Chuck Todd must go

I have watched 'Meet the Press' for many, many years.  Perhaps I should say I used to watch 'Meet the Press' but I can't really stomach it much anymore.

Tim Russert gave the show the legitimacy that it needed as a valued news program.  Then he passed away from a sudden coronary thrombosis on June 13, 2008.  It was a great loss.  Not just of a good man but of a good political show.

It was also a great loss for NBC.  Their news program collectively is crap.  It is totally biased, nonobjective and non journalistic.  They maybe able to convince themselves that they have integrity but it only exist within the minds of their own small group of bobbing heads sitting around their round table discussions.

When Chuck Todd is the cream that raises to the top of your cup and is considered the best choice to take control of the most prestigious political show on your network then you have a serious credibility, integrity and believability crisis in what is usually the core strength of any national network and that is its' news coverage.  Without that you are sitting on a chair that is missing one of its' legs, all wobble and little comfort.

Of course the other networks don't have any better bragging power.  Chris Wallace on Fox and George Stephanopoulos on ABC (and who does CBS have I can't recall); what have any of them got to offer?  Where does a person turn to get real, unbiased, objective, true journalistic news?

I recently did a survey about this years political election coverage and the type of questions and multiple answer format was interesting.  It gave me the impression that they do not get it either.

I don't think that anyone with a more than passing interest in politics and the election is able to get all the information they need from one source.  Not legitimately anyway.  I also don't believe that any reporting is complete and unbiased enough to accept one version, and that it requires several different versions and much reading between the lines to get a more complete picture of any given topic.  It cannot be done by visiting only one site.  It takes effort.  Sometimes a lot of effort.  You might not find it worth the effort.  Many don't.

As the noise gets louder and more voluminous it is good to install filters that cut out the worst of the worst and ensure that the sites and sources with little or no value added are cut from your view.  Shove it to the peripherals or off the screen entirely.

And that is where Chuck Todd belongs.  I have added him to my automatic 'switch the channel' list.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farrwest.

Pick your Poison...

...would you like arsenic or cyanide?

Is that a crazy question or does it seem reasonable?  Would you like more information?  Is the  poison for a big animal or a small animal.  Is the poison meant for me or perhaps for someone else?  If the poison is meant for me or for those I love and respect, why am I facing this question?  Why is it an either/or question in the first place?  Surely there must be an alternative answer.

There should at least be an alternative question such as which ice cream would you like, vanilla or chocolate?  Who cares either way it is still ice cream.  (The correct answer to that one is of course yes.)  And in case you hadn't noticed it by now, ice cream comes in way more than two flavors and with very few exceptions they are all ice cream and you have a high probability of having an enjoyable experience with any choice you make.

So how in the world did our country get itself into this mess?  Like most of our sporting events we reduce the competitors to two teams for the finals but this time we really did get the two biggest losers.  Sad part is we knew this about them before we got to this point.  The signs were all there long before anyone even decided to start campaigning.  How could a reasonable person not see them for who and what they are?

And as for the original question, how could a reasonable person be expected to answer it?  How do you make a logical choice in an illogical world?

Perhaps it would be better to change the question entirely.  Perhaps we would be better off changing the way the game is played and refuse to be stuck in a lose lose proposition.

In track and field the final race is not between two individuals but between a field of the fastest and best individuals.  Here is an idea worth pursuing, open up your field and let the others in.  I mean really open up the field and go beyond the few side shows the media has been willing to mention a few times in the effort to appear to be journalist.

I am saying that this is the year to stand for something and not just take action to be against something.  If you honestly like one of the choices you have been given that take it and bare the consequences.  But, if you like one of the earlier candidates then write them in.  If you didn't like any of the candidates at all and would much rather have someone else you know would represent you better then write them in.  If you think that a dead comedian would do a better job than the current bunch then write them in.  (I am sure that Pat Paulsen would love the attention and always showed more common sense than the average politician.)  Just make sure you know the rules for write in candidates for your voting area or the rules of the game will get you thrown out.

'But Ed, doesn't that mean I will just be throwing away my vote?'

You don't think it is thrown away already?

What better time than now to make a statement and stand for something?  In the movies when the good guy is presented with a 'pick your poison' question he usually reacts by spitting in the questioners face.  You can at least respect him for that.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farrwest.

The Either/Or Dilemma

dilemma

noun

1.    a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two or more alternatives, especially equally undesirable ones.

I am sure you have already guessed what this is going to be about.

