Archive for January 12, 2012
Hate Tweets Pour Into Michelle Obama’s New Twitter Account
Michelle Obama signed on to Twitter this morning so, obviously, she’s had an account there for only a matter of hours. Already, vicious hate-tweets are pouring in. See an example of what being Michelle Obama on Twitter has been like for her on her first day here.
Some examples:
I don’t care who you are, tweets like this hurt, which, of course, is the whole point.
Stay classy wingers!
X-Ray Vision
OK folks, it’s break time!
Check out this fun, fascinating slideshow: The X-Ray Vision of Nick Veasey.
It’s well worth your time.
Here are two of my faves:
Soon, Only the Wealthy Will Be Able to Afford College
This was one of the headlines on the front page of my local newspaper this morning:
CU-Boulder proposes 15.7% tuition hike for in-state students
Plan would raise full-time students’ tuition to $8,875 next year
In-state tuition for full-time students at the University of Colorado next year could soar 15.7 percent under a plan proposed Wednesday.
Under the proposal, tuition for full-time students in the College of Arts and Sciences — which enrolls the most students on the Boulder campus — would increase from $7,672 this year to $8,875 next year.
The increase, if approved, would amount to an extra $1,203 a year.
CU has raised tuition between 8.8 percent and 9.3 percent each of the last four years.
What a huge increase.
Per that last sentence, let’s presume that on average CU has raised tuition by 9 percent each of the last four years. That means if the 15.7 percent increase is approved, over the last five years tuition will have increased at CU by 51.7 percent, over just five years.
Wow. Soon a college education will either be available only to the wealthy or kids will be saddled with even more debt when they enter the working world.
Too bad we can’t put some of the billions we’re spending on war toward funding our universities.
Screwed up priorities.
Bradley Manning to Face Full Court Martial
Ugh, this is sad news:
Bradley Manning
An investigating officer has recommended that Army private Bradley Manning face court-martial on multiple criminal charges related to the downloading of nearly 1 million war logs and secret diplomatic cables. Manning is accused of taking the files and them passing them on to WikiLeaks.
If he does face a court martial and is convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison.
Lieutenant Colonel Paul Almanza, who presided over a preliminary hearing for Manning just before Christmas, said today that there’s reason to believe Manning broke the law. Almanza said Manning should face formal charges of theft, computer violations, aiding the enemy and causing intelligence to be published on the Internet.
His recommendation will now be reviewed by higher levels in the military.
So, who caused more harm to theUnited States, Bradley Manning or the Marines who appear on video urinating on dead Afghanis?
I say the Marines.
#NewNYTSlogans
If you want a good laugh (or maybe a good cry) check out the suggestions being made as to potential new New York Times‘ slogans at:
#NewNYTSlogans
(Go here for the backstory.)
NY Times “Public Editor” Wonders If the Times Should be a “Truth Vigilante”
In the world of American “journalism,” circa 2012, where “fair and balanced” is all that matters and reporting say, spin from a Democrat and spin from a Republican on the same topic means “journalists” have done their job, we’re down to this, from the New York Times‘ “Public Editor:”
Should The Times Be a Truth Vigilante?
I’m looking for reader input on whether and when New York Times news reporters should challenge “facts” that are asserted by newsmakers they write about.
Should reporters challenge “facts?” Ah, YEAH! And when should they do it? Every. Single. Time!
This is like asking a veterinarian if he or she should diagnose illnesses in animals instead of just petting them.
Michelle Obama Signs on to Twitter
Morning tidbit: Michelle Obama signed on to Twitter today (go here).
Per her second tweet:
Unemployment Insurance Claims Soar
This is not good, and I’m not talking about it not being good for Obama. I’m talking about it not being good for the country as a whole:
It looks like unemployment is on the rise again, new claims for unemployment insurance jumped to 399,000 last week. That is 24,000 more than the consensus forecast and also 24,000 more than the prior week’s number. So let’s see some of those shrill talking heads getting scared — real bad news for President Obama’s re-election prospects.
