Monday, February 28, 2011

I'm an INTJ

I'm doing a "30 Day Challenge" thing on tumblr where you basically list off 30 things about yourself over the course of 30 days. I liked this one, and I thought it could be here too. THIS ISN'T A LIVEJOURNAL PERSONALITY TEST OKAY, THIS IS SCIENCE.

Carl Jung proposed that there are 16 different personality types. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a questionnaire based around these personality types. There are many different tests throughout the internet, but this one is probably the most accurate. All the tests I've taken throughout the years always tell me I'm an INTJ.



Wikipedia


  INTJs are one of the rarest of the sixteen personality types, and account for about 1–4% of the population.

[...]

INTJs are analytical. Like INTPs, they are most comfortable working alone and tend to be less sociable than other types. Nevertheless, INTJs are prepared to lead if no one else seems up to the task, or if they see a major weakness in the current leadership. They tend to be pragmaticlogical, and creative. They have a low tolerance for spin or rampant emotionalism. They are not generally susceptible to catchphrases and do not recognize authority based on tradition, rank, or title.


INTJs are strong individualists who seek new angles or novel ways of looking at things. They enjoy coming to new understandings. They tend to be insightful and mentally quick; however, this mental quickness may not always be outwardly apparent to others since they keep a great deal to themselves. They are very determined people who trust their vision of the possibilities, regardless of what others think. They may even be considered the most independent of all of the sixteen personality types. INTJs are at their best in quietly and firmly developing their ideas, theories, and principles.—[15]

Hallmarks of the INTJ include independence of thought and a desire for efficiency. They work best when given autonomy and creative freedom. They harbor an innate desire to express themselves by conceptualizing their own intellectual designs. They have a talent for analyzing and formulating complex theories. INTJs are generally well-suited for occupations within academia, research, consulting, management, science, engineering, and law. They are often acutely aware of their own knowledge and abilities—as well as their limitations and what they don't know (a quality that tends to distinguish them from INTPs). INTJs thus develop a strong confidence in their ability and talents, making them natural leaders.


In forming relationships, INTJs tend to seek out others with similar character traits and ideologies. Agreement on theoretical concepts is an important aspect of their relationships. By nature INTJs can be demanding in their expectations, and approach relationships in a rational manner. As a result, INTJs may not always respond to a spontaneous infatuation but wait for a mate who better fits their set criteria. They tend to be stable, reliable, and dedicated. Harmony in relationships and home life tends to be extremely important to them. They generally withhold strong emotion and do not like to waste time with what they consider irrational social rituals. This may cause non-INTJs to perceive them as distant and reserved; nevertheless, INTJs are usually very loyal partners who are prepared to commit substantial energy and time into a relationship to make it work.


As mates, INTJs want harmony and order in the home and in relationships. The most independent of all types,[16] INTJs trust their intuition when choosing friends and mates—even in spite of contradictory evidence or pressure from others. The emotions of an INTJ are hard to read, and neither male nor female INTJs are apt to express emotional reactions. At times, INTJs seem cold, reserved, and unresponsive, while in fact they are almost hypersensitive to signals of rejection from those they care for. In social situations, INTJs may also be unresponsive and may neglect small rituals designed to put others at ease. For example, INTJs may communicate that idle dialogue such as small talk is a waste of time. This may create the impression that the INTJ is in a hurry—an impression that is not always intended. In their interpersonal relationships, INTJs are usually better in a working situation than in a recreational situation.


Other source

INTJs are perfectionists, with a seemingly endless capacity for improving upon anything that takes their interest. What prevents them from becoming chronically bogged down in this pursuit of perfection is the pragmatism so characteristic of the type: INTJs apply (often ruthlessly) the criterion "Does it work?" to everything from their own research efforts to the prevailing social norms. This in turn produces an unusual independence of mind, freeing the INTJ from the constraints of authority, convention, or sentiment for its own sake.


[...]

Personal relationships, particularly romantic ones, can be the INTJ's Achilles heel. While they are capable of caring deeply for others (usually a select few), and are willing to spend a great deal of time and effort on a relationship, the knowledge and self-confidence that make them so successful in other areas can suddenly abandon or mislead them in interpersonal situations.


This happens in part because many INTJs do not readily grasp the social rituals; for instance, they tend to have little patience and less understanding of such things as small talk and flirtation (which most types consider half the fun of a relationship). To complicate matters, INTJs are usually extremely private people, and can often be naturally impassive as well, which makes them easy to misread and misunderstand. Perhaps the most fundamental problem, however, is that INTJs really want people to make sense.


