Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Media Bias and Framing News


This is a thought exercise about Media Bias. Take a look at these news stories and decide which news sources are telling the truth.

Which sources are omitting facts?

Which sources are using tacit suggestive language to redirect the focus of criticism elsewhere, or to suggest no wrongdoing?


Monday, December 7, 2015

How Statistics Are Distorted


Sorted by Population
State Population Gun related deaths per 100000 Actual total gun related deaths Percent
 California 38,802,500 7.5 2,910.19 0.0075
 Texas 26,956,958 10.5 2,830.48 0.0105
 Florida 19,893,297 11.8 2,347.41 0.0118
 New York 19,746,227 4.1 809.60 0.0041
 Illinois 12,880,580 8.4 1,081.97 0.0084
 Pennsylvania 12,787,209 11 1,406.59 0.0110
 Ohio 11,594,163 10.9 1,263.76 0.0109
 Georgia 10,097,343 12.5 1,262.17 0.0125
 North Carolina 9,943,964 12.1 1,203.22 0.0121
 Michigan 9,909,877 11.9 1,179.28 0.0119
 New Jersey 8,938,175 5.7 509.48 0.0057
 Virginia 8,326,289 10 832.63 0.0100
 Washington 7,061,530 8.4 593.17 0.0084
 Massachusetts 6,745,408 2.9 195.62 0.0029
 Arizona 6,731,484 13.9 935.68 0.0139
 Indiana 6,596,855 12.7 837.80 0.0127
 Tennessee 6,549,352 15.3 1,002.05 0.0153
 Missouri 6,063,589 14.3 867.09 0.0143
 Maryland 5,976,407 9.4 561.78 0.0094
 Wisconsin 5,757,564 9.6 552.73 0.0096
 Minnesota 5,457,173 7.6 414.75 0.0076
 Colorado 5,355,856 11.4 610.57 0.0114
 Alabama 4,849,377 17.5 848.64 0.0175
 South Carolina 4,832,482 14.9 720.04 0.0149
 Louisiana 4,649,676 19.1 888.09 0.0191
 Kentucky 4,413,457 13.6 600.23 0.0136
 Oregon 3,970,239 10.9 432.76 0.0109
 Oklahoma 3,878,051 16.4 636.00 0.0164
 Connecticut 3,596,677 4.3 154.66 0.0043
 Iowa 3,107,126 8 248.57 0.0080
 Arkansas 2,994,079 19.8 592.83 0.0198
 Mississippi 2,984,926 17.7 528.33 0.0177
 Utah 2,942,902 12.4 364.92 0.0124
 Kansas 2,904,021 11.3 328.15 0.0113
 Nevada 2,839,099 13.7 388.96 0.0137
 New Mexico 2,085,572 14.7 306.58 0.0147
 Nebraska 1,881,503 9 169.34 0.0090
 West Virginia 1,850,326 13.9 257.20 0.0139
 Idaho 1,634,464 13.9 227.19 0.0139
 Hawaii 1,419,561 2.5 35.49 0.0025
 Maine 1,330,089 10.6 140.99 0.0106
 New Hampshire 1,326,813 6.2 82.26 0.0062
 Rhode Island 1,055,173 5.2 54.87 0.0052
 Montana 1,023,579 16 163.77 0.0160
 Delaware 935,614 10.3 96.37 0.0103
 South Dakota 853,175 9.5 81.05 0.0095
 North Dakota 739,482 11.8 87.26 0.0118
 Alaska 737,732 19.8 146.07 0.0198
 Vermont 626,011 9.1 56.97 0.0091
 Wyoming 584,153 16.7 97.55 0.0167
Sorted by gun related deaths per 100K
State Population Gun related deaths per 100000 Actual total gun related deaths Percent
 Arkansas 2,994,079 19.8 592.83 0.0198
 Alaska 737,732 19.8 146.07 0.0198
 Louisiana 4,649,676 19.1 888.09 0.0191
 Mississippi 2,984,926 17.7 528.33 0.0177
 Alabama 4,849,377 17.5 848.64 0.0175
 Wyoming 584,153 16.7 97.55 0.0167
 Oklahoma 3,878,051 16.4 636.00 0.0164
 Montana 1,023,579 16 163.77 0.0160
 Tennessee 6,549,352 15.3 1,002.05 0.0153
