• Iraq War veteran Jon Soltz of VoteVets.org responds to a Republican lawmaker’s claim that veterans who believe in global warming are “traitors.”
• Torturous Tunes? Alan examines the Bush administration’s practice of allegedly using music to abuse prisoners at Gitmo.
• It’s the Friday Night Free-For-All!
From the website VoteVets.org:
“It is an audacious thing for a man who served in the U.S. Army during the relative peacetime of 1980-84 to call other soldiers, at least one of whom fought in Fallujah, Iraq, a ‘traitor to his or her oath.’ Now some veterans, understandably, want an apology and VoteVets.org is running a radio ad calling for the legislator’s resignation.”
I wish them the best of luck!
I say, never.
I’m very ticklish. The thought of being tied up and tickled without mercy sounds like torture to me.
As usual, Daddio doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
“”"Tickle torture is the use of tickling to abuse or dominate someone. The victim will still laugh even if they find the experience unpleasant. This laughter, in this case, is an innate reflex rather than social conditioning”"”
It is quite different to be tickled when your feet are bound and tickling your kids that can squirm away. Just read the link. It isn’t any funnier than dying from laughter. Haha!
Why then, do people laugh when being tickled Jazmine? I don’t think I would laugh if I were tortured.
Only registered user allowed |
“Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, another of the artists who initiated the FOIA request, stated, “Guantánamo may be Dick Cheney’s idea of America, but it’s not mine. The fact that music I helped create was used in crimes against humanity sickens me – we need to end torture and close Guantánamo now.””
http://blog.aclu.org/2009/10/22/tortured-tunes/
placefield Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:03 pm
There is something sickeningly ironic about Rage Against the Machine’s music being used as a torture medium.
crh3e Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:35 pm
whats even more strange to me as a fan of RATM is that they disbanded so Zack de la Rocha could do some protesting in Mexico or somewhere else outside the U.S. around 2001 or 2002!?! Ok, so you call yourself RATM and yet during the Bush era, you decided to call it quits and go on hiatus (the rest of RATM joined Chris Cornell and formed a new band). Well at least RATM is back again, but it’s a lil bit late IMO.
average james Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 8:16 pm
I’m pretty sure he joined the peace corps.
That’s a two and a half year gig.
Now he’s back.
I kinda dig the irony of them playing outside of the-was it Dems or Reps-convention back in the day.
It does seem kinda ironic for the torture too.
crh3e Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 10:39 pm
actually they disbanded in Oct. 2000……I’m glad they’re back, just still kinda mad they left during a time when we needed their music the most.
GuidoVanHorn Reply:
October 25th, 2009 at 1:35 am
F— you I won’t do what you tell me…F— you I won’t do what you tell me…F— you I won’t do what you tell me…F— you I won’t do what you tell me…F— you I won’t do what you tell me…F— you I won’t do what you tell me…F— you I won’t do what you tell me…F— you I won’t do what you tell me…F— you I won’t do what you tell me…F— you I won’t do what you tell me…
-Zack De La Rocha
Suzanne Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 10:05 pm
I would have used the Barney n friends song..
Suzanne Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 10:30 pm
Song list used
* AC/DC
* Aerosmith
* Barney theme song (By Bob Singleton)
* The Bee Gees
* Britney Spears
* Bruce Springsteen
* Christina Aguilera
* David Gray
* Deicide
* Don McLean
* Dope
* Dr. Dre
* Drowning Pool
* Eminem
* Hed P.E.
* James Taylor
* Limp Bizkit
* Marilyn Manson
* Matchbox Twenty
* Meatloaf
* Meow mix jingle
* Metallica
* Neil Diamond
* Nine Inch Nails
* Pink
* Prince
* Queen
* Rage Against the Machine
* Red Hot Chili Peppers
* Redman
* Saliva
* Sesame street theme music (By Christopher Cerf)
* Stanley Brothers
* “The Star Spangled Banner”
* Tupac Shakur
crh3e Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Drowning Pool….they had that song “Bodies hit the Floor,” that was taken out of radio rotations after 9/11……talk about irony!!
EricG Reply:
October 25th, 2009 at 2:31 am
Guido -
You better believe it.
What if “do what you tell me” means paying taxes?
Do conservatives love De La Rocha is he says that?
Hm?