----------------------------------------------


Eerily accurate. People may interpret my silence and stiffness as awkwardness, but to be awkward requires you not to understand social rituals. I understand them perfectly fine (except for flirting, that shit's worse than calculus). It's just that I consciously choose not to partake in the rituals I deem stupid. Why should I? If I don't like it, then I'm not doing it. My friends who are annoyed at my outright refusal to drink or dance unironically will know what I'm talking about. OOPS, INTJ, YOUR PROBLEM NOT MINE, DEAL WITH IT, WHOOPSIE, INTJs REPREZENT FUCKERS.







Monday Youtube Post

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Wisconsin police defy governor to side with the people

Amazing.

From RAN ally Ryan Harvey's facebook page:

"Police have just announced to the crowds inside the occupied State Capitol of Wisconsin: ‘We have been ordered by the legislature to kick you all out at 4:00 today. But we know what’s right from wrong. We will not be kicking anyone out, in fact, we will be sleeping here with you!"


Walker's Budget Bill Passes the Wisconsin House

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Scott Walker crank-called by a gonzo journalist pretending to be David Koch. Walker buys it, reveals that what he's really doing

Before we get to the actual story, you should learn who David Koch is.

We need to go all the way back to the the Citizens United case from early last year. It all started when a non-profit corporation called Citizens United made a film critical of Hillary Clinton. This violated the McCain-Feingold act, which prohibited all corporations and unions from airing “electioneering communications.”

Citizens United took it all the way to the Supreme Court, where a close 5-4 landmark decision struck down the McCain-Feingold Act. What this means is that our democracy is now for sale. Corporations were given the same freedom of speech rights as individual persons. There is no limit to the amount of money they can spend on the politician of their choice, and political bribery is effectively legalized. A century of struggles to keep these assholes out of our government was tossed. Justice Stevens wrote in his 90-page dissent:

At bottom, the Court's opinion is thus a rejection of the common sense of the American people, who have recognized a need to prevent corporations from undermining self government since the founding, and who have fought against the distinctive corrupting potential of corporate electioneering since the days of Theodore Roosevelt. It is a strange time to repudiate that common sense. While American democracy is imperfect, few outside the majority of this Court would have thought its flaws included a dearth of corporate money in politics.


And this part is important, so I'll just quote directly from the Wikipedia entry. This is where the Koch brothers come in:

A year after the decision, Common Cause asked the Department of Justice to investigate conflicts of interest on the part of two of the Justices in the majority. The organization noted that Thomas's wife was the founder and president of Liberty Central, a conservative political advocacy group that would be empowered to accept corporate contributions to run campaign advertisements. In addition, Scalia and Thomas had participated in political strategy sessions organized by David H. Koch and Charles G. Koch, who stood to benefit from the decision.


The goal of those political strategy sessions was to "change the balance of power in Congress this November."

This is huge. Two Justices on the Supreme Court are in bed with two super conservative billionaires who run an energy conglomerate. Those two Justices then voted in favor of legalizing bribery.



Above: shitheads


The Koch brothers are not small time. Koch Industries is the second largest privately owned company in the United States. If they were a public company, they would rank around 16 on the Fortune 500 list. They're oil men. Since the 1980s, they have given more than $100 million dollars to conservative and libertarian organizations, such as the Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute, and Americans for Prosperity.

Now enter Scott Walker. According to Mother Jones,

Walker's gubernatorial campaign received $43,000 from the Koch Industries PAC during the 2010 election. That donation was his campaign's second-highest, behind $43,125 in contributions from housing and realtor groups in Wisconsin.


But here's the kicker. Walker's budget proposal says:

16.896 Sale or contractual operation of state-owned heating, cooling, and power plants. (1) Notwithstanding ss. 13.48 (14) (am) and 16.705 (1), the department may sell any state-owned heating, cooling, and power plant or may contract with a private entity for the operation of any such plant, with or without solicitation of bids, for any amount that the department determines to be in the best interest of the state. Notwithstanding ss. 196.49 and 196.80, no approval or certification of the public service commission is necessary for a public utility to purchase, or contract for the operation of, such a plant, and any such purchase is considered to be in the public interest and to comply with the criteria for certification of a project under s. 196.49 (3) (b).


