Monday, October 27, 2008

Who Are You Going To Believe? Me, Or Your Lying Eyes And Ears?

The media, both print and electronic, has historically been the public's only source of real information. In the past, while keeping in mind the tenet "don't believe anything you hear," one could amass a consensus of information from these various media formats to make an educated decision.

I am disturbed lately by the "spin" currently being used by different news organizations as to the veracity of things that occur daily and especially in the world of politics. To put it in simple terms, if the color of a car is scientifically termed blue in the color spectrum, then the various news agencies could easily describe the color as midnight blue, sky blue, dark blue, etc., and still be considered to be accurate. If, however, one news agency calls the color black and another news agency describes it as green, then something is wrong.

Therein lies the dilema. In today's media, there are many news agencies who seem to have an agenda. They report the news with their own particular slant, which promotes any gains or aspirations that suit them, either financially or as to their own doctrines. This disturbing behavior is troubling and can have a very profound effect on the future of the media, the supposed last bastion of truth. With the knowledge that everyone sees things in their own particular light and their reports will reflect that concept, it insults my intelligence when a thunder storm is called a hurricane by one particular news agency and another news agency calls it a light rain.

So, what's it going to come down to? Is this the future of journalism? Will the news agencies become the same as churches and you go to your own particular agency to hear the news that you want to hear? Will the news agencies use the largest power in the land to promote their own particular monetary or political goals?

It is time for the American public to rise to the occasion and demand the straight truth from accredited national news organizations without slant or distortion.

On a similar note, my cat Shithead, author of Possum's Journal, made an entry on Saturday wherein he inferred that I came home late Friday night (Saturday morning) from my trek to AREA 51 and suggested that I went to sleep in my recliner. While I did, in fact, return home late that particular evening and I did, in fact, spend time with my pals (including the esteemed Johnny W. Black), I chose to watch television in lieu of going directly to bed and there were times that I closed my eyes.

While Mr. Hemmingway may refer to that as sleeping (or midnight blue), I refer to it as merely checking my eyelids for holes (or sky blue). This, again, depending on which of the two journal-media sites you chose to believe, borders on slander. This irresponsible report is because Possum S. Hemmingway is out of touch and unstable. He is also behind in the polls. You may read Possum's Journal by clicking this link. http://pshemmingway.blogspot.com/

This Date In History 1811 Spanish doctor and theologian, Michael Servetus, is burned at the stake, on orders of John Calvin, for heresy and blasphemy against Christianity. 1967 The Abortion Act is passed after a free vote in the House of Commons, meaning that abortions can be performed legally at up to 28 weeks' gestation. 1971 President Mobutu Sese Seko changes the name of the Republic of Congo to Zaïre in order to return the country to African authenticity.

Picture Of The Day Halloween is on its way and the Friday night party in AREA 51 should be rather interesting. Although some of the regulars have been accused of wearing their Halloween costumes year round, I look forward to the party and the costumes.

Birthdays James Cook, naval officer, cartographer, and explorer 1728, Niccolò Paganini, Italian composer and violin virtuoso 1782, Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president of the United States 1858, Roy Lichtenstein, American painter 1923, Sylvia Plath, American poet and novelist 1932.

The Hits Just Keep On Coming My thanks to my pal, Garnett, for the following story...

A bald man with a wooden leg is invited to a Halloween party. He doesn't know what costume to wear to hide his head and his leg so he writes to a costume company to explain his problem. A few days later, he received a parcel with the following note:

Dear Sir:

Enclosed please find a pirate's outfit. The spotted handkerchief will cover your bald head and, with your wooden leg, you will be just right as a pirate.

Sincerely,
Ace Costume Co.

The man thinks this is terrible because they have emphasized his wooden leg and so he writes a letter of complaint. A week goes by and he receives another parcel and a note, which says:

Dear Sir:

Please find enclosed a monk's habit. The long robe will cover your wooden leg and, with your bald head, you will really look the part.

Sincerely,
Ace Costume Co.

Now the man is really upset since they have gone from emphasizing his wooden leg to emphasizing his bald head so again he writes the company another nasty letter of complaint. A few day's later he gets a small parcel and a note, which reads:

Dear Sir:

Please find enclosed a bottle of molasses and a bag of crushed nuts. Pour the molasses over your bald head, pat on crushed nuts, stick your wooden leg up your ass and go as a caramel apple.

Sincerely,
Ace Costume Co.

That's it for today, my little trick or treaters. More on Wednesday.

Stay Tuned !

15 comments:

garnett109 said...

go get em possum

Anonymous said...

Its a good thing you have Shithead to keep an eye on you. Paula

Julie said...

The joke today had me spitting coffee on my computer screen ,thank you very much. I went and reminded dear Possum who feeds who here, sorry he had to air your dirty little secret.... whoops, your nap little secret. As for the slanted media? You can't believe half they say.

Ken Riches said...

I agree with your views regarding the news coverage. We often watch local news, then national news, then CNN, then NSNBC (never got into the Fox news). They all have their owns slants.

We voted today, so I will start to tune out the political adds. Alas, me thinks that my other half may still have a thing or two to say about the pending election.

Rose said...

Oh my.....between you and Garnett........I'm on the floor laughing.....which is a good thing.

Hey, my girlfriend, Laurie wants to take a drive to your Area 51 for a cocktail one of these weekends........so we just may share a drink with Johnny Walker together! LOL

I would get a nose bleed if I went off of Federal Highway and Laurie will do I-95 with no problems! LOL

Hugs, Rose

Rose said...

P.S.

I forgot to say....your music is my kinda music!

I don't have any music saved on my computer except you singing in Spanish.

Hugs, Rose

Martha said...

I spent my Friday with my pal Bud Weiser. Humph! I think your friend is classier than mine - but, then again, I didn't fall asleep in my recliner! :-P

Martha said...

PS - I believe Shithead!

Beth said...

Looks like Possum has found his very own recliner!

natalie said...

Wow Jimmy!:) great entry! Music is fun too! I couldn't agree with you more about how messed up the media is and it worries me silly!
Hey when my teenager is disgusted we have a serious problem!
I wonder what we can do?
I love shithead!
love,natalie
p.s. are you aware of that national organization that tries to educate kids about how bad and evil tv commercials can be? I mean sometimes kids think that they are not ok because of stereotypical adds! go Jimmy!

Woody said...

We watch the News here, its not really news, its more of what their slanted opinion is on who their talking about an then because we're on the Canadian Border we switch over to CBC and you wonder if their talking about the same people we just watched here on the US side of the border!!! Amazing!!!

Woody

Amelia said...

Maybe it is the truth in their eyes. It's all humans that do that so maybe this journalist sees something entirely different than the other and they're both looking at the same thing. As far as the forecast, science is just that, a science. One radar may read a hurricane, while another, a bad thunderstorm. I agree that there is always some type of "discrepencies" to what's reported and how, but what else can you expect? We just gotta learn to pick through the bullsh*t. *M*
http://learningtoadapt.blogspot.com

Jackie said...

LOL on the joke.
Good thing Shithead knows you as well as he does. He might be otherwise insulted at your suggestion he was terribly mistaken!

BTW, what will YOUR costume be on Friday night?? (wink)

Jackie

Kelly said...

Hey Jimmy! I just wanted to stop in and thank you for the Area 51 tag. :) I wanted one, but didnt want to presume and ASK for it. I was so excited to open that email and receive my tag and will put it on my sidebar straight away. THANKYOU! :)

Dawn said...

OMG... Possum is gorgeous... going to read his journal now! AND, yes... the news is all about their own agenda now, and it sucks.

be well...