i would like to hear what anyone else learned today...please feel free to post.  i will not bash your comments

That I like to stay in the background as much as possible and read both sides of these much  too common trashings and don't feel like getting involved.  There are other things to do that are way too much fun.  Most on this site really don't seem very happy.  Just how it looks to me.

Well put learn, I appreciate your candor. This was a particularly mean day for some reason. Maybe Monday will be better. Have a good weekend.

I have stayed clear of the blog posts for a while now, too ridiculous & childish.

Everyone on earth has a different opinion, THAT my friends is what makes the world go 'round !

If we all thought alike, we would be robots and stepford wives...get real, and realize that you cant force us to see 'your' opinion by childish  name calling and personal attacks.

Even when some of us non-political and non-religious style bloggers TRY to start a nice, and fun blog topic, we get thrown under the non-stop BUS of in-fighting, and our fun-blogs are immediately turned into a fight carried on from one blog to the next.

I have been amazed by the adolescent behavior on the blogs for the past 2+ weeks  ~  grown, INTELLIGENT, educated adults acting like naughty 7 year olds, it JUST plain outright amazes me.

It is funny you say that the blogs get more or less hijacked Goldilox. I went to a lecture last night on Nazi Medicine last night at CSUB, and somehow, it turned into a healthcare reform debate. A nice lecture, what started as an engaging Q&A session, and then someone starts in bashing the views that he did not hold to. Ruined the whole thing for me.

YEP ~ everyone on their own soapbox...drives me nuts!  sheesh!

i HOPE this blog thread gets a good viewing and good input...i AM gonna think positive, that is supposed to help !

thanks learnem, good topic!

I know I get crazy and sometimes I just look and don't say anything and then I blow it by putting my foot in my mouth.

Actually Learn: the post about kern schools was a great one. but i told you that.

What I posted earlier bears repeating.

Why not just say "I disagree with you" or "I think you're wrong" instead of "you're an idiot if you think that way?" 

When we disagree in our family I can't imagine anyone calling names or getting hateful.  We just disagree.

Good post.. learnem.

I signed up for an account just so I could make the following comments.  This is my first (and likely last) comment on this blog.

First of all, I've been reading The Bakersfield Californian blogs for quite a while.  One of the reasons I have never signed up for an account is and participated in the blogs here is because of how nasty some of the people can be, and I don't want to be a part of it.  Today's display of name-calling and personal attacks is a prime example of why I have avoided making any comments up to this point.  Every now and again, someone will post something interesting that doesn't lead to the equivalent of an online shouting match, but not too often.  I was hoping today might be that day, but sadly that wasn't the case.

Secondly, it appears that some people make posts just to get attention and to draw ire from those who don't see things the same way.  Without fail, someone takes the bait and the cycle of name-calling and personal attacks begins anew.  I hope you realize something that I learned a long time ago from my Dad:  when you resort to name-calling and insults, you have lost the argument.  He also said to never argue with a fool, for he will bring you down to his level and then beat you with experience.

Third, I've got an honest question.  I'm assuming that some of you have jobs.  For thos of you who do, is your company hiring?  I would love to work at a place that would give me enough time to allow me to make blog comments all day.  I'm willing to take a pay cut.

I'm guessing things around here aren't about to change based on the behavior I've witnessed over the years, so I understand that these comments I'm making are likely to fall on deaf ears.  But for what it's worth, that's what I think.  I will keep all further comments to myself.  Have a nice day.

I like the part about being dragged down and beaten with experience. Makes a lot of sense actually, but I like the verbal sparring. Although, I am not going to be dragged into name calling. Much to the chagrin of Random I am sure. But there is nothing like a good discussion. I use the word argument sometimes, but I guess I should say discussion.

We would all be a lot better off if, when we wanted to state our point of view, we started with "in my opinion" instead of making some asinine statement as a fact. Like, 'what about Iran? we know Obama won't do anything.'

At least if we say "in my opinion" no one can demand links and proof.  :-)

"In my opinion", there have been a lot of idiots on these blogs over the years.

(Sorry, I couldn't resist...) LOL.

 I went to a lecture last night on Nazi Medicine last night at CSUB, and somehow, it turned into a healthcare reform debate.

