all the little things

One of the most passionate and beautiful pleas for tolerance in relationships (which is actually the secret to a long-term relationship) comes from Dan Savage, a syndicated sex columnist who happens to also be openly gay.

Yet another statutory rape

I stumbled upon a strange story: a 14 year old girl from Iasi, Romania, claims she was seduced by a 22 year old man and he “refuses to continue the relationship”.

why you're still single and what to do about it

Recently, I came across an article about a woman's attempts to date successfully at 41. There's some advice from a "dating coach" that anyone could use.

Catholic Church vs women

In a controversial and highly inflammatory new document, the Catholic Church has once again refused to treat women and men equally when it comes to priesthood. Though we recognize their right to worship as they see fit, we feel that this is a matter that needs to be discussed.

What draws me to this issue is its ethical complexity. As a former relationship and sex counselor, I have a significant feminist streak. As a libertarian, I believe that the state should not interfere with religion. If the Catholic Church wants to prohibit women to become priests, they should have the right to do so. Women with such a vocation could start their own Christian church.

Back in 1999 Sinead O’Connor defied those Christians who believe that Jesus chose his apostles to be only men for a reason by being ordained in a ceremony of the Latin Tridentine church in Lourdes. But she did not stop there. After singing “War”, she tore the picture of the Pope live on TV saying “fight the real enemy” (see videoclips below).

The incredibly surprising thing here is how poorly the Church fares in Public Relations. Recently, when condemning the ordaining of women priests, they almost equated it to pedophilia. According to the BBC,

Pat Brown, of the group Catholic Women's Ordination, said she was deeply shocked and called the change to Church law "a slap in the face to women". She said of the Pope: "He is not doing himself any favours."

The Vatican says ordaining women is "grave" as is sex abuse, but denied it was equating the two. The Pope was "talking about paedophiles and talking about women wanting to be priests as a crime against the faith. I cannot understand that language," said Ms Brown.

(..)

The new Vatican document was released on Thursday, just days after the Church of England's General Synod voted in favour of legislation to consecrate women bishops. The new measures are expected to be interpreted as a pointed message to Anglicans.

In the document, the attempted ordination of a woman is listed as a "grave crime" to be handled by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, just as sex abuse is.

Vatican sex crimes prosecutor Monsignor Charles Scicluna said that including the two issues in the same document was not equating them, but was done to codify the most serious canonical crimes which the Roman Catholic Church handles. "They are grave, but on different levels," he said on Thursday.

One very interesting (for us) subject is that of the intersection of money and church. With reason or not, the Catholic Church is universally considered the richest church in the world, with the Vatican being the richest state. There is a precedent of a church (scientology) being denied by several countries non-profit / church status and being taxed as a business. Though we generally consider churches to be expressions of the freedom to worship, we regulate against discriminatory practices among employers. Slate (linked below) has examined the relationship between “soul saving” and pay incentives and advocates for using performance-based pay for priests:

Parsons' thesis adviser, Jay Hartzell, is also a preacher's son. Hartzell likes to quote Corinthians in connecting his current work to his father's ministering roots: "If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more?" In other words, if Goldman Sachs bankers get paid based on profits they earn for the company, why shouldn't preachers get bonuses based on souls saved (and paying members recruited)? (..) Before examining how financial incentives have affected Oklahoma's pastors, we first need to say what makes a great minister. Performance for corporate execs is relatively straightforward—they get paid based on the profits they generate. For nonprofits, performance depends on the organization's mission. Hospitals exist to heal the sick; schools, to educate children. The United Methodist church's primary objective is to attract disciples (which in turn keeps the collection box full and the church solvent).

Rather than unsuccessfully contacting the Anglican Church for a reaction, the BBC should have contacted Sinead O’Connor..

