The Wait Staff Is Whining Again

At The OnTheBorderLine.net Blog Site

I see OTBL admin Chris Kilber has provided us with his review of the New Richmond News coverage of the St. Croix County blog scene. I to think it was a good story. Editor Jeff Holmquist covered the local blog scene quite well. Unlike CK, I don't feel the need to bore you readers with any CYA spin or put any lipstick on the pig. My experiences as a reporter taught me that you can write a good story covering as many angles as time and space allow and there are still going to be complaints from those involved in the story.
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I do have a couple of comments concerning Kilber's posting about the story titled: NR News.

Kilber wrote:

"Another paragraph concerns screening. Not all comments are screened. Screening occurs only with new commenters. Only the first few are moderated. After that period people are more than welcome to comment. I will not allow my blog to get hijacked."

My experience commenting on OTBL agrees with what CK wrote. I was allowed to add comments to posts and debate and discuss the issues involved in the post -- up to a point. There gets to be a point where your comments bring up fact-based statistics and opinions that rationally provide a strong counter argument to the discussion. When this would happen, the comments to the post would be shut off -- especially if it started to look like there actually was another, legitimate side to the argument.

In addition, I was never allowed to do my own postings on OTBL. I tried to post some facts and figures that reflected positively on public education. CK said he would not publish this information because his was a right leaning blog and he wasn't going to allow it to be hijacked. Obviously, they have an agenda at OTBL and that is their right. However, they should at least be honest about it and cut the crap about open and honest debate. It doesn't happen there. Period!
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Ck wrote:

"This blog has no links to Nelson's blog. I simply don't choose to belittle myself with childish and amateurish pictures, characterizations, and cartoons that are outright offensive to members of this blog and the publics sensibility."

He is free to link to information on this blog, if he chooses. It's a free, virtual-country. I brings me great joy to read that he simply doesn't "choose to belittle myself with childish and amateurish pictures, characterizations, and cartoons that are outright offensive to members of this blog and the publics sensibility."

Did you get a whiff of the hypocrisy in that last statement? Gee CK, we are sooooo sorry you might find some postings here "outright offensive" to members of your blog -- maybe I'm not wasting my time blogging the night away...

Let's see...OnTheBorderLine.net...isn't that the blog site in Hudson, Wisconsin that spends most of its time slandering any public official -- elected or employed -- who doesn't agree with their anti-tax, anti-community, anti-union, anti-public education fanaticism? Isn't OTBL the blog site that has published posts that attack the sons and daughters of those who don't happen to agree with them? Didn't I read posts over there calling Hudson "Nazi, Wisconsin?" The OTBL posts are littered with gutless anonymous slandering, tasteless characterizations of dedicated, self-sacrificing public officials and private citizens "that are outright offensive to members of this blog and the publics sensibility."

As you OTBL'ers polish the daggers of your self-righteous indignation, remember that you boys will always make better waitresses than customers. The reason is simple: you can dish it out, but you can't take it.
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Ck wrote:

"There have been very few if any references to Nelson's blog or posts other that a gratuitous thank you now and then when he has attacked me in the paper. I have never attacked him in the paper and maybe have mentioned him but one or two times. On the other hand there are over 251 links on his site back to this site. It looks as if this blog did not exist, he would have nothing to write about."

I'm confused about the "attacked me in the paper" phrase. I've written letters to the editor pointing out the hypocrisy that echoes so loudly on his blog site. Since I not allowed to come over to his blog house and discuss the issues, I am simply using another forum to get my opinion out. CK is like many of the extremists on the right and left. If you disagree with their point of view and point out inconsistencies with their approach and/or arguments, they say you are attacking them. Freedom of speech is ok for them and not ok for those who disagree with them. Ditto for the extremists on the left. Being really liberal doesn't mean you are open-minded.

The reason CK has "never attacked" me in the paper is because he couldn't counter my arguments. OTBL'ers are the bullies who start crying when the targets of their attacks fight back. A good example is the bully in the movie "A Christmas Story."
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Ck wrote:

"Nelson has many references to socialism, Marxism, anti-capitalism, centralized government and those are things that I simply don't agree with."




Always the one to play the "commie" card, CK pulls it out again. You will find discussion on all these political philosophies here. Much of it is to provide historical context to help make sure people understand the history of how we got to where we are today. I am a pragmatist. I look for the best aspects of what there is to offer and try to build from there. We are basically talking about local politics here and the OTBL'ers are trying to push a brand of political philosophy on the local governing bodies that I don't agree with. Granted, there are many aspects of their ideas that I agree with and many I don't. Their method of personal attack and bullying is what really detracts from the successful communication of their message. They came blame it on the teachers' union, the elected officials who don't agree with them, the Commies, etc., but their failure to communicate is their own fault.

The reason we have used so many links from this blog to the OTBL blog is to prove our point about the hypocritical statements and misinformation that is posted over there. A major part of our mission on this blog is to be a community "watch dog" on what goes on over there. We want to make sure that members of our local communities know what is cooking OnTheBorderLine.net. From the perspective here, their attacks on local newspapers is no different than our attacks on them.

If they can't take the heat, get out of the hot tub!