The paradox of the Internet …

Never before has so much information been made readily available to so many. 

Yet one of the surprising side effects of the Internet is that it’s making people more ignorant.

Access to all the information known to man doesn’t automatically make anyone more informed.  

The Internet has changed how we do even the most mundane things. Honestly, when was the last time you used a physical phone book?  Or went to the library to look up something? It’s faster, easier and more efficient to just search online. 

People don’t read newspapers much anymore, either. Or watch the news on TV. Or even listen to news-radio stations, except to get the weather and traffic reports. You can get scores, weather, traffic reports, movie times – whatever – in seconds on your smartphone. 

So what’s the problem? 

Most people are so eager to get their narrow answer they aren’t getting any peripheral information. You know, the stuff you might see while you were looking for what you really wanted. 

Stuff like national and local news.  Business news. Weather that’s not here now but is headed your way.  Things that could inform you in a broader sense and give you a wider and more informed perspective.  Things that might be extraordinarily useful at some point, but you’re not seeing. 

The type of information that might make you better equipped to understand what’s happening around you and what it means to you beyond this very moment. 

For the sake of expediency and immediacy, we’re sacrificing potentially important knowledge. 

We’re becoming more ignorant as a society as a result.  In fact, there’s a growing acceptance of ignorance as an admirable trait; almost an article of faith. It’s seen as the result of being “too busy” with “more important things” to be bothered with details. 

Like what?  Updating your status on social media sites? Sending pictures of your food? Taking duck-face selfies?  Viewing cat videos on YouTube?  Seriously … are those more important tasks than knowing what’s happening beyond you and your circle of friends?     

This is especially acute with the younger generations. The so-called Millennials may be the most broad-spectrum ignorant generation we’ve ever created. They have no clue – because they have no interest – in anything that doesn’t affect them personally, right now.  

They are clueless about what’s happening in the world, in this country, or even their own state.  They don’t even know what’s going on in their own backyard.  That’s because when they log on to the greatest assemblage of knowledge the world has ever seen they have blinders on. 

They’re not alone. Witness public polls, or impromptu man-in-the-street interviews. 

I’m not saying that the ordinary Flo and Joe Blow need to be policy wonks, or understand the intricacies of quantitative easing by the Fed, but they should at least know something about the world around them.  Most teenagers and kids in college don’t know much about current events, either – even events that could affect them directly. 

It’s not as if that information is hidden.  If anything there’s a deluge of information out there, readily accessible from any smartphone, tablet or computer with far more detail and background than you’ll find in any TV news story or on the radio. 

There are plenty of news sites with up-to-the-minute reporting and analysis of events here and around the world.  There are informative blogs on almost any subject.

Which brings me back to the paradox of the Internet.   

The Internet has allowed us to find almost everything about practically anything. Search engines evolved to allow a person to pinpoint precisely what they want and find it – which is both a blessing and a contributing factor to our growing ignorance. 

If you’re only interested in knowing when the Second Defenestration of Prague occurred, you can find that in seconds.  But if you don’t take the time to read the surrounding material, you won’t understand why it happened or why it was important.

You can also use this same awesome power to find the latest Grumpy Cat picture.  Or check out the latest posting from your BFF.  It’s up to you. 

The effect of the Internet on young people is open to debate.  Many parents think that because their kids spend a lot of time web surfing, their kids must be learning a great deal in the process.  The truth is that some are, but most aren’t.

One thing’s for certain, it’s fostered an era of ADD among the general population.  That might help to explain why more and more people don’t want to spend the time to understand anything beyond their immediate need – whether that’s directions to a restaurant, a recipe, or how to program their new smartphone.  World, national and local news take a back seat every time.    

Perhaps more problematic is that I think it’s helped create a false expectation that you don’t have to do any work of your own to get to an answer; you just need to know how to use search engines.  It’s like a virtual Cliff’s Notes for those too lazy or disinterested to learn.   

Don’t get me wrong – I love the Internet.  But I’m an information and news junkie.  Maybe because I grew up in an age when you got your day-old news from newspapers and just snippets of news on TV, I think the access to in-depth news and analysis in real time on the Internet is wonderful.    

Yet as much as I love it for myself, it scares me, too.  It worries me that for many its ready access to data out of context can become a substitute for actually learning what you should know.       

Merry Christmas to all …

It is the gentlest, kindest of holidays. 

It celebrates the birth of Jesus, born to Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem more than 2000 years ago.

Scholars can debate whether it was a Virgin Birth, what time of year it occurred, whether there were or weren’t three wise men who found the baby Jesus in a manger by following a star. 

It makes no difference.  The idea of Jesus is what matters. 