Sources / More info: bbc-catholic-women, church-money, wiki-scientology, wiki-sinead, yt

VerbaVolant, catholic, pope, papality, women, equality, ordain, priesthood, misogyny, misoginy

feel free to bask in the shadow of my penis

I just had a conversation with a cyber-ex. We had a sort of platonic cyber-relationship in the past, meaning we talked a lot about sex & stuff, but never did anything. One mo’ thing: it’s in Ro.

Cu ceva timp in urma, ne-am tot conversatara, dar ea era mult prea serioasa pentru gustul meu, iar umorul meu era mult prea acid, nerespectuos, ireverent si iconoclast pentru al ei, asa ca am cam incetat sa vorbim.

Tzin’ sa fie, tzin’ sa fie? Nu zic, dar ia de vezi:

Conversation with napocella on 4/23/2010 10:38:15 AM:
(10:38:25 AM) cracanelu: tu, fata, ce faci ioi?

(10:55:49 AM) napocella: salut
(10:55:51 AM) napocella: scriu
(10:55:52 AM) napocella: ioi?
(10:56:26 AM) cracanelu: si eu, dar probabil altceva

(10:58:44 AM) napocella: da?
(10:58:54 AM) napocella: tu probabil ceva genial si eu probabil ceva de cacat?
(10:59:28 AM) cracanelu: huh?
(10:59:32 AM) cracanelu: ai probleme la servici?
(10:59:48 AM) napocella: nu am
(10:59:49 AM) napocella: de ce?
(11:00:08 AM) cracanelu: pai ce-ti veni cu interpretarea aia complet nejustificata?
(11:00:16 AM) napocella: nimic
(11:00:25 AM) napocella: pur si simplu mi-ai mai dat arogantze
(11:00:26 AM) napocella: :)
(11:00:28 AM) napocella: that's all
(11:00:43 AM) cracanelu: te simti neapreciata de mine, sau in general?
(11:01:02 AM) napocella: de tine
(11:01:06 AM) napocella: nu neapreciata
(11:01:13 AM) napocella: declarativ neapreciata
(11:01:21 AM) napocella: :)
(11:01:28 AM) cracanelu: m-ai inteles gresit :)
(11:01:38 AM) cracanelu: eu sunt cel mai meserias dintre pamanteni
(11:01:48 AM) napocella: i see
(11:01:52 AM) cracanelu: voi, ceilalti, puteti sa va incalziti in umbra mea
(11:02:00 AM) cracanelu: dar asta nu-i un lucru negativ
(11:02:07 AM) cracanelu: eu sunt generos cu umbra mea
(11:02:17 AM) cracanelu: si in acelasi timp imi apreciez supusii
(11:02:21 AM) cracanelu: si am grija de ei
(11:02:27 AM) cracanelu: si de sanatatea lor emotionala
(11:02:28 AM) cracanelu: nu?
(11:02:40 AM) napocella: nu am idee
(11:02:45 AM) napocella: ce faci tu cu supusii tai
(11:02:59 AM) cracanelu: chiar nu? :)
(11:03:12 AM) cracanelu: uita-te in cyber-trecutul nostru comun..
(11:03:16 AM) napocella: ok
(11:03:23 AM) napocella: nu mai am arhiva
(11:03:39 AM) cracanelu: nasol.
(11:03:46 AM) napocella: deloc
(11:03:59 AM) cracanelu: cine-a zis-o p-aia cu "un popor fara istorie beleste pl?"
(11:04:08 AM) napocella: eu nu sunt popor
(11:04:09 AM) cracanelu: iorga, balcescu sau desunsianu?
(11:04:15 AM) napocella: let alone belirea de pula
(11:04:17 AM) napocella: ma doare in cur
(11:04:21 AM) napocella: cine a zis
(11:04:34 AM) cracanelu: :)
(11:04:40 AM) cracanelu: esti sigura ca n-ai draci?
(11:04:59 AM) napocella: sunt sigura ca nu mai imi plac de multa vreme glumitzele acide
(11:05:01 AM) napocella: de muuuuuuulta vreme
(11:05:22 AM) napocella: poate ca is mai edgy ca de obicei pt ca lucrez
(11:05:37 AM) cracanelu: bine, te las
(11:05:43 AM) cracanelu: succese creative!

