Thoughtful Preparations: Media Spin Blog

“Those who control what stories we hear can help determine our politics and culture. Promoting a commercial culture is the most important story that General Electric, Disney, Viacom, and many others want us to constantly hear.”
– from Digital Destiny by Jeff Chester.

If your reality is a sweet world of American Idols, bimbo catfights, ultra-violence and big media slogans then you may be a zombie slave to the boss man owners of the Big Media Plantation.

The recent National Conference for Media Reform was held in Memphis, Tennessee where among others, Bill Moyers made a stirring speech for every one of us to defend a free press. Links below provide the details.
References:

• National Conference for Media Reform: Home Page
• YouTube video of Bill Moyer’s Keynote Address at NCMR
• Democracy Now’s Transcript of Bill Moyer’s Speech at NCMR
• Amy Goodman’s Interview with FCC Commissioner
• Review of the Media Reform Conference by News Hounds
• Stop Big Media
• Tell the FCC: No More Media Consolidation
• Public Access Television
• Legal Guide for Bloggers

“Stupid Tea” Originally uploaded by brappy!.

Tony Hicks writes And Another Thing a very funny column in the Contra Costa Times. His recent article, “Humor not lost in translation” about preparations for the 2008 Olympics in Bejing points out a number of humorous errors in translation from Chinese to English, such as a park celebrating diversity named, “Racist Park.”

Hicks goes on to explore the phenomenon known as “Chinglish”and provides a few helpful links. The link to Flickr’s Chinglish section devoted to photos of awkwardly worded Chinese signs and labels is very good.

NO BANGEE!
Originally uploaded by Danburg Murmur.

whoa, pt 2
Originally uploaded by brappy!.

Why escalate the American troop levels, death and injury count in Iraq? We certainly do not wish to add more crosses to these pictures of the Lafayette, CA memorial to the U.S. troop fallen in Iraq. See the blog Eschew Obfuscation for more detailed coverage of the Crosses of Lafayette.

The Contra Costa Times covers soldiers’ moms involvement with the memorial site.

Do you need a suburban morning wake up call? Go to this web site and listen to these edgy, nasty power pop songs by Jesus H Christ and the Four Hornsmen of the Apocalypse. It will restore your attitude where The B-52’s and R.E.M. left off awhile ago. The girl singer Risa Mickenberg sings naughty things that make me smile. These characters have surpassed They Might Be Giants as a well co-ordinated nut job band with horns in my musicologic mindscape.

Someone e-mailed me this Tibetan Personality Test. It’s kind of fun, kind of spooky. Not sure what to make of it. Was supposed to email it, but it is better to let people who want to try it to CLICK THIS.

Two experienced veterans of Marvel and DC Comics, Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon have produced a graphic adaptation of the 2005 9/11 Commission Report, The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation.

It appears to be a careful study, although not all agree on the controversial subject matter, for example the blog AboveTopSecret.com pokes fun at the graphic novel.

The Slate has the first chapter of the book online. More illustrations and reviews are on Amazon . There is an interview with the co-authors on NPR.

The two action superhero editors know a good story when they see one.

As a loyal Conan O’Brien fan who has even dragged his three younger brothers to a live Christmas holiday taping, I enjoy how far Conan can go out on a limb. Previously it was a look alike Finnish stateswoman, and now an accidental dot com, HornyManatee.com.

I will not go into how this came about. The results are an outpoouring of repressed manatee love and expression that perhaps only a manatee and the humanity of the Internet can provide.

If you feel hurt and wronged by this, then go to the alternative manatee web site, TammyFaye.com and you will surely be soothed.

The sudden passing of James Brown reminded me that I have an number of photographs I shot of him in a concert performance at the Madison (WI) Civic Center in April of 1981. So here are a few of the photos displayed in fond memory of a dynamic, energetic character.

His singing style was one that I could vocally imitate, and get friends laughing at my explosive delivery of the James Brown catch phrases, “Hot Pants!” “Popcorn” and of course a big “Huh!” from the diaphragm… or the gut for you rednecks.