“When, oh, when is a Republican going to stand up” and call the liberal media on their lies about the debt ceiling debate, NewsBusters publisher Brent Bozell lamented on this morning's “Fox & Friends.” Bozell was reacting to a clip of Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) answering a misleading and biased question by CBS's Bob Schieffer ( video follows page break; MP3 audio here ): STEVE DOOCY, “Fox & Friends” anchor: So the narrative over the last couple of weeks has been Barack Obama, the adult in the room, he's a compromiser. On the other side, those rotten Republicans! BRENT BOZELL, Media Research Center (MRC) founder: You know, Steve, I'm watching that video clip of Sen. Kyl and I'm just wondering, when, oh, when is a Republican going to stand up to a Bob Schieffer and look him right in the face on national television, on live national television, and say, “Bob, you're lying, it isn't true”?
Continue reading …So John Boehner couldn’t manage to whip 216 votes for his compromise bill, and Nancy Pelosi held the Democratic caucus in line, and the morning dawns with Capitol Hill in a tizzy, which is exactly what the Tea Party has hoped for: Speaking on conservative radio host Laura Ingraham’s show this morning, Boehner agreed that failing to raise the limit before the deadline would be devastating, and said the “chaos” plan won’t work when asked by Ingraham what’s motivating the recalcitrant Republicans: BOEHNER: Well, first they want more. And my goodness, I want more too. And secondly, a lot of them believe that if we get past August the second and we have enough chaos, we could force the Senate and the White House to accept a balanced budget amendment . I’m not sure that that — I don’t think that that strategy works. Because I think the closer we get to August the second, frankly, the less leverage we have vis a vis our colleagues in the Senate and the White House. It would really be nice if someone would quit thinking about strategy and agendas and start thinking about what’s good for the country. Chaos? Really? Yes, really. This is the lunacy that is the Tea Party. Courtesy of Judson Phillips of Tea Party Nation, a few select quotes: The real problem with Boehner and all of these soft, squishy big government Republicans is they see compromise as the goal. No. Earth to John Boehner. Victory is the goal. Compromise is a tool that gets you to the goal. If you do not have victory as your goal, you will never win. If compromise is the goal, it really does not matter what agreement you reach. As long as the compromise is reached, no matter how bad it is, you have done your job. In the last day, since I wrote Boehner must go, I have received a number of emails from people who say, “You are splitting the Republican party.” “You are fracturing the conservative movement.” “You are damaging our cause.” No, I am not. John Boehner is. John Boehner will not stand up for conservative beliefs or anything else, except possibly his afternoon cigarette. I am tired of Republicans who make up the surrender lobby. I am tired of Republicans who claim they believe in our cause yet will not stand and fight. Judson Phillips frames it perfectly. There is no room for any thinking but their thinking, there is no room for anyone to co-exist or compromise alongside them. Because they think their way is the only way. Phillips closed with this: When I got involved in the Tea Party two and a half years ago, I didn’t do it because I was bored. I didn’t do it because I had nothing better to do. I didn’t do it because I said it would be cool to be involved in a grassroots movement. I did it because I believe we should win. I did it because I believe conservatism is the best course to guarantee freedom in this Country. Welcome our new American Taliban overlords. No room for anything but their One True Truth.