What this means is that Scott Walker, whose second highest campaign donation was from the Koch brothers, would be able to sell Wisconsin's energy contracts to Koch Industries without allowing any other bidder come to the table. This would give them a monopoly over Wisconsin's energy.

To sum it all up: Two Supreme Court Justices attend a conference hosted by the Koch brothers with the intent to "change the balance of power in Congress." Those two Justices vote in favor of allowing corporations to give limitless donations to any candidate. The Koch brothers then give Scott Walker his second highest donation. Once Scott Walker is elected, his first budget proposal allows the Koch brothers to buy Wisconsin's power plants for pennies on the dollar with no transparency and no oversight -- in addition to taking away collective bargaining rights of nearly all public employees. Scott Walker is bought. The Governor(s) of Wisconsin are corporate interests.

So here's what just happened



Someone from Buffalo Beast called Scott Walker's offices pretending to be David Koch. Walker believes it is David Koch, and has a conversation with him for twenty minutes. The whole thing was recorded.

Unfortunately, the prankster didn't really seem to know what he was doing. As a redditor said,

The "Koch" scam caller did nothing but crack stereotypical right-wing-asshole lines, which the governor basically chuckled along with politely but mostly dismissed. Had the prank caller done some homework, he could have destroyed the governor's career. Instead, he ended his secretary's.


There was nothing illegal, and it's not as mindblowing as the internet is making it out to be, but it's still a PR nightmare. I would strongly suggest you take a listen for yourself, but here are the main things:
  • Walker revealed that, in spite of what he's been saying, he will not negotiate in good faith, and he is not going to budge.
  • He confirmed that this is not about the budget. It's about busting unions, and he confirmed that Republicans plan on spreading this to other states.
  • He was planning on tricking the state senate dems into meeting so he can hold the quorum open, even without their presence.
  • Walker considered planting provocateurs in the middle of the protests.
  • He dismissed a dem as not being "one of us," referring to himself and Koch. Let me reiterate: Scott Walker considers himself and a billionaire who meddles in politics, as belonging to the same group.

Although this may not have been career-ending, what gets me was simply the mood of it. Walker just seemed to know that when this guy asks questions, you answer them. That may not be anything. I just want to know why he acted as if a conversation like this was normal. Here it is.



Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Maddow Annihilates Scott Walker

And the best journalist in mainstream media award goes to

Newest right-wing smear: Barack Obama is the Anti-Christ

Right now I'm reading a book about Richard Nixon and the political divide of the 60s/70s (highly recommended), and it's made me realize something. These paranoid right wing fucks dominating the media right now may seem silly and sometimes frightening to a 20-something year old who's never seen anything like it, but they really have nothing on the right wing psychopaths of the 60s. Holy. Shit. I was so naïve, and I'm sorry.

I mean, there were certainly left wing militants in the 60s, but most of the dirty hippies were too obsessed with sitting in shacks and smoking pot with their heads up their asses to actually do anything. The fringe on the right wing was absolutely batshit. It was the birth of fascism in America, in all but name. And in a way, the right wing's potential now is even more frightening and dangerous. Reagan gave the lunatics a window into the mainstream, and our cowardly media rarely calls any of them out. But still, we're not here yet:

In Champaign, Illinois, [in 1965] leaders of peace demonstrations got stickers on their mailboxes reading, "You are in the sights of a Minuteman." In Queens, the DA seized an arsenal, to be used by the right-wing vigilante group the Minutemen in assaults on "left-wing camps in a three-state area," including mortars, bazookas, grenades, trench knives, over 150 rifles, a "half dozen garroting devices," and over a million rounds of ammunition.


But it certainly doesn't help when we get McCarthyists like Glenn Beck stoking the fears of what little audience he has left. Here's Rachel Maddow talking about Beck's latest obsession: the end times.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Monday Youtube Post

Shit, I'm neglecting this.

Подарок (The Gift)

Friday, February 18, 2011

Liberals may be finding their balls

Maybe it was a good thing that Republicans won big during the elections. Now that it's becoming clear what Republicans are capable of doing, we're starting to fight back. In Wisconsin, the new governor Scott Walker proposed a bill that would take away all collective bargaining rights for unions. Workers wouldn't be able to have a say at all. He's been trying to frame this around the budget, and the corporate cocksuckers at Fox have been eating it up. They ran a headline the other day that said "Wisconsin is burning." There are no fires and the protests have been entirely peaceful.