That reminds me of a time in college.. it was fall of '04, and the course was the History of Iran & Iraq - an excellent course taught by one of the best History Professors we had, Dr. Garettson.  We had a guest speaker in class one day - a woman of half Iraqi/half British descent who grew up in Iraq and later moved to the UK.  She had written a novel that was in essence half autobiographical of her experiences growing up in the middle east in a mixed household.  She spoke nothing of the war in Iraq during her speech, however upon time for questions, students began to pry and prod her to get her opinion on what had been going on.  Things became rather heated at one point, but there's one thing she said which will always stick with me (mind you, she still has family in Iraq): the Iraqi's in general were happy to be rid of Saddam, but to claim that we marched in and gave them freedom is the furthest thing from the truth.  She spoke of censorship brought on by the Americans, and she spoke of the unfairness of awarding contracts to U.S. companies instead of Iraqi's, who actually needed the money to feed their families.

Sorry to go off on a tangent..

BTW.. a lecture on Nazi medicine should have been fascinating - was there much mention of the gruesome experiements performed on prisoners "in the name of medicine?"

What Goldilox said at 3:16pm  :-)

He did cover Mengele and Hirt, and went over a little of what they did. Did not go into detail though. But he covered stuff like Lebensborn and their euthanasia program. A lot I had already know, but there was still stuff to learn.

I will go with you on the giving contracts to Iraqi's FSG. Obviously Iraqi's would be unable to do every job, but there is no reason we couldn't have done a better job in that aspect.

Lebensborn is chilling when you really think about it...

Good for you, Learnem; I'm proud of you.

And a heartfelt congrats to Audrey for inspiring a positive change.

I have a few thoughts that, while honest, are bound to p#ss everyone off.

Please spare eachother your sense of righteous indignation. The way both the right and the left play 'victim'  on here is nauziating. There are no victims, so quit with the 'doomsday paranoia'. Liberals and conservatives want the same things, we just have fundamentally different ideas on the means to achieve those ends. Debate the issues!  Discuss philosophical differences! And for crying out loud stop attacking eachother! Are we such intellectual midgets that we have to demonize the other side? I'll agree to lay off Limbaugh and Beck and you can lay off Pelosi and Obama and lets discuss what matters- healthcare and foreign policy. Maybe we need to all just grow a skin rather than calling eachother righties, lefties, and doo-doo heads.

Patrick - well said.. that's what I try to do on a daily basis.  Obviously note try.

learnem, I did not see the comments you made today that resulted in this post. I, too, appreciate your candor and honesty here. I have noticed your comments over the past couple of weeks have shifted from what you used to normally post. I appreciate the shift in comments, as well, and this is another example.  We can merrily agree to disagree.

Don Draper (er MadMan AdMan), thanks for your comment. I do hope hope you'll post here again. Good posts on interesting topics makes the blog. 

 Patrick319:
"I'll agree to lay off Limbaugh and Beck and you can lay off Pelosi and Obama and lets discuss what matters- healthcare and foreign policy"

The difference between the two, are that Obama and Pelosi are elected officials heinously trying to destroying our country,

Beck and Limbaugh, you can deal with and listen to as a CHOICE!

it took a post from AudreyB for me to reflect what really happened today - Learnem

Good for you, Learnem; I'm proud of you. And a heartfelt congrats to Audrey for inspiring a positive change. - ApolloDawn

What really happened today was a couple of baiting, passive-aggressive bloggers rattled cages then posted sweetness and light. Looking for validation? Learnem, you have sunk to a new low. Apollo was already there. Hope ya'll are having fun together.

Audrey and I disagree on most things political, but I respect her for many reasons. Anyone who raises a daughter with such great wit is a friend of mine.

Have been scanning the blogs but haven't found much that I cared to have an interest in commenting on as of late. This beating-up then making-up cycle is reminiscent of domestic violence.

The blog is in the "honeymoon phase."

Sorry if I sound jaded, I've just been around too long.  Lets enjoy it while we can.

Youngconservative has a point Patrick. We have to deal with Pelosi and Obama. To further expand on that, Pelosi and Obama are the ones overseeing healthcare and foreign policy. So talking about them is a given.

