Fox News Did A Good Thing

I am flabbergasted gentle readers. I never, repeat NEVER, thought the day would come when I would be happy/excited/impressed with any news item to come out of FOX News, but color me all of the above, because it has happened today.

I was reading from Rebel Dad's blog and he featured the link below, which is a great look at a group of stay at home dads. The piece isn't condescending, it gives the men's reasons for their decision, it celebrates what they get out of the experience and most of all it defies the ridiculous stereotypes that are so often associated with dad's who take on the daytime child rearing role.

This is a big deal for me, as the spouse of a stay at home dad. I have gotten, along with my spouse, the puzzled looks from people when we explain our situation and I know the struggles he has had with the role, the isolation, as well as the loss of identity with not being in the work force.

But I still say in the end that what my spouse is doing (and other stay at home dads) is way more important than anything they did in their "real" jobs. Most days I think my spouse knows this. And everyday I know he knows how lucky he is to have this time with the spawn.

Righteous Anger

I have been trolling through some of the pre-Inauguration coverage and I have two vastly different points of view that I want to highlight for the moment.

First, over the weekend I happened to catch a snippet of FoxNews talking about the upcoming event and the anticipated crowd, and with that the possible security problems. I can't remember which Fox talking head said this, but this white male commented that during the Million Man March there was a large crowd and there were security issues. OHMYGOD—really? This jack-off had to go back 13 years to find a large event that had security problems in DC and it just happened to be an event with a majority of black people?

(An aside, CSPAN this morning was asking callers if MLK's dream/legacy had been fulfilled. Obviously for those at FoxNews the answer is a resounding no.)

The second thing that sparked my interest was something I read on Joan Walsh's blog at Salon: "When the openly gay [Eugene] Robinson called on God to "bless us with anger – at discrimination, at home and abroad, against refugees and immigrants, women, people of color, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people," I knew we're not in Dick Cheney's America any more." Amen to that sister.

I agree that we should be angry that there is discrimination in our own country and around the world. All HUMANS are equal and my hope is that tomorrow takes us on the first step of a long overdue journey to realize that fact. For everyone.

A Bit More

Well I have listened to all of Michelle Obama's speech and here is the honest truth folks—I teared up no less than five times. She is either that good or it is official and I am the biggest sap in the world. And both may be true.

I also listened to Ted Kennedy's speech and I must admit that his sheer presence was moving, as was watching Maria Shriver wipe the tears from her face. The man has had a long and occasionally questionable career, but knowing what he faces it is good to see him have a chance to go out doing what he loves and does best.

The spouse has been giving me snippets throughout the day on the media's comments about last night. And I must agree with my friend who emailed me today about some of the commentators inherent prejudices or biases showing through. For shame, you who would call yourself journalists. Your job is to be objective, it is mine to spout opinions.

That being said, apparently some yahoo on Fox made some comment about the Obama's youngest daughter and how chatty she was last night at the end of her mom's speech and how it came across as coaxed. This person (who I haven't been able to nail down who it is yet—sorry for the I heard from a friend who heard it from so-and-so nature of this) then implied that this was often a sign of a child who has been abused. The audacity! That girl is six or thereabouts? I think she is just a precocious kid, nothing more, nothing less. Fox News is insidious and evil.

And another point my friend mentioned and I myself have been vexed by—what is this nonsense about polls carrying so much weight. First of all, in this day and age, a LOT of people only have cell phones. Cell phone numbers are not included in polls. So that is a large portion of the population, mostly younger voters, whose opinions are not being counted. The spouse is boning up on his conspiracy theories these days and he thinks that the media is deliberately trying to make it sound like the race is close to keep things interesting for them so they have something to talk about.

I don't know what to think to be honest. All I remember is a Nike ad that was out when I was in college that I laminated and hung on my dorm room wall:

 

A WOMAN IS OFTEN MEASURED BY THE THINGS SHE CANNOT CONTROL. SHE IS MEASURED BY THE WAY HER BODY CURVES OR DOESN'T CURVE, BY WHERE SHE IS FLAT OR STRAIGHT OR ROUND. SHE IS MEASURED BY 36-24-36 AND INCHES AND AGES AND NUMBERS, BY ALL THE OUTSIDE THINGS THAT DON'T EVER ADD UP TO WHO SHE IS ON THE INSIDE. AND SO IF A WOMAN IS TO BE MEASURED LET HER BE MEASURED BY THE THINGS SHE CAN CONTROL, BY WHO SHE IS AND WHO SHE IS TRYING TO BECOME. BECAUSE AS EVERY WOMAN KNOWS, MEASUREMENTS ARE ONLY STATISTICS. AND STATISTICS LIE.

Irony, Anyone?

