We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Programming...

With news that can actually help you

Mar 28, 2025

I don’t own a TV.
Why do you think they call it programming?

Several weeks ago, I posted the above as a “note” on Notes, the internal social media system on Substack.

If you don’t know, Substack is the platform I use to publish this newsletter. But, it’s more than just a site that publishes my written posts. It also provides the tools to create podcasts, videos, and live broadcasts—as well as communicate with other creators and the world at large.

Do I use all that? No, not yet. But I do cherish the ability to publish my newsletter to my subscribed readers and reach others on the network at the same time via Notes.

Unlike the social media we’ve all learned to use and hate, Notes offers an environment fairly free of the usual nonsense.

And by usual nonsense, I mean the planted posts from sources you never agreed to connect with that fill your feed with unwanted and often misleading, even blatantly incorrect, “news” and information. Bot shit. (That pun kinda just flowed out…made me laugh.)

My goal here is not to advocate Substack over another social media that you use. My reason to bring this up is that the bad info, disturbing news, and other media influences that cause emotional distress have become almost universally unavoidable.

Even without television, newspaper subscription, and drastically reduced social media time, I am fully aware of everything happening in the world. Even if I miss the majority of stories, the chaotic energy of collective permeates my consciousness. It almost feels unavoidable.

It is unavoidable. But that doesn’t mean I have to internalize it or allow myself to be governed by the energy.

And neither do you.

Many situations at this time are out of individual control. That’s a fact.

How I respond is up to me. The same is true for you. That’s also a fact.

Here’s another fact. The bot shit planted in your social media feeds (especially the ones owned by Meta) is there with the intention to arouse, disturb, and distract you.

I’ve noticed that every time I log onto Facebook (getting less and less often), the posts at the top of my feed are related to some restrictive, threatening activity on the part of the new White House administration.

Most of it pertains to fear-inspiring things to someone my age. Social Security cutbacks and even not-so-veiled threats of the administration being disbanded.

Other posts reveal stories of how people are being detained unfairly, regardless of legal status in this country. Now, according to these posts, even natural-born citizens have reason to fear deportation if they speak out against the present federal government, particularly the president.

What kind of posts are appearing in your feeds? I bet if you’re much younger than me, you don’t see too much about Social Security. Maybe your feed has more about changes like the elimination of the Department of Education, especially if you have school-age children.

Months—maybe even a year—ago, I noticed my Facebook feed was filled with posts from groups and sources unknown to me. The “fun” facts were slanted to things I might be interested in, based on my age and usage detected by algorithms. So Boomer stuff, New York-related, and more.

Wrong information was routinely being published. Almost like history was being rewritten. A photo of a visibly 1950s scene being shown with a caption that indicated it was 1980s. Something shown in Brooklyn that was Manhattan or Queens. Over and over, these discrepancies showed up, with comments from users pointing out the errors.

Nonetheless, nothing was ever updated, corrected, or even got response.

History is being rewritten and pretty soon those of us who remember the facts as they happened will be gone and the “new” story will remain.

Book bans do more than simply make access to information difficult or impossible to segments of the population. The most disturbing result is the lack of access for the youngest of our society, who are being fed a carefully curated agenda.

It’s not limited to the US government either. In an email earlier this year, I wrote:

Today, January 10, 2025, on the 249th anniversary of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense publication, we are once again faced with a critical decision:
Who has control of your mind?
If you think it’s not important, consider this headline story from January 9, 2025, New York Times:
Boarding Schools in Tibet Reshape the ‘Souls of Children’: The Chinese government is placing hundreds of thousands of Tibetan children in boarding schools as a way to mold them into citizens loyal to Beijing.
Given the incoming president’s statements about loyalty, how many years away are we from this happening in the United States?

Just slightly over two months later, programming the populous is happening here, now. Full out, no apologies.

People of color are being written out of textbooks. Most achievements by woman were barely there to begin with, but now are almost completely absent. Photographs of government officials as notable as Colin Powell are being removed from public view. Information is being deleted from public-serving websites.

Like none of it ever happened. And who will know the difference in 20 years?

All of these things are indications of intentional “programming” by this government. And it didn’t start this year. It’s not entirely a Republican agenda. I don’t intend this to be a political statement or affiliation.

Many people worry about replaced by AI. Maybe it’s happening on more than one front. The subliminal (re)programming of the population has been underway for decades. Today, its overt use is obvious—at least to those who still employ their ability to use discernment.

So, I have to ask: Are we becoming the AI we fear?

I’m for humans. All humans. All life on this planet, all species. And this is my message:

You have the capacity for critical thinking. You must use it before it’s too late.

Although it’s a dire warning, my message is hopeful, constructive, and more importantly, doable. My intention today and for as long as it takes is to advocate for the ability to think.

Seems crazy on the face of it, doesn’t it?

Of course, I’m thinking, you might say. My response once was the same.

But, just for a moment, consider:

Where do your thoughts, generated by your beliefs, originate?
Are you accepting information because it comes from a “trusted” source?
Who is the authority of your mind?

Even if you are comfortable that you are an independent thinker capable of making sound judgments, can you turn off the programming? What about the daily onslaught of negative, fear-inspiring “news” reports?

Can you, at will, focus on things you enjoy, give you pleasure, and fill you with purpose?

Directing the content of your thoughts is the single-most important activity you can focus on at this time.

Remembering gratitude for what you have and engaging in activities that bring you joy are the antidotes to the negativity and fear generated by oppressive forces.

Heather Cox Richardson advises taking positive, self-directed, joyful action as the way to resist in this short video.

In times of upheaval, taking even these simple actions can feel challenging. But it’s exactly these times when maintaining control of yourself and thoughts is the critical first step to the changes you seek.

Do not underestimate the power you hold. Or the influence your actions have on the collective. Acting with fear or projecting anger adds to the upheaval. Responding with self-care and assurance increases stability for yourself and those around you.

All energy is multiplied when focused collectively.

I’m starting a monthly call with healing practitioners of different modalities to offer support for both individuals and collective groups facing imminent stressors: disaster area survivors, marginalized groups, environmental challenges, and more.

The call will provide a safe container to gather collectively and counteract the wave of oppression with expression of gratitude, hope, and solidarity.

The live call will be free to attend. Recordings will be sent to paid subscribers and to those who choose the pay-per-session option. An opportunity to submit healing requests in advance will be offered in case you can’t make the call live.

Would you attend a healing session? Is this something that interests you? Let me know your thoughts below or by responding to this email.

The Farsighted Observer

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