It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To!

I have spent much of my time watching C-Span and C-Span 2. Seeing and listening to our elected officials speak is both thrilling and enlightening for me. Thrilling since I get to hear some of the best orators of our day use their skills to debate on the world stage. Of-course not everyone of those speaking is a great communicator so one must listen to all to discern what is transpiring.

The enlightening happens when one hears between the words to understand what the speaker, she or he, is trying to accomplish. Although the subjects are many, and may be complex, it does not ensue that a clown like me, living in a somewhat rural and small city or town, cannot find the import and direction the speaker is trying to herd us to. In fact, it is relatively simple to judge the political alliance or mindset of the speaker. And if careful listening is not your thing, the vote tallies at the end show the aims of the words spoken. At the end of the day it is the vote that reveals the true colors of what's going on.

So, here we are. The first thing I would like to speak to is the way the budget is being held hostage to a political agenda. We know that a plethora of the budget is not the reason for the continuing impasse. It is an ideological divide and lust for complete power that is at issue here. LOOK AT THE VOTE TALLIES! I guess old George Washington was "right on" when he admonished us to avoid foreign wars and political parties!

The charts and studies all sides seem enamored of are of so little real value I view them more as a visual form of trickery than an informative tool. It seems that there is a chart to support any view if you have selective vision when searching for one. Nobody's right if everybody's wrong! We, the Electorate, need to do a better job minding the store and rely less on a proxy citizenry of paid actors.

I could provide links, but why?

To those that know who they are I really miss talking to you. I tried to keep it light. So sorry I let you down as a friend.

Brave New World

I am sorry if you came here because my title misled you. It is intended as a statement to myself about the change I feel in my life, especially my on-line persona. I put too much hope into my effort to fill a void I guess, so now this blog will be political or scientific in nature and leave personal aspects to another place.

Watching C-Span 2 Book TV today was a good learning day for me. It is heartening to see the rise of such uses for the Net and TV. I do not agree with the views of all the authors but am glad to have the chance to expand my own views and knowledge.

Today I watched Alison Dagnes talk about the effects of today's media and its effects. She made the point, among others, that our ability to select the ideas we are exposed to via the Net has a duality that may not be bringing us into a wider exchange of political opinion. Rather it allows birds of a feather to not only find each other but then to hear only like minded voices.But as has always been the case it seems, we must choose whether we want to her about solutions to our problems or what shoes Britney wears.