Anderson Cooper Debates Leo Berman

I stumbled across this recently and thought it was pretty funny. Every time Texas Republican Leo Berman attempted to make a point, Cooper had evidence that said otherwise.

Berman is sponsoring a bill that would require all presidential candidates in Texas to produce a valid birth certificate. This is obviously in response to concerns in 2008 regarding President Barack Obama’s place of birth.

In the interview, Berman is not able to produce one lick of evidence for his claims and repeatedly gets his facts mixed up. This is a little disturbing because he is campaigning for his cause on national television…It was almost hard to watch. Very entertaining though.

Naked Body Scanners cont…

The “Strip Search” radiation scanners are causing a backlash by the public as well as airline employees. Every day brings more news of horrific body pat downs (groping) and the disgust toward these scanners that citizens are feeling.
Today I heard a story of a woman who was told to remove her prosthetic breast to ensure that it was not a threat. She had had breast cancer and the breast had been removed. She rejected going through the scanners, which have been shown to have very high and potentially dangerous levels of radiation, and was instead taken to a room and searched. It is understandable that she would choose not to be exposed to even more radiation after her cancer treatment. She said she was used to the prosthetic setting off metal detectors, but was shocked when the TSA agent told her to remove the breast so it could be inspected. After the search, she asked to speak with a supervisor. She informed the supervisor that over 3 million women in America had prosthetic breasts, and were they going to put every breast cancer survivor through this embarrassing ordeal? The supervisor responded by claiming dealing with prosthetic breasts had never even been covered in the TSA meetings.
More interesting news on the scanners: children under the age of 12 are no longer allowed to be put through the scanners. I’m not sure whether this is because it violates child pornography laws or it has been deemed unnecessarily sick and twisted.
I believe that the TSA’s attempt at making everyone go through the scanners is just a way for them to test the waters. I think they were expecting people to be more complacent, with the convenient announcement of terrorist activity shortly before they were introduced, and the opposition has come as a surprise. Wednesday, November 24th is National No-Fly Day! Hopefully everyone on that day will reject the scanners and the government will have to quickly think of another tactic to feel our genitals.

Naked Body Scanners

A new form of body scanners has been showing up in airports across the country. They are different from the regular metal detectors we are used to because they show an x-ray image of your naked body. The method so far has been to pull people from line “randomly” while they are waiting to go through security.

While the new scanners may seem convenient because they would shorten the time for waiting to go through security, they are far more hazardous than the TSA would like us to believe. Officials originally reported that radiation was equal to or less than a doctor’s x-ray machine. Tests on the radiation levels have shown that they are actually 10-15 times more powerful than a regular x-ray.

Even more disturbing than the high levels of radiation are the consequences of refusing the body scanner and instead requesting a pat-down. Radio shows across the nation have been urging listeners to call in with their testimonies. Most stories (I have listened to 20+) begin with TSA agents yelling “We have a refusal!” or “We have an opt-out!” unnecessarily loud. Many times I have heard that the women selected are large breasted and attractive. They then take their “random” selection to an area that is usually right next to the security line, and always in direct view of everyone waiting to pass through. Then they begin the search. For women, an agent will squeeze her breasts, feel above, below, and between them, then put their hands between their legs and push up with such force that some women feel they are being lifted from the ground. For men, the agent will feel their genitals, which sometimes includes squeezing their testicles. Most of the men whose testimonies I’ve listened to say that the pat-down is painful.

All of this, let me remind you, is in direct view of the security line. This whole procedure seems like a way for the government to subject it’s citizens to what is equivalent to molestation, all in the name of national security. Children have not been exempt from the naked body scanners or the searches. The TSA agents make examples of the people that refuse the dangerous levels of radiation by yelling and calling attention to them and trying to intimidate others from doing the same.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-20022526-501465.html

Don Henley is a Genius!

I make my living off the evening news
Just give me something, something I can use
People love it when you lose, they love dirty laundry

Well, I could’ve been an actor, but I wound up here
I just have to look good, I don’t have to be clear
Come and whisper in my ear, give us dirty laundry

Kick ‘em when they’re up, kick ‘em when they’re down
Kick ‘em when they’re up, kick ‘em when they’re down
Kick ‘em when they’re up, kick ‘em when they’re down
Kick ‘em when they’re up, kick ‘em all around

We got the bubbleheaded bleach-blonde, comes on at 5
She can tell you about the plane crash with a gleam in her eye
It’s interesting when people die, give us dirty laundry

Can we film the operation? Is the head dead yet?
You know the boys in the newsroom got a running bet
Get the widow on the set, we need dirty laundry

You don’t really need to find out what’s going on
You don’t really want to know just how far it’s gone
Just leave well enough alone, keep your dirty laundry

Kick ‘em when they’re up, kick ‘em when they’re down
Kick ‘em when they’re up, kick ‘em when they’re down
Kick ‘em when they’re up, kick ‘em when they’re down
Kick ‘em when they’re stiff, kick ‘em all around

Dirty little secrets, dirty little lies
We got our dirty little fingers in everybody’s pie
Love to cut you down to size, we love dirty laundry

We can do the innuendo, we can dance and sing
When it’s said and done, we haven’t told you a thing
We all know that crap is king, give us dirty laundry

Since we’ve been discussing song lyrics in the past few classes, I thought this was appropriate. It goes along with the belief that if there is no news to report, that news channels will simply make the news.