The last post was actually started here but turned into it's own entry.  This is a follow on prelude if you will with reflections on our current state of political affairs.  Isn't it sad that  our nation has an either/or mentality.

I mentioned faulty logic in the decision making process in the last entry and it is a much larger topic than I gave it space for.  One of my greater pet peeves is the either/or presentation especially when it comes to communal decision making.  We are played by politicians all the time and we continue to put up with it and frankly I am getting sick of it.

It is used whenever they have already decided to implement a change that will be unacceptable to the general public and usually comes in the form of new taxes, new policy or new regulation that will limit your rights and freedoms and take money from your wallet.  It is offered in the form of either you take this choice we have made for you or you take this other choice that we know no one in their right mind would take because it is so much worse that the one we want you to pick which is the choice we have made for you.

Either we raise your taxes or children will go hungry, or police and fire departments will have layoffs, or potholes will grow, or garbage will pile up, or sewage will back up...etc., etc..

Either you live or you die, that is all, end of discussion.  Or is it.  Life is not just an either/or decision.  It is made up of many, many decision.  It nearly always comes with more than two options.  Look around you and tell me if there are more than two kinds of snowflakes.

I happen to know that there are three kinds of people in the world.  Them that know numbers and them that don't.

So now we are headed into an election where for many there are only two choices.  Gosh I feel sorry for you if you find yourself in that category.  I for one decided a long time ago that neither one of the traditional parties provided a viable candidate or platform that I was willing to support or endorse and this was before the conventions, so I went looking...looking for options.

I must not be the only one as some of the polls I have seen show that a third and a fourth candidate for president are drawing 10% and 6% interest and 3% for any others in place of the more attention grabbing first and second slots.  At least some people are smart enough to know that when a bad either/or choice is placed before them that you should choose neither.

If someone ask you "do you want pie or ice cream" you should answer "yes".  If some one ask you "do you want me to break your arm or break you leg?" you should say "neither thank you, I'd rather go to dinner and a movie with my sweetheart."

If neither choice will leave you in a desirable state (based on your criteria not theirs) then your first action should be to start looking for other options.  During this election there are many that are looking for other options though sadly they are looking for the same old solutions just with a different face.  That is how we got ourselves into this mess in the first place.

If you are afraid to cast your vote (speak your voice) for someone outside of the main two party system because you will just be throwing away your vote then haven't you in actuality done just that.   I thought that if ever there was a time for a third party candidate to rise up that this would be it.  So far the candidate alternatives have remained in the also ran category which is a shame because there is at least one of them that sounds much more intelligent and is running on a platform that far exceeds those of any I have heard so far, yet there are not enough voices willing to throw away their votes and provide at least the option of having his name on the ballot in all fifty states.

When all is said and done (and more will be said than will be done) I am sure that I will not have my choice be the one made by the majority but at least I know that I will have made my choice and I can live with knowing that.  So come on, throw away your vote, but at least do it in a way you can feel good about yourself for doing it.  And don't fall for the either/or trap.  We know better.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farrwest.

Predicting the future

I wish to predict here and now that a very popular social phrase will sweep the nation starting November 9th.  The most common phrase that will be used repeatedly on that Wednesday and many days to follow will come from every possible demographic that can be conceived of by media and pollsters and will be representative of people from all walks of life.

The phrase will be used by all social classes, both rich and poor, and it will not matter which race, religion, or national heritage you claim.  It will not matter your age or gender.  It will not matter your educational background or news network preference.  Even music taste will not determine the usage of this new flash phrase that will encompass all Americans and ex-pats living abroad.

This phrase was not developed by use of Ouija boards, Tarot cards, divining rods, or supermarket tabloids.  This phrase is not being published in several different locations with different predictions on each in an effort to promote the one that is correct.  I did not dial up any 1-900 psychic numbers and ask for this information.  No seances were conducted in the obtaining of this phrase.

The confidence of this prediction is so great that if it were made in relationship to the stock market, earthquakes, famines, wars and/or pestilence, great monies could be made by the predictor and the user of said information.  It is the stuff of legends of which books, and poems, and music and movies are made.  University students could create doctoral thesis on just this kind of predictive power and reasoning.

And the phrase that you can look back on remembering the day that you discovered it before others within your social realm, a phrase that will become a part of you and those around you is;
"Don't blame me, I voted for ...(fill in your choice)."

The choices will run the gamut from anyone you may of heard of this time around as well as a few old favorites like I voted for Kodos (search for Simpson episode from Treehouse of Horror, still one of their best) to lesser known also rans from yesteryear like my favorites Pat Paulsen (look it up on YouTube and you will know why) and Rudy Taft.

