Archive for the ‘media’ Category

One more thought about Charles Bolden

Posted: July 13, 2010 by datechguy in media
Tags: , , ,

I think it should be emphasized that this Islamic esteem nonsense wasn’t the policy of Charles Bolden, the former Astronaut, this was the policy of President Barack Obama, the former community organizer.

As the head of NASA he didn’t make the policy of the president he is instructed to follow it.

And it took Robert Gibbs one week to come up with this:

Asked whether Bolden misspoke, Gibbs said: “I think so.”

I think so? That’s it? what kind of question is that?

That’s no denial I take exception to this headline at Michelle’s place. I don’t think the WhiteHouse has denied anything to wit, they said:

“such activities are not among Bolden’s assigned tasks.”

I’m sure there is an official list of duties and “such activities” are not on the list, but nobody asked him Gibbs the direct question: “Did the president say this to Mr. Bolden?” A nice “Yes” or “No” question. Let’s see what Gibbs says then.

BTW if I’m Bolden I don’t resign (if you were going to resign you would have done it at the start) he isn’t the one who made this policy.

I’d be really interested in DaScienceGuy’s take on this nonsense.

Why is this a story?

Posted: July 13, 2010 by datechguy in media, opinion/news, tea parties
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I found this Washington Post story at Memeorandum odd:

While many conservative organizations immediately decried a federal judge’s decision last week to invalidate the federal ban on recognizing gay marriages, tea party groups have been conspicuously silent on the issue.

Conspicuously silent? Why would the Tea Party as an organization have anything to do with a Gay Marriage any more than the ASPCA, the Sierra Club, or the American Dairy Association would? Why is an organization whose focus and purpose is fiscal reform care?

Short answer: It wouldn’t. But the goal of the media is to break up tea party support. So lets go for it!

The large tea party-affiliated organizations, including FreedomWorks and the Tea Party Nation, declined to comment on Tauro’s ruling because of their groups’ fiscal focus. “That’s just not something that’s on our radar,” said Judson Phillips, founder of the Tea Party Nation. He acknowledged, however, that some in his group — though not a majority — are opposed to the Defense of Marriage Act.

Opps bad luck Washington Post, no doughnuts for you.

Now individual members like myself might oppose gay marriage in general and that ruling in particular but I would no more expect the tea parties to worry about that than I would the Sable Baseball league.

A story that won’t get promoted from the local news

Posted: July 13, 2010 by datechguy in local stuff, media, opinion/news
Tags: ,

There is a story at the Worcester Telegram that I suspect will never make it to the New York Times, Washington Post, Morning Joe or Memeorandom Here are the details:

Local gay activist Albert M. Toney III has been charged with sexually assaulting a 17-year-old youth last month in the locker room of the YMCA.

The 17-year-old told investigators he was standing in front of a fan in the locker room of the YMCA at 766 Main St. June 15 when Mr. Toney, who was nude, approached him from behind, grabbed his buttock and pressed himself up against him without his consent, according to a statement filed in court by police Sgt. John W. Lewis. Mr. Toney, a former Worcester police officer, then allegedly invited the 17-year-old to join him in the steam room.

A longtime gay activist and advocate for gay and lesbian youth, Mr. Toney is president of AK Consulting Services, an education/diversity training and consulting company.

He was active in the campaign for same-sex marriage rights in Massachusetts and was the first openly gay candidate to run for Worcester City Council.

Ok so we have a public figure, well known in the community, active in the same sex marriage fight and a “youth advocate” charged. Will this story be in any of the above venues? Will it make any papers beyond Worcester? Will there be a memeorandum thread? I think not, the media will not consider this more than a local story. However with a few edits of the Bold Text I can make it a newsworthy story, observe: My edited text is in Italics:

Local Catholic Priest Fr. Albert M. Toney III has been charged with sexually assaulting a 17-year-old youth last month in the locker room of his parish.

The 17-year-old told investigators he was standing in front of a fan in the locker room of his parish at 766 Main St. June 15 when Father Toney, who was nude, approached him from behind, grabbed his buttock and pressed himself up against him without his consent, according to a statement filed in court by police Sgt. John W. Lewis. Father Toney, a former Worcester police officer, then allegedly invited the 17-year-old to join him in the rectory.

A longtime local priest and advocate for catholic youth youth, Father Toney is president of AK Consulting Services, a Church run education, training and consulting company.

He was active in the campaign against same-sex marriage rights in Massachusetts and was the first Catholic Priest to run for Worcester City Council.

See? A few edits and Viola; A story worthy of the New York Times, and a memeorandum thread. Will this story get any media play without said edits? Oh sure, around the same day that Andrew Sullivan endorses Sarah Palin for president on the Chris Matthews show.

Update: the trick would also work If I replaced “Gay Activist” with “Tea party Activist”.

Update 2: Stacy picks it up at the Spectator Blog

A must read letter to the Washington Post

Posted: July 13, 2010 by datechguy in media, opinion/news
Tags: , , ,

If you want to understand the death of the MSM this letter from Peter Kenny and Glenn Dale really says it all:

I am grateful to Charles Krauthammer, as I’m sure many other readers are, for his July 9 op-ed column, “The selective modesty of Barack Obama,” because he mentioned a story that The Post, the New York Times and most of the “important” media have not reported: NASA Administrator Charles Bolden’s bizarre interview with al-Jazeera, in which he said Mr. Obama gave him the mission to “reach out to the Muslim world” and “help them feel good about their historic contribution to science and math and engineering.” Mr. Bolden also said he was asked to “re-inspire” children to do well in science and math. I suspect any halfway intelligent Muslim would be offended by such laughable condescension.

Apart from regretting such feel-good nonsense from a once-great space agency, I would ask The Post: How was this story not newsworthy? Didn’t Post editors realize that word of these inane statements would eventually reach the hordes of Post readers? And that some of them might wonder why The Post hasn’t reported it already?emphasis mine

Peter Kenny, Glenn Dale

Any Questions?

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