Continue reading …Scarborough Rips Krugman: ‘Blind Ideologue’ Only Bloggers ‘Still Living’ in ‘Mom’s Basement’ Care About
July 29, 2011 No Comment
MSNBC's Joe Scarborough on Friday took some well-deserved shots at New York Times columnist Paul Krugman. After Mika Brzezinski read bits of Krugman's most recent rant against “Republican extremism” on “Morning Joe,” her co-host responded, “If you’re a blogger, and you’re still living in your mom’s basement, and you got Cheetos all over the keyboard, you type in your underwear…you look at Paul Krugman and you think, 'He is my hero'” (video follows with transcript and commentary): MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Alright, “ The Centrist Cop-out ,” Paul Krugman, New York Times: Many pundits view taking a position in the middle of the political spectrum as a virtue in itself. I don't. Wisdom doesn't necessarily reside in the middle of the road, and I want leaders who do the right thing, not the centrist thing…[M] aking nebulous calls for centrism, like writing news reports that always place equal blame on both parties, is a big cop-out — a cop-out that only encourages more bad behavior. The problem with American politics right now is Republican extremism, and if you're not willing to say that, you're helping make that problem worse. JOE SCARBOROUGH: What a shock. I am shocked… BRZEZINSKI: It’s exactly right. Seriously. SCARBOROUGH: …Paul Krugman would write that editorial. BRZEZINSKI: Alright, instead of going there. STEVEN RATTNER: In this case, there is a scintilla of truth to that. SCARBOROUGH: Well… BRZEZINSKI: Come on now. SCARBOROUGH: …you write the same column for a decade… RATTNER: A stopped clock is right, I’ve heard that. BRZEZINSKI: Joe, this is not about Paul. SCARBOROUGH: If you write the same column for a decade and blame everything including earthquakes halfway across the world on Republican extremism, at some point, somebody could look at an op-ed and go, “Eh. Perhaps there’s a seed of truth to that.” BRZEZINSKI: Okay. Alright. Make it, it was anonymous. Now just the words. Don’t you agree? SCARBOROUGH: Eh. It’s Paul Krugman. [Laughter] SCARBOROUGH: No, he really, he has, he’s a very – we talked about this before – he’s a very smart man, Mike Barnicle… BRZEZINSKI: Of course. SCARBOROUGH: …but… MIKE BARNICLE: Faculty lounge. SCARBOROUGH: …but he’s… BRZEZINSKI: Oh, you boys are… BARNICLE: It’s faculty lounge. SCARBOROUGH: He’s written the same column for a decade. BARNICLE: He’s extremely smart. He’s extremely influential, and he knows far more about economics than I will ever know. Faculty lounge! SCARBOROUGH: Let me just say, he is influential because if you’re a blogger, and you’re still living in your mom’s basement, and you got Cheetos all over the keyboard, you type in your underwear, unlike Alex Trebek, then yes… BRZEZINSKI: No underwear for Alex. SCARBOROUGH: …you look at Paul Krugman and you think, “He is my hero,” because he is like a lot of bloggers on the left and the right a blind ideologue. Interesting that even the perilously liberal Mike Barnicle thinks Krugman's tripe is the kind of stuff one would hear in a school's faculty lounge. Which raises the question: why is this man taken seriously by anyone other than bloggers typing in their underwear in mom's basement?
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Penguin that strayed 2,000 miles from Antarctic to New Zealand beach can be returned to the wild in a few weeks New Zealand’s favourite penguin visitor has been given health clearance to be returned to the wild. The news comes five weeks after it was found on a beach more than 2,000 miles from its Antarctic home. The emperor penguin, nicknamed Happy Feet, has been recuperating at Wellington zoo since soon after it was discovered on the North Island. It is the first emperor penguin to be found in the wild in New Zealand in 44 years. It became ill after eating sand, which it may have mistaken for snow. Kate Baker, a spokeswoman for the zoo, said the penguin had gained about 4kg (9lb) and this week passed an x-ray and blood test. Baker said the penguin would probably be released offshore from the south end of the country sometime in the next few weeks. New Zealand Animals Animal behaviour Antarctica guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Penguin that strayed 2,000 miles from Antarctic to New Zealand beach can be returned to the wild in a few weeks New Zealand’s favourite penguin visitor has been given health clearance to be returned to the wild. The news comes five weeks after it was found on a beach more than 2,000 miles from its Antarctic home. The emperor penguin, nicknamed Happy Feet, has been recuperating at Wellington zoo since soon after it was discovered on the North Island. It is the first emperor penguin to be found in the wild in New Zealand in 44 years. It became ill after eating sand, which it may have mistaken for snow. Kate Baker, a spokeswoman for the zoo, said the penguin had gained about 4kg (9lb) and this week passed an x-ray and blood test. Baker said the penguin would probably be released offshore from the south end of the country sometime in the next few weeks. New Zealand Animals Animal behaviour Antarctica guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Sun and Mirror fined for contempt of court in Christopher Jefferies articles