Ce-mi veni sa public? Pai nimic, atat doar ca am vrut sa-nchei cu ceva, dar n-am vrut s-o distrag. Si anume, ca sa nu te doara-n fund, pe viitor, foloseste KY Jelly sau Astroglide (astea le tine eu minte, ‘or fi altele noi acum).

Cracanel, im, yahoo, mess, log, yahoo messenger, y!, yahoo!, conversation, conversatie

the breakup game

I’ve have never been good at saying good-bye of any kind, including funerals. And as a consequence, I have also avoided playing the break-up game as much as I could.

Melissa Etheridge’s Ex – a deadbeat?

We have recently heard about the rather acrimonious split of Melissa Etheridge. What is interesting is that his lawyer claims that the Ex is a deadbeat, while the "deadbeat" promises details on her blog.

Like many other trials / matter / actions, this one is playing first in the “public court”, with the lawyers acting more like PR agents. Melissa announced their separation after 9 years in April 2010, calling it “sad” on Oprah. Melissa’s wife Tammy claimed that they were left broke and destitute and filed for full physical and legal custody of their 3-y.o. twins, Johnnie and Miller. What a wonderful opportunity for their respective lawyers to get some media exposure!

Tammy, known prior to her relationship with Etheridge as Tammy Lynn Michaels, has subsequently claimed that the singer has left her and her children broke. Tammy Etheridge's attorney, Steven Knowles, called his client "destitute," stating that her credit card was declined when attempting to purchase food and clothing for her children, admitting only that the singer paid for "various sundry expenses."

These claims have since been refuted by Etheridge's lawyer, Neal Hersch, who told PEOPLE, "[Tammy] is being completely supported by Melissa and has been since they separated," calling the actress and her children, "well-provided for and then some." Hersch stated that on top of a $2,000 a month allowance for her former partner, Etheridge continued to pay Tammy's household expenses, utilities and the lease on her car.

Despite the initially civil-seeming nature of the split, Tammy fired back at Etheridge on her blog, saying that she was "blindsided" by the breakup, and claiming that she and Etheridge had decided to put off filing for separation until Etheridge's tour was over. Following the announcement of their split, Tammy filed for full physical and legal custody of their 3-year-old twins, Johnnie and Miller.

The show started. See more with Melissa below and a link to Tammy’s blog.

I know she’s got other songs since, but to me, “I want to come over” is the best stalker song ever made. If you want to understand creeps, you only have to listen to it.

Sources / More info: ppl-me, pe-melissa, wiki-melissa, hw-fg, yt-melissa

VerbaVolant, melissa, separation, divorce, custody, children, bitter, kramer, child support, pension, life after love, legal, breakup

How Travis the Chimp went kookoo

Recently, we learned that a movie star chimp was killed by the police. Here we take a look at the story behind the story.

Here’s a list of edifying video clips:

What has really happened (our comments in red, Travis’ in italics):

