I can’t believe we actually fall for the tripe

When in my teen years, I learned an important lesson: You can sit around watching other people get paid for doing what they love to do, or you get up and do what you love to do — and get paid for it.

It’s for this reason my TV is basically a dust collector.

It doesn’t mean I’m ignorant of the news – quite the opposite, really.  I surf a great variety of news sites, listen to the news on the radio while I’m driving, etc.  But the great advantage is I pretty much have control over what I read and where I read it.  And — by balancing sources, no doubt I get a bigger picture of what’s going on than what CBS / NBC / ABC / FOX / ETC would like me to have.

As someone who has written quite a bit for publications, I am aware of the power a writer has simply choosing one word over another. For example,  Word “X” might mean pretty much the same thing as word “Y,” but one of the words is going to sound more important or more or more sad, or more _(fill in the blank)_ than the other word.  And depending on what want to convey to my reader, I will probably choose one word over the other.

Every writer’s choice of words results from some key perspectives:

What do they want their readers to know?
To believe?
To feel?
To think?
To want?
To do?

I don’t care how ethical someone might claim to be, you can’t tell me a trained Journalist is “fair and balanced” from any branch of any media.  SORRY.   I DON’T FALL FOR IT.  Every story - even an obituary – has spin.  

A few years back I read Tammy Bruce’s book, ‘The New Thought Police.” She talked about how, as president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Organization of Women (NOW), she drove to work one morning and heard the guy reading the news on the radio: ”Pro-Life activist met at blah blah blah . . . “.   Bruce got on her cell phone and called the radio station, informing the news director that the phrasing needs to be “Anti-Abortion activists,” not “Pro-Life activists.” 

Sure enough, at the next half-hour break, the news guy reported that “Anti-Abortion activists met at blah blah blah . . .”

The average Joe or Jane is blithering through the day and letting these word choices affect them.  They’re NOT thinking, and different words DO invoke different thoughts/feelings/etc., and it’s just damn sad.

For example, I met a person the other day who told me she has no political opinion whatsoever.  She’s just a mom who loves her kids and is very involved in their lives.

I totally respect that she’s very involved in her children’s lives.  But here was a grown woman who perhaps hears the news on the way to soccer practice, not realizing that the words she hears are carefully chosen to convey certain meanings; to influence her opinion.

Remember, she “has no political thoughts,” so she doesn’t even realize she’s being influenced.  Her blinders are on, and she doesn’t know —or care— about it.

Tripe.  That’s what the media is feeding us.  

Well, that’s what they’re feeding the lemmings, anyway.

I choose to find my own food.  And if you’re smart, you will, too.

A debate call for Al Gore

It appears someone of high stature is willing to call Al Gore to a debate, and make it as international and as public as it can be.  The letter sent to Al’s private residence (and made open to the public) is straightforward enough, but I love the statement made by the challenger, the Viscount Monckton of Brenchley:

“A careful study of the  substantial corpus of peer-reviewed science reveals that Mr. Gore’s film, An  Inconvenient Truth, is a foofaraw of pseudo-science, exaggerations, and errors, now being peddled to innocent schoolchildren worldwide.”

It appears that the former policy advisor to (then) Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher believes that when science is applied, the light on Gore’s position becomes quite dim.

Read more about it if you like.   

Wash Your Hands of the Global Warming Debate

What makes your humble blogger Lave sus Manos an expert in global warming?  Nothing.

What makes Al Gore an expert in global warming? Nothing.

What the difference between the two? 

Al Gore has LOTS of money and political power, a big famous name, and a publicity machine. And because of all that he’s much better than Lave sus Manos at manipulating the emotions of the masses.  THAT’s the difference!

A good salesperson knows that people buy on emotion but justify their purchase by logic.  Al Gore knows that if he plays on people’s emotion (predominately guilt and fear in this case), he can get them to “buy into” his position as he (allegedly) justifies it by logic.

But There’s a Problem:
Many of the world’s climatologists disagree wholeheartedly with Al Gore. They say his logic is based on false assumptions. Are they right? Maybe. Maybe not.

But – - – because the climatologists also do not have political power, big names, big money, and a big publicity machine, they cannot manipulate public opinion like Al can.

Follow the money. Follow the ego (Al’s).  Follow a former Vice President’s desire for a legacy.  Al Gore makes good money promoting global warming – (you think he gives these speeches for free?).  Al Gore gets to rub shoulders with Hollywood’s elite and his name stays before the public eye.  He did, after all, want to be president. He wants his name in the history books. So when someone said to him “let’s make a movie and we’ll associate your name with it,” my guess is Al saw a second chance at fame and fortune.

Another problem: 
All this focus on global warming is stirring of the public’s emotions — and serves as an excellent distraction from the real issues at hand.

How Open-Minded Are You?
If you’re open-minded you look at both sides of an issue, do you not?  So if you’ve given time to listen to Al Gore, then give time to what some of these climatologists and geologists say.  They are, after all, – unlike Al Gore or your humble blogger Lave sus Manos — learned in their respective sciences.  

Don’t listen to me.
Don’t listen to Al.
Listen with an open mind to what both sides are saying.

Peruse The Great Global Warming Debate
Look at the history of climate change in the world (be sure to scroll down)
Check out the animation of geologic shift through the ages from UC Berkeley
And spend some time on the science page of globalwarming.org

I’m not advocating that we pollute our planet or waste energy.  What I’m saying is that many of these experts estimate that only 2% of the currently rise in temperatures is due to man’s action.  So be wise and act accordingly, but don’t get all guilt-ridden that you’re destroying the planet by using your lawn mower.

If you’re really concerned about the future of the planet and you want to exercise your emotions, then get angry about the powerful few getting rich playing both sides of almost every regional armed conflict (which causes the senseless death of millions of people and needlessly devastates innocent families). In many cases these powerful few actually foster and prod these conflicts so they can pad their own pockets and feed their egos.

In other words, wash your hands of misguided guilt and fear.  Instead pray that these hidden power groups be slowed, halted, and even thwarted.

When you gotta wash, you gotta wash.

Sometimes we just need to wash our hands of certain situations and/or feelings.  And we should also wash our hands before we take hold of clean things — such as the truth.

This blog is for letting go of falsehoods (washing our hands of them), as well as pointing out the things that are true, but often hidden from view. Often the truth has been placed behind some form of purposeful deception.

If you wish to comment, feel free. 

If you wish to address a topic or start a conversation on some issue not listed, just let me know.