Playing Whack-a-troll

by Bryan

10 comments

1 Kryten42 { 10.31.10 at 8:50 am }

Agree, Bryan. (Buy, you knew that!) 😉 😀

So… I was watching vid’s and reading about the Stewart/Colbert Rally. It seems it went very well (over 200k estimated attendees). I thought I’d post a transcript of Jon Stewarts closing sincere monologue.

And now I thought we might have a moment, however brief, for some sincerity. If that’s okay – I know that there are boundaries for a comedian / pundit / talker guy, and I’m sure that I’ll find out tomorrow how I have violated them.

So, uh, what exactly was this? I can’t control what people think this was: I can only tell you my intentions.

This was not a rally to ridicule people of faith, or people of activism, or look down our noses at the heartland, or passionate argument, or to suggest that times are not difficult and that we have nothing to fear–they are, and we do.

But we live now in hard times, not end times. And we can have animus, and not be enemies. But unfortunately, one of our main tools in delineating the two broke.

The country’s 24-hour, political pundit perpetual panic conflictinator did not cause our problems, but its existence makes solving them that much harder. The press can hold its magnifying glass up to our problems, bringing them into focus, illuminating issues heretofore unseen. Or they can use that magnifying glass to light ants on fire, and then perhaps host a week of shows on the dangerous, unexpected flaming ants epidemic. If we amplify everything, we hear nothing.

There are terrorists, and racists, and Stalinists, and theocrats, but those are titles that must be earned! You must have the resume! Not being able to distinguish between real racists and Tea Party-ers, or real bigots and Juan Williams or Rick Sanchez is an insult–not only to those people, but to the racists themselves, who have put in the exhausting effort it takes to hate. Just as the inability to distinguish terrorists from Muslims makes us less safe, not more.

The press is our immune system. If it overreacts to everything, we actually get sicker–and, perhaps, eczema. And yet… I feel good. Strangely, calmly, good. Because the image of Americans that is reflected back to us by our political and media process is false. It is us, through a funhouse mirror–and not the good kind that makes you look slim in the waist, and maybe taller, but the kind where you have a giant forehead, and an ass shaped like a month-old pumpkin, and one eyeball.

So why would we work together? Why would you reach across the aisle, to a pumpkin-assed forehead eyeball monster? If the picture of us were true, of course our inability to solve problems would actually be quite sane and reasonable–why would you work with Marxists actively subverting our Constitution, and homophobes who see no one’s humanity but their own?

We hear every damned day about how fragile our country is, on the brink of catastrophe, torn by polarizing hate, and how it’s a shame that we can’t work together to get things done. The truth is, we do! We work together to get things done every damned day! The only place we don’t is here (in Washington) or on cable TV!

But Americans don’t live here, or on cable TV. Where we live, our values and principles form the foundation that sustains us while we get things done–not the barriers that prevent us from getting things done.

Most Americans don’t live their lives solely as Democrats, Republicans, liberals or conservatives. Americans live their lives more as people that are just a little bit late for something they have to do. Often something they do not want to do! But they do it. Impossible things, every day, that are only made possible through the little, reasonable compromises we all make.

(Points to video screen, showing video of cars in traffic.) Look on the screen. This is where we are, this is who we are. These cars. That’s a schoolteacher who probably think his taxes are too high, he’s going to work. There’s another car, a woman with two small kids, can’t really think about anything else right now… A lady’s in the NRA, loves Oprah. There’s another car, an investment banker, gay, also likes Oprah. Another car’s a Latino carpenter; another car, a fundamentalist vacuum salesman. Atheist obstetrician. Mormon Jay-Z fan.

But this is us. Every one of the cars that you see is filled with individuals of strong belief, and principles they hold dear–often principles and beliefs in direct opposition to their fellow travelers’. And yet, these millions of cars must somehow find a way to squeeze, one by one, into a mile-long, 30-foot-wide tunnel, carved underneath a mighty river.

And they do it, concession by concession: you go, then I’ll go. You go, then I’ll go. You go, then I’ll go. ‘Oh my God–is that an NRA sticker on your car?’ ‘Is that an Obama sticker on your car?’ It’s okay–you go, then I go.

