the 'no spin' zone
I went to the gym last night, and as usual, someone was already there with something on TV. I usually don't mess with the TVs much, unless I get there and nobody's around and they're off. Then I'll usually hit ESPN News, or one of the other ESPN flavors, unless there's something on I really want to see. Mostly though, it's just something to make the time go by while I sweat. This time, the Fox News channel was on, and specifically Bill O'Reilly in the No Spin Zone.
If you've read much of my rantings, you know I sit a bit right of center, politically, but I don't particularly like Mr. O'Reilly. I think he's a bit pushy and arrogant. I don't particularly dislike him either, though, and I guess that's my point. The man has a show, and an opinion, and like a lot of others in his trade, he makes me think. He doesn't make me agree with him on any particulary issue, but he does bring up valid points which help me agree or disagree with him.
I think it's that way with a lot of these conservative talk show hosts, which Hillary once called part of the great Right Wing Conspiracy. It's the same with Network News, which I think of as liberal propaganda. It's all out there, but none of it is to be taken as gospel. You listen to all the sides and you make up your own mind...and I think most people do, and the so called 'experts' (which include the Hillarys and O'Reillys of the world) don't give us credit for that. It has to be true. how else can you explain John McCain. If all Republicans were little lemmings, following the Gospel according to Coulter, John McCain's campaign is dead before it even gets started...and yet, he's probably going to be the Republican nominee. They give themselves more credit than they have coming, and then are shocked when they find America doesn't fall in lockstep with them. We do it to ourselves too...or at least the people who don't think like we do. I do it...and have to slap my own hand occasionally, and remind myself that people aren't that stupid, even if I can't explain them. When I see people go to the polls, and don't vote like I would, I question their intelligence and chalk it up to being brainwashed by the Nightly News...but it's not true. They think, and evaluate, just like I do. They just come to different conclusions, and that should be OK. It doesn't make them any smarter or dumber than I am.
I'll stop rambling now (or rather...soon). It's just..I hadn't seen Mr. O'Reilly in a very long time, and I'm not inclined to watch more based on what I saw last night. It was just interesting watching him verbally joust with people on various issues. For the record, I agreed with him in his outrage with Jane Fonda for throwing out the word 'cunt' on live TV on the Today Show, and having everyone involved laugh it off. If I was getting ready to take my preschooler to day care, and he or she watched that, and saw everyone laugh it off, would we be surprised to have that 4 or 5 year old head to preschool and look for a few laughs of their own? You don't use that language on network TV. I disagreed on his outrage (the guy seems to be outraged quite a bit) on having people in a halfway house, some of whom could be convicted sex offenders, go on a field trip to the circus on a supervised visit, where there are lots of kids. If the idea is to get them out in public again, you need to do that. Parents taking their kids to the circus are very aware of what's around them, and damn well better be taking precautions against the unsupervised, not-yet-convicted sex offendes that are there, because they are. I'd be worried more about them than the ones that are under supervision.
If you've read much of my rantings, you know I sit a bit right of center, politically, but I don't particularly like Mr. O'Reilly. I think he's a bit pushy and arrogant. I don't particularly dislike him either, though, and I guess that's my point. The man has a show, and an opinion, and like a lot of others in his trade, he makes me think. He doesn't make me agree with him on any particulary issue, but he does bring up valid points which help me agree or disagree with him.
I think it's that way with a lot of these conservative talk show hosts, which Hillary once called part of the great Right Wing Conspiracy. It's the same with Network News, which I think of as liberal propaganda. It's all out there, but none of it is to be taken as gospel. You listen to all the sides and you make up your own mind...and I think most people do, and the so called 'experts' (which include the Hillarys and O'Reillys of the world) don't give us credit for that. It has to be true. how else can you explain John McCain. If all Republicans were little lemmings, following the Gospel according to Coulter, John McCain's campaign is dead before it even gets started...and yet, he's probably going to be the Republican nominee. They give themselves more credit than they have coming, and then are shocked when they find America doesn't fall in lockstep with them. We do it to ourselves too...or at least the people who don't think like we do. I do it...and have to slap my own hand occasionally, and remind myself that people aren't that stupid, even if I can't explain them. When I see people go to the polls, and don't vote like I would, I question their intelligence and chalk it up to being brainwashed by the Nightly News...but it's not true. They think, and evaluate, just like I do. They just come to different conclusions, and that should be OK. It doesn't make them any smarter or dumber than I am.
I'll stop rambling now (or rather...soon). It's just..I hadn't seen Mr. O'Reilly in a very long time, and I'm not inclined to watch more based on what I saw last night. It was just interesting watching him verbally joust with people on various issues. For the record, I agreed with him in his outrage with Jane Fonda for throwing out the word 'cunt' on live TV on the Today Show, and having everyone involved laugh it off. If I was getting ready to take my preschooler to day care, and he or she watched that, and saw everyone laugh it off, would we be surprised to have that 4 or 5 year old head to preschool and look for a few laughs of their own? You don't use that language on network TV. I disagreed on his outrage (the guy seems to be outraged quite a bit) on having people in a halfway house, some of whom could be convicted sex offenders, go on a field trip to the circus on a supervised visit, where there are lots of kids. If the idea is to get them out in public again, you need to do that. Parents taking their kids to the circus are very aware of what's around them, and damn well better be taking precautions against the unsupervised, not-yet-convicted sex offendes that are there, because they are. I'd be worried more about them than the ones that are under supervision.
Labels: Philosophy
John put this out here at 7:53 AM
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