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Posts Tagged ‘Fox News’

10 Interesting Links From September 16th

September 17th, 2009 Greg Smith No comments
  • Is war on drugs worth it? Maybe not, new FBI data suggest. | csmonitor.com – The new statistics point to a continued emphasis on drug interdiction – otherwise known as the "war on drugs" – that more and more law enforcement officers are now questioning. While many experts hold the anti-drug campaign to be the key reason for the decline in the crime rate in the US, especially violent crime, since the 1990s, these police officers, as well as current and retired judges and prosecutors see, instead, thousands of American lives ruined for small drug infractions in a costly and possibly unwinnable "war."
  • Al Jazeera English – Europe – Italian mafia ’sunk toxic waste’ – Italian authorities have begun investigating a shipwreck allegedly containing toxic waste off the Calabrian coast, after claims it was deliberately sunk by the mafia. A former member of the criminal organisation says the vessel and its cargo were blown up in a lucrative radioactive disposal scheme and that the ship contained "nuclear" material
  • The White House – Blog Post – Reality Check: The Truth About "Czars" – But of course, it’s really the hypocrisy here that is noteworthy. Just earlier today, Darrell Issa, a Republican from California and one of the leaders in calling for an investigation into the Obama Administration’s use of "czars", had to admit to Fox News that he had never raised any objections to the Bush Administration’s use of "czars". Many of these members who now decry the practice have called on Presidents in the past to appoint "czars" to coordinate activities within the government to address immediate challenges. What is clear is that all of this energy going into these attacks could be used to have a constructive conversation about bringing this country together to address our challenges moving forward – and it doesn’t take a "czar" to bring that about! Just some folks willing to act in good faith.
  • Nazi flag flying high over East Mesa again – Las Cruces Sun-News – Triplett's flags – which he said signified protest against what he viewed as unjust government action and impending communism – were taken down Sept. 11 but went back up Monday, a Nazi flag still on top but the American flag right-side-up this time. A call to Triplett at his business, New Mexico Roof Coating Co., met with no reply and a hang-up. A subsequent message left there, seeking comment, was not immediately returned.
  • Colo. budget plan: 6,400 prisoners face early release – The Denver Post – Colorado Department of Corrections officials underreported by thousands the number of prisoners — including thieves, drug dealers and killers — who are eligible for early release under a $19 million budget-cutting plan. A review of the list shows that among the hundreds of violent offenders to be considered are several convicted killers and a man who shot and wounded a police officer, even though DOC officials and Gov. Bill Ritter have promised that the prisoners are not the type who would be eligible for early release. The early-release plan, announced Aug. 18, is part of a plan to shore up a $318 million gap in this year's budget.
  • Charles Darwin film ‘too controversial for religious America’ – Telegraph – Movieguide.org, an influential site which reviews films from a Christian perspective, described Darwin as the father of eugenics and denounced him as "a racist, a bigot and an 1800s naturalist whose legacy is mass murder". His "half-baked theory" directly influenced Adolf Hitler and led to "atrocities, crimes against humanity, cloning and genetic engineering", the site stated.
  • AMREP Reports First Quarter Fiscal 2010 Results – PRINCETON, N.J., Sept. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — AMREP Corporation (NYSE: AXR) today reported a net loss of $1,056,000, or $0.18 per share, for its fiscal 2010 first quarter ended July 31, 2009, compared to net income of $71,000, or $0.01 per share, for the first quarter of the prior fiscal year. Revenues were $32,457,000 in the first quarter of this fiscal year versus $35,570,000 in the first quarter of fiscal 2009. First quarter 2010 revenues from land sales at the Company's AMREP Southwest subsidiary were $1,485,000 compared to $1,263,000 for the same period of fiscal 2009, with the results of both periods reflecting a continuing softness in the real estate market in the greater Albuquerque-metro and Rio Rancho areas that is consistent with the well-publicized problems of the national home building industry and credit markets.
  • Why I Love Al Jazeera – The Atlantic (October 2009) – Al Jazeera is also endearing because it exudes hustle. It constantly gets scoops. It has had gritty, hands-on coverage across the greater Middle East, from Gaza to Beirut to Iraq, that other channels haven’t matched. Its camera crew, for example, was the first to beam pictures from Mingora, the main town of Swat, enabling Al Jazeera to confirm that the Pakistani military had, in fact, prevailed there over the Taliban.
  • When Bush spoke to students, Democrats investigated, held hearings | Washington Examiner – The controversy over President Obama's speech to the nation's schoolchildren will likely be over shortly after Obama speaks today at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. But when President George H.W. Bush delivered a similar speech on October 1, 1991, from Alice Deal Junior High School in Washington DC, the controversy was just beginning. Democrats, then the majority party in Congress, not only denounced Bush's speech — they also ordered the General Accounting Office to investigate its production and later summoned top Bush administration officials to Capitol Hill for an extensive hearing on the issue.
  • BBC NEWS | UK | Northern Ireland | Huge ’sky explosion’ investigated – An Irish astronomy group is calling for help in tracing the origin of a huge explosion in the skies over the country on Thursday evening.
  • 9 Interesting Links From August 12th

