The idea that a liberal media slants the news is I think prima facie foolish. Who are this media? They are often gigantic corporations and whatever you think of Hollywood and it's many liberal artists the function of Hollywood is to produce entertainment that sells. If that's naked women and pornography that's what you're going to get. If it's game shows because they don't cost much that is what you are going to get. Or if its endless remakes of previously successful blockbusters that's what you are going to get. Large news organizations want advertising dollars. They want the prestige of being first with a story and they want their names writ large, as did two famous cub reporters named Woodward and Bernstein. (And note that it was 2 new, inexperienced reporters who broke Watergate, not the established " big time" reporters. It was guys on the make who had no sources to loose who did the work, not the big shot famous guys with the by-lines).

The first time I read chapter 4 of Joyce's Ulysses I had no idea he was describing a black mass. I read the Prince Caspian books without a wit that they had any Christian theology in them. Most journalists are not TV personalities. Whatever their politics they attempt to call it as they see it and to get it right. TV journalism is a bit different. They are better paid, do less work and tend to be far more friendly with the sources of power. In the Valéry Plame affair to whom were the details of Wilson's role leaked? To Time Magazine, The New York Times, a conservative columnist and a Washington Post "journalist" who has since made a career out of his books based upon his access to power. The leaks were to "liberal" media but two of these never filed stories, one, only wrote parenthetically about it and the "conservative" turned out to be a traitor who, in my opinion deserves to be pilloried for his role. Considering Judith Miller's role in pushing for the war is she liberal or conservative or is it only important that the corporation she works for is considered important by those who hold power? It is fascinating to read that her reporting on the war, specifically WMD, has led some to conclude she has a "conservative" agenda. Woodward is far more interested in preserving his access to power and thus has more in common with "liberal" TV personalities, Matthew Cooper seems to have only wanted what all journalists want: to be the first to report a story. Very strange how the conservative fink, Novak, sang like the fat lady at the Opera while the two "liberals" maintained their promises of confidentiality till their sources released them of the promise.

The game of Washington leaks is old and bipartisan. Does anyone believe that Chaney did not sanction Libbey to leak Plame to these "safe" reporters from important corporate media outlets? The problem with the media is how cozy they are to power not their biases. Scandals sell, just as does sex and nothing drives the "liberal" media to paroxysms of passion as does a sex scandal. When the books are written-- and I enjoyed Frank Rich's thesis ["The Greatest Story Ever Sold: The decline of Truth form 9/11 to Katrina"], even if it is in the short run unprovable--it will be demonstrable that the liberal media was neither liberal nor conservative but lazy and fat. Washington journalists enjoyed being close to the players and power brokers and did not wish to risk those sources by doing any "real" work that might rock the boat and cause them to be cut off from the "background details" leaks, parties, and opportunities to rub shoulders with the powerful.

How many of you sell clients systems they do not need or add devices into systems that are unnecessary just to make a buck? Is not profit part of your self-interest? If you do the right thing despite the economic motivations to do otherwise why might not the "media" irrespective of their biases not also attempt to get the story right? The American media is big business and big business is about money, not truth, not bias ( unless it sells ) and not any particular point of view. The irony is that if anyone were to read a radical polemics, like a Paul Berman or Alexander Cockburn, article you might understand that those "liberals" are often tepid in comparison. The irony is that the information is present but you'd have to stop listening to digbat limpraw and senile Hannity, and turn off the TV and read and read and read. And then read and read some more. You don't need an Arabic speaking family member to find out what is going on in Iraq. You do need to stop getting the bulk of your information, as do most Americans, from TV or talk radio.

Alan

Alan,
How would you compare the "bias" of the "liberal" media outlets to that of Fox news? Have you read "Bias" by Goldberg or the John Stossel book? What did you think?

The "News Broadcasts" today are basically entertainment geared. Very little substance, however I DO like watching the BBC news now and then, but I don't base any of the stuff on Television or Radio as being very factual...Sensational & Biased - Yes - free of B.S.??? - No.

I actually get the clearest information from the political cartoonists' from around the world. It's amazing how some of the better political cartoonists can cut to the quick with an illustration or two.