 South Carolina 4,832,482 14.9 720.04 0.0149
 New Mexico 2,085,572 14.7 306.58 0.0147
 Missouri 6,063,589 14.3 867.09 0.0143
 Arizona 6,731,484 13.9 935.68 0.0139
 West Virginia 1,850,326 13.9 257.20 0.0139
 Idaho 1,634,464 13.9 227.19 0.0139
 Nevada 2,839,099 13.7 388.96 0.0137
 Kentucky 4,413,457 13.6 600.23 0.0136
 Indiana 6,596,855 12.7 837.80 0.0127
 Georgia 10,097,343 12.5 1,262.17 0.0125
 Utah 2,942,902 12.4 364.92 0.0124
 North Carolina 9,943,964 12.1 1,203.22 0.0121
 Michigan 9,909,877 11.9 1,179.28 0.0119
 Florida 19,893,297 11.8 2,347.41 0.0118
 North Dakota 739,482 11.8 87.26 0.0118
 Colorado 5,355,856 11.4 610.57 0.0114
 Kansas 2,904,021 11.3 328.15 0.0113
 Pennsylvania 12,787,209 11 1,406.59 0.0110
 Ohio 11,594,163 10.9 1,263.76 0.0109
 Oregon 3,970,239 10.9 432.76 0.0109
 Maine 1,330,089 10.6 140.99 0.0106
 Texas 26,956,958 10.5 2,830.48 0.0105
 Delaware 935,614 10.3 96.37 0.0103
 Virginia 8,326,289 10 832.63 0.0100
 Wisconsin 5,757,564 9.6 552.73 0.0096
 South Dakota 853,175 9.5 81.05 0.0095
 Maryland 5,976,407 9.4 561.78 0.0094
 Vermont 626,011 9.1 56.97 0.0091
 Nebraska 1,881,503 9 169.34 0.0090
 Illinois 12,880,580 8.4 1,081.97 0.0084
 Washington 7,061,530 8.4 593.17 0.0084
 Iowa 3,107,126 8 248.57 0.0080
 Minnesota 5,457,173 7.6 414.75 0.0076
 California 38,802,500 7.5 2,910.19 0.0075
 New Hampshire 1,326,813 6.2 82.26 0.0062
 New Jersey 8,938,175 5.7 509.48 0.0057
 Rhode Island 1,055,173 5.2 54.87 0.0052
 Connecticut 3,596,677 4.3 154.66 0.0043
 New York 19,746,227 4.1 809.60 0.0041
 Massachusetts 6,745,408 2.9 195.62 0.0029
 Hawaii 1,419,561 2.5 35.49 0.0025
Sorted by Acual Gun-Related Death totals
State Population Gun related deaths per 100000 Actual total gun related deaths Percent
 California 38,802,500 7.5 2,910.19 0.0075
 Texas 26,956,958 10.5 2,830.48 0.0105
 Florida 19,893,297 11.8 2,347.41 0.0118
 Pennsylvania 12,787,209 11 1,406.59 0.0110
 Ohio 11,594,163 10.9 1,263.76 0.0109
 Georgia 10,097,343 12.5 1,262.17 0.0125
 North Carolina 9,943,964 12.1 1,203.22 0.0121
 Michigan 9,909,877 11.9 1,179.28 0.0119
 Illinois 12,880,580 8.4 1,081.97 0.0084
 Tennessee 6,549,352 15.3 1,002.05 0.0153
 Arizona 6,731,484 13.9 935.68 0.0139
 Louisiana 4,649,676 19.1 888.09 0.0191
 Missouri 6,063,589 14.3 867.09 0.0143
 Alabama 4,849,377 17.5 848.64 0.0175
 Indiana 6,596,855 12.7 837.80 0.0127
 Virginia 8,326,289 10 832.63 0.0100
 New York 19,746,227 4.1 809.60 0.0041
 South Carolina 4,832,482 14.9 720.04 0.0149
 Oklahoma 3,878,051 16.4 636.00 0.0164
 Colorado 5,355,856 11.4 610.57 0.0114
 Kentucky 4,413,457 13.6 600.23 0.0136
 Washington 7,061,530 8.4 593.17 0.0084
 Arkansas 2,994,079 19.8 592.83 0.0198
 Maryland 5,976,407 9.4 561.78 0.0094
 Wisconsin 5,757,564 9.6 552.73 0.0096
 Mississippi 2,984,926 17.7 528.33 0.0177
 New Jersey 8,938,175 5.7 509.48 0.0057
 Oregon 3,970,239 10.9 432.76 0.0109
 Minnesota 5,457,173 7.6 414.75 0.0076
 Nevada 2,839,099 13.7 388.96 0.0137
 Utah 2,942,902 12.4 364.92 0.0124
