Thursday, December 29, 2005
If Italy Can Get Away With It...
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Media Biased - So Sayeth UCLA
While the editorial page of The Wall Street Journal is conservative, the newspaper's news pages are liberal, even more liberal than The New York Times. The Drudge Report may have a right-wing reputation, but it leans left. Coverage by public television and radio is conservative compared to the rest of the mainstream media. Meanwhile, almost all major media outlets tilt to the left.
These are just a few of the surprising findings from a UCLA-led study, which is believed to be the first successful attempt at objectively quantifying bias in a range of media outlets and ranking them accordingly. - UCLA News
I'm excited to see how the media apologists respond to this.
Frequently, what apologists don't say is more interesting than what they do say... so I wont hold my breath for a substantial rebuttal from any of the usual suspects.
Meanwhile, the report quantifies that 18 of the 20 major media outlets scored left of center with The Wall Street Journal, CBS Evening "News," NY Times, and LA Times scoring most-liberal. (Pardon my utter shock and dismay over the finding that CBS scored only second most-liberal).
On the other hand, FOX News' Special Report with Brit Hume scored the fourth most-centrist of the studied outlets. FOX, being the channel the left loves to finger as being oh-so-right-leaning. Surely, FOX commentary leans right; however, at least this viewer has no problem distinguishing commentary from the news. Over at CBS, LA Times, et al - even the "reporters" seem to have trouble distinguishing between the two!
And now, a word from media apologists...
"mum"
And that's the way it is...
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Those Who Matter
Fair enough, I guess...
I'dathunk they'd have projected ol' Joe as a forward-leaning arch-administration fist waiver, though. That, and color him in all nice and blue-like.
Meanwhile, none of these people made TIME's list of those who apparently mattered: John Kerry, Chappaquiddick Ted, Clinton, Monica, the other Clinton, and Screamin' Howie.
Their consolation lies either in that Cindy Sheehan made the list, or that the American Sailor, Soldier, Marine and Airman did not.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Iran: 'Holocaust a Myth'
"They have fabricated a legend under the name 'Massacre of the Jews', and they hold it higher than God himself, religion itself and the prophets themselves," he told a crowd in the southeastern city of Zahedan on Wednesday.
See: Washington Post
... standby for George Bush's condemnation of these comments, soon to be followed by Howard Dean's explanation of how Ahmadinejad's words are "being taken out of context."
Friday, December 09, 2005
Friday, December 02, 2005
Go Army, Beat Navy!
"In a rivalry that pits two of the nation's service academy football teams in a series that dates to 1890, the players share a unique bond knowing that their common objectives lie beyond the field of play. The players in this Saturday's game, particularly the seniors from both West Point and Annapolis, could ultimately be deployed for combat service in either Iraq and Afghanistan." - GoArmySports
Saturday, November 26, 2005
AOL's Calacanis: "Pull the Ads"
He writes in his blog:
What happened: AOL added a big-old advertisement to the top of everyone's blog on AOL Journals--without warning them in advance. These leaderboards (an IAB standard size) are fairly large, but not uncommon on the Internets (we have them at the top of all our blogs). Some bloggers were shocked when they had these advertisement sprung on them a week ago, and a small group of folks (less than 100) defected from the service in protest.
From what I've read the service has 600,000 users so losing 100 isn't a big deal on a pure numbers basis, however it's bad from a PR standpoint and I would suspect these are some of the best users of the product.
What we did wrong: The main issues: a) the advertisements were added without user permission (just like the AIM buddies last week!) b) the adverisements were added without warning, and c) when the issue boiled up we had the PR department give the following canned statement:“The decision to implement banner advertising on AOL Journals is consistent with our business and advertising practices.”
Now that was bad--really bad. We sound like we're freakin' robots, and bloggers do not want to talk to robots. They want to speak with a human being, preferably one who is also a blogger!
Moral of the story?
Someone at AOL gets it - and has the gonads to say so! Now we just need to see if any of AOL's decision makers have the capacity to listen to Calacanis, since they're not listening to us!
