Say Anything Blog

[...] AS IN BALDSPOT...This is just too damned funny!THIRDWAVEDAVE tipped me off about a “gaffe” at CNN earlier today, where they stuck a giant black “X” over Vice President Cheney while he was making a live speech!Real Teen at Stop the ACLU is reporting that The Drudge Report is currently running with this story as its header. No one can seem to make out the tiny black words superimposed over parts of the picture.Some people are {GASP!} suggesting that it may not have been an accident!I mean, come on, folks! It’s not like the media have done something like this before… Or have they?Hmmmm...******************************UPDATE: Ian at The Political Teen has video, slowed down to make the repeatedly appearing (for 1/15th of a second at a time) “X” easily visible.I’m not the only one remembering past media bias silliness....Mary Katherine Ham at Hugh Hewitt recalled THIS little gem (also courtesy of CNN).Curt at Flopping Aces recalled Reuters’ zoomed-in and “enhanced” potty break note… and, of course, this lovely USA Today photo, which we had a whole lot of fun with a few weeks ago...Don’t even get me started on the TANG Documents!Again, I must shrug and ask: What media bias??? [...]

president.

Wilking shot about 200 images and sent two memory cards to the press room at the U.N., where Hershorn was working. Hershorn looked at the images on a computer and initially decided not to send any of them.

But a few hours later, he started to wonder about a note that Bush was seen writing in three of the pictures. Out of curiosity, he zoomed in to see if he could read it.

Once he saw what it said, Hershorn decided the note was interesting and worth publishing.

I’d like to know why Hershorn considered this note ‘interesting’?

I’d like to know why Hershorn considered this note ‘interesting’?

Well, he was right: we are talking and joking about it.

How exactly?

I realize this is your blog, Rob, but that is an unconscionably misleading headline you’ve used for this story.

That would make sense then… Cause it’s obviously altered, but I was wondering how a photoshoped image would make it onto their servers…

they claim at first to have no idea of the content - but then they photoshop it to make it more legible!  Isn’t that enough?  They were caught in a lie! 

And what master of the English language could they possibly be if they can’t decipher THAT chicken scratch!

Always have a problem with someone trying to sway my opinion when they cannot use the language in which they speak properly.  Not quite killing the messenger - but it sure makes me question the message.

Riiiiiight.  Sorry, I don’t really trust Al Reuters any more than I trust, say, the Communist News Network.

I hope the stars of Bloggers vs Dan Rather do a once over.
Is the block print typical of Bush samples on file ?
Is that Bush’s hand ? It seems less than tanned.
The printing is quite nice and clear, almost of sampler quality. Are there other images of Bush with the paper clamp and clutter to place it ?

Perhaps they will prove that Bush never goes to the bathroom.

Sorry; the parallels are too cute.

I hope the stars of Bloggers vs Dan Rather do a once over.
Is the block print typical of Bush samples on file ?
Is that Bush’s hand ? It seems less than tanned.
The printing is quite nice and clear, almost of sampler quality. Are there other images of Bush with the paper clamp and clutter to place it ?

I realize this is your blog, Rob, but that is an unconscionably misleading headline you’ve used for this story.

Why?  It was photoshopped, after all.  They admitted it.  Reuters used the term “photoshopped” themselves.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Yes, I know, and you haven’t technically said anything that’s untrue. But 99.9999% of your readers (including me) would take the headline to mean the Reuters forged the note (see, for example, this comment), which they didn’t.

You’re playing language games, manipulating your readers with two different definitions of “photoshop”; which is cute, but also juvenile.

But, it’s your blog.

What would you have put for the title?

Bush Note Burnd Down?

Honestly, I’m not sure what better headline to use…

You’re playing language games, manipulating your readers with two different definitions of “photoshop”; which is cute, but also juvenile.

Any time you think I’m manipulating you feel free to leave. 

Jesus, to hear you tell it I sit at my desk twirling my mustache while hatching plots to further the right wing agenda of the KARL ROVE!

