Right now in the American media machine, we are in the middle of one of the worst news cycles in years. Between the Michael Jackson trial and Schiavo versus Schindler family fued, some of the most important news of the twenty-first century has been pushed back to page two. As if the media circus karma [...]

According to the ALL HIP HOP website, Mickey D’s has offered to pay rappers who mention Big Macs in a hit song. I mean I’m all for rappers fattening their pockets but commercials inbedded in the lyrics!? Rappers have been shouting out product in songs for quite some time - “My Adidas,” “Air Force Ones,” [...]

I’m just as sick of this as anyone else and my anger, resentment and frustration over this skyrocketed after hearing Saint DeLay’s comments last week: (via Dispatches from the Culture Wars).
“One thing that God has brought to us is Terri Schiavo, to help elevate the visibility of what is going on in America,” Mr. DeLay [...]

Terri Schiavo. Jessica Lunsford. Steriods. Martha Stewart’s homecoming. Fiddy and The Game beefing… These have been the top stories of the last few weeks. It makes you wonder if with the countless cable outlets and radio talk stations, the bazillion bloggers, and print mob, why isn’t there more diversity of news topics.
I mean, I feel [...]

In New Orleans on Saturday, a Mardi Gras Indian annual festival turned ugly when police decided to break up the procession violently and with limited cause. Police were notified that one Native American male may have had a concelead shotgun, but then went forward and disbanded the entire parade with force the Native Americans considered [...]

I was in a KFC the other day; they were having a sale on “snackers”—these mini- chicken sandwiches—2 for $1. (They’re basically the chicken equivalent of a white castle slider just a little bigger: a chicken strip or some cut of breaded chicken breast on a little bun with lettuce and some type of special [...]

Wow, one of my friends just fowarded this to me. It was a listener’s response to a radio show discussing the Schiavo Case. I don’t know how true this is, but if it is true, it brings up a lot of disturbing issues.
- Jean Chen
—————
This case is about a person with a brain injury having [...]

As cigarette sales decline in the U.S., the beautiful areas surrounding Indonesia have been targeted for an assault which will even the playing field as to the number of youth newly introduced to cigarettes and keeping the aging on the path towards lung cancer induced death. Just when you thought Philip Morris was moving [...]

The trials and tribulations of baseball juicers and potential juicers has been in the news so long I’ll need some human growth hormone to prolong my life to see the end of it. I am beyond tired of this melodrama, mostly becaue through all the hearings, accusations and denials, nothing will ever be accommplished. Not [...]

This is a legit story, which is even worse…
‘Baywatch’ actress arrested in protest over electric cars
Associated PressMar. 15, 2005 07:15 AM
BURBANK, Calif. - A “Baywatch” actress and another woman were arrested in Burbank during a protest to save about 70 GM electric cars from destruction.Alexandra Paul played Lieutenant Stephanie Holden on the TV series. She [...]

good news came today in the form of the kqed webpage. their research found that several juvenille justice programs had come up with useful and creative ways to get kids out of the system. two of the programs were in northern california. it is inspiring and uplifting to see the process begin with young offenders, [...]

Did anyone see the NY Times on Sunday? Scary. The front page article was about how the Bush administration’s PR dept. has been making videos which look like news segments, but really are just pieces which praise Bush’s policies. They have distributed these pieces and news stations will run them! What is happening to journalism?
Check [...]

It looks like Chavez is auditioning for Iraq’s spot in the Axis of Evil. This from USA Today:
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez defended Iran on Friday in its dispute with the United States and Europe over its nuclear program, saying Iran has a right to atomic energy.
Chavez, whose country is [...]

Romenesko
THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2005
Different legal standards for MSM and bloggers? Ludicrous!
(http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/03/10/DDG1RBMB8F1.D
TL)
San Francisco Chronicle
That’s Jon Carroll’s position. “This is all free speech, and this is all
journalism,” he says. “The stand-alone journalists are here, and they are
digging out facts and leading [...]

As many Americans are aware, there have been mass protests in Beirut against Syrian troops inside Lebanon. The waves of people chanting and waving the Lebanese flag are a boon to those who consider Syria to be a threat, especially in the United States. It seems lately that any hint of discontent in the middle [...]