One of the cool things about blogging is that so much of the time, you don’t even have to go look stuff up or ask questions in order to provide relevant content for your readers — your subjects will do it for you.
Increasingly, I find that about all I have to do is wonder aloud about something on the blog, or poke a little fun at something I know little about, and suddenly those involved with the issue will be reaching out to shower info on me from across the nation — info from their point of view of course, but that can be helpful. I don’t even have to contact them; they find me.
For instance, today alone, I:
- Heard from the campaign of the Senate candidate in Texas who I said might be Energy Party material. Responding to my crack that his position lacked details, his campaign sent me a PDF file with more info. But then, inexplicably, they asked me NOT to post the PDF, urging me just to write about it or excerpt it. I wrote back asking why CAN’T I post it, and I’m waiting hear back on that.
- Got a mea culpa from the author of the release from musicFIRST about the omission I had joked about.
- Got a phone message from the OPPOSITE side of that issue — the radio people who don’t WANT to pay those performers what they want. Here’s the audio clip of that.
If anything else interesting comes in with little or no effort on my part, I’ll be sure to share it.
Related Posts
Anything else?
I think you meant to write “If anything interesting comes in…”
If nothing comes in, you can always post anything with “CONFEDERATE FLAG” and generate lots of responses.
Well, Sam — is it OK if I call you Sam? — Those folks who contacted me seem to think these things were interesting. But then, that’s their jobs…
Where’s the editorial attacking Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg for using their “out-of-state money” to fund anti-smoking campaigns?
After reading today’s Howie Rich-in-his-own-words column from Cindi Scoppe, I’m wondering just what The State has against the guy.
Rich’s own words certainly don’t indict him, and South Carolina’s pathetic, dang-near-last-in-the-nation public education system doesn’t indict him, and private schools turn out better educated graduates cheaper, if these figures from Allendale County’s Fairfax Elementary School are accurate:
With Allendale, the county the state whose public schools the state took over and obviously didn’t help much, spending almost $13,900 per student, only six percent of Fairfax’s students test proficient.
Anybody wanna bet Hammond and Heathwood Hall are getting less proficiency per dollar?
Proof that More Spending on Education is Not the Answer
———————————————————
Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) last year overestimated the number of new students. The county and state gave them $12,000,000 extra. Only half as many students showed up, so CMS had all that extra money to spend, and they spent every penny. No one can identify where the extra money went, and fewer than 20% of the CMS schools met the No Child Left Behind minimum standards, down from the previous year.
Brad isn’t really building a better blog, but it’s not his fault. This page probably discusses better than any other the real problem of malevolent commenters that many have pointed out. The number of serious contributors suffers when there is so much generalizing, bad or fraudulent sources and just downright meanness. Lee is typical, but the temptation is for the rest of us to get to arguing as well.
I am bad about posting FACTS.
Pseudo-liberals are bad about posting personal attacks, rude dismissals, and fabrications.
Just look at Herb’s inability to address the FACT that Charlotte schools lied about the number of students in order to steal $12,000,000 from the taxpayers.
Let’s see, Lee. I believe you were caught red-handed posting your “facts” from a fraudulent source, and then refused to admit the same. That doesn’t exactly enhance trust in your “facts.”
herb, you were busted posting fabricated gun laws from Switzerland. I posted the truth from the Swiss Embassy. You hid under the refrigerator when I turned on the light.
I admitted I was tricked, along with thousands of others.
But the Maureen Dowd fraud was believable, because the fact remains that the majority of Obama’s contributions are untraceable.
Given the history of Al Gore’s money laundering of Buddhist Temple donations, the $20,000,000 in illegal laundered money from Red China to Bill Clinton, and all the Gore and Hillary staffers who took falls and prison terms, Obama is suspect.
Democrats have a history of voter fraud in order to win. Obama is part of a Chicago machine. You can bet he is cheating.
And, Herb, your post above says I “refused to admit the same”. That’s a lie. I did admit I was tricked.
Well, maybe you call that an admission. I call it twisting it around to prove your point, anyway. What you needed to do was to admit the use of a fraudulent source, and cease trying to use it to prove what you already want to prove, anyway. And what is exactly “embrace of American” mean, anyway?
