It's an interesting commentary by the CEO of NPR today....listeners of NPR, in her opinion....are a bit brighter than those who listen to "other" networks.
Naturally, she didn't want to say which networks.
Naturally, being from Bama....I paused and pondered over this commentary. The premise here is that mostly intelligent folks listen to NPR...and thusly gain a bit more insight and understanding of topics via the wonderfully gifted journalists of NPR. I would have preferred to hear her say which networks she was comparing against....but she'd probably prefer not to mention those.
To be kinda honest, I've been a listener of NPR over the years. Curiously, I will admit that I came to listen to various comments and began to realize that NPR journalists often left pieces of stories out. I originally felt it was accidental, but later came to realize that they were either not that gifted or they didn't want to tell an entire story. So this triggered me to often dig deeper into a story and come to various conclusions that were different from the NPR-told story.
Did this make me brighter? Yes.
I'll admit it....because of the inept journalism and behavior by the wannabe journalists at NPR....I actually became brighter and more intelligent. Today, I would regard a great deal of my understanding of economics, politics, and geo-political insight....to come because NPR forced me to become brighter.
It's kinda like some guy coming around to sell you a house without a roof....and you finish up the rest of the job yourself.
So yes, I would give praise to NPR in its greatness. Had they not gone to the extent of offering me just half-a-story....I would have never gone out and discovered a vast library of knowledge on global warming (or the lack of it). I would have never gone out and grasped the significance of illegal aliens in the United States and their importance to our economy. I would have never gone out and understood the housing and mortgage mess.
Ms Vivan Schiller....I wish to thank you as the chief of NPR....for helping me to become as intelligent as I am. Without rich full reports....I was able to broaden my horizon and become what I am today. Across this great nation.....every single day...hundreds of people are fulfilling their knowledge and intelligence requirements by going past the NPR standard and grasping what paid journalists cannot comprehend. As a nation...we are richer and more intelligent...because of NPR's limited focus.
Hopefully, in the years and decades to come....we can count on NPR continuing this trend. Yes....hopefully. Otherwise....you could flip over to another network but let's not bring up that topic.
Monday, 8 November 2010
Joe Manchin, Republican?
Governor Joe Manchin of West Virginia won last Tuesday. Most folks thought that things were kinda settled...until this afternoon.
The Republicans came calling to Joe. They've offered him an actual head chair on an important committee, if he'd switch to the Republicans. Right now....they are in the minority with 47 Republicans in the Senate. Then they kinda mentioned that Joe Lieberman (independent) and Ben Nelson (Democrat of Nebraska) are also being courted. It's an interesting deal.
Since you won't get much of a explaination on CNN or MSNBC....let me explain how this works. Joe got elected to fill out the rest of Byrd's term (until 2012).....so he has to run again in 2012.
Joe didn't exactly win in a huge fashion....it was a fair amount, but you can imagine that Joe would prefer not to have to worry much or spend much in 2012. Joe also had to act like a Republican in the election, and convince folks that he was mostly leaning to the right.
As a junior senator for the Democrats.....Joe wouldn't get offered any chair seats....so this offer from the Republicans is interesting.
So let's imagine Joe, Joe and Ben all Republicans, and sitting in a 50-50 Senate. Every time an important vote came up.....VP Joe Biden would come from the White House to cast the 101st vote to settle the affair.
This 101st vote would be a serious issue to explain in 2012 as the President says that he tried to work with the Republicans, but it was actually the White House voting in every single serious moment.....against the Republicans. The news media folks would have problems trying to explain every case where Joe Biden voted down a Republican-effort in the house. It'd all lead back to a White House vote in the Senate on every single occasion.
Yes, it is a pretty extreme bit of planning. Will Joe take it? I don't know. Will Joe Lieberman accept his deal? Will Ben Nelson accept his deal? Hard to say. It could all come back to some comical moment where Joe Biden arrives in the Senate and then announces that he can't negotiate with anyone....and just cast a vote.
