Sun 22 Aug 2004
I was inspired yesterday to knit up a watch cap. Take a look:
It’s supposed to say “Kerry 04″ BTW 
.
Anyway, I decided to make it because I was angry and i need to get out my agression somehow, and I tell you what, knitting is a great way to relieve stress (oh, and if you are interested, you can read all about my knitting adventures at Black Sheep). I was driving to Trader Joes, where I do my grocery shopping and I was listening to this local talk radio station. They used to be really cool, in that they were really balanced opinion-wise. Lately they have gotten really conservative, which wouldn’t be bad at all except when I turn it on I hear nothing but liberal bashing. And then they wonder why liberals don’t call in Anyway, the owner lets his 70 year old mommy read her editorials over the air. They are really, really lame. They are lame because she bases her opinions on things like urban legend e-mails that get passed around the internet ( remember how I said the spread of mis-information urks me?) I kind of roll my eyes when she comes on. Well this editorial I heard yesterday I couldn’t get through the first few words of before I turned off my radio. She said, “the thought of John Kerry as our president for the next four years frightens me.” What? What on earth about John Kerry could possibly be frightening?!? The man has been a public servant all his life. He served his country, fighting for people like this old bat, in Viet Nam, and has served in the United States Congress and she is saying she is frightened by John Kerry being president? Frightened is the last thing anyone should be. I mean, come up with different reasons to not want Kerry in office. Being frightened of him should not be one of them.
Why do you think this woman thinks this? I don’t know. I am not really paying all that much attention to the propaganda that Bush is spewing out from the rovemachine. I probably should be, but I am soooo sick of it that I’ve been taking a break from it. But i wonder if his spin masters have something to do with this seed of fear that has been planted. I wouldn’t be surprised. He seems to use fear a lot to manipulate people.
August 22nd, 2004 at 12:12 pm
You are awesome! The hat rules! Keep on knitting.
August 22nd, 2004 at 8:29 pm
Awesome hat! I knit too but I’ve never knitted a hat. I’m more of a blanket and scarf, square kind of girl with one type of yarn and knitting and purling. I love it!:lol:
August 23rd, 2004 at 9:44 am
Fear and hate is exactly what his base understands. Thinking generally isn’t their strong suit, so complicated things like opinions based on reason and logic are out of the question. If it can be summed up in talking points for ending an argument they don’t want to hear it. And I’ve got a theory on why the right wing seems to have an unlimited supply of callers on these shows. Republicans that call into these shows don’t work for a living. They have nothing but free time to spend on spouting out their hate and misinformation across the world, while we liberal types have jobs and careers trying to support our families. An idle liberal is an oxymoron, we are always busy doing something. Idle conservatives spend their time plotting. You don’t honestly believe they are going to spend their free time trying to better themselves by reading something like the Fabric of the Cosmos do you? No they would rather spend that time working on a new attack ad or listen to Rush to get more talking points for the future.
August 23rd, 2004 at 10:31 am
Dianne: Cool, a fellow knitter! These hats are extremelly easy. I’ve been knitting them since I started knitting about 8 years ago. In fact, a watchcap was the first thing I knitted after I knitted squares. I’ll post the instructions on my site today or tommorrow so you (and anyone else) can knit one up themselves
.
August 23rd, 2004 at 1:22 pm
Let me get this straight, Monica. You are angry because an “Old bat” as you put it said “she is afraid of Kerry being in office” but before she goes any further to explain why you turn off the radio? How can you complain about a statement like that without knowing what she says next? I am, of course, assuming this “old bat” was going to explain why. If she was, you weren’t being fair with your rant. Maybe she is frighten of Kerry being in office because of his record in the Senate? Maybe she is frightened of Kerry being in the Whitehouse because she disagress with his opinions about social issues? Maybe she is frightened about Kerry being in office because she doesn’t think his Medicare plan would work? I could go on but I think you get the point. You didn’t stay tuned to listen and now you are complaining about a statement taken out of context. Next time, I would suggest that you call the radio to see if you could talk to her on air and challenge her opinions.
Mandrake, LOL! I am rendered speechless about your opinion of republicans. I’ll have to get back to you on that one - may daughter is waking up from her nap and I have work to do.
August 23rd, 2004 at 1:59 pm
Marta,
I am ranting about her comment regarding her fear of having Kerry in office. That is all I need to hear come out of her mouth. And why shoudn’t I turn the station? That’s all I needed to hear. If you had read what I said and taken it in context, you would understand that. The operative word there is FEAR. Fear is not a reason to not want Kerry in office. You may not want kerry in office because of his voting record, etc. But you should not fear him. That’s just stupid.
