Wednesday, December 09, 2009

CNN: Please, Turn Us Off! (Climategate)


CNN habitually provides a platform for the likes of Christopher Horner, a man essentially shouting fire in a crowded theater when it comes to global climate change.

It allows boldly asserted lies, e.g., his assertion that the climate change data has been fabricated, to go essentially unchallenged – as though the most outrageous statements need no refutation, and then CNN’s anchors (in this case Campbell Brown) take the provocateur’s statement as the predicate (“Climategate”) for a debate among responsible talking heads who are asked to defend against these baseless charges.


The result is irresponsible journalism of the most egregious kind. But 'good' TV as a TV producer might say. It's the modus operandi of this so-called news organization. Never, for example, in Horner’s case are his thoroughly disreputable and totally self-interested bonafides stated, let alone questioned. In fact, Horner’s only ostensible means of income is the CEI, an advocacy group based in Washington DC that calls itself "a non-profit, non-partisan research and advocacy institute dedicated to the principles of free enterprise and limited government,” but is, in fact ,a consortium of rabid, unrepentant and unscrupulous energy companies, energy company-owned foundations, and private foundations whose fortunes were amassed from tobacco and oil. But his wholely unfounded claims become the basis of a bogus discussion. His expertise, if he has one, is as a lawyer/lobbyist, a paid flack with no science background whatsoever. "Why," Campbell Brown then opines with a supercilious shake of her walnut mane, "Why would climate scientists around the world conspire to claim the earth is getting warmer?" What ensues, inevitably interrupted by the energy company pitbull Horner with snide insinuation and totally groundless authority, centers on what motivation NASA, NOAA and the world community of climate scientists could possibly have to conspire to rig data or falsify a conclusion about global warming. Reasons are inevitably offerred and apologies and explanations profferred. But the entire exercise is an obscenity -- a big lie. It’s an abuse of the air-waves. It should be punishable by FCC license revocation as once-upon-a-time it was.


CNN is simply a money-grubbing rumor-mill. No better than Fox in many ways, and hardly superior to the kind of ranting and hyperventilating found on MSNBC by Keith Doberman. Why do they do it?


Below, from Simulmedia.com are two graphs which explain why absolutely NO REPORTING of any kind was done for over two hours during CNN's promotion of the bogus balloon boy story October 15th, 2009.


As we see in the chart and graph below, the CNN ratings skyrocketed with the balloon’s flight last Thursday as the story first “aired.”

The set top box tune in to CNN Newsroom between 1 and 4 pm EST on October 15th was more than 1.6 times higher than on the three previous Thursdays at the same time. The tune in to The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer more than doubled in comparison to each of the three previous Thursdays. At 6:14pm EST, CNN reported that young Falcon Heene had been found. The story’s arc culminated for the night, and the prime time CNN ratings returned to normal levels.

The less obvious effects of spectacular viewership spikes on breaking news may prove more interesting.

http://www.simulmedia.com/2009/10/cnn-ratings-soar-with-the-balloon-boy/

simulmedia.com yuliya torosjan


(BLOG IN PROGRESS...)

Friday, November 27, 2009

POLITICAL CORRECTNESS, FT. HOOD & THE RIGHT


Or, You Can Get Anything You Want... Except An Honorable Discharge!!!

THE PALINS & CHENEYS who know so much about the armed forces in general, never having served, are leading the chorus of blathering 'tea-baggers' and morons-general, sounding the alarm of political correctness.

They hint, over and over, ad nauseum, that the reason Nidal Malik Hasan wasn't drummed out of the service before he became the shooter in the Fort Hood 'terrorist attack' -- and it's critical to them it be called a 'terrorist attack', as if the term weren't meaningless enough, believing there's political gold to be mined suggesting it represents a lessened level of alert now that W and his crew of incompetents are gone -- is that these days our armed services are incredibly sensitive to political correctness.


Are they insane?! Short answer: Yes. Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, these guys think driving a Hummer makes them military experts.

You don't get out of this man's Army, now or ever, particularly after they've spent HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of DOLLARS training your sorry-ass to become a DOCTOR, when you couldn't have got into a legitimate med school as a civilian with an automatic weapon -- just because you've printed up some business cards with SofA (Soldier of Allah) on it.

Or made your Muslim, anti-war on terror views publicly known. Or merely acted crazy.

"No way, Pal. You think this is going to get you a discharge?!" The Army Brigadeer says to Dr. Hasan when he submits his umpteenth discharge request. "Now, suddenly, you're a conscientious objector? I'll tell you what THIS is going to get you -- a deployment to Iraq!!

According to NPR, fellow students and faculty were strongly troubled by Hasan's behavior, which they described as "disconnected," "aloof," "paranoid," "belligerent," and "schizoid."
"And I walked in and sat down and they gave me a piece of paper, said,
"Kid, see the psychiatrist, room 604."

