M [Filling out application for a learner's permit]: “Oh, I think I just signed away my organs…”
Archive for October, 2008
The Dangers Of Filling Out Forms
Monday, October 27th, 2008Duh
Thursday, October 23rd, 2008An AP news story discusses the use of placebos by doctors:
“LONDON (AP) – About half of American doctors in a new survey say they regularly give patients placebo treatments – usually drugs or vitamins that won’t really help their condition. And many of these doctors are not honest with their patients about what they are doing, the survey found.”
Completely apart from the flawed definition of ‘placebo’ for the purposes of the study, wouldn’t TELLING the patient that they were receiving a placebo ruin the point?
Mark Salter Knows The Score
Monday, October 20th, 2008At least the McCain campaign realizes what’s going on. Unfortunately, they don’t seem able to do anything about it either.
Why I Am Concerned
Wednesday, October 15th, 2008Zombie has an excellent post explaining what is going on with the coverage of this campaign. I’m not convinced that it won’t be effective however…
ACORN And The Current Financial Crisis
Monday, October 13th, 2008A bit of interesting information here. Worth a look.
The Post Misses The Point
Friday, October 10th, 2008The Post today points out that McCain supporters are angry, but completely misses out on why that is. Are they angry at Obama? To some extent, yes. Are they angry at McCain for not pushing harder against Obama? Many of them probably are. But that’s not the real problem.
The real problem is the Post and the rest of the media are completely ignoring major aspects of this election, and the truth is not being heard. McCain is putting his message out there, but the media ignores it or rebuts it with Obama’s talking points, instead of doing their job and investigating. ACORN is making a concerted effort to steal the election, and the media pays virtually no attention. Is ACORN tied to Obama? Is Ayers? Was Obama a member of the socialist “New Party”? What else is going on that we’re not hearing about? How can the American public make an informed decision when the media won’t inform them?
THAT is why McCain’s supporters are angry.
Pictures With News Articles
Monday, October 6th, 2008Sometimes you have to wonder just what they’re thinking when they pick a picture to go with a news story. The caption on this really doesn’t give any indication of what is going on, either:
Any suggestions for captions for this picture? I’ve come up with a couple:
“I see you, Friedrich!”
“This is what I used to do when my U-Boat was about to dive like the market is today…”
“I am BATMAN!”
Feel free to come up with more and leave them in the comments.
A Slip Of The Tongue
Friday, October 3rd, 2008“Mr. Barner! Did you hear that? He said the ‘ass word’! Uh, I mean…”
On A (Possibly) Less Political Note…
Wednesday, October 1st, 2008Some of my students in class today were discussing a show on (I believe) MTV.
N:”Anyway, they talk to this person who has this radio show about love and sex and stuff…”
B [slightly confused]: “Rush Limbaugh?”
An OPEN LETTER to the American News Media
Wednesday, October 1st, 2008Dear newspapers, television, and radio news stations:
The role that the media plays in informing the public on issues of national importance is a vital one, and one that many of you see yourselves as responsible to uphold. As we all know, the electorate that is fully informed is the electorate most able to make a good choice at the polls in picking its leaders. Unfortunately, due in large part to your behavior during this election cycle, many voters will go to the polls on November 4th unprepared to make that decision.
The press’ refusal to equally and critically examine both of the candidates for President and Vice President, as well as the roots of the present economic crisis, can only have one effect: hindering the American public from exercising their right to choose their own leadership. While Senator McCain’s experiences are largely a matter of public record, whom Senator Obama associates with and much of his past (and particularly the experiences upon which he has built his argument about his qualifications to lead the country) remains unknown to the public. Likewise, the roles of individuals in both parties in the regulation and attempted reforms of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the creation of the rules encouraging these and other institutions to give bad loans, and the lobbying efforts of these organizations, have remained obscure.
If the American public is uninformed about the present financial situation, how can they find their way out of it? If the American voters are uninformed about the candidates for the highest office in the land, how can they properly utilize their right to vote?
Enough is enough. The use of political commentary cannot replace the media’s role in investigating and reporting facts.
We, the undersigned, demand that the American media provide facts, not spin. We, your audience, demand that the media present both sides in this election equally and critically. We, as Americans, demand that you, as fellow Americans, respect our right to make our own decisions based on facts, not opinion.