Comments for Great. Swell. Just Simply Super...

Great. Swell. Just Simply Super...

2009-10-19T12:56:28Z

Absolutely. Marvelous.

Double-digit unemployment, a deficit the size of the Grand Canyon, the Taliban declares full-scale war on Pakistan, Iran threatens reprisals against the US and the UK because now the mullahs have their own home-grown suicide bombers, Medvedev tells Obama he was *wrong* in declaring that Russia would support sanctions against Iran, and what does the White House consider the biggest threat facing America today?

Fox News.

The White House stopped providing guests to 'Fox News Sunday' after [Chris] Wallace fact-checked controversial assertions made by Tammy Duckworth, assistant secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, in August. [White House communications director Anita] Dunn said fact-checking an administration official was "something I've never seen a Sunday show do."

"She [Dunn] criticized 'FOX News Sunday' last week for fact-checking -- fact-checking -- an administration official," Wallace said Sunday. "They didn't say that our fact-checking was wrong. They just said that we had dared to fact-check."

Dunn, Dunn, Cynthia Dunn. Hmmmmmmm. Oh, yes.

She's the fluff-headed dillweed piece of work who believes that Mao Tse-Tung was the most "inspirational philosopher" *evah* -- because, even though he was the biggest mass murderer in a Century that had several contenders for the title, "he did it *his* way"...

Geez...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

What does it say about an individual whose favorite philosopher is a self-confessed sociopath?

This is a sample of the philosophy Mizz Dunn finds so inspiring:

"People like me want to … satisfy our hearts to the full, and in doing so we automatically have the most valuable moral codes. Of course there are people and objects in the world, but they are all there only for me. … People like me only have a duty to ourselves; we have no duty to other people." -- from "Marginal notes to Friedrich Paulsen, A System of Ethics," Mao Zedong zaoqi wengao (Early Manuscripts of Mao Zedong), CCP Archive Study Office And CCP Hunan Committee, eds. (Changsha: Hunan chubanshe,1990) pp. 116-275.

Relevant to the the quote here -- scroll down to footnote [3].

Comment from BillT on 2009-10-21

2009-10-21T06:49:24Z

"Dinky-die" is how "dinky-dao" is pronounced in Strine. There *were* Ozzies in the fight -- and, shamefully, most of the US is blissfully ignorant of that fact.

Comment from Lamigra on 2009-10-20

2009-10-21T01:09:31Z

Dinky-dao - (pronounced "dinky dow") Crazy, Americanized Vietnamese

Had to go check my memory banks...

http://www.rjsmith.com/glossary.html#D

Comment from Lamigra on 2009-10-20

2009-10-21T01:04:34Z

dinky die

1. (Australian slang) genuine

As opposed to, as recall it, dinky dao?

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2009-10-20

2009-10-20T11:59:56Z

Local news is no better, Argent. "If it bleeds, it leads." If you formed your view of where you live solely from the region's large local news station, you would have a basement full of guns, scads of ammo, and never leave the house except to pick up the food shipments.

You certainly wouldn't drive anywhere. Because if you take the presented view of the area, your only choices are to die stuck in traffic, die in a horrible accident with an 18 wheeler, or get gunned down by anonymous punks who have gun fights where they don't hurt each other but almost always manage to tag a bystander, thus proving the old combat adage, "It's not the one with your name on it, it's the one marked "To Whom It May Concern" that you should worry about.

And while, in some respects, any city large enough to have a significant drug trafficking hub attached to it will have some small areas that *are* that bad, most of us go through our lives never hearing a gunshot (in that context), or being involved in horrible accidents.

Though if you choose to live in a big city, you are going to spend some time on the 8 lane highway moving at 10mph. Or not moving.

Comment from Argent on 2009-10-20

2009-10-20T08:02:32Z

"Faux news". I'd forgotten about that. Should have used it I suppose.

Maybe the fight is dinky die but I don't think so. For Obama it's a politcal ploy probably for distraction from Obama's sh.. crummy performance in almost every front and for FOX it's ratings and the bottom line.

Possibly the fight was started when they arranged it in their meeting. Frankly if it's a fake fight 'who started it' is moot.

