Carmichael's Position

The Ebbing Tide of Journalistic Integrity

A good friend of mine, intelligent and well reasoned, has also had it with today’s media, especially regarding the topic so hot in our national dialog right now, Gun Control.  I am posting his well written editorial (of sorts) below in its entirety.  It is good reading, and he brings up some very valid and cogent points in the discussion.

Reasoned dialog will absolutely be accepted in the comments on this post… If it degenerates into name calling I will delete the trolls responsible.  This is an Adult forum!  I expect it to remain such!

Without further adieu, I give you “Joe’s” editorial:

________________________________________________________

19 December, 2012

To the Media At Large:

Fair and Balanced?

Not exactly.

In the wake of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook elementary, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the Media is engendering a national trend to allow emotion to overwhelm journalistic integrity. Over the last several days many “fair and balanced” journalistic outlets such as NPR have been producing news articles that are factually inaccurate and factually incomplete. One of the tenants of true journalistic integrity is to fully research all sides of a story before releasing it. This lapse has resulted in an overwhelming bias in the reporting on the gun control debate and is clearly putting our national media into a position of no longer being a true journalistic source, but instead as a lobby for the position of gun control.

Item one: the reporting immediately following the incident was poorly sourced. Every major news outlet misreported the shooter’s name and relationship to the school. They jumped right in, following the other news outlets with lemming-like precision to produce piece after piece containing factually incorrect information. Fortunately, no one was seriously harmed by this. However, one wonders what could have happened if an innocent individual was singled out as the perpetrator before law enforcement could intervene. This, at the very least, is shameful.

Item two: No one seems to be able to find or interview a credible advocate for gun rights or assault rifle owners. The recent interview with Malcolm Brady (Dec. 17) on NPR’s “All Things Considered”, a misnomer at best, was a farce. Although Mr. Brady is something of an expert on firearms policy, it is doubtful that coming from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms that he is an objective spokesperson for the millions of private citizen gun owners in the United States, especially when it comes to assault rifles. Simply put, the reason for owning an assault rifle is for personal protection. A cursory study of human history will show that governments fail again and again to protect their citizens from disaster and internal political turmoil. The argument is often heard from those who have not considered the factual details of personal protection of life, liberty and property that there is no need for a private citizen to own a firearm for personal defense. They say there are police or the National Guard to defend us. Studying the days immediately after Katrina will show anyone that even in good times, the protection afforded by the government will break down. When the police and their families become victims of disaster, they abandon their posts just as quickly as the folks who operate shopping malls. Being prepared means that you are ready for the scenario that is improbable, and strictly mathematically speaking, which may be above most journalists, improbable means that it will definitely happen at some point. There is no region in our nation that cannot become lawless due to either man-made or natural catastrophes. Denying this or acting as if this is so unlikely as to not be considered is folly, farce, and ignorant of the simplest lessons taught by history. One of the other lessons taught by history is that societies that become reliant on the protection provided by their governments become the victims of those governments. Even a cursory examination of the events in Syria will show that an unarmed populace is ripe for victimization, and the weapon that is providing the most effective defense for that population is the assault rifle. This point wasn’t covered by Mr. Brady, the one-time soldier and apparent “expert” provided by NPR to explain the case for assault rifles. The bottom line is that in a ground based, person on person encounter, the assault rifle is the status-quo for tactical defensive engagements. Mr. Brady’s experience in the military must have skipped this basic point. In most American communities, the good guys outnumber the bad guys one hundred to one, but one bad guy with an assault rifle can easily overwhelm one hundred good guys armed with rhetoric, faith in their government and good intentions. The continuing experiment that is America relies on the ability and right of the people to provide the majority of services to themselves. Outside of providing protection beyond our borders which has been delegated, and rightly so to the military, the government should not be in a position to disarm the American populace. This is the essence of the second amendment to the constitution. This is the essence of being an American, and is why the right to own firearms that guarantee that we will be able to, in times of disaster or injustice, to protect ourselves, our families, our property and our communities must be maintained. As a free citizen of America, it is more than our right to be able to defend ourselves, it is our responsibility. The media needs to do a much better job of identifying spokespersons. In the case of Mr. Brady, it would be obvious to anyone on the side of firearm advocacy that he would not be an appropriate representative.

