SavvySugar

The Don'ts of Visiting a New Baby in the Hospital

LilSugar — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 06:00:54 -0800

The first few days after a baby's birth are like living in a bubble so hospital visitors shouldn't burst it. Doting mothers stare at their new bundles of joy in awe and focus on if and when their babies are eating, sleeping and pooping. The following is a list of off-limit topics and behaviors for those heading to the maternity ward.

Don't snap mad photos without permission - especially if the mama has a visible catheter bag or stained sheets.
Don't stare or ask to touch her brand-new Dolly Parton boobs. News flash: engorged breasts hurt!
Don't ask if she had her tubes tied or if her hubby is getting a vasectomy.
Don't discuss the family's carbon footprint.
Don't ask if there's any way the baby's conehead can be molded.
No matter how big the baby's head is, don't speculate about the size of her pelvis or hips.
Don't refer to the child as having "elf ears."
Don't attribute every baby smile to gas.
Don't mention that you think today's parents don't have a clue.
Don't ask when they are going to try for another one!
Don't question if the husband is really the father since the baby looks nothing like him!
Don't try to persuade the parents to change the baby's name by coming up with all the awful nicknames you think the child faces.
Don't talk about everything that is wrong with the world.
Unless she offers, don't ask the degree of her tear.
Don't exclaim, "Oh, I love your mom pooch!" It's not like she can speed up a contracting uterus.

Add your additions to this list below!

The Don'ts of Visiting a New Baby in the Hospital

LilSugar — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 06:00:54 -0800

Don't snap mad photos without permission - especially if the mama has a visible catheter bag or stained sheets.
Don't stare or ask to touch her brand-new Dolly Parton boobs. News flash: engorged breasts hurt!
Don't ask if she had her tubes tied or if her hubby is getting a vasectomy.
Don't discuss the family's carbon footprint.
Don't ask if there's any way the baby's conehead can be molded.
No matter how big the baby's head is, don't speculate about the size of her pelvis or hips.
Don't refer to the child as having "elf ears."
Don't attribute every baby smile to gas.
Don't mention that you think today's parents don't have a clue.
Don't ask when they are going to try for another one!
Don't question if the husband is really the father since the baby looks nothing like him!
Don't try to persuade the parents to change the baby's name by coming up with all the awful nicknames you think the child faces.
Don't talk about everything that is wrong with the world.
Unless she offers, don't ask the degree of her tear.
Don't exclaim, "Oh, I love your mom pooch!" It's not like she can speed up a contracting uterus.

Add your additions to this list below!

Top 10 Twitter Feeds to Follow

Monique Marie — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 11:39:21 -0800

10: Adam Savage

Ray Tamarra/Getty ImagesAdam Savage is but one half of the popular "Mythbusters" team.
You know him as one half of the "Mythbusters" -- Discovery Channel's wildly successful show that's part science, part fun. Aside from being a pretty smart person, Savage (@donttrythis) also has a pretty interesting life, one actually worth following on Twitter. Fans can get an inside peek into the world of a real mythbuster -- "Just finished watching "Stand By Me" with my boys. They LOVED it (of course). AND I finished all my homework for our RSA appearance soon." Part of the appeal of Savage is that he doesn't seem to have bought into his own celebrity and he's extremely fan friendly. His tweet regarding a recent walk down the red carpet -- "This is far out. There are tons of ACTUAL famous people here" -- is the kind of humble self deprecation that has earned Savage nearly 30,000 followers as of April 2009 [source: Twitter].

9: Neil Gaiman

Darryl James/Getty ImagesNeil Gaiman is a popular science fiction and fantasy author.
British author Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) is famous for his science fiction novels, film screenplays and graphic novels. The film version of his fantasy novel "Stardust" grossed more than $135 million worldwide [source: Box Office Mojo]. Gaiman has a blog on his Web site that has become pretty popular due to his interaction with fans. The same fan connection has happened with his Twitter account as well. Gaiman tweets about his life as a world traveling writer, keeping fans in the know about book signings and appearances as well as alerting folks when he's finished a longer blog post on his Web site. Part of the charm of Gaiman's tweets is that he's a respected author, so you won't find any silly Internet abbreviations. If you're expecting "just ate rotten mffn for b-fast - LOLZ!" then you'll be disappointed. If you appreciate sly British humor, Gaiman is your man:
"It is beautiful. As if every photo should be captioned 'by nightfall their peaceful town would be the scene of unimaginable horror'."

8: CNN

Rick Diamond/Getty ImagesThis is CNN...and a dog.
Not all the Twitter feeds worth following are actual people. CNN (@cnnbrk) has been a respected news media outlet since it was founded in 1980 by media mogul Ted Turner. It has since been absorbed by Time Warner Cable, but it still retains its place as leader in providing accurate and up-to-the-minute news from every corner of the globe. To keep up with news in real time, you can follow the CNN feed or the CNN Breaking News version on Twitter. Both feeds are sanctioned by CNN, and you can find news as it happens on both. CNN made headlines in April 2009, when actor and Twitterholic Ashton Kutcher challenged CNN to a race for one million followers and won. It was all in good fun though, with Kutcher donating $100,000 to a charity that helps fight malaria after his victory.

7: New York Times

Mario Tama/Getty ImagesThe New York Times building in New York City
The New York Times (@nytimes) was founded in 1851 and quickly became the most successful newspaper in the United States. To this day it's the go-to news publication in the United States, where you always get "All the News That's Fit to Print." With print media outlets falling on hard times during the economic hardships of 2008 and 2009, "The Times" has embraced Twitter as a way to stay relevant and connected in an increasingly paperless world. The Times has no less than 50 different Twitter feeds for newshounds to follow. You can keep up with personal tweets from editors, writers and reporters as well as a host of news feeds. Each section of the paper has its own Twitter account as well, so if you love The Times sports coverage, but don't enjoy the style section so much, you can choose only to follow what you're interested in. Most of The Times' section tweets are blurbs with links to further coverage on its Web site, while the reporter and writer tweets include personal points of view on the news they cover.

6: NASA Robots

Pool/Getty ImagesThe robot team celebrates in the mission control room the successful Phoenix Mars Lander spacecraft's scheduled landing on the Martian Arctic.
Yes, you read that one right. In a stroke of marketing genius, NASA, beginning with the Mars Phoenix Lander (@marsphoenix), began to "ghost tweet" as if various mission robots were speaking with their followers. Not only was it a clever way to keep people interested and informed about NASA and space exploration, but it created some unusual and unexpected results. Followers became attached to the Mars Phoenix Lander and humanized it, perhaps partially due to the smash hit film "Wall-E," the Pixar computer animated film about a very emotional robot. The sad news is that the Mars Phoenix Lander's job required it to stay on the red planet forever. The 38,000-plus followers of Mars Phoenix were saddened, though the ghost tweeters tried their best to keep spirits up:
"I should stay well-preserved in this cold. I'll be humankind's monument here for centuries, eons, until future explorers come for me."
And the final message from Mars Phoenix was simply a structured series of ones and zeroes -- the binary code was translated as "triumph."

