Monday, December 04, 2006

James and Kati found (Only Kati and the girls were found, so far..)

"I have a police scanner and am listenin to it right now her in Grants Pass, OR. They have found the mom and kids but dad left on snow shoes two days ago to find help. Mom and kids are being airlifted out to the hospital in Grants Pass within the hour."

read more | digg story

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Why can't the MSM do it's job?

Why is Keith Olbermann's show the only place (on TV that I've seen) that I've seen news of Rupert Murdoch's statement that the number of deaths from the war in Iraq is "miniscule"?

And why haven't I heard *anything* about Laura Ingram's call for her listeners to all call the Democratic Voter's help Line at the same time in order to jam the phone lines?
Again, the only place I saw anything about it was on Countdown w/ Keith Olbermann.

In addition to that, the news of the FBI being called in to investigate the allegations that the Allen campaign (or people acting on their behalf) had called Democratic voters giving them false information and hiding the fact that it was actually coming from the Republican campaign, was almost nonexistant* during the 12+ hours of TV "coverage".


* I personally heard it mentioned once, maybe twice

Comments on the election, C-SPAN, and CNN-HN/Student News

First I must say "Good job America", it's about time you woke up!

Better late than never of course, but the families of the dead and wounded (and many other Americans) wish that the alarm would have gone off 4/6 years ago!


I know, many (including myself), weren't vigilant enough and believed enough of the administration's propaganda (aka LIES) at first.
By the time we found out we'd been deceived, it was too late to do anything about it.

Unlike [so many] others though, I saw what kind of special idiot Bush was right off the bat (friends and family should remember that I said after his "election"/appointment, "This clowns going to get us into a WAR, mark my words!").


Why the heck couldn't I have been wrong THAT TIME?**

I voted for Gore, then Kerry, and if the people who voted in Bush (both times) voted differently, how different the world would be now...

9/11 probably would have happened anyway, but all the international goodwill generated afterwards would NOT have been wasted, and we wouldn't have invaded Iraq.

If we (President Gore) ordered the invasion of Afghanistan to evict the Taliban we wouldn't have effectively abandoned it to correct one of Bush Sr's. Perceived errors and start the neocons new/foolish policy of proactive "defense" and "spreading Democracy" to countries (whether they want it or not).

**Now I don't claim to be a psychic, in fact I seem to have what's called "negative ESP" (if I *try* to predict something I'm almost always WRONG), but there was something about Bush that I saw immediately.
He's dumb in a scary sort of way.
---------------------------------------
3:17 AM 11/9/2006

CNN HN (Student News): I'm watching their coverage of the Bush fires Rumsfield story.

Apparently neither Jamie McIntyre (nor the CNN-HN/Student News anchor) thought it was important to include the fact that Bush admitted LYING to reporters (for political purposes) when he stated last
week that Rumsfield and Cheney would keep their jobs until the Bush term ends and that they both had the full confidence of the president (even though he knew otherwise at the time).

Of course the funny thing about it was that if he had fired Rumsfield BEFORE the election (INSTEAD of publicly stating his confidence in him) the election results *might have* been VERY different...

I never thought I'd ever say this but, (in this case) thank goodness for Bush's stupidity!
Did his *brain* (bubble boy Rove) 'fumble the ball' with that one?

Note: Did anyone check and see if hell actually froze over when Bush admitted to a (this) lie?

I hope teachers who use the CNN-HN/Student News to discuss current events in their classrooms preview the *news* beforehand, and are informed enough to 'fill-in the blanks' (such as Bush admitting that he LIED for political purposes!).

On that same line of thinking, I'd hope that teachers (dealing with politics and current events) use the mediamatters.org (Media Matters for America and other similar sites) web site to show
students how much of the news story the MSM leaves out of their reports and how often so many of them get the whole story WRONG!

It should be interesting to see how the 'Bush lapdogs' in the press corps act now.

I've already seen and heard some contrition on the part of conservative pundits like the Marlboro/Scarboro Man (Joe Scarboro) and Pat Buchanan about the fact that they "carried water" for the President/GOP and weren't happy about 'having to do it'...

Really?

No, I'm afraid that you're LYING guys, and so is Rush Limbaugh when he claimed to be 'so happy' that he doesn't have to "carry water" anymore for Bush.

You see, when you lie/deceive for a living for as long as Rush (and the rest) have, it's probably not like turning off a lightswitch.
And it's not like they've been just itching to get the truth out
there all this time.

In Limbaugh's case he's a naturally mean-spirited person who makes his
living lying about his perceived *enemies* and in the process dosn't care who he hurts or how low he has to sink to get his *message* out.
(Latest evidence: His disgusting parody of Michael J. Fox's symptoms.)

=============

Another thought on C-SPAN [4:28 AM 11/9/2006]:

After watching C-SPAN (specifically the call-in shows) I have to ask, why do you challenge some callers and not others?

On election day I heard the C-SPAN anchor* challenge (*and I noticed a bit of 'attitude' in his tone) a Democratic caller (who I thought had a good point), yet he said NOTHING when a right-wing nut-job called and was spouting off all the disproven GOP talking points.

(He (the caller) was obviously "shocked and awed" by the election results... heh-heh)

The caller also stated that he thinks that the GOP should "do the same thing the Democrats did" and "block everything that the Dems bring up for vote".
He sounded like he was in his thirties, but his *idea* was straight out of kindergarden.