Item three: the incidence of mass shooting is not increasing. Again with the bad math. Reporter after reporter has made the statement or insinuated that the incidence of mass shootings is increasing. In fact, we have been experiencing a lull. This occurs in statistics and is seen in many bodies of data where events occur sporadically. There are groupings of events and they occur at an average or standard rate. Since we are currently experiencing a grouping, this would appear over the last 2-3 years to be an increase in the overall rate of these incidences. Considered over a period of time going back say 30 years, it is likely from a mathematical standpoint that the rate of these incidences is not going up. The emotion involved makes us say that this seems to be an increase, but this is where that journalistic integrity thing comes in. Do a better job. Take a statistics class.

Item four: hunting is not the only credible reason for owning a firearm. A recently broadcast editorial by Frank Deford was consistent with the apparent overall stance by journalists that the only reasonable case that anyone would own a firearm is to hunt with it. Target shooting with what are sensationally referred to as “high power rifles” is one example of another use. (There is no standard for this, by the way. Any rifle could be considered to be “high power”, or low power depending on how it is compared.) Also, many firearm sporting enthusiasts shoot at targets using semi-automatic firearms. These are never intended to be used for hunting or self-defense. Many organizations offer college scholarships for students who are marksmen, and the firearms they operate are clearly designed and intended to be used for target shooting of one type or another. Mr. Deford’s columns are opinion pieces for sure, but as NPR’s resident sporting expert, he could have done a little more research.

News reporting requires more than just reporting on what is easy to find, it requires burrowing down to find all sides of a story. Preventing emotion from interfering with this process is one reason why I have been, even as a staunchly conservative individual, a supporter of NPR’s program. This year, based on this apparent lapse of journalistic integrity, I will be contributing the money I normally give to NPR elsewhere, most likely to the NRA. We have now become an embattled organization, not mainly due to the recent tragedy, but more due to the continuing loss of journalistic integrity by news organizations that used to provide facts and unbiased reporting while taking into account all perspectives that utilized view points from actual subject matter experts. Reporting on the emotion behind this tragedy is certainly news worthy, using it to grind an axe is not.

Very Truly Yours,

~Joe

We’re from the Government, and we’re here to help!

Action is afoot in the Legislative Branch of the Federal Government that is dangerous in its nature…

Several Democratic lawmakers called for a new push for U.S. gun restrictions on Sunday, including a ban on military-style assault weapons, in the wake of the Connecticut massacre in which 20 children and six adults were gunned down in a school.

Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, the author of an assault-weapons ban that lapsed in 2004, said she would introduce new legislation this week. Senator Dick Durbin, the chamber's No. 2 Democrat, said lawmakers would hold hearings on gun control, and several others said they would devote new attention to the long-ignored issue.

"I think we could be at a tipping point ... where we might get something done," Senator Charles Schumer, another top Senate Democrat…

Never let a Crisis go to waste huh?

[Senator Diane] Feinstein said her planned legislation would outlaw the high-capacity magazines and military-style assault rifles that have factored in many recent mass shootings, including Friday's massacre in Newtown, Connecticut. People who own such weapons now would not be required to give them up, Feinstein said.

Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes...

No... I am not going to sit idly by on this one.  I simply would like to voice a request for restraint and caution in turning an extremely vile event into a catalysis for whatever agenda you find association with. 

For you who want desperately for the 100% disarming of Americans... I have little use for you and even less to say to you (it is not like you would listen anyway) you will always live in that desire with the hopelessly smug attitude that you are always right when tragic events include the unlawful, and disturbed use of a firearm.  Yet amazingly absent in your philosophical disposition is any instance where a life was traded for the better good.  (Meaning a perpetrator of evil and ill-will was summarily dispatched (by a person wielding a firearm) before more chaos could ensue)  You seldom acknowledge that Good or Bad lies in the intent of the person wielding the weapon, not in the weapon itself.