5: Martha Stewart

Michael Loccisano/Getty ImagesMartha Stewart flashes her trademark cute smile.
Who doesn't need a little more Martha Stewart (@marthastewart) in their lives? The business giant, TV show host, magazine publisher, author and ex-con is one of the most popular women in the world. Her followers, and not just on Twitter, are a force to be reckoned with -- if Martha endorses it, they try it out. If she says to paint it, they paint it. If she says break out the pinking shears, then something is going to get cut (in a zigzag). Followers of her Twitter feed get posts on what she's up too with her various endeavors, updates on appearances she'll be making and simple advice and recommendations on everything from a nice summer wine to what to serve at the perfect dinner party. And as you might expect, it's also delightfully free of grade-school Internet abbreviations.

4: Oprah Winfrey

Katy Winn/Getty ImagesOprah gives a big thumbs up to Twitter.
Just like Martha Stewart, and perhaps even more so, media mogul Oprah Winfrey (@oprah) has a legion of fans who hang on her every word. She's created a true empire and the fate of everything from an author's career to a product's success can hang in the balance depending on her recommendation. When Oprah tweets, her nearly 750,000 (as of April 2009) followers listen. Considering the fact that Oprah just started tweeting in mid-April 2009, the sheer number of followers she has is astounding. So far, her tweets have been a mix of updates on upcoming show guests and some fun personal information, like what music she's listening to and what her dinner plans are. She also gives a little behind-the-scenes look at her show, tweeting about how she pulled an episode on the Columbine High School shooting anniversary because it "focused too much on killers." Go, Oprah, go.

3: Shaquille O'Neal

Jed Jacobsohn/Getty ImagesShaq may not be able to shoot a free throw, but he can twitter with the best.
NBA basketball star Shaquille O'Neal (@THE_REAL_SHAQ) is one of the most popular players in league history because of his sense of humor and gentle giant persona, so it's no surprise that his Twitter feed is also a big hit. As of April 2009, his Shaqness had acquired nearly 900,000 followers and is sure to hit the one million mark. Like with most celebrities, Shaq tweets about his day-to-day life, but through the lens of his funny personality. He also made headlines in March 2009 by twittering during halftime of a game. All he said in the message was a cryptic "Shhhhh," but it was enough to make the news. In addition to his funny posts about what he ate for breakfast and his desire to lose enough weight to have "eight pack abs" Shaq also uses Twitter to give tickets away to fans, proving that his heart is as big as his shoe size -- an astounding 23.

2: Barack Obama

Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesYes we can Ttwitter!
Yes, the President of the United States (@BarackObama) is on Twitter. President Obama twittered himself in the weeks leading up to the election, giving updates on appearances he'd be making and covering talking points of his political rallies. Since he's taken office, he's been a little busier trying to help correct an ailing U.S. economy, but the tweets live on through his staff. But he did make history on March 26, 2009, when he became the first acting American President to send a tweet. He sent a message about the struggling economy and included a video link to the White House Web site. The video was of the President himself, urging Americans to send their questions about the economic struggles for a press conference he held the following day. His staff now sends out tweets updating his million-plus followers about his upcoming speeches as well as calls for Americans to volunteer with various organizations.

1: Wil Wheaton

Albert L. Ortega/Getty ImagesWil Wheaton never had any friends later on like the ones he had when he was 12 -- does anybody?
Actor Wil Wheaton (@wilw) is probably best known for his role on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and when he played a young boy searching with his friends for a dead body in the 1986 film "Stand By Me." But anyone in-the-know is keen to the fact that Wheaton is a virtual God in the land of technophiles and all things geek related. Wheaton has this reputation because he's become what's known in the tech realm as an "early adopter." This means that he's first on the bandwagon when it comes to tech products, gaming and geek trends. His blog has been wildly popular for years and once he started twittering, it didn't take fans long to catch on. Aside from the usual day-to-day stuff that Twitter is known for, Wheaton recommends video games, tech products, movies, podcasts and just about anything else Web related.

The Air Jordan 2010 Unveiled

tobehuacheng — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:10:04 -0800

Air Jordan XII White Black
When you see the jordan shoes pictured above, you know it’s part of the Air Jordan legacy, but it’s probably one of the most overlooked models in the vault. They don’t have a name like their regular season counterpart, the ‘Taxi’ and there’s no single moment of dominance they symbolize like the ‘Flu Game’, nor any controversy in their release like the also white ‘Rising Sun’. Despite the apparent lack of history, yours truly likes these best of all the Air Jordan XIIs (12).
I still remember sitting in the wood-paneled den at my best friend’s house on opening night 1996, staring with disbelief at a new red-on-white colourway of the upcoming Jays I had recently seen teased in a Sports Illustrated ad. The Taxis weren’t even out as of this point, so the sight of what the original ‘rising sun’ was a shock (Air Jordan XII marked the first time an Air Jordan released in five colourways during the season). Maybe that’s what compelled me to trade my size 9 Zoom Flight 96s for my seventh-grade classmate’s size 6.5 Twelves during gym class about a month later. I still remember that November night watching TNT and to this day can barely fathom a shoe so amazing that I’d risk breaking my feet to wear them.
With all these vivid memories, you can imagine how personally exciting our latest air jordan shoes Wallpaper is for me. It features the shoe so at home on the road that during that 69-win season that SI depicted a cartoon MJ wearing them while buffing his fingernails in mockery of the competition. You can relive the beginning of the second greatest season in NBA history by making these your new desktop wallpaper thanks to our new jordan shoes news Wallpapers.
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A Remix of Air Jordan XVII x Air Jordan XVI
I did not expect that more and more players on the court will be wearing Jordan 16. Majority of the players I have spotted wearing Jordan Brand – Air Jordan 16.5 sneaker like Ray Allen, DJ Augustin, Dwyane Wade, and M. Finley, these players.
So, I have researched on the rigorous performance of Air Jordan 16.5 sneake, amazingly I got the reason why these players are seen with this cool kicks. The Air Jordan Shoes 16.5 sneaker only weights 16.0 oz and uni. Blue-black colorway. In terms of cushioning users rate this sneaker 8 out of 10. Forefoot stability, Air Jordan 16.5 got 9 out of 10 ratings, Breathability, the sneaker got 10 out of 10.
The jordan shoes is packed with the best of both worlds in terms of extreme stability and Upper leather performance.

tag: Timberland boots,gucci shoes,adidas shoes,air max,Lacoste Shoes,dunk shoes

Jordan CP3 III Black Orion Blue
ou may be looking at these and think to yourself, “Yeah, seen ‘em already. So what ” But be aware, these are the the exact same colorway as the images previously seen. Chris Paul’s new signature jordan shoes takes cues from its previous model, but is formed into a profile that’s a bit more conformed to other successful Jordans. The suede medial upper contains a clever ‘CP’ coat of arms, along with the fleur-de-lis, complimenting the French culture in New Orleans. The rest of the upper, white leather, contrasted with black stitching. The sole is built with the geometric hex-pattern to insinuate his Hornet’s team, similar to the honeycomb-like stitch we saw on the Jordan CP3.II. Although the orion blue accents supposedly are taken from the team colors, we’re sure some of you may wish one of these jordan shoes will take on the traditional “Charlottle Hornets” colors that most of us were in love with growing up. We’ll just have to wait and see. Anticipated to drop at Jordandi and House of Hoops on January 2nd.
tag: Timberland boots,gucci shoes,adidas shoes,air max,Lacoste Shoes,dunk shoes