GuidoVanHorn Reply:
October 25th, 2009 at 11:28 am
I don’t know…all I know is I like Rage Against the Machine, even though I don’t necessarily agree with Zack De La Rocha and/or Tom Morello’s personal views or politics in all instances.
Turn on the radio…naw…F— it, turn it off. Fear is you’re only god on the radio.
October 23rd, 2009 at 6:51 pm
FOX HUNTING IS ON.
Please bring your hunting gun and a bottle of Tequila.
It’s about time Mr president—-Bravo.
Fox hunting is legal.
John Galt Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Mr Chavez is hiring. Hurry. I have a one way ticket for ya!
pierre Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 8:05 pm
Fox you!!
People like you have been here in this continent
for a short time.
Why did you leave your original, native and “so called” civilized heritage.
EricG Reply:
October 25th, 2009 at 2:32 am
One way ticket to the bottom of the sea for all neo-cons. I’m paying…
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:01 pm
http://www.examiner.com/x-5738-Political-Buzz-Examiner~y2009m10d22-Video–Media-Matters-claims-Fox-News-started-the-war-with-Obama-administration
FOX started the war.
Fox never made the transition after nov.4-08.
Their campaing leaves on.
They distort.
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:08 pm
Ya’ll see the study that shows pet dogs are more harmful to the environment than an SUV?
placefield Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Interesting for the fact that it brings light to the fact that ALL of our activities do have environmental impact. On a surface level it looks like they may have limited the scope of what they consider environmental impact to make a point though. I think I will be taking a closer look at there method when I have more time though.
John Galt Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:42 pm
More to the point. Before some dog owning liberal tells me to clunk my clunker, I would expect them to push for legislation that taxes dog ownership or rations it in some way.
average james Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 8:19 pm
I’m a dog lover, I’ve got four.
They’re good for the soul.
average james Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Gotta run gang, check in tommorrow ?
Have yourselves a good weekend.
Lib Patriot Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 8:53 pm
From the concluding paragraphs in the New Scientist article by Kate Revilious on the Vales’ recent study:
“So what is an eco-friendly animal lover to do? If you already have a pet, then changing its diet can help. Meat is the key, since its production is so energy-intensive. You can almost halve the eco-pawprint of your dog simply by feeding it many of the same sort of savory foods that you eat, which are likely to be far less protein-rich than most dog foods. As well as quantity, think about quality. ‘If pussy is scoffing “Fancy Feast” – or some other food made from choice cuts of meat – then the relative impact is likely to be high,’ says Robert Vale. ‘If, on the other hand, the cat is fed on fish heads and other leftovers from the fishmonger, the impact will be lower.’
“Dog owners might also want to avoid walking their dog in wildlife-rich areas, and cat owners could consider keeping Tiddles indoors. ‘Cats are nocturnal, so the single most important thing people can do to reduce predation is to keep cats in at night,’ says Michael Woods of the Mammal Society in Southampton, UK.
“And if you are thinking of acquiring a pet? ‘Shared pets are the best – the theatre cat or the temple dogs,’ says Robert Vale. But if you must own your own, think about getting an animal that serves a dual purpose. He recommends hens, which partly compensate for their eco-footprint by providing eggs. Or there is an even better alternative, if you can stomach it. ‘Rabbits are good,’ he says, ‘provided you eat them.’
[Kate Ravilious is a science journalist based in York, UK, and the guilty owner of a medium-sized dog]
Logically, then, humans eating less meat and more plant materials would provide an even greater reduction in our carbon footprint, would it not?
Lib Patriot Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 8:57 pm
“..would THEY not?”, rather.
Lib Patriot Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 9:08 pm
John Galt: “More to the point. Before some dog owning liberal tells me to clunk my clunker, I would expect them to push for legislation that taxes dog ownership or rations it in some way.”
EVEN MORE to the point, if there’s reason to push for taxes on dog ownership because of carbon footprints, there’s even MORE reason to tax people who give birth to (or proveably father) more than two children in their lifetime (thus adding to the human population overload on the planet), because these added humans tend to have a much longer lifespan than any dog, and many more habits that add to the carbon footprint than any habits a dog would have, n’est-pas?
That logically follows, doesn’t it, John?
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Show me the link, please.
