all mediabistro-tv newser post

- about my msnbc beating cnn prediction...maybe i shoulda said '3 months' instead of '3 years'
msnbc ties (and beats) cnn as they both go for fox news' scraps
(i realize its a demographic number, but i'll kick cnn when its down anytime)

- the ny daily news' Richard Huff (via media bistro) echoes my own befuddlement about jon stewart's outsized regard and acclaim

Try as I might - and trust me, I've tried - I just don't get Stewart. I don't think he's all that funny and he's vastly overrated.

I realize he's gotten loads of critical acclaim. And I understand my lack of appreciation for Stewart & Co. is sacrilege in TV circles.

- the really important news is the chance to see more of fnc's juliet huddy in a possible fox morning show]

if you can't tell media bistro runs a great behind the tv news site

¶ - nitish @ 3:47 PM | 0 comments

  speak loudly...no stick

alotta people full of bluster eschew president teddy roosevelt's sage advice...

the international honchos finally decide something must be iran. but don't expect much given kofi's stated position and the iaea's disposition (lame nobel notwithstanding). maybe they should take out an ad

meanwhile, blowhard howard dean is doing a bang-up job as dnc chair

The DNC raised $51 million in 2005 but finished the year with just $5.5 million in the bank. The Republican National Committee raised twice as much during the same period, $102 million, and had $34 million on hand this month.

although his '50 state' strategy (as opposed to the ~20 state stronghold strategy of the recent past) remains solid long term, its not good for the here and now

staying on the famous quotes: "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing"

¶ - nitish @ 8:45 AM | 0 comments

  more csi fallout

not only is the csi effect infecting juries, but criminals are learning from the tv crime procedurals too

¶ - nitish @ 4:18 PM | 0 comments

  tone deaf ny times

the laundry list of complaints against the ny times continues to grow:
blatantly partisan, purposefully out-of-touch and just plain wrong

add tone deaf to the mix,
the ny times covers the injury of abc anchor bob woodruff (the web version has a sanitized headline [bugmenot login] )

but, check out a scan of the january 31st front page --
the top right column 'above the fold'

which refers to the injuries as "the latest blow" and field reporters a "ratings strategy" -- i guess an ivory tower in nyc would be safer

...and all these missteps within the last month...
yikes!

¶ - nitish @ 2:37 PM | 0 comments

  nfl ticket numbers

while the nfl may be looking for any and all tv money, some teams aren't gouging fans with ticket prices

Last season the average ticket price (excluding club seats, which require an annual fee in addition to the ticket price) [for the Tennessee Titans] was $47.59, which ranked 30th out of 32 NFL teams.

The Titans are expected to be near the bottom of the league in 2006 as well, although ticket prices league-wide for next season are not yet available.

The New England Patriots had the highest average ticket price in 2005, averaging $78.40 a ticket. The Buffalo Bills have the cheapest ($42.36 average). The average ticket price in the NFL last season was around $57.

now that's not chump change, but it's not entirely ridiculous either

¶ - nitish @ 12:21 PM | 0 comments

  careful with those pedestals

these two were genuinely heros of the left
via michelle malkin
via this is london

recapping...sheehan spoke for military families (apparently without realizing it) in her anti-war campaign, lamented "a little wind and a little rain" (ie hurricane katrina) taking attention away, now threatens a political run

meanwhile...galloway is a renowned grandstander, who'll do anything for attention
at least there is a backlash to the yutz

the loony left must be more careful who it touts in its cause

¶ - nitish @ 9:15 AM | 0 comments

  more nfl on tv

alotta money changed hands with the nfl tv rights shake-up awhile back

ESPN is paying $1.1 billion annually over eight years to broadcast the Monday night games. NBC has a six-year, $3.6 billion deal for the Sunday night package. CBS and Fox are paying a total of $8 billion over six years for the rights to Sunday afternoon games. DirecTV agreed to pay $3.5 billion for a five-year extension that runs through 2010.

now, the nfl itself wants to get even more outta money. the nfl network will begin to air primetime games this upcoming 2006 season.