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
AOL Keyword: Clueless
Update:
The News Tribune (Tacoma, WA) has picked this story up as well.
And The Journal News.
And Biz Report.
And The Blog Herald.
And The Austin American Statesman.
And The Alameda Times-Star.
And Inside Bay Area.
And The Inquirer (UK).
Stand back and salute. The Bullshit Flag riseth.
I don't see any unwanted advertising here on blogspot.
Guess where a lot of AOL's former long-time customers have gone after AOL ambushed their customers?
AOL apparently considers this part of their "audience strategy" - where they aggressively remain completely oblivious to their audience, pretend to listen to them (while hearing only that which they want to hear), and refuse to give them the courtesy of a reach around.
Is it any wonder AOL is losing customers at break-neck speed?!
Check back soon for an update on whether the AOL Corporate site sets-up shop at AOL Keyword: Clueless.
(Thanks to Yuki Noguchi for hearing our case and running our story!)
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
The McCain Amendment
We should be asking this question of each and every member of Congress who claims to support the McCain Amendment: If we had credible information regarding an ongoing al Qaeda plot to detonate a nuclear weapon in the continental United States, and we had just taken into custody an al Qaeda militant who was in a position to know where and when the attack was to occur but who was refusing to cooperate, are you saying we would need to let thousands of Americans die rather than harm a hair on the terrorist's head in an effort to extract the information that might save them?
If the answer to that question is "no," you have no business voting for the McCain Amendment. If the answer is "yes," you have no business serving in a government whose first obligation is the security of the governed.
- Andrew McCarthy, National Review: Say "No" to the McCain Amendment
AOL Exodus
AOL has chosen to remain irresponsive.
Various people tell me they have called AOL HQ and were told the advertising was not coming down. (I have not verified this).
Scalzi and Editor Joe are pretending to be happy go lucky about "helping" us work through the recent "upgrade" while focusing on a few minor splinters despite the plank in their eye.
My e-mails to the Executive Office have been read. No response.
I have approached National Press about this. There is some interest.
That's all for now. More to come...
Tag: AntiJournalsAds
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Boycott AOL Journals
JOIN THE BOYCOTT OF AOL JOURNALS!
- Until the advertising is gone, you will find me at http://armandt.blogspot.com/
__________________________________
Pardon my flair for the obvious...
AOL has thrown-down with advertising on our PAID Journals?!
Not that I pay while "enjoying" 18 free months of service compliments of an AOL "ERROR" (see keyword: SNAFU), but mine is a 'paid' account.
What if I have moral objections against the companies AOL is advertising on my journal?
What if I simply don't want that crap on my journal?!
WTF, AOL? Take that shit down!
Come to think of it, I do have a moral objection to the Bank of America advertising on my Journal. Bank of America does an absolutely horrible job of managing the Government Travel Card program that service members are REQUIRED to use. I don't want my journal used to advertise - especially for companies that are held in such low regard by service members like myself!
That didn't take very long, now, did it?
Comments left - so far - at Magic Smoke:
Joe,
The advertising on our paid Journals is INTOLERABLE.
The advertising goes, or your customers go.
Armand
http://journals.aol.com/armandt/sense
Comment from armandt - 11/15/05 8:08 AM
I will add one more voice to what is going to be a large list of complaining customers. Please tell AOL that the advertising on our journals... that which we have already paid for, is disgusting and unacceptable. Its like a slap in the face. If AOL doesn't learn quickly from this mistake, I will be looking elsewhere to journal. I am a long long long time AOL member (since 1993!), and this is the most offensive thing AOL has done.
Virginia
Comment from ecori - 11/15/05 7:36 AM
Journals now look like trash this morning. If I wanted a seizure-inducing ad at the top of my blog....... well............ I Don't. This is ridiculous and I would like to know who thought it was a good idea to ruin the look of OUR journals with YOUR advertising. I am completely disgusted Joe and cannot believe that someone even dreamed that this was acceptable.