It was a beautiful day yesterday.  Although I went into work on my day off yesterday morning and posted couple of comments, I spent most of the day away from the office and got 18 in at SCC - man are they're greens lightening fast.  I like my SOCC much better as the greens are more manageable and actually gives you a fair chance at scoring.  I'll have to get out later and see if I fair better - way off on tangent.

I did notice venom starting Thursday (my personal experience was when miles, the weatherman, threatened to give me a 'ass whoopin' - I'm still laughing over that).  Then I noticed couple more 'meet you outside after school' type of posts.  Then I guess all sh#t must have flown off of the handle.  

Albeit most of us work, there are some that seems to linger on PC all day and post stuff just to irritate others (namely, v, pogo, random).  My suggestion is to reply to the post rather than use post as an opporutunity to take a jab at someone (guilty).   Having said that, I don't really see a solution as every issue posted on TBC is argued right down the political affiliation line.  I don't know if there are any moderates left anymore if the TBC is so divided by the red / blue line. 

casooner90 wrote: I don't know if there are any moderates left anymore if the TBC is so divided by the red / blue line. 

Don Mason, Dirty Shirt, Ray Harwick, Sagefever, JFrancais, CatherineBaker and probably two dozen others, in my opinion, are mainstream moderates with some trending left and some trending right of center. We are people who don't draw lines but recognize politics as shades of gray. If you allow them to, the media will always reinforce division using symbolic red/blue "lines drawn" baloney and every other "identity" strategy to divide people. I **hate** being pigeon-holed and I'm at least in agreement with InfoWar on one thing he posts on his blog - that the "Left - Right Paradigm is Phony" and I'd go on to say it is cooked up by people who seek to keep people who would otherwise be friendly neighbors constantly at each-other''s throats using every kind of scare tactic available. 

WOW! I missed it! This is exactly why I am taking five. I wouldn't have become involved anyway. I'm still in "chill" mode. I'm just sitting back, watching, writing poetry instead of attacks or defenses. It feels good! I know of three regulars here who have joined me in the "non'aggression" act of 2009 on here. I'll bet THEY feel better as well.

FSG..How about that beer?

Ray

Catherine and I are (basically) fiscal conservatives and social liberals.

I believe in the death penalty,

a citizens right to own a gun,  

a strong law enforcement presence,

a woman's right to choose,

the absolute separation of church and state,

contolling our boarders,

a public option in health care,

regulating big business,

help for small business owners, 

 medical marijuana for anyone who needs it,

a person's right to decide how/when to end their lives in the case of a terminal illness, 

equal rights for gays (ie marriage). 

 etc. 

It depends on the issue.

Audrey, you certainly came to mind while I was sitting in my cozy patio just now. I've recognized conservative values in you since I first subscribed to Bako.com. I do understand how each of us has limits and how "conservative" these days hardly resembles what it did, say, prior to Ronald Reagan, especially when the religious right became so deeply involved in the political arena.

What many of the conservatives on this forum seem not to notice about the people they argue with is that people who argue liberal positions often also argue in favor of core conservative positions. I think that is especially true of, say, RandomFactor. If the GOP truly was the big tent it claimed to be, we'd all be making fools of both the Democrats and Republicans when they sought to divide us over these "identity" issue what, in the course of our everyday lives, we live with and tolerate very successfully in our own neighborhoods.

its been a week since i posted this blog, and i just got done reading everyones words...  i want to thank those of you who had kind words to say....

i look forward to another non-combative week on TBC's blogosphere!!!

Hi, my name is learnem, (HI learnem), and Im a recovering blogging far right leaning rage-a-holic.....its been exactly 1 week since my last high blood pressure spurned snarky post

I like the re-invention.  :)

It's good to slow down and listen to one another, because most people agree with everyone else on something. 

It's silly, in my opinion, to try to be a "conservative" or a "liberal" on everything, since many of the issues that define one or the other really bear no relationship to all the rest.  You can oppose same-sex marriage and be a total tree-hugger - the two are completely disconnected issues.

For example.  ;)

learn, I have noticed a change in tone. Good on ya, mate. 

Must the Pogo factor.