- expect the nfl network to make the basic packages in cable line-ups--and the obligatory cable bill hikes.
- expect some (behind-the-scenes) grumbling by the tv execs who shelled out billions as the nfl essentially give it to itself for free.

update [01/30]: the nfl apparently turned down $300-400 million a year offered by comcast to air games on the increasingly less outdoorsy OLN

¶ - nitish @ 3:27 PM | 0 comments

  bad days for wintel

with intel losing market share to amd, the wintel partnership in pc dominance fell on black days.

micro$oft chipped in with an underwhelming quarter of single digit revenue and earnings growth. surprisingly, the whipsmart strategy of jacking up the price and a shaky launch where even kids of m$ bigwigs have trouble getting it didn't help

But supply constraints dimmed sales. The paper reports that Microsoft sold only 600,000 in the first two months, compared to 1.4m of the original Xbox in the same time frame. Redmond planners had wanted to ship 2.75m consoles in the first three months, a target it will now miss by a mile.

the xbox shortage will continue for a few months

oh by the way, microsoft still has to deal with an increasingly huffy european commission. expect a ~billion dollar fine which gates&co can pay with money found in the couch cushions

¶ - nitish @ 8:24 AM | 0 comments

  who needs a courtroom?

amd challenged intel's marketing program in the courtroom. however, amd is making inroads in the market as well...

One in five PCs, and one in four desktops, now has AMD Inside, according to analyst company Mercury Research. The silicon contender saw the strongest growth in the server market, climbing from 12.7 per cent in Q3 2005 to 16.4 per cent in the final quarter of 2005.

Desktop share climbed from 20.4 per cent to 24.3 per cent. while AMD took 15.4 per cent of the mobile market, up from 12.2 per cent.

Overall, AMD's share grew from 17.7 per cent to 21.4 per cent in the final quarter, a 78 per cent year-on-year increase.

and it appears amd's technological advantage which contributed to this market share expansion may last for years.

as i stated before about amd's lawsuit:

amd could be using the lawsuit as a tactic to make inroads

good for amd for getting its game together...
and good for the market expecting and demanding better product

¶ - nitish @ 6:23 PM | 0 comments

  oprah's two-faced about face

after standing by as baseless claims of child rapes flew during her hurricane katrina show(s), oprah's book club selection james frey's a million little pieces also proved pretty faulty.

it didn't matter, oprah stood by her man at the outset of the controversy, going with the fake but accurate route.

this massive misjudgement trumps any do goods oprah attempts now. gawker live-blogged, the frey return show, during which she belatedly apologized but largely assigned blame to frey without assuming much responsibility herself.

oprah deserves no credit because she tried to downplay the problem, and appears to only have backtracked due to the backlash

¶ - nitish @ 4:19 PM | 0 comments

  cutting off your nose to spite your face

a wsj opinion journal piece examines the "unintended effects" of the maryland state legislature's decision to do big labor's bidding by overriding a governor ehrlich veto.

essentially, by trying to appear to care about 'the little guy', the democrat dominated state legislature screwed over 'the little guy'. i guess they don't care about the eastern shore which generally votes republican. that's a two for one--appeasing big labor, hurting political opponents

¶ - nitish @ 9:06 AM | 0 comments

  euros want anything but nuclear

a massive 30,000 person poll finds only 12% of euros prefer nuclear energy over alternatives such as solar and wind power.

despite this overwhelming opposition to nuclear energy, several european nations rely on it big time. meanwhile, france won the hosting rights for a proposed $12 billion nuclear fusion project.

in the US, alternative energy proponents prefer them only when they're not against them

¶ - nitish @ 5:36 PM | 0 comments

  do as we say, not as we do

the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has a coupla public roles: rating motion pictures and fighting movie piracy. the la times reports bugmenot login] (found via the uk register) a story dealing with both issues.

a documentary called "This Film Is Not Yet Rated" examines perceived double standards in the ratings system was given to the MPAA for the very ratings system it decries (now that's irony). unfortunately, the MPAA did not conduct itself in the manner which it expects/demands its consumers. the uk reg chimes in

"If it's your job to stop people pirating movies, you should really be very careful not to get caught making pirate copies.... This week [the MPAA] admitted copying a movie, but effectively claimed it was above copyright law."

the la times hits harder

The standard the MPAA is using for itself appears to be at odds with what the organization sets out for others: "Manufacturing, selling, distributing or making copies of motion pictures without the consent of the copyright owners is illegal," the MPAA's website says. "Movie pirates are thieves, plain and simple…. ALL forms of piracy are illegal and carry serious legal consequences."

the la times fills-in with some of the back-and-forth and legal stuff, but it all doesn't make the MPAA look good

¶ - nitish @ 9:56 AM | 0 comments

  emotion trumps reason in politics

researchers at emory conducted a study (FWIW - netlingo definition) of brain activity of partisans during the 2004 elections.
some of the highlights:

- "Democrats and Republicans alike are adept at making decisions without letting the facts get in the way"
- "The test subjects on both sides of the political aisle reached totally biased conclusions by ignoring information that could not rationally be discounted"
- "The study points to a total lack of reason in political decision-making."
- "The brain imaging revealed a consistent pattern. Both Republicans and Democrats consistently denied obvious contradictions for their own candidate but detected contradictions in the opposing candidate."