At that point the C-SPAN anchor should have challenged/informed him that the Dems didn't control either branch of Congress at that time and were shut out of everything! The only thing they could do is use the remaining rules (the ones that haven't been re-written to consolidate the GOP's power) to try to effect some form of OVERSIGHT that the Constitution calls for.
Not to mention that this 'tit-for-tat' business is childish and counterproductive!

Of course it's not the anchor's *job* to correct caller's comments/thoughts, but if you do it once with a liberal caller, shouldn't you be fair and challenge the far-right caller equally?
Especially when they're spouting such old and disproven rhetoric!

I was amazed. The anchor just let this BS just slide by like it was actually true!

That is NOT serving the American public who watch C-SPAN for ACCURATE and UNBIASED news and current events!

And it's not the first time I've noticed this happen on C-SPAN.
It was something I'd half-expect to see on most of the MSM TV news/opinion/propoganda shows, but NOT from C-SPAN.

Please, either challenge ALL callers who mis-state the facts/reality, or challenge NONE.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Salt Lake Tribune - Rolly: Mysterious increase in vote roster

Salt Lake Tribune - Rolly: Mysterious increase in vote roster: Rolly: Mysterious increase in vote roster
By Paul Rolly
Tribune Columnist
Article Last Updated:11/01/2006 01:14:28 AM MST


Tiny Daggett County in eastern Utah seems to have a population explosion every election season. This year, there are 766 registered voters, which almost matches the county's entire population, according to Census records.

Democrats in the county say there is a reason for that. They say the Republican county clerk has a penchant for allowing Republicans to register, no matter where they live.

Democratic Sheriff Allen Campbell is particularly concerned. His Republican opponent is part-time deputy Rick Ellsworth, whose parents, George and Wanita Ellsworth, apparently have 14 adults living in their home and they all registered to vote using that address.

Critics say people from Hooper, Vernal, Roosevelt and Salt Lake County seem to have swelled the voter registration rolls, and they all seem to have connections to the Republican candidates.

One registered voter was a prison inmate housed in the Daggett County jail when Campbell's predecessor, Gaylen Jarvie, was sheriff. That inmate is now on parole and living in Hooper. Jarvie is supporting Ellsworth.


County Clerk Vickie McKee says the people complaining are the same ones who complained four years ago. She said she was told by the Lieutenant Governor's Office at that time that she couldn't require proof of residency for those who registered in person. She takes voters at their word that they are or will be permanent residents.
---------------------------------------
One big, happy family: Residents of Lehi have been invited to a Republican rally today featuring Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., Sen. Orrin Hatch, Republican congressional candidate LaVar Christensen and other GOP candidates and elected officials.

There would be nothing unusual about that except the invitation was sent by the mayor of Lehi on Lehi stationery using the Lehi City Corp. mailing address and mailed using Lehi's discount postage stamp.

The back of the flier features a letter from Lehi Mayor Howard Johnson urging residents to vote for a proposed sales tax increase to pay for mass transit in Utah County.

Johnson says he sent the letter out on his own because he couldn't get the City Council to go along with him on the sales tax letter. He used the Lehi City return address but says he is paying for all the expenses, including postage, from his personal account.

So it just appears the city of Lehi is a subsidiary of the Utah Republican Party.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Copy of my 'comment' regarding this story on Digg.com

digg - The Students Got Kerry's Joke, Why Don't You?: "by daggett just now

+ 1 digg - dugg!

9:42 PM 11/1/2006

----------------------------------------
***NOTE: I've edited my 'comment' slightly from what I posted at Digg.com.
----------------------------------------

As a Navy veteran myself I'm ashamed that some veterans are so quick to "Swiftboat" another who had the courage to put his life on the line for his country, unlike those currently occuping the White House who evaded the draft with all their might, but safely sit in the White House ordering others into harms way.

I stand by veterans like Max Cleland, who is another victim of the despicable 'Swiftboat Veterans' liars, who sees clearly the lowly tactics the GOP sinks to and has stated his support of John Kerry on this latest attempt by the GOP to distort a political rival's statement .

Everyone *should* know that anyone's (yours, mine, Kerry's, the President's...) words can be taken different ways unless you take special care in choosing them, AND unless you take special care to put them into context with the entire statement.
It's just way too easy to play tricks and distort someone's statement if you care to (and the MEDIA doesn't do it's JOB by investigating and exposing the distortion(s)).

They did the same thing to a Republican challenger, Senator John McCain, showing that they are willing to trash [their own party's] war heros when it serves them!

It's hard to believe that some people are [still] willing to believe the lies and dishonest distortions from the GOP that are *obvious* partisan rhetoric to the majority of Americans [now].

It's a sad state of affairs when politicians have to be so careful of their words being twisted that they won't want to speak unless it's 'canned' and checked for all the possible ways their words can be 'spun'.

Thankfully (I don't mean that I'm glad that we had to go through all that we have), the majority of Americans have seen first-hand what the GOP does when it gets total dominance over the opposing party, and they've rejected it* as Un-American and definitely NOT how our system was meant to work.

Like the title of this digg says, "The students got Kerry's joke, why don't you?"

Maybe it's the fact that some people can plainly see that our current president is an unintelligent doof who slacked his way though college, has close to 0% intellect and poor leadership skills, and some are still blind to it (and his other obvious ethical flaws like lying to the American people).

The fact that so many commenting here can't (or WON"T) see that, speaks directly to [their] intelligence, their ability to detect BS, and their own morals.

Granted, the GOP 'brains' are accomplished liars and distorters of reality (as they've admonished others for 'reality-based' thinking in the political arena), but after a while the public realizes the disconnect between what the GOP says and the [reality] on the ground.

