Nick Di Paolo on Miller

Just awesome (nsfw)…

We’re at two wars in the middle east, unemployment is at 10%,nobody wants his healthcare plan, the deficit is skyrocketing, his biggest concern is that O’Reilly get $3 million this year in no-spin-zone doormats.

Okay, Nick gets pretty crazy, but it’s a great outlet for those of us that have been frustrated as of late.

Simmer Down Now

Ok, first off, I wouldn’t approve the singing of praises to any one particular leader, let alone our current Commander in Chief.

I’m also not going to let Media Matters get away with a smear about the afore-linked Fox News report.  Said reporter(s) went into PSH mode and screamed (brackets are mine, just to give context)…

Soon after [Fox added the death threat/school lock-down update to the story] though, the Fox news report had been scrubbed of any mention of looming violence; it had been scrubbed of any notion that right-wing crazies apparently called the school and were threatening to kill the principal.

As it stands now, the report I linked is not missing the facts that they are complaining were missing.

Oh, but I bet these “watchdogs” called their bluff and shamed them into restoring the update!  That must be it… couldn’t have possibly been a mistake, or maybe that they were doing some re-investigating of their own and discovered it wasn’t even true!  From Raw Story:

Meanwhile, an operator at the head office of the B. Bernice Young Elementary School in New Jersey told RAW STORY on Friday morning that reports claiming the school was on “lockdown” after receiving “death threats” are “not true.”

“It is not true that the school was on lockdown and I’m not aware of any threats,” a woman with the school’s head office said. Asked her name, she replied, “My name is Ann,” then hung up.

A message was left with the school district’s public relations officer for confirmation.

However, a New Jersey newspaper reported Friday morning that a school safety director insists officers found the report of “death threats” against the principal to be “unsubstantiated.” Yet, a local Fox affiliate station claims police “confirmed” the threats, but would not specify their target(s).

Wow, so while there’s still some conflicting reports, the school itself says, “didn’t happen.”  Can we just simmer down now?

I echo some of Webster’s questions: why all the credit changes/revisions?  I see other news sites do this, too, and I don’t understand it.  I just chalk it up to me not understanding the news-agency-process and how the reporters communicate with those that actually post the copy online… fair enough?

Anyway, whatever happens after this, can we at least acknowledge that the cult of personality surrounding President Obama is really creepy and concerning?

I’m glad to hear that the school district in question is going to be investigating the events surrounding the song.  AND I also have to agree with their outrage that video of their underage students were posted online without their parents’ consent.  I think I would be pretty pissed, too, regardless of the circumstances.

That doesn’t let anyone off the hook for teaching and conducting that creepy chant/song, but I hope it gives folks pause as to how they choose to distribute such amateur video.

Btw, ThinkProgress, Media Matters… for God’s sake, go empty your pants and clean up.

Engery Sec Chu: Americans are children, and he know best

President Obama’s Energy Secretary, Steven Chu, says, “turn the lights off, you rotten kids!” (emphasis mine)

Speaking on the sidelines of a smart grid conference in Washington, Dr. Chu said he didn’t think average folks had the know-how or will to to change their behavior enough to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

“The American public…just like your teenage kids, aren’t acting in a way that they should act,” Dr. Chu said. “The American public has to really understand in their core how important this issue is.”
…
The administration aims to teach them—literally. The Environmental Protection Agency is focusing on real children. Partnering with the Parent Teacher Organization, the agency earlier this month launched a cross-country tour of 6,000 schools to teach students about climate change and energy efficiency.

Just so we’re clear, America… you and I, adult-joe-public, are no better than the laziest of teenagers that stare into the fridge for 15 minutes and leave their lights on all night.  Not that I know many teens that do that anyway.  In fact, think the Secretary may be insulting most American teenagers.  Especially considering the DOE itself continues to fail its energy audits.

Anyway, a spokesman has already recalibrated Secretary Chu’s statements.  Now, remember the metaphor Mr. Chu used in his previous statement… (emphasis mine)

An update: Energy Department spokesman Dan Leistikow added: “Secretary Chu was not comparing the public to teenagers. He was saying that we need to educate teenagers about ways to save energy. He also recognized the need to educate the broader public about how important clean energy industries are to our competitive position in the global economy. He believes public officials do have an obligation to make their case to the American people on major legislation, and that’s what he’s doing.”

Reminds me of President Obama’s, “it’s not a tax” moment from this weekend.

Remembering 9/11

New York | Pentagon | Pennsylvania

"I will not submit"