I also cannot ad or save an entry to my journal....... is it because of this tinkering overnight????????
I want these ads off my journal.
judi
Comment from judithheartsong - 11/15/05 7:22 AM
Dear Joe,
I pay AOL-HELL $54.95, a month for my broad band service and this morning I wake up to ads on my journal headers. ???? Joe, I want these off of my journals. As much as I pay for my service I should not, nor should my readers be subjected to spam advertising. If they are not removed, I will be moving my journals elsewhere and going with another server for broadband that is exactly $20.00 cheaper than AOL-Hell a month.
Gabreael
http://journals.aol.com/gabreaelinfo/GabreaelsBodyMindSpiritJournal/
http://journals.aol.com/eparanormal/EasternParanormal/
Comment from gabreaelinfo - 11/15/05 7:12 AM
Joe, I cannot ADD / EDIT my own journal??? But I certainly can read the new add on top of it that AOL kindly put there. Whats wrong with this picture??? I need this fixed - I Pay for this service , I dont need an advertisement on my own blog.
Ellen
http://journals.aol.com/eml625/Onedayatatime
Comment from eml625 - 11/15/05 6:51 AM
I am going to repeat what the others said, I am unable to update my journal and what's with the add banners? I thought only AIM users had to see that???? Please let us know when we will be able to use our Journals again, thanks so much!
Gwen
aka Jadejonez04
Comment from jadejonez04 - 11/15/05 6:50 AM
Joe, Joe, Joe, I have a complaint to make . . . why does AOL feel they can advertise in our journals that we keep now?? I pull up my journal this morning to find that Bank of America is prominently displayed at the topof my journal. We PAY for this service correct? Why do we have no say on where and how AOL uses advertisements? I mean, what's next? Advertisements for Viagra on my journal?! I am not surprised people are leaving AOL by the thousands. This is not good customer service at all!
Lisa
http://journals.aol.com/lisbnjvi/LisasMommyJournal/
Comment from lisbnjvi - 11/15/05 6:46 AM
Well, I'm logged on to my screen name "bookncoffee" but for the life of me CANNOT update my journal as there is no "button" to do so. And I also see we are running ads at the top now. I don't like that b/c it defaces the journal and takes away from how we want it to look. I'll log off and log back on again. I came to your journal hoping to see what was going on. You know we always let you know when we don't like something...but I will say that I enjoy AOL and enjoy journaling and know that you all try to fix things we have trouble with or don't like.
Thanks for that.
Sonya
Comment from bookncoffee - 11/15/05 6:32 AM
Tag: AntiJournalsAds
Friday, November 11, 2005
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Freedom Costs a Buck-o-Five
Ok. So I pulled that out of my fourth point of contact and it's completely unsupportable tripe that no one would sign-off on. Right?
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Bigamist Judge Walter Steed
- Judge
- Husband
- Husband, and...
- Husband.
That's right. Steed the Stud has three wives... who are sisters. He likes it that way and supposes he can do his job just fine, despite the fact that he is breaking the laws he swore to uphold.
Utah's Judicial Conduct Commission placed their flare for the obvious on the line by finding him to be a bigamist; however, studly Steed is not being placed on administrative leave. Apparently, third-degree felonies punishable by up to 5 years of milk and cookies and the local country club (ok, so they call it "prison"... I call it what it is) are not enough to remove a judge from the bench.
I guess it's all ok, though, because the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Ladder Day Saints (a Mormon break-away sect) says it's ok - and Utah is not the boss of them!
A-yep. If you kin gitcherself a reelijin t' say "m'kay," den you gots no worryin t' do... 'ts all good.
A-no.
We are a nation of laws for a reason. We don't pick and choose what laws to follow when and if we want, and people who choose to break our laws must be subject to the penalties for breaking those laws.
Steed suggests he can still do his job despite his disregard for the law, and wants to know why he should be removed as long as he can do his job.