Your own extremism and hate is what shines through the most, if you would take time to see it, but I suppose I’m arguing with the wind, as usual. In the meantime, I’d suggest that you go to some reliable journals for your views. Try reading some foreign papers, like the Frankfurter Allgemeine. I tried to find out where “Slugger” gets his views from, apart from parroting yours, but he wouldn’t say, except that he accuses everybody else of getting theirs from TV network news–he didn’t say how he knew that. I’d be interested in what on what journals you read on a regular basis, that might tell us a lot.
Saying someone is a liar is a pretty harsh statement. Make sure you know what you are accusing people of. I got my statements about Swiss gun laws from Swiss friends, with whom I have stayed, the last time being in November of 2007. I’d post the name, address, and e-mail of my friend, but obviously I’m not going to do that on the web. I don’t remember you giving a link to any Swiss source, but you are welcome to do so, and I’ll follow it up at some point.
P.S.
See you in a few days. I have to work, and tomorrow is one of my daughter’s birthday, so we’ll be celebrating.
Please pardon the above mistake (see, that is how you admit a mistake): “embrace of American” should read “rejection of American”.
“One of my daughters’ birthday”? Oh well, I guess the well-meaning will understand my meaning.
Herb,
How about Obama LYING about being on the banking committee, and “sponsoring legislation to help homeowners”??
It’s getting hard to keep up with all Obama’s lies and “flip-flops” and “flop-flips”, and nuances, explanations, clarifications.
Your quoting something that was not my admission of being tricked means you either didn’t read my post before attacking me, or are just being “forgetful”.
Maybe you weren’t intentionally deceptive about Swiss gun laws – you were just ignorant but PRETENDING to have knowledge. You friend lied to you, or he was pretending, and just duped you.
I posted the laws straight from the Swiss Consul in Atlanta. I don’t recall your apology.
Lee,
From now on, if you have any desire to prove anything to me, then I want chapter and verse. If you are referring to Obama’s autobiography, then I want the page number and the beginning and end of the quotation, because I intend to go to the Lexington County library, when I can find the time, and check out your sources. If you are engaging in defamation of character, which I believe you are at times, I intend to point that out, as I have time.
Merely stating that a source says this or that says nothing. I expect links, and I am quite happy to give you links, except in the case of personal information in which I obviously cannot.
I do not recall at all your sourcing the Swiss embassy. I don’t think you did, but maybe you can link me back to the discussion and prove the link. My information about Swiss gun laws does not need an apology, because I got it straight from Swiss people who live, of all places, in Switzerland. Canton Zuerich, Waedenswil, on the first and primary reference. Other side of Lake Zuerich, Hombrechtikon, on a further reference. I know Swiss people, because I lived in Friedrichshafen, by Lake Constance, across from Switzerland, for 17 years, and was on a team that included Swiss people. Both are ministers, one is a licensed counselor. I trust him ethically and in every other way. So don’t accuse me of making up information. I do not use fraudulent sources, or if I were to do so in the future, I would freely admit it, and shut up at that point, without trying to use the source anyway.
I would be very interested in what sources you go to for general knowledge of US domestic and foreign policy. That might tell us a lot.
Herb,
You have to be mighty out of touch to pretend I am making this stuff up about Obama, but maybe you are genuinely that ignorant.
I suggest you take one accusation that would make you stop supporting this charlatan, research it, then come back to discuss.
Right now, you are not up to speed enough to have a polite discussion.
My time is better spent educating the general public on Obama’s traitorous agenda. If using you as a sounding board serves the purpose of getting the facts out, I will do that.
Hmmm. Nice put down. In other words, “I don’t have time for dummies like you.” Or is it that you are aware that your sources are not legitimate, or interpreted out of context in order to procure the meaning you desire, and you are afraid to expose them?
Lee, I am an ordained minister with a doctorate in theology, and three master’s degrees in various aspects of religion and divinity studies. As a mission administrator, I also have a great interest in human relationships, and have to often work hard in trying to see some degree of reconciliation take place between people who are supposed to be on the same team.