Using incidents like Newton killings for politically self riotous agenda building is easily the most repugnant act of opportunistic political ambulance chasers ever perpetrated!

Where should we be focused?  How about repealing the 1st Amendment of the United States Constitution?  Because, this so called "Free Press" we have? Is obviously a threat to our lives, as free thinking, free associating, used to be intelligent beings! I am sick of being "sensationalized" to death!  Our media relentlessly bombards us with sanctimonious platitudes, not to better educate us of the facts of a matter, but rather in a continuous attempt to indoctrinate us on HOW we should think or "Feel" about a subject".  Everything is Right or Left now... No longer is anything Right or Wrong.  So what's the next logical step?  Well obviously these fools can't be trusted with as pervasive a Right as free speech!  Nor can we, for we are offending too many people!  

Seriously, sounds like I've gone like a loon into the abyss?  Really...? Is it because I brought up the untouchable third rail of Freedom of Speech? and that ONE Amendment is oh so much more protected than any of the others of the US Constitution?

Exactly my point... no one of any intellect would dare suggest that the First Amendment in the United States Bill of Rights should be repealed.  No matter how offensive speech is, it is to be protected!  Question for you, why would "inoffensive speech" ever need such protection?

But yet the Second Amendment, the Right (THAT'S a "RIGHT" not a conditional permission!) of the People of the United States to bear arms, is allowed to be ignored or dismissed, or manupulated simply because in the Neon Bulb of sensationalistic opportunism declares it offensive?

That is a slippery slope folks, please be careful where we tread!  These Rights are there for a reason, and must be protected.

Am I a gun nut?  No, I don't think so... I am however a concerned American, and I am... A Constitution Nut!  Anytime the Government proposes to do something for our greater good we need to be weary... Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes... Still holds true today, but fortunately we are all educated by the Media and would have no earthly clue what that means... now would we?

Agendas

People have agendas, knowing what these agendas are help us filter the content and intent of their message, especially when that message is meant to be persuasive. 

One of the oldest “tricks” in persuasive rhetoric is to obfuscate the intent to persuade by representing the context as simply informative.  Our current news media is guilty of this tactic to the n^th degree!  In Classical Rhetorical Theory, this practice is considered as unethical, but our media cannot be burdened.

It boils down to Agendas, which agency or organization has what agenda?  Some are as plain as the nose on your face and very clearly represent themselves in such a fashion.  Everyone knows where Code Pink’s loyalties are and what their agenda is… Same holds true with organizations like the National Rifle association.  Where a fog develops is when organizations make public facing claims of neutrality (no agenda) in delivering a message, “Oh, I’m just the messenger, I’m not responsible for the content”.

News organizations are growing in this unethical behavior.  NBC, ABC, FOX, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, PBS, BBC, New York Times, Investors Business Daily, Wall Street Journal, LA Times, USA Today… will all claim truth and neutrality in their reporting of the News… “We Report, You Decide…” or “The most trusted name in news”, “All the news that’s fit to print”.  Which causes many of us, who actually have cognitive reason, to snicker a bit every time we hear or read these slogans.  We all know there is a bias, not only in what is reported and how it is reported but also, in what is NOT reported (also known as omission bias). But we have to come to that conclusion through exercise of our Cognitive Reasoning skills!  A skill set I suspect is painfully lacking in our population at large (and you do to…) examples of brain dead individuals pollute our path every day, go to a McDonalds, a Safeway, a Starbucks, a freeway, a Wal-Mart, any roundabout or any Wholefoods market… or you could simply watch “the Jersey Shore” or anything else on MTV… Hell I’ll even include “Finding Bigfoot” in that fray too! and the proof will be apparent.