Get over yourself, pal.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Jesus, to hear you tell it I sit at my desk twirling my mustache while hatching plots to further the right wing agenda of the KARL ROVE!

Manipulation need not be an active exercise. Look no further than Bill Keller for the proof of that (unless you think HE sits at HIS desk twirling HIS mustache while hatching plots to further the LEFT wing agenda).

“It was still photoshopped.”

“Reuters used the Adobe Photoshop program to enhance the picture’s quality” is more accurate still!

Well, here’s one Ryan.

Here’s another.

And another.

And another.

And another (though this one doesn’t really involve Reuters itself as an agency, but does illustrate what its editors are like).

Anyway, my point is illustrated.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Can we trust that Reuters didn’t change the content of the note in any way? Given what I know of Reuters’ journalistic integrity I certainly don’t, but I don’t know why they’d do it in this instance.

Can we trust that Rob didn’t make up something about Reuter’s integrity in some way?  Given what I know of SayAnythingBlog’s integrity, I certainly don’t, but I don’t know why he’d do it in this instance.

(Making a point about Rob’s technique in this post, not claiming Rob is a liar, so settle down.  Would have been nice if he included some article link about Reuter’s lack of journalistic integrity considering he views Newsmax as a trusted source.)

Fine, manipulate was a bad word.  The enhanced it.

Happy now?

It was still photoshopped.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

The photo was manipulated in Photoshop. The headline was dead-on accurate.

Rob, you cannot honestly believe that the word “manipulate” does not carry any negative connotations. Reuters CLARIFIED the the photo through the photoshop program; they didn’t MANIPULATE it.

You latch onto one word, a word that has a different context to editors than to the general population, and run with it.

The photo was manipulated in Photoshop.  The headline was dead-on accurate.

Were a post where I was complaining about media bias I have a feeling that you’d be saying, “Oh come on!  There’s no bias here, the photo was photoshopped.”

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Dave,

To photoshop an image is to manipulate it in some way. Reuters admitted they manipulated the image. Therefore, it was photoshopped.

End of discussion.

Now, as to whether or not there was some malicious intent involved…

"You have the power to end this!!!” -Stewie Griffin, Family Guy

Have you taken classes on how to belabor points until the subject of your scorn bleeds from the eyes?  Because seriously, I’m pretty close to doing that right now.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Drudge’s headline:

REUTERS has acknowledged Bush ‘Potty Note’ photo was enhanced via Photoshop…

Good job, Rob: You’re a bigger reactionary than Drudge!!!

E&P: With confirmation that an accidental photo of President Bush at the United Nations on Wednesday, writing a note to Secretary of State Condeezza Rice about a “bathroom break,” was indeed real, newspapers around the U.S. and abroad are now planning to run it widely. But many, it seems, will treat it as something more than a joke.

A source at the Washington Post tells E&P that the paper is considering it for prominent play, in the context that, at least in some minds, it raises questions about overall perception of the U.S. at the United Nations, right or wrong. Reuters reports extremely strong interest in the photo today.

The fact is, according to Reuters—and this has not been widely reported—President Bush did indeed take a bathroom break after passing the note to Rice.

Well, Reuters got it right this time and the examples you put up of their “lack of integrity” are really overblown.

Story 1) Different analysis, not malicious.

Story 2) A poor choice in words, but no worse than anything else in the papers and not indicative of inherent bias - the tag just needed to be short and “alleged” wouldn’t fit.  Anyways, I read it as saying that Bush trusts Rove even though someone in the White House is leaking the names of CIA agents.

Story 3) You just don’t like the story - there’s nothing inherently wrong with the reporting.

Story 4) “Anti-immigration” implies conservatives that want to slow down legal immigration, which was the primary focus of the article (Bush legalizing 8 to 10 million illegal immigrants); more of a style guide thing than any unconscionable bias.

Story 5) Like you said, it was an editor expressing his view privately.  Are journalists not allowed to have private opinions?  There’s been nothing to indicate he’s allowed it to interfere in his work.

