Rocknation
Profile Information
Gender: Female
Hometown: New Jersey
Home country: USA
Member since: 2001
Number of posts: 44,197
Hometown: New Jersey
Home country: USA
Member since: 2001
Number of posts: 44,197
Journal Archives
Your choice of
Unless you'd rather have something that's actually useful: 
rocktivity |
Posted by rocktivity | Fri Jan 18, 2013, 06:40 PM (0 replies)
It's the Tenth Annual Rocktivity/DU "You Call This NEWS?" Awards!
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Thank you and welcome -- has it REALLY been TEN years since I first snarked, "You call this NEWS?" This is also our second pre-Democratic inaugural awards ceremony. Last year, I advocated being optimistic but not complacent: it turned out to be an understatement. It helped, of course, that Mitt "R-Money" Romney's campaign platform quickly degenerated to only one plank: He wasn't black. And while he did have an edge with independent voters who felt that Obama hadn't changed enough, Romney threw them away by refusing to release more of his income tax returns (a tradition begun by his own father -- ironic much?). However, Obama's dim performance at the first 2012 debate breathed new life into mainstream media coverage of the race. Spurred on by the mantra "Controversy SELLS!", and aided and abetted by polling companies that weren't profiting by telling the GOP the truth, a scramble began to turn the 2012 election into a gigantic dead heat. But between Romney and Ryan getting their clocks cleaned at the remaining debates and the visit from superstorm Sandy, it melted down into a suicide mission. Which dovetails into the reason why I started giving out these awards in the first place. It took me only four days after 9/11 to get so fed up with the jingoistic, lockstepping turn the MSM had taken, I yelled, "Goddammit, stop telling me how to feel!" at my TV. That launched me on a three-week Internet search to find news I could really use on 9/11 and the Bush regime (I never to referred to it as an administration). Michael Moore's page led me to Democrats.com, which in turn led me to DU. Finally, a safe haven from the pro-Bush crazies! Equally important, DU also placed me in the company of people who were so far ahead of the MSM's propaganda curve that I noticed a pattern of stories that seemed too redundant, reality-challenged, or both to qualify as actual journalism. I realized that it was part of a new American civil war that was under way -- a war against a cunning and merciless ideological enemy. So in 2003, I gave out my first "You Call This NEWS?" award, and held the first of these ceremonies two years later. To paraphrase MSNBC, let's see how far forward we leaned in 2012: [div style="text-align:center"]PREVIOUS AWARD WINNERS 2003 - Bush's Ancestor's Bank Seized (Grandad - Germany/Nazi) 2004 - Cheney May Help or Hinder Bush's Chances [div style="text-align:center"]PREVIOUS AWARD CEREMONIES 2005 - U.S. Army Report: Military Lost Dominance In Iraq After Invasion 2006 - Iraq On Brink Of Becoming A Failed State 2007 - Iraqis Blame U.S. Invasion For Discord 2008 - Bush sees no recession coming 2009 - Bottled water sales dry up - Industry Asks 'Why?' 2010 - Former Head of FEMA says Bush Administration Downplayed Severity of Hurricane Katrina 2011 - Wal-Mart: Our Shoppers Are "Running Out Of Money" [div class="excerpt" style="text-align:center;border: 2px #000000 ridge"]TENTH ANNUAL ROCKTIVITY/DU "YOU CALL THIS NEWS?" AWARDS WINNERS [div style="text-align:center"]SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 
WE DESERVE BETTER! Media Source: USA Today Posted by: TalkingDog Best Post (Other Than Mine): "I like how 'Dangers Remain' and 'Life After Paterno' remain on the scene." -- XemaSab [div style="text-align:center"]HONORABLE MENTION Study Shows Frequent Sex Increased Pregnancy Chances Media Source: The Winchester Star Posted by: Incitatus Best Posts (Other Than Mine): "I call BS - I've been having sex as frequently as possible for my entire adult life, without even a hint of pregnancy." -- Petronius "It might help if you had a partner." -- Bluesbassman GOP Strategist: "It's Devastating." Majority Of American Women NOW Side With Democrats Media Source: The Washington Post Posted by: Kpete Best Posts (Other Than Mine): "Pardon me, but does this actually surprise anyone with a functioning brain?" -- Sikorsky "It does seem to surprise Republicans...Oh wait, never mind." -- Sarge43 [div style="text-align:center"]HONORABLE MENTION: THE "TO FIGURE THIS OUT, YOU HAD TO DO A FREAKING STUDY?" CATEGORY Raw milk causes most illnesses from dairy, study finds Media Source: USA Today Posted by: Snake Alchemist Best Post (Other Than Mine): "There is a technical/scientific term for this: Duh." -- qazplm [div style="text-align:center"] THIRD RUNNER UP Poll Finds Americans Reject Republican Assault On Unions Media Source: Think Progress.Org Posted by: Babylonsister Best Post (Other Than Mine): "I'm thinking some Tea Baggers finally figured it out...especially after they looked at their union membership cards!" -- Atreides1 [div style="text-align:center"]SECOND RUNNER UP NYPD Caught Spying on Al Sharpton, National Action Network Media Source: Your Black World.Net Posted by: Kas125 Best Post (Other Than Mine): "They are just spying on him to find out how he lost the pounds." -- Loudmxr [div style="text-align:center"]FIRST RUNNER UP Republicans suffer among female voters Media Source: The Washington Post Posted by: DearAbby Best Post (Other Than Mine): "'Female voters suffer among Republicans.' There! I fixed it for you." -- Hootinholler [div class="excerpt" style="border: 2px #000000 ridge"][div style="text-align:center"]  AND THE WINNER OF THE TENTH ANNUAL ROCKTIVITY/DU "YOU CALL THIS NEWS?" AWARDS:
CIA DOCS CONFIRM: CHENEY IS A LIAR!!! Media Source: Huffington Post Posted by: Kpete Best Post (Other Than Mine): "Time to repossess a heart!" -- Lint Head
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And give yourselves a round of applause while you're at it, because we can look back over the past ten years and note that while we didn't stop Georgie Bush's second term, we did stop them from stopping Obama's. And in honor of the way we stopped Neil Munro, we're sending him all the bills we run up at the after-party! 
