I don't know if I've told this story on the internet before, but here goes.
I remember when I was in grade school, maybe about 8 or 9 years old, my teacher told the class that "in Russia, the news only can say what the government wants it to say. Here in America, we have freedom of speech, so the news can say anything." I remember feeling proud to be an American.
Now, the press sounds more and more like government propaganda every day. And with the attacks on public broadcasting, I'm wondering how much more we'll have to look like Reagan's Evil Empire before people start getting upset.
Latest example: the Iranian president hostage scandal. Here's MSNBC's take on the story, which is filled with hearsay from former US hostages who claim that Iran's new president was among their captors back in the 70's. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure these former hostages really believe what they're saying, and I have nothing against them. Oh, and the new Iranian president is a scumbag and clearly his election was a fraud. Too bad we in the US have no credibility when it comes to elections of presidents.
BBC News tells a much different story about this hostage taking business. While acknowledging the fact that some former hostages are confident about the president's identity as a captor, they note that the photographic evidence suggests that the dude in question is much taller than the president and looks nothing like the president's other pictures from the 70's. And, they note that even some of the president's harshest critics (who would have reason to impugn him as a former hostage taker) have said that there is no way that the president was a hostage taker. Boom. Case closed. That's investigative journalism, folks.
I remember when I was in grade school, maybe about 8 or 9 years old, my teacher told the class that "in Russia, the news only can say what the government wants it to say. Here in America, we have freedom of speech, so the news can say anything." I remember feeling proud to be an American.
Now, the press sounds more and more like government propaganda every day. And with the attacks on public broadcasting, I'm wondering how much more we'll have to look like Reagan's Evil Empire before people start getting upset.
Latest example: the Iranian president hostage scandal. Here's MSNBC's take on the story, which is filled with hearsay from former US hostages who claim that Iran's new president was among their captors back in the 70's. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure these former hostages really believe what they're saying, and I have nothing against them. Oh, and the new Iranian president is a scumbag and clearly his election was a fraud. Too bad we in the US have no credibility when it comes to elections of presidents.
BBC News tells a much different story about this hostage taking business. While acknowledging the fact that some former hostages are confident about the president's identity as a captor, they note that the photographic evidence suggests that the dude in question is much taller than the president and looks nothing like the president's other pictures from the 70's. And, they note that even some of the president's harshest critics (who would have reason to impugn him as a former hostage taker) have said that there is no way that the president was a hostage taker. Boom. Case closed. That's investigative journalism, folks.
I've arrived and it's HOT in Detroit. I've been reconnecting with old friends and it's been great.
The Pistons loss is easy to explain: referees. Oh, and the fact that the Spurs are amazing. We'll be back next year.
More soon -- still getting my internet bearings here in the motor city.
The Pistons loss is easy to explain: referees. Oh, and the fact that the Spurs are amazing. We'll be back next year.
More soon -- still getting my internet bearings here in the motor city.
Still on the road, so this will be a quick one. After hitting Vegas, Denver, Des Moines, and now Chicago (and all the empty spaces in between), I'll be back in the best city this side of the Atlantic just in time for the Pistons to win it all tomorrow night.
Some of the more interesting things on this trip:
-- Saw a sign for "handicapped accessible fueling" on I-80 in Illinois today. First and only sign that I've seen like that. Long overdue.
-- Saw a sign for wireless internet available at a rest stop in Iowa. Yes. Iowa.
-- There was a 45 minute, 4 mile long traffic slowdown on the I-55 heading into Chicago this afternoon. Why? An accident on the other side of the freeway, so everyone had to spend 15 minutes looking at it. Rubbernecking a-holes!
-- Saw lightning hit Denver just as we got over the mountains and could take in the wide expansse of city lights below us. Pretty excellent.
-- Nice people live in Nebraska.
-- The Spurs are clearly not as good as the Pistons.
See you all soon with more posts, live from Motown.
Some of the more interesting things on this trip:
-- Saw a sign for "handicapped accessible fueling" on I-80 in Illinois today. First and only sign that I've seen like that. Long overdue.
