On April 11, the White House released an intelligence report accusing Russia of trying to cover up the use of chemical weapons by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad through a global disinformation campaign replete with “false narratives.” As a professor of Soviet history with an interest in media studies, I’ve been following Russia’s response to the chemical… … [Read more...] about Inside Russia’s Alternate Media Reality
Turkey Votes in Divisive Referendum
Turks are voting in a referendum to turn the country’s government into a powerful executive presidency from the current parliamentary system. The vote has been dubbed the most important in the 84-year republic’s history. The referendum has divided the nation with both supporters and opponents arguing the future of the country is at stake. In the… … [Read more...] about Turkey Votes in Divisive Referendum
Cartoon: Steve Bannon credentials
Enjoy a glorious rainbow of incredible bug photographs
Nature comes in all colors Sam Droge USGSBIML Velvet ants aren't the only bugs to come in a rainbow of colors. Flowers are fantastic, rainbows are ravishing, but bugs are often neglected as being creepy and crawly, when in reality they're remarkably colorful. Enjoy scrolling through a rainbow of bugs. Sam Droge USGSBIML This Chlamisine chrysomelid… … [Read more...] about Enjoy a glorious rainbow of incredible bug photographs
SNL: Alec Baldwin as Trump looking over first 100 days (Video)
Alec Baldwin was back on SNL in the cold opening portraying Donald Trump looking over his first 100 days. Extra bonuses: Beck Bennett as Vice President Mike Pence and Jimmy Fallon as Trump's all-powerful son-in-law Jared Kushner -- and a very special depiction of Steve Bannon (which the real Trump and Kushner may not like in terms of image). All against the backdrop of a spoof … [Read more...] about SNL: Alec Baldwin as Trump looking over first 100 days (Video)
Fate of the Furious review
(Taken from the Chocolate Films blog) I’m not a Fast and Furious fan – I need to be transparent about that fact. I don’t like a single film in the franchise. I honestly can’t even begrudgingly call a single entry in the eight (EIGHT!) deep series good – I just can’t do it. So instead of spending time bitching about F8, I thought I would state five positive things about … [Read more...] about Fate of the Furious review
The futile vanities of Trump’s “mother of all bombs”
President Donald Trump’s “mother or all bombs” – the world’s biggest non-nuclear weapon – dropped on remote mountains in unfortunate Afghanistan has pulverized rocks, shattered local ecology and destroyed the habitat of rare animal and other species. It completely shattered everything in a one-mile radius and has affected life in an almost 30-mile periphery. It may also … [Read more...] about The futile vanities of Trump’s “mother of all bombs”
United Package Tours Now Include Hospitalization!
United Package Tours Now Include Hospitalization! By Michael Shannon I'm old enough to remember when the United Airlines slogan was: "Fly the Friendly Skies of United." Now, according to Twitter wag GoodJuJu, the new motto is: "Our Service Will Knock You Out!" It's a cinch the passengers on United Express Flight 3411 got more than they bargained for - I knew United was … [Read more...] about United Package Tours Now Include Hospitalization!
Journalism in the era of clickbait
In an age overwhelmed with clickbait stories, where clicks mean money, is mainstream journalism losing its relevance? And are there any alternative sustainable business models, which allow professional journalists the freedom to produce meaningful and balanced journalism? These were some of the questions put to a panel of TV and radio directors from across the globe… … [Read more...] about Journalism in the era of clickbait
Sean Spicer and Oscar Munoz and the art of bad PR
WASHINGTON, April 14, 2017 - It was a week for unforced errors in America, and two of them were jaw-dropping. Despite a home run or two, the Trump administration stepped into an enormous pile of rhetorical fecal matter. Yes, President Trump responded forcefully to Syria and yes, Neil Gorsuch is now Justice Gorsuch. Illegal crossings at… … [Read more...] about Sean Spicer and Oscar Munoz and the art of bad PR
Donald Trump’s ‘Measured Response’
by Michael Winship Oh my, Chinese President Xi Jinping and that darned airstrike against Syria sure had all the members in a tizzy last week at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump’s Florida pleasure dome. Palm Beach Daily News society editor Shannon Donnelly breathlessly reported that for security reasons linked to Jinping’s visit, there was a no-cellphone policy and suspension … [Read more...] about Donald Trump’s ‘Measured Response’
Cartoon: Bill O’Reilly
The Boss Baby
[Taken from the Chocolate Films blog] I hadn't heard great things about The Boss Baby. To be honest, before I watched the movie the concept felt like something worthy of an SNL skit rather than a whole film. However, The Boss Baby was a pleasant surprise. I think it helps that I have experience of working in a corporate environment and have young kids. I also think this … [Read more...] about The Boss Baby
United’s problem isn’t “PR.” It’s soul.
It's been a long week for United Airlines, with no end in sight. In his initial response to Sunday's deplorable corporate behavior on United Flight 3411, Oscar Munoz, United's CEO, talked about "re-accommodating" customers and characterized the event -- a passenger being dragged off a United airplane by his arms and legs -- as a consequence of "overbooking" [1]. On … [Read more...] about United’s problem isn’t “PR.” It’s soul.
Finally, A Good Reason To Marry Your Cousin
Marrying your first cousin might raise a few eyebrows, but it also comes with some surprising health benefits. A new study suggests that first-cousin marriages could offer some protection against heart disease. Read: Drinking Alcohol In Moderation May Lower Your Risk Of Certain Heart Conditions, According To Study Scientists from universities worldwide have been working with… … [Read more...] about Finally, A Good Reason To Marry Your Cousin
Cartoon: LECHEROUS LIZARDS
I don’t know which would be worse. A voicemail from now-former Alabama governor Robert Bentley describing how much he loves approaching you from behind and grabbing your boobies, or……a masturbating Bill O’Reilly, which John Oliver imagines sounds like a dog’s jowls flapping when it sticks its head out of the window of a moving car. I’ll let you decide. Bentley is leaving his … [Read more...] about Cartoon: LECHEROUS LIZARDS
Sean Spicer’s struggle of the tongue
WASHINGTON -- What Sean Spicer has done is inexcusable, and I cannot forgive him. I'm not talking about the White House press secretary's claim Tuesday that Adolf Hitler didn't use poison gas, at least not against his "own people," even if the Nazis did send Jews to "Holocaust centers." He has apologized profusely for that. What's unforgivable is Spicer's brazen assault … [Read more...] about Sean Spicer’s struggle of the tongue
Cartoon: Spicy Spicer
Cartoon: Bill O’Reilly Spin
U.S. uses “mother of all bombs” in Afghanistan
By Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States dropped a massive GBU-43 bomb, the largest non-nuclear bomb it has ever used in combat, in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday against a series of caves used by Islamic State militants, the military said. It was the first time the United States has used this size of bomb in a conflict. It was dropped from a MC-130 … [Read more...] about U.S. uses “mother of all bombs” in Afghanistan