Unfortunately, we who would like to think ourselves as “Enlightened” and “Intellectually Honest” are contributing to this problem, by allowing its practice without recourse or consequence.  We as a Republic need to know facts!  Not opinions!  We need to know the substance of what is happening in the world around us to allow us, the voting populace, to make INFORMED decisions.  When the information is represented as simple facts, but in reality the delivery methodology does not match the agenda based intent, it gives the appearance of malfeasance, an intentional act we need to not sit idly by and laugh off.

In these past few days there are two glaring examples of where we are left to question an agenda, both regard the much to much overheated Trayvon Martin™ case and the Media’s reporting.  We have all seen a very disturbing tendency of Racial Opportunists taking advantage of situations and running very loose and very fast with facts often even resorting to outright fabrications!  This is regularly the modus operandi of Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, The New Black Panthers, Sheila Jackson Lee and the like… we know their Agenda, and this reaction is expected, if not misguided.  It is important that in these stressful times that “Cooler Heads” prevail and manage with facts, and share those facts with we the electorate, not simply carry the water of the loudest.  But apparently when the “Facts” don’t support an agenda they are either omitted in the story, or manipulated. 

ABC News recently bragged about scoring a coup in the Trayvon Martin™ case by obtaining the raw police station video of George Zimmerman’s detainment.  In the story, ABC’s Good Morning America was so eager to manipulate the discussion that the Headline even read…"Trayvon Martin Video Shows No Blood or Bruises on George Zimmerman"  [link].

The associated article, written by Matt Gutman goes on to self-righteously proclaim (contrary to police reports) [bold rendering mine]…

A police surveillance video taken the night that Trayvon Martin was shot dead shows no blood or bruises on George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch captain who says he shot Martin after he was punched in the nose, knocked down and had his head slammed into the ground.

The surveillance video, which was obtained exclusively by ABC News, shows Zimmerman arriving in a police cruiser. As he exits the car, his hands are cuffed behind his back. Zimmerman is frisked and then led down a series of hallways, still cuffed.

Breitbart (another organization with an Agenda) challenged this assertion the day the original “Scoop” was posted by ABC news highlighting specific frames of the video (without the need of enhancement) that seemed to indicate a gash and a wound on George Zimmerman’s head, a wound that would support his “Self-Defense” claim.  But no… ABC News couldn’t be bothered with these inconvenient facts in their rush to get it to air first! (Who gives a damn about accuracy? We have an agenda to advance!!!  Wait… Shhhhhh).

Now, 5 days later, ABC News themselves are now stating that, through THEIR research and processing the footage through legally approved enhancement, that “oh… yeah… hmmmm… yeah, it does look like George Zimmerman has a gash and wound on his head… Hmmm what???… oh yeah… as Zimmerman… and the Police Report claimed.”

What’s even more disgusting is that in ABC’s not-a-retraction-revision, the same Matt Gutman goes on air in a joyous proclamation of how great we are at ABC News!!! We got this video first (no mention of editorializing about no blood or apparent wounds) and now… We’ve ENHANCED it!  WOW!  Look! a head wound!…

Enhanced video footage of George Zimmerman being taken into custody less than 30 minutes after he shot and killed Florida teen Trayvon Martin shows the neighborhood watch captain with what could be an injury to the back of his head.

The never-before-seen evidence of an injury to Zimmerman, in this case a gash or mark to his head, would appear to back his claim that he was in an altercation with Martin on the night of Feb. 26 in Sanford, Fla. Zimmerman says he shot the teen in self defense after he was attacked.

Hallelujah! aren’t we just great?… Dudes seriously, in your rush to publish and editorialize you poured gasoline on an already raging Race Fire!  And now, now that you have done your job, you’re trying to pee the fire out while whistling, hoping no one will remember your original accusatory inference.

In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.
~ Buddha

Next page… Not to be outdone by ABC news and Good Morning America in misrepresenting the facts, NBC news published a segment on their Today Show where they played an edited version of George Zimmerman’s 911 call to police that fateful day.  The way NBC edited the recording, made it sound like Zimmerman volunteered that Treyvon was Black, thus making it part of the motive.  NBC originally aired the recording to make it sound like George Zimmerman said the following:

Zimmerman: This guy looks like he’s up to no good…  He looks black.