I certainly don’t think there’s any malicious intent involved.  There’s certainly nothing malicious in revealing that the President has to go to the bathroom and is careful about when he gets up and does it at a diplomatic conference.  In fact, I think its funny and humanizing.

I don’t like that Reuters lied about the photoshopping, but there’s certainly nothing malicious here.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Ryan, I never expected to convince you.  For somebody who has a knee-jerk reaction to every single thing somebody who even resembles a right-thinking person says, you’re hardly one to analyze.

Dave, just stop it.  Nobody likes an asshole.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

I’m an asshole for pointing out that Matt Drudge has a more reasonable headline than you? Is Drudge an asshole too?

You’re an asshole for picking a minor little quibble and then attacking it like some sort of a zealot.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Perhaps I feel it’s indicative of a larger trend?

Rob: You intentionally wrote a misleading headline. I called you on it. You refused to change it.

Who is the real zealot again, mon frère?

You just like to piss people off, doncha?

You intentionally wrote a misleading headline. I called you on it. You refused to change it.

I intentionally wrote a perfectly acceptable headline that accurately reflected what Reuters did to the photo.

You need to grow up a little, pal.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Ryan, I never expected to convince you. For somebody who has a knee-jerk reaction to every single thing somebody who even resembles a right-thinking person says, you’re hardly one to analyze.

Rob, if my responses are knee-jerk reactions to what every right(wing)-thinking person says, then every single one of your posts is a knee-jerk reaction to everything you write about.

Get real, quit insulting my intelligence, and explain why Reuters is biased.

Ryan, I would never be able to explain it to your satisfaction, so I’m not going to try. I’ve offered my examples, you dismissed them. I think they’re compelling, but whatever. We’ll agree to disagree.

Nice punt.  Why not tell me why my analysis of your examples is wrong?  I critiqued and responded to your allegations of bias - far from “dismissing” them, as you’re attempting to do to me.

Bill Clinton’s UN Note

Ryan, I would never be able to explain it to your satisfaction, so I’m not going to try.  I’ve offered my examples, you dismissed them.  I think they’re compelling, but whatever.  We’ll agree to disagree.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

I’ve called a few posts here idiotic (most notably the one where you and Seth laughed about moving the New Orleans residents to a volcano), but I don’t go personal.

You’re actually trying to suggest that I laughed at moving NO “refugees” to a Volcano?  I scoffed at the notion that anyone would want to build a city on an active volcano, thus making a point at how STUPID it is to have built a city below sea level on the ocean in a hurricane track.  What is idiotic is the notion that we should spend 1 federal cent to rebuild this disaster waiting to happen. 

I attack your arguments.

With childish antics like what you played out above.

You relish in attacking the person.

In all the time I have been here, Rob tries VERY hard to calmly discuss things with people.  I’ve never seen him bash or trash anyone off the cuff.  You, sir, misrepresent him. 

Talking with you is like the Monty Python argument skit, it becomes futile to discuss with you and thus, we don’t want to do it.  But, please, keep trying to tell Rob how he’s not acting “fairly” on his own blog.

All I wanted to know was why Reuters is biased.  You can’t or won’t support your claim so you attack me instead of my argument.

I don’t cuss at you.  I don’t yell at you.  I put up my arguments and am consistently called loony, out-of-touch, a moonbat, and have frequently been told to F-off.  I’m not the kind of person you want to debate?  You’re the one getting tired of the vicious rhetoric?

I’ve called a few posts here idiotic (most notably the one where you and Seth laughed about moving the New Orleans residents to a volcano), but I don’t go personal.  I attack your arguments.  You relish in attacking the person.

Well Ryan, point taken.  I am dismissing you, but not out of hat.  I’ve seen you back here day after day engaging in all manner of hyperbole and vicious rhetoric and have become convinced that you are, frankly, not really the kind of person I care to debate with.  You’re not open-minded, you’re not reasonable.  You’re partisan.  You’ve picked your side, that’s where you’re staying.

