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Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
I talk to myself about afghanistan
12:33 PM me: So I wake up and I'm listening to NPR. The lead story is about how the Afghan election is today. But instead of reporting the story, all the reporters are talking about the limits placed on journalists.
12:34 PM I'm like, "surprise! the media is telling a story about itself!"
12:35 PM Then I get a call from pj: http://features.csmonitor.com/globalnews/2009/08/20/police-crack-down-on-journalists-during-afghan-election/
Oops, sorry dude. Police chasing you with guns is news-worthy.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Representing the Ombuds or You Know Your Insitution is in Moral Trouble when...
Take a look at a recent chat with a friend of mine. What do you think we should infer about the University of Pennsylvania from this?
C: got it
C: got it
have you seen the ombuds current page from Penn?
1:28 PM as my friend said,
"ghetto."
problematic, yet apt.
me: wow!
worst page ever
seriously, that's the worst page ever
1:29 PM C: yupper
compare that to say
Stanford: http://www.stanford.edu/dept/ombuds/
Columbia: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ombuds/
Michigan: http://www.umich.edu/~ombuds/index.html
me: we are, apparently, the least ethical of the universities
C: and the beat goes on
1:30 PM me: that's shameful
John Bolton (Manny goes on vacation and I talk to myself)
So John Bolton (remember him? he's the crazy guy who yells at people that g.w.b. appointed to be our most notable representative to the world) was on NPR on Monday. He was one of the first people asked to respond to the Clinton Korea trip.
Why, you ask, would NPR or the Washington Mouthpiece put Bolton front and center when North Korea is on the line and any home-based dissent clears would send them the message that America is a weak and divided nation? We can only surmise that it's ok to dissent right, but that dissenting left is anti-american--i.e. it's ok to dissent when one's dissent is oriented at being more confrontational, abrasive, and domineering, but when one is arguing for more dialogue, greater communication and more sympathy, then one is an homeland hater.
Bolton told npr that he was against president clinton going to n. korea because it would encourage other countries to do the same. (You know, all of those countries around the world just dying for a guest appearance from a former president will immediately grab up the nearest passing tourists).
Comments npr:
"Bolton's point about the Iranians who are now holding three young Americans who allegedly entered Iranian territory from Iraq's Kurdish region, is worth considering. What does the U.S. do if the Iranians condition the release of the three Americans on a visit from former President Clinton as well?"
Now this is hysterical. Do they think that the Iranians are just dying for clinton to come to town? That's the outcome they're looking for? "Oh, forget our nuclear aims and plans for regional domination, send us pres clinton and then we can talk business!"
A much more reasoned point was present on Weds on the bbc where the popular view seems now to have shifted around to: "Wow, what a great opportunity to get one of the most savvy politicians of our age three hours face to face with the mysterious and secretive leader of a totalitarian regime that we desperately need to figure out how to deal with." This is a much more sound opinion.
Why, you ask, would NPR or the Washington Mouthpiece put Bolton front and center when North Korea is on the line and any home-based dissent clears would send them the message that America is a weak and divided nation? We can only surmise that it's ok to dissent right, but that dissenting left is anti-american--i.e. it's ok to dissent when one's dissent is oriented at being more confrontational, abrasive, and domineering, but when one is arguing for more dialogue, greater communication and more sympathy, then one is an homeland hater.
Bolton told npr that he was against president clinton going to n. korea because it would encourage other countries to do the same. (You know, all of those countries around the world just dying for a guest appearance from a former president will immediately grab up the nearest passing tourists).
Comments npr:
"Bolton's point about the Iranians who are now holding three young Americans who allegedly entered Iranian territory from Iraq's Kurdish region, is worth considering. What does the U.S. do if the Iranians condition the release of the three Americans on a visit from former President Clinton as well?"
Now this is hysterical. Do they think that the Iranians are just dying for clinton to come to town? That's the outcome they're looking for? "Oh, forget our nuclear aims and plans for regional domination, send us pres clinton and then we can talk business!"
A much more reasoned point was present on Weds on the bbc where the popular view seems now to have shifted around to: "Wow, what a great opportunity to get one of the most savvy politicians of our age three hours face to face with the mysterious and secretive leader of a totalitarian regime that we desperately need to figure out how to deal with." This is a much more sound opinion.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
The mainstream media hearts republicans, even to the point of craziness
2:42 PM Manny:
From Duncan Black:
"Some genius at Newsweek thinks George W. Bush should be Obama's Middle East envoy.
