Network Television

I mentioned in my previous post that I seldom watch network television. That's true; except for a selected few sitcoms and occasional movie, I pretty much stay away.

I listen to talk radio. That's where I get most of my news. I listen to talk radio because I hear things there that I wouldn't hear on the network news. News bias? You bet. I can remember a time when news anchors gave the facts and you couldn't tell where they stood on any issue. I first became aware of the power of the press during the first Clinton campaign for the presidency. The press then was pro-Clinton. Just as now it's so pro-Kerry. I honestly feel that the press got Clinton elected and they are trying their darndest to get Kerry elected.

I can feel my agitation and anger levels rising when I watch network news. Why am I agitated or angry? Because I'm hearing only what the liberal media wants me to know. Liberals don't think I'm smart enough to think for myself so they have to tell me what to think. No, I take that back. They don't want me to think. They surely don't want me to prosper and have wealth. They don't want me to own my own property. They want to take money I have earned and give it to people who don't have jobs so they can have what I have. More about this in another post.

How do I know this? Because I listen to talk radio. I hear another side of the story and I hear things I don't hear on network TV. I don't like being agitated or angry so I don't watch network news. Why should I spend my time being agitated and or angry because of the news?

I don't read newspapers either. Not for the same reason I don't watch network TV however. I used to subscribe faithfully to the local paper. I no longer have time to read it during the week, so I changed to a weekend subscription. The weekend is from Thursday through Sunday - four days. I don't have time to read at least two of those days, so I requested a Sunday only subscription. Guess what? They don't have it. Or at least that's what the person in the subscription office told me. Now either the paper does not have a Sunday only subscription, or the woman lied. Either way does me no good. Another reason is that this paper has to read the other local paper to find out what to print. Honestly! Local news is in one paper a day or two before it's in the other. And the paper that has the news first can't find my house. I ordered a subscription and a week later called to ask when my delivery would begin. I was told it started the day after I called. I explained that I hadn't gotten the paper. I was told it was delivered, but maybe a neighbor took it. I cancelled the subscription right then. I wasn't paying for a newspaper that either wasn't being delivered or was being stolen.

I used to listen to Fox News Channel in the mornings while getting ready for work. I like Fox, but they can agitate me as well. The news anchors aren't too bad, but the commentators make their opinions well known. And even if I agree with them, I still don't like one-sided news shows. I don't want opinions. Just give me the facts and let me form my own opinion.

My local papers are both online and I get the local news there. For national and world news, I look to various Internet news sites and talk radio. I also read quite a few blogs. Sure, they are opinion, but they seem to have the facts. I don't mind opinion when they are backed up by facts. I can't be bothered listening to, or reading opinions that have no logic to support them. If I want that, I'll find a Democrat and/or liberal site, opinion piece, newspaper or network news (including CNN).

I can't stand most of the "reality" shows on TV today. Joe Millionaire? Please, he wasn't; it was a lie. And the women who were on the show? The best I can say is that they were gold-diggers, out to get his money. Joe Schmoe? I still don't get that one. The premise of "The Apprentice" wasn't too bad. Trump had a job opening and used the show to find out who would get the job.

I have to admit to one little secret. There is one network, reality show I do watch in the summer. Big Brother. I don't know why I like the show. The person who makes it to the end is never the one I want to win. I don't like the alliances and the back-stabbing that goes on. And I hope that Big Brother vets their contestants a little better this year. The year before last a male contestant threatened the life of a female contestant. Last year a male contestant was removed after he, well, lost it. I think there were problems there to begin with and then the confinement and tension of the show pushed him over the edge.

It seems like the bottom line on "reality" shows is who will sink the lowest to get money? I wouldn't last on one of those shows. I trust people way too much, and I have integrity. They'd eat me for lunch for sure.

Democrats and Republicans

You gotta watch them. They want you to think that they want to make the world a better place for everyone. They want everyone to prosper and live a great life. The pity is they believe it.

It used to be thought that if you worked hard enough, you could be anything you want to be. The world is yours for the grabbing. Just reach out a grab the gold ring. You want to own your own business? Just get out there and put in the time and the effort and your can do it! You want to be a success and have money, a nice house, a nice car and eventually, a nice retirement? Just put in the time and effort and it will be yours.

Fat chance.

Democrats don't want you to have anything of your own. You have money? They want to take it and give it to the less fortunate; those that didn't win life's lottery. Well, guess what? Life's not a lottery. If you want something, make the effort and your can have it.

Taxes - one of my favorite topics. The Democrats want to repeal the tax cuts because it benefits the rich. Think about this - did you ever get a job from a poor person? If you were hired by anyone, they weren't poor. The poor don't have businesses where they can hire anyone. The person who hired you might not have been rich, but they weren't poor by definition. If it weren't for the rich, no one in the luxury car, boat, or airplane building industry would have a job. It's not that the rich wouldn't have these things, the people who build them wouldn't have jobs! How about colleges? I understand that most of the people who go to college go on scholarships. But not all do and not all go on full scholarships. And where to those scholarships come from? The rich get tax breaks when they give money to colleges and universities. Without those donations, the schools couldn't give scholarships, and jobs wouldn't exist - from the president of the school right down to the janitor.

Social Security. The Democrats will any day now start screaming that the Republicans want to reduce or eliminate SS. They're trying to scare the elderly who depend on SS to live on. Why? So they will vote for the Democratic candidate who promises to protect SS. It's scare tactics. Go look up just who is doing what to SS. It's on the net. Find it out for yourself.

Welfare. Democrats don't want people off welfare. It would cost them votes! Democrats get a heck of a lot of their votes from the welfare class who are afraid that Republicans and conservatives will take their welfare away from them. They want money handed to them so they don't have to work. There are jobs out there, I see signs everyday advertising jobs. But, why should I start out at minimum wage and work when the government will send me a check every month for not working?

I work a full time job and have for a lot of years. I have worked for every job I ever got, everything I ever bought. I bought a lot on credit and now I'm paying the price for it. In a few years, I'll be eligible for retirement. I may or may not retire then, I don't know. It will depend on many things. When I'm eligible for SS and Medicare, I'll apply. Why? I've paid into the system and it was part of my salary. I hope I won't "need" it, but I'll ask for it. And you know the difference between me and the "less fortunate"? I worked for it; I earned every penny of it.

I don't begrudge a penny of the tax cuts to the wealthy. They earned it. They pay 50% of the taxes and account for only about 5% of the population. The bottom segment, the "less fortunate" pay nothing. But they vote so the Democrats want to make sure they vote Democratic.

I'm not a Republican, but I am a voter. I'll be watching to see who's looking out for me. And it won't be a Democrat, I'm sure of that.

Republicans

Now that I've run down the Democrats, let's see what I have to say about Republicans.

Not much.

They are just as bad at spending money as Democrats. Neither party found a cause it can't throw my tax money at. Democrats used to be big government, but Republicans have gotten as bad if not worse over the last few years.

They only good thing I can say right now is that the Republican party did cut taxes. The Democrats want to repeal those cuts.

The Republicans want to fight the war on terror. The Democrats want to turn it over to the UN.

Nuff said. I'm getting agitated.