I survive the first 24 hours with no liberal media! I’m OK, but this is going to be a challenge.

I have finished the first 24 hours of my month-long liberal news fast, and I am happy to report that I have noticed no discernible change in my disposition.

Day 1

I listened to some AM radio station where a guy named Howie Carr complained about state workers. I guess he has been a gadfly around Boston for some time, but not being from here and not listening to AM talk radio, I had no idea who he was. I checked out his column in the Boston Herald as well, where he also railed against state workers.

He seems to engage in the rather common Conservative practice of attacking by anecdote and emotion. He doesn’t say, for example, how many state workers are on disability compared to workers in the private sector. He likes phrases like “pinky-ring public-sector unions,” but the people I know working for the state don’t seem to wear any more jewelry than anybody else, perhaps even less. The guys might have worn a watch, but nothing fancy. I did see some quite regularly on the women, but not on the men. I know that there is the association of wise guys and mafiosi with the pinky ring, but I don’t see how that applies to state employees earning what by any standards is more than reasonable wage.

Segueing from state employees to federal without a distinction, Howie was particularly incensed, as were his listeners, that the employees of the TSA are about to unionize. No one brought up the fact that the 9/11 terrorists were allowed on the planes by private contractors, but whatever. Like Bush, your gut is what counts.

The two things that struck me most about his column were 1) he’s not funny, and 2) his column requires no research. If one is going to be satirical or try parody, it’s important to be really funny. Otherwise, it’s just a lazy, as well as an ineffective way to make an argument: if this is the truth, I must be right. Not being funny, not pointing out any real ironies, but just making up anecdotes, Howie just looks a hack past his time, airing his personal complaints to the already converted and too indolent to do any real investigative reporting that could lead to policy change. Well, he’s on AM and in tabloid. Res ipsa loquitor.

Tonight I attempt Hannity.

March 4, 2011 0

Conservative for a Month!

0306_ann_photo — This is Ann Coulter (shudder!)

fatrush — This is Ann Coulter on french fries, hot air, and illegaly obtained Viagra and pain killers

Lest I be accused of only listening to those who agree with me, I am going to be a conservative for a month. Not like Mr. Colbert (wish I had his talent, if only so I could get a chance to vomit on the tarmac after getting a ride in a fighter plane (sigh)), but more like your average angry Georgian. I am not going to listen to MSNBC, or read the NY Times (well, maybe a little), but I will rail at the Wisconsin unions, and complain that Obama is a communist Kenyan Manchurian candidate. I am still going to listen to NPR, but only in the car: I do not wish to develop road rage. Nor will I read David Brooks. He is a sixth-string intellectual trying to pass for fourth-string, and usually falling on his face. Besides, he’s in the Times. Instead, I will read the Boston Herald, watch O’Reilly and Hannity, read Milton Friedman, and say that Anne Coulter passes for really hot. I may even undertake the Ultimate Challenge: Listening to Glen Beck.
I understand the need to listen to people with the same views. I know the scenario: It’s the end of the day. You’ve been stuck in traffic behind some fellow American , perhaps driving a Cadillac Escalade or a Hummer or one of the other gas guzzlers that give good profits to our country, emblazoned with bumper stickers that say, “God, Guns, and Guts Made This Country Great!” or “Why the Hell should I have to press ‘1’ for English?” Meanwhile, someone else with an NRA sticker and one that reads “WAR never solved anything except slavery, oppression, genocide, communism, fascism, and nazism …now for terrorism!” gives you the finger just because she doesn’t like the way you drive. Annoyed, you flip through the stations and you can’t get NPR, but yet there seem to be a hundred Country-Western music stations with someone either whining about his cheating wife or his drinking problem (family values!) and while being tortured by these omnipresent philistines you contemplate that the music program was just cancelled at your kids’ school while the police work details seem to be spreading like the fusarium wilt that’s attacking your heirloom tomatoes. You know what you need: you need the comforting voice of Tom Ashbrook or Rachel Maddow. You need the indignation of Keith Olbermann. You need the unsurpassed humor of Gail Collins, or Tina Fey being all mavericky. You just need to hear somebody that agrees with you for crying out loud, that shows the world how the other side is not only full of idiots, but evil idiots. And not just evil idiots, but evil warmongering evolution-denying wife-beating Huddle House-eating gun-toting bass-boating undereducated or country club elite overarmed child-hating red-baiting selfish Chicago-school worshipping odious IDIOTS!
But therein lies the rub. America, at least the America I was taught to love, buddy, doesn’t gather under the balcony to raise our arms in agreement. Not us, Mack. We argue. We contend. We listen to the other side, before respond with a body blow to the spleen. Metaphorically speaking, naturally . We entertain long moments of self-doubt in which we wonder, “Jeez, what if I am wrong?”
This shouldn’t be too hard. I came out of college all ready to believe the disciples of Hayek (Friedrich, not Salma, whom I am still prepared to believe in) and pumped to vote for the Gipper. We all make mistakes, and my life since the Iran-Contra revelations began to edge me further left—culminating in a full break when Pat “I’m not dead yet!” Buchanan declared a culture war—until I ended up as the unabashed liberal (not a progressive, thank you very much) that I am today.
So that’s it. March Madness. Let’s see if I survive.

