things on a daily basis. The tide comes in and goes out but nothing really changes.

    What I feel is important to filter out the big things that matter, and read up. Gather information from different places rather than one news outlet, and form your own opinion based on different viewpoints. Look beyond the most often mentioned numbers. For example, healthcare budget has gone up under Obama, sure, but only due to inflation; the GDP percentages are stable. (at least, when I checked last year). Women get paid less than men? Sure, but that's largely due to the position they're holding, and the (perfectly valid) choice to have kids and sacrifice a year or more of their career.

    In short: news is trivial matter, and you should keep an eye out for things that carry weight.
  • Torch
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    Torch polycounter
    "ignorance is bliss"

    This works for me just fine. Used to go to work and read the paper every morning on the way in, get there and be fuming at some of the crap that I'd read about.

    Now that I've cut that routine out completely, sure I may have to catch up on certain events that I may have not heard about when around others, but I'd rather have a happy mind than to know about everything going on and be a miserable git :D (Obviously not calling everyone who keeps up to date with events miserable gits, just my own way of dealing with it)
  • silver_hoodlum
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    silver_hoodlum polycounter lvl 4
    Well, i guess I always watch and check news, but honestly as someone said before most of the stuff is depressing and also manipulated.
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