 Kansas 2,904,021 11.3 328.15 0.0113
 New Mexico 2,085,572 14.7 306.58 0.0147
 West Virginia 1,850,326 13.9 257.20 0.0139
 Iowa 3,107,126 8 248.57 0.0080
 Idaho 1,634,464 13.9 227.19 0.0139
 Massachusetts 6,745,408 2.9 195.62 0.0029
 Nebraska 1,881,503 9 169.34 0.0090
 Montana 1,023,579 16 163.77 0.0160
 Connecticut 3,596,677 4.3 154.66 0.0043
 Alaska 737,732 19.8 146.07 0.0198
 Maine 1,330,089 10.6 140.99 0.0106
 Wyoming 584,153 16.7 97.55 0.0167
 Delaware 935,614 10.3 96.37 0.0103
 North Dakota 739,482 11.8 87.26 0.0118
 New Hampshire 1,326,813 6.2 82.26 0.0062
 South Dakota 853,175 9.5 81.05 0.0095
 Vermont 626,011 9.1 56.97 0.0091
 Rhode Island 1,055,173 5.2 54.87 0.0052
 Hawaii 1,419,561 2.5 35.49 0.0025
Sorted by Percentage Values
State Population Gun related deaths per 100000 Actual total gun related deaths Percent
 Alaska 737,732 19.8 146.07 0.0198
 Arkansas 2,994,079 19.8 592.83 0.0198
 Louisiana 4,649,676 19.1 888.09 0.0191
 Mississippi 2,984,926 17.7 528.33 0.0177
 Alabama 4,849,377 17.5 848.64 0.0175
 Wyoming 584,153 16.7 97.55 0.0167
 Oklahoma 3,878,051 16.4 636.00 0.0164
 Montana 1,023,579 16 163.77 0.0160
 Tennessee 6,549,352 15.3 1,002.05 0.0153
 South Carolina 4,832,482 14.9 720.04 0.0149
 New Mexico 2,085,572 14.7 306.58 0.0147
 Missouri 6,063,589 14.3 867.09 0.0143
 Arizona 6,731,484 13.9 935.68 0.0139
 West Virginia 1,850,326 13.9 257.20 0.0139
 Idaho 1,634,464 13.9 227.19 0.0139
 Nevada 2,839,099 13.7 388.96 0.0137
 Kentucky 4,413,457 13.6 600.23 0.0136
 Indiana 6,596,855 12.7 837.80 0.0127
 Georgia 10,097,343 12.5 1,262.17 0.0125
 Utah 2,942,902 12.4 364.92 0.0124
 North Carolina 9,943,964 12.1 1,203.22 0.0121
 Michigan 9,909,877 11.9 1,179.28 0.0119
 Florida 19,893,297 11.8 2,347.41 0.0118
 North Dakota 739,482 11.8 87.26 0.0118
 Colorado 5,355,856 11.4 610.57 0.0114
 Kansas 2,904,021 11.3 328.15 0.0113
 Pennsylvania 12,787,209 11 1,406.59 0.0110
 Ohio 11,594,163 10.9 1,263.76 0.0109
 Oregon 3,970,239 10.9 432.76 0.0109
 Maine 1,330,089 10.6 140.99 0.0106
 Texas 26,956,958 10.5 2,830.48 0.0105
 Delaware 935,614 10.3 96.37 0.0103
 Virginia 8,326,289 10 832.63 0.0100
 Wisconsin 5,757,564 9.6 552.73 0.0096
 South Dakota 853,175 9.5 81.05 0.0095
 Maryland 5,976,407 9.4 561.78 0.0094
 Vermont 626,011 9.1 56.97 0.0091
 Nebraska 1,881,503 9 169.34 0.0090
 Illinois 12,880,580 8.4 1,081.97 0.0084
 Washington 7,061,530 8.4 593.17 0.0084
 Iowa 3,107,126 8 248.57 0.0080
 Minnesota 5,457,173 7.6 414.75 0.0076
 California 38,802,500 7.5 2,910.19 0.0075
 New Hampshire 1,326,813 6.2 82.26 0.0062
 New Jersey 8,938,175 5.7 509.48 0.0057
 Rhode Island 1,055,173 5.2 54.87 0.0052
 Connecticut 3,596,677 4.3 154.66 0.0043
 New York 19,746,227 4.1 809.60 0.0041
 Massachusetts 6,745,408 2.9 195.62 0.0029
 Hawaii 1,419,561 2.5 35.49 0.0025
A lot of people are posting statistics about gun violence. Instead of posting the raw data, they like to convert the raw data into calculated results that appear to favor their side of the argument.

