WILD SPECULATION IS THE NEW, NEW JOURNALISM

Obviously I don’t have much to say about the Ft Hood shootings. I could say something like “I disapprove”. But that is (I hope) a given.

About the media coverage of said shootings, however, I have much to say.

I haven’t actually seen the CNN/Fox coverage. But I do read blogs. And I’ve seen CNN and Fox cover enough similar incidents to know the drill – i.e. jabber senselessly and, in the absence of facts, report rumors and speculate like mad under the weird impression that it still counts as journalism if you let people know that you haven’t actually verified anything yr saying.

Which I bring up mainly to contrast against this interesting item from (of all places) BoingBoing: a quick interview with Amanda Kim Stairrett, the military editor at the Killeen Daily Herald newspaper. Her beat is Ft Hood,and if this Q&A is anything to go by, she has a far better understanding of how to cover a story like this than anyone at CNN or Fox.

Very early after the incident yesterday, I was pretty amazed to stand by and listen to, mostly, TV reporters go on air and speculate and report on rumors they'd heard. Whereas, our newspaper is right next to Fort Hood. We have a close relationship and it's always been our policy where we find that it's best to wait for correct information rather than to speculate. Because there's a large family population that isn't necessarily on Post, and don't know what's going on. It's a dangerous situation to get those people worried and worked up for reasons that maybe aren't correct.

Too bad no one reads newspapers and most people got their coverage on Ft Hood from Fox News. Guess which detail of the shooting interests them the most?

I heard a rumor,

This is dF

USTED HIZO QUE LE AMA

And now, the wonder of the InterTubes brings you vintage cheesecake set to Oscar Aleman.

With special guest star Bettie Page.

"Billy Joel - Root Beer Rag" (Watch on YouTube)

Not exactly as cool as Bettie Page dancing to The Seeds. But no less fun.

PARENTAL GUIDANCE: Contains titties at the end.

The age of innocence,

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THE SITH ARE BRINGING SEXY BACK

I get email.

Sometimes it has photos like this in it.



"She can light my saber any day, hur hur hur."

Which of course is why John Ostrander and Jan Duursema wrote her that way.

I know what boys like,

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