Biggest Apple News Not Heard At Keynote

uSirius is almost here! You say, uSirius what? uSirius is an app, brought to you by the same people who gave us Starplayr, that will give iPhone and iPod users the ability to listen to Sirius/XM right on their device. uSirius went into a private(Boo!!) beta test last night, and soon will hopefully be showing up on iTunes for download.

Here is a quick look at the app by one of the beta testers.

Why Don't People Take FOX NEWS Serious?

This is a pretty good example.

Cat Like Reactions

Ok, my laundry list of things that I despise about President Bush, is long and still growing, but this is not one of them. He has been practicing for this moment for years, little did he know it would be shoes. His reaction time was pretty good and I am so glad he didn't get hit in the face with a shoe.

Debates Better Than Tylenol PM

I have been having trouble falling asleep the last few months, but not when the debates are on. I haven't finished one of these debates yet. Someone wake me when they are talking about the issues.

Okay Hockey Mom, Time To Head Back To Alaska

I said it before, Palin is the female version of Bush.

Part One



Part Two

Very Special Comment

MSNBC Once Again Folds To The Clinton "Group"

Let me first say, David Shuster's comments were foolish. Should he have apologized? Absolutely. But should he have been suspended? No way. In case you missed his comments, this is what he said in regards to Chelsea calling people, like the women on "The View", to vote for her mom.

"Doesn't it seem as if Chelsea is sort of being pimped out in some weird sort of way?"

Let me first go back about a month, when Chris Matthews basically said that some of Hillary's rise to fame was due to Bill's infidelity. Immediately, MSNBC was flooded with emails and protests outside the studio from Clinton supporters and women's rights activists. The next day, Matthews, with his tail tucked firmly between his legs, apologized to Hillary. Yet Matthews wasn't suspended. So why is Shuster being suspended?

Howard Wolfson, the campaign's communications director, called Shuster's remark "disgusting," "beneath contempt" and "the kind of thing that should never be said on a national news network." Wolfson appeared to suggest that Clinton is reconsidering an agreement this week to participate in an MSNBC debate Feb. 26 in Cleveland, saying: "I at this point can't envision doing another debate on that network."

Nothing like the kettle calling the pot black......I mean Jessie Jackson......I mean a fairy tale...I mean a coke dealer....I mean friend of a slum lord. This image of Hillary being so tough, yet this business of her crying, needing her husband to attack Obama and unleashing Wolfson on MSNBC suggests that she isn't as strong as they would like you to believe. Is she going to cry when she has her first major issue as President? And will she have to call Bill in to fight her battles?

So while David Shuster's comments were wrong, he is usually one of the best political reporters MSNBC has, and this suspension is ONLY for the purpose of trying to save the Feb. 26th debate. So my guess is that you won't see Shuster until the debate is secured, or possibly even Feb. 27th. Way to have a backbone MSNBC and NBC.

Lack Of Knowledge: A Bush Administration Trait

Not knowing the facts isn't limited to just the President. And incompetence isn't limited to his appointees like Gonzalez, Brownie or Myers. We are now blessed to have a White House Press Secretary that doesn't know the difference between the Cuban Missile Crisis and The Bay of Pigs. With this on the heels of Scott McClellan's admission that he lied from the podium, how can you trust what comes from the White House Press Room?

I'll admit, I know little compared to some, but I'm not standing in front of the Country on a daily basis lecturing people on the way it is while not knowing the way it was. But then again, who needs to know history? History is for losers and those who live in the past.

I Was Watching Springer And A Republican Debate Broke Out

Whether it was the strong resemblance of some of those who submitted questions to members of a Springer audience, or the booing and cheering that accompanies Steve breaking up a fight between two trailer-trash relatives, the CNN/YouTube Republican debate last night was another example of the dumbing down of America. Only matched by the former President Bill Clinton now saying he was against the war from the beginning, but I digress.

I know it might seem like an insult to compare the debate to the Jerry Springer show, but what else could one think? Maybe it was the teen throwing a shotgun around or the teen cuddling up to the Confederate flag that made me realize it. All of which had a nice chorus of boos and cheers. Seriously though, the thing that always stuns me with Republicans, is their interpretations of the Bible.