There really is something wrong with our elite journalistic institutions."
There really is something wrong with our elite journalistic institutions."
2:43 PM me: ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Are you joking?
George Sr. would at least be plausible
2:44 PM me: George W. is like the punchline from a terrible, very-much-in-poor-taste joke about the foment of war and destruction
Manny: it is almost impossible to make up the stuff that gets printed in the Times, Newsweek, NPR etc
Politico today: Why the Republicans are poised for a comeback
2:45 PM me: Boy, they wish that was a self-fulfilling prophecy
Manny: By glenn greenwald's count, that's the 27th republican-comeback article, since just before the 2006 elections
me: ha ha ha
Manny: on politico alone
me: ha
2:46 PM ha
ha
what a great day
2:47 PM And from his blog: "Who are the sources for Politico's exciting announcement of a GOP resurgence? A grand total of three: "GOP pollster Whit Ayres," "GOP pollster John McLaughlin," and "Republican pollster Neil Newhouse," all of whom assure us that the signs point to imminent Republican triumph and Democratic doom. After 21 straight paragraphs of chest-beating GOP triumphalism, Politico throws two Democratic sources into the last three paragraphs of the article for "balance," along with this hilarious qualifier: "For Republicans, the news isn’t entirely promising." What is it that makes things "not entirely promising" for Republicans? Just little things like this:
'There’s been no surge in GOP voter registration and little evidence that the party brand is experiencing a recovery. Last month, a New York Times/CBS poll reported that the GOP’s favorability ratings remained at a record-breaking low -- 28 percent, down from a high of 59 percent in November 1994.'"
'There’s been no surge in GOP voter registration and little evidence that the party brand is experiencing a recovery. Last month, a New York Times/CBS poll reported that the GOP’s favorability ratings remained at a record-breaking low -- 28 percent, down from a high of 59 percent in November 1994.'"
2:48 PM me: HAAAAAA
I can't load that page for some reason
2:49 PM Manny: Continuing from Greenwald: "There are many motives for publishing "GOP-on-the-rise" stories. It's virtually certain to generate a Drudge link, Politico's holy grail. It ensures appearances on GOP-friendly cable news and radio talk shows. It solidifies relationships with dirt-peddling right-wing operatives who drive mindless scandals and distractions in a Democratic administration. And it earns a gold star and pat on the head from right-wing polemicists in the never-ending quest of establishment journalists to prove they are not part of The Liberal Media, the goal which Mark Halperin openly embraced on his knees while pleading with Hugh Hewitt, Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity to stop thinking that he is One of Them, when he was hawking the book he co-wrote with Politico's Harris."nu
| 6 minutes |
2:55 PM me: Well that's spot on
2:56 PM Manny: it goes on
2:59 PM me: Wait, is that from his blog?
3:00 PM Manny: ja
i believe it so
| 7 minutes |
3:07 PM Manny: We can have a blog where I said ridiculous republican things
like Ben Stein
But not a blog where I say true, liberal things
like Glenn Greenwald
some world
3:12 PM me: Wow, ben stein is a bad bad purpose. Obama is anti-white? I've been complaining that he's too pro white.
bad bad person, he's a bad bad person
3:13 PM Manny: yeah, Ben Stein: giant, flaming anus
Manny:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYkFKNroBVA&feature=related
Manny:http://www.youtube.com/
unrelated
just awesome3:16 PM also unrelated, but funny
Tech, the Kindle, and the Interwebs
Manny: I found this to be an interesting summation of my kindle experience so far
| 20 minutes |
12:10 PM me: First of all, that is another very funny piece of writing
12:11 PM secondly, you can't adjust the screen's color scheme and brightness?
Also, no page numbers? Why did they do that?
Manny: unclear to me
12:12 PM I enjoy my kindle, but I was happy to receive it as a gift and not have to justify paying for ti
me: well, I want one, but I'm going to be patient and wait till they respond to the newest round of feedback
12:13 PM does the kindle browse the interwebs?
12:14 PM Manny: a bit
ipod touch is waaay bettter
12:15 PM me: yeah, I'm waiting till they put all my techs in one box
I have too many techs as it is
Manny: ipod + kindle-sized screen = all done looking
12:16 PM me: I do love my satellite radio though. I can listen to bob dylan as a dj. It's awesome
the ipood can probably get that too though
I'm playing with combining my techs, but I have to do some crazy crack to get streaming media on my phone
12:17 PM advantage ipood (although I love my phone otherwise)
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