Here is the same data in several charts, sorted to show how the results can be skewed.

Notice in the second chart where Arkansas and Alaska have drastically different populations, have nearly identical gun deaths per one hundred thousand people, but in reality Arkansas has more than five times the number of actual gun related deaths.

Next time someone posts statistics showing only the percentage or a value for one out of every hundred, or thousand or whatever, make sure you look at the raw data before making a judgement.

*The column for actual total gun related deaths was arrived at by reverse-calculating the numbers: Dividing the state population by one hundred thousand, then multiplying the result by the gun related deaths per one hundred thousand, this explains the second decimal numbers in column 4, If it's not totally screwed up.

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Vetting a Congress That Will Support Bernie Sanders



Progressive Democrats of America
Goes as far as mentioning Living Wage Jobs, but not quite as far as demanding a $15 per hour minimum wage, or a minimum weekly schedule of no less than 35 hours.

Wikipedia
See the members of the advisory board, staff, consultants, and reference links to GovTrack.org

In These Times
It looks like PDA is trying to take the bulk of the credit for getting Bernie Sanders into the main-stream spotlight.

Facebook
Lots of pro-Bernie stuff. Maybe they're genuine.

The Atlantic
The Establishment Party begins to slip up and rear its ugly head. We must weed out the infiltrators of the true progressive caucus.

American Prospect
There are Oligarchs who can't see the consequences of their actions that led to the French and Russian revolutions, then there are those who know they can keep their crowns and heads by appeasing the masses.
It's less than a year away from the general election. If Bernie wins he still faces a majority of Establishment politicians in the House of Representatives and Senate. What are Establishment Politicians?

The Establishment is a bi-partisan coalition of House and Senate members that favors local and Wall Street billionaires. In other words, both Democrats and Republicans that work on behalf of their donors instead of all their voters.

You can visit opensecrets.org and look up your congress member's donors.
You want candidates running in your district who have the largest number of small individual contributions, those are the candidates who are beholden to all of the people.

The candidates who receive very large donations from a small number of donors, or are supported by Super PACs are beholden to the elite few with lots of money.

Also see VoteSmart.org



Sunday, November 22, 2015

The War on Freedom



Wikipedia
A pseudonym for an anonymous group of authors who printed scathing pamphlets in 1588, resulting in the executions of people who may not have been associates.

Google eBooks
A Discourse on Rational Communication

PINAC
Documenting infringements on First Amendment rights. Also, see Journalist Arrested.

COPBLOCK
Documenting Abuse of Authority


Mint Press News (09/03/2015)
Many public colleges and private universities are being infiltrated by plutocrats.
I think I've said this before. Free speech has its consequences. Everywhere I see protesters getting arrested which means local authorities now have their criminal records and finger prints on file.

When the Founding Fathers were contemplating the First Amendment, they formed the ideas from a long, horrific history of torture and executions for speaking up. One such example is the Martin Marprelate controversy (link in the box).

Now main-stream journalism is under assault. The authorities know how to spot them because they have the big professional video cameras, lights and boom microphones.

