Iranian cleric says 'rioters' should be executed

Jun 26, 2009 - TEHRAN - Editor's note: Iranian authorities have barred journalists for international news organizations from reporting on the streets and ordered them to stay in their offices. This report is based on the accounts of witnesses reached in Iran and official statements carried on Iranian media. A hardline Iranian cleric on Friday called for the execution of "rioters," in a sign of the authorities' determination to stamp out opposition to the June 12 presidential election result. - 6 Comments

NPR Won't Call It Torture

Jun 23, 2009 - Long, sorry - Anyone who believes that NPR is a "liberal" media outlet -- and anyone who wants to understand the decay of American journalism -- should read this column by NPR's Ombudsman, Alicia C. Shepard, as she explains and justifies why NPR bars the use of the word "torture" to describe what the Bush administration did. Responding to what she calls "a slew of emails challenging NPR's policy of using the words 'harsh interrogation tactics' or 'enhanced interrogation techniques' to describe the treatment of terrorism suspects under the Bush administration," Shepard hauls out every trite and misleading bit of journalistic conventional wisdom to dismiss listeners' concerns and defend NPR's Orwellian practice (as I noted recently when writing about The New York Times' refusal to use the word "torture," NPR's compulsive use of Bush euphemisms has been a constant complaint of the excellent blog NPR Check). - 1 Comment

The Next Govenor or California???

Jun 15, 2009 - Mayor Gavan Newsom is viewed out side the Bay Area as a far left radical on the other hand inside the boarders of San Francisco values he can’t quite seem to sooth the love/hate relationship he has with his constituents and as for the Board of Supervisors well they really can’t stand him as far as they can throw him. Having worked for a firm that dealt directly with city government I got to hear a lot of personal opinion about San Francisco’s beloved Mayor and came away with two consistencies he’s a self absorbed self serving arrogant @ss but damn he’s cute…LOL. What a lovely impression to leave upon so many. - 4 Comments