So whether you believe Jesus was the Messiah, our Savior, a Prophet, or just a man, also makes no difference.  Even the Bible offers several different stories about his life and death.

However, all those tend to paint a consistent portrait of Jesus’ life and teachings. 

That portrait is of a humble man, put on this Earth to remind us of God’s love for us all – sinner and pious alike.  He preached forgiveness, charity, compassion and redemption. He taught that we were all the children of God, equal in God’s eyes. 

That’s something worth celebrating, regardless of whatever faith you hold dear. 

So Merry Christmas to all.  

Ultimate Christmas letter

It’s that time of year.  And the Christmas letters have started to arrive.

Dear friends and family …

Greetings and Happy Holidays from the Smith Family!

To say we had an interesting year would be an understatement. 

As I’m sure I’ve told you, our brilliant son Scooter has been enrolled in an online school for the past 5 years, studying to become a licensed Life Coach.  (Or Phrenologist – he was undecided for a while.)   Well, it appears he’ll graduate this year and may be entering the workforce.  

It’s been a long, hard road for him – balancing his time between his studies, playing in his Steam Punk band – (The Mountain Oysters), and being a new dad.

That’s right, little Scooter is a proud papa. 

He and his high-school sweetheart, Heather, surprised us with a baby girl – named Gaga – in February.  After paternity tests confirmed Scooter as the father, we warmly welcomed Heather and the baby into our family.  Scooter, Heather and baby Gaga are living in our family room right now until Scooter finishes remodeling our basement into a home for them and band practice space. 

He’s always been handy so the work is going quickly.  We expect him to be finished by this time next year.  Once we get heat down there, it should be quite cozy. 

Heather has promised to get her GED in a couple of years.  Once she gets her GED, she plans on enrolling in the Springfield Academy of Beauty & Cosmetology (maybe you’ve heard of it) and study to become a Certified Eyebrow Waxer (CEW). 

You’d be surprised how much a CEW makes!  I know I was.   So between Scooter’s earnings as a Life Coach and her income as a waxer, they should be able to sock away enough to put a down payment on a nice double-wide they’ve been eying in about 5-10 years. 

In the meantime, we just love having them here. 

It reminds us of when Scooter’s big sister Brandy moved back with us after pursuing her dream of being an actress in Hollywood. 

For three years she and her boyfriend Butch and their two children – N’aasheen and Ta’neshai – lived with us.  When Butch violated his parole and had to go back in for a spell, Brandy and the kids moved into a very nice mobile-home community with her boss Spike from the club where she danced. 

Brandy doesn’t dance at the club anymore, but does a few private parties from time to time to help out her friends.  She always had a big heart.  She says she’s making a lot more money now helping Spike produce specialty videos sold on the Internet.  Not sure what those are but Brandy and Spike seem happy and are making a good living.

So that leaves Babs – our youngest – and Bud and me. 

And of course our dog Puddles and our cat Mr. Tinkles.  More on them later …

Babs is still into the whole Goth thing, I’m sorry to say.  Such a pretty girl underneath all that black eyeliner, tattoos and body piercings.  But we love her dearly and hope this is just a phase that a lot of 10-year-olds go through. 

Bud and I have been fine.  Bud retired this year from his Proctology practice after that stupid state investigation.  Somebody filed a silly complaint just because Bud was cutting up one day and said “Look, no hands!” during an examination.  Another complaint got filed when Bud – always a prankster – put his proctoscope in the freezer to have fun with one of his patients. 

Turns out some people have no sense of humor.

Anyway, it’s probably for the best.  He’s philosophical about it.  He has a part time job now at Wal-Mart.  He says working with the public and his coworkers there is pretty much like his proctology practice, but he doesn’t have to wear gloves.   I’m not sure I understand but Bud tells me to “just think about it.”  

Puddles and Mr. Tinkles have had a tough year.

Sadly, Puddles was diagnosed with Terminal Canine Flatulence. We’re hopeful that changing his diet will allow us to keep him with us for yet another year.  It’s not so bad in the warmer weather when we can keep the windows open.  We‘re relying on scented candles and Glade Plug-ins to try to make it through the winter months. Poor Puddles. 

Mr. Tinkles got into a fight with another neighborhood cat and lost part of his ear.  Then, with all the scented candles burning, he jumped up on the counter to investigate and his tail caught on fire.   He wasn’t seriously hurt but with half an ear and a bald tail he’s not going to win any beauty prizes anytime soon. 

Well, that’s it from here.  Hope you and your family enjoy the holidays!

With best wishes …

Madge, Bud, Scooter, Heather, Baby Gaga, and Puddles and Mr. Tinkles

     

A note to my liberal friends …

I am sorry.  I’ve really tried.  But I just don’t understand you. 