in other words, when people make up their mind, they'll discount or rationalize anything to support their position

¶ - nitish @ 9:19 AM | 0 comments

  i know what you're thinking

continuing my silly outrage over trivial things, hollywood looks to move ahead with a magnum pi big screen entry.

since that is one of my favorite shows, i am not looking forward to that one

¶ - nitish @ 5:04 PM | 0 comments

  overshadowed tv tidbits

it's not everday network tv gets a shake-up--even at the edges, so a few other bits of tv news may have been lost:

- nbc looks to continue to disrespect dick wolf by inexplicably moving law & order (i realized csi ny is giving it trouble, but putting it in the way of lost and criminal minds is even worse). the execs at nbc are a little schedule tweak happy, although the nfl on nbc remains a good move (even though it bumps l&o criminal intent)

- fox dips its toe back into the late night wars. good luck with that...
[note: i'm a jimmy kimmel fan...we may not be not strong in number, but strong in...i lost momentum on that one]

¶ - nitish @ 4:39 PM | 0 comments

  if you can't beat em

the struggling netlets wb and upn announce the decision to join forces this upcoming fall for a new network named, the cw (newsday mentions "The 'C' stands for CBS, the 'W' is for Warner."

through various deals, both announced and forthcoming, the new 5th network will cover over 95% of the country. further it will stick with a 13 hour primetime schedule with afternoon and saturday morning blocks along with the sunday repeat block to allow viewers to catch-up with network shows.

all the execs say the right things about strategic shifts, ratings and demographic improvement, etc. cbs head honcho les moonves makes the obligatory reference to the 'synergy' concept of a bygone time--"greater than the sum of its parts".

better words to describe the move are "unexpected" and "surprising" as stated by zap2it which sums up the current situation

UPN and The WB have been locked in a battle for young viewers virtually since they came into being in 1995. And while each net has a handful of shows with loyal followings....neither one has gained a definitive upper hand in recent years. This season, UPN is drawing about 3.4 million viewers per night and The WB 3.3 million.

newsday reports on their respective strengths

The WB has had some hits throughout its history, particularly with younger audiences, having done well lately with shows such as "Smallville" and "Gilmore Girls."

UPN has recently gained some critical acclaim and strong ratings for its sitcom "Everybody Hates Chris," which airs on Thursday nights and fared well against shows such as NBC's "Joey" and Fox's "The O.C."

looking at the primetime grid: upn 'wins' monday with 'everybody hates chris' maybe moving over here (opposite cbs comedy block), the wb 'keeps' tuesdays and thursdays (with aquaman likely joining fellow comic alum smallville), wednesday likely mixes reality top model with (hopefully) veronica mars, friday may 'stay' upn with wrestling (although i'd bolt if i were the wwe due to the relative shoddy treatment), sundays may keep charmed and leftover one tree hill.

the most troubling thing is that the combined network may still have trouble filling a robust primetime schedule despite doing this 2-for-1 move

update: time magazine's James Poniewozik handicaps the move also...
with the same title as my post (or mine as his)--i guess it's an obvious one

¶ - nitish @ 3:41 PM | 1 comments

  e-mail by thumb not 'critical'

research in motion's attempt to assign itself a 'too big too fail' designation failed. the concept of 'too big to fail' involves government intervention for a company or industry that proves critical and/or pivotal to the economy, like chrysler and/or banking.

patent-embattled research in motion advanced such an argument for its infringing blackberry...
it didn't work... basically because as the uk register chimes in "Heck, they'd have to talk to their clients then..."

cnet's news.com comes up with a solid 'what if'/contingency scenario if a blackberry injunction goes into effect

(full disclosure: i have shorted this stock in the past for tidy sums of money)

¶ - nitish @ 9:20 AM | 0 comments

  hollywood math

the financial engineering in hollywood and showbiz boggles the mind....

numbers are twisted to overstate success or
understate earnings, depending on the desired result. intricate international loopholes (which has since been tied up) allow for risk averse film production.

another gimmick utilized is 'gross participation' which can make stars lotsa money or not as much as hoped. but at times, stars 'sacrifice' for their art

¶ - nitish @ 12:53 PM | 0 comments

  what's behind 'fake but accurate'

us news & world report editor john leo poses a possible explanation for the epidemic of 'fake but accurate' all over the place: feelings, nothing more than feelings

if something 'feels' true...that matters more than actual being true

¶ - nitish @ 9:18 AM | 0 comments

  people aren't plants

everyone failed young Haleigh Poutre...

