Libel is as libel does

Over at my blog for class, the class on networked journalism, we were recently given some assignments for reading. That link has the exact blog entry.

Upon the issuing of the assignments, two of them about Jason Leopold who happens to be a former journalist who used to uphold the tenets of journalism and report stories, emailed our professor accusing her of libel. See his emails here.

Really? Honestly? By asking us to read about his fuck-ups and subsequent refusal to admit he fucked up, our professor commits libel? Asking us to read the truth about what happened is libel? By understanding that he's a liar parading as a journalist is libel? Honestly the only thing separating him from Matt Drudge at this point is his own website complete with shitty HTML. Oh wait.

I can't wait until nobody reads your website, Jason Leopold. You have the gall to email my professor and accuse her of libeling you? You lied, and fabricated sources in a piece for Salon.com, almost completely made up a piece for Truthout.org, and had the publication of your own memoir canceled because of concerns over....care to guess? Lying! That's right! We have a winner!

Douche. Terd Sandwich. Toolbag.

That's right, I'm name-calling. It's not libel, it's opinion! Prove my opinion wrong, I dare ya!

Or maybe he'll just make up some fake sources, emails, and quotes about me.

~J

Pssst, Pass it on!

This just in, Mike Huckabee won (surprisingly) a few states today during Super(duper) Tuesday. Many now consider him back in the race.

Therefore, Hucka is the new Hella.

As in: That is HuckaSweet. That movie was HuckaAwesome. That girls breaststs are HuckaTasty. You get the drift.

Pass it on!


~J

A big eff you to Coors Light

So I made the below video with my cousin to enter a contest for tickets to the 2009 Superbowl. Well, despite the fact that it's head and shoulders above any video on the Coors Light site that was chosen as a finalist, I'm quite bitter. All the videos they chose sucked, ours required hard work, devotion, creativity, originality, and plus we're just fun.

No, we're awesome. But Coors Light chose to ignore our video and go a different route. So I'll never drink Coors original or Coors light again unless I'm on their brewery tour. Fkrs.

Below is our video. It's excellent.



~J

On a Chilly Denver Morn

Just a couple awesome things that are really fucking pissing me off lately.

First: Fuck you, CNN. Again. I've done it before, and I'll do it again. Seriously, Heath Ledger is your lead? Really? It's 9:45 in the morning right now in Colorado, and your lead story is about Heath Ledger? Couldn't be bothered to put up the story about the 935 false and misleading statements made by the Bush Administration about the war in Iraq? Couldn't bother to lead with an article about the debt crisis (and how it was the banking industry, credit card companies, and predatory lending that REALLY put us here?) I understand the concept of if it bleeds it leads, and you want eyes because eyes on your pages mean more sponsor dollars.

But really. Go fuck yourselves. Profanity never makes a great argument, but your bullshit never makes great news either. This is worse than yellow journalism. It's distracting, misleading, and it shows just how willing (lest we forget able, and eager) you are to abdicate your responsibility to inform the public. This is not news. Heath Ledger is a tragic story, but by putting it up front you are saying that is the most important thing right now. Fuck you. Fuck you, twice. And then there's a story about some robbers in Australia who robbed a restaurant. They meant to grab a bag of cash but instead grabbed a bag of "bread rolls." Here's the thing -- doesn't this fit your criteria for a top news story CNN? Robbery, Fun Accent, Guns, Someone Gets Shot In The Ass, and a funny happy ending. I'm surprised you haven't linked it to to the Heath Ledger article yet, after all he was an Aussie...and the robbery happened in Australia...and given all your foreign relations "street cred" in closing down bureaus and sending people to do foreign reporting less and less every year, I'm surprised you don't just automatically think they're related.

I fucking hate you. You're still better than Fox News, but you're a fucking piece of shit. I could continue on CNN, I'm not going to. I need to get back to work soon.

