/Old News
What happens next month?
posted by lazlow at 6:51 AM on Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Please take their license away
CBS news. You know... the one that had Walter Cronkite as a journalist? Here's their leading headline of the day as tracked by Google News.
Someone please come save our news. It's an embarrassment.
Expert: Lohan Charges No Big DealUm, yeah. You are correct. It's no big deal. What is a big deal is, i don't know MEMORIAL DAY? WAR?
Defense Lawyer Mickey Sherman: Would Be First Offense, And Tiny Amount Of Cocaine Allegedly Involved
Someone please come save our news. It's an embarrassment.
posted by lazlow at 6:33 PM on Monday, May 28, 2007
The War on Science has a Museum
Today the Creation Museum, a $27-million facility for tourists who believe that scientists are liars will open it's doors in Cincinnati. You see kids, science about global warming is all fake. In fact, the fossils are lies. The LA Times points out:
[B]efore the first visitor risks succumbing to the museum’s animatronic balderdash — dinosaurs and humans actually coexisted! the Grand Canyon was carved by the great flood described in Genesis! — we’d like to clear up a few things: “The Flintstones” is a cartoon, not a documentary. Fred and Wilma? Those woolly mammoth vacuum cleaners? All make-believe.
Science is under assault, and that calls for bold truths. Here’s another: The Earth is round.
The museum, a 60,000-square-foot menace to 21st century scientific advancement, is the handiwork of Answers in Genesis, a leader in the “young Earth” movement. Young Earthers believe the world is about 6,000 years old, as opposed to the 4.5 billion years estimated by the world’s credible scientific community. This would be risible if anti-evolution forces were confined to a lunatic fringe, but they are not. Witness the recent revelation that three of the Republican candidates for president do not believe in evolution. Three men seeking to lead the last superpower on Earth reject the scientific consensus on cosmology, thermonuclear dynamics, geology and biology, believing instead that Bamm-Bamm and Dino played together.
posted by lazlow at 9:59 AM
While you are getting drunk and BBQing
Here are the women and men who have died in the last 48 hours in Iraq.
Staff Sgt. Steve Butcher Jr., 27, of Penfield, N.Y.
Pfc. Daniel P. Cagle, 22, of Carson, Calif.
Pfc. Robert H. Dembowski, 20, of Ivyland, Pa.
Spc. Benjamin J. Ashley, 22, of Independence, Mo.,
Pfc. Casey P. Zylman, 22, of Coleman, Mich.,
Sgt. Iosiwo Uruo, 27, of Agana Heights, Guam
Every day heroes like these are buried on page 15 of the paper. This Memorial Day - remember those who are giving their lives. Support the troops. Impeach the politicians.
Staff Sgt. Steve Butcher Jr., 27, of Penfield, N.Y.
Pfc. Daniel P. Cagle, 22, of Carson, Calif.
Pfc. Robert H. Dembowski, 20, of Ivyland, Pa.
Spc. Benjamin J. Ashley, 22, of Independence, Mo.,
Pfc. Casey P. Zylman, 22, of Coleman, Mich.,
Sgt. Iosiwo Uruo, 27, of Agana Heights, Guam
Every day heroes like these are buried on page 15 of the paper. This Memorial Day - remember those who are giving their lives. Support the troops. Impeach the politicians.
posted by lazlow at 4:42 PM on Saturday, May 26, 2007
For the next one, one branch of government
Strangely, the American Idol obsessed news media has gone glassy eyed and failed to report on an Executive Order just signed by President Bush that says in case of a next 9/11 the President shall take total control over the government and the country, bypassing all other levels of government at the state, federal, and local levels. Let me state that again. The president has signed an order that Congress has no oversight over - saying that Congress shall answer to him if he declares an emergency.
If we're going to have a king, can we at least have more interesting money?
Read more on NATIONAL SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/NSPD 51 and HOMELAND SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/HSPD-20
also, more here
If we're going to have a king, can we at least have more interesting money?
Read more on NATIONAL SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/NSPD 51 and HOMELAND SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/HSPD-20
also, more here
posted by lazlow at 6:01 AM on Friday, May 25, 2007
"We might just blow the planet up"
Why the strongest force in the universe wasn't sent to Iraq explains a lot.
Thanks Monkeys for Helping
Thanks Monkeys for Helping
posted by lazlow at 6:47 PM on Saturday, May 19, 2007
listener mail
here's an interesting email from a fan in the UK...