-- Saw a sign for wireless internet available at a rest stop in Iowa. Yes. Iowa.
-- There was a 45 minute, 4 mile long traffic slowdown on the I-55 heading into Chicago this afternoon. Why? An accident on the other side of the freeway, so everyone had to spend 15 minutes looking at it. Rubbernecking a-holes!
-- Saw lightning hit Denver just as we got over the mountains and could take in the wide expansse of city lights below us. Pretty excellent.
-- Nice people live in Nebraska.
-- The Spurs are clearly not as good as the Pistons.
See you all soon with more posts, live from Motown.
I am OUTTA here.
So you know the earthquake on Tuesday that set off a tsunami warning for basically the entire state of California? Yeah, I was sitting right next to the ocean over in Isla Vista, watching ABC television and we didn't hear a thing about a tsunami warning until about an hour after the warning expired. Right. Need to work on that, folks.
Given that we've had about 4 earthquakes in 5 days, I am just going to get the hell out of Dodge. Actually, I've been planning a trip back to the greatest city in the United States -- Detroit, Michigan -- for a little while now, and I'm officially leaving on Sunday.
I'll do what I can to keep the Most Important Blog... Ever updated as I drive across this great country of ours, so stay tuned.
Oh, and continue to beat the consipracy and GO PISTONS!
UPDATE: Friday morning, two more quakes. Have fun with all that, kids. I'm on my way to the middle of the craton. Later.
The Spurs had a lot of "extra help" tonight.
The Pistons went to the free throw line 16 times tonight.
The Spurs went to the free throw line 34 times. Look it up.
Manu Ginobli -- you know, the ugly one with the floppy hair who thinks he can play but all he does is draw fouls? -- yeah, he went to the line 13 times himself, almost as many times as all the Pistons combined.
In other words, the fouls were called on the Pistons TWO TIMES more than on the Spurs. The game was decided by about 18 points (if you don't count the last minute or so after everyone had given up) -- and that's how many more free points the Spurs got thanks to the officials.
The Spurs were able to defend effectively because they weren't called for fouls. The Pistons couldn't get physical with Ginobli or his gumpy teammate Tim "Not One of the Best Ever" Duncan because even the slightest touch sent the Spurs to the free throw line yet again.
The Pistons shot 40% from the field, the Spurs 47%. The Pistons worked the Spurs' huge 20-point-plus lead down to only 8 with about 5 mintues to go, and then foul after foul called against the Pistons ended the game. The Pistons' Larry Brown, Chauncey Billups, and Rip Hamilton all were called for technicals arguing with the officials. They were right -- the officials certainly helped out the hometown team.
How about calling a fair game, guys? Oh, and don't forget, I predicted Pistons in 5. Make that 6, because San Antonio stole this one thanks to the terribly conpiratiorial officiating.
The Pistons went to the free throw line 16 times tonight.
The Spurs went to the free throw line 34 times. Look it up.
Manu Ginobli -- you know, the ugly one with the floppy hair who thinks he can play but all he does is draw fouls? -- yeah, he went to the line 13 times himself, almost as many times as all the Pistons combined.
In other words, the fouls were called on the Pistons TWO TIMES more than on the Spurs. The game was decided by about 18 points (if you don't count the last minute or so after everyone had given up) -- and that's how many more free points the Spurs got thanks to the officials.
The Spurs were able to defend effectively because they weren't called for fouls. The Pistons couldn't get physical with Ginobli or his gumpy teammate Tim "Not One of the Best Ever" Duncan because even the slightest touch sent the Spurs to the free throw line yet again.
The Pistons shot 40% from the field, the Spurs 47%. The Pistons worked the Spurs' huge 20-point-plus lead down to only 8 with about 5 mintues to go, and then foul after foul called against the Pistons ended the game. The Pistons' Larry Brown, Chauncey Billups, and Rip Hamilton all were called for technicals arguing with the officials. They were right -- the officials certainly helped out the hometown team.
How about calling a fair game, guys? Oh, and don't forget, I predicted Pistons in 5. Make that 6, because San Antonio stole this one thanks to the terribly conpiratiorial officiating.