You’re convinced Obama’s been doing a great job.  ObamaCare makes perfect sense to you; you’re happy to see that a country like ours is finally getting around to providing healthcare for everyone.  You believe the rich should pay more in taxes, that companies have a moral responsibility to provide jobs, and that we should stop persecuting people who are here illegally. 

You firmly believe Obama is one of our greatest Presidents, ever; one who would have accomplished even more if Republicans hadn’t blocked him at every turn.  And the only reason Republicans oppose him is because he’s black and wants the rich and corporations to pay their fair share. 

You view yourself and your circle of like-minded friends as intelligent, progressive and compassionate to people of all walks of life, regardless of ethnicity, income, education, sexual orientation, gender or religious beliefs.  You see Republicans, and especially conservatives, as less informed, and much more intolerant than most Americans.  You are quick to dismiss conservatives as anti-science and anti-woman Bible-thumping racist xenophobes who only care about themselves and helping the rich stay that way.

You and your friends trust the New York Times and NPR – which you consider unbiased and middle-of-the-road – to tell you what’s really going on. You think Republicans and conservatives rely on hateful half-truths spewed by right-wing fanatics on Fox News and talk radio.  

Is that fairly accurate? 

Honestly, you baffle me.  You seem so intelligent.  You have a good education.  You read a lot. You’re articulate. You’re obviously pretty smart.      

So when did you decide to put blinders on?  When did you decide to close your eyes and ears to anything that might conflict with your beliefs? 

In short, when did you become what you ridicule – a narrow-minded, hypocritical bigot who rejects facts in favor of conspiracy theories and half-truths? 

Is it because you want to fit in with your well-off liberal friends? 

You know, your friends who probably work in academia, the public sector, or in firms that rely on government contracts?  The ones who still hate Bush and blame him for everything?  The ones who are so proud of voting for our first black President?  The ones positively thrilled that soon they’ll be able to make history again by voting in America’s first female President?

You know who I’m talking about, don’t you? 

If you’re only liberal to be liked by them, that’s just sad.  You can do better. 

I’m not asking you to become a conservative; I’m not in agreement with them on everything, either.  In fact, you might find that you and I share a lot of common ground between us.  So I’m not asking you to abandon your liberal principles.  Far from it.  I just want you to lower your defense shields a tad, get a slightly firmer grip on reality, and be a little more reasonable to talk to.  

You already know there’s something wrong with the limousine liberal crowd running things.  You don’t want to admit it, but it’s there.  You’re too smart to miss the signs, and you could always spot bullshit a mile away.  At least you used to be able to …

Once upon a time, not so many years ago, we could talk at length about all kinds of things.  Now I find it hard to have anything more than a purely superficial discussion with you.  You’re constantly primed to attack.  So most of the time I try to avoid you.  It’s not worth the aggravation. 

You seem determined to assert your liberal bona fides at every opportunity, and insert politics into practically every conversation.  Cordial quickly mutates into confrontational.  We can’t talk about the weather without you inserting global warming and/or climate change.  Rising prices are the fault of greedy corporations.  Friends are out of work because Republicans are stopping jobs programs.  The middle class is being destroyed by right-wingers trying to kill the unions.   A visit to the doctor becomes a lecture on ObamaCare. 

God forbid that we actually talk about politics.  Or alternative explanations for why things are the way they are.  You’ll have none of that.  You’re not interested in facts; you prefer half-assed, easily disproven conspiracy theories and stereotypes. 

Like that most Southerners are inbred redneck cracker bastards who don’t believe in evolution and are still intent on keeping blacks from voting.  That voter ID laws discriminate against minorities and suppress minority turnout.  That voter fraud is practically non-existent.  That Bush knew 9/11 was going to happen but wanted it to go forward so he could go after Saddam Hussein. 

Or that a stupid movie almost nobody saw provoked Muslims to burn down our embassy in Libya and kill our ambassador there.   

You used to laugh at crackpot stuff.  Hell, we used to laugh at crackpot stuff together. 

We’d joke about people wearing tinfoil hats to keep aliens from reading their thoughts. 

Now, when the NSA does essentially the same thing by screening our calls and e-mails and tracking us online it’s not a joke anymore.  But because it’s under Obama it’s okay with you. 

When Nixon bugged his political opponents and created an enemies list to be hounded by the IRS, we agreed he was a monster. When Obama essentially bugs AP reporters and lets the IRS target conservative groups you see nothing wrong. 

Nixon lied to the public and we wanted him impeached.  Obama lies to the public time and again – and gets caught in his lies – and you think he’s doing the right thing.  In fact, you keep trying to find equivocations and equivalencies to justify his lies. 

