Media Bias

10 thoughts on “Media Bias”

1. Quiet Desperation

   Congressman Boehner signaled his intentions by writing on a little pad of paper and passing it around the room. When asked why he wasn’t making any sound, Congressman Boehner put a finger in front of his lips and said, “Shhh!”

   — Ben

2. Baltimore is wonderful

   A blurb from WJZ-TV about rising gas prices:

   With crude oil climbing to record high prices and the price of gas at the pump rising by the day, one lawmaker is calling for action against oil producers.

   Gas prices nationwide are traveling north. The cost of gas in California is already over $4.00 per gallon while here in Maryland prices have recently eclipsed the $3.00 mark. As if the prospect of skyrocketing electricity prices isn’t enough, Marylanders are once again scrambling to find ways to limit their expenses while some gas stations find themselves out of gas as they make a switch in gasoline additives.

   Even experts are baffled by the incredible jump in pump prices.

   “It is not because of a shortage in crude oil nor is it a shortage in gasoline,” says Ragina Averella of AAA.

   Now a republican senator says the government should look into taxing the oil companies record profits.

   The top three oil companies are raking in record profits. Exxon has pulled in an expected $41-billion while Chevron and Conoco Phillips have made $19.2 billion each.

   “We are expecting Exxon Mobil to make between $40- and $45-billion this year, which would be between $5- and $10-billion above the record they made last year,” says Energy Analyst Fadel Gheit.

   Some lawmakers say a tax on those profits will soften the blow to consumers pockets.

   “When it deals with having a product that everyone needs and everyone is relying on because of the situation that we have created…we have got to protect the people,” says California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

   Though there is plenty of speculation about why the prices have gotten so high, analysts are still uncertain. Some say traders worried about the nuclear stalemate in Iran, threatening four million barrels a day. Add that to growing demand in China along with civil unrest in Nigeria which is taking more than 500,000 barrels off the market, and prices are likely to rise.

   But big oil companies say they aren’t to blame.

   “Our companies don’t set the price. The market sets the price,” says John Felmy of the American Petroleum Institute.

   The price, adjusted for inflation, is still lower than it was during the gas crisis in the 1970’s, but with prices rising past $4.00 a gallon in California, it’s possibly that Maryland isn’t far behind.

   “It is quite reasonable–although unreasonable–to expect prices will escalate for a few more weeks, probably through the Memorial Day holiday,” says Averella.

   Now you had to see the article on TV to get the full effect. The statement from John Felmy was clipped so short that I could tell.

   Another thing…what Republican lawmakers made the tax statement. Ah-nold made a statement, but nothing about taxation. And he’s not a lawmaker, but an executive. They totally gloss over the fact THEY NEVER ATTRIBUTE THAT QUOTE TO A NAME!.

   But it’s good to see that Maryland is doing its part to help:

   The state Board of Public Works approved a state property tax cut Wednesday that is a 2-cent reduction per $100 of assessed value. Here’s the projected savings per year after the cut:

   For a home worth $100,000: $20

   For a home worth $200,000: $40

   For a home worth $300,000: $60

   For a home worth $400,000: $80

   For a home worth $500,000: $100

   For a home worth $1 million: $200

   For a home worth $2 million: $400

   For a home worth $3 million: $600

   My savings may buy me a tank of gas. So the media is biased and the politicians are clueless. HELP!

   My $.02 Weed

3. Are they ninjas?

   Find out http://www.askaninja.com

   Visit the Official Justin Timpane Website Music, Acting, and More! http://www.timpane.com

4. This is already part of the law

   To tell you how toothless the proposed ‘changes’ were going to be, which are now being ‘scaled back’. The article refers to ‘dropping proposed requirements that lobbyists disclose which lawmakers and aides they have contacted…’

   I seem to recall from my brief stints as a registered lobbyist that this was already required – practically consumes a page of the required report you had to file twice a year. So, if they are scaling back something you already HAVE TO DO, does that mean, YOU WON’T HAVE TO DO IT ANYMORE? (Sorry about the caps, inspired by Matt’s peeves post from earlier.)

   Frankly, as I am writing, I am beginning to wonder if we’ll have to put quotes around everything that’s happened in Washington these last few years, sort of like Roger Maris’ asterisk: Security has been ‘improved’ since the attacks; we still ‘elect’ presidents; Congress is back ‘in session’; the government is ‘prepared’ for bird flu; you will ‘get fired’ for leaking classified information to the media.

5. Radical Leftists Take Control

   Actual headline last night on CNN TV:

   “Radical Leftists Take Control Of Immigration Movement”

   Yeah.

6. “Unthinkable” “Relatively”

   Check out today’s USA Today lead story about the US reaching a population of 300M. It’s pretty bad bias. These quotes are taken from the article’s first couple paragraphs:

   “The USA is closing in on a milestone that seemed unthinkable 25 years ago.”

   “We will then embark on a relatively quick journey to 400 million. Target date: 2040.”

   I’m looking at stats provided by the U.S. Census…

   1900 – 1920, U.S. population growth rate 39% 1920 – 1950, U.S. population growth rate 42% 1950 – 1970, U.S. population growth rate 34% 1970 – 2000, U.S. population growth rate 38%

   Given these rates over the past century, why would anyone think that growing from 226.5M people in 1980 at a rate of 32.4% to reach 300M this year would be “unthinkable”? And why would anyone looking at the data think that the U.S. population growing another 25% in the next 35 years is a “relatively” quick journey?

   Oh wait, now I understand. The article is stating how IMMIGRATION (a politically hot topic around the globe these days) is the primary cause for this “unthinkable” milestone of 300M.

   1. We weren’t at 300 mill

      We weren’t at 300 mill already? I always thought we were hovering around 325…

7. CNN has gotten bad

   CNN has gotten pretty bad:

   “Failed Supreme Court nominee leaving White House”

   “WASHINGTON (AP) — Harriet Miers, President Bush’s failed Supreme Court nominee and longtime adviser, on Thursday submitted her resignation as White House counsel.”

   Never mind the six years of service as head counsel, let’s just call her out as a failure in the headline and lead.

   What a joke.

   1. well…

      To be fair, she IS a failed Supreme Court nominee. She was nominated to the Supreme Court, and that nomination failed. Hence, failed Supreme Court nominee.

      It didn’t say “All Around Failure And Ugly Beeyotch Leaving White House”.

      — Ben

      1. Yeah but..

         That’s like calling Michael jordan “Failed Baseball player” in a headline.

         Okay.. its a stretch but Im an a fightin mood.

         Visit the Official Justin Timpane Website Music, Acting, and More! http://www.timpane.com

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