If Only!

Scrappleface does it again!

February 19, 2005
Media Warned About Faux News
Advocacy Pieces by Scott Ott

(2005-02-19) -- Just a day after the U.S. comptroller general warned the White House against distributing simulated newscasts that promote administration policies without clearly stating the source, major U.S. media outlets including the New York Times, CNN and CBS News have received a similar advisory.

"Americans have a right to know whether there is an agenda or any bias behind the news reports they read, hear or view," said a spokesman from the FCC. "Just as the White House shouldn't try to accomplish its public relations goals with unattributed faux newscasts, so the editors at the Washington Post and MSNBC cannot hide their political agendas behind a patina of journalistic credibility."

The new warning includes guidelines for flagging so called 'agenda-driven' news to make sources and motivation more transparent to news consumers.

Under the terms of the new protocol, the New York Times, Washington Post and L.A. Times, for example, may continue their traditional 'news' coverage, but all sections of the papers will now be labeled 'Op-Ed.'

Televised news operations, like CNN or CBS, will be in compliance if newscasters simply wink at the camera at least once every 20 seconds during agenda-driven stories.

C'Mon, We Knew This!

Michelle I think has an opinion or two!

Will the US Come To Regret This?

Letting China in our back door for trade?

VD Hanson

Does anyone remember why Iraq? This should make it a bit clearer.

On The Gannon Kerfuffle

Interesting that the Eason Jordan story did not rise to the attention of the MSM, but this has. ~rolleyes~ Wizbang has this roundup and Howard Kurtz has an article on 'Gannon's' reaction today.

It's Weird. Bloggers Are The 'New' Media, Yet Seems We Are Older Than Would Be Thought

First was Captain Ed's wife, now Glenn's. Prayers are with her and her family.

Dang, This Is Good

Too good just to excerpt. I tried to just link to this morning, but blogspot thought not!

February 17, 2005

Know Thy Enemy: Blogs

There are these things called blogs out there run by salivating morons who work in lynch mobs to bring people down regardless of the facts. This seems like a dangerous new phenomenon, so I had my crack research staff find out all they could about blogs.

FUN FACTS ABOUT BLOGS

* The blog was invented by Edgar K. Blog in the 80's in attempt to spread lies for the sole purposes of evil. At the time, only two other people were reading the internet, but most experts say he was responsible for Black Friday.
* Blogs can simply turn on you at anytime for any reason. They attack without thought or provocation. Thus, make sure to always stay away from them and to disparage them in the media.
* A blog will use a dark art called the "hyperlink" to "link" to what you say in an attempt to slander you. If you see any blog using a hyperlink against you, immediately contact law enforcement to
get them to stop.
* If you see a geeky looking male or a slutty looking female in front of a laptop, he or she could be a blogger. Don't make eye contact or say anything in front of them or they will destroy you.
* On September 11th, bloggers spread rumors about some sort of terrorist attack leading to a war with Iraq so bloggers could get more oil - a raw material essential for blogging.
* Bloggers are particularly depraved individuals. One infamous blogger was caught putting puppies in blenders to make smoothies. He now has to do community service as punishment which he fulfills by murdering hobos.
* They say the shift in information by blogger lies was so great that it actually moved the earth leading to the recent tsunami.
* Be careful of letting your daughters read blogs. Some are known to use ploys called "T-Shirt Babe Contests" to lead unsuspecting women into their lairs.
* The only reason people blog is for the money which the so called “blogosphere” is full of. It is estimated that, by 2010, 90% of people will blog instead of work causing the destruction of the worldwide economy.
* Blogs can often appear as other types of website that have real information instead of lies. If you suspect you're reading a blog, immediately smash your monitor with hammer.
* If it's an LCD, cutting the screen should work too.
* I haven’t really tried that; it just feels like material you should be able to cut.
* In a fight between blogs and Aquaman, blogs would keep hounding Aquaman about supposed statements he made at Davos about U.S. troops deliberately targeting fish until he was forced to resign from his job at CNN.
* If you are part of the mainstream media, blogs will keep demanding facts and objectivity from you. Don't give in! If you cede to this demand, who knows what they'll ask for next!
* If under attack by bloggers, stop, drop, and roll. Just make sure there isn't a blogger with a digital camera nearby or he'll probably make a big deal out of it.
* If blogs continue in their present march of destruction, the regular media will fall and you'll get all your information from what some guy named "Phil" can hack out during his coffee break. Even the greatest minds in science fiction could not imagine such a dystopic future.