Today's news is all about the freeing of Ingrid Betancourt in Columbia, along with several American hostages, all of whom have been held for years by the FARC, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia, a terrorist group. This is great news. Betancourt was a candidate for president in Columbia when she was abducted six year ago. For me, the most poignant moment was the mother of two embracing her 19 year old son and 22 year old daughter. Just think, these young adults were 13 and 16 when their mother was kidnapped, still children.

Anyway, apparently McCain is big buddies with the president of Columbia. And while this daring rescue attempt has been in the works for a long while—the Columbian defense department had people infiltrating the terrorist group to pull this off for years now—it seems singularly ironic that McCain, and his lapdogs Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham, were on hand in Columbia the day the rescue was completed. Fox News, of course, tried to spin it like McCain had some hand in freeing these people, which makes the network seem like an even bigger farce than they usually appear to be.

Meanwhile, McCain has shaken up his campaign staff and seems to be leaning even more in the direction of Bush-land by having Karl Rove's top disciple, Steve Schmidt, leading the campaign and two of Rove's other former advisors have also been named as a part of McCain's camp. WTF? If McCain doesn't want to come off as the second coming of Dubya, this is SO not the way to go. Any idiot can see that. But what puzzles me even more is why Mac would think that Bush still has the winning ticket for the presidency. His approval ratings continue to inch southward and today the latest figures came out on jobs and we have lost even more jobs than they initially believed for the months of April and May. So far this year, the country has lost 438,000 jobs, an average of 73,000 a month. DAMN. The Mac camp's response? We need to stick with the economic agenda of the last eight years. Why you may ask? Because "The American people cannot afford an economic agenda that will take our country in the wrong direction and cost jobs." Hello! Are they even paying attention???

Oh No They Didn't!

First they accuse Obama's dap with NC Governor Easley as being a terrorist signal, now FoxNews is referring to Michelle Obama as Barack Obama's baby mama.

Lest we forget, the vast majority of Fox's news folk are WHITE, WHITE, WHITE. They might want to dial back their use of "urban" slang.

Read/see for yourself here.

Dap-a-Dappa-Doo

I know that the anchors on FoxNews are "special," but this is even too much for them. One of their blonde fem-bots, E.D. Hill previewed a news bit on Obama greeting NC Governor Easley with a fist bump or "dap" describing the gesture as being a possible terrorist signal. It all happened during Obama's recent visit to Raleigh. After Governor Easley introduced him the two did the shaking hands/hugging thing and then Obama put his fist out for the well-known terrorist gesture—the dap.

Yes folks, you heard it on Fox first, NC Governor Mike Easley is a terrorist.

See more about it here from MSNBC's Morning Joe, including the clip of what Hill actually said on Fox.

Btw, Wikipedia defines the "dap" as a "form of handshake that became popularized in the white mainstream society in the 1960s originating among African Americans. The term dap may have been originated as an acronym for Dignity and Pride and was popularly used by African American soldiers during the Vietnam War even though as a tradition it has existed in the African-American community for centuries."

Downward Spiral

It was bad enough when CNN decided to give time to that bonehead Glenn Beck. But the once un-biased news network has lowered the bar even further by hiring Tony Snow of former White House Press Secretary fame, as well as a former "contributor" to Fox News.

Eegads.

There was actually another topic that aroused my ire since yesterday, but dang if my allergy-befuddled brain hasn't lost hold of it. When it returns, you will be the first to know.

Theatre of the Absurd

While we all wait on pins and needles to see the results from Ohio and Texas, let me share this tidbit of amusement with you.

Just when I thought Fox News couldn't get more ridiculous, scary or backward, we have this exchange from Sunday's episode of Fox & Friends (with friends like these . . .). 

Basically what happens is the female anchor explains that the women anchors at Fox like to be "feminine" and that is why they lean towards skirts and not pantsuits. Alrighty then. Anyway, the whole thing is an embarrassment and is probably something they stole from a script for some 1950s wise-cracking movie staring Rock Hudson and Doris Day.

Rest In Peace

I have plans to post about something else more politically based later, but I couldn't let this go by. As you are well aware I am sure, the young actor Heath Ledger died on Tuesday. The death was sudden and shocking to those of us who admired his acting ability (and yes, admittedly his attractiveness) and we are still searching for answers. I particularly loved him in the revision of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew—Ten Things I Hate About You.

I have no love or respect for Fox News, but this time they have really out down themselves. One of their anchors, John Gibson, on his radio show repeatedly mocked and disparaged Ledger, calling him a "weirdo" and referencing his incredible role in Brokeback Mountain by saying "Well he found out how to quit you." (The line from the movie is "I wish I knew how to quit you.") If you would like to listen for yourselves to the appalling spectacle, Think Progress has the audio link.

Email Fox (I did) and express your disgust if you think that this behavior is wrong and inhuman. Apparently they are too chicken shit to have an actual email for each show or anchor, so you have to use this general email: Myword@foxnews.com.