A lot of people would say the same of me, so cest la vie.

Mostly I don’t feel like engagine with you because I find you tiresome.  So delcare victory if you want, I don’t really care.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Your callous reaction to the storm victims consisted of laughing and saying it was their own damn fault. I thought this very idiotic and simplistic and said so. Telling Katrina evacuees their city was destroyed because they shouldn’t have been living there in the first place is childish.

No Ryan, I am saying that if you choose to live somewhere it is not the responsibility of everyone else to bail you out when things go badly.  That is my point.  To Expect help is childish and irresponsible.  Of course the rest of us will offer help, but to DEMAND it of us, is uncool.

And you just did the same exact thing - label me an inferior lefty with no positive or worthwhile views and disregard me.

As I keep saying, I disregard you because you refuse to see what is placed in front of you in even a SMALL way.  You claim that every single one of Rob’s examples (and I’ll note that the post was not about BIAS) is faulty… then how can you have a debate?  It’s like arguing with a blind man about the color of a car… It gets OLD, and frustrating.  Find SOMETHING, ANYTHING to agree with him on and you’d find it easier to discuss stuff.  Your endless disagreements and constant Python-esque arguments get redundant and senseless. 

Here, I am not dismissing you, but pointing out how your technique SUCKS.  If you can’t see the difference, then we’re done talking.

But, since neither of you appear at all interested in telling me why Reuters is biased, the original reason for this discussion,

It wasn’t the original reason for the discussion.  But come back and tell me that it was… that’s your M.O.

I’ll leave it at that, in the interests of not offending you with my knee-jerk liberal reactions and vicious rhetoric and hyperbole.

Knock it off man… really!  you remind me of a whiny , snot-nosed, little, fat kid.  u

Hnnnnn, I can’t walk that far… Uuuuu, I’m hungry… Awwwwww, Are we there yet? 

Eurcle incarnate.

Niggard, as in miserly?  I stingy people?  And my posts are offensively flattering?

That doesn’t even make sense.  But, whatever.  The headline reflected, accurately, the story.  Heck, Reuters even lied about enhancing the photo, but you go ahead and zero in on my headline.  Because, you know, it matters.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

I scoffed at the notion that anyone would want to build a city on an active volcano, thus making a point at how STUPID it is to have built a city below sea level on the ocean in a hurricane track.

Seth, the city was older than America.  I mean… c’mon, I know some of those guys were smart back then, but it’s not like they could check the Doppler radar and turn on the Weather Channel.

Your callous reaction to the storm victims consisted of laughing and saying it was their own damn fault.  I thought this very idiotic and simplistic and said so.  Telling Katrina evacuees their city was destroyed because they shouldn’t have been living there in the first place is childish.

As far as Rob’s reaction to me, all he does is talk about how I’m a left-wing reactionary, unworthy of debate because I’m close-minded, etc.  He doesn’t “calmly discuss things” with me because he won’t discuss anything with me.  And you just did the same exact thing - label me an inferior lefty with no positive or worthwhile views and disregard me.

It’s not a matter of fairness, it’s a matter of respect.  I disagree with a lot of your ideas, but I don’t call you assholes or flame you or say you’re dumb rednecks.  I say I don’t agree with your views and why (occasionally uses sarcasm or cynicism), as you disagree with mine and say why (occasionally using sarcasm or cynicism), but I continue the conversation, where you only seek to end it.

But, since neither of you appear at all interested in telling me why Reuters is biased, the original reason for this discussion, I’ll leave it at that, in the interests of not offending you with my knee-jerk liberal reactions and vicious rhetoric and hyperbole.

Rob banged out:

I intentionally wrote a perfectly acceptable headline that accurately reflected what Reuters did to the photo.

You need to grow up a little, pal.

Whatever, you niggard-loving, fulsome poster.

And my posts are offensively flattering?

No no no, they’re “copious or abundant”; you post a lot. You know, the third definition; the one people haven’t used in like 50 years.

See? I was using a definition that NO ONE USES when I wrote that to give a false impression that your posts are offensive.