    August 13th, 2009 Greg Smith No comments
    • Why Neoconservative Pundits Love Jon Stewart — Daily Intel — New York News Blog — New York Magazine – "There is genuine intellectual curiosity," May told New York. "He's a staunch liberal, but he's a thoughtful liberal, and I respect that." May isn't the only conservative gushing about Stewart. While the movement professes a disdain for the "liberal media elite," it has made an exception for the true-blue 46-year-old comedian. "He always gives you a chance to answer, which some people don't do," says John Bolton, President Bush's ambassador to the United Nations and a Fox News contributor, who went on the show last month. "He's got his perspective, but he's been fair." Says Bolton: "In general, a lot of the media, especially on the left, has lost interest in debate and analysis. It has been much more ad hominem. Stewart fundamentally wants to talk about the issues. That's what I want to do."
    • Autopsy: Bear killed woman near Ouray – The Denver Post – An autopsy has determined that a 74- year-old woman was killed by a bear, just the third such documented fatal attack in Colorado. Wildlife officials say they think Donna Munson was killed as the result of years of feeding bears that visited her log cabin north of Ouray.
    • Apple Shoots Ad For New Product in California Diner | Cult of Mac – Amid tight security, Apple shot a TV advert for an unreleased product at Jax Truckee Diner on Tuesday afternoon. Unfortunately, there are no pictures or even a description of the mystery product. Because of the security, no photographers or reporters were allowed on set. Filming took place on Tuesday afternoon.
    • Is public healthcare in the UK as sick as rightwing America claims? | Society | The Guardian – The NHS has become the unexpected target of those opposed to Barack Obama's healthcare reform proposals. Republicans and rightwing commentators in the US have made strong allegations about the failings of Britain's health system. Denis Campbell and Girish Gupta put those claims to professionals in the health sector
    • Warner builds pic with Lego – Entertainment News, Los Angeles, Media – Variety – Now count Warner Bros. as one of those studios: WB is toying with plans to develop a movie around Lego and its popular building blocks. Scribes Dan and Kevin Hageman are penning the script for the family comedy that will mix live action and animation. Warners is keeping the plot tightly under wraps, but it's described as an action adventure set in a Lego world.
    • www.KOB.com – Simpsons documentary films at Isotopes Park – Director Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me, 2004) is working on a documentary of The Simpsons, the cartoon series from which the Isotopes got their name.
    • EC criticized for conduct during Intel investigation – Ars Technica – Did the European Commission overlook some evidence during its antitrust investigation of Intel that might have influenced the outcome of the decision, which went against the chipmaker? The European Union ombudsman believes that may have been the case, saying that EC investigators failed to include details of a meeting that presented one PC mantufacturer's decision to choose Intel CPUs as being purely performance based.
    • Phoenix – Valley Fever – Customer Allegedly Bumps KFC Employee With Car After Condiments Dispute – Monique Aguet, 26, zipped through the drive-through at a Kentucky Fried Chicken near Bell and Reems roads about 7 p.m., Surprise police say. When she dipped her hand in her bag of food and found there were no condiments, Aguet allegedly went off the deep end.
    • www.KOB.com – Many unemployed turning to truck driving – The rough economy may be responsible for a dramatic increase in enrollment at the CNM truck driving school. Many of New Mexico's unemployed are going to school so they can hit the open road and switch gears to a more stable industry.

    Fox News: The Voice Of Evil

    August 29th, 2005 Greg Smith Comments off

    Oh, those jokesters over at Fox News. John Loftus gave out some slightly incorrect information about the location of some terrorists in Orange County. When he gave out the address of these terrorists on TV, the information was 3 years old and put some poor family that now owns the house in danger.

    What’s worse is their pathetic attempt at a apology.