My husband has written to the station and refuted her editorials point by point and they don’t read his comments on the air. These are editorials that she reads (again, did you read my post?). There is no format for me to call in and refute what she has to say.
August 23rd, 2004 at 3:20 pm
Then what is the operative word if one cannot fear the policies Kerry would put into place if elected? I certainly am frightened of what Kerry may do if elected and I have feeling you are if Bush is. Let me know so I can use it in the future so as not to anger anyone.
August 23rd, 2004 at 3:54 pm
Marta, you are letting Bush’s propaganda get to you. Why on God’s green earth would you have any reason to fear Kerry being president? I’m sorry, but I think it is just stupid.
Now, one would have good reason to fear Bush’s reelection because he has screwed up our country by sending us into a war that is totally pointless, killing thousands of innocent Iraqis, and killing hundreds of our soilders. That’s just one reason to fear Bush. We could also talk about his environmental policies, the Patriot Act and how it takes away our civil liberities, et cetera and ad nausium. What, in Kerry’s proposed policies (and I am assuming you have gone to his site to read his proposals: http://www.johnkerry.com/about/john_kerry/
Is there to fear? I think Bush would have you fear Kerry. That’s all he’s got. He’s a master at manipulating people using fear, and you are playing right into his hand.
August 23rd, 2004 at 6:39 pm
Marta, you’re guilty of the sin that you attributed to Monica. You didn’t listen to, the station owner’s mother’s commentary in its entirety either. Instead, you insert convenient conjecture. I am familiar with KSCO, the station that regularly broadcasts Kay’s conservative opinions. Monica didn’t have to listen to all of her screed because Kay’s former commentaries have all been predicated on pathetic research and Kay’s dogmatic, neo-conservative beliefs—a lethal combination.
I haven’t seen you post on this blog before; so, I doubt that you are either aware of Monica’s knowledge about KSCO’s hyper-conservative broadcasting policy or of Kay Zwerling’s defamatory tirades, many of which are based on rumors, disinformation, and prejudice.
In short, you are oblivious to the full context of Monica’s harangue.
I surmise that you stumbled across this site, read her post, and decided to jab your opinion at her. You’re not the first one; many ill-mannered individuals have littered this blog with confrontational and inflammatory comments. I suggest you go elsewhere. If you want to argue, go to a MESSAGE BOARD, find a blogger who likes a verbal brawl, flame a chat room, or install your own form of computer mediated communication on your own site. FYI, it’s rude to post argumentative comments on someone else’s blog!!!
August 23rd, 2004 at 7:44 pm
Cyrus, you’re right about the fact that I don’t know anything about the radio program. I never said I did. All I wanted to do is perhaps explain why this old lady fears a Kerry presidency. I wasn’t trying to incite anything. I just wanted to comment on it.
I have visted Monica’s blog before and have posted only once. So you are not completely correct when you surmise that I happened to come across this blog. I did feel that the one time I posted on her site she was respectful and fair I have tried to convey the same sentiments when I posted today. I was in no way trying to be “confrontational and inflammatory” and am going to assume you are strictly refering to others who have posted here.
Lastly, now that I read the disclaimer posted by Monica, and read her rules, I will of course respect that. Monica, I in no way was trying to be argumentative. I apologize if that was how you felt I was. As I have said in my other post, I just wanted to point out the other point of view.
August 24th, 2004 at 11:19 am
I don’t need you to tell me I’m right when I affirm a fact. I am pleased that you admit to your ignorance about KSCO and Kay Zwerling. Unfortunately for you, that admission proves that your remarks were confrontational. As I posted earlier, you interjected adversarial commentary on subject with which you were unfamiliar. That is confrontational, despite your protestations. Consequently, you are completely incorrect in your assumption that my comments about confrontational and inflammatory remarks only pertain to other persons. They do apply to you. Your most recent post provides an excellent example of the insidious nature of your comments. In it, you declare that I am “not completely correct” about surmising that you stumbled across this site and so forth. That is both offensive and mistaken. I prefaced the remark in question by saying that I have never seen you post here before. That’s a fact. I haven’t seen the old post you claim exists. My speculation about your relationship with this blog, despite its alleged inaccuracy, doesn’t make my comments about the nature of your remarks invalid. You’re just pulling out an extraneous point and trying to make an issue of it—a.k.a. nit picking. That it has zero affect on my point about your argumentative nature—in fact, it proves it– exposes your intent. I’m happy to report that your verbal stab missed its mark. I doubt it would have done much damage considering that the metaphorical knife isn’t sharp enough to cut butter. In the future, you should include the entire context of a person’s guess, not just the parts that serve your purposes, before you post.
In the end, you make yourself appear foolish. I’m just trying to help you out. BTW, I didn’t mean to offend you in way with this post. I’m just trying to give the full picture.:wink: