Media

#341 Flagrant ignorance (Climate Change)

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Edition #341

Act 1: Unusually large snow storm – Daily Show
Act 2: Snowpocalypse vs. climate change – Media Matters
Act 3: GOP doesn’t believe in climate change – Countdown
Act 4: Does winter snow disprove climate change – Young Turks
Act 5: Climate change deniers given second wind – Counterspin
Act 6: Denial also an inexplicable position on climate change – The Bugle
Act 7: Full court shot on climate change – Rachel Maddow
Act 8: False balance on snow vs. climate change – Counterspin
Act 9: Belief in climate change hinges on worldview – NPR
Act 10: Fox and Friends don’t understand that it’s cold in winter – Young Turks

Bonus iPhone/iPod Touch App Content:
Colbert We’re Off to See the Blizzard – Colbert Report

Music:
MySpace.com/TheoBard

When the cold days come – Theo Bard
Late Afternoon – Theo Bard
Having a good time – Theo Bard
Theo Bard - Having a Good Time Single - Having a Good Time
All the orders gone – Theo Bard
Theo Bard - Listen Carefully E.P - All the Orders Gone
Everything you have – Theo Bard
Theo Bard - Listen Carefully E.P - Everything You Have
Evil eyes – Theo Bard
This fickle world – Theo Bard
Drums of freedom – Theo Bard
Middle class boy – Theo Bard
Theo Bard - Listen Carefully E.P - Middle Class Boy

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#333 Soulless, Clueless, Feckless, Brazen (Media)

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Edition #333

Act 1: Limbaugh’s Haiti comment – Countdown
Act 2: Limbaugh the hyena – Ring of Fire
Act 3: O’Reilly and the Haiti telethon – Countdown
Act 4: Even better than the real thing – The Daily Show
Act 5: Daughter Cheney can’t debate – Rachel Maddow
Act 6: The Word – Two-faced – Colbert Report
Act 7: The Wash Post and the Fiscal Times – Counterspin
Act 8: Gretchen Carlson dumbs down – Daily Show
Act 9: Brian Williams on Jon Stewart – NPR
Act 10: How awful it is when media is weak – Counterspin
Act 11: Q and O – Fox News cuts the feed – Daily Show

Bonus iPhone/iPod Touch App Content:
Wag of the finger to Fox News – Colbert Report

Music:
Like humans do – David Byrne
David Byrne - David Byrne: Live from Austin, TX - Like Humans Do
Circle of life – Faca Kulu, Lebo M., The Lion King Ensemble & Tsidii Le Loka
Faca Kulu, Lebo M., The Lion King Ensemble & Tsidii Le Loka - The Lion King (Original Broadway Cast Recording) - Circle of Life
The man in me – Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan - New Morning - The Man In Me
Fairytale – Sara Bareilles
Sara Bareilles - Little Voice - Fairytale
Duck and run – 3 Doors Down
3 Doors Down - The Better Life - Duck and Run
The asshole song – Jimmy Buffett
Highly suspicious – My Morning Jacket
My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges - Highly Suspicious
Plum dumb – The Dead Milkmen
The Dead Milkmen - Big Lizard In My Back Yard - Plum Dumb
Good people – Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams - Good People
Live like you’re dying – Lenka
Lenka - Lenka - Live Like You're Dying

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#316 Join the war on Fox News today (Podcast)

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Edition #316

Act 1: Glenn Beck tragically not a victim of anything – The Onion
Act 2: Bush Sr. calls Maddow and Olberman Sick Puppies – The Young Turks
Act 3: Dobbs steps down – Wait wait don’t tell me
Act 4: MSNBC in the crossfire – Rachel Maddow
Act 5: Lou Dobbs goes Rogue – Daily Show
Act 6: Murdoch fosters racist work environment – Countdown
Act 7: Hannity apologizes to Jon – Daily Show
Act 8: Cenk goes off on Morning Joe – The Young Turks
Act 9: Untruth vs. Power – Daily Show

Bonus iPhone/iPod Touch App Content:
Hannity misleadingly uses Glenn Beck’s rally video

Music:
Out of my mind – James Blunt
James Blunt - Back to Bedlam - Out of My Mind
Gone daddy gone – Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes - Permanent Record: The Very Best of the Violent Femmes - Gone Daddy Gone
Ne Me Quitte Pas – Regina Spektor
I’ll meet you there – Owl City
Owl City - Maybe I'm Dreaming - I'll Meet You There
Habla Me – Gipsy Kings
Gipsy Kings - ¡Volare! - The Very Best of the Gipsy Kings - Habla Me
Working class hero – Exit Clov
Exit Clov - Jolly Roget Sessions - EP - Working Class Hero (John Lennon)
Overkill – Colin Hay
Colin Hay - Man @ Work - Overkill (Acoustic Version)
Celebration guns – Stars
Stars - Set Yourself On Fire - Celebration Guns

