Critical Watching, Reading, and Thinking

There are college classes that are entitled, believe it or not, Critical Thinking - As in Critical Thinking 101. It is ridiculous that anyone and I mean anyone can even think about setting foot on a college campus unless they have acquired at least some degree the talent of "critical thinking." You either have it or you don't and some professor yammering on about the need to "consider your sources," "look at all angles of an issue" etc. etc. is not of any use whatsoever. This is the problem we have when one considers the current political climate. People, for the most part, jump on a bandwagon and do not take the time or even indeed have the capacity to look at things from all sides before making an intelligent decision. This human trait is why such "news" agencies as FOX and MSNBC have such viewership. So called "journalists" do not, for the most part, bother with honest reporting. That is a damn shame and has almost killed the legitimate profession.

The other day President Obama called for people to at least take a look at some sources that they would not normally consider. To go "outside the box" if you will. He encouraged people to check out FOX news (I believe) and also to look at the "Huffington Post." Basically he was just trying to get people to look at all sides. I agree with that perspective and have been doing just that for years. They call it critical thinking.

As a case in point I consider myself a right leaning Centrist. I have truthfully been leaning a bit more right in the recent past wholly due to the leftist extremeism that is currently in vogue. I do however try to find my news from the most reliable source and when that is not available (and it often is not), I try to get my information by reading what those on the right and the left have to say. For instance, one of my favorite blogs is "On My Mind" written by a man named Bill from SoCal. His perspective is what I would call central with a leftward lean. It is a very good blog and Bill has some very good perspectives. When I really want to be entertained by some hardcore Marxism I check out "Brilliant at Breakfast." This is a good blog that references some very hard left journalistic work. I almost think that when there is another terrorist assault the webmistress of this site hopes and prays that it is some lone wolf militia type that perpetrates it. Just so she can shrilly say "See? I told you so." Don't believe me? Check out her latest blog post concerning the Mohammedan that was arrested in the Times Square bomb scare. It is crazy as hell. She is crazy as hell.
If I want to take a look at some alternative economic news and perspective I will check out Mish's blog. That will sure get you wondering if the official drivel coming out of Washington is bogus propaganda.

The point is for anyone who tries to keep up with the insanity of daily life needs to look at things from more than just one perspective. Anyone who does not is a dolt. A fucking dolt if I may say so.

A Couple of Noteworthy Blogs

I have been following a blog called Brilliant at Breakfast for some time now and find it to be pretty darn good. It is an infuriatingly left wing blog and the authors are quite out of touch with reality, but that is what makes it interesting. It is professionally done and well written and is so far to the left that it makes for good entertaining reading. I must admit that I do occasionally find some common ground with Jill, the main blogger, on some issues but not too many. Another poster, someone that calls them self "Jurassic Pork" or some such nonsense is quite "bat shit crazy." This is one of the favorite expressions apparently on this blog. I actually wrote something fairly nasty on the comments concerning something that "Jurassic Pork" wrote. I since deleted it. No sense being rude, but it galls me when our troops are compared to the SS, Stazi, etc. That was not amusing. I defend, and have defended, someones right to blather nonsense, but Good Lord man. Oh well, no matter. The blog is recommended reading if for no other reason than the entertainment value it provides. BrilliantatBreakfast.blogspot.com. Check it out and prepared to be wonderfully annoyed.

Another excellent blog I just found yesterday is "On My Mind" done by a man named Bill Hefner. This is another professionally done blog that is very well written. Mr. Hefner is much more liberal than I am and I have been accused of having some liberal tendencies. (I also have been accused of being an anarchist and imperialist and war monger but that is beside the point). I believe Mr. Hefner's blog to be an excellent read. Check him out at billsandiego.blogspot.com. It is quite interesting.

It is interesting that the best blogs are found just trolling around the blogosphere. I would have never found Cielo Gold, Survival Stew, We Can Eat, On My Mind or for that matter, the somewhat insane Brilliant at Breakfast without hitting the "next blog" tab.

It sure is interesting to see what other people have to say.