Inside the Michael Jordan Building
Last week, Jordan Shoes News had the privilege and pleasure of visiting Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. As you can imagine, the experience was a sneakerhead’s dream come true, and despite the overwhelming sensory overload from all the visual stimulation offered by the immaculate Nike campus, we managed to pull ourselves together enough to snap some pictures to bring back for the viewing pleasure of our loyal readers.
As you might know, all of the buildings on campus are named after legendary Nike athletes, so naturally, it didn’t take us long to inquire about checking out the Michael Jordan Building. Upon entering the structure named after the most heralded Nike endorser of them all, you are immediately greeted with an incredible museum-like display, chock full of the most incredible accumulation of Michel Jordan memorabilia that you will likey ever find in one room.
The center of the lobby area is home to two glass display cases that feature the first 16 Air Jordan sneakers, many game-worn, autographed or both. Moving out towards the walls, there are large glass cases on each opposing wall, filled from floor to ceiling with jaw-dropping MJ artifacts. In addition to more signed and game-worn sneakers, the displays feature jerseys, magazine covers and photography, as well as props and mementos from some classic Air Jordan Shoes commercials and campaigns, and even some early prototype samples from the formative years of the iconic line.
Keep reading after the jump for a look at all the wonders contained inside the awe-inspiring Michael Jordan Building display area, and stay tuned for more from our recent trip out to Swoosh HQ.
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The Air Jordan 2010 Unveiled
Jordan Brand held the official unveiling of the Air Jordan 2010 today at the media event in Miami. The designer behind most of your favorite Air Jordans, “Tinker Hatfield”, Mark Smith, Astor Chambers, D.Wade, and of course MJ was in attendance. We heard the event was baller status! Although leaked images hit the web a few months back, today was the official unveiling of the Air Jordan Shoes 2010. As you can see, Michael Jordan and D.Wade are pleased to pose with the Air Jordan 2010 in hand. Stay tuned for more info and images.
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Check out the New Air Jordan 2010 o all Air Jordan fans out there, this is the best day of your life. Check out the new Air Jordan 2010 with a circle enclosed Jumpman on the side panel that reminds us of AJXII tongues. It is greater with those insignals that are appearing on the right tongue.
The new Air Jordan 2010 comes in black and white upper colorway. The shoe has a red outer sole panel and white midsole. I also personally love the perforated leather toecap of the jordan shoes. I also love the velvety red lining on the shoe opening. Stay tuned for the official unveiling of the Air Jordan 2010.

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NBA Feet Dwyane Wade Air Jordan Shoes
On behalf of the Jordan Fundamentals Grant Program, Dwyane Wade popped into Miami Norland Senior High School on Wednesday to host the ‘Layups for Learning’ event. Five lucky students got the opportunity to sink a shot in the paint and earn some grant cash for their school. Wade spent his day doing his part for the community but still had plenty of energy left to show off his new Air Jordan 16.5 PEs against LeBron and the Cavaliers.
In these photos, we get a good sense of how perfect the nickname ‘Flash’ turns out to be when it’s united with the Heat’s red and yellow signature colours. Wade will likely rock the Air Jordan 2010 when it releases right after we flip the calendar, but you can get some up-close looks at what’s likely to be a standby for the next month or so, thanks to detailed air jordan shoes photos after the jump.
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New Alpha Air Jordan 1 Design For Spring 2010
Air Jordan 1 sneaker is celebrating its 25th Anniversary and he is actually treating everyone with its newest design the Alpha Air Jordan 1 Design For Spring 2010. You will definitely love these shoes that will be released by January of 2010. The modern shoes will be a full length of Zoom Air Bag with no swe upper and it comes with an environmentally friendly mesh lining.
I personally love the Red and Black colorway. It comes in a nice suede material but the toecap comes in a perforated leather. I also love the white midsole squeeze in the red outersole of the shoe. The swoosh is in red color together with its shoe laces. The lining of the jordan shoes in its opening is in contrasting black color.

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Air Jordan V Jared Jeffries Away PE
New York Knicks forward, Jared Jeffries hasn’t exactly been setting the league ablaze with his play this year. The Knicks are off to a 1-9 start, and despite a lack of substantial playing time in that stretch, Jeffries has been making some noise with his kicks instead. Despite the struggles of Jeffries and his team, he still has his Air Jordan PE’s to take consolation in. Last week, we gave you a look at a fresh pair of Air Jordan 23 PE’s created for Jeffries, and now we turn our attention to a personalized Air Jordan 5 well-suited for Knicks away games. The shoe sports a Black nubuck upper with the traditional Red and Silver accents replaced with some touches of Blue Ribbon and Orange Flash (although it looks more Red in these photos). Keep reading for a look at some more jordan shoes pics and stay tuned for more PE heat from Jared Jeffries.
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Air Jordan Space City Pack
The good folks at Jordan Brand have definitley been launching product this year that have been out of this world and today, we present to your another one of those astronmical releases. The Air Jordan “Space City” Pack includes an Air Jordan Hi with a collar strap and Air Jordan 4 Fusion, both constructed in white patent leather/navy blue-red accents.
Patent uppers and navy speckeled midsoles are given to both silhouetes that also come complete with red accents; the Jordan Shoes 1 comes with red oval laces and contrast stitching and the Fusion 4 with the lacestays, midsole trim, and back tab. For now, these were only orbiting and released during the grand opening of the House of Hoops in Houston.
We will be sure to keep you posted on further info for a launch date abroad for these two releases. With the releases of these orbiting silhouetes, it would come as no surprise if Jordan Brand announced that their next venture would be in space exploration.

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On the Anniversary of Kennedy's Death, Extremism Lives On

harmonyfrance — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:14:31 -0800

What I find interesting about this is both how much has changed AND how much hasn't.

The Letter:

Tyler, Texas
November 24, 1963
President Lyndon B Johnson
The White House
Washington D.C.

Dear Mr. President:
In this time of mourning and appreciating how very busy you are, I still must write about existing conditions here in East Texas, even if you are too busy to read this, because I feel it is my duty to do so. I wanted to write President Kennedy's staff and try to get them to persuade him not to go to Dallas but unfortunately didn't do it for fear of being that crank or busy–body. This time I will risk that appellation. I am frightened at conditions that prevail in East Texas.