Lib Patriot Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:39 pm
(That’s to John Galt, btw)
John Galt Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:41 pm
cnbc.com/id/33429555
Lib Patriot Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Thanks for the link, John. From the Reuters article, with emphasis in caps supplied by myself:
“In their book ‘Time to Eat the Dog: The Real Guide to Sustainable Living’, New Zealand-based ARCHITECTS Robert and Brenda Vale say keeping a medium-sized dog has the same ecological impact as driving 10,000 km (6,213 miles) a year in a 4.6 liter Land Cruiser.”
The Vales are not biologists, nor are they chemists, nor are they meteorologists, nor are they ecologists. As architects, they can have a conflict of interest if they have contracts (or are interested in having contracts) to design for building in remoter locations where more travel is required for supply runs or where larger vehicles are often used for travel for supply runs or for dealing with rougher terrain. And where’s their calculations for energy consumption by SUVs to be used for comparison? They just throw out acreage numbers in this article w/o showing how they are calculated (which may be the fault of Reuters, and not of the Vales).
I’m going to try to get more info on these two; be back in awhile.
Lib Patriot Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 8:16 pm
I see that the Vales DO know something about building to conserve power, though (from Wiki):
“Professor Brenda Vale and Doctor Robert Vale are architects, writers, pioneer researchers and leading experts in the field of sustainable housing.
“After studying architecture together at the University of Cambridge, in 1975 the Vales published ‘The Autonomous House’, a technical guide for developing housing solutions that are energy-self-sufficient, environmentally friendly, relatively easy to maintain, and have a traditional appearance. The book has been translated into five languages and is widely recognized as a basic text in the field of green building.
“Through the 1980s the Vales designed a number of commercial buildings in England, notably the thick-walled, superinsulated Woodhouse Medical Centre in Sheffield.
“In the 1990s the Vales completed two important green building projects in Nottinghamshire: the first in 1993, the first autonomous building in the United Kingdom, a four-bedroom house for themselves in the historic town of Southwell. Their book ‘The New Autonomous House’ documents the design and construction of this house, which is warmed and powered by the sun, produces its drinking water from rain, composts its effluent, and is consistent with its historic context. The house is completely off-grid except for the telephone line and a connection to the electrical supply. The latter supplies power from the grid when the occupants are using more electricity than is being produced by the solar panels mounted behind the house, and exports at times of surplus generation.
“The other is the Hockerton Housing Project, five one-story residential units using the same design tactic of thick walls, thermal mass, and superinsulation. The local housing authority now plans, as part of its official policy, for a hundred autonomous houses to be built in the area by the end of the century.[citation needed]
“The Vales emigrated to Waiheke Island near Auckland, New Zealand in 1996, taking jobs at the University of Auckland. Brenda Vale is currently a research fellow at Victoria University of Wellington.
“Commissioned by the Australian government, they have developed a unique building rating system called NABERS which measures the ongoing environmental impact of existing buildings. According to Brenda, this is their most important work.”
This is laudable, sounds like, but it still doesn’t make them experts on biology, chemistry, or meteorology. Will research further…
Lib Patriot Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 8:39 pm
Okay, NOW I’m becoming more impressed:
“To measure the ecological paw, claw and fin-prints of the family pet, the Vales analysed the ingredients of common brands of pet food. They calculated, for example, that a medium-sized dog would consume 90 grams of meat and 156 grams of cereals daily in its recommended 300-gram portion of dried dog food. At its pre-dried weight, that equates to 450 grams of fresh meat and 260 grams of cereal. That means that over the course of a year, Fido wolfs down about 164 kilograms of meat and 95 kilograms of cereals.
“It takes 43.3 square metres of land to generate 1 kilogram of chicken per year – far more for beef and lamb – and 13.4 square metres to generate a kilogram of cereals. So that gives him a footprint of 0.84 hectares. For a big dog such as a German shepherd, the figure is 1.1 hectares.
“Meanwhile, an SUV – the Vales used a 4.6-litre Toyota Land Cruiser in their comparison – driven a modest 10,000 kilometres a year, uses 55.1 gigajoules, which includes the energy required both to fuel and to build it. One hectare of land can produce approximately 135 gigajoules of energy per year, so the Land Cruiser’s eco-footprint is about 0.41 hectares – less than half that of a medium-sized dog.
