Archive for the ‘opinion/news’ Category

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?

Here is an interesting question

Posted: July 13, 2010 by datechguy in elections, internet/free speech, opinion/news
Tags: , , , ,

…did the La Times decide that the story of the Nick Popaditch cartoon was a story because Rep Bob Filner joined the voices disproving it? Would they have ignored it as “right wing noise” otherwise?

Either way Michelle is right about the end result:

But instead of calling on the cartoonist to be fired, perhaps he deserves thanks — thanks for inadvertently creating an opportunity for the rest of us. It’s a moment not merely to complain about a boneheaded media slap, but to spread the word about Nick Popaditch.

Works for me. Lets see what happens on Memeorandum with this.

The Detroit “Proselytizing case” will decide if we go the way of Europe

Posted: July 13, 2010 by datechguy in internet/free speech, opinion/news
Tags: , , , , ,

On Memeorandum nobody has noticed as of 7:53 but this case will decide the future of this country more than any other:

Four Christian missionaries were arraigned today on misdemeanor charges of disturbing the peace following their June 18 arrest at the Arab International Festival.

Negeen Mayel, 18, of California; Nabeel Qureshi, 29, of Virginia; Paul Rezkalla, 18 of New York, and David Wood, 34, also of New York, face fines of up to $500 each and up to 93 days in jail. Dearborn authorities said the four “chose to escalate their behavior, which appeared well-orchestrated and deliberate”emphasis mine as they handed out religious literature and talking with people at the festival. The woman and three men are members or founders of a group called “Acts 17 Apologetics.”

They deliberately choose to preach the religion they follow, horrors of horrors. If we allow that then the next thing you know people will think they have freedom of speech or assembly or the right to a jury trial or something! The Thomas Moore Law Center answers:

But Ann Arbor attorney Robert Muise, senior trial counsel with the Thomas More Law Center, said their constitutional rights were violated and they engaged in no illegal behaviors.

“The encroachment of the First Amendment is just astonishing,” said Muise, who said police confiscated the video cameras and have yet to return them, despite repeated requests. He said he would take the case to trial.

“We’re not going to plead to anything because we didn’t do anything wrong,” Muise said.

This is the whole game right here. If it is decided that Christianity can’t be preached in a majority Muslim city in the US then we are finished as a country.

This is where we will find out if our friends on the left have the love of the 1st amendment or a hatred of Christianity. We got one clue yesterday when the FATWA against Molly Norris drew yawns. This will confirm it.

On and you might noticed I tagged this under “war on terror” if you don’t understand that this case is a fight in it then you need to get a clue.

Update: Little Miss Attila gets it.

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