Lazlow,
I just finished reading your latest blog entry (See: The TV told me
to be offended). With regard to one of your earlier episodes of 'The
Lazlow Show' you said that American was becoming the China of the
world (as a result of the cheap economy). As an outsider looking in
you appear to be the North Korea of the world. There are only a
handful of countries out there that tell them what to watch and
listen, and the majority of them are all ruled by a tyrannical
dictator. The current policies about the media and the rest of the
world have similarities to that of Communist China when Mao Tsu'tung
ruled. I agree with what you're saying about the stupidity of these
situations and the media taking information out of context.
Unfortunately though that's the society we've become, not just in
America or the UK, but across the globe. As you rightly said, the
print media (which cannot be censored) is sadly dying out as a result
of the '24 hour societies'. However, if history has taught us nothing
- the "man" can never squash the voices of the many. That is both the
brilliance, and the misfortune of the masses.
That's my two cents.
Keep up the great work,
Ash
Lazlow,
I just finished reading your latest blog entry (See: The TV told me
to be offended). With regard to one of your earlier episodes of 'The
Lazlow Show' you said that American was becoming the China of the
world (as a result of the cheap economy). As an outsider looking in
you appear to be the North Korea of the world. There are only a
handful of countries out there that tell them what to watch and
listen, and the majority of them are all ruled by a tyrannical
dictator. The current policies about the media and the rest of the
world have similarities to that of Communist China when Mao Tsu'tung
ruled. I agree with what you're saying about the stupidity of these
situations and the media taking information out of context.
Unfortunately though that's the society we've become, not just in
America or the UK, but across the globe. As you rightly said, the
print media (which cannot be censored) is sadly dying out as a result
of the '24 hour societies'. However, if history has taught us nothing
- the "man" can never squash the voices of the many. That is both the
brilliance, and the misfortune of the masses.
That's my two cents.
Keep up the great work,
Ash
posted by lazlow at 6:37 PM
The TV told me to be offended
Email has been pouring in regarding the recent state of radio. People outraged. People venting. People outraged and venting i haven't weighed in.
I've been in radio since 1992. I liked the daily dose of comedy and entertainment it brought to people. When the media was deregulated, a situation brought forth by the Reagan, Clinton and Bush camps with equal enthusiasm - it created a consolidation of power. Radio companies no longer had limits on ownership. And thanks to equal time rules being kicked out by Reagan, we got a 24 hour news culture. Thanks to the Clinton years a company can own 1200 radio stations. This culture essentially creates drama. Try creating 24 hours of drama in your life. It's difficult to do. So TV news seizes on and makes issues. Newspapers are fighting for their lives. Radio is too. TV news is competing with the Internet so much that they now report on stuff they found on the Internet. And what are they finding on the Internet? Offensive material. On Blogs.
Blogs are largely the ramblings of incensed idiots. Mine is no different. But the postings of soundbites considered "offensive" culls and shapes the debate. Few people today hear something offensive on a show they're watching/listening to and then demand action. Someone ELSE is offended for them and tells them to write letters or go to rallies. Someone grabs a 30 second piece from a show(out of context) and rants and raves against the offender, whether it's Rush, Imus, Opie and Anthony, Hannity whomever. Liberals do it. Conservatives do it. These bites, taken out of context and posted, are picked up by the 24 hour news, blogs and newspapers desperate to draw you in and tell you to be offended. "Controversy erupts over a radio segment by -insert name here-" No it didn't. You needed a story. Nobody watching that show or listening to that radio program was offended. And if they were, they turned it off. But TV news needs to make money now. It didn't used to. It used to be a required public service in exchange for spectrum and existence on TV. That transition - and it was one that Walter Cronkite warned me about back in 1997 when i interviewed him - is wrecking the freedoms we claim to hold so dear.
An FCC letter writing campaign against "offensive" material on TV was recently revealed to be nothing more than a webform that thousands of people filled out. They complained about parts of a show that never happened. They were never exposed to the TV show that they were told was offensive. They were simply told it was offensive and given an easy way to protest. They are calling for the cancellation of a show they never saw.