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#310 The war on Fox (Podcast)

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Edition #310

Act 1: The GOP colicky babies – Ring of Fire
Act 2: CNN leaves it there – Daily Show
Act 3: Fox News is not like the others – Rachel Maddow
Act 4: How Murdoch brought the Fox model to the US – Thom Hartmann
Act 5: Bend it like Beck – Colbert Report
Act 6: The war on FOX – Counterspin
Act 7: Media and power – Thom Hartmann
Act 8: Evidence of Fox collusion with GOP – The Young Turks

Music:
Camera one – Josh Joplin Group
Josh Joplin Group - Useful Music - Camera One
Better Days (and the bottom drops out) – Citizen King
Citizen King - Mobile Estates - Better Days (And the Bottom Drops Out)
The boy in the bubble – Paul Simon
Paul Simon - The Essential Paul Simon - The Boy In the Bubble
Nothing compares to you – Sinade O’Connor
Sinead O'Connor - So Far...The Best of Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U
Flagpole Sitta – Harvey Danger
Harvey Danger - Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (Original Soundtrack) - Flagpole Sitta
Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games – Of Montreal
Of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins - Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games (Album Version)
Let go – Frou Frou
Frou Frou - Garden State (Music from the Motion Picture) - Let Go

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#304 Yeah, when it fits, we call you racist (Podcast)

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Edition #304

Act 1: The conservative media’s attack cycle – On the Media
Act 2: Comparing corruption of ACORN to Blackwater – Rachel Maddow
Act 3: The Word: Blackwashing – Colbert Report
Act 4: Covering the right-wing crazies in the media – Counterspin
Act 5: Pat Buchanan defends Hitler – The Young Turks
Act 6: The ‘Full Ginsburg’ – Daily Show
Act 7: Wingnut watch – Mother Jones Podcast
Act 8: Discussing the recent Glenn Beck chatter – Ring of Fire
Act 9: Target America – Daily Show

Music:
Love is a battlefield – Pat Benatar
Pat Benatar - Greatest Hits - Love Is a Battlefield
Chicago X 12 – Rogue Wave
Rogue Wave - Asleep At Heaven's Gate - Chicago X 12
Paint it black – Vanessa Carlton
Vanessa Carlton - Be Not Nobody - Paint It Black
Love you ’till the end – The Pogues
The Pogues - Pogue Mahone - Love You 'Till the End
Mad World – Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears - Shout - The Very Best of Tears for Fears - Mad World
I’m not crying – Flight of the Conchords
Flight of the Conchords - The Distant Future - EP - Not Crying
Still crazy after all these years – Paul Simon
Paul Simon - The Essential Paul Simon - Still Crazy After All These Years
Burnout – Green Day
Green Day - Dookie - Burnout

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#293 For-profit journalism at some of it’s worst (Podcast)

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Act 1: So you think you can douche – Daily Show
Act 2: Fact-imparted miniverse on healthcare – Rachel Maddow
Act 3: Poll bearers: cable news polls itself – Daily Show
Act 4: Neal Boortz on human debris – The Young Turks
Act 5: Fox News: The new liberals – Daily Show
Act 6: Raising terror level to raise polling points – Rachel Maddow
Act 7: CNN’s just sayin’ – Daily Show
Act 8: Playing politics with terror – Countdown

Music:
Stand by me – Playing for change
Playing for Change - Songs Around the World (Audio/Video Version) - Stand By Me
Across the universe – Rufas Wainwright
Rufas Wainwright - I Am Sam (Music from and Inspired By the Motion Picture) - Across the Universe
Crash – The Primitives
Sorrow – Bad religion
Bad Religion - The Process of Belief - Sorrow
We like to party – The Venga Boys
The C.R.S. Players - Hey Baby - We Like to Party (The Vengaboys)
The World Has Turned And Left Me Here – Weezer
Weezer - Weezer - The World Has Turned and Left Me Here
What’s the matter here? – 10,000 Maniacs
10,000 Maniacs - MTV Unplugged: 10,000 Maniacs - What's the Matter Here?

