Monday, August 23, 2010

Yellow journalism Fox style

"Make a Hole Make it Wide"

Big Poppa's gotta apologize for last week's post. I must've still been stuck in vacation mode, because there was no intro or ending to the post!

Sunday morning came and the Sunday paper hadn't arrived yet, so I turned on the news for background noise as the coffee brewed. I didn't even know what I was listening to until I heard all this whining about other network coverage of this or that event. I checked the cable guide and it's some sad show on Fox called "Fox Media Watch."

"Why did NBC get to ride with the Stryker Brigrade?" "No one else did and that's this White House's usage of the Media for their own posturing." Really? Seriously? I guess 8 years of "Exclusive" White House coverage has turned you guys into the ignorant bratty kid on the Media block. We had 8 years of VP Dick Cheney at your studios while the door was slammed in the other Medias face.

There's a simple answer as to why NBC got the ride-along. THEY ASKED FOR IT!According to the Pentagon, no one from CBS, ABC, and so on never asked!

And then FMW's round table of whiners start to downplay the event by stating "well there are still 50,000 combat troops left, so why the exclusive on the Stryker Brigade?" Um, simple, those troops that are left, while stilling being combat ready are more for training and support services. This now begins the end of U.S. taxpayer funded administrations of Iraq operations. Or simply "it's time for Iraq to out on their big boy pants (or whatever they wear).

"Plus all the civilian corporations still working. Why no exclusive there?" Here's a thought, does the Media report on every corporation working in foreign lands? No, because that's not an exclusive, unless it's something awesome like restoring the oil fields. Oh wait no one did that, not even Fox. Or how about that story about the Coca-Cola driver in Bombay who saved the Pepsi driver from that horde of Muslim Soccer Moms? Oh wait, no one reported that either. Wonder why?

Heck the Media doesn't even report exclusives on corporations that do business with countries that are evil like say Halliburton and Iran! Oh no, that gets buried under some lame ass story about pigs with wings at the Iowa State Fair. Why?

If Iran is complete evil why are we not reporting on these companies? I sure as hell wouldn't want to be buying anything from a company that contracts with a country that supports our destruction. But most people don't care because they see it as business as usual.

The point is, the Media reports on whatever it can sensationalize, including Fox. Yellow journalism was running wild when Fox and others jumped all over the Sharon Sherrod story like rabid dogs, sensationalizing the story. As soon as story started to turn, Fox jumped off and blamed everyone else for false reporting, neglecting their own false reporting.

And the other whiney report that made me spit out my Starbucks! Morning Joe blend was how the other Media outlets reported on Media Corps (Fox News' corporate owner) $1 million donation to the GOP.

Media Corps has a history of reporting such actions of their fellow Media and when the table is turn, they try to portray themselves as a victim.

Big corporations contribute to political campaigns, everyone knows it, it's not a mystery. General Electric which owns NBC has the right to do so and the Supreme Court just validated it as so. Maybe, you guys at Fox Media Watch should've turned the story around and talked about how Media Corps CEO Rupert Murdoch contributed to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

Just like Imam Rauf, Fox forgets its reporting history. They praised Imam Rauf's PR work in the Muslim World after 9/11 and his work with the Bush Administration. Just as late as Dec 2009, Laura Ingram praise his wife during an interview for her work trying to get the Cultural Center started, even at it's current (now disputed) location.

And speaking more of the Ground Zero Mosque and Fox, over at the Sunday version of Fox and Friends, they had some nitwit NYV Construction worker on. Ok I shouldn't use the term nitwit, as I understand this gentleman lost friends at Ground Zero. But by stating "I'm all for them having a prayer mosque, just renovate the current building or rebuild it no higher then the current building." So wait, you're ok with them having a prayer mosque at Ground Zero, as long as it is no higher then 10 stories! And this guy was one of the organizers for the Sunday portest rally.

Oh look, the paperboy arrived, maybe the comics will be more educational.

