From the ridiculous to the absurd

Contemplating the Switch

The Agence-France Presse and Yahoo! have teamed up to finally do what's right.

Only they do it so VERY wrong.

[H/t: TS III and the Life of Rubin. Video below the fold.]

The Media, as Sisyphus, Unwinding its Terror Tale

One such shove was again demonstrated by the New York Times this past February 13th. The Media attempt to present these bits of human flotsam -- and their family members and friends -- in the most sympathetic of possible lights. The Times portrayal of the mourning father and grandfather of recently rubbed out Hezbollah serial assassin Imad Mugniyah -- responsible for amongst many other atrocities the 1983 bombing of the Marine Corps barracks in Beirut (American death count 241) is nothing more than another attempt to humanize these inhuman creatures.

The other Press effort underway is the minimization of the evil of these acts and actors. There is even a feel to some of these reports that those delivering them almost do not wish to have to do so, but are forced to by circumstances and forces (the Internet, anyone?) beyond their control.

Key facts that would exhibit the depths of barbarism mined by these men (and women and, sadly, their bloodletting-by-proxy children) are left out.

Before ...

Shirts, hats, and flags bearing the likeness of the Central and South American Communist assassin have adorned the bodies, heads and campaign offices of some of the world's finest mindless.

So it was with joyous exhuberence that I came upon the current issue of Mad Magazine whilst strolling through the grocer's this afternoon.

For the cover art alone (below), it was indeed an absolute must purchase.

Hit and run reporting on John McCain

Cheap Shots Fit to Print

Well, maybe not. But still, ... .

The New York Times on Wednesday evening went to the web with "For McCain, Self-Confidence on Ethics Poses Its Own Risk", an innuendo-filled and fact-deprived 3,000 word ramble on the 1999 professional interactions between now virtually certain Republican Presidential nominee John McCain and lobbyist Vicki Iseman. They then extrapolated the unproven impropriety of this alleged "relationship" into a broader questioning of McCain's ethics.

Both McCain and Iseman flatly deny the affair. Their refutation, and the Times' protracted inability to gather any evidence to the contrary, should in no way have served to prevent them from levying the accusation in long form print, apparently.

The February 13th New York Times online contained fifteen "Pictures of the Day". Their #1, lead photograph was what you see to the right, with the following description (emphasis added):

Security officials in Lebanon said Imad Mugniyah, 45, a senior Hezbollah military commander, was killed by a car bomb on Tuesday night in Damascus, Syria. Mr. Mugniyah had been accused in a series of bombings, hijackings and kidnappings during the 1980s and 1990s, including the 1983 bombing of a Marine barracks in Beirut that killed 241 American service members. Mr. Mugniyah's father, Fayez, left, and grandfather held each other during a wake in Beirut.

Pour Some Sugar On Me

Hillary Rodham Clinton (HRC) is having a one hour town hall meeting on the Hallmark Channel this evening, the eve of Super Tuesday, with an extra half hour for internet interaction. It begins at 9:00pm EST.

The hostess? Former ABC News pseudo-journalist and current Clinton endorser Carole Simpson.

The only thing that might be more lovey-dovey (and nauseating) than this arrangement is its description by New York Democrat Representative Anthony D. Weiner.

(Diabetics beware.)

Remember when the media was concerned about the tone of the Presidential discourse?

About how it had fallen to new lows when an audience member, in querying Republican Senator and aspirant John McCain on November 13th of last year, referred to Democrat hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton (HRC) as a female dog? CNN's Rick Sanchez tried desperately to create a scandal out of whole cloth, insisting that Senator McCain was obligated to lash said woman verbally and with a wet noodle in defense of HRC's honor.

Well, a "B" word is now upon the other foot.

They May Have It Backwards

According to ABC News, it is Mitt.

Riled! Angry Romney Rips Reporter
Sparks fly as Mitt Romney tells reporters lobbyists aren't running his campaign.

According to anyone else who has watched the video, theirs is a difficult assessment with which to agree.

As we stated when we posted the video last night (video below as well), the Associated Press' Glen Johnson angily interrupts Romney on the podium mid-sentence, already visibly flustered, and only proceeds to become more so as he tries to drive home the semantic difference between a campaign "run"ner and a campaign "adviser".

The AP -- international, institutionalized bias

Tilting Leftward (and Often at Windmills)

The Associated Press (AP) is the Hulking Monster of the news syndication business. 

Formed in May of 1846, The Syndicate has risen to currently consist of 243 news bureaus in 97 countries.  They have over 3,000 journalists on staff.  121 countries avail themselves of what they have to offer.  Their content appears in 1,700 newspapers worldwide.  

But the AP is now far more than merely "Press".  There are additionally 850 AP Radio News audio affiliates, with 5,000 radio and television outlets spanning the globe taking them for and at their word.

Beyond just the majors, it is from where a great many small town American newspapers get most or all of their national and international news stories.  They are a deeply and tremendously dominant and influential force.