"Can't believe I missed this one. Man, you spent alot of time on that."
Actually, no I didn't spend much time on it. I've pretty much always had the same take on O'Reilly and I've gone round here about him before. Actually, I've gone round with you about him before and I think at that point you were refering to a bunch of guys like Bill Maher, Mike Moore and others of that ilk as we were discussing "reporting of the news" and I told you then you had an odd take on what a reporter is and the nature of the job.
"First off, let us address Mr. Franken. Al Franken is not a comedian and has not been for may years. Al Franken is a politicial hitman who seeks to entertain only his friends, and others who hate as much as he himself does. This is a well-known fact that is acknowledged by even his friends, Davis for one. He is a sick, unbalanced person and has been for many years, but he has been able to ride the wave because his politician friends count on him to say the stupid, hateful things that they themselves cannot say."
Well, I'd have to call that a fairly radical take on Franken. He's a guy that writes comedy and prefers political humor. I agree that he writes it with his veiws on his sleeve and certainly his agenda is showing. His comedy, I would agree, is geared toward lefties and I don't think he'll be getting an invitation to dinner at the White House anytime soon. He does not hide this fact so I don't think you could call him a "hitman" because the nature of what they do is a bit more umm...covert. For the record I'm not a Franken fan, I'm not a friend of his, and I don't even know anyone who knows him. So I won't comment on his state of mental well being but I find it interesting that you know so much about him. Almost sounds like you could have a grudge against the guy. Hmmm...
"That is the way I see it, if you disagree then apparently that means that I am "dumb" and my Masters Degree must have been a mistake on the part of the University."
I'll comment on your Masters later but I never said you were dumb. I did however quote you and use what you said at the end of my post to point out the fact that you were taking cheap shots at Kent. Kent is an easy target because he has a radical veiw of the world...sort of like you...except maybe from opposite ends of the spectrum. You and Kent are more alike than you are different I would say.
"Secondly, let me address the issue of O'Reilly as a journalist. O'reilly is not a journalist in the sense that Edward R. Murrow was a journalist certainly, but neither is anyone else nowadays."
Well, this is either backtracking in a big way, as you called O'Reilly "The Last Real Journalist", or you were kidding and or baiting with that comment in the first place. You've yet to bring up anyone that could be thought of as a reporter of news and seem stuck on folks who spew opinion and have a hardcore slant to what they say or write.
"Dan Rather is out speaking at Democrat fundraisers, Chris Matthews is apparently thinking about running for the House or Senate as a Democrat. The Chief Editor of the NY Times just resigned in shame after it was learned that his biases were driving the paper into the ground, and this was brought to light by the people who worked for him, and even shared his ideology, not by some right wing kook."
Here again you seem stuck on these tv hucksters and of course the New York Times. The Times, I know, is part of that vast (and shriking now I think in some minds) left wing media conspiracy. Jesus GA. Get some new material will you.
"If you think that ANY news source is unbiased and reliable on it's own nowadays then I would suggest that the "dumbing down" principle may be applied easily to yourself as well."
I think you have a valid point here. It is hard to find good reporting and I think you have to take it on an article by article basis. I think the problem is we've sort of reached a kind of panic state in which people feel like they must desperately forward their agenda because we are in such dire times. So they (reporters, media conglomerates, etc) have a tendency a lot these days to throw bias into a story because they, in a weird way, see it as justified because they imagine they are doing their part to effect the fragile balance of things. This combined with the speed at which information can now be dispersed has now caused a sort of panic state in the news game as well because everyone wants to be first with the story and fact checking be damned.