rocktivity |
Posted by rocktivity | Sat Jan 12, 2013, 09:47 PM (26 replies)
You can't go wrong when the organ lessons are from the masters
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rocktivity |
Posted by rocktivity | Sun Dec 23, 2012, 09:29 PM (0 replies)
UASREC Civilian, Madison Avenue Division, 1977 -1987
Worked in creative group at ad agency that did the Army's BE ALL YOU CAN BE campaign. Promoted from secretary to copywriter in 1982. Wrote print ads, a TV spot, and radio commercials (one of which won an award). Visited Forts Lewis and Benning, but, oddly, not the Army's recruitment headquarters (USAREC) Ft. Sheridan.
Of course, we had saner commanders-in-chief back then. 
rocktivity |
Posted by rocktivity | Sun Nov 11, 2012, 11:55 AM (1 replies)
Hurricane Sandy: My Final Fury
When I "commuted" from my motel near Newark Airport to my local polling place, I learned that the neighborhood had gotten its lights back on the night before. No Internet though, so there was no point in coming home until yesterday.
This morning, I got up at 8AM, saw that the time on my cable box still read 12:00, and self-piteously went back to bed. When I got up again, the time read 12:43, and it really WAS 12:43 -- my Internet and cable were back! So I guess my chapter of the Hurricane Sandy saga is officially over, and it's time for gratitude to all who helped me cope. With only a radio to rely on, I bounced between Seton Hall U. WSOU (music), WFAN/ESPN (sports coverage and derision at Mayor Bloomberg's not cancelling the NYC Marathon), and NJ 101.5 (local info and broadcasting the Red Cross benefit NBC-TV did). And thanks to DU and the motel's Wifi, I didn't have to rely on major network coverage (though I did enjoy glimpsing at all the sad faces on Fox). All I had to do keep refreshing the Latest Threads link on my cellphone! Lessons learned? I have a radio, and I've always kept a supply of batteries, lights, candles, and matches, so I was prepared in that sense. Though I didn't lose gas, I also have some chafing dish burners so I can cook over tin cans supporting an oven rack. And since Hurricane Irene, I've followed a DUer's advice to keep a gallon jug of water in the freezer, which kept my food cold for three extra days. If there's anything I regret, it's not having a personal hotspot for my cell phone -- I couldn't make calls until Saturday. But for thousands of others, Hurricane Sandy won't be over for a very long time. There's still much to be done, and I hope you won't forget them just because there will be less media coverage. Join me in doing whatever you can to help. Well, until the next perfect storm... http://www.redcross.org/charitable-donations https://civ.moveon.org/donatec4/sand...76-gzCw9ux&t=1
rocktivity |
Posted by rocktivity | Thu Nov 8, 2012, 04:55 PM (0 replies)
The media isn't talking about it, but that doesn't meant that WE can't
The other day, somebody suggested that the capture of bin Laden has been Obama's silent ace in the hole. Though it hasn't been a front-row feature of the campaign, it gives him a huge edge in terms of pure public sentiment. I think Obama had a similar advantage over Hillary: It wasn't her fault, of course, but I believe that subconsciously, a lot of voters were turned off by the prospect of a Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton-(Jeb?) Bush progression.
In the same vein, I believe that though Seamus and the tax returns are "ancient history" as far as the MSM is concerned, those two insights into Mitt are still burning brightly in the psyches of the voters (if only because his subsequent behavior has reinforced them). And for Mitt to suggest that harping on them are a waste of time when it's "issues" that should be discussed, well, the quality of one's personal character is very much a political issue. Just ask Bush. And Clinton. And Bush. And Clinton. And (Jeb) Bush. 
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1120150
rocktivity |
Posted by rocktivity | Thu Oct 18, 2012, 02:49 PM (1 replies)
The wire was temporary -- until they could perform a surgical implant
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rocktivity |
Posted by rocktivity | Fri Sep 7, 2012, 04:17 PM (0 replies)
Biblical Styles of the 2012 Presidential Candidates
Posted by rocktivity | Tue Sep 4, 2012, 09:17 AM (0 replies)
The kerfuffle over Clint Eastwood's RNC performance
has compelled me to return to this conversation, because I mentioned that social media would give us "you peoples" even more skin in the political game.
Barely before Clint was finished, Twitter was set ablaze by #insertchair, #invisibleobama, #clinteastwooding. Nobody sat around waiting for the MSM or the network-connected blogosohere to instruct them on how they ought to react -- they reacted with thousands of tweets, with the more skilled among them linking to quickly-constructed cartoons: 
in response, the Obama camp tweeted: This seat's taken. 
Twitter says it was the most popular retweet during the RNC convention, and Obama's most popular retweet next to the one he sent out supporting same-sex marriage. Yet I'm supposed to believe the MSM'S insistence that it's still a dead heat right now.
rocktivity |
Posted by rocktivity | Sat Sep 1, 2012, 10:44 AM (0 replies)