“The Vales are not alone in reaching this conclusion. When New Scientist asked John Barrett at the Stockholm Environment Institute in York, UK, to calculate eco-pawprints based on his own data, his figures tallied almost exactly. ‘Owning a dog really is quite an extravagance, mainly because of the carbon footprint of meat,’ he says.”
–from the article in New Scientist on October 23, 2009, by Kate Revilious
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg204273.11.600-how-green-is-your-pet.html
Lib Patriot Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 8:55 pm
The above link isn’t working as a direct click-on, and I was just there! But you can do a search with “New Scientist Brenda Vale Robert Vale”, and you will find the article.
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:39 pm
The foxy, wily GOP mouth piece has lost its foxing for
ever(unlike the falling leaves).
Merry christmas, we have been waiting for that early
gift, Mr president.You are indeed the messiah as the
foxy network claims you to be.
Lib Patriot Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 9:27 pm
Havin’ fun, aren’t you, Pierre? It’s alright by me, though!
:-)
Lib Patriot Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 9:35 pm
But, what the Fox, sooner or later you’re BOUND to run out of fox puns!
pierre Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 10:31 pm
We will be hunting Fox for at least 7 years,3 months and 3 days.
Just as Foxy Cheney protected us from another
attack for 7 years, 4 months and 9 days( a 749
presidency)—-
As usual Cheney, the dick, was “DITHERING” for
7 months and 11 days until he allowed 911 to hit
on his low battery watch.
libpatriot Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 12:05 am
So blow that bugle, Pierre, and LET’S GET STARTED!
TALLYHO!
pierre Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
You outfoxed them Mr. president.
Now it’s our turn to foxout those non-news characters.
jazmine Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 1:50 am
Joyeux Noël to you, Pierre :)
pierre Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Same to you Jaz, merci !!!!
October 23rd, 2009 at 9:04 pm
SO…YOU’VE GOT A DOG. There are STILL ways you can offset your pet’s carbon footprint (and you’ll no doubt find them easier to follow than trying to kill, baste, and munch down on your beloved Rex, lol)
Easy Things You Can Do To Help Our Climate:
1.TIP: Travel light. Walk or bike instead of driving a car. Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels, which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. In the United States, automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions. Walk or bike and you?ll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel.
2.TIP: Teleconference instead of flying. For office meetings, if you can telephone or videoconference, you will save time, money, and carbon emissions. Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere, producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions.
3.TIP: See the light. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn. You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent, over the life of the bulb.
4.TIP: Recycle and use recycled products. Products made from recycled paper, glass, metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials. For instance, you?ll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle. Recycling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce climate change naturally as they remain in the forest, where they remove carbon from the atmosphere.
5.TIP: Inflate your tires. If you own a car, it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated, so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon. Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated. Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10,000 miles you drive.
6.TIP: Plant native trees. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source, producing oxygen for us to breathe. A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7,000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime. A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2,000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime.
7.TIP: Turn down the heat. Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States. Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house or go to bed. You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon.
8.TIP: Buy renewable energy. Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States. A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels, windmills and other technologies. If your utility offers renewable energy, buy it. If not, send them a message asking for clean energy.
9.TIP: Act globally, eat locally. If you shop at a supermarket, the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world, burning fossil fuels the entire trip. Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food, and help save our climate.
jazmine Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 11:05 pm
Sounds a lot like David Suzuki’s philosophies.
Lib, funny article about your above, pet post.
Dogs: My last dog pretty much ate restaurant food, seeing I got it for free,(The Shaggy DA)He ate tons of prime rib, chicken breasts, salmon and he loved vegetable…except for those pesky peas…he’d wipe that bowl clean but leave the peas. My cat ate the same as he, I rarely bought pet food.
Hens, may make good eggs,but they make lousy pets.
Rabbits are very good in stew.
libpatriot Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 12:25 am
Jaz, all’s I know is, I am NOT going to eat my two ferrets to reduce their carbon footprints! Maybe I can teach them to take table scraps, though. And I can still follow the 9 energy-saving tips, above, as much as possible. And I can continue to push for cleaner energy. And I can tell John Galt that I expect him to push for higher taxes on families with more than two kids AND get rid of the clunker he drives before he can lecture me on pushing for pet taxes before pushing for cleaner energy (HA! I won’t hold my breath on him voluntarily doing THAT!)
jazmine Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 12:36 am
lol, I hope your not supping on ferret. My animals stay put, too.
