My heart and prayers honestly go out to the Japanese people. Seeing the carnage left behind by the tsunami makes me wonder if they would ever be able to clean-up and rebuild- or if they would even want to. The emotional trauma the survivors are now suffering is unequal to any natural disaster.
But seriously- is everything that is happening over there- BREAKING NEWS.
Does the situation at the nuclear plants have to be discussed twenty-four seven?
According to the 'mainstream media" it does.
These are the links from my diary. I cannot, nor do I wish to learn how to, place them where they belong. DK4 people- please fix this.
Crooks and LiarsTalking Points MemoMedia Matters
I used to enjoy watching the 'news'. From my early childhood, evenings were spent with Eyewitness News with Roger Grimsby and Bill Beutel, followed by Walter Cronkite.
During the '60's, we learned about the number of dead and wounded in Vietnam. No names- just numbers. We watched battles being fought, received the latest update as to where we were and how things stood.
We learned about local events- what was happening in the city, the state, and on the federal level. Very rarely was an opinion given, and if one was- it usually was in the form of a joke because the story was so ridiculous.
Politics was reported "fair and balanced". You did not know whose 'side' the reporter was on- equal time was given to every candidate. Voters were expected to make their own informed decision.
Today, as I sat down with my cup of tea, all snuggled up to watch Laurence O' Donnell, well, here I am instead of watching TV.
I feel terrible, but what is happening in Japan should not take up more than fifteen minutes at the most during a news hour. People, senior citizen people are marching in protest in Michigan. The Wisconsin recall is in full victory mode. So many republican governors are behaving as if they have just taken over a country-and are digging the moat around the castle to keep the little people out.
How do I know this? Not from watching the news on TV, that's for sure. I get all my news and information by reading it online. All my news and information. All of it.
I shouldn't say I was surprised at work today when hardly anyone knew what was happening in Michigan. Many knew about Wisconsin, but like fans of a promising team, when they lose the last game of the season, nobody cares anymore. The interest is lost.
The only way to receive concrete facts about the state of this country is on the Internet. I said that to all my co-workers. I listed the sites I visit: Media Matters,
Talking Points Memo, Crooks and Liars, and of course, Daily Kos. There are others, but these are a good start.
The best part about receiving your information online is you can control how much information you want on any subject. Really care about the story? Then use the links provided. Not sure if the information is really true? Then use the links to check it out for yourself. There are quotes, video, history and background information to validate and/or refute any story. Facts are there for the taking. Lies are exposed.
Here on the Internet, events become the story. On TV, the story becomes the event. Here on the Internet, fact-checking is second nature, so important that debunking happens simultaneously. On TV, opinions become talking points and talking points become facts. Here on the Internet, freedom of speech is a right, not a privilage. Lies all you want, make stuff up as you go along, and thousands of readers will call you out. On TV, say whatever you want, nobody will challenge you.
So I too am done with "lamestream media". Doesn't it blow your mind when you hear Sarah, or Michelle, or Rush complain about the media? How can what once was such an important revered institution, the backbone of what our Founding Fathers envisioned for an informed electorate, become the bane of existance for both sides?
PS- I'll still catch Rachel, although most of the time I watch the podcasts with my morning coffee. Here, on the Internet.