The Republicans came calling to Joe. They've offered him an actual head chair on an important committee, if he'd switch to the Republicans. Right now....they are in the minority with 47 Republicans in the Senate. Then they kinda mentioned that Joe Lieberman (independent) and Ben Nelson (Democrat of Nebraska) are also being courted. It's an interesting deal.
Since you won't get much of a explaination on CNN or MSNBC....let me explain how this works. Joe got elected to fill out the rest of Byrd's term (until 2012).....so he has to run again in 2012.
Joe didn't exactly win in a huge fashion....it was a fair amount, but you can imagine that Joe would prefer not to have to worry much or spend much in 2012. Joe also had to act like a Republican in the election, and convince folks that he was mostly leaning to the right.
As a junior senator for the Democrats.....Joe wouldn't get offered any chair seats....so this offer from the Republicans is interesting.
So let's imagine Joe, Joe and Ben all Republicans, and sitting in a 50-50 Senate. Every time an important vote came up.....VP Joe Biden would come from the White House to cast the 101st vote to settle the affair.
This 101st vote would be a serious issue to explain in 2012 as the President says that he tried to work with the Republicans, but it was actually the White House voting in every single serious moment.....against the Republicans. The news media folks would have problems trying to explain every case where Joe Biden voted down a Republican-effort in the house. It'd all lead back to a White House vote in the Senate on every single occasion.
Yes, it is a pretty extreme bit of planning. Will Joe take it? I don't know. Will Joe Lieberman accept his deal? Will Ben Nelson accept his deal? Hard to say. It could all come back to some comical moment where Joe Biden arrives in the Senate and then announces that he can't negotiate with anyone....and just cast a vote.
My Sunday Viewing
I sat this weekend and watched two political chat shows....who both got newly elected Repbulicans on the air and did their big intense interrogation over how to cut the budget. In both cases....the media news wannabe tried his best to get absolute and precise areas where cuts in the budget to be made. In both cases....the Republicans were able to put just enough on the table....to draw the "you won't cut entitlements, will you-scare".
I sat there and started laughing in each case. It was extremely bad acting.....like Potsie on Happy Days or the Undertaker with WWE wrestling. The news media dimwit looked like some 15-year old kid acting angry over how anyone could possibly cut the entitlements that every single American is entitled to.
About six months ago, I was watching a news documentary where 'dad' lost his $65k a year job, and he was barely going to pull in $900 a month on unemployment compensation. 'Mom' still had her $40k a year job as a clerk. So the family held a meeting. The families third car for the teenagers was put into the garage because there wasn't enough gas to run it. Various cuts in the budget were made with each member of the five-member family voting on the necessary cuts. By the end....they were paying for the necessary bills and surviving. Had this been a bunch of congressmen....they would have pulled out a credit card and simply charged every single requirement on it, and kept going until the card was maxed out. Eventually, bankruptcy would follow the congressmen.
I'm just about to the point on Sundays now to switch over to the Cartoon Network and give up on the political chat shows.
I sat there and started laughing in each case. It was extremely bad acting.....like Potsie on Happy Days or the Undertaker with WWE wrestling. The news media dimwit looked like some 15-year old kid acting angry over how anyone could possibly cut the entitlements that every single American is entitled to.
About six months ago, I was watching a news documentary where 'dad' lost his $65k a year job, and he was barely going to pull in $900 a month on unemployment compensation. 'Mom' still had her $40k a year job as a clerk. So the family held a meeting. The families third car for the teenagers was put into the garage because there wasn't enough gas to run it. Various cuts in the budget were made with each member of the five-member family voting on the necessary cuts. By the end....they were paying for the necessary bills and surviving. Had this been a bunch of congressmen....they would have pulled out a credit card and simply charged every single requirement on it, and kept going until the card was maxed out. Eventually, bankruptcy would follow the congressmen.
I'm just about to the point on Sundays now to switch over to the Cartoon Network and give up on the political chat shows.
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