2004-05-21 - 9:41 a.m.

Hmmm...to stir the pot or not to stir the pot...decisions, decisions...

Aww...what the hell...my Diary Gold subscription expires in about 24 days anyhow, and I may or may not renew...

So...Everyone's favorte Conservative is taking Scientists to task for not enthusiastically embracing a theory that one scientist has come up with that is supported by a handful of experiments which might show the possibility that there could possibly be a significantly higher amount of fossil fuels than conventional science declares.

Hmm...Conventional wisdom...questioned by a Scientist...not necessarily directly proven by direct expermimentation...could turn the world on it's ear...not embraced by those with a vested interest in the status quo...Where have I heard this before...

Oh, I'm sure it'll come to me eventually...but it's only Liberals who engage in doublethink, everyone else is consistent in their opinions..silly me.

(Obligitory disclaimer, I poke fun because I know Colin, I'm friends with Colin, and we both know that when it's needed, he'll put down his Fascist Neo-Nazi Bush loving ways, and I'll put down my Anarchist Commie America Hating Hippie ways and get whatever needs done, done, drink a beverage of choice or two, and then get back to the mudslinging. :) )

On an unrelated subject, it occurred to me that an unsuspecting reader who casually tripped across my diary might think I detest Fox News and all those who work for them, so I think I need to get the record straight...

I think that all of those who work in Journalism are doing a valuable and important job. Yeah, there's probably too much "Soft" news out there...but without the photographers and journalists and cameramen and etc, we wouldn't know what was going on in the world, and one of the key pieces of Democracy is an informed electorate.

There is an indisputable fact, however, *Everyone* is biased. It is impossible to be a human being and not be. Science has shown that we filter new information based on what we have experienced in the past, so (to pick one example) those who think the current Administration are paragons of virtue trying to protect us from Terrorism take the new piece of data "Questionable Interrogation Techniques Used To Get Information" and filter it as "They'll take care of it, they're good and truthful", whereas those who think that the current Administration is slime filter it as "Look, another reason to kick these bums out, they're torturing Iraqi's".

It's a fact of life...proven by a number of scientific experiments.

What is important is to realize that even your preferred source of news is slanted. It just so happens that it is slanted in a way you agree with, for whatever reason.

So yes, FOX News and their Conservative Bent serves a purpose, as a balancing counterweight. Where my problem with them is is the fact that they *in their marketing* refuse to acknowledge that they are not "Fair and Balanced", that they are actually "Out on the other end of the Teeter Totter, possibly as far as NBC, but it's okay, because that's how you balance things".

Admittedly, that doesn't sound nearly as good as a tagline...it is more accurate though.

The way to discover what's really going on is to get your news from multiple sources, see where they agree, see where they disagree, and then evaluate.

Yeah, it's a lot more work, and alot more time consuming than just letting Limbaugh, or Russert, or Brokaw, or even Miller tell you what to believe, but it's intellectually honest, and that's being an informed citizen.

(And *then* go to the polls and vote Democratic, because the bums need to be thrown out...but then at least you'll know *why* :) )

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