the biological mother left her with an aunt and her husband to be with a boyfriend, her stepfather who viciously nearly beat her to death, the adoptive mother implicated in the crime (who later killed the grandmother in an apparent murder-suicide), the doctors who declared her to be in "a permanent vegetative state", and the legal system which granted the would be killer stepfather the legal opportunity to keep haleigh alive (so he wouldn't be charged with murder)...

there are so few little girls so let down by the people who were supposed to protect them...

despite the claims of 'permanent vegetative state', halleigh situation changed with positive signs

"There has been a change in her condition," said a [Department of Social Services] spokeswoman, Denise Monteiro. "The vegetative state may not be a total vegetative state."

i know the term is supposed to be medical and clinical, but i find the term 'vegetative state' offensive
apparently, so does conservative blogger michelle malkin who has complete coverage

¶ - nitish @ 1:57 PM | 0 comments

  less of the art, more of the entertainment

a&e goes ahead with a new show chronicling a classic mano-a-mano competition:
rock, paper, scissors

A&E shifted from the 'pbs on cable' network to a more broad audience with shows like dog the bounty hunter and rollergirls.
not that there's anything wrong with it...
A&E simply adapted with the television audience without sacrificing quality

Today, "Dog the Bounty Hunter," the network's most popular prime-time show, is averaging 1.6 million viewers....
[snip]
"Cold Case Files," a documentary series about detectives around the country who use forensics to solve crimes, is averaging 1.5 million viewers, making it A&E's No. 2 prime-time show.
[snip]
Backing up his claim, DeBitetto points out that A&E had 24 Emmy nominations last year, more than any other basic-cable outlet and the most in A&E's 21-year history.
[snip]
What's more, the average age of A&E's viewer has dropped from 61 in 2003 to 51 today.
"Ageism is abhorrent to me, but having mostly 61-year-old viewers was a huge problem...."

certainly these changers are much better than the remake/recycling and dead horse beating which dominates show biz

those mini-marathons of 24 and the compelling docu-drama of flight 93 get me (althought the discovery channel special was even better)

¶ - nitish @ 3:42 PM | 0 comments

  good news for cell phone users

the uk registers relays the results of a study (FWIW - netlingo definition) published in the British Medical Journal which found no increased risk of head cancer due to cell phones. while a previous danish study essentially came to a similar result, apparently other other studies have less fully positive results.

almost all studies stipulate that the effects of long-term use have yet to be fully observed

¶ - nitish @ 8:27 AM | 0 comments

  camera giants reeling

a week after nikon announced an end to its film camera production, konica-minolta pulls out of the photog business entirely.

other photography giants have had alotta difficulty in the transition. while kodak makes every effort to stay relevant, polaroid already filed bankruptcy--more famous for an outkast song than anything else recently

note: for an example of my digital photog skill check-out pix of my accident

¶ - nitish @ 4:13 PM | 0 comments

  more ny times silliness

aside from implementing measures to remain isolated on the web and on the whole rather lame...

conservative blog powerline notes the nytimes partisan nature of noting its own sources

¶ - nitish @ 9:36 AM | 0 comments

  striving to be as out-of-touch as possible

sometimes, the ny times makes it far too easy to be criticized...

finding the openness of the web too unrestrictive, the times walled off its archives and columnists with its timesselect subscription program. now, the times wants to limit the amount of contact with the outside world by preventing e-mails from non-'select' people--even limiting that to a basic web form.

incidentally, the subscription numbers don't appear to be that strong

The Times has been reluctant to provide the most recent data on TimesSelect subscribers, last revealing more than a month ago that some 330,000 people had signed up for TimesSelect. About half of those are believed to be print subscribers who receive complimentary Web access as part of their home delivery plan.

if those numbers don't pick-up, i predict an about face down the line

¶ - nitish @ 9:26 AM | 0 comments

  politics trumps progress

2005 proved an unkind year to arnold schwarzenegger's reform movement. aside from the well intentioned but ultimately unsuccessful special election, also lost was the “Million Solar Roofs” plan. LA Weekly's bill bradley descbribes some of the behind-the-scenes politicking

In 2005,...the solar roofs plan became Senate Bill 1, a bipartisan venture.... SB 1 took flight from the Senate on a wave of bipartisan support, environmentalist backing, and acclaim from editorials around the state, only to run afoul of opposition from organized labor and Democrats in the Assembly who were determined to deny Schwarzenegger an image-boosting win as he pushed his ill-fated “Year of Reform” initiatives in the hotly contested special election. [emphasis]

to avoid this unprincipled opposition, arnold went directly to the California Public Utilities Commission to implement the California Solar Initiative.