July 29, 2011 No Comment
The Daily Mirror has been fined £50,000 and the Sun £18,000 for articles published over killing of Joanna Yeates The Daily Mirror has been fined £50,000 and the Sun £18,000 for contempt of court for articles published about a suspect arrested on suspicion of murdering Joanna Yeates. Three senior judges ruled that the tabloid newspapers breached contempt laws with their reporting of the arrest of Christopher Jefferies, Yeates’s landlord, who was later released without charge and was entirely innocent of any involvement. Dominic Grieve, the attorney general, launched the contempt action against the newspapers in May, arguing that reports about Jefferies were “so exceptional, so memorable” that it presented a “risk of serious prejudice” to any potential future trial of Yeates’s killer. Vincent Tabak in May pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not the murder of the 25-year-old landscape architect, who was found dead on Christmas Day near Bristol. Tabak is due to face trial at Bristol crown court in October. The attorney general said after Friday’s ruling: “I welcome today’s judgment. While there was a great amount of speculation and copy relating to Mr Jefferies across much of the media, these three pieces of newspaper coverage were a different matter. “They breached the Contempt of Court Act and the court has found that there was a risk of serious prejudice to any future trial. This prosecution is a reminder to the press that the Contempt of Court Act applies from the time of arrest.” Earlier on Friday, Jefferies accepted substantial libel damages from eight newspapers – including the Daily Mirror and the Sun – over stories relating to his arrest. In the contemptruling handed down at the high court on Friday, Lord Justice Thomas and Mr Justice Owen described the Daily Mirror articles as “extreme” and “substantial risks to the course of justice”. The judges said the Sun’s coverage of Jefferies created a “very serious risk” that any future court defence would be damaged. “These articles [in the Sun] would have certainly justified an abuse of process argument, and although their effect is not as grave as that of two series of articles contained in the Mirror, the vilification of Mr Jefferies created a very serious risk that the preparation of his defence would be damaged,” the judges said. “At the time when this edition of the Sun was published it created substantial risks to the course of justice. It therefore constituted a contempt under the strict liability rule.” • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly “for publication”. • To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook The Sun Newspapers & magazines National newspapers Newspapers Daily Mail Media law Contempt of court Joanna Yeates Josh Halliday guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Sun and Mirror fined for contempt of court in Christopher Jefferies articles
July 29, 2011 No CommentThe Daily Mirror has been fined £50,000 and the Sun £18,000 for articles published over killing of Joanna Yeates The Daily Mirror has been fined £50,000 and the Sun £18,000 for contempt of court for articles published about a suspect arrested on suspicion of murdering Joanna Yeates. Three senior judges ruled that the tabloid newspapers breached contempt laws with their reporting of the arrest of Christopher Jefferies, Yeates’s landlord, who was later released without charge and was entirely innocent of any involvement. Dominic Grieve, the attorney general, launched the contempt action against the newspapers in May, arguing that reports about Jefferies were “so exceptional, so memorable” that it presented a “risk of serious prejudice” to any potential future trial of Yeates’s killer. Vincent Tabak in May pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not the murder of the 25-year-old landscape architect, who was found dead on Christmas Day near Bristol. Tabak is due to face trial at Bristol crown court in October. The attorney general said after Friday’s ruling: “I welcome today’s judgment. While there was a great amount of speculation and copy relating to Mr Jefferies across much of the media, these three pieces of newspaper coverage were a different matter. “They breached the Contempt of Court Act and the court has found that there was a risk of serious prejudice to any future trial. This prosecution is a reminder to the press that the Contempt of Court Act applies from the time of arrest.” Earlier on Friday, Jefferies accepted substantial libel damages from eight newspapers – including the Daily Mirror and the Sun – over stories relating to his arrest. In the contemptruling handed down at the high court on Friday, Lord Justice Thomas and Mr Justice Owen described the Daily Mirror articles as “extreme” and “substantial risks to the course of justice”. The judges said the Sun’s coverage of Jefferies created a “very serious risk” that any future court defence would be damaged. “These articles [in the Sun] would have certainly justified an abuse of process argument, and although their effect is not as grave as that of two series of articles contained in the Mirror, the vilification of Mr Jefferies created a very serious risk that the preparation of his defence would be damaged,” the judges said. “At the time when this edition of the Sun was published it created substantial risks to the course of justice. It therefore constituted a contempt under the strict liability rule.” • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly “for publication”. • To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook The Sun Newspapers & magazines National newspapers Newspapers Daily Mail Media law Contempt of court Joanna Yeates Josh Halliday guardian.co.uk
