posted by:
eraserhead667 (
reply)
post date:
04.17.07 (11:31 am)
Well, it's gotta be kinda hard to keep up with an exercise regimen when you've got that much Oxycontin floating around your system...
posted by:
surrogate (
reply)
post date:
04.17.07 (2:13 pm)
First? I'm pretty sure you almost doubled the number of Rush listeners according to every figure I've ever seen. It's been stable at about 14 million for a decade and a half. (-The number of people who listen for one hour or more per week.) As for hard core listeners - the "I don't miss a minute," type, it's about a third of that - or it was for a very long time. Admittedly, I gave up tracking it a couple of years ago, though, I paid attention closely for about seven years.
If you actually study and research most of his positions, you'll find that the more authoritative he claims to be on ANY subject, the more likely it is he's pulling stuff out of his ass. I don't know if it's a character flaw, or just something he enjoys doing, but I can tell you that was one of the things I learned as part of loose group of "Rush watchers" I belonged to for many years. One of the things we did was try to find out if the justifications; the "facts"; he used to back up whatever positions he took were true, or at least close to true.
It became tragically funny, especially when the callers would then use this same information as "proof" when calling other whack-job talk shows. "Rush was just saying yesterday that..."
Here's the Rush formula as I came to understand it:
Soft rational voice = might be true or close to true.
Forced formal diction (i.e. trying to sound clever and smart) = less than a thirty percent chance he's shooting straight.
Vitriolic language or yelling = he's lying and/or is terribly misinformed about whatever he's talking about, but probably knows it and is covering.
The exception to the first part of the formula is when he's talking about an untrue thing that he's said so often over the years, that his "base" or regular listeners (read "dittoheads,") have already swallowed it hook, line and sinker, and, though it may be a lie, he's simply reinforcing or repeating a flawed, but tried and true premise, at which point? -all bets are off.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
04.17.07 (7:09 pm)
Reply to: eraserhead667
I know the story, that Limbaugh has admitted to the illegally securing and consuming this pain reliever. I did a quick search, and Wikipedia says one would have to pay $50 a tablet on the illegal market. No problem for Rush, I guess. He had a cochlear implant, which is major surgery and I imagine would require some strong drugs to deal with. And Limbaugh says this is where he became addicted. I'll give him the benefit of a doubt. Now, about that cache of Viagra he was caught with while preparing to fly to the Dominican Republic - is Viagara adequate for pain control?
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
04.17.07 (7:27 pm)
Reply to: surrogate
You've made a careful study of this guy, something I would not want to do. You amaze me sometime.
Many of the subjects that he discusses are quite difficult. Right or wrong is in the eye of the beholder, and most would feel very strongly about the matters. Abortion. Gun control. Civil rights. Taxes. National defense. Religion. He is abrasive and in-your-face, and sees things in black and white. It's easy to take him personally, and either like or dislike accordingly. Like I've said, I admire the guy in some ways. But I think he manipulates the audience, probably laughing on the inside as well as all the way to the bank.
posted by:
surrogate (
reply)
post date:
04.17.07 (7:42 pm)
Reply to: PastorDave
The stuff we checked out were the actual facts he quoted, not his positions. Often we searched out the very sources he said he'd used, which he rarely quoted correctly or in context. He's very good at what he does, but the fact he's taken seriously by so many people is scary to me.
I wouldn't be surprised if you read the book he quoted from, that you might get another impression altogether from what he claimed the author meant to say though I have no way of knowing that for sure - I'm just saying I wouldn't be surprised.
Kind of like people claiming that hybrids do more harm to the environment than a hummer. It's absurd, but that's not to say you can't fool idiots into believing it.
posted by:
fractalmom (
reply)
post date:
04.18.07 (5:54 am)
sometimes i listen to rush on the commute. it beats some other shows and one can only take so much music (how funny is THAT coming from a musician???). i think on things political i listen to what he has to say and then form my own opinions based on what other information i have gathered along with his 'spiel'. i do view myself as a conservative with occassional leftist tendencies, left over, i am certain, from my ultra liberal hippy days of the sixties. how i and other hippies evolved from dr timothy leary to rush limbaugh is a matter of much humor in my heart.
as far as the show on aerobic exercise, i missed it. ah well. i would still exercise (if i, in fact, DID exercise, which i do not).
even as a conservative, i get a lot of humor listening to the conservative talk shows. they are hilarious in many ways, not the least of which is the number of callers who jump on the bandwagon and see conspiracies around every corner.
still, there are MANY good and valid points made, and if one is able to filter through all the BS that goes with it, one can gain a modicum of understanding of the current news and political situations surrounding us.
one thing i am sure of. we no longer live in a safe world, and the United States and it's people had best get ready to live in the world around us. we are no longer safely cocooned by uncle sam, if in fact we ever were. our children today, unfortunately, will grow up with the same kinds of fears that children in the rest of the world such as belfast, terahn, baghdad and ho chi min city have grown up with. terrorists, madpersons, insanity and random violence. sad, but alas, true.
imho
posted by:
bawdy (
reply)
post date:
04.18.07 (11:23 am)
I'd like to know how he argued against a need for aerobic exercise. It sure is better for you than not doing it. Oh well, I won't shed a tear when all the fat, rich Bush supporters keel over with heart attacks.
posted by:
heavyarms (
reply)
post date:
04.18.07 (1:13 pm)
How long did you actually listen to the show on Monday? He was talking about a diet book by "fitness expert" Jim Karas called The Cardio-Free Diet.
