Ramble stew

No great tirade today, but a lot of little things. On terminology: I'm starting to wonder about the validity of the term MSM, short for Mainstream Media. If (just supposing here) the majority of people in the U.S. disagree with what the media is saying, they should no longer be referred to mainstream, should they? On the role of media in politics: Historically, the press is thought of as the fourth column of government. The "journal"-ists, reporting and archiving the facts and actions; the guardians of fact; the great crap-o-meter watching our government for shoddy behavior. But who monitors the monitors? That darned first amendment protects the press against the government. I guess a free market of information, supply and demand are all we have on the news media. That should be enough, since economic theory work pretty well in other areas. Freedom of speech, while it gives the government no control of news media, is also the key that allows minor media, bloggers, and anyone else the ability to question not just the government but also the media. Since the big four networks can scream the loudest, it's odd they should be so nervous about the blogosphere. On the other hand, maybe they realize the regulation they haven't had for so long is knocking on their door. On composing a blog entry: (A great quote from The Bleat)

Obligatory weather remark; offhand comment that seems to say more than it really does, but is just a clever way of making an obvious parallel between seasonal patterns and the nature of life. Pathetic reference to the amount of work that must be done today, boo-fargin’-hoo; studious avoidance of bad international news of any sort, oblique reference to something mildly controversial said yesterday with an apology to people who long ago stopped reading, followed by an assertion that the brevity of today’s entry is, alas, unavoidable. Followed by a fey 900 word digression on the word “alas,” concluding with a ink to Star Trek music clip whose wry, gently mocking flavor makes you think of Dr. McCoy arching an eyebrow at the end of the show, right before the Enterprise flies off into the producer’s credits Man, these Bleats just write themselves!

...followed by...

I’m done – gotta work. Today is a dreaded two-column day, but at least it’s made easier by the cooler weather. No desire to sit outside in the twilight now; October pushes us indoors, and it’s just as well. There are things to do. But still, summer’s gone; winter growls beyond. Alas.

On last week's presidential debates (quoted from The Monger):

I know at least a half dozen debaters who could have kicked Kerry's behind into next week in that debate. Why does a President with Churchill's moral compass have to have Porky Pig's facility with the English language?

On tonight's VP debates (quoted from Talking Points Memo):

What Edwards should keep squarely in mind is that this debate isn't about John Edwards or Dick Cheney. Views of both of them are close to irrelevant. This is a proxy debate between John Kerry and George Bush. It's about defending Kerry and taking the fight to the president. Everything else is a distraction.

On the liberal media, and the differences in treatment between parties: (Background: NBCNews aired a shot of President Bush where next to his name appeared the ILIE of the word FAMILIES)

CyberAlerts sez:

Inadvertent, I'm sure. Just as was "RATS," for much less time, in the 2000 anti-Gore ad from the Bush campaign. But NBC took it quite seriously, covering it for two straight mornings on Today and devoting campaign stories to it at night. ...and... From the September 13, 2000 CyberAlert, about the Tuesday, September 12, 2000 NBC Nightly News: Claire Shipman showed the ad and allowed Gore to maintain: "I find it a very disappointing development. I've never seen anything quite like it." Shipman then took the Gore campaign complaint gimmick quite seriously, trying to nail down who knew what, when: "The Bush campaign says it's a meaningless flash, silly even.

Drudge sez:

NBCNEWS SPOKESWOMAN SAYS: To see a hidden message in this is just plain silly. The President was moving back and forth in front of a Bush-Cheney campaign backdrop that read "Tax Relief for Working Families." In the video that aired in the introduction to our report, his body obscures various letters at various times. In the "Nightly News" report that immediately followed, the full sign is seen.

Silly, indeed.