Second: This whole credit crunch shit, and recession fears and all sorts of things. I have my doubts that it's actually real. The credit crunch is, but the stock market falling and all sorts of other bullshit -- all that's predicated upon is fear that consumers are really going to stop spending. We're spending because shit costs too much. Unfettered capitalism, and a free market society create a financial situation that's only good for business. Then there's a collapse, and consumers get blamed. Really? We get blamed for what someone else has done? Let's take a look at this for a second. You know what has really created this? Credit Cards and predatory lending. Republicans especially love to make laws that help these fuckers out. And in the mid 80s with the Reagan administration and trickle-down economics and supply side economics, the flames of the problem were only given more fuel.

When people don't spend, the economy gets hurt. So the idea was that people could be given credit cards to spend, and the economy would do better -- but that's a hollow solution. There's no real liquid, fluid currency processed in a credit card transaction so merchants get their funds, and the consumer gets its merchandise, but the consumer goes in debt. This only adds up over time, in the end pulling the bulk of the consumers fluid currency out of boosting the economy and placing it into a position where it reduces debt -- that hurts the economy. This housing crunch, and the predatory lending associated with it, does more of the same. Lending institutions want nothing more than to lend you money on great terms, reserve the right to change them on whatever arbitrary standards they want to use, then make boatloads of money off of your increased payments. Of course, they think very little of what happens when the lower-middle-class family they just fucked over actually doesn't have enough money to pay their bills. Stupid fucks. When money is spent paying off credit cards instead of actual purchasing of goods, the economy goes downhill. Credit card companies and predatory lenders have fucked us over.

And if you're one of those morons who *again* places all of the responsibility on the consumer, shut the fuck up. You shouldn't be allowed to breed. Does SOME of the responsibility belong there? Yes. But if you're saying that the individual consumer is at fault, you then by extension of your argument are never allowed to blame society, video games, music, family life, or ANYTHING ELSE for ANY PROBLEM for ANY PERSON EVER. If one person has the responsibility, then that's it, no other thing in society can have any hand in their situation. For instance, Larry Craig really is fucking gay. Pun Intended.

People deserve some of the responsibility, but we need to understand that the tactics and practices of credit card companies, and banking and lending institutions breed this kind of behavior. They encourage people to spend too much, take too much credit, and a society of systematic overindulged consumerism does more to encourage people to live beyond their means. The system is at fault for this one, kids. We're talking illegal in many cases, yet our government doesn't really see fit to do much because of course in their minds if businesses are healthy, then so too will be the people. But as we learned from GM in the 1980s, what's good for GM (and by extension corporate America) is NOT good for the rest of the country.

No this isn't an anti-capitalism rant, it's just a what's pissing me off rant. So don't call me a communist. Actually go ahead and call me a communist, because that's a much more appealing party label than anything party that pretends to have the best interests of America at heart.

Oh yeah, 24 states have primaries or caucuses coming up on Tuesday February, 5th. Don't forget to go vote if you have a primary, or find out where your caucus site and go to caucus. Even these steps are important in making your voice heard.

No matter who you support.

Use Google to find a calendar of all the states and their caucus and primary dates so you can figure out when yours is. Your local state.gov site should have instructions on precincts and where to go for your caucus. If you have a primary, it works just like voting. Find out where your voting location is (based on precinct) and then go cast your vote for who you think should be your party's nomination for President. If you have a caucus then you can find candidate videos on youtube that tell you how to do it. (They're goofy, cheesy, so suspend some disbelief, but they will tell you how to get the job done.) You can also find out on your state sites (or by contacting respective party help-lines that can be found online) where your caucus sites are and ask any questions how it works. Caucuses can take a couple hours or as little as 20 minutes, it all depends on how many people arrive from your precinct, and how much support there is from different candidates. But its important, it should be done.

That's it. J-Wall out.

Vote!

Happy New Year. We get to vote this year. It'll be like Christmas in November.

Don't let any poll, pundit, talking head, news story, or blog entry tell you who you should vote for or that this race is over. All it takes is 20 minutes every day for a week. Research candidates, go to their websites, their myspace pages, whatever -- and see where they stand. See if you agree. In the amount of time it takes you to eat a bowl of cereal and toast you can figure out if you agree or disagree with a candidate, and see who best represents you.

