I cannot for a moment understand why some British folks feel that their BBC is the greatest when we have NBC, bringing us, in their own words, "...compelling stories from across the nation." We have, for instance, this: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_new...-down-her-pants?lite

Having worked in the media industry for a while I am convinded their objective is to produce sheeple who prefer to be kept like mushrooms in the dark and fed manure.

Had I the choice, I would in all likelyhood still go for the BBC, were it alone due to the wonderful Janice Long who has kept me awake and driving on many lonely night trips through the UK.

Bea

quote:

Originally posted by Bea:
Having worked in the media industry for a while I am convinded their objective is to produce sheeple who prefer to be kept like mushrooms in the dark and fed manure.Bea

Certainly this is the case with some countries' media. In the USA - and to an only slightly lesser extent Canada, I get "world news deprivation".

Of course, local news must be important to local people - but that should not be to the complete exclusion of national and international news. I recall being given a copy of a newspaper when I was en-route from Seattle to Chicago on the Empire Builder. We had stopped at some town en route and theirs was the newspaper concerned. I didn't count the number of pages but it was about an inch thick so there were at least 100. I would guess that around 75% of the material was advertising and there was ONE page entitled "international news". I turned to it and found that 50% of that broadsheet page was an advertisement; a small panel on the right-hand side of the page was about Iraq and the main headline was "Earthquake in Acapulco - American unhurt". This latter was a report about one of Acapulco's frequent eathquakes (which I have actually experienced for myself and they are no big deal) and it must have been 'phoned in to his paper by a local man who was holidaying there. And that was what was happening in the whole wide world!

When I got to Chicago I bought a copy of the Financial Times (the only up-to-date British paper in the newsagents) and read it from cover to cover, devouring avidly the international news I had been starved of. I accept, of course, that not all US newpapers are quite that parochial - but in my experience the US media (of all kinds) cares far less about what happens outside the USA than does the media of many other countries.

And clearly, if the content of the media is limited, then the awareness of the consumers of the media will be similarly limited.

quote:

the US media (of all kinds) cares far less about what happens outside the USA than does the media of many other countries.

That's not true. If anyone harms an American overseas, the press is right on the job. And if there is a terrible accident which kills scores of people, the press will be right there to announce, "Despite 35,000 deaths (inluding the heads of state of seven European nations), no Americans were injured."

That's right. Just like that Acapulco earthquake. "American not hurt" (only one, you'll note).

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Richard English,

quote:

devouring avidly the international news I had been starved of.

When you stayed with us, I remember buying you the NY Times, and we get the Wall Street Journal. Those are both excellent newspapers for international reports, though with very different political views. I do realize the Chicago Tribune is way too provincial, and it seems to be getting worse.

What is this? Cut down the US day? (I am thinking of the thread in the Written Word, too.) Thankfully tomorrow is another day so that we can get off this subject!

quote:

When you stayed with us, I remember buying you the NY Times,

I do recall that as well - but it was on a different occasion. I bought the Pink 'un (The Financial Times - thus called because it's printed on pink paper) because I wanted a UK paper and the FT was the only one in the shop.

I know that The Wall Street Journal is pretty good for international news and I have been told that The Christian Science Monitor is also good - although I've not read it. Certainly its news website has good international coverage.

quote:

What is this? Cut down the US day?

???

I have to agree with RE about US news coverage. This morning the Today show newssegment was strictly US political with no mention of anything happening outside our borders. It tood an earthqquake in China to get them off the presidential election. As far as the presidential election coverage, there is barely any mention of what distinguishes one candidate from the other but an overwhelming listing of various polls saying who's ahead. Polls don't vote.

When I am not plagued by Richard, I agree, too. Part of the reason is, I think, that the U.S. is more insular, geographically speaking, than European countries are.

However, there also are good newspapers here, as I had indicated. The reader just must make the choice.

Looking for someplace to put this.

World Wide Words had this in their "Sic" section, which I thought hilarious.

“April Dawn Peters ... was charged with aggravated assault after she allegedly hit a man on his head at least five times with a hammer that she was having sex with.”

Oh, That is hilarious!

quote:

Originally posted by Proofreader:
Looking for someplace to put this.

World Wide Words had this in their "Sic" section, which I thought hilarious.

“April Dawn Peters ... was charged with aggravated assault after she allegedly hit a man on his head at least five times with a hammer that she was having sex with.”

For some reason I can no longer read WWW. I get a strange failure notice whenever I try to register for the site.

Michael Quinion was unable to cast any light on the problem so I have missed out for about a year. Maybe I'll try to register again.