Even if you happened to pick the winner no matter who that might be you will still be tempted to use the phrase for your own peace of mind.  Think about it, you probably have already.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farrwest.

Still waiting for a real 2016 presidential candidate...

...I am not holding my breath.

The loons are running the show and still there isn't enough entertainment value to generate a desire to follow very closely what is going on.

Really, can anyone tell me what is going on?

The democrats (or should we call them socialist for that is what they really are even if there is only one that will admit to the title) should be embarrassed no end to the list of candidates they have come up with.  I have said before and will say again that they are the very definition of hypocrisy by pretending to be in favor of the 'people' and they are the only ones looking our for our welfare, but when looking at the actions they espouse I question their real intentions as they continue to pass legislation that would restrict the power of the individual with this insane notion that the self appointed saviors of our stupid are better qualified to direct how you live your life than you ever could be.

On the other hand the republicans are all over themselves trying to be the voice of the party but the so called leaders of the party have a different idea of what that voice should be.  Sadly, they are unwilling to state what that voice should be, but they can sure enough tell you what it isn't supposed to be.  They just disagree with any little loony thing that might be said by the party candidates and disassociate themselves from the very people that are trying to create the counter arguments coming from the other side of the same coin.  When your main party candidates are publicly, verbally doubting their own parties leadership's actions and are posing the possibility of defecting, it makes you wonder what is wrong with this picture?

So here we are less than a year away from the election; we may have a few 'labeled' front runners but we don't have any real valid candidates as of this date.

Guess what?  You are the boss, you have a position to fill, you have some candidates that are applying for the job and they are giving you their resumes and answering the most major of questions "What would you do if given this job?".  So ask yourself, 'Is this the person I would select to fill this position, is this the best candidate, and do I judge this person to be qualified to fill this position in my best interest and can I trust them to do so for the next four years?'.  If the list of candidates (which is short when it eventually all boils down to just two) does not provide the dream employee you would take a chance of this magnitude on, then you should keep looking.  You re-list the job opening as often as required.  You keep looking for that someone that can actually fill the shoes properly, someone you can trust fully to represent your best interest, to take care of the business of the country well enough that you can turn your focus to running the business of you and yours.

This goes for all elected positions.  We should demand better.  We deserve better.  We need better.

And that is why I am waiting and hoping that a real worthwhile candidate that has yet to be declared, that will step forward and provide some hope.  I know the odds are thin, especially this late in the game and with the game rigged against us even if someone should stand up it will be very difficult to have the guys running the lights share the spotlight by pointing them in a different direction.  Still...

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farrwest.

See anything funny this week?

So I didn't watch the 'debate' this week, other than a few of the sound bites and news clips that were floating around.  I admit it, my interest has waned already and sleep seemed like a better option.  Upon reflection I was right.

By the way, the reason I put debate in quotes is because there have been no debates as of yet.  Honestly, Fox and CNN hosted a get together for tea and biscuits without the tea and biscuits.

The Fox debate was more about directed softballs for the candidates to address their talking points or counter a criticism about individual items of each candidate but was only addressed by one maybe two candidates at best, so where is the debate.

CNN on the other hand was just trying to start fights between the candidates rather than picking an issue and allowing all the candidates to make their comments.  Entertaining maybe but useful, not so much.

Overall the sound bites reported on were weak.  The media is trying so hard to make something out of nothing.  They have to because it is still too early in the season for them to let the average Joe/Jane lose interest and therefore risk losing ratings.  In this day and age, short attention spans reign and they are going to have a tough job ahead of them.  (They are good at it, I mean, they have kept 'Two Broke Girls' on the air for more then three episodes and I still don't see how that happened.  Maybe I put too much faith in 'we the people'.)

Short Takes:
Lindsey Graham sit down and shut up.  You are not funny and you are part of the reason we are in this mess.  You have been in Congress since 1993 and your name is not associated with the best of legislation to come out of Washington.  Too bad Rick Perry beat you to being the first to step down from this years election so you will have to be an also ran there as well.

Carly Fiorina is a republican woman running for president.  Other than that I got nothing, kinda like the democrat front runner.  I am currently sitting next to a desktop HP computer that is on an extended downtime again (I've lost count how many this makes now).  It is an older box probably from your era.  I have had HP printer fun also.  I am not impressed with the way you ran HP and at your level you can't just blame it on the economy (no wait, that is what the last four presidents have done...maybe you are candidate worthy).  Sadly no one can figure out how to pronounce your name, including myself which cuts your chances in half.  (That may also be why I like Cream of Wheat.)