Mr. President, the easy thing and what is desperately trying to be done [is] to convince a stunned nation and world that Mr. Kennedy's murder was the work of some deranged crackpot, and while the trigger was pulled by such a one, perhaps the atmosphere that made it inevitable was the hatred of the people (I don't mean every one of them but a big majority) who wanted Mr. Kennedy and any one connected with him out of the White House. A week ago this might have sounded ridiculous but subsequent events lend it credence, I believe. There is a virus of disrespect and hate spreading here very rapidly. And unless one lives right here with it, day in and day out, it is unbelievable how quickly and subtly it infects reasonably intelligent persons. This is not too hard to understand only if one recognizes the unremitting, deep, bitter religious and racial prejudice existing today in this section of our land - I don’t know if any of them are similarly infected in other sections, but I know personally of what I speak as regards East Texas. In fact, although nearly every one indignantly denies having any racial or religious prejudice to the point where he deceives even himself in this matter, after listening seriously to protestations of horror and shock one can almost hear a collective sigh in essence, "Too bad he had to die but after all a Catholic is no longer in the White House and this ought to set the 'niggers' back on their heels for awhile!" It is painful to some of us I know to give credence to such a condition so we blind ourselves and blame a mentally confused person - forgetting in our desire to remove the blame from ourselves that where religious and racial prejudice prevails, not just the killer but all are mentally confused. When this prejudice is played upon adroitly and exploited actively (as in our locality) by such groups as The American Fact-Finding Committee and many more [of] that ilk, for instance the John Birchers, etc., it soon fans into a situation as exists here, many, many citizens ridden by a vicious hate which inevitably erupts and expresses itself in violence - as in the case of Mr. Kennedy's murder in Dallas.

A strong evidence of this was the recent demonstration of violence against Ambassador Stevenson in Dallas, and even more clearly by an article carried in the Dallas News (a 100% anti-Kennedy sheet) stating that Mr. Bruce Alger [then-congressman from Dallas, and the only Republican in the Texas delegation] advised the citizens of Dallas there was absolutely no need to feel apologetic about this incident - everyone being free to express his opinion. He neglected to specify the degree of violence of such expression. And the citizens vote for Bruce Alger! So what can one expect? I just heard the flash about Oswald being shot and also the theory that is was caused by mass hysteria. That is here, all night, but I think rather there are certain groups and individuals who wish to insure Oswald's complete and continuing silence because, knowing the 'temper' of Dallas, I can’t believe a known police character of Ruby's caliber would risk his neck through any feeling of patriotism or love for Mr. Kennedy - can you?

I don’t know if anything can be done about the festering sore of prejudice and hatred on our social structure here, but I doubt if you can know its deadliness unless you are in constant, daily touch, and I thought it my duty to mention it, in that case, even though you may consider I am an alarmist and am exaggerating. I only wish I were.

Respectfully,
Charlotte Essman
Read more: http://www.esquire.com/features/kennedy-anniversary-112009#ixzz0Xfysb1A9

Sarah, Sarah, Sarah

stephley — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:26:19 -0800

WEST ALLIS, Wis. – Sarah Palin rallied thousands of abortion opponents Friday night with a a stark warning that the same philosophy that allows abortion rights could soon be invoked to allow the government to cut off health care for the elderly or children with special needs.

Speaking to a fund-raising banquet of Wisconsin Right to Life, the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee asserted that if policy-makers don’t believe a child in the womb is valuable, then “perhaps the same mind-set applies to other persons.”

“What may they feel about an elderly person who doesn’t have a whole lot of productive years left,” Palin asked an audience of about 5,000 who paid $30 each to hear her speak in an airplane hangar-like exhibition hall at the Wisconsin state fairgrounds just outside of Milwaukee. “In order to save government money, government health care has to be rationed… [so] than this elderly person that perhaps could be seen as costing taxpayers to pay for a non-productive life? Do you think our elderly will be first in line for limited health care?

“And what about the child who perhaps isn’t deemed normal or perfect per someone’s subjective measure of their use or questionable purpose in the eyes of a panel of bureaucrats making our health care decisions for us,” she continued.

Palin did not expressly raise the prospect of government-mandated “death panels” to determine who lives or dies – the incendiary and inaccurate charge she made over the summer about Democratic health care plans-but repeatedly suggested that liberal social policies could lead to de facto euthanasia.

Her warning was couched in repeated rhetorical questions about what might happen when laws are made by those she portrayed as having an insufficient appreciation for the sanctity of all human life.
“We have to think this through,” she said. “We have to get to the truth of this matter, health care reform.”
The fund-raiser was advertised as closed to media coverage, but at least three reporters, including one from POLITICO, attended simply by purchasing a ticket like other members of the public.

Palin has made few public appearances since resigning as governor in July, sequestering herself to write a much-anticipated book coming out later this month. But a year after the election that made her a global celebrity, her star has dimmed little with those same conservative activists who thronged her campaign rallies in this and other states.

The event made clear that for her ardent supporters she remains more phenomenon than traditional politician.

The line to get into the venue here stretched over a half-mile outside the building and a local conservative talk radio station even marked the event by printing t-shirts that welcomed her to the city, noted the date of her appearance and deemed her: “America’s Conservative Conscience.” The anti-abortion group that hosted the event sought to raise money by including pledge cards on every chair that included an offer to become part of “Sarah’s Rogues” by giving $1,000 to the group in exchange for an autographed copy of her forthcoming memoir, “Going Rogue: An American Life.

The event and the enthusiastic response were a vivid reminder of the following she commands. But her remarks also illuminated the mix of assets and limitations she would possess if she seeks to become a 2012 presidential contender.

Palin had remarks prepared but frequently wandered off-script to make a point, offering audience members a casual “awesome” or “bogus” in discussing otherwise weighty topics.

As in: “It is so bogus that society is sending a message right now and has been for probably the last 40 years that a woman isn’t strong enough or smart enough to be able to pursue an education, a career and her rights and still let her baby live.”

Other Palin touchstones included: praise for the military, jeers for the “the liberal media” and a general manner of speaking that often veered into rhetorical culs-de-sac.

While she drew applause during her remarks, Palin’s extemporaneous and frequently discursive style was such that she never truly roused a true-believing crowd as passionate about the issue at hand as she. Not once during her address did they rise to their feet.

In a closing exhortation, she urged the audience, “Don't ever let anyone to tell you to sit down and shut up.”

She then got a standing ovation from most of the crowd, but a few had begun to leave before she even finished and within seconds of her concluding, scores more got up and put on their jackets as they walked away.

In addition to the suggestion that government officials would consider hastening the death of the infirm or handicapped, she began her remarks with a puzzling commentary on the design of newly minted dollar coins.

Noting that there had been a lot of “change” of late, Palin recalled a recent conversation with a friend about how the phrase “In God We Trust” had been moved to the edge of the new coins.

“Who calls a shot like that?” she demanded. “Who makes a decision like that?”

She added: “It’s a disturbing trend.”

Unsaid but implied was that the new Democratic White House was behind such a move to secularize the nation’s currency.

But the new coins – concerns over which apparently stemmed from an email chain letter widely circulated among conservatives – were commissioned by the Republican-led Congress in 2005 and approved by President Bush.

Palin also offered flashes of the traits that endear her to many conservatives. Offering great personal detail, she relayed the story of how she came to find out that her infant son, Trigg, had Down Syndrome. She confessed to being scared and said that she and her husband, Todd, turned to God to prepare them.

After years of advocating against abortion in theory – what she called “preaching to the choir” – Palin said she was presented with the stark reality of what to do with a special-needs baby.