Overlawyered.com had a picture of a doormat with this disclaimer on it:

Important things you should know about your new doormat
Warning: Do not use mat as a projectile. Sudden acceleration to dangerous speeds may cause injury. When using mat, follow directions: Put your right foot in, put your right foot out, put your right foot in and shake it all about. This mat is not designed to sustain gross weight exceeding 12,000 lbs. If mat begins to smoke, immediately seek shelter and cover head. Caution: if coffee spills on mat, assume that it is very hot. This mat is not intended to be used as a placemat. Small food particles trapped in fibers may attract rodents and other vermin. Do not glue mat to porous surfaces, such as pregnant women, pets and heavy machinery. When not in use, mat should be kept out of reach of children diagnosed with CFED (Compulsive Fiber Eating Disorder). Do not taunt mat. Failure to comply relieves the makers of this doormat, Simply Precious Home Deor, and its parent company, Hight Cotton, Inc., of any and all Liability.

I still get irritated when I read about references to that "hot coffee" lawsuit of McDonald's. We've posted about it here before, so I won't bore you again with my thoughts. However, in summary, the plaintiffs, in my opinion (and after reading a lot about it) were in the right. Had I been on the jury, I would have decided in favor of the plaintiffs. It's just that McDonald's has (and needs) a great PR department.

Favorite headline for today: Ancient Tapeworm Eggs Found in Fossilized Shark Poop

From Google News science section

quote:

I still get irritated when I read about references to that "hot coffee" lawsuit of McDonald's. We've posted about it here before, so I won't bore you again with my thoughts. However, in summary, the plaintiffs, in my opinion (and after reading a lot about it) were in the right.

While McDonald's coffee may have been too hot (a matter of personal preference), it is still incredibly stupid to place a hot cup of anything (which you ordered in that condition -- not iced tea) in your lap while you're driving. There is absolutlely no sense of personal responsibility these days -- just how can I make the cash register ring.

The coffee was above the state-mandated maximum temperature for hot beverages served in restaurants, and the same Mickey Dees had been previously warned for the same infraction. So, they left themselves wide open for a stupid con-soomer and a sleazebag lawyer. Plenty of culpability to go around.

Which still doesn't answer the question: Who is stupid enough to put hot coffee in their lap while driving? I know. This woman. But doesn't she share the blame in some major way?

Lots of people drive while drinking hot coffee. But she wasn't one of them. She was a passenger in her grandson's car. He parked the car so she could add cream and sugar to her coffee. The coffee spilled as she was trying to take the lid off. It has been suggested that the heat of the coffee caused the plastic lid to fuse (or partially fuse) with the Styrofoam cup. She originally asked McDonald's to cover her immediate and expected losses, $20,000. McDonald's refused, offering $800.

Wikipedia has an article about this, and we've discussed it in 2005.

Here's what I said then: "It always amazes me that, no matter how many days or months or years a trial goes on, a person who has heard only a small fraction of the testimony through such reliable media as newspapers, tv, and neighborhood gossip, can immediately pronounce a verdict and can state, unequivocally and without any doubt, whether the verdict of the jurors, who have sat through all the testimony and deliberations, is right or wrong."

Everyone tries to excuse the "poor burned woman'. It is the height of stupidity, whether you are driving or not, parked or not, passenger or not, to place a hot cup of coffee IN YOUR LAP. No amount of spurious justification or rationalization can change that fact. Juries have arrived at some ridiculous verdicts merely because the members feel the "victim" deserves some compensation from the bad corporation or insurance company who can "afford" to pay the claim.

Tinman does make a very good point in that we aren't in full possession of all the facts, and are acting as if we were Fox news viewers in our snap judgments. And, I have certainly done stupid things. Maybe the woman honestly didn't know that styrofoam is flexible and not very strong. Still, I suspect this particular fast food joint was made an example of because it knowingly served coffee that was too hot.

Anyhow, what's all this got to do with word discussions? Shut up, Geoff! OK, I'll shut up...

Ah, well, Geoff. Sometimes we veer from word discussions, particularly when we are passionate about something. This is one subject I am passionate about because, if you read the link that Tinman posted to our previous conversation on this, you would have found that the woman received third degree burns from spilling the coffee. Third degree burns are when all thicknesses of skin are penetrated and normally only received in an actual fire.

quote:

Everyone tries to excuse the "poor burned woman'.

I disagree, proof. From what I've read, here and elsewhere, everyone seems to rally around MacDonald's on this one.

I know the story. The coffee was too hot. Agreed. She suffered terribly. Agreed. And if it happened to some young, inexperienced child I could sympathize. But I seriously doubt that this was the woman's first experience with the possible flexing of a Styrofoam container. She'd been around for quite a while, but apparently she hadn't learned one simple fact.

YOU NEVER PUT HOT ANYTHING-THAT-CAN-SPILL IN YOUR LAP.

