Crumpled

I read a lot of news. I read just about as much news as I have time to read from as many news sources as possible on the internet.

But I usually exclude the following sources: times of london, the washington times, voice of america, xinhua, fox news, msnbc, cnn, china daily, and probably others.

Sometimes, like cnn or msnbc, I can't explain why they are 'blacklisted' there's just something about them that seems fishy that I can't put my finger on.

Others of the news organisations on my little list are state run propaganda devices, or they are partnered with a party as a propoganda device.

Another organization, ABC news has just made it into its own special category of 'not suitible for information gathering.'

Here's how ABC news stood out to me today:
"Trainer Says Blaine Had Convulsions"
that's the headline. forgive me for falling into the trap of knowing about this stunt, like I said I read a lot of news and I always figured your skin would soak off after a few days of being underwater.
but the ABC headline really suggests that there was a great deal of suspense involved in a two hour program about holding your breath (that aired on ABC). After most of the other news sources mocked the program, and simply pointed out that Blaine failed to acchieve his goal, and then moved on with thier days. ABC sicks their news departmet to stand up for their tv programing by saying, you should have seen seen that, it really was scary, this trainer says so.

Anyway that's not a big deal I guess. It was the scariest headline about breath-holding aout of al of them, designed to add suspence to one of their investments that came up a little short on suspense. (he said he would die if he failed. he failed to die. now there's a way to salvage your program.)

okay here's the other problem I had today with ABC. I have to tell you guys, I don't watch tv. pretty much not at all. there is no signal that carries tv into this house. I consider tv a waste of so many things.

Well, ABC just cooked up a little tv movie that capitalises on the exagerated fear of bird flu, and made the whole idea even scarier. Like Hichcock directs "Outbreak" or something. And then, prompts people who may have seen the program to watch or read their news to get the real milder version of what might happen during a pandemic. ABC is the only source of the don't-worry-about-what-you-saw-in-that-movie news. I found news of this sort on multiple ABC affiliate sites and nowhere else.

Lets produce a movie that we can market to peoples fears. While it's in production, lets try and increase those fears to increase our market. If the movie causes additional fear, lets direct them back to the news to be soothed. If the movie fails to deliver enough fear, lets use the news to try and revise the movie to make it scarier in retrospect.

If you can't make news without shows, you don't belong in news, and if you can't make shows without news, you don't belong in entertainment.
thus endeth the rant.

Here is a short list of my more favored sources:

cnet, wired, ny times, la times, sf cronicle, npr, boston globe, washington post, guardian (probably britains most sarcastic mainstream news) seattle p-i, forbes, and reuters.