“I am thankful to have been asked to walk the walk,” she said.

Palin also included a few less personal, but as compelling, flourishes in her remarks, citing Pope John Paul II (never a bad idea in a heavily-Catholic part of the country), referring to scripture (John 16:13) and noting that such feminist pioneers as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton had opposed abortion (she called them “foremothers”).

She also demonstrated a politician’s ability to connect with a local crowd, relating that her grandmother was born in Chippewa Falls, her dad had played high school football with Packers great Jerry Kramer and, with an audience that likely watched a lot of Fox News, noted her relationship with the network’s talk show, Wisconsin native Greta Van Susteren.

Further, Palin talked with ease about the abortion issue, touting polling this year that showed a majority of the country opposing the procedure, recalling successful ad campaigns (“Choose Life”) on the issue and casting her own opposition to it in terms familiar to the movement.

Palin didn’t mention President Obama by name, but did take a shot at him for opposing an abortion-related measure as an Illinois state senator and more than once mocked his catch phrase.

"Let's talk about change we can believe in," Palin said. "Friends, a majority of Americans identify as pro life, and thank God for that."

She reserved her toughest critique for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, eliciting boos from the crowd at the mention of the speaker’s name. Palin urged Pelosi to allow House members to vote on an amendment that would bar any taxpayer funds from being used to fund abortion.

“We need to make sure she hears the message that she will held accountable if she does not let this at least come to a vote of her colleagues so they can have their voice be heard,” Palin said.

After she concluded her remarks – and presented the organization with an over-sized, $1,000 check – Palin signed autographs for some of the few hundred people who surged toward the dais.

Alissa Maerzke, 12 and wearing a “Palin 2012” t-shirt, was elated that she got the former governor’s signature.

After collecting a congratulatory hug from her mom, Maerzke recounted that she asked Palin if she was going to run for president. “She just smiled,” said the girl.

In the line on the way into the event, a gentleman wearing a Harley-Davidson fleece pull-over and jeans joked to his friends that he was going to ask Palin to marry him, summing up his devotion this way: “She thinks like I do, she’s absolutely gorgeous and Democrats are afraid of her – what’s not to like?”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29267.html

Tom Brokow's World Implodes

Grandpa — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 22:07:04 -0700

http://spectator.org/archives/2009/09/15/media-malpractice-tom-brokaws/

Media Malpractice: Tom Brokow's World Implodes
By Jeffrey Lord on 9.15.09 @ 6:08AM
Tom Brokaw.
With the passing of Walter Cronkite, Mr. Brokaw is considered perhaps the new "dean" of journalism. As such the former NBC News anchor is periodically summoned forth to assess the current world, an occasion that presented itself recently on the venerable NBC Sunday newser Meet the Press. Sitting cheek by jowl with New York Times columnist Tom Friedman, Brokaw joined him to riff on the Internet and the state of journalism today, an opportunity occasioned by the resignation of Van Jones, he of the Truther brigades (and much more) and the Obama White House. Mr. Jones' resignation was prompted by a virtual parade of videos and documents in which Jones, in his own words and deeds, presented himself as an overripe Marxist with a tendency to the nutty paranoia of the extreme left. This material was discovered by Fox commentator Glenn Beck, doubtless with an assist from citizens who had scanned the Internet, easily unearthing Jones' ravings. One in particular was Jim Hoft of Gateway Pundit.
The Meet the Press conversation with moderator David Gregory included the section below (from the transcript of the broadcast). It was prompted by the discussion of Mr. Jones' resignation:

MR. BROKAW: Well, I've -- one of the things I've been saying to audiences is this question comes up a lot, and a lot of people will repeat back to me and take it as face value something that they read on the Internet. And my line to them is you have to vet information. You have to test it the same way you do when you buy an automobile or when you go and buy a new flat-screen television. You read the Consumer Reports, you have an idea of what it's worth and what the lasting value of it is. You have to do the same thing with information because there is so much disinformation out there that it's frightening, frankly, in a free society that depends on information to make informed decisions. And this is across the board, by the way. It's not just one side of the political spectrum or the other. It is across the board, David, and it's something that we all have to address and it requires society and political and cultural leaders to stand up and say, "this is crazy." We just can't function that way.

