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Off Their Rocker
This email news release just appeared in the in-box: (Central Islip, N.Y., June 27, 2005) - The Long Island Ducks, members of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, today announced they have released relief pitcher John Rocker after the lefty reliever decided to take a step back from baseball. Long Island's professional baseball team has dodged a bullet. It must be said, though, that Rocker played baseball and stayed pretty much controversy-free (save for bad baseball and dealing with the necessary heckling.) But any day he leaves a team is a good day for that team. By Ed Moltzen · 27 June 2005
What The Penguin Said
In the movie "Madagascar," a group of penguins spends an enormous amount of time, planning, plotting and scheming to break out of the Central Park Zoo in New York City, and escape back to the South Pole where penguins are supposed to live. They dig a tunnel, escape, get caught, hijack a ship and make their way to what they think is the Promised Land. But they find out that the South Pole, despite all their dreaming and effort, is cold. It's windy. It's empty. There's no food. There's no party. The three penguins get off the ship into their icy, baron nightmare just standing, standing, looking and standing before "Skipper" the penguin notes, "Well...This sucks." Many of the 60 million Americans who voted for President Bush couldn't be blamed for thinking the same thing. All that effort, all those hopes...for this? The predominant theme after the 9/11 attacks, when it came to the war on terror, was boiled down to three words: "Whatever it takes." That's why President Bush was re-elected. He was viewed as a man who would actually do whatever it takes. Instead, "Whatever it takes" has been hijacked like the penguins' ship: "Whatever it takes...to close Guantanamo Bay." "Whatever it takes...to kill the Patriot Act." "Whatever it takes...to block any conservative nominees." "Whatever it takes...to pull out of Iraq." "Whatever it takes...to wait out the next three years until Kerry/Edwards/Hillary/Biden/Dean/Cynthia McKinney can become president." If you voted for President Bush, it's no wonder you feel the same way now as Skipper the Penguin in the South Pole. Oliver Willis wants to know why it took less time to bring the Japanese to the surrender table in World War II than it’s taken to defeat al Qaeda. Well, for starters, we had a president at the time who dropped TWO NUKES on Japan. Make that for enders, too. But even Americans who hated Harry Truman gave him the benefit of "Whatever it takes." If Truman were around today and considered dropping The Big One against al Qaeda, someone in the State Department would leak it to the media, MoveOn.org would hold mock hearings, blogs would hold special fundraisers for anti-nuke candidates, and Sen. Richard Durbin would complain that "if you didn’t know better, the use of weapons of mass destruction would appear to be something out of the dark days of Saddam Hussein’s regime." "Whatever it takes" worked to win many wars for this country, including World War II. But, as we see now, "Whatever it takes" has changed. What the penguin said. By Ed Moltzen · 26 June 2005
Winning a War
Andrew Sullivan isn't taking Karl Rove's side: You expect that kind of moronic extremism from a Michelle Malkin, but from the most influential figure in an administration leading a country in wartime? Ok, ok, I'm not surprised. Rove is a brutal operator. But to my mind, the hysterical attacks on Durbin and now this outburst (and the White House's subsequent endorsement of it) are an indication of some level of panic. Here's an interview Vice President Cheney gave with Wolf Blitzer: Story here, but the video that CNN provides for free is easy to watch. It's hard to find any panic. Cheney calmly spells out that the Iraqi constitutional process is on track and that more national elections are set for later this year. In addition, 160,000 Iraqi troops have been trained and are taking over much of the country's security. And let's not forget about the forthcoming Saddam Hussein trial. It's been a while since the American public was reminded about the acid baths, torture, children's prisons, mass graves, Saddam's Halabja WMD attack against Iraq citizens, and on and on. Nothing like the spelling out of crimes against humanity to focus people's attention. Six months from now, Saddam will likely have been convicted, an Iraqi constitution will be in place and more national elections there will be on the way. Iraqi troops will be killing or capturing more terrorists than they are today. So the question isn't about who is panicking now. The question is: who will be panicking in six months. By all markers, the right people will be panicking. By Ed Moltzen · 24 June 2005
Accuracy in Rove-porting