The twisted logic happened when the candidates said they believe the Bible is the word of God, all except when God says, "Vengeance is mine" or "Vengeance belongeth unto me". And then the preacher man, Mike Huckabee, says that if it is the will of the people, we can exact vengeance ourselves. If you believe the Bible is the word of God, then how do you justify going against God's "own" words? And there is obviously no deterrent factor with the death penalty, because people keep killing people.

Right now, if you look at the candidates from both sides and imagine them as used car salesman, who would you buy a car from? Would it be the salesman who looks perfect? Their hair never moves and their attire and talking points are planned days in advance?(Romney and Edwards) Maybe you would you buy it from the one who can explain how every part in the car was assembled and how it works?(Kucinich and Paul) Maybe it is the long time person who just knows the car business, the good and the bad?(Richardson, Biden and Hunter) Or maybe it's the one who keeps telling you with every car, "This is the one for you"?(Clinton and Giuliani) No, for me it would be the one who helped me find the right car, answering your questions honestly, whether you like the answer or not. Right now, that is Sen. Obama on the left, and I would assume Gov Huckabee on the right.

It's a shame CNN made a mockery of what was a novel idea. Let Americans ask their questions right to the candidates. Instead, we get stereotypical questions from stereotypical Democrats and Republicans. Not to mention that CNN screwed up and didn't vet the their questions enough. I have no problem with a Democrat asking a question. To deny that would go against what a campaign is about. But to have a person who is part of someone's campaign, is wrong. Regardless of whether their point was valid or not.

NYTimes.com No Longer Subscription Based

As of Sept 19, the TimesSelect section of the NYTimes.com will be free to everyone. The Times has decided to go the way of the blogs and use advertising to make their money instead of subscription based fees. They also acknowledged the phenomenon of linking from blogs and social networks like Digg as part of their reason for doing this.

While some in the MSM have mocked blogs and internet news sites, it's funny to see them all copy what the blogs are doing. The "YouTube" type videos show up on their sites as fast as the they do on blogs, most news sites offer a comment section or a forum to discuss the topic and they offer you the ability to share the article through many social networks. But maybe the biggest thing the blogs have forced the MSM to do, for good or bad, is be "up to the minute". "Up to the minute" is also how we get stuck with Brittney Spears and OJ Simpson being "Breaking News", but until the average reader cares more about Iraq then Brittney and OJ, who is really to blame? I used to blame only the media, but this summer I realized, that not only is the average American not informed, they don't care or want to be informed.

None the less, it is a good move by the New York Times and one I hope more who currently offer subscription based content follow.

Reuters Sold

(IHT) The trustees who oversee the integrity and independence of Reuters on Tuesday endorsed the planned sale of the company to Thomson of Canada, but the speed with which they acquiesced has upset some employees, who say the combination could undermine the quality of Reuters' journalism.

It Really Should Be Called FAUX NEWS

If calling their reporting "fair and balanced" wasn't making enough of a mockery out of news already, quoting an Onion like source as "real" news is. The FOX morning show does a whole segment on a perticular story including quotes from this website. One of the guys even asks if they were being duped, to which the other tool said, "we're not being duped, I looked it up on couple different sites." Ladies and gentleman, your FAUX NEWS!

Media Making VT Killer A "Sympathetic Figure"

He had issues. He didn't talk much as a child. Where were his parents. Nobody liked him. Whaaaaah!

Last night I was flipping through the channels and CNN had the "Developing Story" banner STILL up in regards to the VT shooting. What is left to develop? He shot up a school. He killed many people and himself. He made a video telling us why he did this, even if we don't understand all of it. Case closed. We should be focusing on helping VT heal and move forward, and replaying this video and showing the pictures of him with his guns do neither.

What is funny, or sad, is how the only people defending the showing of the video and pictures of the VT killer, is the media. If MSNBC, CNN and FOX NEWS think this is news, they need to re-think their direction. Because frankly, I am having a hard time lately differentiating between them and Inside Edition.