• Travis was 15 years old, suffered from Lyme disease and had 200 lbs (90 kg) – trait Bush was treated of Lyme disease a few years back (wp, cbc)
• In his youth he appeared in ads for Old Navy and Coca-Cola, at the Maury Povich Show and a TV pilot – cultured and with a penchant for the finer things in life
• Travis would go for rides in his owners’ cars and trucks (they had a towing business), opened doors, dressed himself, brushed his teeth, was toilet trained, would bathe, eat at the table and drink wine from a long-stemmed glass, surfed the ‘net for porn and watched TV with the remote – if he kept the toilet seat down, he was certainly the ideal mon! 
• His owner was Sandra Herold and her 55 year old friend Charla Nash – There are a few documentaries around the sex trips taken by old, rich white women to Africa (reuters, ipinions). There’s even a German tourist who went berserk in Kenya in a similar episode (indy).
• Travis also went kookoo in 2003 when he escaped from his owners’ car and roamed the streets of downtown Stamford. He was caught only when he got exhuasted. – Travis : We goin’ downtooown, baby! Let good ol’ Travis show you a goooood tiiiime!
• The day of his death, the owner had called her friend for help. She could not manage him, even though she had given him Xanax. – Travis : Bitch, what did you put in my tea, I feel funny?!? NOOO! We ain’t gonna talk about our relationship again! I don’t luv u, can’t you get it through your head?!?
• When her friend arrived, Travis attacked her as she was getting off the car. - Travis : What don’t tell me that you thought bringing a 2nd old, useless pussy will make me happy? I liked to screw you when you were younger, now you’re like used tires! Take your pussy off my face, you make me sick! Let me just go away, fo’ Chris’sakes! Gimme the key, bitch! JUST GIMME THE FREAKIN’ KEY!!!
• The owner came back with a butcher’s knife and started to stab him (numerous times) – Travis : Oh, no. Not again. You wanna stab me cuz I won’t pleasure u no mo’?!? And what is that? You call that a knife?!? THIS is a knife!! And I won’t stab u wid it no matter how well u beg!
• Police and an ambulance came to care for the owner’s friend, then Travis attacked a few policemen. As they ran to their cars, Travis went after them, and opened the door of a cruiser. The police officer inside shot Travis numerous times. - Travis : Ye freaks! I’ll show you who’s the King of this castle! What’s that, mon? Drop the gun, let’s fight it out, mano a orangutano!
• Travis ran away and seeked shelter in his cage, where he died. – Travis : Checkmate. ‘Tis a good day 2 die.

At the end, a few clips from Monkeybone – watch it, if you’re in the mood for a weird and krazy comedy.

Sources: ng, ap, msnbc, cnn, cnni, bbc, mw, register, torstar, gm, lyme, xanax, yt

Overheard,chimp, idiocy, rage, peta, animals, pets, wild, call of the wild, dementia, monkey, bonobo, chimpanzee

burning money

Not long ago (February 2), Matthew Perry went on The Daily Show to promote his latest creation and he couldn’t help making a joke about destroying the almighty USD. Which reminded me in turn about an episode of Simpsons where Krusty destroys a $1 bill.

the secret vasectomy

I came across some idiotic prose, indicative for what passes as entertainment or "good essay" on the tubes these days. It made it in the "best of craigslist" and collected about 827 votes on craigslist. And it reminded me of a story I lived.

She killed BF by sitting on him

Only in America.. This obese woman sat on her 120 lbs boyfriend during an argument, killing him.

Only a few months ago we were decrying the disastrous state of north-americans’ gut. This Cleveland woman got only 3 year probation for killing his much thinner boyfriend, also the father of her children.

Police said Mia Landingham and Mikal Middleston-Bey, who have three children together, got into an argument in August. During the altercation Landingham sat on Middleston-Bey.

Landingham pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

Her attorney told said there was a long history of domestic abuse in the relationship. He asked the judge for leniency and pointed out she has no prior criminal record.

Landingham she was sorry for squashing the father of her children.

"I just want to say that I am sincerely sorry about this situation. I wish I could take it back,” she said.

Landingham was sentenced to three years probation and 100 hours community service. She was immediately released from jail.

The victim’s family said they were surprised that she got no additional jail time.

"So basically you can say that I can go sit on somebody and get probation? I feel there wasn't no justice. My brother's gone and all she gets is three years probation," the victim’s brother said.

Sources / More info: dmail, fox, yt-killer-woman

More videos of female domestic violence:

yt-wbm by Philgood37

 

yt-Female Domestic Violence by vaderkenniscentrum

VerbaVolant, woman killer, kill, mdk, murder, deaths, murder death kill, Mia Landingham, obesity

Michael Jackson is dead – le Roi (du pop) est mort

..vive Madonna! Unfortunately, the news, initially brought to us by TMZ and disseminated like crazy by the twittersphere, are true. He died of a heart attack at 50 years old.