Aaaannnyyyways, I was watching Hannity tonight (dinner at Grandpa’s) and he had a segment where three people came on his show and talked about things that are going on in the country. Hannity, as well as two of the people he had as guests, were clearly conservatives. One was a news something or other, and the other was a teacher I believe. The last person, sitting all the way at the end of the panel, was a man who was labeled as “Democratic Analyst.” Neither of the other panel members had labels that said anything regarding their political views. During the segment, he would ask them what they thought about the recent  Jon Stewart rally or the San Francisco ban on McDonald’s Happy Meal toys. Each panel member would respond to one another and whenever “Democratic Analyst” would speak he was quickly shut down by the three other conservatives (that’s three including Hannity). I know this happens all the time on lots of shows, but I was watching this show- it peaked my attention. It did not seem “fair and balanced” to me.

Regarding the new San Francisco McDonald’s law: I think this is infuriating! It’s another babysitter law put in place to save us from ourselves. I heard that the law was enacted because the toys were seen as hazardous. How many toys do children play with in a day? Probably lots. If you have a very small child that still likes to put things in their mouth, and you are too stupid to keep a toy from said child, then who is to say they wont die from choking on something else? And not to be on McDonald’s side or anything, but the Happy Meal toys aren’t that small. A kid would really have to shove that toy down their throat in order to choke. Also, they don’t have small detachable parts. All of their toys are very sturdy (maybe a little toxic paint) and on the bigger side, because they know who is using that product! Little kids! A child could not possibly choke on their toys on accident unless they had wolf teeth and could break off little parts. And it hurts when something is caught in your throat. So the kids that San Francisco is protecting in this law are most likely kids who like to inflict pain on themselves by shoving items into their breathing pathway. I don’t know any children who like Happy Meals but are also so unhappy that they are hurting themselves. I’m relieved that San Francisco stepped in to prevent it in the future though.

Juan Williams Fired from NPR

For the past few days, every major news outlet has been discussing, dissecting, and debating over the recent firing of Juan Williams by National Public Radio, for whom he was a news analyst for over 10 years. He was fired for making the follwing comments on the O’Reilly show a few nights ago:

Political correctness can lead to some kind of paralysis where you don’t address reality. I mean, look Bill [O'Reilly], I’m not a bigot, you know the kind of books I’ve written on the civil rights movement in this country, but when I get on a plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous. Now, I remember also that when the Times Square bomber was at court, I think this was just last week. He said the war with Muslims, America’s war is just beginning, first drop of blood. I don’t think there’s any way to get away from these facts. But I think there are people who want to somehow remind us all as President Bush did after 9/11, it’s not a war against Islam.^[7]

NPR released a statement saying that it was wrong of Juan to state his opinions on this matter, since they were not in alignment with the opinions of NPR. However, if we look at his comments, or more specifically the one sentence that everyone seems to be focusing on, it was not an opinion at all. Being worried or nervous is not an opinion. It is a feeling that someone can’t help but having. Juan didn’t say that he gets worried, and in his opinion everyone else should be worried too. The point to his message was that as a country, even though it may be difficult to do considering our country was attacked, we need to move on and get past the fear.

I’m sure that many people get  worried or nervous when they see a Muslim on an airplane. The only crime that Williams committed was saying out loud that he felt that way. He also happened to be on a conservative news station that does not have the same views as NPR. The liberals on NPR spout the importance of free speech whenever it has an opportunity to promote one of their causes, but what happens to free speech when it is not something they agree with? Their “tolerance” and “equality” is nowhere to be found. They are open minded- as long as you agree with them.

Here is the actual conversation with Bill O’Reilly (and just to let everyone know…I can’t STAND Bill O’Reilly. He’s such a jackass.)

And here is Juan’s response to the firing:

How Sweet It Is [To Liquefy My Pancreas]

Congratulations, Corn Refiners Association. You have once again come up with a plan to pull one over on the general public. This time, instead of trying to prove that your products are “generally recognized as safe”, you have opted to simply change the name of the product formerly known as High Fructose Corn Syrup to a nicer, more friendly sounding “Corn Sugar”. How lovely. Surely U.S. citizens will recognize this blatant attempt at treachery and demand that the FDA deny them their wishes. Yes, the FDA will save us. They’ve never let us down! *cough* *Aspertame*