And sure, at some point, there will be a selfish jerk who zips up the shoulder, and cuts in at the last minute. But that individual is rare, and he is scorned, and he is not hired as an analyst!

Because we know, instinctively, as a people, that if we are to get through the darkness and back into the light, we have to work together. And the truth is there will always be darkness, and sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t the promised land.

Sometimes, it’s just New Jersey.

Going to get interesting methinks! 😉

2 Kryten42 { 10.31.10 at 8:59 am }

Oops! I missed a bit at the end with my cut/paste haste! 😉

But we do it anyway, together.

If you want to know why I’m here and want I want from you, I can only assure you this: you have already given it to me. Your presence was what I wanted.

Sanity will always be and has always been in the eye of the beholder. To see you here today and the kind of people that you are has restored mine. Thank you.”

Sorry ’bout that! 🙂

3 Bryan { 10.31.10 at 12:05 pm }

Yep, more than twice as large as the Beckapalooza, without the massive media promotion or the group travel arrangements. Tuesday will tell the tale of the ‘tea party”.

Alaska will be a telling election. If Joe Miller can’t win in Palin’s backyard, it will show her actual drawing power. If the Democrats take that Senate seat, it will be a major blow the Republican party after having something of a strangle-hold on Alaska for decades.

4 Kryten42 { 10.31.10 at 12:54 pm }

Yeah. As much as I like Stewart, and I generally like what he and Colbert did, I have to agree with Cole, sadly (and I’ve said as much before).

Ted Nugent vs. Jon Stewart: Fumigating the Democrat Rats vs. Can’t we all Get Along?

(and yeah, I also agree that Nugent is insane, as are most of the *rightwing* as far as I can tell.)

BTW, did you know that Jon Stewart was voted #1 in the annual AskMen eMag ‘s ‘Top 49 Most Influential Man’ survey? 😉 Colbert came in 11, Prez Obama was #21! 😀 (and the insane Beck didn’t even get a look in!) 😆 (Sadly however, The Dweeb Gates came in #2!) Bah! They polled about a half million readers for the Survey.

Jon Stewart named Most Influential Man, Stephen Colbert comes in 11th

5 Bryan { 10.31.10 at 2:02 pm }

The biggest problem is the continuing media lie: “Both sides do it”. Sorry, the violence, craziness, and vote fraud belongs to the Wingnuts. Play nice, and trying for the false equivalence just doesn’t cut it.

Hell, people are always impressed with money. Bonnie and Clyde were admired by a lot of people in their time, so why not Gates?

6 Badtux { 10.31.10 at 10:44 pm }

Yes, dealing with trolls who, despite the fact that it makes them look hysterical, continue to insist that an increase in the budget is “austerity” because it’s *less* of an increase than had previously been proposed, is fun at first but becomes tedious after a time. After all, eventually it all boils down to a childish temper tantrum being thrown by the troll, “look, up really IS down, because I say so, nya nya nya!”. At that point it’s like arguing with a child — pointless.

At one point in time there were adults in the conservative movement, not these children throwing temper tantrums where they stamp their widdle feetsies and insist that Obama *is* a secret Muslim, *is*, I say, just because he *has* to be. Somehow I can’t imagine Barry Goldwater throwing a temper tantrum where he stamped his feet and claimed that the Democratic Party was a socialist conspiracy to overthrow America, the way that today’s conservatives often do. But then again, today’s “conservatives” really aren’t — they want drastic, radical change in America society and American government to re-make it in their image. And drastic radical change is the least conservative of all things that could ever be proposed, yo.

– Badtux the Conservative (in the old way) Penguin

7 Bryan { 10.31.10 at 11:44 pm }

They obviously are in dire need of Grover or some of the other Sesame Street characters to explain bigger and smaller, up and down, before and after. etc. Then they can progress to Schoolhouse Rocks and learn the more difficult concepts.

I have never understood their love of the 1950s. I’m sort of fond of electricity and indoor plumbing, as well as the Interstates. When people equate the 50s with the television shows from that era, they are cut off from reality. If you lived more than a couple of miles from a town down here it was kerosene lanterns, hand pumps, and outhouses.