Democratic U.S. senators from the New York metropolitan area are calling for presidential deputy chief of staff Karl Rove to apologize for saying this: Liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers. Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 and the attacks and prepared for war. Technically, it's accurate. Howard Dean, who was considered the leading spokesman for the left during the 1994 Democratic primary campaign season, did say, in fact, that Osama bin Laden should be considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. And Dean's proposed anti-terror policy called largely for understanding the root causes of what drove the terrorists. In all fairness, Sen. John Kerry, who eventually won the Democratic nomintion from Dean, did repudiate Dean's Osama-is-considered-innocent remarks. However, he did also say the war on terror was "primarily an intelligence and law enforcement operation." On the other hand: The behind-the-scenes response from the Bush Administration to the Sept. 11 attacks: "...(C)apture bin Laden, kill him and bring his head back in a box full of dry ice." While Rove critics say the remarks are out of bounds, they haven't yet pointed to any inaccuracies. By Ed Moltzen · 23 June 2005
Low Hanging Moons
The scientists at NASA are explaining a moon mind-bender that will happen this week: Step outside any evening at sunset and look around. You'll see a giant moon rising in the east. It looks like Earth's moon, round and cratered; the Man in the Moon is in his usual place. But something's wrong. This full moon is strangely inflated. It's huge! More here. Will this mean that weirdoes we usually only see during full moons appear even weirder this week? By Ed Moltzen · 20 June 2005
Missing: News Judgment
Oliver Willis raises a good point: Is it a coincidence that all of the "big media" stories on missing persons focus on caucasian, middle-class women, or does it just seem that way? By Ed Moltzen · 17 June 2005
Radio Margaritaville
The Jimmy Buffet channel on Sirius Satellite Radio launched this week. Here's a playlist from an hour or so of its broadcast this morning:
It sounds sort of like Lite-FM, but with more steel drums. So it's just a little bit different than anything you might hear on either free radio or online music casts from Yahoo! or Netscape. It's kind of, sort of, like what you might hear in on the radio in some cabs in New York City, with a Haitian DJ announcing songs in French. But without the static. So Sirius gets credit for trying. If they keep at it, they may just get it right. By Ed Moltzen · 17 June 2005
NY Times Correction du Jour
It's been a rough season, but not so rough that starters would have been this miserable: Because of an editing error, a sports article in some copies yesterday about the Yankees' 9-0 victory over Pittsburgh misstated the number of innings pitched by their starters. Entering yesterday, it was 388 1/3, not 38 1/3. In any event, 388 could also be the number of stories this year about Kevin Brown's back problems... By Ed Moltzen · 16 June 2005
Perspective
Is Guantanamo Bay giving America a black eye, or is it a necessary place to detain terrorists and interrogate them in hopes of stopping another Sept. 11? Listen, and judge for yourself. By Ed Moltzen · 15 June 2005
Cool Lead Alert
From Ellis Henican's column today in Newsday: There is no good place to crash a helicopter. By Ed Moltzen · 15 June 2005
Mad Mullahs
Things are getting nasty in Iran (well, even nastier). The president of the country has put out this statement: President Mohammad Khatami has called for serious action against those behind a spate of recent attacks on election campaigns, which have left at least one official with cuts and bruises. In his cabinet meeting late Sunday, Khatami called for 'swift investigation into electoral violations as well as identification and severe punishment of those behind recent disturbance of certain functions and speech meetings'. It's taken a full generation, but Iran's leadership has finally forgotten one of the main reasons they kicked the shah out of the country. By Ed Moltzen · 15 June 2005
NY Times Correction du Jour
The untouchable crossword puzzle for Saturday (from today's New York Times corrections:) The puzzle... provided an erroneous clue for 33 Across, seeking the answer Ness. "Famed F.B.I. figure" was incorrect because Eliot Ness, the government agent, worked for the Treasury Department. "Felt" would fit. By Ed Moltzen · 14 June 2005
The Radio Class Struggle
Very interesting conversation taking place at the New York Radio Message Board: Is radio now only a medium for the poor? A poster named Bob Mariansky writes: Over the weekend my nephew(age 25) told me he listens to MP3 music! He said Radio is just for poor people who can't afford to buy the music they want to listen to! (sorry to say--he might be right! If you can't afford $300 for an iPod, or a similar amount for a satellite radio - not including monthly subscription or MP3 download costs - what can you do? Put another way: if you don't have an iPod or satellite, you've got Jack. By Ed Moltzen · 13 June 2005
Non!