The transcript of the real 911 call is:

Zimmerman: This guy looks like he’s up to no good. Or he’s on drugs or something. It’s raining and he’s just walking around, looking about.

Dispatcher: OK, and this guy — is he black, white or Hispanic?

Zimmerman: He looks black.

Obviously, again the facts didn’t fit with NBC’s Today Show Agenda… So they altered the facts (by omission) to make Zimmerman appear more racist.  But, they don’t tell you their agenda, you have to guess at it… work at it… discover the obfuscation.  So, is the media biased?   No… they are as neutral as they come! 

I CALL BULLSHIT!  And so should all of us!  Damn it, whistling in the graveyard pretending this is not happening is inexcusable, especially for those of whom we are to rely on to provide us with the facts to better run our Republic!

Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.

~Albert Einstein

Maybe it is about race!

This whole Trayvon Martin™ thing has me more than a little queasy lately.

If viewed from a higher Macrosocioracial point of view, a few observations are taken from this whole disgusting incident.

Never let a Racial Crisis go to waste!  Or in this case… Damn, the economy is in the tank, our foreign policy is a fools errand, we need something to polarize Americans immediately!!!  Something that shows how truly compassionate we in the media and government are in relation to Race Issues!  Y’know, because those Republicans are racist, we all know it.

Hey, there's this case in Florida where this Neighborhood Watch Nazi shot an innocent black teen… simply walking in a neighborhood before he was to help elderly folks across the road!

What?… Whaddya mean the shooter identifies himself as Hispanic?  Oh… Damn… Wait!  His dad was white!  That makes him WHITE!  and a RACIST!

What?… Whaddya mean Zimmerman a registered Democrat?… Hmmm that’s a bit inconvenient… He’s still white right?  Ok, he’s a token Democrat!  Racist!

What?… Whaddya mean Zimmerman has physical wounds indicating he was assaulted, punched, and had his head being bounced on the ground?… Before he shot Trayvon™?   Hmmm, well that’s because he assaulted Trayvon™ first by observing him and asking what he was up to in a neighborhood where he had not been seen before!  Racist stereotyper!

What?… Whaddya mean witnesses account that Zimmerman was heading back to his SUV after being advised by the Police Dispatcher not to continue following the suspicious character when he was then assaulted by Trayvon™? … Hmmmm… damn… Zimmerman is still WHITE right?  He’s a liar then!

This unfortunately seems to be the message being perpetuated by the Media and the Administration… “If I had a son he’d look like Trayvon™!”  --- Really??? Would he also have the attitude and vocabulary Trayvon™ apparently possessed? [Link to Trayvon’s™ tweets under the handle “No Limit Nigga” (his words not mine…)] ---

Granted Zimmerman had no knowledge of these character traits of this particular youth, but honestly I don’t think George Zimmerman gave a rat’s ass about this kid’s past as he lay on his back, bleeding from his nose, having his head pounded on the pavement.  He didn’t know the kid’s past, but was well aware of Trayvon’s™ “present” and in a decisive moment was about to determine the kid’s future.

Had the outcome been different and George Zimmerman been the one remaining on the ground in a pool of his own blood, what would the headline read? “Profiled Persecuted Warm Hearted African American Youth Kills Oppressor in Self Defense”?

Without having all the facts in yet, I may be leaping to conclusions… but why are my leaps (based on pretty substantial circumstantial evidence) any more heinous than the leaps being made by Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, The New Black Panther Party, MSNBC and to a degree the sitting administration and water carriers in congress?

This whole incident seems nothing more that racial opportunists run amok! The more time passes the more it is beginning to look like the facts do not support the claims by the emotionalism excelling to the point of lunacy!

The point is, investigations are continuing and now that we have meandered so far down this dirty road, what is to be the outcome when Eric Holder and his Feds are left with no choice based on REAL evidence to declare that, no civil liberties were violated, no racial motivation was present, and it is indeed under the law, a case of self defense! 

But then again, maybe that would be the best outcome… Only Nixon could go to China.