Where does this stop? It doesn't. unless the people demand politicians make changes to the "news" media structure, this will get worse. In a world where the politicians who raise the most money to run commercials win elections, it's becoming a situation where money/TV controls the discourse. The majority of articles in newspapers aren't written to inform or educate. Many TV news stories aren't produced to truly cover an issue. Networks have marketing meetings on what to name the conflict in Iraq and how the graphics should look in order to appeal to the target demographic and attract advertisers. Artificial controversy is created on websites and is picked up by 24 hour channels looking to fill time. Media corporations beholden to politicians to look the other way on regulation while they are grabbing viewers with sensationalism in order to boost ratings for sponsors who support the news they - and the target audience agrees with - aren't involved in journalism anymore. It's infotainment. Infotainment that tells us something isn't funny, that something isn't comedy or satire.
Comedy is not a crime. But it is becoming one.
I've been in radio since 1992. I liked the daily dose of comedy and entertainment it brought to people. When the media was deregulated, a situation brought forth by the Reagan, Clinton and Bush camps with equal enthusiasm - it created a consolidation of power. Radio companies no longer had limits on ownership. And thanks to equal time rules being kicked out by Reagan, we got a 24 hour news culture. Thanks to the Clinton years a company can own 1200 radio stations. This culture essentially creates drama. Try creating 24 hours of drama in your life. It's difficult to do. So TV news seizes on and makes issues. Newspapers are fighting for their lives. Radio is too. TV news is competing with the Internet so much that they now report on stuff they found on the Internet. And what are they finding on the Internet? Offensive material. On Blogs.
Blogs are largely the ramblings of incensed idiots. Mine is no different. But the postings of soundbites considered "offensive" culls and shapes the debate. Few people today hear something offensive on a show they're watching/listening to and then demand action. Someone ELSE is offended for them and tells them to write letters or go to rallies. Someone grabs a 30 second piece from a show(out of context) and rants and raves against the offender, whether it's Rush, Imus, Opie and Anthony, Hannity whomever. Liberals do it. Conservatives do it. These bites, taken out of context and posted, are picked up by the 24 hour news, blogs and newspapers desperate to draw you in and tell you to be offended. "Controversy erupts over a radio segment by -insert name here-" No it didn't. You needed a story. Nobody watching that show or listening to that radio program was offended. And if they were, they turned it off. But TV news needs to make money now. It didn't used to. It used to be a required public service in exchange for spectrum and existence on TV. That transition - and it was one that Walter Cronkite warned me about back in 1997 when i interviewed him - is wrecking the freedoms we claim to hold so dear.
An FCC letter writing campaign against "offensive" material on TV was recently revealed to be nothing more than a webform that thousands of people filled out. They complained about parts of a show that never happened. They were never exposed to the TV show that they were told was offensive. They were simply told it was offensive and given an easy way to protest. They are calling for the cancellation of a show they never saw.
Where does this stop? It doesn't. unless the people demand politicians make changes to the "news" media structure, this will get worse. In a world where the politicians who raise the most money to run commercials win elections, it's becoming a situation where money/TV controls the discourse. The majority of articles in newspapers aren't written to inform or educate. Many TV news stories aren't produced to truly cover an issue. Networks have marketing meetings on what to name the conflict in Iraq and how the graphics should look in order to appeal to the target demographic and attract advertisers. Artificial controversy is created on websites and is picked up by 24 hour channels looking to fill time. Media corporations beholden to politicians to look the other way on regulation while they are grabbing viewers with sensationalism in order to boost ratings for sponsors who support the news they - and the target audience agrees with - aren't involved in journalism anymore. It's infotainment. Infotainment that tells us something isn't funny, that something isn't comedy or satire.
Comedy is not a crime. But it is becoming one.
posted by lazlow at 9:14 PM on Thursday, May 17, 2007
Break off with Wayne's girl
The last break off I had was in North Carolina a few years ago, an unlikely place for break dancing, but my best friend's girl challenged me and i had to go big. Big Wayne's from the streets of Queens, and his firecracker girlfriend is hardcore, so after a few drinks a breakoff hit the linoleum. My backspin was a bit crap, and i can never pull offf a windmill, but I saw that movie Breakin in the theater. had my own piece of cardboard i carried around, and owned some Herbie H on cassette.
One of the greatest things about moving to New York City from the midwest was that breakdancing never stopped here. Crews still fire it up in subways and on streetcorners. This teaser for the Planet B-Boy movie makes me want to finally learn how to windmill.
One of the greatest things about moving to New York City from the midwest was that breakdancing never stopped here. Crews still fire it up in subways and on streetcorners. This teaser for the Planet B-Boy movie makes me want to finally learn how to windmill.
posted by lazlow at 11:45 AM on Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Old News:
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