Another lesson learned from this escapade is that a simple "I am sorry" can save you a lot of money. The health care system is finally beginning to realize the importance of an apology when there are errors.

As for your admonition for not putting hot coffee in your lap, of course that's true. However, had it been at the acceptable 135-140 degrees, rather than the 180-190 degrees, the spill would have not caused third degree burns. Additionally, had MacDonalds paid her the $20,000 she had asked for her medical expenses, they'd have been much better off. Lastly, had MacDonald's listened to the 700 previous customers who had complained of being scalded, the damage would have been much less. ( Source)

Headline on the Huffington Post:

ANCIENT CHILD'S BODY FOUND IN EGYPT

At what age does a child become ancient?

At around age two. That's when the parents exclaim, "This is getting old!" as the child throws the 1,874,316th tantrum of the day.

Another compelling headline showing one reason I left Oregon: Oregon bakery refuses to make same-sex wedding cake Only in Oregon - and its insanity instructor, California - do wedding cakes have gender.

Another Huffington Post headline this evening:

FOX DROPS DICK

I certainly hope there is a possibility for re-attachment.

Where do you get all these headlines, Proof?

I do agree that ancient child just doesn't sound right.

Huffington Post (link) is a news website.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: <Proofreader>,

Oh, of course I know the Huffington Post. It's an app on my phone. I just meant that you seem to find these great headlines from time to time. That's all.

HuffPost is, of course, a Democrat-slanted website. It's counterpart on the right is DailyCaller.com. I find it very interesting to compare the stories of the day on the two sites to see just which story each cnsiders most newsworthy. One major difference (which I consider most telling) is the Daily Caller does not have a "comedy" section while the HuffPost does.

quote:

Originally posted by Proofreader:
One major difference (which I consider most telling) is the Daily Caller does not have a "comedy" section while the HuffPost does.

I thought it was all comedy. I ceased reading Huffpost after she sold out. It seems now to be just another scandal sheet. I now get my real news from The Onion.

The Onion is too intellectual for me.

They leek a lot of stories.

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They leek a lot of stories.

He cried.

It's not often you find the government really cracking down on violent offenders but here is one case where they showed them no mercy.

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I ceased reading Huffpost after she sold out. It seems now to be just another scandal sheet.

Ah...another side effect of moving from Oregon to Indiana.

Maybe, but I just looked in the mirror, and my neck's not THAT red yet!

Another headline - this time from Google - that we just can't do without: "Couple addicted to coffee enemas"

quote:

"Couple addicted to coffee enemas"

I suppose, but once they become ordinary, it's the same old grind.

I wanna see 'em do a cappuccino!

From Shine from Yahoo.

Do the figures in this quote make sense to anyone or have they got it wrong?

quote:

McDonald's, for example, markets its salads as "Yummy, fresh, freedom in a bowl," but add a little protein and dressing and suddenly one crispy chicken salad (450 calories, 21 grams of fat) is about the same as a double cheeseburger (440 calories, 23 grams of fat)

It looks to me as if they say that adding the dressing and protein reduces the calories by 10 and only adds two grams of fat.

That can't be right, can it?

The figures quoted are obviously after they addition, but it took multiple readings for me not read them as being before the addition. I'm sure it could be phrased better.

How can you add to a meal and reduce its content?

Well, doesn't it mean that a crispy chicken salad (the grilled chicken salad is much better), with lots of fat infested dressing, is 10 calories more, and only 2 grams of fat less, than a double cheeseburger...which we all know to be unhealthy. It all makes perfect sense to me. Add fried chicken and slather on lots of dressing to a salad, and it will be similar to a double cheeseburger in calories and fat content.

Or is there something else in the link that you are asking about?

It's the fact that I read the two sets of numbers as referring to the salad WITHOUT the additions and and the salad with the additions. That reading makes it look as if the additons reduce the calories and only marginally add to the fat. Only on about my fifth reading did it occur to me that they were comparing the Salad WITH the additions to the burger.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: BobHale,

Proofreader, please come out of retirement and move to Portland, Orygun. This from the TV station KATU: SEATTLE -- A mother is now haunted by a phone call with her son in where she heard the gun shots that took his life.

This guy must have been really tiny to die under a small Russian coin!

MUNCIE, IN - A kitchen fire claimed the life of a Muncie man found under the ruble of the burned house trailer Sunday morning

Another McDonald's lawsuit. It is really gross if in fact the toddler ate the condom, but this seems a little much:

quote:

Jacquel, who is now 3, "has suffered severe and permanent injuries, both physical and psychological, as well as pain and discomfort," the suit said. "He will become liable for sums of money for continued medical care throughout his life." The complaint made the same statement about Jacquel's 4-year-old brother Jonathan, who also handled the condom.

Really?

quote:

the toddler ate the condom

I knew I dropped it somewhere.