Authorities also know how to spot people up-close holding up their cell phones recording incidents.

The natural progression of revolution is to escalate and counter-escalate. The next phase that follows protesters and journalists getting arrested and whose grievances are ignored, is a vicious underground resistance movement.

If Bernie Sanders isn't elected, can we expect nothing less? To all those protesters and journalists who have already been arrested and documented, you should probably plan your safe-houses and movements carefully and go off the grid. To the rest, good luck.

Friday, November 20, 2015

The Fourth Estate




The End of Mainstream Media
Wikipedia
The Main-Stream Media. Here's a site called the 4th Estate. It's last known post was January 31, 2013

Wikipedia
The Alternative Media

Mint Press News (09/17/2014
It's evident that The Press is losing traction with its audience.

Christian Post (09/16/2015)
Personal account of a magazine publishing employee.

Intelligence^2 (10/27/2009)
A collection of articles debating reasons for the demise of the mainstream media

Empire Dusk (08/21/2008)
In the 5th to the last paragraph, I predict the demise of the Mainstream Media. I feel quite vindicated.
The printing press was invented around 1440. I'm just throwing it out there as my interpretation of the birth of the Fourth Estate, but it's debatable. The moniker was said to have been used first in 1787.

When Salon reported the suspension of CNN Reporter Elise Labott for a Tweet. I was inspired to create this post. It seems more frequently that Mainstream Media pulls more dirt over itself. They've become terrified sycophants to the rich and powerful.

CNN apparently has fallen out of favor of the Republican candidates, especially the Trump campaign. At a rally Noah Gray was threatened when he almost strayed off the reservation to cover a protester. The mantle of retribution for the mistreatment of reporters is the virility of the Internet.

In a 2011 Rolling Stone interview, Keith Olbermann describes the self-destructive nature of Corporate Media:
They form together in a massive id and they do whatever they want. In a corporate setting, there's nothing to stop Rupert Murdoch or Disney from doing whatever the hell they want with the news.
The Daily Kos brought up Keith Olbermann in a post titled "Is Comcast Quietly Suffocating MSNBC" January 15th of 2015, Just a few short months later, Ed Schultz was fired, Schultz changed his mind about the Keystone XL Pipeline in March of 2014

With the bulk of mainstream media owned by multinational corporations that spend millions if not billions of dollars on politicians, mainstream journalists find them selves in the middle, being crushed into submission, forced into fawning flattery and asking only softball questions to preserve their careers.

Politicians can now treat reporters badly with impunity. Sally Kohn at the Daily Beast asked "Rope-Ghazi: What Difference Does It Make?" If the reporters can be certain of their future income by crowd-funding their own podcasts and blogs, they might start raising the stakes with their questions.

Being fired from the mainstream media will actually give you more street cred.


Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Appearing Presidential: Problem Here

I recently came across a post on Facebook from the Moderates for Bernie community, criticizing the way he presented himself at the most recent debate: (Click here for the full article.)

Bernie Sanders committed 2 back-to-back blunders at the beginning of Saturday’s Democratic debate. First, after paying lip service to the Paris attacks in his opening statement, he pivoted to stump speech rhetoric about economic inequality. In contrast, Clinton and O’Malley both focused exclusively on terrorism in their opening statements. [...] Make no mistake, these are bad politics. Both messages appeal to Bernie’s base, but debates provide a unique opportunity to expand the base. And these two answers did not make him seem presidential to voters still on the fence, especially directly after the Paris attacks.
 I commented "The trouble with trying to appear presidential is the sacrifice of intellect. He's not willing to do that."

I still beam with pride over the subtlety of my trolling. But is it really trolling? I got no responses but I did manage to eek out one 'like' so far.

Not many get what I say or write. The example here is that I'm commenting on the author's expectations. The author is correct, but is it really wrong that Bernie wouldn't sacrifice what he knows deep in his heart, just to appeal to under-informed voters? It would be deceptive to do so and it would come back to haunt him later,

He would need to make overgeneralized, inaccurate statements to appear presidential, because as Jon Stewart said: "The problem isn't that Bernie Sanders is a crazy-pants Cuckoo Bird. It's that we've all become so accustomed to stage-managed, focus-group driven candidates that his authenticity comes across as lunacy."