Wisconsinites are not unreasonable, and they are willing to make cuts. But this isn't about a budget. This is about union busting. This is about taking even more rights away from the American worker and giving them to the corrupt pieces of shit who caused the economic meltdown. Walker isn't even budging on it. He rushed it through, and he's not willing to compromise. He owes people favors for buying off his election, and he's sucking corporate dick. I've been paying pretty close attention to what's been happening in Wisconsin primarily because I have family there who have been taking part in the rallies. My cousin and aunt are in here somewhere. 30,000 people showed up in the capital on this day. That's a full quarter of Springfield's population.



Here's former WI governor, and progressive hero, Russ Feingold on Maddow talking about it. It's a great interview.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy





Back at the nation's capital, Republicans are continuing to ignore the economic crisis and go after women's rights. I usually try not to frame the abortion debate around a "male vs. female" discussion, because there are women who oppose abortion, but I'm just not going to beat around the bush on this anymore. They are going after women. A few weeks ago, they tried to redefine rape to make it harder for women to obtain abortions. You would only be raped if it was forced, meaning that if you were drugged or unconscious, guess what? You weren't raped! Thank christ they backed off of that after the backlash, but now they're trying to take away all federal funding to Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood is a wonderful organization that doesn't even entirely focus on abortion. It focuses on education and protection. I don't know if conservatives are aware of this, but kids are going to be fucking each other whether we tell them it's okay or not. Republicans want to take funding away from one the best organizations in the country that is capable of preventing pregnancies. All studies show that the less kids know about sex, the more likely they're going to get knocked up. So if Republicans want the abortion rate to go down, you'd think they would be in favor of these guys. Common sense isn't hard.

The House debated this last night. Here's Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey discussing why Planned Parenthood should not receive federal funding. It's about eight minutes, and he goes into disturbingly graphic detail of a specific procedure, before finishing it off by calling Planned Parenthood "Child Abuse, Incorporated." BECAUSE THEY MURDER CHILDREN TO GET RICH, I READ IT IN A PAMPHLET.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy



Immediately after Smith stepped down, Rep. Jackie Speier of California gave one of the most heartfelt speeches I've heard in the last couple years. She revealed that she was forced to undergo the very procedure Smith just described for her own well-being. She reminds everyone that this has nothing to do with the economy, or any issue that Americans actually care about, and that abortion is legal in the United States.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy



GEE WIZ, IT'S A LITTLE EASIER TO UNDERSTAND PRO-CHOICE ONCE YOU STOP THROWING ROCKS AT AN INVISIBLE BOOGIE MAN AND FUCKING LISTEN TO SOMEONE'S EXPERIENCE

HUH GUYS

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

American reporter beaten and gang raped in the streets of Cairo. Internet laughs.


CBS statement

On Friday, Feb. 11, the day Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down, CBS chief foreign correspondent Lara Logan was covering the jubilation in Tahrir Square for a "60 Minutes" story when she and her team and their security were surrounded by a dangerous element amidst the celebration. It was a mob of more than 200 people whipped into frenzy.

In the crush of the mob, she was separated from her crew. She was surrounded and suffered a brutal and sustained sexual assault and beating before being saved by a group of women and an estimated 20 Egyptian soldiers. She reconnected with the CBS team, returned to her hotel and returned to the United States on the first flight the next morning. She is currently in the hospital recovering.

There will be no further comment from CBS News and correspondent Logan and her family respectfully request privacy at this time.


Naturally, when rape is brought to the national spotlight, we're going to get idiots who know nothing about rape talk about rape.

LA Weekly blogger Simone Wilson fails miserably at hiding her hatred for Logan. After describing Logan as a "gutsy stunner" with "Hollywood good looks," and mentioning she's "blonde" for no reason, she brings up Logan's tabloid sex life, as if it's even remotely relevant right now. What's most outrageous of all was her final words -- "nobody's invincible."

SEE LOGAN? NO WOMAN CAN AVOID RAPE FOREVER.

But it gets worse. Here's a quote about Lara Logan from a prestigious conservative site called "Mofo Politics" (really?) from a couple weeks ago.

"I would totally rape her."



Hilarious. That's not from an idiot commenter. That's the article.

In light of what's been released tonight, you'd think this person would find the small amount of humanity in himself to apologize. He did not.

"EDIT: Super funny joke deleted in light of the sad news that Lara Logan actually was raped in Egypt. Can I just say, however, that I sooo totally called this."