in a similar vein, the effective florida voucher program was struck down [bugmenot login] with one florida justice remarking

"You would agree, would you not, that whether [voucher schools] have been an overwhelming success or an utter failure, is, really, irrelevant to whether the program is constitutional." The answer was a resounding "yes." In other words, legislators may not consider alternative educational arrangements, no matter how effective they might be.

thus condemning kids to remain in the failing system--even charter schools could be gone according to the ruling

¶ - nitish @ 3:19 PM | 0 comments

  the end of shows

i don't exactly know the reason--perhaps it the smugness, superiority and entitlement surrounding it, but i have a strange sense of glee at the demise of arrested development.

similarly, a few show which long overstayed their welcome--malcolm in the middle and that 70s show--will be put outta their misery.

on the other end of the spectrum, who knew the wb lost $16 million on one of its highest rated shows, 7th heaven?

¶ - nitish @ 10:21 AM | 0 comments

  a true die hard fan

a steelers fan had a serious reaction to jerome bettis' fumble

¶ - nitish @ 6:11 PM | 0 comments

  exploiting mlk for partisan purposes

- the aclu seemingly equates the great civil rights leader mlk with terrorists

- new orleans mayor ray nagin pulls a pat robertson by saying 'god is mad at america', and hoping for a "chocolate" new orleans. political teen has the videos - god is mad | chocolate city
update: satire site scrappleface leaks the mayor's efforts to accomplish chocolate city

- but the clincher was hillary clinton referring to congress as a "plantation" at a black church.
the political teen strikes again with video
...i don't see how america elects this shrill, mother-in-law president

¶ - nitish @ 10:10 AM | 0 comments

  out of the mouths of lefties

these guys are reliable, predictable over-the-top lefties, so it's barely noteworthy

- former vice president and failed presidential candidate al gore goes on another rant again [bugmenot login]

- walter cronkite doesn't think america can do two things at once

¶ - nitish @ 9:41 AM | 0 comments

  corruption knows no bounds

a few things could cloud the GOP 'culture of corruption' narrative the democrats attempt to create.

primarily, revelations of possible democratic corruption like louisiana congressman william jefferson. [you haven't heard about it? maybe because the MSM hasn't it deemed it much more than a local story. imagine if it were a republican...] or any democrats ensnared in the abramoff scandal.

also, the barrett report investigating clinton cohort henry cisneros and the associated shenanigans (don't worry, even though he admitted to being a criminal, he was pardoned by buddy clinton). what you haven't heard this one either...? the MSM is MIA on this one too

with the obligatory we-don't-like-independent-counselors (unless it suits our partisan purposes) disclaimer every takes, the ny sun previews the results of the 10 year long investigation. it chronicles stonewalling and interference which would reverberate greatly

no single party possesses a monopoly on corruption and abuse of power

¶ - nitish @ 11:01 AM | 0 comments

  'fake but accurate' at ny times

the ny times may be inconsistent when it suits it partisan purposes, money-grubbing without principles, selective in its reportage, and unnecessary and irrelevant (for hopeful righties)...
but it can never be said not to be dramatic

suppose there's a compelling story but not necessarily a photo to go along...
you fake it (via lucianne.com).
apparently, finding no picture of that rumored pakistani-zawahiri strike, the times went with stock photo [bugmenot login] of a elderly man and boy next to a foreboding 'bomb'. the problem is those pesky blogs de-bunked it

unfortunately the fake but accurate disease among newsies is an epidemic

¶ - nitish @ 9:11 AM | 0 comments

  there's nothing wrong with the fiction section

especially if alotta of a non-fiction book is fiction...
more trouble for oprah fave james frey, who(m) she still stands behind....
she apparently subscribes to the insidious 'fake but accurate' policy the MSM currently employs

the ny post investigates to find more of his story to be false

¶ - nitish @ 12:53 PM | 0 comments

  money trumps ethics

several internet companies profit off the unethical even illegal and criminal. ebay is a haven for the re-sale of stolen goods, while yahoo didn't mind making money off pedophile-themed and predatory behavior.

yahoo has an interesting take on its international business. it fought for the right to sell nazi stuff despite a ban in france, yet cowtowed to chinese bans in order to maintain a foothold in that market.

they can't even keep their money-grubbing ways consistent

¶ - nitish @ 10:29 AM | 0 comments

  speaking of self-important hypocrites

enough about the democratic senators on the senate judiciary committee for now, how about that ny times...?