He passed away in the mansion the promoters of his new concert. The paramedics, called by a staff member, found him not breathing and all efforts to resuscitate him were in vain. He was 50 and was on some sort of medication which may have acted to end his life. Michael leaves behind 3 children: Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince "Blanket" Michael Jackson II. He was married to Elvis' daughter, Lisa-Marie.

I too was raped by Michael!

.. but I liked it and I did not sue. I used to be electrified by his music and dance moves up until about his Bad & Moowalking albums. I liked the music on the latter, but he was nowhere to be seen – he emerged later on completely changed. Nobody knows for sure if the children who accused him of sexual assault were honest or were just trying to scam money out of him, pushed by their parents. There is a strong possibility that he was (just) sleeping with them out of a desire for affection and in a futile attempt to live the childhood he never had. This is not a behavior one would expect from a man but his childhood was wasted in endless performances. Joe Jackson, his father, is accused by some of having been obsessed to make money. He once launched his signature beverage, Joe Cola, which you can see in one of Janet's videos. In addition, his Michael’s idol, Diana Ross, whom he tried to emulate, was a motherly person.

The concert in Bucharest or'92 is considered one of the most successful broadcast on HBO and had the best ratings of that network until then. Another significant milestone (other than, of course, Thriller) was his interview with Oprah at Neverland. When asked “are you a virgin?” Michael, visibly shaken, asked in his infantile voice: “Oprah, how can you ask such a question?”. Today, Oprah is the highest rated talk show, and an appearance on Oprah virtually guarantees mainstream acceptance, but back then, it wasn’t so clear who is launching whom.

Constantly assaulted by reporters, he once said:

Why not just tell people I'm an alien from Mars. Tell them I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight. They'll believe anything you say, because you're a reporter. But if I, Michael Jackson, were to say, "I'm an alien from Mars and I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight", people would say, "Oh, man, that Michael Jackson is nuts. He's cracked up. You can't believe a damn word that comes out of his mouth.

Paul McCartney

A few very good songs came out of the father – son collaboration between McCartney and Jackson. What few know is that Paul taught Michael how to profit from copyright by acquiring old songs and renting them out. Michael applied this knowledge to a few songs by Beatles and using them in ways that Paul did not approve. Their relationship soured and did not recover.

This is it

Known as “a millionaire who spends like a billionaire”, Michael had made huge debts. He was hoping to get back in black with the O2 - This is it concerts. His perfectionism and most likely fear of failure made him postpone them four times(!) He requested that his choir be racially equal. AEG Live, his promoter, had made a major investment, paying $5 millions to settle a lawsuit with a Bahrein prince. His concerts would've brought AEG Live $70 millions and would have kickstarted a 3 year international collaboration. 750,000 tickets at prices starting at $81 per bilet had already been sold

Condolences

His death touched quite a few celebrities:

Arnold Schwarzenegger: We lost a great entertainer and a pop icon. My thoughts and prayers go out to Michael Jackson's family, friends and fans.

Diddy: Michael Jackson showed me that you can actually see the beat. He made the music come to life!! He made me believe in magic. I will miss him!

Samantha Ronson: His music is just as relevant now as it was the day they pressed record, I'm sure it will remain so for generations to come.R.I.P.Mr Jackson.

Dane Cook: I'm dedicating my show 2night to Michael Jackson. THRILLER got me laid. Well... At least thats what I told my friends.

Heidi Montag: the world has suffered a GREAT loss today Michael Jackson my thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and fans God bless.

Ice T: Rest In Peace Mike. People can say what they want but you were 100% original. WE will always love , miss & remember your GREATNESS.

John Mayer: Dazed in the studio. A major strand of our cultural DNA has left us. RIP MJ. I think we'll mourn his loss as well as the loss of ourselves as children listening to Thriller on the record player.

Ashley Tisdale: So sad. Saying a prayer for Michael Jackson.