[They] are actively working to split this country apart by political lines, and it's 'too bad' if you're on the wrong side of that line (even if you ARE on their side, eh McCain?).
As far as I'm concerned we're ALL Americans, and those courageous men and women serving our country aren't just serving one party but every single American. And it's OK, no, it's our DUTY as Americans to speak out if we believe that their/our government is on the wrong course.

If you think about it there are some similarities between this and what's going on in Iraq. The dead terrorist Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi worked to split Iraq down religious and political lines, and although I don't believe the GOP wants to throw the US into civil war, the end result makes America weaker.
"Together We Stand, Divided We Fall", remember?

One of the most important things Iraqi people (and Americans) need to do is to think or their COUNTRY first and put their political and religous differences second (or third...)!

I pray that it won't take another major terrorist attack to remind us that we're ALL Americans, and that we need to work TOGETHER, instead of against our fellow Americans.
And WHEN that attack comes, and it will, despite the absurd claims by the GOP that *they* are the only ones that can protect America, WHAT will be their excuse then? THEY had *all* the power, but be assured that it won't be THEIR fault.
No, they always act like a child who gets caught red-handed, but still continues to blame someone else.

Finally, I agree that Kerry should just cool it for now, even though I agree with his statement to the students (who [also] GOT the joke), the hypocrisy of the GOP and their supporters to jump all over a statement by Kerry, but refuse to say anything when Bush mangles the english language every time he speaks, or when assholes like Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Savage, or the "Coultergeist"(Ann Coulter) spew their verbal bile.
Many people have made a good living during the last six years publishing books and calendars FULL of 'Bushisms'. (Bush is SUCH an embarassment for our country).
I want to hear more from people like Barack Obama, (Gen.)Wes Clark, John Conyers, John Murtha, and the "Fighting Dems".
WHY won't the [supposedly] "liberal media" give these American Veterans who are running for office more time?
WHY doesn't the DNC put them 'Front and Center'?
I was VERY impressed when I saw them [briefly] on C-SPAN!

Currently this country's foreign policy is like a car barelling down the road at 90 miles an hour IN THE WRONG DIRECTION (with a chimp at the wheel)!
Someone has to tell the driver to slow down and change course!
Actually, someone needs to stop the car, have the driver arrested for reckless endangerment (among other things), and get America's car back on the road going in a different direction.


*Corruption, the Republican leadership protecting Republicans that pray on teenagers working for them, lying to the American people on so many issues, the greatest being the lies about Iraq to get the US Congress and public behind their foolish war (before the job in Afghanistan was anywhere near finished) , not being able to admit mistakes and "Staying the Course" in Iraq despite calls from former (GOP included) diplomats and politicians to rethink their *obviously* failed tactics and plans.

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Where have all the *decent* Republicans gone?

Silvio O. Conte: Information from Answers.com


Silvio O. Conte was one of the few Republicans in my experience with character and integrity deserving of my respect.


I grew up in Western Massachusetts and recall nothing but praise for Silvio O. Conte from my parents (who are/were lifelong Democrats, my father being a Protestant minister). He always seemed to be travelling around Western Mass. in his mobile office making himself available to his constituants.
--
There *must* be some decent Republicans left in Washington who are, however silently, embarrassed (at the least) for what their party has become. Enough so that they will begin to rethink their associations, and goals of dominance over the other party, in favor of what the founders wanted.

A system with checks and balances, and no one party with absolute power. [That] just splits the country and disenfranchises the party(ies) not in power, breeding ill-will and discontent, and making it much harder to regain parity (unless the party in power screws-up so bad the voters toss them out on their butts, but that could never happen right?).

--
In this case it's looking like the Republican party is destroying [itself]...hmmmm, what's the old saying about 'absolute power'....? Oh yeah, it CORRUPTS!
--

'Trust us, we know what's best for you.'

--
'Don't worry, just be happy!'

--
But don't challenge our *truth* or we'll label you a traitor!

--
Well, even the easy-going American general public (who get the entirety of their political knowledge from 30-60 mins. of local/national "news" each day, if that, and what they've heard from their friends) can't miss all the scandals, and that thing..... oh yeah, the WAR (that's keeping us SAFE, uh-huh, tell that to our [former] European friends)!

--

It's more like 'I'm sending [your] kids over there to give their lives for _______ (fill in the latest excuse) so we're not attacked over , here?
Yeah, that's the ticket!


That's a great line, right up to the next terrorist attack (here).

FYI: That's Karl Rove and the GOP's greatest fear. You could say that they have an *additional* reason to fear a terrorist attack here at home, their empty promise that they (the GOP and ONLY the GOP) can protect us** would be shown for what it truly is, another baseless claim.


**I just heard someone in the background asking "But who'll protect us from THEM?" Good question...

-----------------------
So, are there any Republicans like Silvio O. Conte willing to stand up like men and have the guts and strength to fight to bring their* party back to what is best for America, instead of certain special interests?

--

I know the rest of the world can't wait. They want the previous USA back, imperfect though it may have been. They don't like *this* America. They want us, as the sole "superpower" left in the world to wield our power responsibly. Nobody likes a bully, and George Bush's 'my way or the highway' foreign policy makes people reluctant to help us (at best), and mainly seems to piss countries off (understandably in most cases).
--

How about Republicans and Democrats working TOGETHER for a change? We're in a huge mess, militarily and diplomatically and we need all of our oars in the water (and going the same direction) to make headway. That means compromise on both sides (as it should be) and strong, competent LEADERS at the top (who aren't afraid to admit any mistakes made, and change direction when the situation dictates).