William Tate of the conservative group blog american thinker rips the ny times for its meandering position with regard to data mining and surveillance. apparently, its okay when a democrat is in the white house but not a republican

¶ - nitish @ 1:27 PM | 0 comments

  who questions the questioners

given the supreme court nomination hearings of samuel alito, which prompted a tearful response and exit by his wife (pick the partisan reaction you prefer), Tom Bevan of the conservative real clear politics blog poses the question:

"How Many Dems Could Be Confirmed?"

the answer is surprisingly few given their holier-than-thou behavior on display over the last few days

¶ - nitish @ 10:40 AM | 0 comments

  who's who on sci-fi

over the last several years, i've caught classic doctor who on my pbs affiliate, mpt (an endangered species in the US apparently), prompting a not-technically-allowed viewing of the new series opener (check out my review).

i followed the current run with continued interest, always lamenting the lack of US distribution.
however, good news for stateside doctor who fans as the sci-fi channel finally picked up the series. while it will be approximately a year behind the bbc airings, it's better late than never.

note: the previously announced dvd release will be pushed back to come after this initial sci-fi channel run

¶ - nitish @ 9:50 AM | 0 comments

  spoiler alert etiquette

as television changes along with tv viewing habits, the boston globe's Matthew Gilbert suggests a deference in spoiler alerts usually reserved for movies

¶ - nitish @ 5:37 PM | 0 comments

  small screen surpassing the big screen

the la daily news' david kronke de-bunks the conventional wisdom of movies invariable superiority over television. while that appears self-evident by the bout of remake-itis and box office slump that movie people finally acknowledge a role, kronke goes further.

Our point is, anything films can do, TV can do better, because it doesn't have to waste development money or massage vain executives. TV's motto: Just make it. Our response: Just watch it.

he actually gets people successful in both fields to go on record on the matter, futher citing specific examples of so-called landmark movies following the lead of truly trailbreaking tv

¶ - nitish @ 5:25 PM | 0 comments

  oprah to the rescue

in light of the controversy surrounding her book club entry, oprah chimes in [bugmenot login] on a larry king interview with the author in question...

instead of questioning the author who fudged incidents in his memoirs, the big O blames the publisher for miscategorizing the book. the author laughably defends the book and himself by saying only a few of the 400 page book are bunk

Frey said his embellishments, which he did not address directly, were far outweighed by the basic truth of his experiences.

Frey urged readers to look beyond the fabrications to what he said was an honest evocation of the anguish in an addict's life. But he acknowledged that the questions raised over his embellishments led to inevitable questions about the other more private events in a book set mainly during his time in rehab.

"That's something I'm going to have to deal with," Frey said.

at least he acknowledges the controversy, if not fully standing behind the contents of the book about himself

¶ - nitish @ 3:34 PM | 0 comments

  womb not a car seat

despite the 'baby on board' excuse, a judge rejected Candace Dickinson's novel-but-ultimately ridiculous explanation

Municipal Judge Dennis Freeman rejected Dickinson's argument Tuesday, applying a "common sense" definition in which an individual is someone who occupies a "separate and distinct" space in a vehicle.
"The law is meant to fill empty space in a vehicle," the judge said.

dickinson must cough up the $367 in fines

¶ - nitish @ 9:06 AM | 0 comments

  boosters, the lobbyists of college athletics

espn delves inside the nature of alumni giving back to alma maters with its "power to the boosters" series.

one story deals with current oil exec T. Boone Pickens who gave $165 million to his school oklahoma state.

What kind of bang for his buck does he want? Just wins, baby. And, of course, to be heard when it comes to hiring and firing coaches. Like he was when former OSU quarterback Mike Gundy, a favorite, landed the head coaching gig after last season.

meanwhile nike exec Phil Knight plays the heavy at univeristy of oregon

So, in the showdown leading up to the coach's exit and eventual shuffle to the University of Oklahoma, Knight cut off his financial support to the track squad. The identical don't-cross-me tactic Knight deployed after president Dave Frohnmayer earlier aligned the university with the Worker Rights Consortium, a group critical of Nike's labor practices. "The bonds of trust," Knight said, "have been shredded." Eventually, the university reversed course and Knight turned the financial tap back on.

college athletics is such a big business that big money guys who at times help also possess undue influence
and the student-athlete-players don't get much of it...