Google can translate your web page into other languages. Whether you like it or not. By Ed Moltzen · 12 June 2005
Amazing Grace
It looks like there are two types of folks in the country today. There are those who are lucky enough to move on (so to speak) from the horrors of Sept. 11, and those who have not been so lucky. This is from today's Newsday: NEW YORK -- A 30-year-old firefighter who rushed to the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, was memorialized Saturday at a Manhattan church in one of the last funerals for the 343 firefighters killed that day. At the time Maynard raced to the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, he had been a member of the NYFD for two years. His father, to this day, carries his late son's shield with him, according to Newsday. Four years later and the fallen are still being buried, families are still reaching for closure. Here's some more news: Osama bin Laden is still hiding from American wrath, his followers are being killed or captured in numbers so great the media hasn't even bothered taillying it up, and we're breaking up al Qaeda plots on both coasts. Four years later, al Qaeda is losing the war bin Laden declared on America, and the war he has now declared on other Iraqis. Here's the striking part: While we're still burying victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, the evidence and reports show there are many, many Iraqis who are angrier at al Qaeda than some Americans. One man looks at the landscape, calls the president of the United States the enemy, and gets put in charge of a major American political party. It's a question of what anger you carry closer: the anger of Sept. 12, or the anger of Nov. 3. Meanwhile, the fallen are still being buried. By Ed Moltzen · 12 June 2005
"Celebration?"
Drudge is linking to this story by Roger Friedman at Foxnews.com, suggesting the Michael Jackson prosecution team was "celebrating" - by eating dinner in a restaurant - even before the jury verdict has been reached in the child molestation case. Which leads to this question: Was everyone on the defense team eating alone, or did they simply manage to find a place that the media couldn't locate? Also: Isn't it rather commonplace for both prosecution and defense teams, during and after a long, grueling trial, to hang out together for meals during the deliberation phase? By Ed Moltzen · 10 June 2005
NY Times Correction du Jour
Pedro offers you his protection, but not against errors that make their way into print: A picture caption in The Arts on Wednesday with a Critic's Notebook article about characters in movies and television shows who are losers misidentified the roles of the actors shown with Jon Heder, the star of the film "Napoleon Dynamite." They played his uncle and his brother, not his "loser friends." Dang! By Ed Moltzen · 10 June 2005
Disposable Action
AP is reporting that CVS will start selling disposable video cameras for $29.99: CVS Corp. stores, which has exclusive rights to sell them, will process the camera for $12.99 and return a DVD; users also can e-mail video and video greeting cards. It might not be the best investment you could make if you're a video fanatic, but it could be worth keeping in a blogger/reporter crash pack with other "accessories" like a cheap digital camera, digital audio recorder, notebook, energy bars and bail money. By Ed Moltzen · 9 June 2005
Rethinking Media Criticism
The tragic saga of Kevin Carmody probably won't tone down much of the froth-mouthed attacks against reporters and editors, but it may make some people think twice. (Via Jessa Crispin.) Carmody, a veteran investigative and environmental reporter for the Austin American-Statesman, committed suicide after blistering criticism on a series of stories he did attacking a local sacred cow. (Depression may have played a role, too, but the timing points to a significant contribution from the depth and tone of the criticism.) Carmody was 46. By Ed Moltzen · 8 June 2005
We Shall Overcome