--

Traditional Republicans!
Stand up and make yourselves heard. You know it's the right thing to do. You know that what's taken place in the last six years has been the wrong way to go about the people's business, and definitely NOT what our founding fathers wanted. The only way things will ever get better is by working together. It's in your job description.

You wouldn't want to be 'let go' would you?


The *world* will thank us.
--

*BOTH parties need to give more consideration [back] to their bosses (Remember us? We pay for your salaries and perks, and some of us elected you) and less to (in many cases their former colleagues) lobbyists.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Hey, it made sense to me when I wrote it!

One more reason to *continue* boycotting ABC/Disney

Think Progress » ABC News Director To O’Reilly: Media Has Liberal Bias And ‘We’ve Got To Fix That’

The following is a copy of the comment I posted (on this article) at ThinkProgress.org.:

Note: Regardless of your political preference, posting comments that are misspelled really hurts your argument... and I'm not talking about occasional typos.

If you can't spell, at least you can fake it by using spellcheck!
-------------------------------------
Now on the topic at hand, this latest news out of ABC (for me) is just one more reason to *continue* boycotting ABC/Disney.

If this clown wants to perpetuate the "liberal media" myth fine, but not without paying the consequences such as boycotts of their businesses *and* being publicly exposed as a tool of the conservative liars party.

These clowns (including Rush, Savage, Hannity, Bill'O, and the rest) have more in common with bullies in a school lunch room than mature adults.
The immature, malevolent, and always innacurate rantings of the Bush apologists are obvious for those with a brain, a heart, and knowledge of current events.

Now regarding the bleating sack of ______ (you can fill in your favorite term of endearment) Rush Limbaugh....

After hearing about, then seeing his unforgiveable attack on Michael J. Fox, my first reaction was "oh how I'd like to have 2 minutes alone with this bastard" (I'm sure that I'm not the only one, eh?).
Well it's now a day later, and after his defiant 'non-apology' I must say that the feeling has only gotten stronger.
Of course that's not an option (for me), although if I *heard* about someone assaulting him I'd have to say that [head]Rush probably got what he deserved.
Of course, violence is not the way to solve problems, but I do have to admit that there is a part of me that would enjoy seeing him have his jaw broken (then permanently wired shut).

I have to assume that he's beefed-up his personal security since then (maybe he's using Bill O'Really's [imaginary] Fox security team?) but I'd bet that he's looking over his shoulder even more than usual after this latest a$$burst.

Even for an assclown like Limbaugh, this is a *new* low for the reich-wingers...
What's next Rush, making fun of people with deformities, the blind/deaf?

Has anyone from the 'right' come out and publicly called Limbaugh on this?
..and *why* isn't the "liberal media" all over this, eh?

Are these adults or overgrown schoolchildren?
That little sh!t Tucker Carlson and his producer/sidekick were making fun of someone the other day and I thought to myself, is what they have to offer, and what *kind* of human being listens to this (and continues to tune in)?

Juvenile put-downs and making fun of others is much of what many of the conservative blowhards have to offer (oh, and helping to push the conservative agenda [of lies and half-truths] by being Bush apologists and repeating the WH's talking points).

Too bad Tucker isn't more like Margaret Carlson (no relation). She seems so thoughtful and good. Tucker Carlson, not so much. He's just another willing tool for the evil known as the Republican party (as we currently know it).

This latest example of sub-human thinking from Rush Limbaugh is the most disgusting example of conservative BS since the GOP's 'swiftboating' of war veterans (who actually had the guts to put their LIVES on the line for their country) like Max Cleland, John McCain (yes, they'll eat their own in pursuit of power), John Kerry, etc..

Is there a depth that the GOP can sink to below this latest example by Limbaugh?
Well, there's close to two weeks left, and what I'm seeing is desperation (with a capital "D") on the GOP's part.

Nothing it seems is too distasteful or beneath them [to try] at this point.
Their plan for victory seems to consist of lies about their opposition and general FUD*.

They're trying to run on the economy ('Greed is GOOD', and 'Don't pay any attention to the trillion dollar deficit behind the curtain'), but that's not gaining any 'traction' compared to the war, all the Republican scandals, and idiots like Limbaugh making fun of one of America's beloved actors (and a genuinely good man) Michael J. Fox.

That's ALL the GOP has to offer America, scandals, lies and FUD!


*Fear, Uncertaintity, and Doubt.

Saturday, October 21, 2006

The author of this article is a lazy IDIOT!

Businesses Embracing Firefox As The Other Browser - Windows News by InformationWeek: "The increase is likely driven by employee demand for Firefox, which can be deployed without disruption to other desktop applications, Wilcox said. Workers apparently have found the browser's features, which include the popular tabbed browsing, more useful than the older Internet Explorer 6 from Microsoft Corp.

The feature gap, however, has vanished with the release out of beta this week of Internet Explorer 7. But few businesses are expected to deploy the browser upgrade until they install Vista, Microsoft's major Windows upgrade that's set for release to businesses in November."
----------------------------------------------------
The author of this article is either ignorant or stupid (you decide).
--
He seems to imply that because IE now has 'tabs' it's equal to Firefox. That's a load of crap. I've downloaded and installed IE7 with no problems during the install, but that didn't last long. The first thing I noticed is that if I minimize the window before letting the window draw/open fully, I can't get the window to open from the toolbar.
--
Nothing happens if I either click or dbl-click the toolbar icon (for the open program), and you get nothing (open-close-minimize) if you R-click the icon either!
--
I had to close the program down using the Task Manager!
--
Second, the few 'add-ons' (compare to Firefox's 'extensions') available are no comparison to the excellent extensions that are available for Firefox, the most important (to me) being "NoScript" that blocks scripts until [I] allow them.
--
The following quote from the article is bullshit: "The feature gap, however, has vanished with the release out of beta this week of Internet Explorer 7.".
--
This crap journalism pisses me off, for one because many mainstream journalists have been disparaging the blogosphere for not having journalistic 'standards'... Well, this major publication's editor(s) let this load of crap out for public consumption. Granted it's not as bad as the entire MSM letting the Bush administration BS them AND the public into a WAR (without challenging their statements), but it's the same journalistic laziness contributing to both. And BOTH contribute to a poor product, neither serving their audience as they're supposed to.