As a male, let me say something. I'm sorry. I have no idea what it's like to be a woman. I've never had to endure sexist comments or cat calls that make me feel like less of a human being. I've never had to live with the realization that not even that long ago, my gender was not allowed to vote. The thought of carrying pepper spray on me when I'm walking around at night has never seemed like a useful or relevant idea to me. I have no idea how women must feel when stories like this pop up in the headlines. I've never feared rape. I'm able to empathize to the greatest extent I can, but no matter what I do or say, I will never be able to fully understand. To trivialize and joke about what has just happened to Lara Logan on the very night we find out about it is beyond evil. It is wholly inhuman. When thousands of women are raped throughout the world every few minutes, this animal's first reaction to it when it's brought to national attention is to belittle it and make comments about how he thinks the person who was raped is sexually attractive. I have no idea who this "person" is, but it brings me an untold amount of comfort knowing that his hatred for humanity will likely cause him to die miserable and entirely alone.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Anonymous exposes massive cyber attack on Wikileaks

Anonymous was able to leak everything before the plan could go into effect. Right now, Wikileaks is working on releasing incriminating documents surrounding a major bank (rumored to be Bank of America). Bank of America and numerous online security firms were behind the attack.. Tactics they were planning on using included planting false documents, cyber attacks, and a “media campaign to push the radical and reckless nature of wikileaks activities.” It’s scary enough that these shitheads have a certain amount of control over the media, but this confirms that they were willing to exercise that power to push their aims. Watch how absolutely no one attempts to prosecute these assholes.

Ann Coulter at CPAC: "I think there should be more jailed journalists." Audience cheers.

When asked about "American values," a fascistsayswhat.



I'm confident Obama can win again in 2012. The GOP can't find anybody to lead them, and they're just going to keep throwing rocks. 2016 though. That's what I'm worried about. At this rate, all the money the GOP is trying to take away from PBS and NPR will soon be directed towards state television.

Glenn Beck thinks communists and socialists are running the Egyptian revolution, and it's only a matter of time until we fall too

People like Glenn Beck, and really most Tea Partiers and Republicans these days, seem to confuse everything they hate as being one single entity. For example, I remember Ann Coulter arguing a long time ago that because liberals are nothing but a bunch of atheists, global warming is simply a replacement for religion for them. She doesn't seem to realize that not all liberals are atheists, and not all atheists are liberals. You see it in the rhetoric these people spew out every day -- comparing liberals to "communists" and "fascists," regardless of the fact that communism and fascism are polar opposites of each other. I don't know what the fuck is going on in their heads, that they're able to make such drastic logical leaps while still believing they're making sense. They've become complete masters at self-manipulation.

Case in point: Glenn Beck seems to have convinced himself that the brown Islamos are also communists. His evidence? There is none. He doesn't have any. He just says things and then they're true. The end. Even Bill "the moon proves the existence of God" O'Reilly tells him he has no evidence.



Oh, and guess what. You remember when the Iranians did their little Iranian thing a couple years ago, with the green an everything? As Glenn Beck brought up in that video, they're not dead yet. They're calling for a 'Day of Rage' on monday. I've been wondering what's been taking them so long.

Friday, February 11, 2011

President Mubarak of Egypt has stepped down from power

It's still hard for me to believe. The most powerful nation in the Arab world (Iran isn't considered Arab I guess?) has been overthrown in a matter of weeks. This is the most significant event in the middle east in the last forty or fifty years.

Now the ball's up in the air. The military has control of the country. I'm not entirely convinced that the military is quite as 'good' as we've been led to believe though. Mubarak was a military man. The military benefited from his regime. For weeks, they just stood on the sidelines and allowed things to happen. I think they were watching. They realized which way the wind was blowing, and so they hopped onto the right train. And don't get me wrong, I'm sure we're going to see free elections. But behind the scenes, I'm fully expecting them not to easily give up all the power they've had for the past thirty years. I'm hopeful, but still a little worried.

Obama's response to Mubarak's resignation was fantastic, as expected.









Thursday, February 10, 2011

Former Fox News empoyee speaking anonymously: "Stuff is just made up."

From Media Matters. I've bolded his/her words.

Asked what most viewers and observers of Fox News would be surprised to learn about the controversial cable channel, a former insider from the world of Rupert Murdoch was quick with a response: “I don’t think people would believe it’s as concocted as it is; that stuff is just made up.”

[...]

“It is their M.O. to undermine the administration and to undermine Democrats,” says the source. “They’re a propaganda outfit but they call themselves news.”

