All posts by Ross

Media, Politics, War On Terror

War Coverage Down

Coverage by U.S. media of the Iraq war, war on terror, or whatever you want to call it, is down 7% to 15%, down from 22%. Could it be that good news isn’t news to the MSM? Its just another conflict with the their mission, which is to discredit the administration and the war. Reporting of any good news would not advance their position. Its just that simple.

Taken together, the war’s three major story lines — the U.S. policy debate, events in Iraq and their impact on the U.S. homefront — slipped roughly a third, to 15 percent of an index of total news coverage, down from 22 percent in the first three months of the year.

This doesn’t jibe with assertions by progressives that the Right controls the media. The truth seems otherwise.

Fairness Doctrine, Media, Russia

Putin And Freedom Just Disagree

Intent on reliving the Cold War, Russian President Vladimir Putin is ramping up military spending in response to an anti-missile defense system proposed by the United States for the Czech republic and Poland. A system that Putin chose to not be a part of. And now Putin has kicked out the BBC from Russian FM radio. The pattern here is that to Putin, the concept of freedom is evil and dangerous. Something to be squelched at all cost.

Earlier this summer Mr Putin upped the ante by threatening to target US strategic nuclear sites in Europe. Tensions with Britain over the murder of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko have prompted tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats, while on Friday the BBC’s World Service was thrown off Russian FM radio.

As far as freedom of speech goes, Vladimir Putin (Russia) and Hugo Chavez (Venezuela / Citgo) are fully on board with the Fairness Doctrine and execute (no pun intended) it perfectly. And the domestic media doesn’t so much as shrug its shoulders over it. Doesn’t fit the template. The left wants the fairness doctrine as the tool that will effectively gag the right when it comes to radio. Secretly, they’re jealous at the way Putin can do it. They both have similar views on freedom of speech. Which is, if we agree with it then its OK. If we don’t then its hate speech, or in Putin’s case, treasonous speech. There is no debate, just shut them down. That’s the purpose of the so-called Fairness Doctrine.

In true liberal fashion, the Fairness Doctrine goes like this. Because we can’t beat them in the marketplace or the arena of ideas, we’ll get the government to take our side and force them to put us on their airtime. That’s not my idea of freedom of speech.

Uncategorized, War On Terror

And Another Thing

After four years, French diplomat visits Iraq. Political face-time has its place. Oh and Iran’s president also may pay a visit to Baghdad. Keeping your friends close, and your enemy closer.

Bernard Kouchner, the French foreign minister, arrived in Baghdad on Sunday on the highest-level visit by a French official to Iraq since the 2003 invasion.

All while a 60 yr old grandmother was killed by a camel apparently trying to mate, with her.

The 10-month-old male camel — weighing about 330 lbs — knocked the woman to the ground, lay on top of her, then exhibited what police suspect was mating behaviour, Mr Gregory said.

Uncategorized

Jamaica Uses Buses For Evacuation

Preparing Jamaica for hurricane Dean, the Jamaican government uses buses to evacuate people from low lying areas.

Jamaica’s government urged people to flee low-lying and landslide-prone areas, buses were marshaled to transport evacuees and police and troops were put on alert.

Aside from the effect of displacing the coastal populations and its affect on the economy, the crops, which is their economy beyond tourism, are getting heavily damaged or destroyed.

Dean destroyed all of Martinique’s banana crop and 70 percent of its sugar cane. Around 80 percent of the banana plantations in nearby Guadeloupe were also destroyed, causing $161 million in losses there.

Media, Russia, Uncategorized

Mind Control, Russian Style

You really need a sense of humor to read Vladimir Putin’s paper, Pravda. Pravda is the equivalent of the daily KOS when it comes to the rhetoric and theories. Like this one, “Russians have psychotronic weapon to zombie people” in the science section.

But that’s only half the story. You have to know why Russians need psychotronic weapons.

In the USA researchers work on psychotronic effect and employ oriental psychophysical systems, hypnosis, neurolinguistic programming, computer psychotechnologies and bio-resonance stimulation in their studies. They seek every opportunity of manipulating human behavior. Israeli researchers conduct similar studies to help people reveal their new potential through self-regulation, changing their consciousness and improving the psychical body potential for athletes. What is more, they also make secret technologies for programming human behavior that are based on mathematical simulation of the Kabbala symbolism.

Aside from sounding ridiculous, on page three the expert admits it.

Boris Ratnikov says that he has never had a chance to hold such a weapon and has no idea how it may look at all. But he supposes that modern technical resources allow making this weapon these days as all theoretic materials necessary for the production have been completely developed.

And this is the kind of media that President Putin wants his people to see.

Pravda link

Uncategorized

More Kids Killing Kids In Philadelphia

1 Comment

The murder rate in Philadelphia is still going up. And its kids doing the killing.

The first incident occurred about 4 p.m., when a 23-year-old man was found severely wounded in East Germantown. The fourth in the cluster happened shortly after 6 p.m., when a gunfight broke out among spectators attending a youth basketball game at a recreation center in North Philadelphia near Brewerytown.

When that exchange was over, a 17-year-old boy was left dying of multiple shots to the torso; a wounded 18-year-old man and an automatic weapon were found inside a bathroom at the rec center; and police had arrested one of the alleged shooters.

2008 Election, Judiciary, Politics, Supreme Court

Way More Than The Lincoln Bedroom

Who believes that the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Bill worked, that is, did it accomplish what it was intended to accomplish? Of course not, and right from the start. Now, how effective do you think the ethics legislation just passed is? More importantly, how can Nancy Pelosi claim this as historic legislation? Because she’s Nancy Pelosi of course. Take pay for access
for example.

In a day and at a time when political ethics issues cast a pall on Washington D.C. caused by ‘special interests’ that influence politicians with money (all out of the kindness of their shareholders’ heart), with NO expectation of government decisions favorable to their company, you might be surprised to hear about this. . .

The host committees of 2008’s biggest political gatherings are soliciting corporations, wealthy individuals and others with a lot at stake in government decisions for seven-figure payments. In exchange, the givers receive all sorts of goodies, including access to lawmakers and other politicians. The more money the donors spend, the more access they get.

A million or five will get you a good meal and some face-time with the man, or woman. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. It does raise money necessary to conduct a campaign. It just seems like campaign finance reform is the one thing that politicians really don’t want but say they do.

The premise that special interests, aka money, are corrupting the politicians and that laws need to be made to limit the money, totally misses the point. If anyone is corrupt, it is the politician that does a quid pro quo or who otherwise breaks the law in money laundering and/or takes bribes like William Jefferson (D-La) did. It’s not the donor, it’s what the recipient does. Don’t re-elect a crook.

IMHO McCain-Feingold should be repealed. Despite what the SCOTUS says, limiting political speech is unconstitutional. Besides, it doesn’t work anyway.

WaPo: Convention Party Favors Include Face Time

Uncategorized

Wazzup?

Well, we’re back from a quickie vacation. Went a whole week without browsing the net or looking at network or cable news. That, in and of itself, also seems to have some benefits. The stay in Las Vegas was fun, not counting walking down the strip in 106 degree temperature.

Will probably return without the kids next time. 😉