For nearly two weeks, the media has been having an apoplectic fit over the sexting peccadillo of Congressman Anthony Weiner. We have already blasted our media colleagues on how they've acted on that topic - but like many stories these days, it seems a sub-section of Americans won't be truly satisfied and ready to move on until Weiner is broke, out of office, crouched in a fetal position in the gutter, alone, and waiting to die.
These paragons of compassion are often the same people who will be the first to tell you how ethical they are.
America is filled with people who are hypocrites in the worst way, in part, because Americans often display a desire for things to be as they can only be in the movies, in books, and on TV - fictional and unrealistic.
Politicians - all of them, from every party - are all, to a greater or lesser degree, liars. Frankly, so is everyone reading - or writing - this commentary. We all lie. We tell ourselves that a little white lie won't matter all that much, or that THEY lie but WE are virtuous. The fact is, we all lie.
We lie when we tell ourselves that one more slice of pizza isn't that big a deal or when we dump in a little bit more sugar in our coffee. When we say we'll make it to an optional religious ceremony, business meeting, or kid's school function and then don't show, we say, "Meh. It was OPTIONAL. No big deal."
To your business colleagues, your spiritual leader, your kid - or your waistline - all of those may have been a big deal after all. You knew that - and you lied to yourself anyway.
We're all human. We make mistakes. Some mistakes are easier to fix than others. Eating better and exercising more, for example, could fix that waistline lie you've been telling yourself.
Taking prurient pictures and sending them over the internet to anyone - and then explaining it to your spouse? Having an inappropriate sexual liaison with an intern? Impregnating your housekeeper and not telling your wife for thirteen years? Or how about leaving your cancer-stricken wife while she's on her deathbed to go marry your next wife? Those "little mistakes" are a bit harder to explain - and to fix.
What about getting your country involved in multiple questionable wars, with no single significant reason, while putting the cost of both wars on your country's credit card - and allowing millions to be killed or maimed because of your little "slip-up"?
As you can see, some mistakes were built to last - and not every mistake is the same.
We'll admit - Anthony Weiner screwed up. He shouldn't have been taking lewd photos of himself, and sending them to anyone, anywhere - including girlfriends when he was single, or even his wife after they were married.
But that's not our point today.
We don't elect our leaders in America to be anything other than what they are. They ARE liars - and if we think they're not, then we're liars, too. However, there are degrees of lying - and those degrees DO matter, especially when judging the performance of our elected officials.
If an elected official is lying about a war, or about whether they are being paid under the table by a corporation, or whether they're shifting laws to benefit their family...? Those are the kinds of lies that matter.
If an elected official likes sending pictures of themselves in their undies - or even in the buff - to a private friend or two...? We think it's stupid behavior - but we really don't care. In the case of Anthony Weiner, he didn't even end up in the sack with someone other than his wife, so we're truly unconcerned about him.
The people we worry about are the real clowns and twisted individuals in office who are attempting to abuse our system until it's dead and buried. Those individuals are the truly twisted ones - and they're the ones screwing us all.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Keeping Our Heads Above Water
The disgusting display put on by the media this week had us looking hard at our choice of topics today.
So much of the media is continually lost in the never-ending circus of stupid that surounds Sarah Palin. We could have focused on former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher blowing off Palin, or equally laughable Michele Bachmann and her staff dissing Palin as "not serious." We could have even ridden the story about Sarah Palin's idiotic alternate version of Paul Revere's ride, and her deluded followers. Half the media rolled in that story over the last few days - and the other half thought about it.
We could have focused on the sad and twisted story in Florida, about a dead child, and the mother who is being tried for her daughter's murder. Of course, since CNN Headline News focuses on that story every five minutes, all day, every day, there's really no point in anyone else even mentioning it.
We also could have focused on Congressman Anthony Weiner again - why not? After all, so much of the media is still obsessed with Weiner's wiener, it would be easy to slap some digital ink into another cartoon and throw some cheap shots at a Congressman, like most of them are doing.
Of course, as we pointedly noted yesterday, we'd like to think we're better than that.
From Montana, through the Dakotas, through parts of Minnesota, all over Nebraska and Iowa, and into Missouri, the effects of global climate change, in the form of massive flooding, is making its presence known.
While the chance of an event like the tsunami and earthquake combo that hit Japan this year is nearly zero, at least one nuclear power plant, in Nebraska, is already being affected by the flooding. Drinking wells are endangered. Some river towns are already under inches - or even feet - of water.
These events won't be like the tornadoes that plowed through Joplin and Tuscaloosa, a short, sharp strike of massive damage, and then the clean up begins. Officials are saying the Missouri River flooding could last into mid-August. That will destroy the crops of countless farmers along the river, for this year, and maybe for next year too.
There are still a few idiots that continue to deny climate change exists, and is happening now. Stories that allow them to continue their denial - like the report issued recently that claimed rising forest density is offsetting some effects of climate change - are all they need to keep their rejection of reality going.