Posted by Frank J. at 09:16 AM

The Other Explanation Is That Jimmy Carter Is Obtuse

Ok math fiends, have at it.

I Feel So Much Better About Iran Now

Putin is 'convinced' that Iran has no plans to make weapons. I mean this wouldn't be self-serving or anything?

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=7557363

Why Kyoto or Not?

Found this an interesting site. I don't know how many others of you find friends asking or rather criticising the US for not signing on to this. It is interesting though that the Senate rejected the treaty 95-0.

A Sad Anniversary Note

Michelle is right to note it, doesn't make it easier to take. Personally I guess if I were forced to lose a loved one, 9/11 was the time. Those that came before and after seem but a footnote. That doesn't mean forgotten as much as not have entered the collected stream of consciousness.

Something To Get Worked Up About

It seems that some of the MSM have become unhinged following the Eason Jordan brouhaha. In this case a Tulsa, that would be Oklahoma; West my friends, West. Never heard of the Tulsa World? Well neither did I until today. Seems they are out to play MSM bully. Wizbang has at them.

Iraqi Election Map

Patrick Ruffini posts the above with analysis on the fly. Wait until he really has time to form an argument!

ANNOUNCING! The Carnival of Education

What a great idea! Thanks to the Education Wonks for hosting it. I look forward to reading the blogs that posted! The deadline for new submissions for the second Carnival is today, 2/15/05.

Captain's First Mate Resting Comfortably

Keep the prayers coming, they seem to be well on the way to being answered!

Will Iraq Bow To Iran?

The above analysis concludes that the top vote getters are tilted towards the religious beliefs of Iran and therefore the administration has bet on the wrong horse. I would offer a slightly different conclusion.

It seems from my readings that the administration was hoping for elections in which a significant portion of the citizenry participated in. They achieved that goal, beyond their expectations. I don't think anyone would argue that it would have been better if more Sunnis had participated, but even there are signs of hope.

Some Sunnis have decided they want to participate in the making of a constitution, http://washtimes.com/upi-breaking/20050205-020313-7332r.htm. There are indications that the Shiite's also want this to happen, to avoid the civil wars that are possible, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/02/06/MNGJ4B6Q001.DTL. While Iran is dominated by the Shiite faction, there are indications that the Iraqi Shiite leadership want their own imprimatur on their government. There seems little kowtowing to Iran here.

Truth to tell I am influence by the Iraqi bloggers, it seems to me that they want their country to have time to gain their footing, get a government going that serves the people, exploit their resources, and have a period of stability. They want the coalition to leave, once their objectives are met, meaning Iraq can care for itself, including its borders.

Iran on the other hand, seems determined to have confrontations with the West and Israel. They may or may not have had a hand in the assassination of the former PM of Lebanon, but this is a road that Iraq does not currently want to travel down. That is not saying that Iraq may not be a problem in the long run, but only time will tell. For now I wish them Godspeed.

Google Meets Eason Jordan Query

Too funny and too true. Just try googling Eason Jordan, bah!

Germany Has A Far Right Problem

Those of us that read foreign coverage, be it online news or blogs have a clue to what is happening in many European cities. I wish I could read them in their language, as I'm sure idioms are lost or mangled in translation. Nevertheless, I am aware and admit that this behavior in Germany worries me, not yet to the point of 'frightens' but worry, surely.

The LA Times Tries Something Novel and Promising

A column to bring mistakes to light, about 700 words according to Patrick Frey, aka Patterico. If the LA Times continues in this vein, they might just put bloggers out of a job. NOT! But it could change the focus of late.

Prayers For Captain Ed's Wife

Once again they have found a pancreas they think will work for the transplant, it sounds like very good news! Don't forget to add the donor's family in prayers of thanksgiving and comfort.