Despite what the media tells you this is not a circus to be watched, a race to be observed, a game in which you have no hand. This does not take place on a playing field that has nothing to do with you. The field is America, it has everything to do with you. It is not only your privilege but your responsibility to vote, and to cast your say.

Happy New Year, we get to vote this year.

I'll take rational thought with a side of Atheism, please.

I am incredibly disheartened today. I read an article not long ago about Pope Benedict attacking Atheism as "cruel and unjust"saying that it had led to some of the “greatest forms of cruelty and violations of justice” known to mankind. What? Explain please. (He doesn't,) Perhaps the good Pope forgot that "he who asserts must prove."

I think the very basic aspect of all of this can be boiled down to one single question, especially when he is labeling Atheism as cruel and unjust and saying that it has led to cruelty and violations of justice: When was the last time someone attacked someone else (be that plural or singular) in the name of Atheism? When was the last time it happened in the name of god?

You still want to argue that religion is good for our world? Without religion the twin towers would still be standing (arguably.) Without religion we'd be a whole lot smarter and technologically advanced. We'd be a whole lot more rational, we'd be a whole lot safer. We'd be a whole lot less scared, and a whole lot more responsible for our own lives.

I'm also disheartened that Benedict completely misses the idea behind Atheism. He says that Atheism was created to explain the creation of justice by man since there was no god to do it. False, good sir. Atheism is the rational and logical explanation for the state of the world. No god has provided laws for us (men have, in all cases.)

The Pope said, but “the claim that humanity can and must do what no God actually does or is able to do is both presumptuous and intrinsically false”. Again, false, good sir. It is not intrinsically false to say that humanity must do what no god does. That's like arguing that it is intrinsically false for one teammate to do what another cannot. The Pope's quote above, actually makes no sense at all whatsoever. The more I read it, the less sense it makes.

There are good aspects to religion, and the idea of god. I cannot deny that. But religion openly and actively tries to slow down progress, make people afraid, and control lives. There is also absolutely zero basis to the theory that without faith in god people are "evil" "morally suspect" or "morally corrupt." Those are just blatant falsehoods. I have been an Atheist since I was 12 years old. That is when I reached the age of reason and realized that the idea of god just didn't make any sense whatsoever. I am not morally reprehensible, morally corrupt, unjust, or evil. I am a good, kindhearted person, who believes that helping people is good. The more you help the better life will be in general.

There are some who will argue that those are religious tenets -- with that I cannot necessarily disagree, but it's worth noting that just because it has some good ideas, that does not warrant diving full-on into it.

I'm an Atheist. I have been for a very long time, and I will be for the rest of my life. I don't want to raise children believing in god, but believing in themselves, and being good people. Logically it makes sense. I want to raise them to question things, find their own truths and answers, and never seek the easy way out. And most importantly, never let their search for answers in anything lead them into cruel and unjust areas. I guess that means keeping them away from Pope Benedict.

Fiscally Overreactive

In more irony news, King Bush and his White Castle (mmmm burgers) have accused the Democratically led Congress of being fiscally irresponsible in their efforts to pass a bill (which he vetoed) that would increase spending on federal education expenses federal healthcare expenses through medicaid and medicare. His beef was a $22 billion increase in the bill over what his budget had laid out over the next 5 years. While Bush is technically correct that paying for those programs would come from the increase of taxes, it's incredibly poignant when we couple his accusation with the knowledge that his 100% unnecessary war has so far cost the nation $1.9 trillion dollars, and with no end in sight, that number is only going to grow. Now, that's $1.9 trillion dollars. Here it is with zeroes: $1,900,000,000.

