The moment I totally lost all respect for CNN was when they covered a news story I also covered and the reporter blatantly misrepresented factual items to further dramatic aspects of the story. If it's TV news, it's entertainment. When it's entertainment, it's not to be taken seriously. Read a newspaper.
"The marijuana coming across the southwest border, traditionally a source of low-potency drugs, has increased in strength from a median potency of 4.8 percent in 2003 to 7.3 percent in 2007."
OK, so far, so accurate
"As a consequence, inexperienced or young marijuana users may be more prone to overdose, federal officials say.
And then they have to go and fuck it all up. It's probably a good idea not to quote government officials when they are saying things even they know are not true to further an agenda. It's pretty much universally accepted by everyone that's ever performed a study that it's impossible to "overdose" on marijuana, unless the person ate their body weight in weed several times over in a short time span.
When you work for ABC, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, FOX, etc, it's pretty hard to avoid systematic propaganda when your corporate parent is as dependent on the status quo as your big brother federal agencies, dammit.
If you haven't heard, it's national teabagging day. Befuddled conservatives across the country are apparently irate over ... George Bush's tax code?
Via Fox News: Anti-tax "tea party" organizers say they will deliver one million tea bags to a Washington, D.C., park Wednesday morning -- the kick-off to a day of protests expected across the country by people who say they are fed up with high taxes and excess spending.
Republicans, vaguely angry over over tax rates under the Obama administration are attempting to take a page from our revolutionary forefathers' book and tea bag their congressmen. Apparently none of these people have ever heard of urbandictionary.com, or said "teabag" around anyone under the age of 25.
Besides the unfortunate choice of the word "teabag," the whole thing is embarrassing for discerning conservatives and the country as a whole. Considering the only "new" tax Obama has brought was the cig tax to fund children's health care, all these idiots are protesting a federal tax structure largely based on former hero George W. Bush's '01 and '03 cuts.
Not to mention the average tax return is up some $200 this year, and the recently upgraded real estate tax deductions and the first-time home buyers tax credit and increased Earned income tax credit. But AHHHHH SPENDING IS OUT OF CONTROL. Well, when you are handed a recession "out of control," some complimentary spending is necessary to dig out, even if the bailouts aren't perfect, at least I'm not threatening to tea bag anyone.
The "spontaneous" eruptions of dissent are more fueled by Fox news' fair and balanced reporting, I watched a few hours of it yesterday, and everyone from Greta Van Susteren to Sean Hannity did their best to get the word out to the base to teabag their congressmen. The whole protest is anything but spontaneous, and as much of a creation by Fox News as it is the usual suspects of conservative organizations and millionaire campaign-financiers.
Organizers say they're steamed at government spending since President Barack Obama's administration took over.
Remember when W inherited a surplus from Clinton? Where were the "fiscal conservative" outcries to teabag Big Gov. when W increased spending and built a monstrous deficit?
These people don't even know what they are specifically angry about. At least cite some meat and potatoes about Obama's budget, please, and stop embarrassing everyone. As news coverage has gorwn over the protests, they have taken a slightly more specific turn towards the bailouts, but I have still yet to find a cohesive message, other than "wah."