I feel your pain, Robert Kaplan. Keep working, it gets better after the 5th year, everyone keeps telling me.
Again, the Brits have done it right.
More tragic news from Israel/Palestine as four people have died in the past 24 hours.
This story has been picked up by the US media, despite the fact that no Israelis were killed.
CNN.com's headline right now doesn't directly attribute Palestinian deaths to the Israelis: "Palestinians Killed in Israeli Operation." Two young men were killed in the raid, of which both sides naturally have differing accounts. The Palestinians might call this a breach of Israel's cease fire, but Israel insists that it was only acting in self-defense. Later, in apparent retaliation, Palestinians fired homemade rockets at an Israeli town near the Gaza border, hitting a few buildings, but causing no injuries. Then, a rocket fired at one of the Israeli-only Gaza settlements hit a greenhouse, killing two agricultural workers, one Palestinian and one Chinese. The New York Times Online has more details in its story, headlined "Israeli and Palestinian Attacks Signal Fraying Cease-Fire."
UPDATE: 2:00PM Turns out that it's worse than we thought -- six people have died in this renewed violence, five Palestinians and one Chinese man. The flare-up has ignited fears that violence may sprial further out of control, removing what little remains of the cease-fire declared earlier this year.
Neither of the front-page headlines directly attribute Palestinian deaths to Israeli actions. We're keeping track of how often the media attributes blame in its headlines to either side. Our tally remains unchanged -- 3 times we have seen headlines attributing palestinian deaths to Israelis, and twice we have seen Israeli deaths attributed to Palestinians.
No photo means that our photo tallies remain unchanged.
Click here for more information on this project.
This story has been picked up by the US media, despite the fact that no Israelis were killed.
CNN.com's headline right now doesn't directly attribute Palestinian deaths to the Israelis: "Palestinians Killed in Israeli Operation." Two young men were killed in the raid, of which both sides naturally have differing accounts. The Palestinians might call this a breach of Israel's cease fire, but Israel insists that it was only acting in self-defense. Later, in apparent retaliation, Palestinians fired homemade rockets at an Israeli town near the Gaza border, hitting a few buildings, but causing no injuries. Then, a rocket fired at one of the Israeli-only Gaza settlements hit a greenhouse, killing two agricultural workers, one Palestinian and one Chinese. The New York Times Online has more details in its story, headlined "Israeli and Palestinian Attacks Signal Fraying Cease-Fire."
UPDATE: 2:00PM Turns out that it's worse than we thought -- six people have died in this renewed violence, five Palestinians and one Chinese man. The flare-up has ignited fears that violence may sprial further out of control, removing what little remains of the cease-fire declared earlier this year.
Neither of the front-page headlines directly attribute Palestinian deaths to Israeli actions. We're keeping track of how often the media attributes blame in its headlines to either side. Our tally remains unchanged -- 3 times we have seen headlines attributing palestinian deaths to Israelis, and twice we have seen Israeli deaths attributed to Palestinians.
No photo means that our photo tallies remain unchanged.
Click here for more information on this project.
...and still no respect.
After defeating yet another Big Shaq/Fast Little Guy superstar combo, the Detroit Pistons are on their way to a well-deserved second-straight NBA Finals! WOO!
The Pistons have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are one of the greatest teams ever to play the game. And yet, they still get no respect from the NBA, the analyists, nor the media.
The headline on ESPN's story right now is "Wade Held Scoreless During Fourth Quarter." They focus on the losing team's "super"star rather than the amazing play of Detroit's 5 stars. The headline could have been something like "The Defenders Return to the Finals." It could be "Wallace and Hamilton Each Add 20 As Pistons Advance." But, no. Again, the coverage would have us think that the Heat lost this series -- the Pistons didn't win.
Bullshit. These guys play basketball the way it was meant to be played. Last year they battled through three tough, tough series (including coming back from a 3-1 deficit), and then handily beat Shaq, Kobe, and the star-studded Lakers in just 5 games in one of the most amazing sports dramas of all time. The hardworking men from Detroit took the bickering stars in LA and mopped the floor with them. Ironic. Unexpected. Thrilling. Awesome.