Additionally, a new report issued says that from 2002-2008 the Iraq and Afghanistan war contain hundreds of hidden costs (two of the most notable: increased healthcare costs for returning veterans [which is another story altogether, given the fact that more are coming back mentally injured, and more are becoming homeless FASTER THAN EVER BEFORE] as well as increased oil prices -- that's right folks, sick of high oil prices? The military uses a lot of it..end the war...watch prices fall,) which end up costing a family of four almost $21,000 over the period of 2002-2008. Now, I don't know about anyone else, but I can't think of a single REGULAR family of four (you know, middle class) that can really afford $21,000 over 6 years (yeah I know it's less than $4k a year.) Honestly, who can afford that? And it's not as if we're spending it for any benefit.

The biggest outcome of this war will be the blowback that my generation and my kids and grandkids generations will have to face, when we help to breed a specific brand of people who hate America at a rate far greater than we've ever seen before. We're asking for destruction with this war, not protection.

Fucking ridiculous. Talk about being fiscally irresponsible. Let's spend money to demolish our country, who's with me?

Anyone?

Anyone...?

Didn't think so. Demand Impeachment Now.

Right To Life....really?

So I read online that the National Right To Life Committee is going to be endorsing Fred Thompson his race for the Presidency. I just wanted to check to make sure, because I would be completely blown away if a conservative committee/group of any kind had any sort of hypocrisy, but the National Right To Life Committee is virulently anti-war, correct? I mean, they are virulently anti-abortion, but since they are the "right to life" committee, they must be incredibly anti-war too, right?

Right?

Anyone?

~J

It's Like Raaaaaain, On Your Wedding Day

Isn't it Ironic, don't you think?

Bush recently vetoed a Bill with overwhelming bipartisan support (the bill would be approving lots of water projects to help make our water systems cleaner and safer) saying that it would be too costly and would overtax the army corps of engineers.

So how ironic is it that Bush finds an issue with "overtaxing the army corps of engineers" and the spending of money to approve projects for the country's water systems (another incorrect notion: this bill doesn't approve spending, it only approves projects, further appropriations bills will provide funding) but has absolutely no problem with spending Half A Billion Dollars (at the time of this posting) to finance an unjust, illegal, and useless war? Not to mention the fact that he has no problem with keeping troops in Iraq for longer than ever.

I wish I could say I was more surprised about this, don't you? At least we're getting a veto override out of the deal.

~J

This...this I don't get

Now, there will be a World Series Experience recap coming soon. I've honestly got notes on the whole experience to make sure there are things I don't forget. Should I figure out how to email cell phone pictures to myself, I'll even upload those so you may bask in the glory that was a Red Sox World Series Championship right here in the place I call home, Denver, Colorado.

But that has to wait for a time when I'm a touch less busy -- and perhaps a touch less ridiculously pissed off.

Dennis Kucinich, bless his heart, soul, and Presidential Run, introduced another bill in an attempt to impeach Viceroy Cheney. But when faced with the prospect of actually having to vote on the bill (Republicans were voting to table the bill, but then suddenly said 'no wait, let's vote on it!' forcing Democrats to actually vote on the resolution thereby indicating their position on impeaching Cheney, Democrats suddenly reduced their challenge to tabling the bill, and it was sent to committee where it is expected to die.

What the fuck? Seriously, What the fuck? Pelosi, as much as great change you were over previous house members, you don't deserve to be reelected. You took office with a promise of impeachment, and have since announced it has been taken off the table. Both of the leaders of the executive branch are guilty of multitudinous offenses punishable by impeachment. They have lied, straight faced over and over and over again to the American people. This fact is not even up for debate, it is straight truth, and I cannot in any way shape or form understand why on Earth Democrats do not support impeachment. It makes absolutely no sense to me. End the war, end the lies, end the corruption which has run COMPLETELY rampant since Bush took office. End the oil prices, end the Republican slowdown of healthcare and education bills that will help millions of Americans (the slowdowns of which are subsequently blamed on Democrats and the media dutifully then reports the Conservative line.) I really don't understand what the big deal is. The majority of Americans disapprove of what this administration has done and continues to do. The majority of Americans understand that we were lied to, and have been treated like children. This administration deserves nothing less than impeachment and I cannot for the life of me understand why it is not being done.

Demand Impeachment Now. There is not a single good reason on the face of this Earth why it should not be done.