I don’t think I’m obsessed, but I am paying more attention to the news in a while. Last night I actually turned the TV news on - it has been since 9/11 since I watched news on TV
No, like Zebra and a few others, I can’t take any more. I’m not reduced to crying myself to sleep at night just yet, but I may go the whole weekend without turning on the news. I’m legitimately scared about what could happen in the whole country over the next few weeks, and feel utterly helpless to do anything about it.
I started to volunteer my home, then I came to my senses and realized that, after being jobless for three months and on the verge (like, within DAYS) of having my water and electricity cut off, then shortly after that I expect a foreclosure notice from my mortgage company, I wouldn’t be offering them anything they don’t already have. Or, don’t already not have. 
There may not be many people from this area interested in going to Europe for a few months, but there’s at least one. That’s it, I’m evacuating.
Ogre, I meant that it was time for SO to ramp down the CNN-watching, take a few breaks from it, get outdoors, etc. Not time to ramp down the coverage.
This weekend we are going to help a local charity sort supplies onto pallets to ship down to the area. I think some of the TV-watching energy is better spent actually doing something to try to help. You really start feeling helpless seeing all the problems down there, that’s why I was saying he needed to take some time away from the 24-hr coverage.
I have been reading every news article and checking many websites. Today I am actually starting to realize that yes, I am obsessing. Luckily we are going on a three day backpacking trip tomorrow so I will be forced to stop. (I have already had some guilt over the fact that even my camping circumstances will be absolute luxury compared to what people in New Orleans and parts of Mississippi have.)
I wonder which is worse, being totally obsessed, or trying to avoid it completely.
I’m the latter. I can’t escape coverage, of course. Even on PBS during Teletubbies today they were posting information. When Mig comes home I have to sit through the six o’clock news, and my daughter occasionally comes in to report some new atrocity.
I’m not heartless. Just the opposite. Every time I see the crying faces or hear about the bodies…I just can’t deal with it. It about kills me. I happily donated some baby items and what little cash I had today, but I just don’t want to hear about it anymore. I feel guilty about it though, like I should be watching with everyone else.
Being oblivious, that’s what. Not even actively avoiding it, but simply treating it like a blip.
That’s what FIL is doing. Mr. Rilch called him yesterday, and started off with “Man, isn’t this terrible?” or words to that effect.
“What is?”
“What’s happening in New Orleans.”
“Oh. Yeah.”
“…”
“Dad, uh…There’s dead people, mayhem, starving people, the city may never be rebuilt…I think this is a little more than an ‘oh yeah’ situation.”
“Mmm.”
“…”
“What if there’s another flood in Pittsburgh?”
“My house is on high ground.”
“…”
That really boggles my mind. I wonder if he’s the only person in the US who has that reaction?