Suggested 2008 Resolutions for Cable Media Outlets

1. CNN - You're international, but for you, that means, British. I don't see American newscasters in the U.K., so why are they on your shows all of the time? The fact of an accent doesn't make your station anymore interesting or trustworthy. Hire born and bred Americans; they can handle international news, too. Your outsourcing of presenters from the U.K. suggests that you sound insecure. If you really want to copy the U.K., spend less time on fluff and give the news straight, with proper grammar. And it's nice to see some of your news anchors back on the beat -- so they can reconnect with the people they interview, instead of making news themselves. But you're hiring quite fetching young male presenters (And I approve). Lou Dobbs should just run for office and be done with it. He cannot articulate his views in a spontaneous educated manner and should just read the friggin' prompter.

2. MSNBC - You have sex on the brain and you need to get it out of your system, so you can take it off of ours'. You're turning into FOX TB - yes, it's catchy but not something that actual yields any intellectual value to human discourse, except kinky intercourse. What's with the jail fixation? Someone seems nostaglic for Shawshank Redemption, and in so doing has not redeemed your cable news outlet as a hard-hitting legit news source. The flirting on air (Contessa Brewer], the DOCK BLOCK - rhymes with another block of the penile sort, and Chris Matthews Puritans Rule hardball show only bounces back and makes you all look like you need lessons in Journalism 101. CNBC - good, always good. Tim Russert - out. Reliable Sources on CNN - half-way in, if the anchor starts giving credit to the source of his "ideas."

3. Fox News - What can I say except that you're the most transparent news station of them all. You're red, dead, and that's enough said. You are the quintessential show for high school Americans who like to be on a team when they watch the news. You're rooting for the right-wing guy and you're proud of it. But stop saying you're fair. You're as fair as a casting agent in Hollywood. You put on those who succumb to your view of the news. O'Reilly needs to be lobotomized so he can learn something -- but at least you hire Americans. Your international news is the equivalent of going to Puerto Rico to get a good assignment. But you don't care anyway, it's all about the red, white and blue. And just why are those black dudes on in the morning --- and only in the morning? But I could be wrong, because I rarely watch you.
Oh, and the Red Eye guy -- kinda kinky, but he's not bad. Entertaining, almost.

Anyway, have a Happy News Year! Here's NOT looking at you as much this year!!

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The Politics of Martyrdom

I could handle Chris Matthews on the day of Benazir Bhutto's assassination, mainly because he was sobered by the turn of events in Pakistan. His voice wasn't shrill, he spoke in a more measured manner - he sounded like a journalist. No doubt, he was worried as much as we all should be about the turn of events, which are likely to have a profound effect on our nation's future for the next year or two especially. Nonetheless, I was concerned about the media's jump to the conclusion that it was "al Qaeda," within several hours of the incident, mainly because as intelligent as we think our intelligence community is, it is still filtered by beliefs and concepts that are alien to the average American which has to interpret the information. So I set out to ask the question of whether Benazir Bhutto had imposed upon herself the tragic fate (in my eyes) of martyrdom for which so many Muslims are known. So I looked in my Introduction to Islam book that I bought months ago at a Border's check out stand (it was cheap and cheerful, and I was waiting in line --- (yeah, sucker). Anyway, it's index made no mention of martyrdom. And the reviews were no good - no more impulse buying anymore.

I'm trying to figure out if Ms. Bhutto was a non-proclaimed martyr who gave her life for the cause of her people, but, perhaps also because of a religious belief that she, too, might have held, that she would be bestowed with wonderful blessings (I am not sure what a woman earns as a martyr so I cannot state what glory, if any, meets her in giving up her life). But if martyrdom is the culture (in the way that kamikazi's were in the Japanese tradition, or the Death Penalty is in ours), perhaps suicide bombing is just something we Westerners can't fathom. Nor can we understand the fearlessness with which she marched to her end.

While looking for quick answers, I came upon an article, which made me rethink the martyrdom "thing." It's a bit clunky reading at first, but the author does get into her stride and writes a very rational, yet passionately persuasive piece that opines that martyrdom has been so distorted by fanaticism that everyone has gone mad, as it were (my words). The author turns down the volume and explains that martyrdom can only be in defense of Islam (and nothing else). Written in 2004, the author writes about in martyrdom in the context of the Israeli/Palestinian crisis, arguing that the belief that martyrdom can be based upon politics is a distortion of the Qu'uran. She explains that the struggle between Israelis and Palestinians is about land more than it is about religion (at least to the author of the article) and that the Palestinian suicide bomber's sacrifice and rewards are not only misunderstood, but they are misplaced because of the misquoted source of the so-called rewards to be bestowed upon the martyr.

[B]eing a Lebanese Muslim Sunni woman, I know too well the meaning of challenging religious orthodoxy in an environment that often literally 'eliminates' dissent. I and others like me may be politically correct in the USA or Western Europe, but are indeed politically very incorrect in the Middle East. In any case, I don't care for being politically correct as much as I want and strive to be 'religiously' correct in the eyes of God. If some 'traditions' and interpretations, including Hadith, tell me things that contradict what is unequivocal in the Qur'an, I know as a Muslim that the Qur'an is the highest authority for Muslims. A case in point is the hadith oft quoted by religious clerics to encourage suicide bombers. According to that hadith, Palestinian 'Shuhada' or 'martyrs,' accepting the interpretation of the apologists, not only get 72 virgins but also get to guarantee heaven for their entire family. The above-mentioned verse (35:18) clearly states the opposite, saying that each individual is strictly responsible for his/her own acts on earth (see also 53:38 and 60:3).