    The Voricks said they had made several unsuccessful attempts to contact Fox News and Loftus by telephone and e-mail. They want a public apology and correction. Both have issued apologies — Fox in a one-line statement to the Los Angeles Times and Loftus in an e-mail to the family — after being contacted by the newspaper. The Voricks say they have yet to see or hear a correction. “John Loftus has been reprimanded for his careless error, and we sincerely apologize to the family,” said Fox spokeswoman Irena Brigante.

    If they were really sorry they would show up at the house with their TV crew and apologize live on air. A email? Give me a break!

    Ted Turner & Big Media

    July 24th, 2004 Greg Smith Comments off
    I have a lot of respect for Ted Turner. He started at the bottom worked his way up and made a lot of money. Yet he hasn’t forgotten where he came from and what’s important, and it’s not money. He recently wrote about how big media is getting bigger and how the FCC is letting it happen. I was a bit skeptical at first since he is himself a victim of these policies, “In the end, I found the only way to stay competitive was to merge with Time Warner and relinquish control of my companies” so maybe he is just whining because he lost in the end. But I don’t think so.

    “The FCC says that we have more media choices than ever before. But only a few corporations decide what we can choose. That is not choice. That’s like a dictator deciding what candidates are allowed to stand for parliamentary elections, and then claiming that the people choose their leaders. Different voices do not mean different viewpoints, and these huge corporations all have the same viewpoint–they want to shape government policy in a way that helps them maximize profits, drive out competition, and keep getting bigger.” Big Brother might not turn out to be the government, it might turn out to be the giant company when they all merge together as one.

    That’s the problem with big companies. As Alton Brown recently said, “They?re businesses doing what businesses do. They don?t love you”. The first thing I learned in a high school business class (and probably the only thing I remember) was a businesses purpose is to make money first and foremost. They need to grow and expand that business, like a virus, to continue to be profitable. We expect the government to jump in and be the antivirus. But if government is infected by big business then we have lost. Or have we?

    Even when I watch my local news I wonder if they are reporting the right things. So I stop watching local news, and National News, and stopped watching Fox News years ago when I though they were slanted (can’t stand that Bill O’Reilly guy). We still have control of our elected officials. So what’s stopping us from making change? 

    Good Veterans Day To You

    November 11th, 2003 Greg Smith Comments off
    Informing the American People is the only way to put pressure on our government to ensure our troops are safe.
    • What a surprise. The US Administration "is deeply frustrated with its hand-picked council members because they have spent more time on their own political or economic interests than in planning for Iraq’s political future, especially selecting a committee to write a new constitution, the officials added." That’s OK becasue the people that picked them can’t do things right either.
    • The headline reads: "Rumsfeld retreats, disclaims earlier rhetoric. Rumsfeld denies he ever made several pre-war statements." He said the statements on national TV, only to deny that he ever said them. Don’t bother looking at the tapes, it was just your imagination. [Update:] Looks like now some members of congress want to get rid of him.
    • Meanwhile a lot of people who know a lot about what happens in the Governement are coming out to say that the reason we went to war was all made up."There was never a clear and present danger. There was never an imminent threat. Iraq – and we have very good intelligence on this – was never part of the picture of terrorism," says Mel Goodman, a veteran CIA analyst who now teaches at the National War College." Yikes!
    • Is it me or does anyone else find this suspicious: "A State Department employee was found dead outside the agency headquarters in Washington, D.C., Friday around 5 p.m., Fox News has confirmed." This guy "worked in a unit that dealt with intelligence and research".
    • Did you see the Jessica Lynch movie this weekend? It seems that the Administration is, at the very least, exaggerating it. So that it makes the Iraq "bad guys" look badder."Lynch says the circumstances of her rescue was dramatised and manipulated by the Pentagon. She was not rescued in a ‘blaze of gunfire’ as reported by Defence Department officials last April, but picked up from compliant Iraq doctors who had saved her life."

     

    Anytime You Use the Term “Fair & Balanced”, You Owe Fox a Dollar

    August 13th, 2003 Greg Smith Comments off
    According to this article Fox is suing Al Franken and his book publisher for using the term “Fair & Balanced” in the title of his book. The title of the book is “Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right.” Fox says, “Franken’s “intent is clear – to exploit Fox News’ trademark, confuse the public as to the origins of the book and, accordingly, boost sales of the book.”Waaaaa??? I never thought of Fox News when reading that title, even after reading the article. It sounds like “Fair & Balanced” is used as a description and not as a slogan. I hope Fox loses this.

    Read some other articles about what else Fox says about Franken. Its very amusing.