Oh I don't like FOX at all as news, most people know that. I do actually read FOX fairly regularly because it keeps me in touch with popular conservative views. For liberal stuff I tend to go for my local stuff and sometimes CNN or ABCnews. Your MSNBC one is so bad I like it less than FOX.

I will concede your points about FOX being noted for better ratings and being bashed. I don't consider it to have wider viewpoints. I don't think the other US news is that much better. I think they are heavily editorialised (read biased/tabloid) and laced with advertising. So the answer would be, for me, BBC or maybe blogs if I stretch the meaning of network a long way. If you want a US one to me ABCnews is marginally better if I close my eyes and hold my nose and some of the regional ones might be ok but I don't know them well enough. In practice it can help to read from many sources and try to get to the origins if they are accessible.

Comment from Cortillaen on 2009-10-20

2009-10-20T06:35:41Z

You forgot to call them "Faux News", Argent. No love lost there, certainly, though it strikes me as sad that you seem at least as interested in condemning FOX as the administration targeting a press company for refusing to bow down. Contrary to your assertion of it being a "fake fight", the effort to quash or cow the single major network daring to oppose O&Co is very real. It would also behoove you to keep in mind who is the aggressor in this case, seeing as your post leaves some doubt as to that tidbit's presence in your consideration of the matter.

On the side not of things FOX is noted for, you seem to forget both better ratings and a better spread of viewpoints than any of the Dems' PR networks, as well as being the target of more vitriol than any other news organization in the country. Pray tell, since your opinion of FOX is so low, which network does a better job?

Comment from Argent on 2009-10-19

2009-10-20T04:27:18Z

So the tabloid junk 'news' channel noted only for being a right wing instead of left wing like all the others gets into a Clayton's blue with the president who doesn't lead, take positive action or proudly represent the people of America.

So basically the fake news gets into a fake fight with a fake President. But Wait. The news channel and President are actually real, they just lack credibility and integrity.

Ahh yes this is a victory for journalism and political leadership, and you'll see it all LIVE on FOX.

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2009-10-19

2009-10-19T21:40:38Z

Oh, right. Weight limit...

(Don't say I never fed you any straight lines... in return)

Comment from jim b on 2009-10-19

2009-10-19T21:08:02Z

Word Checking

'Anthropogenic effects, processes or materials are those that are derived from human activities, as opposed to those occurring in biophysical environments without human influence.

The term is often used in the context of environmental externalities in the form of chemical or biological wastes that are produced as by-products of otherwise purposeful human activities."

jim b looks at BillT and wonders where he has been hanging out.

Comment from BillT on 2009-10-19

2009-10-19T20:13:08Z

Granted, holding politicians to the same standard would cause most of them to burst into flames á la vampire in sunlight.

Hold even *half* of the current inhabitants of Foggy Bottom to that standard and you'd get Anthropogenic Global Warming for real...

Comment from BillT on 2009-10-19

2009-10-19T20:01:34Z

Fed Ex charges too much, maybe?

Oh, right. Weight limit...

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2009-10-19

2009-10-19T19:50:06Z

Corti-me-boy, why are you sending the UPS guys after me?

Comment from Cortillaen on 2009-10-19

2009-10-19T19:32:46Z

Yeah, sure, John. We believe you.

(Quick, call the VRWC brown-shirts to take him away for questioning and torture, in that order of course! ... What do you mean we don't have brown shirts? Congresspeople say we have brown-shirts, and they should know, so go get them! No, not SEIU, you idiot. They're totally peaceful, wholly spontaneous, grassroots information distributors. Now get me the VRWC-SS!)
/"moderate" Republican satirizing a delusional caricature of the right

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2009-10-19

2009-10-19T19:16:30Z

Hey! *I* didn't submit his name. Uh-huh. Not me. Nope. Didn't.do.it.

Comment from Cortillaen on 2009-10-19

2009-10-19T19:09:07Z

Bill, I don't know about you, but I'm even getting tired of the phrase "fact-check". Half the time, it's a flat-out lie to cover for the reality-challenged gotchas to follow. Is it too much to ask that supposed "news" organizations just stick to the courtroom's "truth, whole truth, and nothing but the truth"? Granted, holding politicians to the same standard would cause most of them to burst into flames á la vampire in sunlight. Maybe I'm just a knuckle-dragging throwback, thinking that news organizations should exist to give us the news rather than their opinions on the news or just the news they like.