Why Newt Won South Carolina

Two days before the South Carolina Primary, one of the big media outlets scores what it thinks is a coup sure to devastate the campaign of one Newt Gingrich!

“Let’s Air Newt’s Dirty Laundry relating to his previous marriage!”…  “Yeah! That’ll show him to be the despicable dirtbag we all want him to be!”

Well… the voting populace in South Carolina is… well… Southern!  And one thing that Southerners know how to do is… Not Air Their Dirty Laundry in Public!  Southerners know damn good and well that taboos are regularly crossed behind closed doors (and by the way all good southerners also know that if you are going to cross a taboo line that it is best done “Behind Closed Doors”!) Liberal Yankees are of the opposite extreme, they are of the opinion that the concepts of Taboos are archaic and therefore all behaviors, no matter how distasteful, no matter how immoral (by any favorite standard), no matter how harmful, should be not just tolerated but accepted if not celebrated!

Southerner’s hate when Yankees try to rub their noses in anything!  So when a perceived Liberal Media Outlet, decides it is going to “Out” a Southern Republican for “Immoral” behavior… the Southern Voting base isn’t repulsed, as ABC executives thought they would be… The voting populace becomes Defensive!

We’ve all had experiences where a good friend, or relative experiences a divorce.  Divorces by nature are not pretty!  The two parties involved do not get along any more!  What at first, many years prior, looked like the land of Beer and Skittles, later turned into the land of sweatpants and curlers with an attitude!  Now many couples try to stay together for the sake of whatever… be it the kids, public reputation, you name it.  Divorces are public acknowledgement of failure!  And many, in a fit of misguided pride try to make internal adjustments to the private relationship while still having outward appearances remain intact. It is especially true in the south. Southerner’s are all about appearances.  “Never let them see you sweat” is definitely a Southern Term! 

Eventually, it all collapses and indeed the divorce becomes public.  It’s tough!  But you know something, shit happens!  Ok… that’s that!  And that is how Southerners see it.  What happened behind closed doors that caused the rift, or what behavior agreements were aired in an effort to keep public appearances, are none of my damn business!  But it doesn’t mean we won’t gossip about it!  Remember, you’ll never hear one of us repeating gossip!… so you better be sure and listen close the first time!

We’ve all heard the rumors of Newt’s breakups, and through the rumor mill how terrible he treated his former wives (a claim that eventually was repudiated by the very wife he was supposed to be such a jerk to!  A repudiation supported by his and her daughters as well).

And once we Southerners realized again that the stories weren’t necessarily true… we then took the rest of the blather with a grain of salt.

Newt may well have tried to broker an agreement with his wife where he could sleep with another while still maintaining outward appearances of a stable marriage. Happens all the time!  The pompous Yankee asses at ABC made the mistake of assuming that Southerners are too naïve to even think this could happen.  So, ABC News, high in their Ivory tower, thinks that they will be exposing Newt for what he really is, and in so doing illustrating the hypocrisy of these pesky Republicans in all of their Moral Stances.   Heh!  Jokes on them!

In the south we know there are disturbances in the moral force that binds us. What we do not tolerate is spitefulness!  Back-stabbing is unbecoming, and southern empathy will immediately be directed toward the perceived victim!  That who is being back stabbed in public!  You just don’t' do that.  So when Newt’s Ex went on National Television to air her laundry, she violated the Southern Code!  And therefor became immediately petty and irrelevant!  Southerners saw a fellow southerner now under attack by those damn Yankees, supported by fodder from a jilted turncoat former wife (who, after this display… Southerners thought, “No wonder Newt wanted to sleep with someone else!”)  So what does the south do?  Protect their own!  And damned if they will vote for that Republican from that Yankee Bastion Massachusetts!

And when CNN, not realizing all they were doing is throwing Newt into the Briar Patch, carried ABC’s water and asked about the Succubus's claim… Newt, a true Southerner, knew he had the advantage and attacked the Liberal Media for stooping so low as to bring this type of issue up at something so dignified as a PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE!  Remember CNN, ABC, CBS, NYT… Southerners don’t give a shit if you wear boxers or briefs either… as long as they’re clean!