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Copy of my post at Think Progress regarding Chris Wallace's biased reporting

The following is a copy of my post here at the Think Progress web site:

1. Regarding the font size, try "Ctrl +". It takes a split second to increase the size of the font.

OR

Try my setup. I use Firefox and a nice little 'extension' called "NoSquint". It allows you to set an overall (global) text percentage (mine's at 120%), then you can also have settings for individual web sites (like this site or Daily Kos) if you like.

It's a great help for those with 'older' eyes, or anyone who finds the type on certain web sites hard to read.

2. This was a test* of Chris Wallace's (and Fox News') journalistic INTEGRITY.

Yes, I know they (Chris Wallace AND Fox News) don't have any. They are part of the group that thinks that 'reality' in political news coverage (and politics in general) is for wimps.
The GOP (and their propoganda wing Fox News along with the other MSM 'enablers') seems to be working with the philosophy of "Perception is the [new] Reality".

Now without getting into the [true] philisophical argument of perception and reality (I believe that perception IS reality, although as your knowledge changes so should [your] reality), I believe that Rove and his minions use the public's ignorance on many/most issues to create their own reality (so far as their 'less than informed' (a kinder way of saying "ignorant") viewers/listeners know).

Sort of like "What they don't know won't hurt [us]"....
(to hell with what's right or what's truly best for our Country and our Constitution I gather).

Well my good people of the United States of America, we can't live and prosper (not to mention being the role model most of the world had come to respect) while living in a fantasy world created by Karl Rove and unchallenged by 99% of the MSM!

The raw power of this country has to be tempered with mature leaders who realize that along with great power comes great responsibility, and just because we CAN do something doesn't mean that we SHOULD!

Our current 'leaders' obviously don't subscribe to that judicious use of power. To the contrary, they seem to be giving the rest of the world (or at least those who disagree with our policies) the middle finger, and saying to them "if you don't like it, TOUGH!"

That's a heck of a foreign policy there George...
Way to bring people together...

Maybe instead of reading "My Pet Goat", King George and his foreign policy team should all read "How to Win Friends and Influence People" (maybe someone could read it [to] George).

I'm starting to see a few cracks in the MSM's reporting of what to this point has been mostly a free ride to this administration. Not much mind you, but some.
At times I wonder if [they] know the 'truth' and ignore it, or are they guilty of lazy journalism?

Those of us who are fairly informed citizens are outraged when we see politicians interviewed, and are allowed to repeat false claims without any challenge whatsoever from the interviewer.
Doesn't this go against everything journalism is supposed to stand for?
And what ever happened to the "Who-What-Where-When and Why" rule of news reporting?
I see it all the time, especially on the [so-called] 24-hour news cable channels. Most of the time you might get 2-3 of the five, but most of the time I'm left saying to myself "But wait, what about ..."(fill in the blank).

In closing, Chris Wallace should be considered [one of] the posterboys/girls for bad journalism.
My limited vocabulary and writing skills don't do justice to this situation I'm afaid, but I have faith that those without my limitations will continue on this topic and somehow get through to those who somehow still believe in this administration's propoganda and who don't realize that much of the 'news' that they get (mostly through the cable/broadcast networks MSM) is either wrong or at best
incomplete.

Note: I regularly urge people to regularly visit web sites like "Media Matters for America" to realize all the news that they're NOT getting. Most of those people had no idea how much crap they were being fed, and considered themselves fairly well-informed.

It's nearly a full time job to keep yourself informed to the point where you can tell if the talking head is doing their job and leaving the viewers with the correct impression.
Unfortunately 99+% of the time my feeling is NO, viewers were NOT left with the actual facts. More often than not viewers are left with false impressions or outright propoganda provided by those who speak for this administration.
Journalists are SUPPOSED to be skeptical and not take things on face value, but VERIFY statements before reporting them as factual.

When I was much younger (and had more brain cells) I thought I wanted to become a photojournalist/reporter.
That idea died when the MSM decided to help the 'Let's get the Clintons' witch hunt to the detriment of the actual important issues of the time.
On the other hand, honorable journalists (with integrity) are desperately needed as much as we've ever needed them.
I'd like to believe that journalism schools ARE teaching independent thinking, fact-checking, healthy skepticism, and keeping personal beliefs OUT of ther reporting.
So what is happening when these graduates go to work for outfits like CNN-MSNBC-and the like (God knows why people go to work for the likes of Fox News Channel when it's notorious for biased reporting)? Do they put what they've been taught aside because of their editor/bosses agenda?

All I know is that most of the time the 'product' that's provided to inform the public, supposedly in an unbiased manner (doing the job that journalism in a free society is supposed to do) is defective.

If only news outlets provided a 'warranty' for their 'product'.
The public is sopposed to be able to TRUST that the 'news' they're presented is factual and unbiased.
Most MSM news channels should be sued on the basis that
they have breached that trust.