In other, *ahem*, news, I just noticed that John's unicorn came in the same day as the Nobel Peace Prize nominations closed. Hmm...

Comment from DL Sly on 2009-10-19

2009-10-19T19:02:40Z

"Admittedly, not quite what was advertised..."

Kinda sums up Xerxes' in a nutshell, dudn't it?
0>;~}

Comment from BillT on 2009-10-19

2009-10-19T18:45:15Z

Admittedly, not quite what was advertised...

Well, that's because you keep it outside. You're supposed to put it on your kitchen table so it can fart gold dust.

(Don't say I never fed you any straight lines...)

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2009-10-19

2009-10-19T18:30:11Z

But Bill! We *got* our unicorn at Castle Argghhh!. Didn't you get yours?

Admittedly, not quite what was advertised, but I'm sure this administration (like most that have preceded it) would happily take credit for a promise kept, even if by accident.

Comment from BillT on 2009-10-19

2009-10-19T18:18:23Z

C.mon, Cortillaen, don't you *believe* all the media should proclaim that rainbow unicorn ponies will fly into your kitchen and fart gold dust all over your kitchen table?

Comment from Cortillaen on 2009-10-19

2009-10-19T17:49:49Z

As if we needed more evidence that O&Co feel entitled to push their ~~lies~~ points without anything resembling evaluation, much less opposition. It's almost amusing (kinda have to get past the depressing part first), this administration whining about a single network not taking "official" claims at face value. What the heck does ~~Dill~~, er, Dunn mean to say about "Sunday shows", anyway? Are they expected to just be free press time for the administration? *sigh*

Comment from AFSister on 2009-10-19

2009-10-19T16:57:10Z

JTG- Yes, that is the same Duckworth.

Comment from AFSister on 2009-10-19

2009-10-19T16:56:17Z

Yeah, those darn fact-checking journalists... WHO DO THEY THINK THEY ARE?? Don't they realize that ANYTHING a government official tells them is ALWAYS the truth??

*end sarcastic font*

Comment from Casey on 2009-10-19

2009-10-19T16:48:57Z

But, but, but it's okay for Dunn to praise Mao; she's just following the lead of Lee Atwater!

Comment from Fred on 2009-10-19

2009-10-19T16:20:48Z

"White House communications director" is such a bland title. How about Truth Czar?

Comment from BillT on 2009-10-19

2009-10-19T15:44:52Z

Us'ns in the Joisey Guard used "dillweed" back in the '70s to denote anything that was totally useless, except as a flavoring for overripe cucumbers.

The creators of B&B must have done a stint with the 50th AD back when there was still a 50th AD...

Comment from jim b on 2009-10-19

2009-10-19T15:28:18Z

Fact checking "dillweed"
One def.....1. dillweed 186 up, 17 down

Popularized by the Beavis and Butt-head TV series, "dillweed" is a derogatory term used to describe irrational/dumb behavior and low intellectual capacity, usually resulting in some sort of consequence.

Literally, "dillweed" likens someone to pubic hair - "dill" being slang for "pXXXX" (think dill pickle) and "weed" being slang for "hair."

Note to the weakhearted don't cruise to that reference, there are a ton of other words Bill T uses there.
Used in a sentence... "Way to get us arrested, dillweed."

Comment from Justthisguy on 2009-10-19

2009-10-19T14:36:38Z

Dunn even looks the part; I mean, she's smirking and sneering with her whole face. Glad I don't get audio on this thing. Is that Duckworth the same one who had the RPG warhead go off between her feet?

Comment from AFSister on 2009-10-19

2009-10-19T14:14:50Z

Foxnews ran a story last week about the Obama administration's boycott of all Foxnews shows. In one day in August, Obama appeared on 7 (I think) news shows... but refused to appear on Fox. The administration is apparently afraid of Fox.

Comment from fdcol63 on 2009-10-19

2009-10-19T13:36:28Z

And yet .... she's the White House communications director.

The apex of "mainstreaming" Communism in America. We naively thought it had died when the Berlin Wall fell.