Hi gims. I agree that some big businesses have grown too big for their britches and wield a big stick to stifle the competition. Ted Turner talks about that, relative to the world of communication, in the link I provided.....

Nature vs nurture. Now THERE's a topic. lol I was reading about the latest theory that a gene now shows men who stray are "victims" of the sex addiction gene. lol Supposedly that explains why one male star recently went into sex addiction rehab. How low do we as a society have to sink, to excuse adults from all their irresponsible choices.

Today both sets of politicians are talking about pigs and lipstick instead of any real issues. I can't wait for the voting to commence.

I have to admit though, this is to me the most exciting Presidential race in a very long time. Either side that wins will make history. I'm glad to be alive to witness another historical page being turned.

Just be prepared for the fallout. If Obama doesn't win, the race card will be played to infinity. If McCain doesn't win, it'll be because the glass ceiling on ageism/sexism still exists. I thought we had won those battles years ago. lol

Gims: You DO NOT come across as "stupid," to use your word. You have a very keen common sense. I cannot tell you how many people I've met along the way, a few who have written scientific textbooks, who trip over their shoelaces and have no clue about everyday people and their lives. Some live in a narrow minded fishbowl surrounded by dusty journals and motheaten curtains. (All BWS people are excluded from this group, of course)

I will never forget a nursing instructor with a Masters degree who was trying to show her students how to properly place a bedpan under a patient. As I was passing by, I didn't have the heart to tell her that she was misplacing the bedpan backwards, which was why the patient had been complaining. lol

All of us are learning....every day. But common sense is either there, or it isn't. And you have it in spades!!!!

I read this whole thread and I had to laugh at the end. I am just an artist, only an artist. I made my living as one, supported my sons as one and live my whole life as one.

I wish I could get involved in this discussion because I have views as well. I cannot even BEGIN to argue/discuss on the level of you, Gims, or anyone on this thread. I would sound simple.

As an artist, I watch people and learn a lot about society without participating in it regardless of the fact that I am educated as far as one can go in my field.

Artists are a tight bunch, at least those of us who do concerts in large halls and work at it for a living and actually make one. We make "stoopid," money sometimes, as the song, "I want my MTV," says in it's lyrics:

"Look at that yo-yo, that ain't working, play the guitar on the MTV." "Money for nothing and your chicks for free."

We do have opinions but some of us never have a voice.

So ~ from where I'm sitting, you all sound very intelligent and I enjoyed reading this thread. Some points I would argue, some I would not, but it was highly entertaining and insightful.

Me, I'll support my political ideas the way most artists do: I'll appear at the events and read the literature and tell as many da@#$ people and I can with a microphone and a fan list.

Thank you for the debates.

Dancer

Guess I do have an opinion when.....my paid jobs as a librarian, include teaching information literacy: How to do thorough investigative research from...sources that are verifiable, can be authenticated and cited several years from now..without disappearing off from Internet cyberspace. Part of the jobs, include teaching people some good information sources and techniques to update/append base info. I was asked recently in a job interview on my opinion on information literacy instruction for the next generation of students. Maybe we should just generalize to everyone.

Yseful information sources aren't just on the free Internet. Some of your in-depth thoughtful articles...are hidden....for fee via the Internet meaty research..or in a book or fee-based magazine that you buy or borrow. Still being published in hard copy only.

Or are Obama's memoirs for free full-text now in the Internet?

YouTube..is just fleeting, short snippets. Hardly enough analysis, thought and accurate MEMORY by the viewer, is allowed. Great for self-promos or anti-whatever messages.

I'm sure all of us have known people who have been interviewed for tv and radio extensively or not.. and the final aired message is horribly whittled down...to just a snippet of reality, however distorted.

Several people here have mentioned journalists as tended to be "liberal". Really? It's whoever pays their salaries, they will write to..survive on the payroll. HOWEVER, the training of journalist does shape them professionally to want to exercise freedom of speech. We have to remember that the same "liberal" journalists in some countries have been jailed, hurt or lost their careers for speaking the truth.