Still, to this day, the Pistons are called "fluke champions." The Lakers lost, see -- it's not that the Pistons devastated them. F that. Tonight's win against Miami has again proven that these Pistons are real, no matter what happens against the Spurs.
As these defending champs go into their second straight Finals, they are once again the underdogs and most everyone has already counted them out against the rolling Spurs. For example, I just watched this douchebag on ESPN go through the Spurs-Pistons matchup. His expert analysis went like this:
Backcourt -- Advantage: Pistons (with Billups and Hamilton)
Frontcourt -- Advantage: Pistons (with Prince, Wallace, and Wallace, even Duncan isn't enough)
Bench -- Advantage: Spurs (OK, I'll give them this one)
Coaching -- Advantage: Pistons.
So, with 3 of 4 team aspects in the Pistons' favor, this guy clearly was set to predict another Detroit championship, right?
Wrong. "No, I'm going with the best player in the series, Tim Duncan, and I'm calling it for the Spurs!"
Idiot. Like most commentators, this guy hasn't relized that the Pistons are a paradigm shift. Superstars are clearly overrated. The Pistons' team style of basketball is enough to nullify TWO superstars -- even when one of them is Shaq. They will have no trouble taking care of Duncan. They're the better team, and that's what wins basketball games.
Pistons in five.
Check this out, and then click here for the official website. I'm gonna try to get my hands on this CD and we'll bring you a full review shortly.
IMPORTANT ADVISORY: Blogging will be light over the next week or so as final exams are in full effect here at UCSB.
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ADVISORY FOR MIAMI "HEAT" FANS: Prepare to lose.
IMPORTANT ADVISORY: Blogging will be light over the next week or so as final exams are in full effect here at UCSB.
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ADVISORY FOR MIAMI "HEAT" FANS: Prepare to lose.
Dave is in the building, I repeat, Dave is in the building. We love you, man! Welcome back.
Here's a story you won't see in the US media. Some Israeli soldiers have come forward and testified that they were ordered to kill six random Palestinian policemen after six Israeli soldiers were killed. This is what we call indiscriminate, folks, and proves once again that Israel does not have the world's most moral army.
Here's a piece of the testimony, available in full at www.breakingthesilence.org.
Here's a piece of the testimony, available in full at www.breakingthesilence.org.
Some terrorist arrived at a (our) checkpoint and killed 6. That evening we were rushed off to a room. Suddenly our (Naval) squad commander came from some two-minute long briefing saying ‘Listen….we are doing…our action is a revenge. We are going to kill 6 Palestinian policemen somewhere, revenging our six they took down’.
Saw this the other day and it brought back a lot of memories.
Remember way back in early 2002, when we were all still thinking daily about 9/11 and Afghanistan? Then, out of nowhere, Bush started talking trash about Saddam and Iraq and I was like, "There's no way we're going to war with Iraq, because it's not even on the radar screen right now."
But, sure enough, Bush and his cronies started talking about Iraq day in and day out, and within a year we were at war. A war of choice. A war based on lies.
And the price continues to be paid, -- two and a half years later -- by Iraqi civilians, US servicepeople, US mercenaries, and US taxpayers. Thanks, President Bush.
Remember way back in early 2002, when we were all still thinking daily about 9/11 and Afghanistan? Then, out of nowhere, Bush started talking trash about Saddam and Iraq and I was like, "There's no way we're going to war with Iraq, because it's not even on the radar screen right now."
But, sure enough, Bush and his cronies started talking about Iraq day in and day out, and within a year we were at war. A war of choice. A war based on lies.
And the price continues to be paid, -- two and a half years later -- by Iraqi civilians, US servicepeople, US mercenaries, and US taxpayers. Thanks, President Bush.
So Chappelle might be down for the count -- he's having trouble reconciling his cutting humor with his deeply held religious beliefs.
But I'm hearing reports that he's back in the States and might be heading back to work soon. We'll keep you posted here at The Most Important Blog... Ever.
But I'm hearing reports that he's back in the States and might be heading back to work soon. We'll keep you posted here at The Most Important Blog... Ever.