Miley Cyrus: michael jackson was my inspiration. love and blessings

Ludacris: If it were not for Micheal Jackson I would not be where or who I am today.His Music and Legacy will live on Forever.Prayers to the famR.I.P.

MC Hammer: I have no words.. I loved Michael Jackson.. RIP..

Kelly Rowland: Michael you left such a legacy on this earth, have touched SO MANY!!! We thank you for such a driving inspiration in music & our lives!! This has got to be one of the saddest days in music history!! Michael Rest In Peace! WE miss you!

Star Jones: Death comes to all. But great achievements build a monument." He IS and WAS the greatest entertainer of all times...Peace to you brother.

Lindsay Lohan: NO OMG ... sending my love and prayers out to Michael and his family ... i feel sick..

Marlon Wayans: My prayers, my love, my heart goes out to michael jackson and the entire jackson family. I pray so hard for them. I'm crushed! Please pray.

Pete Wentz: Prayers and thoughts with michael jackson ... I haven't hope in so long that news isn't true.

Kim Kardashian: Wow I am truly in shock that Michael Jackson has passed away! I love u Jackson family, my prayers are with the whole family!

Ashton Kutcher: Rip Sending love and light to family and friend but especially his kids.

Shanna Moakler: The hard thing about getting older is watching all those who inspired you pass, love to the jackson family..

Rachelle Lefevre: Rest in peace Farrah Fawcett & Michael Jackson. Condolences to their families.

Paul McCartney: It’s so sad and shocking. I feel privileged to have hung out and worked with Michael. He was a massively talented boy-man with a gentle soul. His music will be remembered forever and my memories of our time together will be happy ones.

Eugene Lambert (Ireland's best puppeteer whose son performed at J's b-day party): Michael and the kids seemed to enjoy the show equally. My son sang happy birthday to Michael, who seemed genuinely touched by the attention. Michael rang me that night to thank me for the show. He said he hoped he’d be as happy at his work as I am at my age, and of course I’m 80.

Lenny Kravitz: It was the most amazing experience I’ve had in the studio. He was funny. Very funny and we laughed the whole time. I also saw what a beautiful father he was. He was a beautiful human being. If not for him, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing. He gave me joy as a child and showed me the way to go..

Byron Garcia (security consultant at a Philippine prison who organized the famous video of 1,500 inmates doing a synchronized dance to “Thriller”, gathering 23.4 million hits): My heart is heavy because my idol died.

Imelda Marcos: Michael Jackson enriched our lives, made us happy. The accusations, the persecution caused him so much financial and mental anguish. He was vindicated in court, but the battle took his life. There is probably a lesson here for all of us.

Whatever some might think or say about him, he was undeniably an innovator, he influenced many artists and at the top of his career has simply the best. I hope that in his everlasting Neverland he’s no longer taunted by his own demons or cocky reporters..

Sources / More info: wikipedia (RO), wikipedia (EN), google news, rolling stones, yt

Michael Jackson: Live in Bucharest - The Dangerous Tour (.CA, .UK, .FR, .DE, .JP, .cn)

Jackson, Michael: Video Greatest Hits: History (.CA, .UK, .FR, .DE, .JP, .cn)

Jackson, Michael: Number Ones (.CA, .UK, .FR, .DE, .JP, .cn)

1969-2004: Ultimate Collection [Best of] [Box set] (.CA, .UK, .FR, .DE, .JP, .cn)

Verba Volant,jackson, jacksons, michael, mort, jacksons 5, jacksons five, jackson 5, another one bites the dust, rip, r.i.p., requiescat in pace, rest in peace, obituar, obituary, infarct, heart attack, cardiac arest, atac de inima, atac de cord, pr, neverland, odihneasca-se in pace, michael jackson mort, wacko jacko, jacko, youtube, videos, video clips, documentary, documentare

Top 10 Basic News Stories

In a recent article, a management consultant opines that the "so-called Third-Wave age of information, as futurist Alvin Toffler named it, the commercial news process is actually imprisoned in a Second-Wave model, i.e. an industrial model of news production". We are quoting at length from this captivating article.