Sorry for the long post, but it's a disturbing subject, and once I get started I have a LOT to say.

*Is there something lower than an "F" that we can grade his/their 'integrity' with?
Hopefully with a "U" for "Unacceptable to the American people"?

Monday, September 04, 2006

Reprint of Keith Olbermann's commentary on Rumsfeld's recent speech.

Thank you Keith Olbermann. You are an excellent role model for journalists from all media, especially the ones who have been neglecting the true job of journalism in a free society.

NOTE: To save Crooks and Liars some bandwidth, the video of Keith's commentary is also available on YouTube.


Crooks and Liars » Keith Olbermann Delivers One Hell Of a Commentary on Rumsfeld:

"The man who sees absolutes, where all other men see nuances and

shades of meaning, is either a prophet, or a quack.

Donald H. Rumsfeld is not a prophet.

We end the countdown where we began, our #1 story.

with a special comment on

Mr. Rumsfeld’s remarkable speech to the American Legion

yesterday. It demands the deep analysis - and the sober contemplation - of every

American.

For it did not merely serve to impugn the morality or

intelligence - indeed, the loyalty - of the majority of Americans who

oppose the transient occupants of the highest offices in the land;

Worse, still, it credits those same transient occupants - our

employees - with a total omniscience; a total omniscience which neither

common sense, nor this administration’s track record at home or abroad,

suggests they deserve.

Dissent and disagreement with government is the life’s blood of

human freedom; And not merely because it is the first roadblock against the

kind of tyranny the men Mr. Rumsfeld likes to think of as "his" troops still

fight, this very evening, in Iraq.

It is also essential. Because just every once in awhile… it

is right - and the power to which it speaks, is wrong.

In a small irony, however, Mr. Rumsfeld’s speechwriter was

adroit in invoking the memory of the appeasement of the Nazis.

For, in their time, there was another government faced with true

peril - with a growing evil - powerful and remorseless.

That government, like Mr. Rumsfeld’s, had a monopoly on all the

facts. It, too, had the secret information. It alone had the true

picture of the threat. It too dismissed and insulted its critics in

terms like Mr. Rumsfeld’s - questioning their intellect and their

morality.

That government was England’s, in the 1930’s.

It knew Hitler posed no true threat to Europe, let alone to

England.

It knew Germany was not re-arming, in violation of all

treaties and accords.

It knew that the hard evidence it had received, which

contradicted it’s own policies, it’s own conclusions - it’s own omniscience - needed to be

dismissed.

The English government of Neville Chamberlain already knew

the truth.

Most relevant of all - it "knew" that its staunchest critics

needed to be marginalized and isolated. In fact, it portrayed the foremost

of them as a blood-thirsty war-monger who was, if not truly senile - at

best morally or intellectually confused.

That critic’s name… was Winston Churchill.

Sadly, we have no Winston Churchills evident among us this

evening. We have only Donald Rumsfelds, demonizing disagreement, the way

Neville Chamberlain demonized Winston Churchill.

History - and 163 million pounds of Luftwaffe bombs over England

- had taught us that all Mr. Chamberlain had was his certainty - and his own

confusion. A confusion that suggested that the office can not only make the

man, but that the office can also make the facts.

Thus did Mr. Rumsfeld make an apt historical analogy

excepting the fact that he has the battery plugged in backwards.

His government, absolute and exclusive in its knowledge, is not the

modern version of the one which stood up to the Nazis. It is the modern

version of the government… of Neville Chamberlain.

But back to today’s Omniscient Ones.

That about which Mr. Rumsfeld is confused is simply this:

This is a Democracy. Still. Sometimes just barely. And as such,

all voices count - not just his. Had he or his president perhaps

proven any of their prior claims of omniscience - about Osama Bin

Laden’s plans five years ago - about Saddam Hussein’s weapons four years ago

- about Hurricane Katrina’s impact one year ago - we all might be able to

swallow hard, and accept their omniscience as a bearable, even useful

recipe, of fact, plus ego.

But, to date, this government has proved little besides its own

arrogance, and its own hubris.

Mr. Rumsfeld is also personally confused, morally or

intellectually, about his own standing in this matter. From Iraq to

Katrina, to flu vaccine shortages, to the entire "Fog of Fear" which continues to envelope this

nation - he, Mr. Bush, Mr. Cheney, and their cronies, have - inadvertently

or intentionally - profited and benefited, both personally, and politically.

And yet he can stand up in public, and question the morality and

the intellect of those of us who dare ask just for the receipt for the

Emporer’s New Clothes.

In what country was Mr. Rumsfeld raised?

As a child, of whose heroism did he read?

On what side of the battle for freedom did he dream one day

to fight?

With what country has he confused… the United States of

America?

The confusion we - as its citizens - must now address, is

stark and forbidding. But variations of it have faced our forefathers, when

men like Nixon and McCarthy and Curtis LeMay have darkened our skies and

obscured our flag. Note - with hope in your heart - that those earlier

Americans always found their way to the light and we can too.

The confusion is about whether this Secretary of Defense, and

this Administration, are in fact now accomplishing what they claim the

terrorists seek: The destruction of our freedoms, the very ones for

which the same veterans Mr. Rumsfeld addressed yesterday in Salt Lake City,

so valiantly fought.

And about Mr. Rumsfeld’s other main assertion, that this country

faces a "new type of fascism."

As he was correct to remind us how a government that knew

everything could get everything wrong, so too was he right when he

said that - though probably not in the way he thought he meant it.

This country faces a new type of fascism - indeed.