You’re not stupid.  You know he lied.  Baldly and brazenly.  He’s lied about the economy, ObamaCare, Benghazi, the IRS scandal and much more.  Yet you defend him.  I understood when you defended Clinton after he lied about Lewinsky – he was a fool, but it didn’t have much effect on his running the country.  But like Nixon, Obama lied to get re-elected.  That’s a much different thing.  

You can read and interpret data. You know what the labor participation rate actually means in terms of economic health.  You know that what happens on Wall Street has little to do with what happens on Main Street.  But you also know “quantitative easing” will have to end and the market will take a hit when it does. You know that the happy face being placed on everything is smoke and mirrors.  

You know that the longer someone stays on UC the less likely they are to find a job.  You know nobody in the U.S. – legal or illegal – has been denied medical care for lack of insurance for decades, long before ObamaCare.  You know most of the “enrollees” from the ObamaCare website are enrolling in free Medicaid rather than the for-pay plans.

I believe you know this.  You may not be comfortable admitting it, but you know all this is true.  Just as you knew the attack on Benghazi had nothing to do with a movie.  And that the IRS targeting wasn’t initiated by some rogue agents in Cleveland.   

So what the Hell happened to you? 

Why do you credit Obama for accomplishments he hasn’t actually achieved, while blaming Bush, Republicans and conservatives for everything bad?  Why do you praise Democrats for “standing up” to the Republicans when Republicans don’t have any real power? 

And what’s with you and the Tea Party?  How did this somewhat loosely organized group of people become the target of so much hatred?  They’re not really even a “party”; they are more of a movement trying to get government to be more responsible about taxing and spending.  As far as I can tell, they don’t have positions on anything other than taxing and spending.

As I said in the beginning, I’ve tried to understand you.  Really, I have.  But I have to give up. 

Even when I try to steer the conversation away from politics, you won’t give it a rest. You’re like a pushy salesperson who doesn’t know when to stop.  Worse yet, you don’t really know much about the product you’re selling – certainly not the facts.  Instead you blather on spewing bumper-sticker clichés in an attempt to bludgeon rather than convince me. 

Good luck with that.

I’ve had enough.  When you’re ready to talk rationally, I’ll be here. 

“All politicians lie … so what?”

This is one of the current Democrat talking points when confronted with Obama’s bald-faced lies about the Affordable Care Act, aka ObamaCare. 

So when he said that you could keep your plan, keep your doctor, and everybody’s premiums would go down it’s now okay for Democrats to acknowledge that he lied.  Proudly.   

For a while, his supporters tried to cover up Obama’s lies with a technicality.  They claimed he didn’t actually lie because no one ever told him that wasn’t the truth.  That’s the same approach they’ve used about the IRS, Fast & Furious, and Benghazi – nobody told Obama what was really going on. 

Really?  That’s like when the White House press office claimed years ago Obama never met his Kenyan uncle here illegally. Now they claim they put out that info without ever asking Obama, who more recently said he stayed with that uncle for a while when he was at Harvard. Oops …

That’s just so Nixonesque.  This all takes “plausible deniability” to a whole new level. 

However, there are ample reports that his administration knew early on in Obama’s first term that none of his promises about ObamaCare were true.  He had to know as well, but that didn’t stop him from repeating them at every opportunity.     

Democrats now have a new approach – of course he lied, but it doesn’t matter because all politicians lie.  Besides, telling lies to pass the ACA and to get re-elected should be viewed in the context of doing what’s right for America.  And in that bigger picture – and for the greater good –Obama did the right thing by lying. 

I’ll admit this new tactic caught me off guard.  It’s so outrageous it’s brilliant.  It taps into our popular culture where there’s no right or wrong, no taboos, and no shame.  It’s the ultimate expression of the ends justifying the means – the bedrock of Progressivism.   

I thought I’d seen it all when the Prevaricator in Chief – Bill Clinton – said:  “It depends on what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is… “  

But this is new ground.  It’s exciting and breathtaking.  Politicians can now lie as enthusiastically as Obama, because everyone knows they lie anyway, so you can’t hold them accountable. 

It’s open season on the truth.  You don’t need to tell the truth anymore, once you establish that others like you can’t be trusted.  You’re innocent by association; a first. 

In the end, what’s the big deal?  Who are we to judge someone else? Saying whether something is right or wrong, or the truth or a lie, is so … well … judgmental.  

And since this is about Obama, it’s probably racist, too.  Wait for that shoe to drop  …    

What’s wrong with making promises you know can’t be kept?  Breaking or not enforcing laws you don’t agree with?  Not honoring agreements?  Tossing your allies under the bus?  

It’s just politics.  And all politicians lie.  So what?