March 2, 2011 1

Why, Some of My Best Friends Are Conservative

Really.

This isn’t really about public health, but I couldn’t help myself. What follows is a transcript of an ongoing Facebook “conversation.”

: Must…not…resort….to…childishness….must….resist….

Laurie is referring to this:

Zach Wahls Defends Gay Marriage To Iowa Congress (VIDEO)

www.huffingtonpost.com

Laurie Dee I usually avoid HuffyPoo due to its extremely liberal content and malicious bloggers, but this was a good video and this kid did a great job speaking. Civil unions are okay in my book, marriage is for one woman and one man, and at least one of my gay friends agrees with me. I also think capable and responsible gays can raise kids. There’s my 2 cents.Yesterday at 4:44pm · LikeUnlike
Richard Lerner Yeah, I avoid conservative sites for the same reason: I wouldn’t want to listen to anyone whose opinion is too opposed to mine–it might challenge my invincible belief in my own rectitude. As for marriage: A secular country such as ours should ONLY have civil unions, gay or straight. If someone feels the need to have their union blessed by whatever deity in order to call it marriage, our wonderfully free country is full of churches, synagogues, temples, mosques, etc. all too happy to oblige.22 hours ago · LikeUnlike
Richard Lerner And I believe that even capable and responsible straight people can raise children, too.22 hours ago · LikeUnlike
Laurie Dee

The issue here is about gays raising kids, that is why I did not mention capable and responsible straight people.See More

Richard Lerner No, the issue is equal rights for all Americans, and making the argument about the message, not the messenger.20 hours ago · LikeUnlike
Laurie Dee The issue is about him speaking out against the resolution that would end civil unions, which I support, as I stated in my initial comment, and not trying to argue here. Of course, equal rights for all, and you’re the one first arguing about the messenger. I complimented the messenger on this one. Enuff said already.17 hours ago · LikeUnlike
Richard Lerner ‎”you said it first!” Sounds like my kids. “Huffypoo” isn’t commenting about the messenger?17 hours ago · LikeUnlike
Gady Zeewy I love the name HuffyPoo! The next time I use it, I will give you full credit Mrs. Dee.7 hours ago · LikeUnlike
Laurie Dee

So what Richard, my short name for that hateful site, derived from my experience with some of the bloggers over there who make up lies which certain media then report as truths. Yes, a mere brief comment, then I commended the video that Hu…ff put up. You commented against Conservative sites and rambled on. The argumentative tone portrayed by the liberals like yourself at HuffyPoo is shown not only on the posts but along with the poor behavior of its liberal leader when getting on and off planes, as evidenced by Arianna’s refusal to turn off her cell phone, necessitating taking police away from their real duties to have to come and deal with her defiance. If you don’t like my conservative “rants”, even though it really wasn’t, maybe you should know my gay stepson also is not in support of gay marriage either (not to mention at least one of my gay friends as I said yesterday). As far as civil unions go, I agree and let’s leave it at that, or do you still need to argue like a 2 year old just like 85% of the liberals with whom I speak? That is why there is such a great divide between the two parties. No one on either side seems to want to budge from their positions and that is sad because our government will never change for either party the way things are now.Gady, you’re very welcome, buddy. We miss you, time to get together soon.See More

Richard Lerner Yes, yes I do need to argue like a 2 year old. Also, I take full responsibility for the great divide between the two parties.I don’t begrudge conservatives their opinion. Why, some of my best friends are conservative.
a few seconds ago · LikeUnlike

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February 7, 2011 0

oh, it’s going to be a long season

What’s more disturbing: that the Cubs got schmattered on opening day, or that I actually care about it.
After having lived through 1969, 1984, 2004, I, (no sports expert) hereby make my predictions for 2010;
1) The Cubs will not win half of their games.
2) No Cubs pitcher will win more than 14 games.
3) No more than 2 players will hit over .300.

February 19, 2010 0

The Meta-Bug