Profound Revelation (To ME) - Broadcast News is BullS***

[pdub]

All those years ago, I was on a bicycle ride with a guy who pointed out how spooky the sky looked. I hadn't even noticed. He said, "Volcanic ash."

I had my head stuck so far in the proverbial sand at that time that I didn't know Mt. St. Helens had eruppted, thousands of miles away.

I made a personal committment then that I would at least watch the news some, so I wouldn't be such a cultural hermit.

And it happened again when Unit and I were courting, got caught driving in a toipical storm down at the coast we didn't know was coming because we were in our love nest and didn't watch TV at all.

And then for me it went the other way. Local news, and then national news after that, and the weather channel on the side. Addicted.

It just fell on me tonight. That's just all bullshit. Yes, something happened, but it's more of a show than anything. With a slant and a cleverly inserted opinion....gosh, how could I be so dumb in the long run? Because I'm just plain gullible, yes I am.

So....I wonder what's next. Check the weather for sure. But....somebody help me....

[Barry Donovan]

I don't even watch tv, you are more patient than I.

funny enough, written, no time for gab..not many opinions. the net news seems better until it recycles stuff as new.(that pisses me off no matter where I am on the net)

[DanStokes]

If you really want to know what's going on watch the BBC news - here it's on PBS. But whichever news you watch you have to leave your brain engaged. I see network news as sort of a kickstart to intellectual discussion, usually with myself, and not as the final deliverer of truth. And yes, every newscaster has a personal slant - us humans can't avoid that but the best ones try. There aren't too many Walter Cronkite's left out there, I'm afraid.

Dan

[studemax]

I would at least watch the news some, so I wouldn't be such a cultural hermit......... Because I'm just plain gullible, yes I am.

Uhhh... TV is not really a place to acquire culture, peewee.
Remember your post about the Geico pig that went nowhere?
Even being online isn't a good place to explore culture....
So, get out of the house and do something else.
Drive Red, or something...

And as for you being gullible... I'll spare you the details.

[studemax]

There aren't too many Walter Cronkite's left out there, I'm afraid.

Walter was a leftist.

[bishir]

I read Drudgereport in the morning and do the rounds of various news sites including some talk radio. It's amazing what some publish compared to others..


Your story reminds me of a lady we met in New Orleans a few weeks ago. She said she had no earthly idea that hurricane Katrina was about to hit. I just looked at my wife like . As fellow gulf coast residents I don't know how a major hurricane just sneaks up on people unless they are completely oblivious. Obviously this lady was the latter part.

[pdub]

Uhhh... TV is not really a place to acquire culture, peewee.
Remember your post about the Geico pig that went nowhere?
Even being online isn't a good place to explore culture....
So, get out of the house and do something else.
Drive Red, or something...

And as for you being gullible... I'll spare you the details.

We're driving Red, Stude. WE are. It's a wonderful thing. I should post pics of Unit grinning....and giggling. At that car.

[Scott Liggett]

NPR and BBC news are the last reasonable news stations. Here, the day the Egyptian dictator was ousted the lead news story was Lindsey Lohan being in court again.

It started with the first OJ Simpson trial and really went down hill when Anna Nicole Smith croaked and these two bozos were fighting over custody of her daughter (and the money.)

Now that I think about it, news has become gossip shows. It's almost as if the only watching these days are prattling ladies who are more interested in hearing about some dumb ass celeb making an ass of themselves than real news of our world.

[studemax]

NPR and BBC news are the last reasonable news stations.

PLEASE! The state of news in this country sucks pretty badly, but calling NPR "reasonable" is just stupid.

[Thumpin455]

I have been aware of the news being either entirely inaccurate, slanted, our simply propaganda for some time now. Its one thing to have the military tell them something to report so as to lead anyone watching CNN or whatever to not know what we are doing. Its entirely another to not fact check, spout opinion as if its fact, and lead people to the conclusions they want you to have.

I was at the VA a week or so ago and the pretty blond talking head was saying something about SOPA. Now her employer was for it, so she couldnt say what it was really about. All she could do was say what they would let her so as to make it look like it was harmless, and never even mentioned why websites were going dark in protest. There was a time when the news would report what was actually happening, not what was allowed by corporate.

My problem with SOPA is simple, if you posted something to this site that could be copyrighted material, of any kind, they could shut it down. Even text, or a photo from a dragstrip, or something from HotRod, and the guys who run this would have to close it down. They would have to check all the posts and remove everything that could be cause for government intervention. I dont want to see Chad and the guys going to jail or our site going dark.

Fox News actually went to court over being able to say what they want, factual or not, and won. They can say anything they want to say, truthful or not, based in reality or fiction, because they are 'entertainment' not news. Yet they play it like they are a credible news source. The rest of them are doing something similar, but instead of broadcasting opinion as fact, they are simply not reporting anything of value. Like Scott said, its about celebrities and other bullshit that has no real meaning, its merely a distraction.

I keep up on whats going on in the world, and in my country, but I dont do it through the TV or the so called news sites that go on and on about who is in court, who is dating who, or how the cute blond college girl is missing in wherever. Lots of my info comes from the BBC, and also from science websites, and other technical outlets. I avoid the political because it is always propaganda, or the people they are talking about are so unaware they have no business running for office. When the Daily Show and Stephen Colbert are the only ones doing fact checking and providing actual news, there is a problem.

Time Magazine is doing it too. They have a different cover, and different articles for the US as opposed to the rest of the world. The rest of the world gets real news, we get fluff, filler, and crap. Put in any day and see the differences. http://www.time.com/time/magazine

So yeah PeeWee you are getting crap from the 'news' outlets.

[Brian Lohnes]

I for one would not mind seeing Chad go to jail.

[DanStokes]

You mean Chad HASN'T gone to jail? I know he's out currently, but.......

Anyhow, back to the news - We have a great friend who's a psychitrist (evidently I can't spell that and have no clue how to use this spell checker) and she's one of the smartest people I know. She always asks when the news media are reporting on Lindsey Lohan or whatever - "OK. What AREN'T they telling us". Usually in a few days a minor story will be briefly reported about something important, like the fall of Mubark in Egypt. I think Barb's right - a lot of "news" is a smoke screen.

Dan

[SuperBuickGuy]

I for one would not mind seeing Chad go to jail.

oh snap

[STINEY]

And slowly, one by one, the people awaken........

I'm loving this personally, just wish it would speed the heck up!

[nesabo]

I for one would not mind seeing Chad go to jail.

What did he do to you down in FLA? ???