Nike Needs Their Star Power Back!

I was reading a news article online this evening when I looked in the side bar and saw this advertisement for Nike’s new “Lunarelite” men’s running shoe. 

Simple… not sure what they’re driving at here with this campaign… Getting away from the “Just Do It” campaign I guess…

But doncha think it would be more… um… impactful with a little more Star Power?  Something more like this?

Just say’n…

Tom Walker Now Writing an Official Sports Car Column

My buddy Tom Walker, oft somewhat agreeable antagonist to many of my postings here, is now writing his own “for pay” column over at  examiner.com.  He is the designated “Denver Sports Car Driving Examiner.”  However, knowing Tom, I am sure his articles will apply to you even if you live in Vienna Georgia, or Manhattan Beach California.

Tom is a pretty knowledgeable car dude, and I’m sure will bring a thoughtful, informative take on the sports car genre. I am looking forward to reading his takes on Sports Cars, especially since I am a proud, recent inductee to the Sports Car Owners club. 

Pay Tom a visit, the more the merrier, especially since I think part of his compensation comes from unique hits.  My advice was to include bikini clad models in his reviews, but alas he is not usually one to resort to tricks like that to drive internet traffic.  Although I’m sure we’ll be seeing some topless… cars on his pages periodically.

Also he is of British heritage, so you may have to pardon an occasional reference to the “Boot” or “Bonnet” ;-)

His first two articles are already up:

• How do you define a sports car?
• A hatchback for the people

I’m going to add his column over in the left pane of Carmichael’s Position so take a look over there for his latest postings, and visit a few of my other friends’ articles too, all entertaining.

I Know, Let’s Pelt them with Marshmallows!

Or other equally damaging UN ideas.

In response to the rogue nation of North Korea (aka Norks) launching a missile fully capable of striking Alaska or any other nearby nation like Japan or South Korea, the UN is convening an EMERGENCY Session of the security council.  BIG DEAL!

The U.N. Security Council will hold consultations on the launch at 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday. U.N. diplomats said no country was considering imposing new sanctions but a resolution on stricter enforcement of earlier measures could be discussed.

“Stricter enforcement of earlier measures…”  Huh?  So you’re your telling me you numbskulls enacted earlier measures without plans to “Strictly Enforce” them.  What was your plan?  Say “Pretty Please with Kimchi on top?  This is precisely why the UN stands for Useless Numbskulls!  Business as usual.  Only now with our current administration, you are more empowered to sit idly by while we orate ourselves into oblivion.

Lets change the name of the United Nations to a more accurate moniker… how about Action-less Society of Sniveling Hottentots Obviously Lost Evermore… I’ll let you see the acronym.

The only thing worse than the UN’s ineptitude is the institutionalized lack of quality reporting by any press agency anymore.  Both the AP and Reuters reported part of this story stating that The NORKS claimed their rocket achieved its goal of depositing a satellite into orbit.  Yet then go on to claim that US, Japanese, and South Korean sources say it failed to reach orbit. 

Um… Seriously how tough is this to verify?  How about going out on a limb there boys and girls and unequivocally stating… The NORKS are FULL OF SHIT! Any 10 year old with a telescope can verify that nothing new is in orbit along that trajectory!  But no, in the press train’s ever increasing desire to be as vague as Jell-o and as accountable as OJ Simpson, always make is sound like the facts are debatable.  Sometimes they are not, you jackasses.  Did it reach orbit or not?  Just state it!

I Found the Silver Lining to a Barak Obama Administration

Humorists have a new target!  Ahhhh... I'm been looking forward to enjoying the Onion again.  This is a good start!

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

Cartoonist Could Use Your Help

I have long been a fan of political cartoons, I love the ability of an artist to convey a poignant message in a minimal amount of space.  I've enjoyed both Conservative and Liberal cartoons if the imagery and message is delivered well.