Taxing families with more than two kids, Good idea, I think John has more than 2…Haha, you’re right, he won’t agree to that.
Simple things as recycling your household garbage, paper, glass and plastics. Bringing your own grocery bags to the store, replacing old appliances with energy efficient ones, bringing your own mug to Starbucks, the list is endless. We can all participate in a cleaner environment by reusing and recycling.
libpatriot Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 12:48 am
We could all do more, I agree, Jaz. None of us are perfect, but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to improve! I have to call it a night, Jazmine, but take care, y’hear?
And have a wonderful weekend, everybody! That means you, too, John Galt! Don’t make me pass a regulation ordering you to have a good weekend, now!…..:-)
I’ll be back later, tomorrow evening at latest, must sleep now…
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
jazmine Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 1:07 am
Nite Lib.
My turn next. Yawn!
October 23rd, 2009 at 9:23 pm
I’d have recommended the themes from “Gilligan’s Island” and “The Brady Bunch” for good torture music.
Once either of those get in your head, they’re there forever. You can’t EVER get rid of them.
jasperjava Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 11:50 pm
Oh, great. Thanks a LOT, anonymouse. Now I have to listen to those tunes in my head for the next several hours.
anonymouse Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 12:01 am
Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale,
A tale of a fateful trip.
That started from this tropic port,
Aboard this tiny ship.
The mate was a mighty sailing man,
The skipper brave and sure.
Five passengers set sail that day,
For a three hour tour, a three hour tour.
libpatriot Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 12:04 am
“Here’s the story, of a lovely lady..”
(Oh, no! AUGH!)
X-0
jazmine Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 12:14 am
The weather started getting rough,
the tiny ship was tossed.
If not for the courage of the fearless crew
the Minnow would be lost.
The Minnow would be lost.
I’ll take this tune any day over the brady bunch.
anonymouse Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 12:44 am
No phone, no lights, no motor cars.
Not a single luxury.
Like Robinson Crusoe,
As primitive as can be.
So join us here each week my friends,
You’re sure to get a smile.
From seven stranded castaways,
Here on “Gilligan’s Isle.”
jazmine Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 1:06 am
And no internet, that’s the best.
jazmine Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 1:52 am
Yeh Mouse, good night and don’t let the bed-bugs bite.
You too, Java.
J:)
jasperjava Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 2:35 am
Merci, bonne nuit.
October 23rd, 2009 at 10:53 pm
Ah, Bible thumpers. Always good for a laugh. Baptists don’t like anyone, except other Baptists. Everyone is going straight to h***, except the Baptists, and they aren’t bashful about telling you. And yet, they still wonder why no one likes them?
FOX: Republican propaganda. Thank goodness John Stossell found a new home there. He’ll fit right in.
Does Jeff Gannon (James Guckert) still have a pass to the White House press room?
October 23rd, 2009 at 11:45 pm
FOX is the propaganda arm of the Republican Party. That’s what it was created for. It was created to crush Bill Clinton and replace him with a Republican.
And even then, some of the propaganda is getting kind of far out there for even FOX lately. Someone needs to fit Glenn Beck for a straitjacket.
John Galt Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 12:28 am
Do you think that there are liberal media outlets?
libpatriot Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 12:40 am
Well, I know that the question wasn’t directed at me, but when, for example, discussing environmental issues with a conservative, I tend to avoid leaning heavily on political-advocacy websites, and rely more on citing from peer-reviewed scientific publications found online.
And I acknowledge to you, JG, that MSNBC is pretty left-wing, for sure. CBS? Less so, I think.
The News Hour With Jim Lehrer on PBS? Man, they bend over so far backwards on that show to provide balance that I can almost hear their vertebrae pop!
anonymouse Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 12:48 am
Yes, what you said.
Oddly, CNBC is quite conservative though. Almost as bad as FOX. CNBC has been quite hard on Obama lately.
Prior to the election last year, the CNBC morning show had cardboard cutouts of McCain and Bush in the studio. They had McCain standing 6-inches taller than Obama. Very FOXian of them, on CNBC.
anonymouse Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 12:50 am
Should read: “Prior to the election last year, the CNBC morning show had cardboard cutouts of McCain and [Obama] in the studio.”
flap Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 7:59 am
“CNBC is quite conservative though. Almost as bad as FOX. CNBC has been quite hard on Obama lately.”