"As to myself and KDB. Let me just say this: Kravitz can attest to the fact that I have spent the last year of my life and over 80 THOUSAND DOLLARS trying to create a magazine where ALL sides can have thier opinions included and seen by the general public. I believe in free speech, and I am not adverse to having both sides included in order to allow the public to make up thier minds on thier own. Every week ( 3 times this week alone) I get threatening letters from people on both the left and the right because I included opinions from both in my magazine. I had to go 'round and 'round with the local university a few weeks ago because some asshole there was using his university e-mail to say that he and his friends were going to wait by my car and "kick the fuck out of me". MY wife recieved a phone call just this week of a person claiming to be a salesperson in order to gain access to information about where our house was located. When I called back on the automatic call back it turned out that the caller was one of the employees at a coffee shop in Fond Du Lac where our magazine is distributed. She is also closely affiliated with one of the more radical groups in the area that CLAIMS their only mission is PEACE. She has been arrested and cited for "unlawful use of the telephone". This kind of crap has been getting more and more frequent, but we keep going on because we believe in the mission of The Soapbox ( our magazine). I have a hell of a time getting advertisers because everyone is pissed of by something or the other they read in it. I have been constantly told by marketing "gurus" that I could make alot of money if I just went and made it conservative, but I refuse to do that, even though I acknowledge that I myself am conservative, because that destroys the whole vision of what it should be. I am selling off my studio equipment, two of my guitars, my laptop, my bass amp and a bunch of other shit on e-bay just to keep this damn thing going, and make a place where you, Mr. KDB, and myself can say our piece like Americans should and have people who read it make up thier minds for themselves."
Funny GA, but in this paragraph you sound just like Kent. In fact Kent could have wrote that for you. That's exactly the sort of thing he has a tendency to fly off into when you begin to debate him and why so many people gave him a hard time around here. I think it's cool you've started a magazine. I'm very sorry that there are whack jobs out there that would threaten you or your family. I honestly hope you are doing what you can to keep your family and yourself safe. You sound a bit freaked out there man, so I hope that you have gone to the authorities for help. Please be careful and I mean that, it's not meant to be smart ass in any way.
"In view of the events of the past year, I think it safe to say that I have taken my licks for the 1st Amendment, for journalism, and for the principle that everyone should be heard. That is why I am not going to sit here and let some snide, condescending, sitting on the sidelines passing judgement fuckwit like YOU tell ME what the fuck I should be thingking about what is biased and un-biased and who is a goddamn journalist and who isnt."
It's at this point where I'll say that earning your Masters has done wonders for level of self expression and reading comprehension. Did they teach you the word "fuckwit" at the university? While I find this little tirade most entertaining, I'm a bit perplexed by it. First I never told you that you have to believe anything nor would I presume to be able to force you to think any specific thing. I stated how I felt, gave an opinion, and you have started some riduculous off the wall name calling. You're the one that seems to want some people to be silenced at the same time you claim to be a defender of our first amendment rights. Weird man, you can't have it both ways now can you. I've passed no judgement on you. I commented on you calling O'Reilly "The Last Real Journalist" and this has set you off on some strange tangent defending what you do with your life. Look man, this is America you can think whatever you like and say whatever you want and that's what makes it a great country isn't it? You're the one passing judgement here on me and Kent. I would not pretend to speak for Kent but I think the bottom line is he means well and his heart seems to be in the right place. So, I don't really know what Kent does but he seems to be paying attention and trying to get the word out about some stuff that bothers him and I don't think I'd call that "sitting on the sidelines." Maybe you should ask him to write something for your magizine. I'm sure there are many people that would find what he wrote an interesting read.
"I have taken my hits, and i have taken my hits for YOU and MR. KDB regardless of whether you asked or not, because I believe in it.Unlike those whose primary social life seems to center around message boards, and whose compassion for others seems to center around talking about easy shit like PEACE from afar instead of making sure the kids on your own block have food, and clothes to wear to school in the next few weeks. That is where MY principles are, and if that means that I am "dumb" or that I have been "dumbed down" then so be it."
Again GA, you sound sort of freaked out and all bent out of shape here. I think all the people who visit this board share the same sort of values you express here and I've always been a big believer and supporter of the idea that "doing good" begins in your own community. That's the idea man, to create a sense of community. That's what this message board is meant to be. A community. We can touch those that are within arms reach far easier than those on the other side of the planet. Charity begins in your heart and close to home. I agree.
"Stop by and give us your opinion sometime:
Oh and one more thing: MAKE IT PITHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Thanks for the invitation and I'll consider it. I wish you the best with it.
Oh and Peace bro,
Reg