Now, this is remarkable. Truly.
How to address the substance here? Perhaps a "letter to Tom Brokaw" format is most appropriate.
Dear Mr. Brokaw:
Recently you appeared on Meet the Press, discussing the issues of the day along with New York Times columnist Tom Friedman.
May I be candid?
You said that it was critical for people to "vet information… because there is so much disinformation out there that it's frightening, frankly, in a free society that depends on information to make informed decisions." Mr. Friedman then chimed in that the Internet is "an open sewer of untreated, unfiltered information."
With respect, I'd like to recount some history -- old and new -- with what is called these days the "Old Media," which is to say the three networks of ABC, CBS and your own home, NBC, and newspapers such as Mr. Friedman's, the New York Times (and the Washington Post, the newsmagazines etc) The stories below, while notable, are only the tip of this particular iceberg. They address the issue you have raised, that a free society "depends on information to make informed decisions."
* The President of the United States is known by the press who covers him -- but not the public - to be, how shall I say, a womanizer. He is having, among his flings, a toss with a woman who is also the mistress of Chicago Mafia boss Sam Giancana. This at the same time the president's brother, his former campaign manager, is Attorney General of the United States. Which is to say the head of the department of the executive branch charged with investigating the Mafia. Reporting from the Old Media? Zero. Zip. Mum's the word. Not an ounce of curiosity about anything or anybody that would lead to a mindboggling tangle of scandal, conflict-of-interest and serious misjudgment by the two most prominent government officials of the day.. The American people are in fact never informed of any of this until all but the mistress are long dead, in spite of the fact that the President's interests and his family's Chicago connections were well known by those who covered him. How and why could such a gross violation of basic journalism happen? As the late Teddy White, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Making of the President series, put it, JFK's "cultivation of the press colored all the reporting that came from the Kennedy campaign." Not to mention the Kennedy presidency that followed.
* In 1963 CBS executive Fred Friendly and CBS commentator Eric Sevareid convince Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater to sit for a two-hour interview for a proposed CBS documentary called "The Conservative Revival." Goldwater, wary that CBS was possessed of something he called "liberal bias," hesitated. But persuaded that Friendly and Sevareid were, in Goldwater's words, "gentlemen and men of their word," he went ahead with the interview. The result? A show called "Thunder on the Right," which focused on the John Birch Society, the Minutemen and, as Goldwater later delicately noted, other "far-right activists." Which is to say, crazies. A thoughtful profile of the likes of William F. Buckley, Jr. this show was not. Goldwater appeared on screen only briefly, just long enough to link him with the Birchers, a group with which he had not only no connection but had actively opposed. Said a burned Goldwater afterwards: "In view of their conduct, I would never again accept the word of Friendly or Sevareid."
* The year after JFK's murder, a beautiful young woman named Mary Meyer, the wife separated from CIA official Cord Meyer, is found shot to death along a canal towpath in Georgetown. She is the sister-in-law of JFK's close friend Ben Bradlee, then the Washington bureau chief of Newsweek, later famous as the executive editor of the Washington Post during Watergate. In the middle of this tragedy, Mr. Bradlee discovers an official from the CIA in his murdered sister-in-law's home rummaging through her belongings. It happens a second time. Then Mr. Bradlee discovers the object sought by the CIA -- Ms. Meyer's secret diary. The diary tells the startling tale of 20-30 get-togethers for sex with Bradlee's friend President Kennedy, where the two had occasion to smoke marijuana in between trysts. In the White House. Mr. Bradlee is stunned his buddy the president was sleeping with his own sister-in-law. He had no idea. Fair enough. But his reaction once he knew? To do his best to see that this explosive news story never sees the light of day, with the diary destroyed. In fact, the story does surface -- years later when a source who had seen the diary tips off the National Enquirer -- the National Enquirer! -- and Mr. Bradlee 'fesses up, very disturbed the story is out. He admits that, well, yes -- the story is true. Every word of it. Coverage at the time any of this actually happened -- which is to say the eve of the 1964 Johnson-Goldwater election? A point, you surely would agree, when Americans needed information to make what, in your words, would have been an "informed decision" on the Kennedy-Johnson administration record and also that of the Democratic candidate for Senator from New York -- Robert Kennedy. Zero. Why? The story was in Bradlee's hands -- the hands of the Washington bureau chief for one of the most influential newsmagazines of the day -- and, said he later: "I never for a minute considered reporting the discovery of the diary and its contents.
* On the verge of being nominated for president on the Republican ticket, Senator Barry Goldwater is, says CBS journalist Daniel Schorr, heading to Germany for a vacation after the GOP Convention. Germany? Why Germany? The trip was, said reporter Schorr, "a move by Senator Goldwater to link up" with the far right-wing of German politics. Meaning, of course, the Nazis. Goldwater would not only be consorting with these Nazis, he was scheduled to stay at Berchtesgaden, the infamous country estate of Adolf Hitler. In fact, Goldwater had no such plans. None. Zero. Zip. But it was a vivid story that successfully added a few brush strokes to the portrait the media and his opponents sought to create (as in the CBS "Thunder on the Right" documentary) that Barry Goldwater was a far-right wing extremist, a nut case. Said a still angry Goldwater decades later of the attempt to paint him as a Hitler-loving Nazi-sympathizer (Goldwater was a Major General in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and a World War Two veteran): "The CBS broadcast was false, and Schorr's was the most irresponsible reporting I've witnessed in my life. The New York Times followed with an untrue account of its own."
These events, Mr. Brokaw, are obviously "old news." So let's become a bit more current.
* President Clinton is discovered to be having an affair with a White House intern named Monica Lewinsky. Newsweek has the story but declines to run it. Just as Ben Bradlee declined to reveal the news of Mary Meyer's relationship with JFK. This time, the Internet comes into play, and the Drudge Report releases the story. All hell breaks loose. The President is impeached but not convicted.
* Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards runs for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. He receives wide praise as the husband standing by his cancer-stricken wife Elizabeth, a story line that is repeated in the Old Media from start to finish throughout his campaign. In reality, Edwards is conducting an affair with a videographer on his campaign staff named Rielle Hunter. She is pregnant. None of this is investigated by the Old Media -- but instead by the National Enquirer, which breaks the story in October, 2007, while Edwards is viewed as a serious candidate for the nomination rivaling Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Edwards and Ms. Hunter issue staunch denials, even as the Internet begins to pick up on the story. The Old Media ignores the story, with CBS's Bob Schieffer saying: "I believe that's a story that we will be avoiding, because it appears to me that there's absolutely nothing to it...This seems to be just sort of a staple of modern campaigns, that you got through at least one love child which turns out not to be a love child. And I think we can all do better than this one." By July of 2008, Edwards is out of the presidential race, but viewed as a serious candidate to be Attorney General of the United States in an Obama administration. The Enquirer updates the news, with a vivid story of confronting Edwards in a Los Angeles hotel as he paid a midnight visit to Ms. Hunter and her baby. Fox News pursues the story. The Drudge Report and the blogosphere is filled with the story. Glenn Beck suggests on his then-CNN show that Edwards sue the Enquirer if the story is false. Edwards denies all as "lies." By August of 2008, Edwards confesses, after six Fox News reports and multiple Internet stories, but denies he is the father of the child. The Old Media finally informs its audience of the truth, with Edwards giving an interview to ABC's Nightline. Recently, stories have surfaced from a Raleigh television station that Ms. Hunter is being moved to the Raleigh area and that Edwards will admit paternity. Mr. Edwards was so disgraced he didn't bother to attend the Democratic National Convention. Someone else is Attorney General in the Obama Administration.
* Van Jones is appointed the White House "Green Czar." As Kyle Smith of the New York Post has noted, Jones was profiled lovingly in the New Yorker, hailed as a "legendary figure" in the environmental movement by the Washington Post -- and none other than Mr. Friedman devoted four flattering pages to him in Friedman's book Hot, Flat, and Crowded. Yet suddenly Mr. Jones was ignored by the Old Media as the New Media uncovered his videotaped speeches and a paper trail proclaiming his Marxist sympathies, his support of a radical cop killer and his support of the nutty "Truther" movement that claims President Bush had a role in the 9/11 attacks. Not only does none of this make NBC -- your network -- or Mr. Friedman's New York Times -- even after Fox News, Mr. Beck and all manner of Internet sites are on the trail -- the story surfaces only when Mr. Jones has announced his resignation. A few minutes after midnight on Labor Day weekend Sunday. The story, as Mr. Smith points out, was purposely ignored, hoping it would go away. It didn't.
* Talk radio host Mark Levin authors Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto. The book takes off, riding the New York Times bestseller list at the number one spot for 12 weeks, and is still on the list for a 23rd week. At no time does your network -- or CBS or ABC -- call on Mr. Levin for the usual author's interview on network morning shows that one would expect for such a prominently selling book that issues a clarion political call. To this moment, the only Old Media institution to contact Mark Levin is the Philadelphia Inquirer -- the paper from the author's home area.