"Can?" Try "May." Anyone "can" do their job after robbing the local kwik-e-mart, beating their wives and step-children, or firing up a joint, but that doesn't mean they should get to stay on the job. What they "may" not do is break the law simply because their religion says it's ok.
Think I'm full of it? Stick to those guns when Usama bin Rapin' moves next door to your house and takes a liking to your 13-year old daughter who he thinks is meant to be one of his 72 virgins. His religion told him it's ok.
If you don't like our laws, then work to change them - through your LEGISLATOR, not your judge. And if you are a judge, you don't get to legislate from the bench and you DON'T get to pack your three wives into the car for the family vacation. Defend our laws or get off the friggin' bench!
Meanwhile, the Utah Attorney General and Washington County Prosecutor both decline to prosecute Steed. These two need to go down for some kind of Accessory crime. Period.
Steed is free to go on expressing his religious beliefs, but breaking the law comes with a price.
It's time for Steed to pay.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Despite Media Battle, Terrorists Fail to Stop Progress in Iraq
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2005 – Despite a desperate media battle in Iraq, terrorists are failing to stop Iraqis from advancing on the political and security fronts, a senior military official in Baghdad told reporters Oct. 30.
"To the terrorists, the media is a vital force multiplier," said Air Force Brig. Gen. Donald Alston, director of strategic communications for Multinational Force Iraq during a briefing at the Combined Press Information Center in Baghdad.
That's why terrorists targeted Baghdad's Palestine Hotel, a base for many media outlets, during an Oct. 24 car bombing, Alston said. He called the bombing a signature al Qaeda attack, set to inflict as much death and destruction as possible while guaranteeing maximum media coverage.
"(Terrorists) attempt to use the media to appear more capable than they really are and to intimidate others with attack videos and Web site postings," Alston said. Desperate because they can't gain credibility any other way, they resort to "mindless destruction at the media's front doorstep," he said.
A letter from al Qaeda's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, reflects that desperation, Alston said. Intelligence operatives intercepted the letter before it reached its intended recipient, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the main leader of terrorists in Iraq.
"We are in a media battle in a race for the hearts and minds of the (followers of Islam)," Zawahiri wrote, acknowledging that it's al Qaeda's only hope of success in Iraq.
But despite their efforts, "Zawahiri, Zarqawi and others have failed to stop the march toward democracy time and time again," Alston told reporters.
Terrorists failed to stop January elections, the seating and meeting of the Transitional National Assembly, and the drafting of the constitution and the referendum approving it, he said. "They will also fail to stop the elections in December," he said. Iraq's parliamentary elections are slated for Dec. 15.
Alston congratulated the 10 million Iraqis who voted during the Oct. 15 constitutional referendum. Eight million supported the draft constitution, and 2 million opposed it. These people, regardless of how they voted, seized the opportunity to decide their country's future and build a new Iraq, he said.
"A new Iraq is what they will have with the December elections when they select a permanent government," Alston said.
As the political process advances, Iraq's security forces are gaining in numbers and capability, he said. More than 207,000 Iraqi soldiers and police are patrolling the country's streets and borders, and the number of Iraqi battalions taking the lead in combat operations has jumped 50 percent since July.
"These additional forces allow us to continue to put pressure on the enemy every day of the week, and it is paying off," Alston said.
Monday, October 31, 2005
Bush Nominates Alito
President Bush has nominated Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr to replace O'Connor on the Supreme Court. (Transcript)
"Civil rights and womens' Rights groups vowed to defeat the nomination, declaring that they will not allow a conservative on such social issues to take the seat of moderate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor." - Washington Post
Civil rights and womens' Rights groups strategically-misunderstand is that it is not a Judge's prerogative to legislate from the bench. If Civil and womens' Rights groups want particular Rights they don't already have, they need to urge their legislators to draft Constitutional Amendments. Let's leave legislating to the legislators. - Armand
We have a process here, ladies and gentlemen, and our three branches of government are SEPARATE for a reason. What do you say we try and stick with that?
What are your questions at this time?
