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Aug. 30th, 2004 08:19 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vicarzI love living in Washington just to see the Post (allegedly left-wing, a point I'd argue against) and the Times side by side. Today, the post, like much of the news on television, is starting with the headlines regarding the 200k+ protesters in NYC against the republican convention. The times, on the other hand, has the headline along the lines of "Cheney compliments Bush's leadership since 9/11." Biased reporting is one thing, I mean but at what point do they just ignore what is conceivably defined as news? 200k in the streets to protest the administration, or a predictable campaign speech in a convention? I would understand "200k reject Bush" liberal vs. "dirty unemployed gay hippies whine about good Bush leadership" conservative as being different ways of presenting the same facts, but totally ignoring news is bizarre. FOX is everywhere!
It's reasons like that I'm more comfortable with the left than the right.
I spoke to the lawyer who is currently training me to do the litigation writing. I think the more I listen to him, the more I think I have a lot to learn from him. We were talking about what a lame-ass Kerry is, and how at every opportunity he has done something to look weak. Bush may be wrong, but he does commit to something verbally and never stop giving it verbiage. It appears strong.
He went from that to talking about advice his 5th grade teacher gave him that he never forgot, that one way to measure intelligence is in your ability to communicate a message to others. He was so impressed with that he remembers it this far in the future. I like the idea, though I'd refine it to this: intelligence is good to have, but it is a many faceted gift. No matter what facets you excel in, you should never neglect to focus what you can on the ability to communicate your ideas to others. If you can't give a speech and win the crowd over a dumbass, you're similarly a dumbass. We noted that Clinton could give a good speech, he wasn't slick Willie for nothing - he talked to people at their level, came across as genuine. Reagan could do this as well. Bush...is too 'dumb' to pull it off, but so is Kerry.
In a similar vein, he is trying to get someone to speak to our group about communication. This is a law professor - so lets assume he's intelligent. He speaks using hand gestures, I mean really obvious ones like on MTV. He does it for a while, then points out at that he's doing it. He says sure you might think he's crazy, but if you want to communicate to someone who watches MTV this is what you have to do! I've learned and heard over and over again how important hand gestures are. I have learned a bit about presentation - I speak to a crowd well, I can put passion in my voice, I pan the audience and pick out individuals, but I do not use gestures well. I also tend to get wrapped up in the message I'm trying to deliver and inadequately react to input from the audience about if/how that message is being received.
You have to watch MTV and sit-coms, to know Judge Mathis, to talk to people. Right and wrong are helpful, but you need to be very familiar with the cultural icons and references on the group you are trying to communicate with to be effective in that genre. I want to be able to communicate to a wide audience, but I don't want to watch Friends! I am mainstream culturally retarded. I did see a wrestling 'wedding' while flipping channels this weekend, am I there yet?
I know I did good in the gym this weekend because I'm sore as all hell.
It's reasons like that I'm more comfortable with the left than the right.
I spoke to the lawyer who is currently training me to do the litigation writing. I think the more I listen to him, the more I think I have a lot to learn from him. We were talking about what a lame-ass Kerry is, and how at every opportunity he has done something to look weak. Bush may be wrong, but he does commit to something verbally and never stop giving it verbiage. It appears strong.
He went from that to talking about advice his 5th grade teacher gave him that he never forgot, that one way to measure intelligence is in your ability to communicate a message to others. He was so impressed with that he remembers it this far in the future. I like the idea, though I'd refine it to this: intelligence is good to have, but it is a many faceted gift. No matter what facets you excel in, you should never neglect to focus what you can on the ability to communicate your ideas to others. If you can't give a speech and win the crowd over a dumbass, you're similarly a dumbass. We noted that Clinton could give a good speech, he wasn't slick Willie for nothing - he talked to people at their level, came across as genuine. Reagan could do this as well. Bush...is too 'dumb' to pull it off, but so is Kerry.
In a similar vein, he is trying to get someone to speak to our group about communication. This is a law professor - so lets assume he's intelligent. He speaks using hand gestures, I mean really obvious ones like on MTV. He does it for a while, then points out at that he's doing it. He says sure you might think he's crazy, but if you want to communicate to someone who watches MTV this is what you have to do! I've learned and heard over and over again how important hand gestures are. I have learned a bit about presentation - I speak to a crowd well, I can put passion in my voice, I pan the audience and pick out individuals, but I do not use gestures well. I also tend to get wrapped up in the message I'm trying to deliver and inadequately react to input from the audience about if/how that message is being received.
You have to watch MTV and sit-coms, to know Judge Mathis, to talk to people. Right and wrong are helpful, but you need to be very familiar with the cultural icons and references on the group you are trying to communicate with to be effective in that genre. I want to be able to communicate to a wide audience, but I don't want to watch Friends! I am mainstream culturally retarded. I did see a wrestling 'wedding' while flipping channels this weekend, am I there yet?
I know I did good in the gym this weekend because I'm sore as all hell.