I still insist, however, that it was a “perfectly acceptable” post that “accurately reflects” what you do.

Ryan said, Story 1) Different analysis, not malicious.

Nobody claimed that it was malicious.

Story 2) A poor choice in words, but no worse than anything else in the papers and not indicative of inherent bias - the tag just needed to be short and “alleged” wouldn’t fit.

Bad excuse. There was only an alleged leak. It says as much in the first sentence. Without that word, the definition changes totally.

Story 3) You just don’t like the story - there’s nothing inherently wrong with the reporting.

Reuters spoke for the world, “The rest of the world will be watching with anxiety when President Bush is inaugurated Thursday for a second time, fearing the most powerful man on the planet may do more harm than good.”

If one points out that Reuters is speaking for the world, you dismissively say that “you just don’t like the story”. You wonder why people don’t like you Ryan?

Story 4) “Anti-immigration” implies conservatives that want to slow down legal immigration, which was the primary focus of the article (Bush legalizing 8 to 10 million illegal immigrants); more of a style guide thing than any unconscionable bias.

The article talked only about illegal immigration. It used interchangeably the terms of “illegal immigration” and “anti-immigrant”. The reason? Bias.

Get real, quit insulting my intelligence, and explain why Reuters is biased.

To insult your intelligence, all one has to do is invite you to talk.

I still insist, however, that it was a “perfectly acceptable” post that “accurately reflects” what you do.

Right, that’s me.  All I do is try to mislead people.

*shakes head*

I give up.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Rob, I don’t understand how you can be so obstinate and still function in everyday life; you’re a modern day Martin Chuzzlewit.

First class jackass.

Get beat up a lot Dave?

Rob, I don’t understand how you can be so obstinate and still function in everyday life; you’re a modern day Martin Chuzzlewit.

Continue with your “fulsome” posts.

Dave? Grow up. Ryan, having run through some of the last week and a half’s comments, you been cut alot of slack. That is over. If you honestly believe anything Rueters has to say, you have braindamage. Oh, yea! We allready know that about you. Go play with your little minded friends over at DU and Kos, and don’t forget to drink the Koolaid. Moron.

Rob, I don’t understand how you can be so obstinate and still function in everyday life; you’re a modern day Martin Chuzzlewit.

This from the guy who yawns and says “Big Deal!” to the fact that a 9/11 memorial is a Mecca-facing crescent.

Unbelievable.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Dave: The king of satire by accident.

Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever participated in a dumber comment thread.  I’ve never had anyone make me want to unsubscribe from my own post before, but you’ve accomplished it Dave, by driving a stupid and trivial issue into the ground.

(This is where you respond with some smarmy remark using words you just picked out of the thesaurus, except that this time I will be ignoring it.)

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

So, really, you’re taking words out of context and using them to misrepresent my position. Shame on you, Dave.

Shhhaaammme…

which.....was......the.....point!!!

A no-satire zone here?

Make another of your fulsome posts!!!

That’s what we expect when we have a niggard running this site.

Of course, I wrote that before I witnessed the knee-jerk opposition to changing the memorial and learning that it faced Mecca.

So, really, you’re taking words out of context and using them to misrepresent my position.  Shame on you, Dave. 

Shhhaaammme...

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Rob wrote

This from the guy who yawns and says “Big Deal!” to the fact that a 9/11 memorial is a Mecca-facing crescent.

Heh.

Rob also wrote:

I hadn’t written anything about this (Flight 93 Memorial) because, honestly, I didn’t think it was that big of a deal.

That’s what we expect when we have a niggard running this site.

I’ll ask again: get beat up a lot Dave?

I’ll ask again: get beat up a lot Dave?

That’s about as relevant as your lack of masculinity manifesting itself as homophobia.

I’ll take that as a “yes”. The Internet allows you to be tough.

[...] I’m no expert, but those signs look touched up to me.  And if they are it wouldn’t be the first time Reuters did some unreported image editing. [...]