WARMING ON HOLD? April's temperatures were below average...




DOC > NOAA > NESDIS > NCDC Search Field:


Climate Monitoring / Climate At A Glance / UNITED STATES / Help

UNITED STATES
Climate Summary
April 2007

The average temperature in April 2007 was 51.7 F. This was -0.3 F cooler than the 1901-2000 (20th century) average, the 47th coolest April in 113 years. The temperature trend for the period of record (1895 to present) is 0.1 degrees Fahrenheit per decade.

2.09 inches of precipitation fell in April. This was -0.34 inches less than the 1901-2000 average, the 30th driest such month on record. The precipitation trend for the period of record (1895 to present) is 0.01 inches per decade.



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Select from the options below to view graphs and tables of monthly temperature and precipitation data for the UNITED STATES , then click "submit

Substitute arms for oil related equipment, and you could be talking about Halliburton under Cheney...

I lost my respect for the popular media in 1991 during the Gulf War. A brother was serving in the Army at the time, and I was quite interested in what was happening.

Everyone may remember the nightly broadcasts from Saudi Arabia, breathless retelling of the day's Scud attack or Saddam's latest proclamation. The newscasters (I'll apply the term loosely) were always shown standing with some blue structures in the background, month after month. Later I found out those blue things were the covers for the pool at the hotel they were all staying at. They would collect the press releases from the military and government sources, walk out of the hotel, turn on the camera and produce a report. That, in my view, is not journalism but instead is re-reading of the press releases while on salary and and an expense account. Losers....

On the other hand we set a record high temp here on Monday, and I bet you did too down in Chicago, or were close to one.

Temparature fluctuates, so a one day warm event like Monday or a one month cool anomoly like April or a couple of cooler decades like 1950 to 1970 are meaningless. Even centuries. If you were to look at temparatures from the years 1000 to 1800 the temps dropped by a whole lot, but we went from a very warm period into a mini ice age. If you look at the years 1800 to today, temps have risen by a bunch coming out out that same cold period. A lot depends on the time frame you choose.

It has been kinda chilly here in So. Cal lately, for this area anyways. I am still wearing a sweatshirt in the morning. Still wearing shorts though...

Was there a UN sanction on selling oil drilling gear to Iraq? I don't recall. Were the shareholders of HAL opposed to the war until they got repaid? I don't recall that either. What was your point again?

BTW The oil companies in the US are the best globally. That's why they were hired 15 years ago to put out the fires from the first Gulf War and thats why they are there now.

How about all the $$$ stolen from oil for food? Kofi Annen should be lynched.

I have just skimmed this thread. Here are some of my thoughts...

I believe Ashlee Simpson is now the better looking of the two sisters.

I believe Lindsay Lohan is mediocre at best.

I believe Charley Murphy is now funnier then Eddie.

I believe the Democrats are crazy if they think a Women or Black can win a Presidential election in this country. But IF they can pull it off they better have which ever other one as the VP. If either has a White guy as a VP neither will make it a week.

While we are at it legalize and tax "street drugs". Legalize and tax prositution, and regulate the "clubs" with frequent STD testing.

Free all non violent drug offenders. Put the rest to work 12hrs a day.

Eat more broccoli.

Since you are so well read and know the truth about everything, what is the truth about Iraq? Since you rarily take a break from attacking me, let me see if I can paraphrase what you and Q think:

Bush and only Bush knew there were no nukes (let's distinguish here because certainly Saddam had non-nuke wmd), but he convinced the entire US of their existance by hinting about it during a couple interviews because he wanted to a) get revenge for his father or b) somehow for oil (although nobody has adequately explained how this works) or c) for Halliburton so Cheney can somehow get richer although nobody can prove this either.

Is that the truth according to you and Q?

I'm with you all the way but the problem is that these things might actually result in massive serious improvements to society and we can't have that. We got to lock those hookers up to protect society. In many ways we are still living in the dark ages.

While I personally agree with this I don't think the American public does and we are majority rule.

I personally think that the Irish are to blame for the worlds problems. ;-)

I forget, does broccoli make your pee smell funny or is it asparigus?