Although I presumptuously use his sign-off each night, in feeble

tribute… I have utterly no claim to the words of the exemplary journalist

Edward R. Murrow.

But never in the trial of a thousand years of writing could

come close to matching how he phrased a warning to an earlier generation of

us, at a time when other politicians thought they (and they alone) knew

everything, and branded those who disagreed, "confused" or "immoral."

Thus forgive me for reading Murrow in full:

"We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty," he said, in 1954.

"We must remember always that accusation is not proof, and that conviction

depends upon evidence and due process of law.

We will not walk in fear - one, of another. We will not be

driven by fear into an age of un-reason, if we dig deep in our history

and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men;

Not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate, and to

defend causes that were - for the moment - unpopular."

And so, good night, and good luck."

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Tom DeLay Gives Green More Than $30,000; Green Votes to Protect DeLay.....

I guess Tom Delay and Mark Green don't care how obvious this looks. Is it desperation, or do they just assume that since they're Republicans they're above the law?

read more | digg story

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Sen. Stevens May Appear on "Daily Show" to Defend Internet Tube Comments

Mocked by comedian Jon Stewart for calling the Internet a bunch of tubes, U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens said on Thursday he is open to going on Stewart's popular "Daily Show" for a rebuttal.

read more | digg story

Monday, July 24, 2006

Nancy Grace is a DIS-Grace! Elizabeth Smart is my hero.

Crooks and Liars » Elizabeth Smart puts Grace in her place: "
Elizabeth Smart puts Grace in her place
By: John Amato on Wednesday, July 19th, 2006 at 8:33 PM - PDT

NG_Smart.jpg Nancy Grace interviewed Elizabeth Smart, the young girl who was abducted from her bedroom when she was fourteen years old and couldn’t have been more insensitive to her feelings on the topic of her abduction. Elizabeth is trying to help get a new sex offender bill passed through the House and Senate so she agreed to be on the show to promote the bill.

Video-WMP Video-QT

Grace did her best to act overwrought with anguish and kept reminding Elizabeth how victims don’t like to talk about what happened to them. What does she do then? Nancy keeps asking her what happened and uses some of the most inane questions I’ve heard. At one point Smart looked over to the left as if Grace was out of her mind. Finally she told Grace to back off."

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Sorry about the lack of postings lately..

Just an FYI to explain why I haven't posted much lately.

My dear father passed away on April 7th, he was 82.

This is my second experience with a family member dying, but the first time (my oldest brother) didn't seem as 'real' because he stayed away from the family most of his life and my letters to him were never passed along by my mother. The last time I saw him I think I was around 13.

So losing my Dad hit me VERY hard. The whole reason for me moving to NH was to be close to him, and now that he's gone I feel really lost.

It's also hard because I'm surrounded now with most of his belongings that I don't feel worthy of having. I could have visited him a LOT more, I could have helped him a lot more, and I SHOULD have talked with him more about so many things (including our family's history)...

Yes, I know these are familiar 'regrets' to those who have experienced losing a parent, but for now I'm having to deal with the second guessing and guilt.

I've been starting to post 'comments' again at my favorite web sites, and before long I expect to return to posting here and my other blogs.

For me, posting my thoughts/comments on the web seems to help me keep whatever's left of my sanity in these troubling times. It really doesn't matter if it appears that few people read them (or COMMENT on them [here]), it works for me.

It's SO much better than just yelling back at my TV (my neighbors must LOVE that!).

As it stands now, the only MSM 'news' programming that I watch is "The Daily Show" and "Countdown w/ Keith Olberman", the rest are pathetic shows seemingly focused on the status-quo, rarely challenging theWhite Houses point of view/statements, treating the news like entertainment instead of questioning the false reality the White House press office (now with more FOX-itude!) trys to feed us.


PS: I have to apologize to my relatives for not keeping them posted on my father's condition. I was so overwhelmed during his last months I did very little. I feel like I let them down.

Unfortunately the same thing could happen again, soon. My mother suffers from altzheimers and is in a (wonderful) facility in Florence, Mass., but the disease is progressing (as it does) with no cure.

I'll always have some familiar sayings my father was fond of to help me through:
"This too shall pass",
and
"Keep smiling"..........

I miss Dad SOOOO much.

Saturday, July 01, 2006

This IS a typo, right ?

Talkback - Is Windows Vista Back on Track?

There are a million jokes just waiting to come from this *typo?* on the Microsoft-Watch.com site. That is, if it IS a typo...... {:-)

Friday, June 30, 2006

Can you spell i-n-c-o-m-p-e-t-e-n-c-e ?

Shortfalls could spell major Internet disruption

...I bet GW can't, but he sure has a way with picking incompetent people.

Anyway, this can't be blamed directly on dumbass, or even the current administration. But if there's one thing that's been missing from this and every other area of government the last 6 years is a competent leader in the White House.

One who, in complicated times such as these, has the skill to pick effective, honest, proven leaders* in their field who can "herd the cats" as it were, and resolve these dangerous deficiencies of our government's critical infrastructure. And also a leader at the top who, when bureaucratic red tape stalls needed supplies/measures (like what happened after Hurricane Katrina), has the strength and common sense to step in and get things moving.

Unfortunately, some Red Cross workers 'kept things moving' in the dispersement offices to the tune of over a billion dollars of waste and fraud.
That now takes more public money to identify the extent of the abuse, find and attempt to prosecute the (thousands?) of individuals and companies who defrauded the government, when effective leadership could have prevented most of the problems in the first place.

