Interesting emails received this week

The first one was from Ex#2. It was a link to a Google video that is now removed. When I saw it,there was a note that it was “back up again!” as if it had been taken down before. It was a video debunking the notion of Global Warming. In the email he said something like “I don’t normally forward these types of thins, but this is too important to ignore and the media will never cover it honestly.” It was over an hour long. I only watched about 15 mins, then started my own Google search on it and also asked my blogging friends if they knew anything about it. These links give you an idea of what the video was about – and pretty much debunk the debunking 🙂

Medialens

Realclimate

So I sent these on to Ex#2 along with my theory on the media. Which is this: the media leans neither right nor left. It leans towards ratings and profits. It is a Corporate Media. Thanks in large part to one of Bill Clinton’s biggest legislative mistakes – media deregulation. Here is a chart of media ownership as of 2006:

Entertainment

Entertainment heavy. Product placement rich! Since the GOP had control of congress – and therefore chaired the committees that would produce or shoot down legislation – the media spun right in support of their corporate owner’s interests. The crossover between industry operatives and lobbyist and retired government employees moving to those industries within the last 12 years is staggering! A very incestuous relationship that pretty much eliminates any semblance of independence and honesty. Everyone has an ulterior motive to line their own pockets. Yeah, that seems cynical, but IMHO, that is what I have been seeing all these years. So, now that the Dems have the committee chairs, the media will spin left. I know it, and if I watch the news at all, I keep that in mind. Bought and paid for quite well.

Topic #2 was from my dad. Oh man is he a fear monger! And so naive when it comes to the internet!! This is at least the 3rd or 4th quite obvious urban myth about some sort of outraegous crime spree. I keep sending him the link to Snopes, to no avail. Here is the Snopes link on the email topic he sent me:

Snopes

I have to say – given how long the internet has been around and how much more pervasive it is accessed through society – I would have thought that these things would get old!! how can people believe these things?? From the start they sound so suspect and outrageous to me. I am never surprised that they are myths. Ah well. I think I will add a link to Snopes in here. Just in case any of my readers want to check out any stories they have heard before repeating them or forwarding them out.

Oh, and DS2’s team won both games today! They are the #1 seed for the elimination rounds tomorrow. Fingers crossed that they keep up these great run!