See:
Planned Parenthood v. Casey - spousal/parental notification
ACLU v. Schundler - First Amendment, establishment clause
Sheridan v. Dupont - discrimination complaints
Saxe v. State College Area School District - First Amendment, anti-harassment
Ronald A. Williams v. Price, Fisher - granting Federal Court Review due to racial bias of juror
The Pitt News v. Pappert - First Amendment, advertising alcohol in media assoc. with educational institutions
Shore Regional High School Board of Education v. P.S., on Behalf of P.S. - Individuals with Disabilities Act
Friday, October 28, 2005
Rosa Parks
She could have just walked to the back of the bus, but where would that have got her?
She could have just waited for someone else to stand up, or - in her case - sit down, and fight for what was right, but where would that have got her?
Rosa Parks wasn't about to settle for the back of the bus on December 1, 1955, and Congress has the opportunity to ensure that she doesn't settle for the back of the bus now, either.
The Senate approved a resolution last night to allow Parks the honor of lying in the Capital Rotunda. The House will pass the measure later today.
Parks will be the first woman to ever lie in the Rotunda and one of the few who did not hold elective office.
Senate Concurrent Resolution 61 (not yet published) passed the Senate by unanimous consent.
See what happens when you don't hide behind a victim card and fight for what you know is right?
Image: Bruderhof Peacemakers Guide
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
For the Record
You need to read Dave's comment - here.
Dave, who claims to be a PETA member, assumes that a "man" receiving anal intercourse from a horse constitutes consensual sex.
Man. Horse. Sex. Consent. PETA. Dave.
Any questions?
Wait. - He was "kidding" again, right?
Strengthening Anti-Terrorism
This legislation triples the number of terror-related crimes (from 20 to 61) that would be eligible for the death penalty. These, being a major bone of contention between House and Senate negotiators who are stumbling for a compromise.
Critics suggest unwitting terror supporters could be put to death despite their complete ignorance of their support.
In unrelated news, monkeys were seen flying out of these same critic's collective ass this morning.
What I didn't see in the legislation was a provision to lace every form of mass transportation, every large gathering space, and every terrorists grave with pigs blood. It's an exceptionally cheap deterrent and, whether they actually did this or not, the mere suggestion of planting pig lard on busses in Israel has apparently reduced the number of terrorist suicide bus-bombings there. (If anyone has hard data on this, shoot me the link!)
I'll be taking your pig lard donations starting next week.
Short of that, I support strengthening our anti-terror laws.
Monday, October 24, 2005
Tolerating the ACLU
The ACLU defends NAMBLA's Right to advocate man-boy "love" - pro bono - for free.
Let's save the point that NAMBLA ought to call themselves what they are, the North American Man Boy Lust (not "Love" - as they say) Association, for another day. They advocate the lowering of the age of consent for minors in an effort to legalize sex with minors. In short, they want to legalize the rape of children they can confuse into saying 'yes.' The ACLU states they don't join the advocacy of the groups they defend, but they defend their Free Speech
Will Prussian Blue's rise to racist-music infamy have the ACLU pounding down the girl's door soon, as well? These two 13 year-old twins (Lamb and Lynx Gaede) have their second album on the way, a music video, a grip of fans, and are used by David Duke to draw large crowds with their racist views of white nationalism. (By the way, their "music," like their message, sucks).
Ted Shaw, President of the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund isn't so happy about Lamb and Lynx' "spewing out that kind of garbage" and points out that they aren't espousing their own opinions, but ones they're being taught.
Still, the ACLU probably isn't far behind. When the girls attempted to help only the white victims of Katrina, they received enough angry responses that they ended up dropping off their supplies with a local Confederate memorabilia shop, rather than facing the angry mobs. Also, last month, the girls were dropped from the line-up at their hometown county fair when enough people in the community protested about the message these girls were sending. I wouldn't be surprised if the ACLU hasn't already contacted the girls about the "disenfranchisement" of their Freedom of Expression.