Some – well, pundits as well – believe that the relationship between pundits and the media is symbiotic at best, if not far more intimate and polarized. Rarely do we see pundits biting the hand that feeds them, like Dr Karl Albrecht does:

Any subject expert who is regularly called upon to appear in news cameos (such as I am, as a business consultant) soon discerns the unmistakable factory-like hum of the news operation. The process by which video editors interweave the live performances of news readers, the cutaways to remote units at the crime scene or the lawn of the White House, the obligatory establishing shot of the professor walking across campus to the laboratory, and the stock footage (the Rodney King beating, the Clinton-Lewinsky hug, or the lab technician testing the DNA samples) pays little homage to Toffler's Third Wave concept. Instead, it's straight out of the Industrial Age. Probably the closest product analogy to the news is a fast-food operation, something like making hamburgers or baking pastries.
Each little piece of news rolls down the line like a tidy, production-controlled PopTart (with due respect to Kellog's popular product): flavored, sweetened, glazed, and baked to perfection. Whatever the sacrifice in depth or insight, the fast-food news model is undeniably efficient and remarkably cost-effective.
What makes any industrial production process efficient and cost-effective is the use of standard products. In the news industry this translates into a few well-proven, reliable story structures. A basic inventory of about ten standard news stories makes the process of baking the news easy to manage.

Here’s his top 10 cookie cutter news report phenotypes:

1. Shock and Horror. ..Murders, especially multiples, acts of unusual violence, brutality, or sadism, shark attacks, and the carnage left by explosions..
2. Tragedy. ..natural disasters, airplane crashes, and hotel fires..
3. Hot Sex. ..It ranges from the intimate lives of celebrities to "socially responsible" stories about teen-agers having oral sex. It also includes derivative pornography, such as stories about the exotic dancers at the local club who are fighting to unionize..
4. Scandal. ..misdeeds of government officials or corporate bigwigs..
5. The Fall of the Mighty. ..powerful people get knocked off their high horses..
6. Conflict. ..whether in the schoolyard or in Taiwan's Parliament chamber, conflict and the imminence of physical violence will always arrest attention.. War.., conflict between political parties, or among advocacy groups pursuing various social agendas..
7. Worry. Journalists seem to suffer from a constitutional aversion to being perceived as naive or overly optimistic. As a result, they seem compelled to find the dark side of just about any issue..
8. Voyeurism. The bizarre, the perverted, the weird, the sick and twisted, and the deviant, ..suicide jumper, the hostage standoff, the execution, and the demented old lady living with the 300 cats..
9. Dilemmas. ..conflicts that can't be solved. The abortion issue, cloning, capital punishment, euthanasia, and the right to die, all arouse strong feelings and polarize opinion.. The frequent use of two-sided moral Dilemma stories helps perpetuate the myth of "objective journalism."
10. Gee-Whiz Stories. ..usually has to be a novelty segment, a curiosity piece, or a heart-warmer. The local spelling bee, the dog that rescues the baby, astronauts in space, the Olympic athlete's mom crying tears of joy, and the President's hemorrhoids..

It’s not enough that journalism is dieing. We now have a vivisection!

(Or was that death followed by autopsy?)

Sources / More info: ka, pt

VerbaVolant, news, media, mass-media, newz, network, top10, top 10, top ten, journalism

puttycat fail archive

Sometimes, when dealing with an apparently normal person, we might tend to forget the full complexity of their personality. If your engagement with the said person is unilateral, as it is usually the case with a public persona, you don't need to know more than what they publish or allow to be published in the public sphere. If, however, you engage with someone on a more personal level, sometimes you need to remind yourself of who you're dealing with..

The human-faced lamb and bestiality

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Shaming Steve Martin or Why Trump Won

In his tribute to his friend Carrie Fisher, Steve Martin dares to call her beautiful and SJWs of the world unite in their outrage. This demented political correctness police is part of the reason why Trump has won.