Who needs CourtTV? You can get your daily Michael Jackson Jury Deliberation Recap here, including nuggets like these: Jackson fans waited outside the courthouse Monday holding signs saying such things as "Only love. No crime. He's innocent. Leave him alone," "We shall overcome" and "Peter Pan rules." A woman held a sign showing Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., and Jackson. Once you see a sign that says, "Peter Pan rules," there really isn't much left to say. By Ed Moltzen · 7 June 2005
Case Update
A new comment has been added to this old post regarding a shooting out in California, from a juror on the case. By Ed Moltzen · 6 June 2005
Quote of the Day
Lindsey Lohan, whose car was intentionally rammed last week by a photographer trying to snap a shot of the actress: "I was so shaken up, but I was still nice 'cause I was like, 'I understand it's your job. But you don't have to ram into me next time. I'll give you a picture.' " It's hard to believe she grew up on Long Island, which invented road rage. By Ed Moltzen · 6 June 2005
Kid Gloves
From Michael Jackson's publicist: Michael Jackson visited the Santa Ynez Cottage Hospital for recurring back spasms due to stress. However, he is in good spirits. He has not been admitted and he will be going home. She may not be able to say "he will be going home" after today. On an unrelated note, this looks like an interesting web site. MORE: Here's a survey that can make the waiting for a verdict more interesting, and fun! By Ed Moltzen · 6 June 2005
The Nixon Legacy
The "Deep Throat" revelations this week have kicked up some of the old Watergate dust, with folks who supported him and hated him going at it again. But Oliver Willis writes this striking note to Ben Stein (and, it seems, others who worked for and admired Nixon): Your boss, Richard Nixon, was a common crook hiding out in the people's White House. The sooner you admit that is the closer you'll get to reality. Evidently, he's not happy with folks who believe stuff like this about Nixon: As a public man, he always seemed to believe the greatest sin was remaining passive in the face of challenges, and he never stopped living by that creed. He gave of himself with intelligence and energy and devotion to duty, and his entire country owes him a debt of gratitude for that service. Who said that? Peggy Noonan? Pat Buchanan? How about: Bill Clinton. A rap-sheet comparison between Nixon and Clinton could go on for volumes when talking about issues such as lying, obstruction of justice, personal financial ethical problems, abuse of power and on and on. But to what end? After all, it was a group of liberal Bush-haters who gave currency to the phrase, "Move on." Some of their brethren may want to consider it when it comes to Nixon. By Ed Moltzen · 5 June 2005
Do They Even Know Jack?
What's with the New York radio industry? New York's FM oldies station, WCBS-FM, changed its format on Friday from oldies (music from the '50s through the early '80s) and is now calling itself "Jack." It has expanded its playlist from about 500 songs to about 1,400. One radio executive told the New York Post: "Now there's no oldies station in the world's largest radio market." Well, if you have satellite radio, you can fiddle between stations dedicated to '50s, '60s, '70s and '80s music to get your fix. If you have an iPod, you can just store and listen to your own. A few months ago, New York's smooth jazz station changed its format to something called "Chill" (essentially, fewer "smooth jazz" songs and more Moby and island music.) The station's ratings have barely budged since. Change in anything is inevitable, but it seems radio programmers around the country are pushing the panic button as satellite radio and iPod Nation are taking ears away. But one of the things local radio has always done best is community-building - the very thing now being done well on blogs, in Podcasts and, to an extent, on satellite radio. And, if you count that iPod owners are in many ways coming to think of themselves as part of the same "club," Apple is creating a community as well. Radio stations are taking what communities they have left, and, in many cases, telling them to hit the road. Jack. By Ed Moltzen · 5 June 2005
You Wynn Some...