The fact is, as climate change has happened, scientists are seeing a faster release of carbon emissions - which only makes the problem worse.
Don't expect to see the governments of any nation doing anything to help the situation, especially at the UN climate talks in Bonn, Germany this week. While Mother Nature's warnings grow louder, that humankind must work - together - to help arrest severe, rapid global climate change, the only thing many humans seem to want to do is expect sacrifice from others, and ignore what they can do themselves.
Strangely, that disgusting display of selfishness may yet be the thing that saves us all. According to a new study, as nations are seeing and hearing more about massive climate change, and are noticing more disasters in their own backyards - like massive flooding, severe storms, huge wildfires and drought. As a result, many nations seem to be picking up speed, adding more legislation, and making moves to lessen their own effects of carbon pollution.
Sadly, America - once again, primarily thanks to our insane political right and our weak political left - seems to be lagging behind other nations in actually doing anything about climate change.
So much of the media is continually lost in the never-ending circus of stupid that surounds Sarah Palin. We could have focused on former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher blowing off Palin, or equally laughable Michele Bachmann and her staff dissing Palin as "not serious." We could have even ridden the story about Sarah Palin's idiotic alternate version of Paul Revere's ride, and her deluded followers. Half the media rolled in that story over the last few days - and the other half thought about it.
We could have focused on the sad and twisted story in Florida, about a dead child, and the mother who is being tried for her daughter's murder. Of course, since CNN Headline News focuses on that story every five minutes, all day, every day, there's really no point in anyone else even mentioning it.
We also could have focused on Congressman Anthony Weiner again - why not? After all, so much of the media is still obsessed with Weiner's wiener, it would be easy to slap some digital ink into another cartoon and throw some cheap shots at a Congressman, like most of them are doing.
Of course, as we pointedly noted yesterday, we'd like to think we're better than that.
From Montana, through the Dakotas, through parts of Minnesota, all over Nebraska and Iowa, and into Missouri, the effects of global climate change, in the form of massive flooding, is making its presence known.
While the chance of an event like the tsunami and earthquake combo that hit Japan this year is nearly zero, at least one nuclear power plant, in Nebraska, is already being affected by the flooding. Drinking wells are endangered. Some river towns are already under inches - or even feet - of water.
These events won't be like the tornadoes that plowed through Joplin and Tuscaloosa, a short, sharp strike of massive damage, and then the clean up begins. Officials are saying the Missouri River flooding could last into mid-August. That will destroy the crops of countless farmers along the river, for this year, and maybe for next year too.
There are still a few idiots that continue to deny climate change exists, and is happening now. Stories that allow them to continue their denial - like the report issued recently that claimed rising forest density is offsetting some effects of climate change - are all they need to keep their rejection of reality going.
The fact is, as climate change has happened, scientists are seeing a faster release of carbon emissions - which only makes the problem worse.
Don't expect to see the governments of any nation doing anything to help the situation, especially at the UN climate talks in Bonn, Germany this week. While Mother Nature's warnings grow louder, that humankind must work - together - to help arrest severe, rapid global climate change, the only thing many humans seem to want to do is expect sacrifice from others, and ignore what they can do themselves.
Strangely, that disgusting display of selfishness may yet be the thing that saves us all. According to a new study, as nations are seeing and hearing more about massive climate change, and are noticing more disasters in their own backyards - like massive flooding, severe storms, huge wildfires and drought. As a result, many nations seem to be picking up speed, adding more legislation, and making moves to lessen their own effects of carbon pollution.
Sadly, America - once again, primarily thanks to our insane political right and our weak political left - seems to be lagging behind other nations in actually doing anything about climate change.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Yes, This Is What It's Come To
There are days when we look around at the business we are in - the business of media and communications - and we are sickened by nearly everything we see.
What happens when our media and communications structure is filled with bright, talented individuals who would rather slack off, do sloppy work, and simply ride the latest trash gossip all the way until the next tabloid non-story comes along? You get nearly two weeks worth of penis jokes aimed towards a guy named Weiner, all started by a media parasite who is finally partly right about something for probably the first time in his sad, pathetic little life.
In case you've been hiding out in the mythical cave Osama Bin Laden was alleged to have occupied, you'd be hard-pressed not to have heard about the troubles of New York Congressman Anthony Weiner.
The story began when the propaganda hack Andrew Breitbart - who seems to have a personal vendetta against Congressman Weiner - began pushing a new story. Breitbart claimed he'd discovered Weiner had sent a lewd picture to a young woman, using Twitter. Most ethical media types should have blown off Breitbart's story. After all, Breibart was wrong about Shirley Sherrod, wrong about ACORN, wrong when he teamed up with known right-wing smear artist James O'Keefe, and wrong in a whole host of other incidents.
Still, much of the media is lazy and bored. "Looking at the budget realties or the effects of climate change is hard work," they whine. So they took the weak, easy path, and followed Breitbart's half-truths.