[...]

Note the story here isn’t that Fox News leans right. Everyone knows the channel pushes a conservative-friendly version of the news. Everyone who’s been paying attention has known that since the channel’s inception more than a decade ago. The real story, and the real danger posed by the cable outlet, is that over time Fox News stopped simply leaning to the right and instead became an open and active political player, sort of one-part character assassin and one-part propagandist, depending on which party was in power. And that the operation thrives on fabrications and falsehoods.

“They say one thing and do another. They insist on maintaining this charade, this façade, that they’re balanced or that they’re not right-wing extreme propagandist,” says the source. But it’s all a well-orchestrated lie, according this former insider. It’s a lie that permeates the entire Fox News culture and one that staffers and producers have to learn quickly in order to survive professionally.

“You have to work there for a while to understand the nods and the winks,” says the source. “And God help you if you don’t because sooner or later you’re going to get burned.”

The source explains:

“Like any news channel there’s lot of room for non-news content. The content that wasn’t ‘news,’ they didn’t care what we did with as long as it was amusing or quirky or entertaining; as along as it brought in eyeballs. But anything—anything--that was a news story you had to understand what the spin should be on it. If it was a big enough story it was explained to you in the morning [editorial] meeting. If it wasn’t explained, it was up to you to know the conservative take on it. There’s a conservative take on every story no matter what it is. So you either get told what it is or you better intuitively know what it is.”

What if Fox News staffers aren’t instinctively conservative or don’t have an intuitive feeling for what the spin on a story should be? “My internal compass was to think like an intolerant meathead,” the source explains. “You could never error on the side of not being intolerant enough.”

The source recalls how Fox News changed over time:

“When I first got there back in the day, and I don’t know how they indoctrinate people now, but back in the day when they were “training” you, as it were, they would say, ‘Here’s how we’re different.’ They’d say if there is an execution of a condemned man at midnight and there are all the live truck outside the prison and all the lives shots. CNN would go, ‘Yes, tonight John Jackson, 25 of Mississippi, is going to die by lethal injection for the murder of two girls.’ MSNBC would say the same thing.

“We would come out and say, ‘Tonight, John Jackson who kidnapped an innocent two year old, raped her, sawed her head off and threw it in the school yard, is going to get the punishment that a jury of his peers thought he should get.’ And they say that’s the way we do it here. And you’re going , alright, it’s a bit of an extreme example but it’s something to think about. It’s not unreasonable.

"When you first get in they tell you we’re a bit of a counterpart to the screaming left wing lib media. So automatically you have to buy into the idea that the other media is howling left-wing. Don’t even start arguing that or you won’t even last your first day.

“For the first few years it was let’s take the conservative take on things. And then after a few years it evolved into, well it’s not just the conservative take on things, we’re going to take the Republican take on things which is not necessarily in lock step with the conservative point of view.

“And then two, three, five years into that it was, we’re taking the Bush line on things, which was different than the GOP. We were a Stalin-esque mouthpiece. It was just what Bush says goes on our channel. And by that point it was just totally dangerous. Hopefully most people understand how dangerous it is for a media outfit to be a straight, unfiltered mouthpiece for an unchecked president.”


It’s worth noting that Fox News employees, either current or former, rarely speak to the press, even anonymously. And it’s even rarer for Fox News sources to bad mouth Murdoch’s channel. That’s partly because of strict non-disclosure agreements that most exiting employees sign and which forbid them from discussing their former employer. But it also stems from a pervasive us-vs.-them attitude that permeates Fox News. It’s a siege mentality that network boss Roger Ailes encourages, and one that colors the coverage his team produces.

“It was a kick ass mentality too,” says the former Fox News insider. “It was relentless and it never went away. If one controversy faded, goddamn it they would find another one. They were in search of these points of friction real or imagined. And most of them were imagined or fabricated. You always have to seem to be under siege. You always have to seem like your values are under attack. The brain trust just knew instinctively which stories to do, like the War on Christmas.”

According to the insider, Ailes is obsessed with presenting a unified Fox News front to the outside world; an obsession that may explain Ailes’ refusal to publically criticize or even critique his own team regardless of how outlandish their on-air behavior. “There may be internal squabbles. But what [Ailes] continually preaches is never piss outside the tent,” says the source. “When he gets really crazy is when stuff leaks out the door. He goes mental on that. He can’t stand that. He says in a dynamic enterprise like a network newsroom there’s going to be in fighting and ego, but he says keep it in the house.”