That means that 1) sources, and the way they are interpreted, are very important to me, as they should be to anyone. 2) Accusations made against people, especially ones like “traitor,” are heavy and should not be made without substantial evidence. 3) I try to prevent, rather than contribute to (without always being successful, I will freely admit), a poisonous atmosphere in human relationships that destroys communication and effectively ends any chance of understanding. I see it again and again–people cannot and will not communicate with one another. They cannot even begin to do so, because before the other person has even opened his mouth, he/she has been pigeonholed. In biblical terms, people have “ears to hear,” but they aren’t hearing. Or they are hearing only what they are pre-disposed to hear. Our whole society is full of it, and it is being torn apart by the fact that no one can listen, only accuse.
I have nowhere said that I support Obama. I do not know at this time for whom I am going to vote, though I find the abortion issue very heavy. Be that as it may, it is a very significant thing to accuse a presidential candidate of being a Marxist, a traitor, and even imply that he is a terrorist sympathizer. That is not to say that an accusation may not be true. But it had better be backed up by evidence.
Unless you are prepared to back up your accusations with indisputable, solid evidence, I will have to assume what I have often suspected, that you do not hesitate to use Goebbels’ like tactics to smear others. Your have already proclaimed your adherence to Aryan-race superiority. I am beginning to think it is you, and not Obama, who is drawing his thinking and attitudes out of Mein Kampf.
You can prove the truth of your accusations by quoting reliable sources, as first-hand as possible, and by interpreting them correctly. I am listening.
One other thing. In our society, one is assumed innocent until proved guilty. I have not accused Obama of being a traitor, you have. Therefore you have to prove it. It isn’t my move, it’s yours. I’m waiting.
Oops, I forgot this one:
Links, please. They should include quotes from Obama, as well as an analysis of his replies. Remember, you are the one accusing. Back it up, please.
Obama lies about sponsoring legislation to help homeowners
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About two weeks ago, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CN) and Rep. Barney Frank (D-MI) unveiled proposals to help homeowners facing foreclosure. On Monday, Sen. Obama seemed to seek “top billing.” The Washington Post
Post reports:
“‘At this moment, we must come together and act to address the housing crisis that set this downturn in motion and continues to eat away at the public’s confidence in the market,’ Obama said. ‘We should pass the legislation I put forward with my colleague Chris Dodd to create meaningful incentives for lenders to buy or refinance existing mortgages so that Americans facing foreclosure can keep their homes.'”
“Dodd did say that Obama supported the bill, as does Clinton. But he could not offer pride of authorship to the candidate [Obama] he wants to see in the White House next year.”
Translation: Sen. Dodd — who recently endorsed Obama — politely said that had Obama lied.
Read the article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/23/AR2008032301706.html
Ready for another one, Herb, or would you like to apologize first?
Lee,
After pursuing the Washington Post link, I’d say that it appears Obama is guilty of claiming originality when he did not have it. You can call this “lying,” I suppose, and strictly speaking, it is, though I would imagine fairly common among politicians on all sides of the isle. Evidence of being a traitor, or a hidden sympathizer of Muslim terrorist, it is not.
But what it also is, is evidence that you may well be willing to use anything to blacken an opponent, and that is very troubling.
I would suggest, however, that you and all of you who listen to Rush on a regular basis read the following serious article and pay close attention to the section on “poisoning the well,” particularly the following words:
The whole article is worth reading, and quite frankly, chilling. The tactics of Rush, and others, both on the right and left, are far too reminiscent of Nazism, and ought to make us all wake up.
I’ve said it before; I’ll say it again, getreligion.org is a great website for analyzing journalistic reporting on religion, and can be a good source of good criticism of media reporting in general. I’m sure there are other similar sites. I’ll ask around.
I hope that you and those who follow you are honest seekers enough to read on all sides of issues, and not just the one you are pre-disposed to believe.
Now perhaps you’d like to post something that proves Obama is a terrorist sympathizer, or something of that nature. I’m sure that you are aware of the Scriptural injunction not to judge unless you are very sure of your information.
Excuse me, I should have mentioned that the particularly relevant section of analysis of Rush’s language and journalism is beginning on page 43. That whole particular article by Kathryn Ruud on Limbaugh’s tactics is very illuminating.
The evidence of Obama’s Marxism is in his hanging out with and praising Marxists like Bill Ayers, Saul Alinsky, Frank Marshall Davis, his father and uncle.