Do you think perhaps it’s because THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY IS NOT SUCCESSFUL? Is anything that is against Obama automatically biased?
Have you even considered that thought in your leftist mind?
jasperjava Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 1:03 am
I submit to you that you can’t be a responsible journalist unless you’re a liberal. In order to be a good journalist, you have to have an open mind, a healthy sense of skepticism, a thirst for knowledge, a fair-minded attitude. The role of the fourth estate is to keep the powers-that-be accountable, to expose misdeeds in high places, to inform the public with a respect for truth while striving to be objective. These are liberal traits. A conservative journalist is more prone to be hidebound by convention, to look askance at attempts to improve people’s lives, to look the other way when the wealthy and the powerful oppress the voiceless. In other words, they are using the power of the pen to maintain the status quo, instead of giving voice to the toiling masses.
There are very few truly “liberal” media. Ideological outlets like Air America (does that still even exist?) or Democracy Now! come to mind. But by and large the main networks and newspapers defend the corporate interests of their masters.
There used to be “liberal” media journalists, in the best sense of the term. I think of people who could speak truth to power, like Edward R. Murrow or Walter Cronkite. People with a passion for truth, and speaking plainly to the “little guy” and on behalf of the “little guy”. Now the “journalists” are mainly millionaires who have sold their souls for “access” to the wealthy and powerful. They are no longer ink-stained wretches in ill-fitting suits who have a mission to the people, but instead have become tailored, coiffed, manicured stenographers. There are a few great journalists still, mainly working in print. Sy Hersch, Ron Suskind, Robert Fisk come to mind.
The so-called “liberal” media is only perceived as such by those who have gone so far right that they have lost sight of the center. For the rabid, ideological conservative, any information that goes contrary to their grasping ideology is suspect, and therefore “liberal”, no matter how much it’s rooted in reality.
flap Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 7:58 am
“I submit to you that you can’t be a responsible journalist unless you’re a liberal.”
And, now, the truth comes out. At least you admit it. This is a huge reason Fox is so successful and will continue to be successful…specious statements like this.
“For the rabid, ideological conservative, any information that goes contrary to their grasping ideology is suspect, and therefore “liberal”, no matter how much it’s rooted in reality.”
No, you have it exactly backwards…you perceive Fox as being right-wing because you expect your news channel to be liberal so as to fit your leftist views of the world.
pierre Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Foxy news has more rating than all other channels combined: So successful, so influencial
But they lost last nov. and they can’t get over it.
And there is one anchor who is still waiting to
be proven right for his fear mongering tactics during the last election.
OUTFOX
FOXOUT
jasperjava Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
And, now, the truth comes out. At least you admit it.
I’m not ashamed to “admit” the truth. Liberals are better journalists because journalists ought to challenge “conventional wisdom” and the status quo.
By definition, a “conservative” journalist is only interested in being a mouthpiece for the wealthy and powerful.
Maybe you prefer Pravda-like “news” that only serves corporate interests over the public good?
karthiks030977 Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
“And, now, the truth comes out. At least you admit it. This is a huge reason Fox is so successful and will continue to be successful…”
Once again we agree Flap: There will be a market for lunatic views like peddled on Fox Entertainment, and views like those expressed by Jasper only drives the lunatic market even more firmly into the arms of Fox Entertainment.
John Galt Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
It appears that I should have asked
“Do you think there are any Democratic leaning news outlets?”
pierre Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Do you that there is any “nonews” cable outlet
promoting, sponsering rightwinger/ GOP propaganda?
Foxout!!!
U out fox!!!!
jasperjava Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
I seem to remember that news outlets across the board went into a feeding frenzy over the Monica Lewinski scandal. I don’t think too many news organizations were concerned about serving the interests of the Democratic Party.
By contrast, even though B*sh was abysmally hated, with approval ratings even lower than his IQ, FOX put out a special program late in his “presidency” about how he “kept us safe” (despite being responsible for the needless deaths of thousands of American troops in Iraq. Guess he didn’t keep them “safe”.)
karthiks030977 Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
“Do you think there are any Democratic leaning news outlets?”
I trust CNN to be neutral most of the time.
Google news also works well for me, to receive news and not propaganda.
If you were to ask me which sources are Democrat leaning, I dont know, because I dont look for political bias: I look for an agenda, and if I dont find an agenda, I trust the article for its contents.
