This is a semi political post, but since it's really more about other stuff, it's going in as a rambling item. And as I thought about this, the picture I was going to add in originally had been saved as name that would have ensured it came up in every search under the sun. But I changed it. Why? Because pandering to the lowest instinct is not right. And this isn't that great a post. And I'm better than that.
Why does this make is sound like the other sections aren't willing?
I've been defriended. Again.
This time, because of my Facebook app Social Fixer, I was informed fairly immediately.
As I've said before there are a lot of folks I don't even remember befriending on my friend list so I'm certain it must be the same for other folks with me, so I should be getting igged on the regular. But since this is the bookmark of relationships that hasn't been happening. One almost asks why bother? Well, that one asking would be me. But then I don't really share that much on FB. But for those who update as many as 15 times a day - like Schmoopy with her fitness tips, or a certain conservative christian friend of mine - I guess you become aware of who you're sharing with.
The loss this time was one of my rather vocal conservative friends, the one from college who I know is counting down the days until the national nightmare that is Obama is over on his iPhone app. This is a guy who was backing Mitt when the Republican field looked like an early round of American Idol. Of those who post regularly, his rantings seemed the most grounded. Well, not really, but at least they made some sense. Listening to him, seeing the links to his sources and looking back at their sources, gave me insight into why those people who have a different viewpoint from me have that viewpoint. Echo chambers are great if you're planning on cheering on your football team. For real life, not so much. The idea of living in an informational bubble to such a degree that any opposing viewpoint must be heresy has no appeal.
My remaining conservative friends are more akin to ....well, the metaphor I want to use will only offend, so let's just say have their blinders on. They, much in the vein of my conservative christian friend, are prone to making contradictory statements in the same paragraph, not even checking the sources they're willing to repeat as gospel and/or seem to have internalized a dislike for the President as though he's been personally been stealing the newspaper off their front stoop for the last four years. I understand that they don't like the president, but the reasons they present are myopic at best, and gross disinformation at worst.
This becomes important now, because my old buddy would have been able to fashion out a media distortion angle for Mitt's unexplainable smirk after his initial comments on the sudden swell of violence in the Middle East, and championed the free speech argument for the film that started it all. My old buddy would have defended the Romney budget plan as sound even after Ryan admitted they haven't run the numbers. He would have a rational...um, he would have a reasonable...um, he would have come up with something to explain away Mitt's audio tape debacle, press the issue why it's unimportant (if not completely true!) and why we need to check Obama because of X or and Y. He would have come out swinging on this. Or at least ducking and weaving. Now, I get nothing. Or at least, nothing that I can use to educate myself.
Barkeep, who are you voting for? No, Jim Beam is NOT running.
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