And I went up there, I said, "Shrink, I want to kill. I mean, I wanna, I
wanna kill. Kill! I wanna, I wanna see, I wanna see blood and gore and
guts and veins in my teeth!!!... And the sargent came over,
pinned a medal on me,sent me down the hall, said, "You're our boy."...

And when I finally came to the see the last man, I walked in
and I walked up and said, "What do you want?" He said,
"Kid, we only got one question. Have you ever been arrested?"

And I'm pleased to see this man's army hasn't changed one whit.

Friday, October 09, 2009

Obama Wins Cy Young & MVP in National League


"I'm humbled," The President said today when he heard of the announcements, "I'm honored, and I have to say I do think, in this case, the Cy Young, at least, is premature. " Off the record a surprised White House Staffer was heard to say, "What the 'eff'? Who's the American League going with, C.C. Sabathia?"

On the heels of the Nobel Peace Prize, an undeniable momentum seems to be building for the newbie Prez. At Harrah's, a representative for the Sports Book said it was, in his view, unprecedented. "I have to tell you, we haven't even made our book yet. But moving into the awards season, unofficially, he's odds-on to win Best Director, I shit you not."

Vegan: Won't Eat Anything That Has A Facebook Page



Creature from Vega

Given it's deeply held conviction about the sanctity of life, this visitor from a neighboring solar system has vowed NOT to eat social networkers. Weekdays.

Vega, of course, is the brightest star in the constellation Lyra, the fifth brightest star in the night sky and the second brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere, after Arcturus. It is a relatively nearby star at only 25 light-years from Earth, and, together with Arcturus and Sirius, one of the most luminous stars in the Sun's neighborhood.

So, it really makes a lot of sense that a being from Vega might take such a stance.

What is more surprising perhaps is what this reseacher discovered on his own:

RAPIDLY SPINNING STAR HAS COOL DARK EQUATOR



That's right, good diet can really make a difference in your appearance. And one thing it effects is your waist. If you're cutting down on fat calories stay away from empty ones.



Fox News Finds Commie Czars On Nobel Committee!


"Yes, 'Commie Czars'!, or, oops, correct that, 'commissars'... How do you pronounce that word? Where's my producer? Who works here now? This can't be right.. 'Obama wins the Nobel'? Okay. Would somebody please check the wire services. This is a joke...Isn't it? Frank,' Commissars' or ' Commie Czars', what am I supposed to be saying here?"

On an open mike, Fox News Announcer (or Correspondent) Carl Cameron was heard to mutter the above today. Yes, the President of the United States was handed the Nobel Peace Prize today, and, yes, Fox News has it on good authority -- none -- that members of the Nobel Prize committee are both communists and pre-soviet totalitarian royalists, the two not being mutually exclusive in the world of Fox News.

Which is more surprising, the enthusiasm for the Obama Presidency on the Nobel Committee, or the certainty it's the work of a conspiracy by America's number one source of cable news?


Wednesday, July 01, 2009

OUSTED HONDURAN PRESIDENT ZELAYA WON'T RETURN -- WILL ASSUME GOVERNORSHIP OF SOUTH CAROLINA!

Former President ZELAYA -- He's the new Governor!

In a cagey bit of state-craft Wednesday, the Obama administration defused two potentially volatile political situations with one move. Gov. Mark Sanford (R) of South Carolina in a bloodless su
rrender of power in Columbia announced that on Thursday he plans to vacate the remainder of his term. "I hope to devote myself full-time to interviews and a book of love poetry." One he said he's been hankering to write, "for quite some time now."

Meanwhile, President Zelaya will assume Sanford's duties, retaining the option to run for another term in 2010 -- a sticking point in the Honduran upheaval. In agreeing to assume the governorship, Zelaya is seen as avoiding a likely violent confrontation with the military and oligarchs in his native Honduras had he chosen to return.



Former Governor Sanford -- "He's Zelaya!" says his wife

Reports that the former Governor will go back to Honduras himself later this week seeking to serve out the remainder of President Zelaya's term are called 'premature'. An aide said, "Mark's experience with Latin America, though positive, has been very limited up to now. And he's not sure he's prepared to go there yet. In fact, avoiding an armed confrontation -- with his wife Jenny -- was what drove this decision in the first place."

Monday, April 06, 2009

Best Articles On The Economic Crisis / Credit Meltdown


Here are the best pieces by general consensus on our American-led worldwide economic woes, credit crunch, financial collapse. Up to now. No keywords excluded. All suggestions welcome.

Many will have read much that's here. Finally willing to take a look at the ongoing implosion, it was surprising not to find in googling a single site offerring the best of these worst of times.

Please don't hesitate to recommend links. Articles will be added as they appear. Michael Lewis's Portfolio.com piece is highly recommended.

Portfolio.com: The End Of Wall Streets Boom

Vanity Fair: Wall Street Lays Another Egg

Rolling Stone: The Big Takeover

Atlantic: Why Wall Street Always Blows It

Wired: Recipe For Disaster

Atlantic: How The Crash Will Reshape America: Meltdown Geography