I've long been a fan of the creative musings of Berke Breathed, Garry Trudeau, Cox & Forkum (John & Allen) and many more...  One of my recent favorites, I stumbled upon a couple of years ago in a blog post, is Chris Muir, the writer and artist for Day By Day.

Chris blends a edgy even sexy artistic style, with mainstream political issues we face daily.  He weaves together thoughts and philosophies of both Left and Right through the lives of 4 main characters and often illustrates the simple naivete of a position taken by today's political headliners, PAC's, and fringe groups by pitting one against the other in his characters' actions and words.

Chris obviously falls more on the Right side of the political spectrum, which I find refreshing (Duh...)  because as seems to be the case with everything artistic or media related, the majority of cartoonists come from a left leaning slant, understandable considering idealism and passion often drives great art.  Two traits the left has a PLETHORA of and two traits we conservatives often have to ask advice on how to.... um.... fake... learn!  Yeah... learn!

So I was a bit dismayed this morning when I read the following from Chris Muir:

Unfortunately, technology finally ended my main job ... , which left DBD my only income.

He is left to turn to his readership for donations in the form of a fundraiser to continue publishing Day By Day.  Which I actually respect a great deal.  It is never easy to ask for compensation... when was the last time you asked your boss for a raise?  But Chris has a bit more of a difficulty, we are his boss, all of us who enjoy his strip daily, intermittently... whenever. 

Chris is following capitalism in the truest form... he is asking for donations to the cause.  Personally I think it is more an issue of we consumers, pony-ing up and paying for the quality of writing and creativity we all enjoy.  Idealistically Chris obviously produces Day By Day because it is what he enjoys...  Pragmatically however he cannot continue to focus on creating these daily gems and pay the bills without some compensation.  He is truly an independent publisher.  And much like a server at your favorite restaurant... his livelyhood weighs heavily on... for lack of a better analogy... "TIPS!" from his patrons.  So if you like the service/product you've been consuming and want to consume into the future, he requests that you show your support in the most pragmatic way... with your wallet. 

Here's his deal... He is looking for donations to keep things going, in his words.

...according to 'The Long Tail' theory of Internet readers, there's usually a core 1% that come through for Internet publishers. All donations are critical, and I also ask again of that '1000'. Look what Leonidas did with the 300-except I don't have a 6-pack, I'm not a leader, and the thought of all of you in G-strings frankly worries me a bit.

But we share the same beliefs, I think.

The site's been redone, there's a forum coming up, there's an email subscription, searchable archives, new avatars, a new DBD banner that shows the strip in a popup (so you have more advertising space on your own blog),twitter, free Wowio DBD ebooks, and when you donate to DBD you receive pdfs of never released drawings of DBD's start back in 1998 (yes, 2 years before DBD went up), examples of just how different Jan, Damon, Sam, and Zed were before 2001.

Depending on which of the 4 Donation Levels you select, there is also a DBD Playing Card deck, Sam posters, plus Original DBD hand-written script sheets complete with hand-signed strips that derive from those scripts.

That was the carrot, now for the stick, and...I don't have a stick.

I'll still try & get DBD out.

I think you can tell from the strip that I'm something of a minimalist. I drive a Honda that was new when Arsenio was hot. My first vacation in 12 years, and I go to Iraq to research for the characters. This isn't for sympathy, but clarity. I love doing DBD. Every hard-earned dollar you send here is for one purpose-to make it possible for me to improve and continue DBD for you (and me!).

In a PC correct era, DBD's characters speak with you on issues you find important. PC still rules the MSM, whether newspapers, the networks, or well-funded 'pundits'. DBD connects with people directly, the only comic where the readers are the source and the feature. You might depend on DBD, but the reality is DBD depends on you.

Help keep our voice out there. In one day, all of you got DBD more than halfway through 2008. Again, whatever amount is donated, I'll give directly back in DBD strips.

And yes. This time I will leave the Fundraiser up for a month, not a day.

Chris Muir

If you too would like to contribute to Chris's work, I recommend you go here and throw a few bucks his way!  [Link]