It’s clear that Fox News has become a misleading, partisan outlet. But here’s what the source stresses: Fox News is designed to mislead its viewers and designed to engage in a purely political enterprise.

In 2010, all sorts of evidence tumbled out to confirm that fact, like the recently leaked emails from inside Fox News, in which a top editor instructed his newsroom staffers (not just the opinion show hosts) to slant the news when reporting on key stories such as climate change and health care reform.

Meanwhile, Media Matters revealed that during the 2009-2010 election cycle, dozens of Fox News personalities endorsed, raised money, or campaigned for Republican candidates or organizations in more than 600 instances. And in terms of free TV airtime that Fox News handed over to GOP hopefuls, Media Matters calculated the channel essentially donated $55 million worth of airtime to Republican presidential hopefuls last year who also collect Fox News paychecks.

And of course, that’s when Murdoch wasn’t writing $1 million checks in the hopes of electing more Republican politicians.

So, Fox News as a legitimate news outlet? The source laughs at the suggestion, and thinks much of the public, along with the Beltway press corps, has been duped by Murdoch’s marketing campaign over the years. “People assume you need a license to call yourself a news channel. You don’t. So because they call themselves Fox News, people probably give them a pass on a lot of things,” says the source.

The source continues: “I don’t think people understand that it’s an organization that’s built and functions by intimidation and bullying, and its goal is to prop up and support Republicans and the GOP and to knock down Democrats. People tend think that stuff that’s on TV is real, especially under the guise of news. You’d think that people would wise up, but they don’t.”

As for the press, the former Fox News employee gives reporters and pundits low grades for refusing, over the years, to call out Fox News for being the propaganda outlet that it so clearly is. The source suggests there are a variety of reasons for the newsroom timidity.

“They don’t have enough staff or enough balls or don’t have enough money or don’t have enough interest to spend the time it takes to expose Fox News. Or it’s not worth the trouble. If you take on Fox, they’ll kick you in the ass,” says the source. “I’m sure most [journalists] know that. It’s not worth being Swift Boated for your effort,” a reference to how Fox News traditionally attacks journalists who write, or are perceived to have written, anything negative things about the channel.

The former insider admits to being perplexed in late 2009 when the Obama White House called out Murdoch’s operation as not being a legitimate new source, only to have major Beltway media players rush to the aid of Fox News and admonish the White House for daring to criticize the cable channel.

“That blew me away,” says the source, who stresses the White House’s critique of Fox News “happens to be true.”


THERE IS NO SOURCE AND MEDIA MATTERS MADE IT UP BECAUSE THEY ARE EVIL RADICAL COMMUNISTS FOX NEWS TOLD ME THANK AMERICA'S CHRISTIAN GOD FOR FOX NEWS



This confirms something I've suspected for a long time. The people at Fox know they're biased, but they justify it in their heads because they're convinced everyone else in the news is an evil librul. They're just giving the other side! The true side! The right side! Watch how "left wing" our media is going to be by not reporting this.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Fareed Zakaria interview with leading Egyptian opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei

Anyone who wants even a vague understanding of what's going on in Egypt needs to watch this right now.

Something extremely important happens. Fox News implodes because it didn't happen in America.

A few days ago, I turned on Fox News to see how they were treating Egypt. I shit you not, as they were playing footage of the protests, they discussed nothing except the effect the unrest would have on the price of oil. I was able to find a clip. Surprisingly enough, this is not what I watched. They talked about the oil angle on more than one occasion. I turned it on again today. Same deal, except replace "oil" with "Pizza Hut." Really. They were interviewing the CEO of Pizza Hut while playing footage of the protests. He let us know that 30 restaurants in Egypt have unfortunately been closed :(. Later on tonight, at the same moment Rachel Maddow was interviewing Brian Williams live from Egypt as demonstrators were occasionally being shot at right behind him, I flipped to Fox News. They were interviewing Karl Rove.

I could go on a huge rant with lots of funny bad words like I normally do, but I don't need to, because this Media Matters piece summed everything up beautifully.

Oh sure, staffers and hosts working for Rupert Murdoch are doing their best to convey a sense of grave importance when discussing the historic turmoil playing out in Cairo and throughout Egypt. But you only have to watch Fox News for five or ten minutes to see their hearts just aren’t in the story. The usual Fox News juice is completely missing. There’s no swagger on-screen these days.