¶ - nitish @ 3:38 PM | 0 comments

  speaking of unsavory creatures

marion barry, who keeps getting elected despite a litany of 'mistakes', has--surprise surprise--found himself in more trouble [bugmenot login]

¶ - nitish @ 9:38 AM | 0 comments

  pity the poor vultures

the bbc (via the uk register) reports on the impending doom of vultures caused by a cattle painkiller used in india

Conservationists say that the population of three species of Asian vultures has fallen by 97% in 12 years, and they are now at risk of extinction.

despite being particularly ugly, vultures play a role in the whole circle-of-life thing

Vultures have an important ecological role in the Asian environment, where they have been relied upon for millennia to clean up and remove dead livestock and even human corpses.
[snip]
Vultures hold a critical position in the food chain and are renowned for their ceaseless scavenging.

if you're wondering how to spot an infected vulture

Early signs that the raptors are affected can be seen from the way they hang their heads down to their feet for long periods.

the indian government banned the drug diclofenac, suggesting alternative options.

disclosure: my particular disdain for vultures stems from a vulture-like infestation at my parent's house, only corrected by innovative measures

¶ - nitish @ 9:27 AM | 0 comments

  i like tv, but not this much

a cincinnati woman's love of tv knows no bounds [note: changed from out-of-date yahoo]

that air conditioning must have been industrial strength

¶ - nitish @ 3:26 PM | 0 comments

  revisionist or catching-up with history

slate's summary of of newsweek and time articles about ariel sharon, acknowledge his landmark role in true peace process.

Time speculates about Israel's future after Sharon's stroke last week, asserting that "[h]is departure from the political stage has sucked the air out of the peace process for the immediate future." Newsweek echoes the sentiment: "A blood vessel bursts, and the course of history changes. The blood begins to suffocate brain tissue, and projections for war and peace have to be recalculated."

it wasn't that long ago that lefty outfits (yes, even leftier than newsweek and time) derided president bush reference to sharon as "a man of peace". loony left adbusters (which strangely admits an agenda to "advance the new social activist movement of the information age" by "toppl[ing] existing power structures") dubbed sharon #2 terrorist in the world (squeaking by president bush)--osama, zawahiri and zarqawi must be devestated--in its jan-feb 2006 issue [talk about bad timing]. similarly, the rumor-mongering saddam-ite turned reality star george galloway fans at common dreams expressed similar disdain for the man most responsible for improvement of the peace process

¶ - nitish @ 9:47 AM | 0 comments

  oprah must be stopped

oprah's dominance (thanks alot ebert) and influence remains undeniable. her post-katrina shows (which included false statements by new orleans officials of child rapes) shaped america's view of the natural disaster.

but the most disturbing aspect is the lemming-like behavior of her audience, evidenced best by oprah's book club which boosts sales by ridiculous amounts. unfortunately, a smoking gun investigation (via tv tattle and lucianne.com) reveals that James Frey's "A Million Little Pieces", which zoomed up the ny times bestseller list, proves more fiction than non-fiction (kinda like the MSM)

someone with as much influence as oprah must be accountable for the things endorsed

¶ - nitish @ 4:29 PM | 0 comments

  get proactive, lefties

meanwhile on the other end of the spectrum, washington post's media guy howard kurtz [bugmenot login] suggests the media try to find a way to blame bush for the west virginia mine tragedy. sorry howie, the ny times already did its obligatory (hatchet) piece [bugmenot login], even though the facts don't bear it out

¶ - nitish @ 10:42 AM | 0 comments

  get proactive, conservatives

a pair of blistering entries suggest--nearly demand--some action...

the ny post's ralph peters, who excellently dealt with military personnel and watergate's impact on media, fires back at critics of NSA eavesdropping of terrorists

THE dishonesty and cynicism on the American left is breathtaking. The only reason the Dems are hand-wringing over the imaginary threat to your personal secrets is that every other approach has failed them.

similarly, the american spectator's Jed Babbin demands lefty-types be confronted on their efforts to undercut national security

¶ - nitish @ 10:05 AM | 0 comments

  title ix this

the federal legislation known as title ix demonstrably improved gender equality-parity

* In 1994, women received 38% of medical degrees, compared with 9% in 1972.
* In 1994, women earned 43% of law degrees, compared with 7% in 1972.
* In 1994, 44% of all doctoral degrees to U.S. citizens went to women, up from 25% in 1977.

but it impacts athletics the most, with some programs getting cut as an unintended consequence

Since 1972, according to the General Accounting Office, over 170 wrestling programs, 80 tennis teams, 70 gymnastics teams, and 45 track teams have been eliminated — all men's teams.

for specific examples,

To meet this quota, universities can either try to increase female participation or reduce the number of male athletes. Many have struggled to attract greater female participation. When Brown University was sued under Title IX in 1992, there were 85 unfilled spots on female varsity teams. Many universities resort to eliminating male athletic teams, including those that were once the training grounds for Olympic athletes. The University of Miami's diving program, where gold medal winner Greg Louganis received a diving scholarship, was a casualty of Title IX. Since the last Olympics, more than ninety universities have eliminated track and field for men, and more than twenty have cancelled wrestling.

and yet sometimes true equality-parity is tough to come by:

"High school boys team tops women's [Olympic]hockey squad"

i suppose it's the thought that counts

¶ - nitish @ 3:25 PM | 0 comments

  if there's a camera, he'll be there

having demonstrated more than a passing interest in reality tv, the british celebrity big brother casting rumors caught my attention.

the Celebrity Big Brother contestants include hero of the liberal left and terrorist enablers, politician george galloway. he's delusional enought to believe that this move will cause british prime minister a "dilemma"...