It sometimes seems like what's been going on in Washington DC during the 'Years in the Bush' resembles something Alice might have seen through her looking-glass. Especially when it comes to good-bad/right-wrong/smart-stupid.

It also seems that the diehard Bush faithful have looking-glasses directly implanted in ther brain.
But, maybe it's because they have their heads so far up their asses that they can't see anything so they just recite their republican talking points, over and over......

again I digress.... (I AM the 'Digressor'! I am NOT the 'Decider')

Then they can move on to something just as important, waste, fraud, and abuse.... oh, and corruption, and how about the fact that many of our elected leaders give preference to the wishes of lobbyists over the needs/wishes of the majority of their constituents (not just a vocal 'moral' minority for instance, or blindly along party lines).

Stay tuned for an ongoing series of blog entries titled
"I want a President who...".

And if anyone accidentally stumbles upon this site and feels like commenting about what you want in our
next President, PLEASE DO !


*NOT losers like Brown and the current FEMA (leadership ?)
(1.5 BILLION in fraud and counting....).

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Thank you Mick Jagger !

Instead of quietly aquiessing, possibly mindfull of the eminence and honor of the office of the President of the United States of America, that was not the case recently when Mick Jagger was asked to give up a 'Presidential Suite' he and the band had reserved, so that President Bush and his staff could stay there.

The answer was no*.

No, things are different these days, and instead of honor, this president has brought nothing but dishonor and distrust of himself, his policies, and his disasterous choices for posts in his administration and the judicial bench.

Unswayed, either by public opinion or reality on the ground, this president stumbles forward like the incompetent dufus that he is, screwing up the world for next generation to deal with and at the same time helping to make his fat cat billionaire friends even richer.

I can't be the only one who laughed out loud the first time they heard this president tell the American people that 'he wished that there was something he could do to help lower the ever rising gasoline prices'......

.......but, as usual I've digressed from the subject.

Mick Jagger and the band, in so many words, told president Bush and his staff to 'bugger off' !!!

Now if were any other president I'd be upset and defensive of our president and the office he represents. But in this case it is, as the saying goes, PRICELESS....

Thanks Mick, we needed that !

*I guess the president couldn't get no sa-tis-fac-shunnn...
(As the great one used to say, "How sweet it is....." !)

BTW: I recall during one of the campaigns for president, the republicans poo-poohed the idea that the europeans (by a large margin) preferred John Kerry over George Bush, and even though they knew the truth they sold a lie to the American people, just like they sold the multiple lies about the threat that Hussein posed.
Well personally republicanos, I'd say that this 'snub' is more of an indication of what the majority of europeans (and most of the rest of the world I'd bet) think of Mr. Bush and his administration's policies around the world than the version of reality you tried to push.

Tuesday, January 31, 2006

LookSmart's Furl - The HRHS1975 Archive

LookSmart's Furl - The HRHS1975 Archive: "Progress Report Archives 2006 - American Progress Action Fund
Rated 5 in Politics on Feb 1, 2006 at 00:23:58 GMT.

Note: These are my comments/links from my "Furl" archive:

I'm preparing for this State of the Union Address the same way I've prepared for the previous ones..... by wearing the tallest boots I can find!

Obviously when Bush was a child he could never quite grasp the lesson behind the story of Pinnochio (and obviously neither could the people he hired to be in his administration).

- Regarding the culture of corruption, secrecy, and lies prevalent in DC during this administration, the words of Jack Nicholson's charachter in Batman keep ringing in my ears....'This town needs an enema!'. True, he wasn't speaking of Washington DC, but he could have been.
Though the biggest crime in DC (since Watergate/Contra Scandal) will be if Bush DOESN'T get impeached.

Although I feel that Democrats would be more responsible than the Republicans have proven themselves to be controlling the White House, Senate, and Congress, this should be somehow forbidden. It just doesn't make sense to me. How can 'checks and balances' work if ONE party controls everything, and change the rules (like the Republicans did) when the rules don't work for THEM.

The ETHICS committee is (theoretically) there to maintain the ethics rules, but instead of doing their job the Republican dominated committee does whatever the party bosses tell them to do (and that rarely has anything to do with ethics).

We have, and are witnessing the most corrupt, uncaring, and incompetent government in most of our lifetimes.
America needs to wake the HELL up!

It should be SOME comfort, but the fact that [I] didn't vote for Bush doesn't offer me any, but I'm still left scratching my head when I try to figure out why SO MANY other Americans did.

--- STUPID PEOPLE!...unless you're rich and have no heart (or benifit from one of the no-bid contracts, or other cronyism) you should've had NO legitimate reasons to vote for him. The false claim that the Republican party can 'protect' America better than the Democrats is LUDICROUS! That's one reason why the Bush White House is doing everything it can (legally/illegally) to try to prevent another 9/11-type attack which it knows would undermine the inane claim that "we're fighting them over there, so we don't have to fight them HERE" claim.
The Republican" party has proven itself lately to be largely corrupt, inept, unethical, and careless when it comes to foreign relations, use/abuse* of power, reporting their actions to the American people, and caring for the underprivilaged in our 'great' country. Instead, they screw the poor, let the rich (people and corporations) do what they want (by LEGALLY avoiding the TAXES that pay for OUR government, leaving the rest of us to pay them AND live with a huge budget deficit [as opposed to the budget SURPLUS we had when Clinton was president and the Democrats controlled things]), bully the rest of the world when they don't do our bidding, and have generally screwed things up from day one.

--- Should that be rewarded? -- ...uh, NO!!!

*Actually they're very good at the abuse part.