Instead, it’s like watching students hand in homework, or little kids eating their vegetables.

It’s true. Egypt is killing Fox News’ mojo.

Why? The short answer is Fox isn’t actually a news-gathering organization in the traditional sense in that it reacts and responds to breaking news around the world. Nor is it one strives to inform its viewers. It’s just not. Instead, Fox News is a political organization. Under Obama, Fox News exists in order to attack Democrats and to try to destroy the Obama presidency, while at the same time boosting Republicans. Period.


Here's a collection of hilarious recent moments from the Fox News family concerning the events of Egypt. Please remember that this is where most Americans get news.

Megyn Kelly thinks Obama could "go down in history as the president who lost Egypt."


Because Egypt was "ours" to begin with? Because we don't want a nation to follow America's example by throwing off a brutal tyrant?



Dick Morris thinks Obama "broke Egypt, and he now owns it."


Once again, how is democracy bad? Is democracy a factor that breaks nations? If Obama is somehow responsible for what happening in Egypt right now, then why aren't you praising him?



Karl Rove thinks Egyptians are more "Western," "secular" and "Christian" because they are "descended from Ramses and Cleopatra"


If I was being asked about a country I didn't know anything about, I would namedrop irrelevant cultural references too. I'm surprise Karl didn't tell Hannity that he needs to walk like an Egyptian.



Glenn Beck thinks this revolution "is being orchestrated by the Marxist Communists."


Not to be confused with the Marxist Socialists.



This is not a news organization. The purpose of a news organization is to do research and report the news. Fox has done zero research. They are asking no experts. It took them a fucking week to get a single reporter to Egypt. They have no idea what's happening. They don't know what they're doing. And Fox is the highest rated news channel in the United States. America gets its news from a bunch of blundering, egotistical morons who weren't aware that anything outside of the United States existed prior to this revolution. When that fact is thrust into their laps, they don't even try to pull their shit together. They just wing it and hope no one notices. The reason why the world hates is because this is how we act.

But unlike Fox News, I'd rather not have this blog filled with nothing but hate-filled dick waving. So here's a quick update about what's actually been happening in Egypt (hint: it doesn't involve communists). I almost wanted to split this up into two entries, but what the fuck.

Today was filled with the most violence we've seen in so far. Anti-Mubarak and Pro-Mubarak demonstrators squared off in Tahir Square, and for fifteen hours straight, they battled each other on and off as the military stood by and watched. And they used more than just sticks and rocks. Hundreds, if not thousands, of molotov cocktails were tossed, and small arms fire could be heard all day, and well into the night. Five people are reported to have been killed, and at least 800 were injured. Every single time there was a clash, the pro-Mubarak demonstrators were the ones who instigated it. There are a lot of rumors flying around saying they're being paid off by the government to stir shit up. Many may be police. There have been reports coming in all day of Mubarak supporters beating the shit out of journalists and smashing their cameras. Anderson Cooper's crew was attacked.



But it's not all violence. Because human beings are inherently good, there are always feel-good stories in these situations when you look hard enough. Muslims have been showing up to Christian churches during prayer services to protect them from violence, and Christians have been returning the favor during salah. This is why I'm not afraid of Egypt turning into the brutal theocracy Fox warns you about.

"I know it might not be safe, yet it's either we live together, or we die together, we are all Egyptians."

Such are the words one expects of great leaders on the battlefield, of politicians preparing a nation for war, of civic leaders rallying people for an inspiring cause.

But these are the words of Cherine Mohamed, a 50-year-old Egyptian housewife.


Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Cenk Uygur shows that neocons really don't give a shit about democracy



This is a perfect example of why you always need to do your own research instead of depending on a middle man. I had no idea who the Muslim Brotherhood was when these protests were starting. When I first started hearing their name, I didn't freak out and listen to what the teevee had to tell me. I went and read about them. They're a political party. They used to be pretty insane, but they reformed themselves a few decades ago, and they're now vehemently anti-violence. Al Qaeda hates them because they think they're too soft.

I'm not saying I trust the fuckers, I'm pretty sure they would try to put a theocracy in power, but they're sure as shit not terrorists. Regardless of what I think, Egypt has its own country and its own culture, and it's not my place to question the government they want for themselves as long it's nonviolent. And everything we've seen so far indicates that this revolution is very nonviolent and very modern, so the Muslim Brotherhood may not even get into power at all. But don't take my word for it, because I likely have my own agenda. Go read.