Fox Entertainment is way beyond single-article agenda. In the case of CNN, Google, and other news I follow, I get no worse than single article agenda at worst; The pattern of political bias as with Fox Entertain,I havent observed in any other source,not even MSNBC(even though my sampling there is limited, I only watched a few Olbermann videos online).
October 24th, 2009 at 12:18 am
Mornin’
October 24th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Music as torture? I suppose tickling someone with a feather is considered torture also.
burqa Reply:
October 25th, 2009 at 12:53 am
Let’s see you listen to all 4 sides of Lou Reed’s “Metal Machine Music” with headphones at even a moderate volume.
Betcha can’t do it…..
jazmine Reply:
October 25th, 2009 at 1:12 am
Yes, it is Daddio.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tickle_torture
Daddio Reply:
October 25th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
Why then, do people laugh when being tickled Jazmine? I don’t think I would laugh if I were tortured.
jazmine Reply:
October 25th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
“”"Tickle torture is the use of tickling to abuse or dominate someone. The victim will still laugh even if they find the experience unpleasant. This laughter, in this case, is an innate reflex rather than social conditioning”"”
It is quite different to be tickled when your feet are bound and tickling your kids that can squirm away. Just read the link. It isn’t any funnier than dying from laughter. Haha!
jasperjava Reply:
October 25th, 2009 at 9:46 pm
I’m very ticklish. The thought of being tied up and tickled without mercy sounds like torture to me.
As usual, Daddio doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
TDro319 Reply:
October 25th, 2009 at 1:21 am
…but then Daddio also thinks waterboarding isn’t torutre – it’s “just a little water on the face” you know.
Daddio Reply:
October 25th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
So, when is time out for kids going to be defined as torture?
libpatriot Reply:
October 25th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
I say, never.
October 24th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
The “Meow-Mix” commercial would seriously drive some one insane if you played it in a loop for a day or so.
Insane, not crazy. Absolutely bonkers.
That’s an excellent way to stupid callers to cut it out.
–
Alan Colmes -
Not on FOX News, Alan. (That’s the cable network owned by Fox Broadcasting Company that is seperate against the Fox News Talk thing that this show is on–TV versus Radio–I’m only pissed about TV-side issues, personally.)
That was once true but once you misquote a former president (Carter) and promote liars (Breitbart. Giles & O’Keefe) as a network, not a single show, then the game changes.
I notice Alan feels free to admonish Obama for isolating Fox but seems to have a problem admonishing the character fueling this in the core of lies, McCarthyism and black-hatred: Glenn Beck.
You start talking about that, or asking if Glenn Beck raped and murdered a young girl in 1990, then I’ll think that’s a “news agency” you for, Alan.
They like you because as many have said to me about you:
“Alan Colmes is the kind of liberal that conservatives love.”
It’s true.
You know the neo-conservative definition of “bipartisanship” and “civility” is?
KICKING YOU OUT AT THE KNEEES!
They want to bring you along the crazy-hay-ride-to-hell, because everyone who doesn’t flame them instead of the opposition is their friend.
But if you go after Fox, instead of Democrats then it’s another story.
.. is that Fox ran a hit-ad in a newspaper and refuses to practice integrity or honesty or civility as a NETWORK!
I will not ever call this show about this, I’d scream out loud. Alan is so right about other issues and so wrong about this one.
“Free Press” my left foot. No such things as “free press” or “free market”.
Nothing is really “free” in the media or the market.
I want a network. Seriously. My “freedom” dictates that I should have one.
I’ll call it the “Non-Biased Network” and spend millions (that I don’t have) trashing conservatives with hired punditry who will say things that I could never dream up in a thousand lifetimes. I’ll be a Liberal-version Rodger Ailes!
Then people like Alan Colmes can sit and explain how it’s not my fault that everyone is confused to death about everything “news” and everything “opinion”.
“Fair & Balanced”, “The Most Trusted Source”, “Honesty, Integrity, Bipartisan Coverage”; I’m saying it’s false advertising on behalf of a network.
That’s it. False advertising that promotes agendized reporting, even the little news-tickers on the television are biased, and contributes to the level of public confusion over “proven fact” and “conjucture”. Lying to sell a product works equally well on both liberals and conservatives so end effect is that only those studied in journalism and ethics ever take issue with this issue of false advertising on behalf of Fox.