Jeb Bush had a large automatic following from day one, I can't figure out why.  He finally has a chance to express himself and convey his message.  Jeb Bush still has a large following.  I still can't figure out why.

And then there is Trump.  He has admitted he is an entertainer (or at least is trying to be).  I am sorry but I can't take him seriously as a presidential contender as there is very little substance behind the facade.  What I do find amusing is that the media and others still think they can shame him into making changes in what he says or does.  He is the Donald and he is shameless.  (Did you not see him on the celebrity roast on comedy central, I couldn't watch all of it because it was so shameless and this is not a plug to seek it out.  I just have more important things to do with my time like sort my finger nail clippings.)  The guilt trip big enough to overcome his ego will never come from external forces.  Sorry political correctness police, you will have to look elsewhere.

I like the fact that the others are sticking it out a little longer.  The fact is with a field this large the longer they stay the better chance of actually getting to make a point and some of them might actually have a point to be made.  Will anyone be around to care when that time finally comes?  More than a few have candidates have stuck it out just to be given a chance to speak at the party convention only to have no one watch them and no one remember what they said.  Only the last one standing will get any real attention whether they deserve it or not.  That is they way we play.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farrwest.

Ramblings from 7 Sept. 2015

I haven't done any entries for awhile and I thought it high time I did but wanted to let you the reader know that this will be a venture into the realm of the wondering mind.  I don't know where it will take us or what all it will cover, and I will not guarantee that it will make any sense but like so many things out there you might find a nugget so enjoy.

I put a date in the title today even though I think all of the entries have had a date tied to them.  I find it very helpful to take a web entry and put it into context if there is a date associated with it.  For example, I was browsing around and happened onto a suggested search of "Pope Francis resigns" which I thought was as interesting as suggestion searches go, so I clicked and sure enough he was labeled as the second Pope in recent history to resign, how scandalous.

It turns out that the reference was from a super market tabloid that was created back in April of 2014.  I have a feeling that this is one of those events that did not transpire quite the way the author and editors expected.  Still, it does make for a clickable search item.  I wonder why it is still out there waiting to be looked at?

So just how lousy (or should I say lazy) are the portal web sites getting these days?  Yahoo was the standard but that was decades ago, now they are just a pretend portal site that just processes content from others and can't wait to shuffle you off to the highest bidder.  Come to think of it, they all seem headed that way.  I have pretty much given up on finding a usable news web site.  The fabrication is churned out so quickly without any forethought for intellect, leaving nothing but snippets of superlatives to generate fear and anxiety with which to incite the simpleton to an emotionally driven response that fuels consternation and frustration rather than pacify with perspective and relevance.  But alas, our world is run on this.  I wonder if people quit paying attention to calamity, would they just die out due to lack of attention?

Which leads me to the current state of the union, or at least the continuing saga of a nation bent on self obliteration through the continuing decline of it's choices for public servants and the republic for which they stand.  Sure some of us are laughing now but will we still be able to laugh a year from now?  Why do these elections always come down to either or choice and neither choice is a good one?  Mark my words, this election is headed down the same path as those we have had for the least few decades (if not century) by forcing us to choose between a couple of lousy candidates, none of which is an honest to goodness Leader.

Think for moment how you would define a good honest Leader.  I am not going to insert my definition but ask you to come up with your own.  What traits and characteristics would you choose?  What values would you look for?  What vision charts their course and is it one that you truly would follow?  Is this a Leader that actually leads and that the nations multitude willingly follow?  Are the purposes of this Leader just and true?  Is this Leader truly serving others or merely serving themselves?

Then honestly ask yourself, are any of the candidates today, current or hopeful, able to fit your definition of a Leader in all respects and in all ways?

I am still looking.

But in the mean time I will continue to look on with laughter since it is the only real way to look at the absurd (there is plenty to choose from).  Our time certainly isn't the first and probably won't be the last (a little history can go a long way in adding perspective to the current chaos).  The person who can keep themselves well grounded is the one that will be able to laugh the loudest when the emperor parades past the throngs with no clothes on, but as I recall it was a child that noticed it first and was not afraid to respond appropriately.  Perhaps we should be as little children during this election season.  It seems to me we have been treated as children long enough.  In fact, why do we allow people like this to rule over us?  I think we are more than capable of ruling over ourselves.  That is if we haven't forgotten how.

More to follow I'm sure, but for now...
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farrwest.