The evidence of Obama’s sympathy for Islamic terrorists is in his long friendship with Bill Ayers, Bernadine Dorn, Angela Davis, Jeremiah Wright, Louis Farakhan, and the campaign advisors with ties to Hamas and Hezbollah.
Lee, this is so ridiculous it is not even funny. How is a person at the same time a Marxist (remember religion as the opiate of the people?) and an Islamic terrorist at the same time?
Please show where Louis Farakhan and the Nation of Islam have perpetrated violent, Muslim fundamentalist terrorist acts? Please demonstrate how Jeremiah Wright, who is not a Muslim cleric, but a Christian minister, is an Islamic terrorist?
Which campaign advisers have ties to Hamas and Hezbollah?
Where do you find the text of Obama’s speech or his writings where he “praises Marxists.”? Chapter and verse, please.
Remember, you are the one accusing Obama, and you need to present the evidence. Merely claiming these things are true doesn’t make them so. I hope you realize that spreading hateful words that have no substance does all of us, including yourself, no good.
How can so many adults over the age of 40 be so ignorant about the mix of Marxism and radical Islam.
The KGB spent decades subverting Muslims to hate the Christians and Jews. Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Baathists (of Saddam Hussein and Sirhan Sirhan), are all the products of Soviet grooming.
I presented enough names of close Obama friends who are self-described Marxists, or radical Muslims of some ilk, or both, like his father, uncle and brother.
It’s time for the Obama apologists to face up to the slimy friends, one by one, and try to justify their continued support for this traitor.
Lee,
Again blanket accusations, but no sources, no quotes, no proof of nothing.
I ran this one by my son, who is doing a PhD in Political Science, just to be sure of my footing, and his response was, “Dad, refuting people that write ridiculous comments on blogs seems like an ill-fated endeavor.” [Sigh]. He’s probably right.
You’re son copped out, just like his dad.
Any educated person with a serious interest in world politics and history needs to become familiar with the KGB agitation of US dissidents like John Kerry, Obama and the Clintons, and the subversion of Muslim clerics and Christian missionaries to foment unrest and class hatred in the backward nations.
HOMEWORK assignment:
Work backwards down the KGB-Al-Qaeda tree,
starting with Aleksandr Litvinenko, KGB agent who handled Islamic terrorists, and converted to Islam.
Well Lee,
I did a look around and found that there are a whole bunch of serious analysts who question your conspiracy theory, here for example one:
And even if you were right, one example doth not a movement make.
Sometimes I wonder if you don’t do a lot of your research in Tom Clancy novels, but I probably should have been nice and not say that. I’m quitting this thread that nobody else is reading, because it’s a waste of time, apparently, to try and discuss with someone who, it appears to me, is going to try and find data to back up his theory, rather than deducting theory from the data. But have a nice time.
I never read a Clancy novel, or any other spy novel, but I can supply endless FACTS about the history of KGB subversion of Islamic dissents into anti-Jew and anti-Christian terrorists.
Would you like to start in 1968 and go forward, or work back from Al Gore’s buddies in Russia who stole $10 BILLION from the IMF in 1999 and were not pursued by Janet Reno? That is relevant because they were KGB managers of Muslim terrorism, too.
Just let me know where you and your son require remedial education. I’m here to help.
Rubbish.
Conspiracy theories, as much as Americans like them, doctored over statistics, and propaganda are not facts.
Research involves the use of serious studies, with analysis from all sides of an issues, pros and cons. Whenever anybody tells me that the answer is “all this” and “none of that,” I generally know that it is ideology driven. Life is more complicated than that. You have proven pretty much that you do not know how to properly use sources, nor interact intelligently with data that does not fit your parameters, nor adjust for unforeseen factors. I want no part of such an “education.”
Afraid to answer my question and face a deluge of detail?
These “conspiracy theories” are backed up by the testimony and memoirs of former KGB spies, handlers and upper leaders.
The Soviets opened up their archives in the 1990s, and British historians mined them for details of KGB operations in the UK and USA during the Cold War.
John Kerry was photographed sitting at the hearings beside a KGB agent who came there with him. Kerry was a “useful idiot”.
Most American academics are so poisoned with campus socialism that they are unwilling to examine how their “liberal” leaders were dupes and traitors, because they were duped, too.