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#281 Institutional bias and general stupidity (Podcast)

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Act 1: Fox & Friends’ Lingerie Football romp – Daily Show
Act 2: 50/50, the MSM mantra – The Young Turks
Act 3: The Stephen Colbert study analyzed further – On the Media
Act 4: “I” on news – Daily Show
Act 5: The Iranian question Part 1 – The Young Turks
Act 6: Bin Laden needs to attack America – Counterspin
Act 7: The Iranian question Part 2 – The Young Turks
Act 8: The ambush interview – On the Media
Act 9: Bin Laden needs to attack America – Daily Show

Music:
M79 – Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend - M79
Either way – Wilco
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky (Bonus Track Version) - Either Way
Too much information – Duran Duran
Duran Duran - Duran Duran (The Wedding Album) - Too Much Information
We like to party – Venga Boys
Vengaboys - Greatest Hits! - We Like to Party!
Undone (The Sweater Song) – Weezer
Weezer - Weezer - Undone (The Sweater Song)
Kyoko’s House – Philip Glass
Philip Glass - Mishima (Original Music Composed By Philip Glass) - Kyoko's House  ("stage blood is not enough")
No questions asked – Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac - Greatest Hits - No Questions Aske
Dancing in the dark – Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen - Born In the U.S.A. - Dancing In the Dark

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#263 Headed for the cliff with pizza in hand (Podcast)

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Act 1: Conservatives don’t get Colbert – Countdown
Act 2: Fox News deep in projection – The Young Turks
Act 3: Gore Vidal on the current Republicans – Bill Maher
Act 4: Stunned McCain Supporter – The Onion
Act 5: Swine Flu stokes racism – Countdown
Act 6: The hypocrisy of Glenn Beck and Fox News – The Young Turks
Act 7: Pizza Party – Slate.com
Act 8: Republicans blocking unnammed nominees already – Countdown
Act 9: Rebranding the party with a pizza party – The Daily Show
Act 10: Discussing the fate of the Republican Party – The Young Turks

Music:
Clowns (Can You See Me Now?) – t.A.T.u.
T.A.T.U. - 200 KM/H in the Wrong Lane - Clowns (Can You See Me Now?)
Unhappy Birthday – The Smiths
Ain’t No Reason – Brett Dennen
Brett Dennen - So Much More (Special Edition) - Ain't No Reason
Starry Eyed Surprise – Paul Oakenfold
Oakenfold - Bunkka - Starry Eyed Surprise
You were the last high – The Dandy Warhols
You Were the Last High
Veterans – The Clips
Messages – Xavier Rudd
Xavier Rudd - Food In the Belly - Messages
Can’t stop loving you – Van Halen
Van Halen - The Best of Van Halen, Vol. 1 - Can't Stop Lovin' You
Take a chance on me – Abba
ABBA - ABBA - Gold - Greatest Hits - Take a Chance on Me

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#259 A discussion of the state of our culture (with swears) (Podcast)

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Act 1: Fox viewers to be institusionalized? – Ring of Fire
Act 2: Hannity hosts a discussion on how best to overthrow the US Gov. – CounterSpin
Act 3: The effect of a high tech culture Part 1 – On the Media
Act 4: “Happy Spring Holiday” – The Onion
Act 5: The effect of a high tech culture Part 2 – On the Media
Act 6: Glenn Beck and the 9/12 Project – Colbert Report
Act 7: Wes Clark Jr. on modern culture Part 1 – The Young Turks
Act 8: Limbaugh is stupid, hateful and racist – CounterSpin
Act 9: Wes Clark Jr. on modern culture Part 2 – The Young Turks
Act 10: Glenn Beck compares US to Nazi Germany – CounterSpin
Act 11: Wes Clark Jr. on modern culture Part 3 – The Young Turks

Music:
Crazy Maze – Desree
Des'ree - I Ain't Movin' - Crazy Maze
War – Vince DiCola
Original Soundtrack - The Rocky Story - War
Eclipse – Apoptygma Berzerk
Apoptygma Berzerk - Welcome to Earth - Eclipse
Spring Came, Rain Fell – Club 8
Club 8 - Spring Came, Rain Fell - Spring Came, Rain Fell
Humans being – Van Halen
Van Halen - The Best of Van Halen, Vol. 1 - Humans Being
Good people – Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams - Good People
Goodnight and go – Imogen Heap
Imogen Heap - Goodnight and Go - Single - Speeding Cars
Your racist friend – They might be giants
They Might Be Giants - Flood - Your Racist Friend
Buildings and mountains – The Republic Tigers
The Republic Tigers - Keep Color - Buildings & Mountains
It’s not impossible – Ben Sollee
Ben Sollee - Learning to Bend - It's Not Impossible

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#251 From various points of view (Podcast)