He has a website, jimkaras(dot)com, which has some information about the book and a FAQ on cardio. He says that traditional cardio (jogging, treadmills, etc.) causes a lot of stress on the body, and for this does more harm than good.
Limbaugh was just having fun with it.
posted by:
scubadiva (
reply)
post date:
04.20.07 (12:16 pm)
Power is a dangerous thing to wield around. People call Rush fat but he's been skinny for quite some time now...
If eating healthy was all one needed to do, then I wouldn't have gained 15 lbs over the past six weeks since my car accident since I can't work out. I eat ridiculously healthy and even cut back on my calories since I'm not exercising.
Unfortunately, anyone that blindly follows any public figure without first questioning it deserves to be shorn just like the sheep they are.
posted by:
Lisa (
reply)
post date:
04.23.07 (9:00 am)
SOMETIMES rush is an idiot? puhlease PD. i thought you were cooler than that!
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
04.23.07 (9:34 am)
Reply to: fractalmom
"Journey From Timothy Leary To Rush Limbaugh" - now that's the title of your next book. I'll read it. Have two copies printed, pleas.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
04.23.07 (9:36 am)
Reply to: bawdy
He found a book that supported what he believed, and proceeded to quote from it verbatim. And, I guess, you do know that many Bush supporters are not fat and rich. I'm only fat.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
04.23.07 (9:38 am)
Reply to: heavyarms
I listened for about 15 minutes. And I did check out the website. To say that cardio is unhealthy in such a blanket kind of way is extreme. I walk three miles most days, with a brisk pace. I had gotten to the point where my diet was not working, but the cardio has jump started it again. As I understand, the walks get my metabolism to working faster, and this continues for several hours after I stop walking. I'm no expert, but that sounds healthy to me.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
04.23.07 (9:41 am)
Reply to: scubadiva
Hope you have sufficiently recovered from your accident, by now, to resume exercise. Dieting without exercise is so difficult, and so un-fun. Many do it, and even make a lifestyle of it. I'm trying a new approach for me- eating healthy, with moderation, and with moderate exercise. It's working so far, although I've finished a four-day weekend of social events that precluded me from being disciplined with my healthy eating. I'm back on track today and it'll take about three days to recover. Hard work, this getting healthy.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
04.23.07 (9:42 am)
Reply to: Lisa
You thought I was cool? Boy, I had you fooled. Square- that's the word.
posted by:
heavyarms (
reply)
post date:
04.23.07 (10:29 am)
Reply to: PastorDave
I'm not arguing that cardio is bad for you because I don't really know. I do know that some of what we consider "cardio" is extremely bad for you, not necessarily for your heart, but for your joints and muscles at least, jogging, "power-walking" and the like. I've seen people who jog on a regular basis in and out of bone/joint clinics for "shin splints" so many times it's become a joke between us. Rowing, biking, stuff that doesn't place as much of a strain on your body's mechanics is very good for your heart from my experience. (Except rowing plays hell with my back.)
My point though, was that whenever Rush does one of his "See, I told you so..." things, he's usually taking some sort of story like "Cardio is bad for you" and has fun with it "See! Cardio kills!" The funny thing is, he said earlier in the show "I know I'm going to get exasperated e-mails from my friends tomorrow saying 'Rush! Rush! I can't believe you said cardio would kill you!' I'm not saying that, this guy is saying that in his book."
posted by:
scubadiva (
reply)
post date:
04.23.07 (3:14 pm)
Sadly, still on exercise restriction. Waiting to hear the verdict on having surgery on my hip. (Ugh)
Unfortunately, the only thing that works for this girl is excessive exercise and restrictive eating. I have just changed my attitude to "food is fuel". It's helped. I shifted my enjoyment of food to enjoyment of wearing a size 10 and looking forward to a size 8.
Hope you didn't bust anything on your run.
posted by:
drforbush (
reply)
post date:
04.25.07 (8:51 pm)
Dave,
It's funny that you chose to write about Limbaugh on this subject. I heard him over the weekend spouting about how he lost weight on calorie restriction alone. He says that its simple, just eat less than 1500 calories a day. He says he usually eats 1200 and some days he only eats 800.
Well, not to get into details, but is this really healthy? With so few calories is he getting the proper vitimines, protein etc.?
From a simple point of view if he were to burn 400 or 500 calories he could eat that much more and have a better chance of getting better nutrition. But, what do I know? I am not a megasuperstar radio talk show host.