It goes even beyond that. our entire culture has been conditioned to accept as facts not only false information, but inaccuracies, expired time-sensitive data, and short-term conclusions instead of more hazardous long-term conclusions.

Bernie Sanders was roundly criticized for linking climate change to terrorism during the debate, but afterward, fact-checkers found evidence confirming his conclusions.

His unwillingness to sacrifice his integrity to simply appeal to under-informed voters may be his undoing, and it's a very sad situation for our country.

Monday, November 9, 2015

College Safe Spaces



The New York Times
The Safe Space is a trauma therapy center where real victims can recuperate. Also explains the 'microaggression.'

Breitbart
A Response to the New York Times article. Safe Spaces are an afront to Free Speech, apparently.

Media Matters
The very real crisis of mental health support for college students.

New Republic
Is this the norm or the exception?

Reason.com
Offensive Halloween Costumes, at Yale! Really? Realllly?
Are college campus safe spaces really good for students? To a certain point it seems like a good idea, especially for students that are victims of real crime or abuse.

It seems, however, that interpretation of the idea for safe spaces is getting a little extreme.

Some students apparently feel the outside world that awaits them looms darkly, and seem to be trying to stifle their adjustment to the harsh realities.

Friday, November 6, 2015

COM: Politics and Media Out Of Control


MEDIA
OUT OF
CONTROL
Politico
This is where it all started. It was assumed that Ben Carson actually received a scholarship, but in reality he said he was only offered a scholarship.

USA Today
The original headline was "Ben Carson admits fabricating West Point story, report says" Interesting that USA Today felt the need to change their own headline.

The Washington Post
Here it's explained that Ben Carson was offered a scholarship but didn't take it.

The Washington Post
Here the author states "Ben Carson's admission Friday to Politico that he had not been offered and accepted a full scholarship to West Point could be a major problem for a presidential candidate whose appeal is almost entirely built on his remarkable personal story."

The Daily Caller
The Daily Caller has earned itself space on my list of sources. Politico never made it.
So this is how politicians can bait the media with ambiguous statements, then turn around and attack the media, pointing at the media's sloppy false inferences,

Did this really happen? Was it intentional? There's no way to prove it, but the media is at fault for not doing its homework anyway.

Either way the damage is done to the candidate. The graphics popping up all over the Internet that are mocking the candidate, possibly for something he never did or said, won't go away anytime soon.

News outlets must answer not only for parroting the original story, but now changing their own headlines after the fact to cover up their laziness.

The schadenfreude and groupthink of the media needs to be checked.

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Media Revolt


Is the pervasive activity of the Internet always fact-checking the main-stream media starting to change the behavior of the newspaper, TV and radio pundits?

The surge of both Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump seems to be unmitigated by the din of false propaganda and sycophancy supporting the establishment candidates.

The main-stream "journalists" just might be seeing the writing on the wall, but they are conflicted by the necessary evil of appealing to political candidates who have the most campaign money to spend on advertising.

After all, Hillary has a lot more money than Bernie Sanders, so of course media outlets are drooling at Hillary's feet. With a wink and a nod they shamelessly report she is winning all the debates, even debates in which she never participated.


Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Democratic Debate: What Some of the Media Had to Say About It.

