Spec's Fuzzy Logic

Spec's Fuzzy Logic, originally uploaded by nfotxn.

The CBC could very well be coming to town. And of course the reaction from the local paper is: QUICK FIND A DISTRACTION!

Taxes! Yes, taxes will do. Don't you care about your TAXES?!

Another municipality is going to take that station you backwards townies. Leave it to the only daily paper in town, privately owned, mostly syndicated and anti-competitive in nature to bring up the lamest argument ever. What they're really afraid of is somebody else doing effective local coverage and revealing just how lax CHCH (E Network), The Spectator and CHML have become. This market is ripe for effective coverage to build our communities, create a dialogue amongst citizens and generally get news about where we live. Today we're fed a diet of news that comes from Toronto, Calgary and syndication agencies around the world. Our news is all second hand. The attitude towards local news is that it takes the back page or the bumper between stories about "real" places or commercials.

That's insulting. We're a metro area of nearly 700,000 people. With no public broadcasting, one TV station and one xenophobic newspaper that does a terribly inconsistent job. How many residents do we need before lumping us in with Toronto is no longer effective? A million? A million and a half?

This is so parochial and old school Hamilton. Sorry Spectator Editorial Board, Hamilton takes itself seriously now. We deserve all the amenities of a real city. Better pull your socks up and start working. Or else you're going to get blown out of the water.

Outside Help

For all future commentary regarding my post I'd like to refer you to my Public Relations Manager xkot. I will be making no further contact with individuals or outside media without Scott's consent.

Unfriending

Given I'm old hand at this blog thing I still find it hilarious when people un-friend you based on a single opinion held on a specific day as a reaction to a specific event. As already stated I was feeling pretty poor yesterday and wrote something that was hot-headed and not as evenly keeled as the standard I hold myself to usually.

Kudos to those who complimented me for saying something unsavoury even if they disagreed with it. It does take balls to get it out there because people will tear you apart. In the process we all think along lines we'd rather not. For important topics I find this incredibly valuable. Although it can be accomplished with calm tone, clearer meaning and respectful discussion.

Heck even I disagree with my tone, as I've stated publicly three times now. I just find myself dumbfounded when critical thinking skills are not employed in these situations. These are words on a screen stored on a metal box somewhere none of us are. Everyone has emotions and reactions.

And to those who've decided to work on their "persuasive writing skills" I would say, speaking from experience here, that locking yourself down, restricting access and moving away from others does not accomplish that goal. Not in the least.

To the departed: enjoy your echo chamber gentlemen. My discussions are still edited by me, arbitrated by my respected readers and never screened or deleted. That's real discourse.