* Freelance film maker Jim O'Keefe and a young aspiring journalist named Hannah Giles, suspicious of the activities of ACORN, a controversial left-wing community organizing group under investigation in various states for voter fraud, set up a visit in the style of reporting pioneered by CBS's 60 Minutes. They return with considerable video that shows ACORN employees in Baltimore, Washington and Brooklyn scheming with the "prostitute" and "pimp" (the young journalists) to provide assistance in setting up a brothel, avoid federal taxes and employ underage girls from El Salvador in what amounts to sex slavery. Since ACORN has received millions of federal tax dollars over the years, and has been connected to President Obama in terms of his rise to prominence in Illinois politics, not to mention election activities while he was running for president, one would think this a major news story. Not for the Old Media. As reported by Glenn Beck a full two days after the story broke on Andrew Breitbart's BigGovernment.com, here's the record of reports on this story:
Fox News -- 19 CNN -- 3 MSNBC -- 0 ABC -- 0 CBS - 0 NBC -- 0 New York Times -- 1 (an AP story) Washington Post -- 1 (an AP story)
As a result of the O'Keefe, Giles, Breitbart, Beck, Hannity and Fox reporting, the U.S. Bureau of the Census has now severed its connection with ACORN, and four ACORN employees have been fired.
So let's go back to your remarks, Mr. Brokaw, and those of Mr. Friedman.
Americans have learned the hard way that there was and is a serious effort by some of the most powerful figures in American journalism to quite deliberately keep Americans from making "informed decisions" by denying them accurate information. By ignoring major news stories. By not reporting stories that were or are at variance with liberal politics, as if, like Mary Meyer's diary or John Edwards' affair with Rielle Hunter or Van Jones' speeches or ACORN's scandals or Mark Levin's book they simply didn't exist.
Or, if the subject was someone like a Goldwater, not simpatico with the journalist's personal political beliefs, sticking it to the target with the editor's scissors. Thus, when it came to stories like the Goldwater/Nazi story or the Goldwater/Bircher story -- presto! -- these false stories are, to use your term of art, "vetted" to deliberately mis-portray their subject..
What's particularly interesting is that the stories not reported about JFK were in the early 1960s, the effort to not report the story about President Clinton was in 1998, the story on John Edwards was hushed through the time it counted most, in the election cycle of 2008 when he was a serious presidential candidate, and the decision not to report on Van Jones was -- well -- two weeks ago, and ACORN but last week. Which is to say, September of 2009.
In other words, across five decades of American journalistic history, the instinct of many Old Media institutions -- specifically including NBC and the New York Times -- has been to deliberately withhold the truth. To quite deliberately use their journalism skills and tools to misrepresent those whose politics they do not favor.
Were this, say, the field of medicine, practitioners of this kind of thing would lose their license to practice, sued for and surely convicted of malpractice. As it is, the examples listed here are what might be termed "media malpractice," evidencing a clear and convincing pattern of deceit.
Yet all through this period, a curious fact keeps surfacing. In 1951, a young man named William F. Buckley, Jr. burst on the national scene with a book called God and Man at Yale. The book took on a serious topic -- the institutional mores of Yale University, Buckley's alma mater -- and challenged them head on. In what was then groundbreaking work, Buckley highlighted what today would be called the secularization of a college supposedly devoted to the religious and capitalistic principles of its founders.
The reaction from liberals of the day was utter fury. Young Mr. Buckley was excoriated as a fascist and would-be Nazi. Yet the book sold like hotcakes, flashing onto the bestseller lists of the day and catapulting Buckley, at 25, to political and intellectual celebrity, setting him on a course for his remarkable life.
In 1961, Senator Goldwater penned a book called The Conscience of a Conservative. This time, unlike the outraged treatment of the Buckley book, the Goldwater book would just be ignored by those who, in Goldwater's later words, "had long held a monopoly on the information flowing to the American people." Yet just as with Buckley's book, and this time without the publicity, a book that had a first printing of ten thousand copies eventually soared to four million copies sold. The book, now considered a classic, is still in print today.
Let's focus for a moment on Mark Levin and his mysterious lack of welcome at your network and the rest. Without so much as a nod from the Old Media, Mr. Levin's Liberty and Tyranny, a "pro-conservative" book vigorously positive in tone like those of Buckley and Goldwater before him, soars onto the bestseller list and just stays there. Like the Buckley and Goldwater books, the Levin book is a seminal work on conservatism itself that stands out from the conservative crowd, a classic and deeply serious look at political philosophy as expressed in the politics of our day. It is not a romance novel, not a Grisham or Dan Brown thriller, which makes its popularity (currently a stunning 1.2 million books in print -- almost four times that of other bestselling conservative-themed books combined) and that of the book's author an extraordinary story at any time, most particularly in the Age of Obama. As the Culture and Media Institute notes, Levin's book was number one on the bestseller list of Mr. Friedman's paper for 12 weeks. It is now in its 23rd week on the list. Yet just as with Goldwater's 1961 book or with 1960s JFK stories, or a 1990s Clinton story or an Edwards or Van Jones or ACORN story from 2008 and 2009 -- the established media does its best to bury the whole unpleasantness to liberals that is Levin's book and its huge popularity, precisely because it is such a potent challenge to their world view.
Mr. Friedman's own book managed the number one spot on the list for a mere two weeks -- not even close to Levin - yet Friedman had the media red carpet rolled out for him. Elizabeth Edwards managed only one week atop the Times list, but she too got the media red carpet treatment. As the CMI story also points out, this media blackout applies to other conservative authors as well, although when prodded by Drudge and reports that Ann Coulter has been banned from the Today Show, she appears. Challenged, of course, in a fashion liberal authors never face, a problem faced as well by bestselling conservative authors like Dick Morris. "Stirring" was one of Matt Lauer's comments to Elizabeth Edwards when she appeared to promote her book -- and that was only about one paragraph. Ann Coulter gets complaints about her "tone." One gets the feeling Lauer is simply too intimidated by either the subject matter or the author to question Levin.
Mr. Brokaw, all of this history, old and new, is now frankly irrelevant. What's done is done. What once was a considerable reservoir of trust and respect has been drained bone dry.
The real point here is that by the grace of the hard work of a number of people, the world has changed in regard to this kind of thing. Specifically this includes people like Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes of Fox News, along with their stars like Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Greta Van Susteren and Neil Cavuto, to cite but five of a long roster. Not for nothing Rush Limbaugh's description of himself as "America's Real Anchorman," a description with which millions agree -- with considerable reason. So too are other talk radio stars Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Glenn Beck, Laura Ingraham and their local and regional counterparts filling this news void. Add in the late Mr. Buckley and his National Review, R. Emmett Tyrrell and Alfred Regnery of The American Spectator, Regnery's late father Henry, who founded the influential Regnery Publishing, and Bill Kristol and Fred Barnes over at the Weekly Standard. And others, such as the indefatigable columnist-blogger (HotAir.com)-author Michelle Malkin, whose book Culture of Corruption is now itself atop the Times list. A list where Dick Morris's Catastrophe sits as well as does Bill O'Reilly's Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity -- the latter now for 44 weeks. Surely irritating at the moment is Beck's Common Sense, number one on the paperback NYT list.
But most importantly of all, perhaps, there is the growing number of citizen journalists like Matt Drudge, the godfather of this field with his Drudge Report. Jim Hoft of Gateway Pundit, who surfaced some of the Van Jones story. John Hinderaker, Scott Johnson and Paul Mirengoff at Power Line, where Dan Rather's Bush National Guard story was exposed as a phony. The ACORN story is courtesy of Andrew Breitbart and his new site BigGovernment.com, and as mentioned young filmmaker Jim O'Keefe and Hannah Giles, who did the investigating grunt work. There are now countless Americans with access to the Internet of which you are so wary, any number of whom are doing a better job at informing Americans than NBC News or the New York Times.
It is because of these people and their institutions that stories about President Clinton, John Edwards, Van Jones and ACORN have had considerably different endings then they surely would have had if the country had to depend on your Old Media. Why? Because the Old Media is not about the "news," it is about promoting liberalism, using access to ink and air time to convince Americans that "that's the way it is," to borrow the late Mr. Cronkite's famous phrase. When in fact the news as delivered -- or should I say undelivered -- by the establishment media was and still is really about the personal political agenda of its liberal journalists. The Old Media has lost all pretension to being the umpire. It is the batter -- and the pitcher, infield and outfield players as well.
The Internet, talk radio and Fox have collectively if independently wound up as the battering ram that has smashed through the castle gates of Big Liberal Media.
As a result, the media world in which you played such an important role is imploding before our eyes.
Like the last reel of a James Bond movie, the good guys are swarming the bad guy's lair and rigging it with explosives. Explosives called "the facts" or, better yet, "the truth."
The real vetting in the Van Jones incident was not done to Van Jones, Mr. Brokaw. The real vetting was of your establishment colleagues. It is they who have been collectively vetted in this latest incident, and one more time Americans have concluded, to quote you, "this is crazy." The news media they and you represent simply cannot be trusted to tell the truth.
The investigation of Mr. Jones -- a government official no less -- is but one example of the competition your colleagues now must face every minute of every day. The investigation into the corruption in ACORN is still one more. So too with the Bush National Guard story. Not to mention the real details of the President's health care plans. The response to Mark Levin's book -- and the importance of that response, in spite of a virtual blackout from your peers -- is, in its quite distinctive fashion, yet another.
In truth? Either you really don't get all this -- or you do, and simply can't bring yourself to admit the fact. Much less do anything about it.
What do I think? I think you're a really smart guy, and so are your colleagues.
Which is exactly what troubles.
Thanks for your time.