I better dig up that article in MORE magazine, where a national female tv journalist lost her high paying job, due to her "opinon" to speak out.

On that note of journalists losing their job after 911 US journalists lost their jobs for saying certain things (like Bill Mahr of Politically Incorrect) and others were told they had to wear American flag lapel pins, which those journalists felt was unprofessional (besides being coercive). How does wearing a flag make a person more patriotic? It's like saying that if you put a Christian fish on the back of your car, you're a more spiritual person.

p.s. Dancer, I was a working artist and craftsperson a few decades back.

I want to know who and when something became politically correct or incorrect? Who judges this, and who chose them to do so? Its all a big bunch of gunk if you ask me. I believe in free speech but a little truth from the main stream media now and again, would be nice...

DJ, You make a good point about the flag pin and I do agree.
To some, it means a great deal and says something about the person/canidate. The fish means much to some Christians.
I feel both are ways for people to idenify themselves to their tribe.
They are tribal symbols that bond people in the world which they might feel is frightening.
I believe it is for a feeling of safety that people put so much emphasis on these symbols.
But that is only my observation, and my opinion.
D9

Well said, Dancer. And, that has always been its purpose. At the same time, I must admit, it's use can also be misused by some.


For Americans living abroad, our accents and passports also identify us. There was a time in the '80's, at the height of the militant PLO activities, when accent and travelling on a US passport were not safe for some. The TWA and Achille Lauro were two prominent incidents of that time. Do I feel safer now? Yes, but perhaps, only because security concerns are far better after 9/11 and 7/7.

Josie's Friday Ramblings.....

The Republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention were obviously slanted to emphasize their positives and play down their negatives.

What you saw is what was planned for you to see.

And so it is with the media and many other aspects of daily living, like textbooks.

This morning's Fox News had as its guest, a conservative University of Dayton Professor, who wrote a book entitled, "48 Liberal Lies About American History." Take a look: "http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,421084,00.html
I'm sure there are a number of liberal Professors who can find as many "conservative lies" in textbooks, used mostly by private schools.

ABC News edited the Charlie Gibson interview with Governor Sarah Palin, so it could be presented a certain way. I did not know this until other TV journalists pointed out that the completely unedited version showed a different slant on certain issues.

My point is: Though I know bias is universal, I like to know both sides of the coin. I worked overtime to send my son to private school for many years so he could learn more about God, country and personal accountability as was practiced in our home. When he was old enough, he attended public school so he could experience a much more diverse society.

I went through the same experience. My first day in public school, a history teacher admonished the class for laughing at me, because I stood up in respect as the teacher entered the room. I soon adapted to my new surroundings in order not to be considered "weird."

Now having experienced both sides of the coin for almost 6 decades, I'm a product of both. I do not want either politcal party telling me I have to accept its total party's platform, which to me is total nonsense. I consider myself a moderate (leaning toward the right) and by no means an extremist in either direction.

I like knowing I am a protector of unborn men, women and special children. I like that I am compassionate about immigration reform. I like pledging allegiance to the USA under God, and saying grace before meals, even in restaurants. I like supporting our troops in more than name only. I like democracy and the free expression of ideas. I like small government and am for the working class keeping as much of what they earn as possible. I like respecting the Office of the President (even if I do not like the person in that office.) I like that I can volunteer in my community to give back some of what has been given to me.

I hope some of this makes sense this morning. It's Friday, and I made the coffee too strong. lol

PS: Since we are each telling a bit about work histories: I was grocery shopping at age 4, finding apartments for my family at age 9, worked in a bank sorting keypunch cards at age 12, worked in a bakery at age 15, started working full time at the phone company at age 16, etc etc etc. My husband picked cotton at age 7 and joined the military at age 16 (he lied about his age)....Like most of you, we know what it is like to sweat. Like some of you, we know what it is like to go hungry. (Which in hindsight is a good thing. Because we now appreciate EVERY meal we can afford in this great country of ours.)

Knock on wood, we will always be healthy enough to earn our own way, even if it means cleaning someone else's toilet.