High Fructose Corn Syrup, to those of you who don’t know, is one hell of an artificial sweetener. It can be found in a good number of food items in your local grocery store, many of which you wouldn’t really expect, such as yogurt, Special K, Nutri-Grain bars, ketchup, bread, soda (except for the Mexican sodas that come in a bottle that are made with cane sugar…mmm…), all the best tasting juices, as well as countless other items that I have found. Nothing is worse than finding something you’ve really been craving, say some fruit roll-ups or some rainbow sherbet, and reading on the ingredients that the dirty corn growers talked the maker of this food into switching from frowned upon but not horrible table sugar into artificial corn syrup. Gross. High Fructose Corn Syrup has been linked to obesity, hyper activity, diabetes and diabetes complications (people who couldn’t figure out that soft drinks MIGHT have had a part in their getting diabetes in the first place), and scarring of the liver, aka liver fibrosis, aka a fatty liver. It’s basically everywhere, and as with all foods that don’t exist in nature, there are probably long term negative effects of consuming it that we are unaware. As Time magazine put it, “…unless you’re making a concerted effort to avoid it, it’s pretty difficult to consume high-fructose corn syrup in moderation.^”

An attempt by the Corn Refiners Association to change the name of high fructose corn syrup would be morally wrong, and they know it. Instead of trying to reinforce their data and present an actual case about the safety of their product, using real evidence that hasn’t been doctored or stifled, they would rather trick the public and start all over again. I wouldn’t be surprised if they even claimed that corn sugar is an improved and healthier version of high fructose corn syrup.

Since I’m pretty sure that my mom will be the only one reading this post, I’m going to use one of the handy features on my blog and try entering a poll (If you are not Mom and you are reading this, 1. Why? and 2. You can vote on the poll also). If it doesn’t work just ignore this last little paragraph…you didn’t see this…

Here we go…my first ever blog entry in my 20 years on this earth. First, I would like to explain to those who have never seen Ferris Bueller’s Day Off that the name of my blog is a line from that movie. It’s not meant to be morbid or depressing. Phew. Glad that’s off my chest.

Moving on to more important matters: media. I remember hearing somewhere in my travels that the word “media” literally means “middle man.” Or maybe it was in class that I heard that. Regardless, it makes pretty good sense to me considering that is exactly the purpose of media. It is there to find out what happened, leave out the boring stuff, and deliver the information to you in a shiny package bursting with drama and excitement. In terms of advertising, it takes a product, like chewing gum, and shows you the most exciting thing about that product. To most people, chewing gum is not very exciting. It can be minty, and sometimes fruity. It is wrapped in paper. Then it is wrapped in a package with 19 other pieces of gum. Still not exciting. If only you could see how fantastic this gum is to advertisers! They must really love chewing gum. According to them, gum is one of the most exciting inventions in the universe! It FRESHENS YOUR BREATH! And some can WHITEN YOUR TEETH! And guys, GIRLS LOVE FRESH BREATH! Some chewing gum commercials almost make me believe that consuming (is it consuming if we don’t swallow it?) their product would taste like the equivalent of biting into twenty different kinds of fruit at the same time. I know the sensation would not be even remotely similar, yet my mouth waters. I can’t help it. I don’t even chew gum.

So how was I subjected to media today? Let’s see…I woke up and somehow was suckered into watching the BMW Golf Championship. I saw Tiger Woods, among some other very well known, professional golfers. But my attention was usually on Tiger, because all I could think of when he was…um…hitting? shooting? teeing? whatever you call it in golf, were his dirty cheating ways and his poor [ex]wife. And then I would chuckle because of some skit on Saturday Night Live that had made fun of him. But who told me about that affair? Tiger didn’t call me up and say “Hey Danielle, I really f**ked this one up.” It’s not like I’m in Elin Nordegren’s book club. Like pretty much anyone else who’s heard about his lady troubles, I read it online or in the tabloids. He was on the front page for months. Either that or it was a truly heart-wrenching photo of poor Elin holding their children and looking all sad and alone. Now that I think of it, they also had photos of the women with whom he cheated. They left out all the boring stuff like what Elin used to cook him for dinner or how often they had their pool cleaned and dove right into the disaster. Scandal, heartbreak, revenge, sorrow.  Girls claiming they had been with him seemed to jump out of the bushes all over the place. Apparently Gloria Allred was involved. That’s how you know it’s serious. But again, I wasn’t there. I don’t know anyone that slept with Tiger Woods. I’m not even friend of a friend who slept with him. And yet I know pretty much everything there is to know about his life in the past few years.

Tiger Woods isn’t the only celebrity that has been shoved under the microscope of the American public. Yahoo! Homepage, Star, OK! (I find this tabloid title to be extremely ironic considering 95% of the topics in this one feature people who’s lives are nowhere near “OK”, especially with a “!”), People, and those awful celebrity news shows have made businesses out of people’s unfortunate situations. Granted, I know they are responsible for their own actions, but is it really necessary to publish what brand of household items they use? Where does media draw the line of what’s relevant and what isn’t? Or is it us that make that decision?

So, Tiger Woods, thanks for kind of being the heart of my blog post today. Without your infidelity I probably would have had to dig up some dirt on Phil Mikelson. We all know he’s due for a little media attention.

-dj