My original post from another thread, made two days before the election:
About a month now I stopped listening to all news. All of it. I actively avoid going near it. I’ve stayed away from my four newspaper sites. No internet news. No radio. No TV. No social media. Nada. I’ve been purposely stranded on a mental desert island for a month. Told friends and family: I don’t want to hear a word of news. I voted by mail two weeks ago. Result on election day? My blood pressure is 106 over 70. Serene
*I’ve sworn not to touch the news until I wake up tomorrow morning. But then, why not keep it up? How many days before I learn who is POTUS through someone mentioning his name inadvertently?
An interesting experiment.
I can now say that I lasted exactly a week after the election. For roughly five weeks I have not listened, watched, or read any news. No social media. No posting here since 11/5. Nada. I have no official confirmation of who is the president elect, or even how the election went. I do have clues.
Election night in Seattle was quiet. Unusual for an election. Could mean anything. No celebrations or protests on the streets the morning after. Plenty of traffic and people on the streets, but it was as if the issue had not been decided yet.
Silence ruled until Saturday. I was working in the backyard when suddenly at about 0901 PST fireworks went off around heavily-Democratic Seattle. One or two at first. Then enough firecrackers and rockets from different directions that indicated the laws of probability leaned toward Biden. Somebody played the star spangled anthem Jimi Hendrix style on their guitar.
But still I didn’t look at the news to see who won. I wanted to see how long you can go in big city during a pandemic and not know who won a presidential election. Turns out at least a week.
A news blackout is a comfortable thing. I sleep a lot better, and have the blood pressure of 12-year old marathon runner. But I’m an adult with responsibilities. So I ‘m going back in. I’m going open WAPO and see what the big story has been these past five weeks. 