Pay your political tab, vote this November

Monday, August 16, 2010

Pork, Sand, Mosques and Eisenhower?

1. Obama cowers on "ground zero" mosque-
People annoy me with their rants of "keep the federal government out of local and state issues." This is a great issue for not getting federal government involved.

Obama was correct in not getting the federal gov involved and stated it was a NYC issue. Also by using the "religious belief" of the US Constitution was the right move. Ever since he was elected people have stated Obama was out to destroy our Constitution, but even FOX News has backed him on this issue.

NYC Mayor Bloomberg has already stated he is not crazy about the idea, but as long as they follow all city codes, they can build there. That my friends is a weasel move.

Sure, it is morally wrong to allow the Mosque built so close, afterall there are 2 pray areas within 8 and 12 blocks of Ground Zero already. Both are too small and unlike the proposed "GZ" Mosque, they offer only pray area. The new Mosque is too be a YMCA model.

As ABC News has reported, Ground Zero is hallowed ground, but also has 2 Adult stores, 1 Betting Parlor, and 4 Strip Clubs within 5 blocks, should they not also be asked to move elsewhere. Times Square was once a sespool of filth and it took strong arm politics, emminent domain suits and such to clean it up. Imagine if a Strip club opened next to the Smithsonian, would people not be in disgust? Or Riverboat gambling rolled by the Jefferson Monument every hour, would people not protest for a different river traffic pattern?

Newt Gingrinch stated "Nazi can't put swatzikas at the Holocaust Museum..." True they cannot only because the Holocaust Musuem is on federal land. The "GZ" mosque is on private property, therefore not a federal issue.

One can compare this to people wanting Pres GW bush to get involved in the Terri Shiavo case some 4 or 5 years ago. Pres Bush was smart to stay away and say it was a state issue, especially during an election year. Thise that were up for re-election like Pa's Rick Santorum and others made their way to Florida to show "support" for Terry Shiavo, but it was merely a publicity stunt to save their job.

Just like Shiavo was a state issue, so is the "GZ" Mosque.


2. Pork Barrel thoughts-
Every year, my family and others take a trip down South to the beautiful Outer Banks, this year we ventured East to the wonderful beaches of Delaware. I lost count of all the Obama/Biden stickers in the parking lots. But walking along the beach, I overheard a few people grumbling about "sand dredging and pork barrel money."

By the time your feet hit the sand, it's usually a good 70 feet till you touch the first wave at both Bethany Beach and the Outer Banks, wonder why?
Sand dredging is the answer. Umm, many of the stateside beaches we as Americans enjoy visiting are all sand dredged to build them up for visitors and as storm barriers. So if you wanna complain about it, don't go and learn to pitch a tent in one of our beautiful state and federal campgrounds. Use that SUV for something.

3. Gates has the right idea-
Sec of Defense has the right idea and I applaud him for stepping up while others only talk about cutting deficits.

Eisenhower cut defense spending in his first term as President and moved the money to "Social" projects like a highway system that we use daily today. It was a risk, the Atomic Age was underway, Korea was at war, the French lost Vietnam, children were being taught to hide under their classroom desks, etc. But America was in need of an overhaul and Eisenhower knew it.

Much like today, we have rogue countries vying for Nuclear arsenals, our military needs replenished due to the cost of 2 wars and many "Social" projects are needed. But for the past 10 years, Congress has been a runaway truck of spending. Sure, up until 2008, the cost of those 2 wars were never on the books and now everyone sees the cost when the deficit is mentioned.

I give Sec gates credited for coming forth with his deficit proposals. Do we really need 2 engines for America's latest jet fighter? No, but you damn well every Senator/Representative is going to keep that 2nd engine alive, since it's parts are being built throughout 9 states!!

But neither side of the aisle has a true answer to cut spending. Each likes to point to the other and talk a big game, but never ever mentions which program they would cut to save the money.