They don’t want to know – they want to believe. They don’t understand that there’s a difference.

8 Kryten42 { 11.01.10 at 7:33 am }

Yeah Bryan (and Badtux). 😉 Here’s yet another example of a typical *conservative* (ie. rightwing fundi nutter!)

Ohio McDonald’s Tells Employees To Vote Republican If They Want To Continue Receiving Raises And Benefits

The thing that REALLY get’s me about this type of thing (and it’s happened before), is that these morons don’t even seem to understand that what they do is actually *Illegal*! I know your system is screwed, but surely something that blatant would be illegal even in a twilight-zone like Ohio? (rhetorical). 😉

BTW, one of our current affairs programs reported that Aussies are being invited to buy land (and houses) *dirt cheap* in the USA. They investigated and warned that because the actual *ownership* of the mortgages and even deeds and titles is so murky that people should be extremely careful! (ie. If you do it, you are idiots!) Seems the US estate agents, banks, etc have decided that since American’s won’t/can’t buy, they will palm off their crap on others outside. The Banks, Agents and Consumer Affairs here have issued warnings to their clients who are showing an interest not to do anything without appropriate legal counsel and checking everything with a fine-tooth comb, and find an honest and reliable agent (good luck with that!). IMHO, anyone who doesn’t do due diligence properly in any case is a fool who deserved whatever they get! *shrug* 😆 I had a friend with more money than sense tell me last week she intended to buy some land because “just look how cheap it is! It’ll be worth a lot in 10 years or so!” (and she was almost breathless at the dizzy thought!) So, I showed her a few back episodes of TDS and calmly told her that if she really wanted to throw her money away, she could give it to me. She had a far better chance of a return, or at least her capital back! 😆 Strangely… she declined (as I expected she would. It’s not a glamorous to tell the girls at the gym & hairdresser’s that she gave money to a friend and may or may not get it back, as it is to tell them she owns a mansion in the USA!) People are often motivated to part with their money for purely vain reasons, especially this particular woman I have known for quite awhile. She doesn’t talk to me much these days, I suspect because when she tells me she lost money on yet another *great deal*, I generally reply something like “Really? What a surprise!” in a very dry and humorless voice. She complains “I get no sympathy from you!” Ummm… no… no you don’t! So sue me! 😆 😉

9 Kryten42 { 11.01.10 at 7:37 am }

Oh!! And this almost had me in hysterics!! Truly! Geez… and he said it with a completely straight face!! A—mazing! 😆

Tancredo: It’s ‘Elitist’ For ‘People Who Get Elected’ To Think Their ‘One Purpose’ Is ‘To Make Laws’

And people say Politicians have no sense of humor! 😆

10 Bryan { 11.01.10 at 3:48 pm }

There are real estate people in this country who have money that they have salted away to buy property cheap, and they aren’t buying. They don’t hide what they are up to, one is actually named Vulture Condo down in Miami, because they are in the business of “picking over the bones” in the foreclosure market.

No one can tell you if the title on a property is clear, with no liens or claims against it, in the US. The first thing you would want to see is a valid title insurance policy on the particular property from an established title insurance company that is payable to the seller, and then you need to find an established title insurance company willing to issue you a policy for the property. That would indicate that someone familiar with the title laws of the particular jurisdiction is comfortable with the validity of the title. You may be shocked to find that title insurance is becoming unavailable in a lot of areas of the US. The insurance companies aren’t stupid.

Then you need to establish local resources of “Lawyers, Guns and Money” because even years later you may be foreclosed on by a bank no one has ever heard of. The fact that you don’t have a mortgage on the property doesn’t mean that the property was never mortgaged, and one of these zombie mortgages can be reanimated and seek claims against your property.

The greater the risk, the lower the price. Many of the homes are not economically feasible as rental properties, because the rent necessary to maintain them and pay any mortgage [if you could get one] are beyond the means of the people who live in the area].

The deals are a con, and should be treated like Nigerian e-mails.

Tom Tancredo is, was, and always will be a moron.