Helen Thomas -
Now if journalism is “news” then I’m a mighty orge … but FOX Cable-Trash is the worst of all spin-machines.
I’ll say it again:
An element of The Public Trust is lost when an organization in run by those who allow their own personal agendas to influence their networks / formats in any form of news coverage.
KSCO AM 1080 (Santa Cruz, California) and FOX Cable News are two organizations run such as this.
Both support radical right-wing policy in their organizations, and then proceed to lie to public on the matter.
It all started with the election of Barack Obama, in case anyone missed it.
I’m a former “Fox-Defender” because these arguments Alan makes were true before a few months ago.
The game does change as we go. This is not a static world.
(That caller is right. The “how” and “why” is where there is no journalism on cable TV. It’s not what you say on television, it’s how you say it.)
Alan Colmes blames The Obama White House; and I blame Rodger Ailes, Rupert Murdoch and most recently Glenn Beck.
Who is smarter than who?
Is everyone as okay as I am with maybe losing that game?
Some people are smarter than me. But when you over and over and over again “out-think” other people and have all the facts correct … it starts getting hard to just sit there and say all viewpoints are equal on all matters.
Some people are wrong, not just misinformed but actually incorrect.
It is now an incorrect statement to say that there is not any bias or network-agenda in the straight-news portion of Fox Broadcasting.
And that which is purely incorrect about Glenn Beck would be the sort of matters I think deserve more coverage in Alan’s format.
–
Caller -
I think that’s idealism. I think some viewpoints are destructive. Like Social Darwinism, for instance.
People should have the right, the government shouldn’t come silence them. But promoting vile anti-social agendas with a smile should be called out for what it is and treated as a disease in our society.
I believe both, or sometimes the many, viewpoints should be expressed on a given issue. But we must also realize that a certain, constant fringe will always try to turn the debate into the spewing of hatred.
The question is should fringe-hatred be made mainstream by TV shows and smear-merchants.
And since it already has been I support a more venomous left-media than we already have.
I support a network that keeps it’s legal department extremely busy with the wild claims about neo-cons and GOP members coming out every second of the day.
MSNBC is not this. They actually try not to get sued. Fox could care less about getting sued, and will sue you if they get the chance. They will just fight you in court over the race baiting or the pro-violence sentiments.
I’d rather go the other direction, but I doubt Fox will just dissolve into a pool so we can focus as a nation on education and good journalism.
So we have to try to destroy them, like they are trying to destroy us.
War has been declared on any person who dares to speak the truth of these hate-mongers on Fox.
They will never stop hating people instead of engaging in political debate.
We need to understand this.
“All viewpoints” includes hatred for the sake of hatred that has nothing to do with the issue at hand. Like many saw for themselves at health care town halls. These people must be called out as liars when they lie and racists when they race bait.
Unless we want racism, bigotry and ignorance to rule the day. I support what Alan does, giving them a platform and then asking them the real questions that they avoid when they are foaming with racist-pride.
But most of what the right-wing media does is just sit quietly aside while their clowns say racist and ignorant statements; clearly certain people on the right care only to spread racism and hate across this land.
They should be underscored as part of the problem, hopefully to their face.
–
My simple point about Fox is that if someone is turning to Fox, in any form, as their sole news-source it is exactly as intelligent a decision as turning to Comedy Central as your sole news-source.
October 25th, 2009 at 2:17 am
Jon Soltz is a true patriot is an age of many false-patriots running wild.
The straight-up truth.
It’s time to “Meow-Mix Em’” when bigots get crazy on the air.
MEOW-MEOW-MEOW-MEOW-MEOW-MEOW-MEOW-MEOW-MEOW-MEOW-MEOW-MEOW-MEOW-MEOW-MEOW-MEOW-MEOW- …
…
October 25th, 2009 at 3:15 am
From the website VoteVets.org:
“It is an audacious thing for a man who served in the U.S. Army during the relative peacetime of 1980-84 to call other soldiers, at least one of whom fought in Fallujah, Iraq, a ‘traitor to his or her oath.’ Now some veterans, understandably, want an apology and VoteVets.org is running a radio ad calling for the legislator’s resignation.”
I wish them the best of luck!
October 26th, 2009 at 12:20 am