In Case People Haven't Heard

With all the news about Imus and VT, and soon a gun control debate, Iraq has seemed to vanish from the news. So I thought I would just remind people of a few numbers.

American Deaths In Iraq Total In Combat
Since war began (3/19/03): 3311 2706
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03) 3172 2598
Since Capture of Saddam (12/13/03): 2850 2401
Since Handover (6/29/04): 2452 2073
Since Election (1/31/05): 1874 1810

American Wounded Official Estimated
Total Wounded: 24645 23000 - 100000

I don't often refer to number of dead in Iraq, but I can't help it today. Especially when 127 more people were killed from bombings in Baghdad today. Which is now only part of the 1/2 hour update. Barely above a crash involving a Governor.

I Have Many Jew Friends

While trying to apologize, or excuse his remarks from the other day, Tommy Thompson basically said that he has many Jew friends.

(Politico) Thompson also noted that he had received an award from the Anti-Defamation League and traveled to Israel last year to accept a "Friend of Zion" award from former Prime Ministers Benjamin Netanyahu and Shimon Peres.

When Imus said he has black friends, the people and the media were not happy, and rightfully so. So why is it that Thompson's comments don't generate the same response? If we are going to create a national debate on racism because of something a morning disc jockey said, then shouldn't we hold those running for President to the same standards?

Quit The Fake Outrage

I am so tired of hearing or seeing Don Imus everywhere I turn. Yes, what he said was moronic, but he is a morning radio talk show host, who is paid to be, moronic. I listen to Stern everyday, and while he has said his fair share of things for people to get mad at, the people complaining are never taken seriously. Why? Because they are complaining about Howard Stern, who is paid to be moronic and silly.

We listen to Howard or Imus(if you are tone deaf) because they say and do "shocking" things(even though Imus forgot the shock a long time ago) . This was not shocking, but just dumb. And people like Al Sharpton only lesson their cause by focusing on things like this instead of things like.

(Chicago Tribune[free reg. req.]) DALLAS -- A remarkable campaign in Texas to right the justice system's wrongs moved forward Monday with a court recommendation that is expected to lead to the exoneration of the 13th person -- and 10th African-American -- based on DNA evidence in Dallas County since 2001.

James Curtis Giles, 53, has spent nearly half of his life, including 10 years in prison and 14 years on the sex offender registry, trying to prove his innocence in a 1982 rape case.

For every step forward serious civil rights leaders make, people like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson fight for the media over the "Anna Nicole" of race news.

FOX, Why Do You Distort?

It's a, family tradition!

Bill O' Keeps Racking Up Awards

In an interview with Col Ann Wright, who served 29 years, Bill O' can't win the argument with facts, so he cuts her mic and calls her anti-American. Bill O' is the "Worst person in the World"! That damn truth has such a liberal bias.

"I'd Certainly Like To Bring Sen. McCain Up To Speed!"

"If I have any difficulty hearing you right now Wolf, that's because of the helicopters circling overhead, and the gun battle that is blazing away, just a few blocks down the road......

And to think that David, Gen David Petraeus travels this city in an unarmed Humvee. I mean, in the hour since Sen McCain has said this, I've spoken to some military sources, and there was laughter down the line...

Those are the words of CNN International reporter Michael Ware who IS in Baghdad. This was in response to sen. McCain, who said on Bill Bennett's radio show,

"There are neighborhoods in Baghdad where you and I could walk through those neighborhoods".

And then later on CNN, Wolf Blitzer asked him about those comments and this is what he told Wolf Blitzer,

Ya know, that's where you ought to catch up things Wolf. Gen. Petraeus goes out there almost everyday in an unarmed Humvee. I think you ought to catch up."

What once was a great man, is now a shadow of himself.

Journalism In Flux

According to a report released by the Project for Excellence in Journalism, the business of news has entered new phase, "more limited ambition". Is that what happens when you consolidate news into a handful of companies? Or is that what happens when news shows worry more about ad dollars instead of news? Or maybe it's a little of both.