Emotional Fla. sheriff celebrates baby's survival

starangel82 — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:54:26 -0800

CHIPLEY, Fla. – Sheriff Bobby Haddock knew time was running out for a 7-month-old girl missing in the Florida Panhandle.

For five days, searchers had scoured the dense vines and marshes around the baby's rural home, knowing that every hour a child is missing, the chances of finding them alive decreases. But Shannon Lea Dedrick was finally discovered - lying quietly in a 2-foot by 3-foot cedar box that had been shoved under her baby sitter's bed.

Haddock held the baby in front of flashing cameras and a cheering local audience, proudly displaying a discovery that defied statistics that show only a 30 percent chance of bringing a child home safe if they've been missing for more than three hours.

"We are the proud papas of a little girl," the beaming sheriff announced, his deputies standing behind him.

Later Thursday, the Sheriff choked up as he explained how investigators found the infant after days of searching. Clothing was packed around the box to muffle any sounds and baking soda placed inside to mask the stench of dirty diapers. She had been alone in the box for 12 hours as investigators interviewed the baby sitter.

"Statistically speaking this should not have ever happened, that we found this child alive, especially after so many days," said Haddock, who cradled Shannon in his arms as he spoke to reporters. "Time was against us."

Authorities said the baby's mother, Chrystina Lynn Mercer, gave the infant to baby sitter Susan Elizabeth Baker early Saturday, then reported her missing about 10 hours later. Haddock said Shannon apparently had been fed and cared for while she was with Baker, who lived about 12 miles from Mercer.

Shannon appeared healthy.

"Once we got the hospital, five or six of us called our wives to let them know that we found the child and a lot grown men were shedding tears," Haddock said.

Mercer was charged Thursday with interference of child custody, desertion of a child and several other charges. Charges against Baker included neglect of a child with aggravated circumstances and interference of child custody.

Bond was set at $150,000 for Baker and $75,000 for Mercer. In separate hearings, the women shuffled in wearing leg chains and their hands bound with plastic restraints.

The judge told Mercer she couldn't have contact with her daughter, who was in state custody, if she posts bond. Both women said they understood the charges against them and their arraignments were scheduled for Dec. 14.

According to court documents, child welfare officials began looking into allegations Shannon was being abused less than two weeks after she was born.

Investigators frequently went to the infant's home from August to late September and reported that both parents used marijuana and kept a messy home. But they said Shannon seemed to be cared for and in September, a physician determined she was healthy.

Susan Baker was involved in another missing child case in South Carolina more than two decades ago. She had been a baby sitter for James Baker and his now ex-wife before she married him, a family member said.

Susan Baker told authorities her stepson, 3-year-old Paul Leonard Baker, disappeared from the family's Beaufort, S.C., home on March 5, 1987, while she napped.

A massive manhunt turned up nothing. She and her husband, James Baker, were extradited to South Carolina in 2000 and charged with assault and battery in Paul's disappearance, according to police reports provided by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. But a grand jury never indicted them and the child was never found.

Paul's grandmother said she blames Susan Baker for her grandson's disappearance. Lambert gained legal custody of Paul's sister.

She was glad the case in Florida has renewed interest in Paul's disappearance.

"I'd like to know if my grandson is dead or alive," said Linda Lambert, 65, of Mebane, N.C. "I'd like some closure."

Susan Baker did serve prison time after authorities investigating Paul's disappearance discovered her 6-year-old stepdaughter had been badly beaten. Susan Baker was sentenced to 10 years in prison but the punishment was suspended to 80 days.

Florida officials refused to answer questions Thursday about the South Carolina case. They would say only that investigators from that state were in Chipley and had spoken with Baker.

Source: Yahoo! News

Tax dollars paying for abortions

cine_lover — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:41:21 -0700

Our tax dollars already go towards abortions, but I thought this was interesting as it sheds even more light as to what is in this bill.

http://thehill.com//blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/64971-mich-democrat-pe...

Mich. Democrat: Pelosi 'not happy with me'

By Bob Cusack - 10/27/09 01:30 PM ET
Rep. Bart Stupak said Speaker Pelosi is not pleased with his effort to change abortion-related provisions in the healthcare bill being crafted by the House.During an interview on C-SPAN's "Washington Journal" show, Stupak (D-Mich.) said he is undeterred in trying to ensure that taxpayer dollars do not pay for abortions. Stupak, who opposes abortion rights, acknowledged that some in his party are upset with his public campaign to change the bill.

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"The Speaker is not happy with me," Stupak said.The Energy and Commerce subcommittee chairman said he has been working with Democratic leaders on a compromise, but they haven't been able to strike a deal. Stupak pointed out that he and Democratic leaders have a fundamental disagreement on whether health plans that receive subsidies from the government should be allowed to provide coverage options on abortions.Stupak wants a vote on the House floor to strike the language, and predicts he would have the votes to pass such an amendment."This has been federal law since 1976," he said, noting that President Barack Obama has vowed not to allow healthcare reform to pay for abortions."We have to have a vote," he said.If he doesn't get one, Stupak said he and as many as 39 other Democrats will vote no on a procedural motion to bring the health bill to the floor. A House vote on healthcare reform could be taken next week.Stupak stressed he wants to vote for healthcare reform and is "still somewhat optimistic" that he will reach an accord with Democratic leaders.However, the Michigan Democrat said he will not be backing down: "I'm comfortable with where I'm at. This is who I am. It's reflective of my district. If it costs me my seat, so be it."

Pdaphone Comparison

aeptreee — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:21:37 -0700