I do not list the verses, encouraging you to click the link below to read the whole article, rather than my Cliff Notes simplistic version. Amina discusses the teachings of Prophet Mohammed (praise be upon him)(I write this so as not to offend anyone who might object to my using his name without adding the suffix that usually follows when His name is uttered)[ So much for my saying Jesus Christ when I get angry... I imagine I'll be roasting on a pitchfork for my occasional, -- I said, occasional, okay?-- blaspheme].

Back to the issue at hand -- apparently, there are the teachings of The Prophet (pbuh) that instruct the reader to only take His written words to heart, and not to attribute what He may have said while He was living. It sounds as though the Prophet understood well the perils of hearsay. Apparently Mohammad (pbuh) died a natural death, so one who "fights" or wages battle cannot do so on his behalf, but for God and nothing more.

I'm getting into dangerous territory here, even in paraphrasing, so I'll let you read the article. It is not for the intellectually faint of stamina - it is long, well thought-out, insightful, and worth reading.

I wrote this today to make my own case that, right now, the last thing I want to hear is pontification by Americans about a culture and a people we don't know or understand. You will not learn from the media except what they want you to learn. I will give credit for the effort to learn about what has transpired, but let's face it -- Pakistan was on the back burner (Barack Obama credits himself with the foresight of seeing this as the sleeping giant, or so he said -- so he must be given credit if that is the case). But truthfully, it's time to dialogue with those in the know, or to hear from those in the know, without the spin of interpretation by cable pundits and politicians. We need to hear from Muslims, Pakistani and Taliban supporters - to form our opinions ourselves.

I cannot understand anything except my experience, truth be told, and sometimes I need help interpreting that. So, this is a time when we who wish to understand the fate of our lives and world should not look to people whose job it is to have "something to say" to be the source of our education. Educate yourselves. This website: http://Mideastweb.org might be a good place to start.

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Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays!

Although I attend a Christian church, I do so for feelings of social inclusion more than my belief of all of the Christian tenets. I believe almost all religions tell the same story, part factual, part hyperbole. Like the game "Telephone", the facts always get lost in the retelling and by the last telling -- it's nothing like was intended. So, whether someone named Jesus was born on what day or not, it's more important to get what you can from the general tenets that the holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving bring: goodwill toward your fellow man, and loving family. If you're not so inclined, look at it this way: you're alive, you can read (at least blogs) and a majority of us in the U.S. have some form of food to eat (even the homeless, as they would be dead if they didn't -- that's not meant to sound callous).

Today, I have no intention of watching the news. And I'll tell no one in the media to shut up. But for C-Span, I will say May you live long and prosper, as it is only one of the facets of media that truly gives us the true "I saw it, I was there" news.

Merry Christmas!

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Again, the Media Totally Ignores Breaking News!

This news should have received major headlines! I give up! :) Audio only.

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Hiltons and Lohans Trump Media's Interest in Calls for Cheney's Impeachment

We have come to a sad time in our country's existence when the media doesn't cover the alleged constitutional violations of the second most important man in the land. Newspapers rush to cover the antics of uneducated twenty-somethings whose whole raison d'etre is to etre. Be there. That's it. Show up. Look pretty. First page news - News Flash. Britney Flashed!

The obliteration of our sacred Bill of Rights? The potential of an abuse of power? Where are Woodward and Bernstein now? A President got some thugs to break into some offices in a hotel. Impeachment was called and to avoid censure a President Nixon resigned. During another time in our country's history, a President (no, Not JFK, or GWB, Sr.) had a dalliance with a young intern, and impeachment hearings were held.

The brave Congressman below seeks to petition for impeachment proceedings against Vice President Cheney (just the last name is synonymous with greed, corruption, and cloak and dagger maneuvering, topped with deniability and the sacrosanct Executive Privilege defenses). Hear Wexler's radio interview where he states his befuddlement that three members of the Judiciary Committee wants to investigate the allegations and not one large media outlet covered it, to his knowledge. Be patient and turn down the volume if the hung-over smoker-sounding radio jock's voice gets on your nerves.



I'd still like to know. Where were the media? Where were the articles in the tabloids, the major papers, or even the television news for that matter? Black out. We can no longer look at the dark sinister Putin's resurged "Iron Curtain" as the only country that controls its press. Indeed, see where we rank in the list of countries with freedom of the press. Click the link and look at the column on the right.

But who cares about the press except MTV's Sweet Sixteen brats who want fame more than an education? Where are the friggin' adults in this country? Are we addicted to nineteen year-olds and the grown men who love them?

The US actually needs God's Blessings now -- because this country is no longer blessed. It is lacking in common sense; we need a reinvigoration of what made this country a beacon for emulation: due process and invocation of the rule of law. We're quite the disgrace now. And that makes me sad.

C'mon, America. Write to the major papers and ask them: Why the Blackout? And threaten not to read their papers, anymore. They don't give us important news, after all. The Power really is with the People now. And we need hearings. The results are up for grabs, and I'm not even as concerned about the outcome as the due process that should take place to see that justice is served and we learn about the limits of Executive Privilege. Just who can we believe in if not the democratic principles that keep us free?

We might need to move to Iraq.

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