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Photographer David Levene gets exclusive access to No Fit State Circus’s spectacular new show Labyrinth, performed in the extraordinary surroundings of Cornwall’s Eden Project Jim Powell David Levene
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Models at ChinaJoy gaming event in Shanghai banned from wearing bikinis and revealing outfits as authorities clamp down on “vulgarity” To the dismay of attendant geeks but official approval, China’s biggest online gaming fair has ordered exhibitors to cover up their showgirls. While the gaming industry as a whole is not noted for progressive representations of women, Shanghai’s ChinaJoy event – which is sponsored by several official bodies – has become notorious for the scantily clad models promoting gaming stands. The new policy, which follows a government drive against “vulgarity”, limits the number of performers companies may use and how much flesh they may display, the Shanghai Daily newspaper reported on Friday. It includes a ban on bikinis and costumes that expose more than two-thirds of the wearer’s back, and bars models from putting stickers in “sensitive positions”, such as over their breasts. “The length of my dress is longer than before,” one model told the paper. The fair’s organisers were not available for comment but a notice posted on their website earlier this year warned: “To eradicate vulgarity and cultivate a good expo atmosphere [and] avoid a negative impact on ChinaJoy through bad activities … the commission will conduct strict checks on the number, costumes and performance content of performers at the site.” The move follows a government edict last year ordering online gaming companies not to use sexual or violent imagery to promote their products. But thighs and cleavage were still evident in photographs from the event, suggesting exhibitors may be paying more attention to the letter than the spirit of the new code. “To be honest, I came here largely for spicy girls,” said a student, Xavier Du. “I’m satisfied with female models for this year’s ChinaJoy, [who have] impressive faces and curves. I care more about them rather than only sexy clothing.” The event still includes a beauty pageant, described as “the most delightful platform for female players, models and showgirls for gaming companies”. China Games Women Tania Branigan guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Models at ChinaJoy gaming event in Shanghai banned from wearing bikinis and revealing outfits as authorities clamp down on “vulgarity” To the dismay of attendant geeks but official approval, China’s biggest online gaming fair has ordered exhibitors to cover up their showgirls. While the gaming industry as a whole is not noted for progressive representations of women, Shanghai’s ChinaJoy event – which is sponsored by several official bodies – has become notorious for the scantily clad models promoting gaming stands. The new policy, which follows a government drive against “vulgarity”, limits the number of performers companies may use and how much flesh they may display, the Shanghai Daily newspaper reported on Friday. It includes a ban on bikinis and costumes that expose more than two-thirds of the wearer’s back, and bars models from putting stickers in “sensitive positions”, such as over their breasts. “The length of my dress is longer than before,” one model told the paper. The fair’s organisers were not available for comment but a notice posted on their website earlier this year warned: “To eradicate vulgarity and cultivate a good expo atmosphere [and] avoid a negative impact on ChinaJoy through bad activities … the commission will conduct strict checks on the number, costumes and performance content of performers at the site.” The move follows a government edict last year ordering online gaming companies not to use sexual or violent imagery to promote their products. But thighs and cleavage were still evident in photographs from the event, suggesting exhibitors may be paying more attention to the letter than the spirit of the new code. “To be honest, I came here largely for spicy girls,” said a student, Xavier Du. “I’m satisfied with female models for this year’s ChinaJoy, [who have] impressive faces and curves. I care more about them rather than only sexy clothing.” The event still includes a beauty pageant, described as “the most delightful platform for female players, models and showgirls for gaming companies”. China Games Women Tania Branigan guardian.co.uk
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