DEMOCRATIC DEBATE MEDIA CATTLE CALL
AmericaBlog: The Democratic Party won the Democratic Debate Alternet: The Bernie Effect Puts Corporate Greed Center Stage at Dem Debate, and Hillary Holds Her Own
The Center for Public Integrity: Hillary Clinton dominating presidential race’s TV ad war Common Dreams: Bernie and Hillary Duel as Democrats Debate
Crooks And Liars: Michael Smerconish: Jim Webb Would 'Play Better On The Other Party's Stage' AND The Great Democratic Gun Debate Daily Kos: Cooper red-baited Bernie Sanders with deceptive Soviet honeymoon claim
Daily News Bin: Watch Bernie Sanders saying he’s tired of hearing about Hillary Clinton’s “damn emails” AND Here’s why six Democratic Party debates is more than enough Democratic Underground: Scroll down to the "Trending Now" section.
Eco Watch: 8 Misleading Claims in the #DemDebate Eberto Willies: Civil debate without fireworks most likely won’t shift direction of race AND Best 3 minutes of the Democratic Debate (VIDEO) AND Democratic debate live blogging
FireBrandLeft: Sanders Wins Big, Webb Loses in First CNN Democratic Primary Debate AND The Debate Question We Really Want Sanders and Clinton to Answer Forward Progressives: Democrats Just Showed Republicans How Adults Conduct a Debate
HNGN: Fox Poll: Four Republican Presidential Candidates Beat Hillary Clinton In Head-To-Head Matchup Mediaite: Rubio: Dem Debate Was Just ‘Who Was Going to Give Away the Most Free Stuff’
Mother Jones: At least a half-dozen stories about the debate. New Republic: Why Bernie Sanders Lost the Democratic Debate and at least a half-dozen more stories about the debate.
Op Ed News: Sanders Crushes in EVERY Post Debate Poll -- 7 Different Poll Results AND 7 Major Headlines: Clinton Clearly Winning the MSM War! Politifact: Fact-checking the first Democratic presidential debate
Salon: Bernie Sanders can’t win this way: Why his admirable debate performance still can’t unseat Hillary Clinton The Daily Beast: Hillary Clinton Goes Full Khaleesi, Sets the CNN Debate Stage on Fire AND Two Other Debate Stories
The Guardian: Hillary Clinton rises above controversy – and a Sanders revolution – at debate The Young Turks: CNN Democratic Debate: The Young Turks Summary
Think Progress: What Democrats Missed When They Debated Paid Family Leave AND Two other debate stories. Wonkette: Democrats Agree: Nobody Gives A Damn About Hillary’s Sextghazi Emails AND An Affair To Zzzzzz: Liveblogging The Democrats Being Total Grown-Ups, Lame
Breitbart: At least a half-dozen stories about the debate. Fox News: Clinton debate performance enough to keep Biden on sidelines?

Monday, September 28, 2015

Writing Habits and Phrases That Grind

Someone on social media posted a link to Carly Fiorina’s mounting scandals will force her to drop out at Daily News Bin. The story is an interesting aggregation of information, but what's more fascinating is the style of the writing. Some of the phrases made the reading a little difficult.

"...didn't even so much as have a pulse..."
"...beyond the general consensus..."
"...hapless candidates."
"...once again bulldozed the conversation..."
"Even as that...it['s] also..."
"Suddenly it turns out..."
"That places her campaign on a countdown..."
"Keep in mind...and particularly..."
"...approaching that mark at light speed."
"It turns out..."
"...has also been..."
"If that's not enough..."
"...about having done so."
"...she has also been..." & "She's also been..."
"Republican primary voters may be extremist but they're not that stupid..."

There was very interesting observation worth delving into later, that...
republican voters, and particularly republican primary voters don't care about scandal or incompetence or dishonesty unless it reaches such a level that they realize the candidate will never win over enough of the mainstream to get elected.
The article made me question my own writing habits. I also realized how much influence Twitter has on my composition.

The paragraph style for journalism is supposed to be shorter than novel style, and Twitter actually reinforces the journalistic style due to the character limit. It also forces the user to more efficiently phrase posts. I think Twitter's influence is partly responsible for drawing my attention to the composition style of this article The other part is my college education.. There were no reference links for any of the claims made in the article.

Despite its shortcomings, I'll add it to my source list.

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Media Bias Basics: Abortion Clinics


Basic economics tells us that a clinic cannot be sustained on abortions alone. According to Planned Parenthood, abortions are only 3% of the work they do for reproductive health.

So why does the media refer to Planned Parenthood as an Abortion Clinic instead of the proper title Reproductive Health Clinic?

  • They are bigoted, biased, misogynistic, chauvinistic, right-wing propaganda machines.
  • They are lazy, gullible and ignorant, 
Or... It's the only way to get the attention of a wider audience. This says a lot about the audience.

That went well. I was set on scandalizing the media, but it turns out most of the media are whores and most people are bigoted, biased, misogynistic, chauvinistic, lazy, gullible, and ignorant.

Found at http://www.fameimages.com/planned-parenthood