This is probably not the kind of publicity Steve Wynn was seeking out for his new, multi-billion dollar hotel in Las Vegas: LAS VEGAS, June 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The following statement is being issued by Wynn Las Vegas: The phrase "his people" sounds like a relic from the mid-'90s. By Ed Moltzen · 4 June 2005
Virgin Hijacked?
MSNBC is reporting a Virgin Atlantic flight from London to JFK has sent out a hijack alert signal, but the pilot has informed authorities the plane hasn't been taken over. The report, on TV, is that planes have scrambled and the flight isn't being allowed into U.S. air space. MORE: The full report is posted online: False alarm. The speed at which U.S. and Canadian authorities got the hijack ping, sent up planes, an ordered the flight diverted has to be depressing to some folks. By Ed Moltzen · 3 June 2005
Amazon Dot Who?
Gallup has published results of a poll into American book-reading, and finds 47 percent of us are reading a book now. Among its findings: Most people, 73%, say the Internet has not affected their reading habits, but 16% say that because they spend more of their free time on the Internet, they are reading fewer books. Just 6% say that the Internet has influenced them to read more, by making it easier to find out about, and purchase, books. That small minority sure does spend an awful lot. By Ed Moltzen · 3 June 2005
News Pod Casts
New York's two news radio stations, WCBS-AM and WINS-AM, will lead all of Infinity Broadcastings nine metro news stations in offering Podcasts, according to Radio & Records. (Via the New York Radio Message Board.) The Podcasts will vary in length and include news broadcasts from the respective stations along with content developed exclusively for download. Yeah, but do they have Mary the Blog Robot? By Ed Moltzen · 3 June 2005
The Late Final Robocast
Rather than offering up a podcast, here is the first - and very likely, the last - Late Final Robocast. (Robot supplied by software from Textaloud.com) By Ed Moltzen · 2 June 2005
It Depends on What The Meaning Of The Word Hero Is
Tim Graham at The Corner has a post that makes Aaron Brown look, well, not so good. By Ed Moltzen · 2 June 2005
Need A Ride To Court?
No, not for your problems. For Michael Jackson's. He's offering rides to court for any supporters who want to be there when the verdict in his molestation trial comes down. Plus: free ride. Minus: the monkey may have to sit on your lap. By Ed Moltzen · 2 June 2005
Stupid Radio Tricks
Reportedly, Clear Channel set up a fake "pirate radio" station in Ohio, which it used to take pot shots at other Clear Channel stations and get some attention. Juana Moore-Overmyer says, "It's nice when you're big enough to admit you suck." By Ed Moltzen · 1 June 2005
Nixon Felt He Was Leaking
The Nixon presidential materials, especially the transcripts of President Nixon's recorded, Oval Office conversations makes for great reading this morning. As early as 1973, Nixon and John Dean believed W. Mark Felt was leaking information to Time Magazine and others. But Nixon was afraid Felt knew too much, and declined to take any action. Although they were hopeful others would, eventually: PRESIDENT: In other words, you can't blow the whistle on Felt, just like you can't blow the whistle on that son of a bitch out there, the yeoman, in the Jack Anderson case, right? Every time a new revelation occurs, it shines a new light on the events of Watergate and the Nixon administration. The "Deep Throat" revelation will bring an especially bright light onto the whole episode. By Ed Moltzen · 1 June 2005
The New York Knicks...Sponsored By Outback Steakhouse!
Mark Cuban likes the idea of advertising on NBA uniforms: Putting a logo(s) on our jerseys is the way for us to open the door to every major international company who may only do limited business in the US, to become a customer of the NBA and its teams. Considering NASCAR and the PGA, it wouldn't be shocking to see ads on NBA jerseys. Heck, they've had ads on Little League jerseys for years. But inevitably, we'd be left looking at players trying to get a ball through a hoop wearing a Viagra ad. Is that what people really want? By Ed Moltzen · 1 June 2005
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