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Act 1: The Michael Savage Story Part 1 – The Young Turks
Act 2: ACLU Defends Neo-Nazis – The Onion
Act 3: The Michael Savage Story Part 2 – The Young Turks
Act 4: Affable anti-semite on the Jews – The Onion
Act 5: The Michael Savage Story Part 3 – The Young Turks
Act 6: Glenn Beck on the hatred from the left – CounterSpin
Act 7: Our job is to push back – Conceptual Guerilla
Act 8: New media with the new administration – The Daily Show
Act 9: Journalists declare victory in Iraq – CounterSpin
Act 10: Clinton’s impeachment press conference – This American Life
Act 11: The new host of Meet the Press – CounterSpin
Act 12: Fox ‘News’ on the new administration – The Daily Show
Act 13: Corporate media on race relations – CounterSpin
Act 14: O’Reilly and Rove on Obama’s torture policy – The Young Turks

Music:
Unknown Grerman marching song
I’m a loser – The Beatles
Crazy – Seal
Seal - Seal: Best 1991-2004 - Crazy
House of the rising sun – The Animals
The Animals - The Best of The Animals - House of the Rising Sun
Everyday I love you less and less – Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs - Employment - Everyday I Love You Less and Less
Blue bird tattoo – Circe Link
Circe Link - More Songs! - Blue Bird Tattoo
Fat lip – Sum 41
Sum 41 - All Killer No Filler - Fat Lip
Good day Sunshine – The Beatles
Everybody’s Fool – Evanescence
Evanescence - Fallen - Everybody's Fool
Good people – Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams - Good People
Dreams – Gabrielle
Gabrielle - Find Your Way - Dreams

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Correcting for the distorted vision of the corporate media

Photo by OliverAlex

Photo by OliverAlex

Is the goal of UK-based MediaLens. This ultra smart team of media critics regularly publish highly crafted and deeply insightful alerts about the omissions and falsehoods put out by the media.

In their latest installment “Propping Up Propaganda” they touch on the absence of real public challenge in the media coverage, and how it is replaced by an illusion of dissent:

Little of this professional contempt for public challenge ever makes it into the open. The media sections of the press, where journalism ought to be scrutinised, are reserved for professional navel-gazing, ego-burnishing and insider gossip. At best, media commentary is inoffensive, rarely straying from the anodyne; and even then, only to mock easy targets like the Sun or the Daily Mail. At its worst, corporate media ‘analysis’ props up a brutal propaganda system in which “politics is the shadow cast on society by big business”, as the US social philosopher John Dewey observed.


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Limbaugh, Savage, and Corsi do it again

Rob C. just sent me this:

Limbaugh, Savage, and Corsi believe that Obama isn’t in Hawaii to visit his Grandma, they think he’s actually a Kenyan citizen who’s trying to produce a fake Hawaiian birth certificate in the next few days…

Despite the fact that he HAS produced a Hawaiian birth certificate.

Amazing.


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Life under censorship

While ABC refuses to run a clean energy ad, newspapers across the country have distributed 28 million copies of a fear-mongering DVD about radical Islam, mostly to battleground states, in a multimillion effort to affect public opinion funded by “individuals he would not name” according to their spokesman.

Censorship, both explicit and implicit, always works to maintain the status quo and prevent change.


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Things only women notice, and care about.

The big Republican outrage that resulted from Sarah Palin’s latest Newsweek cover has finally settled. Read Rachel Sklar’s brilliant summary of the debacle. Fox News and an unknown number of women were disgusted at Newsweek’s audacity to publish an un-retouched photo of the Alaskan governor, as if it were an evil ploy by the Democrats to show Mrs. Palin with a few imperfections and some very human wrinkles.

This hilariously overblown “issue” has very little merit, and should therefore be disregarded. However, it’s just so funny that I have to blog about it on the Best of the Left. 

Read the excerpts from Rachel’s article below, she basically summarized my thoughts. It’s like Rachel is my twin, kind of scary, but not really.


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The Palin Problem

Our very first ever non-podcast-related blog post here at Best of the Left comes to us from the right wing equivalent of the Huffington Post. Kathleen Parker, a stalwart conservative columnist and frequent blogger at Townhall.com, spent the first month after Sarah Palin’s nomination defending her non-credentials and accusing her critics of sexism.

Well, that tune has changed in the wake of Palin’s recent set of major interviews that showed her to be the moron that she is. Ms. Parker has written an article stating in no uncertain terms that Sarah Palin is a problem for the McCain campaign and should take herself out of the race. Delicious!

Quotes from Kathleen Parker’s article entitled “The Palin Problem,” after the break


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