¶ - nitish @ 12:16 PM | 0 comments

  how much is howard stern worth

about 250,000 subscribers...
that is how many more subscribers subscribers sirius got than competitor xm [temp link until xm updates their own site] in Q4-05.

all the free publicity generated by stern's media blitz (60 minutes, dave letterman, jon stewart, even bill o'reilly, etc) sold alotta those pricey subscriptions

i'll admit my prediction based on recent subscription addition numbers was a bit off

"for the record i expect xm to add over 1 million subscribers while sirius adds 950,000 subscribers"

i did stipulate

"maybe it'll kick-in when he actually starts over there"

and i wasn't as delusional as some people....

¶ - nitish @ 9:45 AM | 0 comments

  more bad news making

after the rather abysmal performance of the news media in reporting myths, rumor and speculation as news during hurricane katrina, the media again gets another tragic story wrong...

unsurprisingly, cnn's latest flavor of the month, self-appointed mourner-in-chief anderson cooper 'owns' the story

tv news blog mediabistro gathers early reaction to the flubbed coverage while editor&publisher covers the dead tree coverage

update [~3pm]: former cnn producer Tom Farmer (who avoids the cowardly anonymous schtick) wonders what happened to the basic reportorial question 'How do you know?'

Who demanded a second source? Who held back pending more official confirmation? By uncritically and breathlessly relaying shouted bulletins from sprinting family members, the cable celebs transubstantiated rumor into fact. Reporting means asking questions and making cautious judgments, not just repeating things you hear....
[snip]
And we wonder why the audience believes less and less mainstream media coverage. It's literally unbelievable.

¶ - nitish @ 9:23 AM | 0 comments

  the much ballyhooed iraqi 'civil war'

doomsaying predictions of 'all-out' civil war abound. while one pessimist assigned a 'civil war' label about a year and a half ago (less than a month ofter iraqis assumed sovereignty, and before 3 elections), the negative conventional wisdom remained a bit slower [bugmenot login] to galvanize.

a meet the press roundtable [search 'roundtable'] (with the typical MSM idealogical balance) just 2 weeks before the dec15 elections, during which the washington post's eugene robinson falsely claimed a bush promise of "athenian democracy"
[btw, i don't think he truly knows what that means...we don't really have it here...and when the closest thing to it happens, it's easily undercut by special interests [bugmenot login]
assigned terms like 'mess' and 'disaster' without a single mention of iraqi elections [search 'election' during the roundtable to find no such reference], with robinson suggesting a split iraq as a 'best idea'

MR. ROBINSON: But, you know, I'm not sure that the idea of maintaining a unitary Iraq is necessarily the best idea. I mean, is that ever going to work? Is Iraq ever going to be a stable polity, a stable country? And I'm not sure that it is, absent the sort of tyrannical rule that Saddam Hussein had imposed. I mean, you have the Kurds in the north, who see themselves as part of a larger kind of transnational, persecuted minority. You have the Shiites in the south, who see themselves ditto, as part of a larger, transnational persecuted minority. You've got the Sunnis in the middle, who used to run the country, who don't anymore. Is that a country? Can we leave that as a unified country? I'm not certain.

seriously...
fortunately these doomsayers may prove wrong as sunni and kurdish factions appear to have brokered a deal to cooperate in the newly formed government.

i guess progress in iraq doesn't make for good MSM product...

¶ - nitish @ 9:55 AM | 0 comments

  parting sports fans from their money

in order to better extract money from--serve fans, sports teams may go with RFID smart card. the move could lessen the need for physical tickets, parking passes and cash. fans would deposit money into an account with the team, having purchases automatically deducted.

You drive to the stadium and scan your card to open the parking gate. You park your car and walk to the gate closest to your seats. You scan yourself in. Before you go to your seat, you buy a couple hot dogs and a beer. To pay for the food, you scan your card again. Money is deducted from your debit account.

of course the profitibility angle looms as some personnel and current measures could become unnecessary. also teams could cut out some middlemen and roll around in the unused cash balances.

¶ - nitish @ 9:14 AM | 0 comments