It's interesting - the strategic-anger that some will display over a tax policy discussed (we're talking Freedom of Speech, now) by the political-right, when compared to the inverse level of tolerance those same people display over NAMBLA or Prussian Blue's Free Speech.
Gimme an 'H' ...
Gimme a 'Y' ...
Gimme a 'P' ...
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Fun with Bestiality, Washington Style
That's how people like James Tait get-off... er, get away with hosting little bestiality parties in their neighbor's stables.
In July, James Tait and another of the farm's residents became the subjects of investigation after a Seattle-"man" (the Seattle Times called him a "man," not me!) died of acute peritonitis due to perforation of the colon after one such escapade with a horse in the neighbor's barn.
Guess which crime James Tait has been charged with here in the great Blue State of Washington?
No, really. Guess!
Ok - I'll give you a hint. This happened on his neighbor's farm.
That's right, Jimbo! James Tait is being charged, NOT with bestiality or cruelty to animals, but with trespassing!
Now, wouldn't you think that the extraordinarily strong representation of Democrats in Olympia would take note and make fast work of criminalizing bestiality here in the Evergreen State?
Right. There you'd go thinking again. Democrats are doing nothing of the sort.
Leave it to Republican State Senator Pam Roach to finally plan legislation to finally criminalize bestiality here in Washington State.
Monday, October 17, 2005
Freedom, War and Abortion
U.N. elections chief Carina Perelli estimates between 54 and 58 percent of Iraqi voters showed up on Saturday to vote on their proposed constitution despite legitimate fears of militant reprisal.
Does that turnout seem low?
Compare registered voter turn-out in the U.S. during the last several Presidential Election years. (FEC, Infoplease)
2004 - 55.3%
2000 - 51.3%
1996 - 49.1%
1992 - 55.1%
1988 - 50.1%
1984 - 53.1%
1980 - 52.6%
1976 - 53.6%
1972 - 55.2%
... and we have to go all the way back to 1968 to find a year in which over 60% of registered voters turned-out. 60.8% turned out that year.
And - in none of those years was our turn-out affected by legitimate fear of militant reprisal.
-------------------------------------
Soldier death-count fans will tell you that 1,976 U.S. troops have died in getting Iraq to this point. (This averages to approximately 2.1 U.S. troop deaths per day in Iraq). (http://icasualties.org/oif/)
Now, compare that to the 29,247,142 legal abortions that were performed in the United States between 1970-1995. (That's about 1.2 Million abortions per year, or over 3,200 abortions per day). 7% of reasons given for those abortions are attributed to "health problems of the mother or baby", or "pregnancy caused by incest or rape."
(Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vol. 47 No. SS-2), (http://www.guttmacher.org/presentations/abort_slides.pdf)
2 U.S. Soldiers per day
vs
3,200 U.S. Babies per day
26 Million Iraqi's are facing Freedom and some would rather focus on those two deaths per day.
29 Million Babies (plus!) will never know Freedom and some would rather focus on ... those same two deaths per day.
Kumbayah...
Thursday, October 13, 2005
To Ayman, From Abu - With Love
Highlights of the letter include:
- The centrality of the war in Iraq for the global jihad.
- From al Qa'ida's point of view, the war does not end with an American departure.
- An acknowledgment of the appeal of democracy to the Iraqis.
- The strategic vision of inevitable conflict, with a tacit recognition of current political dynamics in Iraq; with a call by al-Zawahiri for political action equal to military action.
- The need to maintain popular support at least until jihadist rule has been established.
- Admission that more than half the struggle is taking place "in the battlefield of the media."
collapse of American power in Vietnam-and how they ran and left their agents-is noteworthy. Because of that, we must be ready starting now, before events overtake us, and before we are surprised by the conspiracies of the Americans and the United Nations and their plans to fill the void behind them. We must take the initiative and impose a fait accompli upon our enemies, instead of the enemy imposing one on us, wherein our lot would be to merely resist their schemes.
Peace, God's blessings and mercy to you.