Initially, the Congressman lied. He claimed his Twitter account had been hacked - which is so easy to do that even not-so tech-saavy people can do it. The bored media machine, spurred on by Breitbart, wouldn't let the story go, though.
So yesterday the Congressman came clean, admitting he'd sent a lewd picture of his crotch to a young woman on his Twitter account as part of a joke. The Congressman then went further, and admitted he'd taken other questionable pictures of himself over the years, and sent them to a few select women during that time.
In the media frenzy to focus on the fact that - SHOCK - a Congressperson LIED, the media also forgot to perform their due diligence.
To cover that professional oversight, we'll do it for them, in rapid fashion.
The Congressman admitted to sending explicit - but not pornographic - pictures to women over the last few years. Until July 11, 2010, the Congressman was technically single - so there wasn't even an ethical problem there, let alone a legal one. Wouldn't it be great if all the elected officials we have, who choose to be more sexually adventurous, would be single, trying to connect with other single people, using generally private methods? We'd much prefer that to Congressmen who have their parents pay their lover's husband to cover up their extramarital affair; or have a toe-tapping Congressman trying to find a quickie sexual liason in an airport bathroom; or even a Presidential candidate having donors bribe his videographer to cover up his affair.
We could even go further. For example, we could ask how Mr. Breitbart got the other photos he's now passing around, claiming they're also images of Congressman Weiner. The first photo was on a public Twitter feed, but the others appear to have been private. No one is asking yet how the piece of human trash that is Breitbart got his hands on those pictures.
The point of our trying to shame some of our fellows in the media, by pointing out their failures to do their jobs well, is simple.
When a press conference with a member of Congress, of either party, regardless of the tawdry topic, ends with some joker in the back yelling, "Were you fully erect" - and the media STILL doesn't understand why their consumers don't take them seriously any more, the problem isn't just the propaganda masters at Fox News. The whole so-called "News Media" now shares the blame for the sick, sad thing they've become.
What happens when our media and communications structure is filled with bright, talented individuals who would rather slack off, do sloppy work, and simply ride the latest trash gossip all the way until the next tabloid non-story comes along? You get nearly two weeks worth of penis jokes aimed towards a guy named Weiner, all started by a media parasite who is finally partly right about something for probably the first time in his sad, pathetic little life.
In case you've been hiding out in the mythical cave Osama Bin Laden was alleged to have occupied, you'd be hard-pressed not to have heard about the troubles of New York Congressman Anthony Weiner.
The story began when the propaganda hack Andrew Breitbart - who seems to have a personal vendetta against Congressman Weiner - began pushing a new story. Breitbart claimed he'd discovered Weiner had sent a lewd picture to a young woman, using Twitter. Most ethical media types should have blown off Breitbart's story. After all, Breibart was wrong about Shirley Sherrod, wrong about ACORN, wrong when he teamed up with known right-wing smear artist James O'Keefe, and wrong in a whole host of other incidents.
Still, much of the media is lazy and bored. "Looking at the budget realties or the effects of climate change is hard work," they whine. So they took the weak, easy path, and followed Breitbart's half-truths.
Initially, the Congressman lied. He claimed his Twitter account had been hacked - which is so easy to do that even not-so tech-saavy people can do it. The bored media machine, spurred on by Breitbart, wouldn't let the story go, though.
So yesterday the Congressman came clean, admitting he'd sent a lewd picture of his crotch to a young woman on his Twitter account as part of a joke. The Congressman then went further, and admitted he'd taken other questionable pictures of himself over the years, and sent them to a few select women during that time.
In the media frenzy to focus on the fact that - SHOCK - a Congressperson LIED, the media also forgot to perform their due diligence.
To cover that professional oversight, we'll do it for them, in rapid fashion.
The Congressman admitted to sending explicit - but not pornographic - pictures to women over the last few years. Until July 11, 2010, the Congressman was technically single - so there wasn't even an ethical problem there, let alone a legal one. Wouldn't it be great if all the elected officials we have, who choose to be more sexually adventurous, would be single, trying to connect with other single people, using generally private methods? We'd much prefer that to Congressmen who have their parents pay their lover's husband to cover up their extramarital affair; or have a toe-tapping Congressman trying to find a quickie sexual liason in an airport bathroom; or even a Presidential candidate having donors bribe his videographer to cover up his affair.
We could even go further. For example, we could ask how Mr. Breitbart got the other photos he's now passing around, claiming they're also images of Congressman Weiner. The first photo was on a public Twitter feed, but the others appear to have been private. No one is asking yet how the piece of human trash that is Breitbart got his hands on those pictures.
The point of our trying to shame some of our fellows in the media, by pointing out their failures to do their jobs well, is simple.
When a press conference with a member of Congress, of either party, regardless of the tawdry topic, ends with some joker in the back yelling, "Were you fully erect" - and the media STILL doesn't understand why their consumers don't take them seriously any more, the problem isn't just the propaganda masters at Fox News. The whole so-called "News Media" now shares the blame for the sick, sad thing they've become.
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