Dvorak News Blog

Skeptics Corner: “Photojournalists” That Influence, Stage Phony Conflicts

By McCullough Thursday October 13, 2011

Here’s a fascinating video in which Italian photographer Ruben Salvadori demonstrates how dishonest many conflict photographs are. Salvadori spent a significant amount of time in East Jerusalem, studying the role photojournalists play in what the world sees. By turning his camera on the photographers themselves, he shows how photojournalists often influence the events they’re supposed to document objectively, and how photographers are often pushed to seek and create drama even in situations that lack it.

I’m SHOCKED, really I am.

Google+: Losing Users & Getting Trashed By Google Employees

By Uncle Dave Wednesday October 12, 2011

17 Comments

Google+ hasn’t been getting much love from users in recent days–its traffic reportedly plummeted 60 percent from its peak–but the most damning criticism seems to be coming from Google itself.

A post penned by Google engineer Steve Yegge has surfaced and in it, the software engineer trashes Google+ as a “pathetic afterthought” and “knee-jerk reaction.”

Yegge describes Google+ as “a study in short-term thinking, predicated on the incorrect notion that Facebook is successful because they built a great product.”

Family Lost in Corn Maze, Calls 911

By McCullough Wednesday October 12, 2011

27 Comments

DANVERS, Mass. — A Massachusetts family got the Halloween scare of a lifetime by getting lost inside a dark and creepy Salem-area corn maze and had to call 911 for rescue. Danvers police say they got a call of distress from a mother of two about 6:32 p.m. Monday. The woman alerted the 911 operator of their situation in the Connors Farm in Danvers, a short distance from Salem. A voice recording of the 911 call was made available to the media on Wednesday. The exchange:

Woman: “Hi, I just called. I’m still stuck at Connors Farms. I don’t see anybody. I am really scared. It’s really dark and we’ve got a 3-week-old baby with us.”

Dispatcher: “Just relax. Calm down. Your husband is with you right?”

Woman: “Yes, but my baby?”

Dispatcher: “OK. I understand and the police officer is on the way.” Woman: “We thought this would be fun. Instead it’s a nightmare. I don’t know what made us do this. It was daytime when we came in. And I never take my daughter out. This is the first time. Never again.” Farm owner Bob Connors said Wednesday his maze on seven acres was created so that people would get lost in its towering stalks.

Murdoch phonied Wall Street Journal circulation

By Eideard Wednesday October 12, 2011

14 Comments

Daylife/AP Photo used by permission

One of Rupert Murdoch’s most senior European executives has resigned following Guardian inquiries about a circulation scam at News Corporation’s flagship newspaper, the Wall Street Journal.

The Guardian found evidence that the Journal had been channelling money through European companies in order to secretly buy thousands of copies of its own paper at a knock-down rate, misleading readers and advertisers about the Journal’s true circulation.

When Does the Media Recognize Ron Paul?

By John C Dvorak Wednesday October 12, 2011

79 Comments

Former Air Force Flight Surgeon, Ron Paul

First of all, the way the media — led by Fox News — treats Ron Paul as a viable candidate is appalling. I watch all this stuff and they actually refer to him as a lunatic or a loser or nuts or not serious as a candidate. The mainstream media wants Romney to be the candidate and they frame all the coverage around him. Fox News and the conservative talk show folks all want Michelle Bachmann or Rick Perry (who was a Democrat until recently) to be the candidate. They’ll even accept ex-Federal Reserve banker Herman Cain! This is largely because the Christian Evangelical base of the Conservatives hate Mormons. They also hate Ron Paul because he is not constantly promoting religion. I just wish they’d just say it and get it over with. Meanwhile, the public likes Ron Paul the more they listen to him. Apparently nobody in the big media game wants to deal with this reality. They do not want to hear it. But it keeps coming up. Now they are thinking it was mistake to include him in the debates. Thus he gets no attention by the dipshit moderators of these debates. Charlie Rose was the dipshit for this one.

On October 12th, the Republican presidential hopefuls met at Dartmouth University for a debate on economic issues which was sponsored by Bloomberg. Several questions that included the taxation, job creation, housing, and welfare benefits were asked of the candidates, and in a readers poll conducted after the debates were finished, Congressman Ron Paul was voted the candidate who understands the economy best by a landslide.

Below are the results of the poll:

Ron Paul – 2843 votes

Herman Cain – 342 votes

Mitt Romney – 151 votes

All other candidates received negligible votes.

During the debate, two very telling issues stood out amongst the candidates, and the moderators. First, Ron Paul was once again relegated as a back of the bus candidate as the Bloomberg moderator saw fit to only ask the Congressman two questions, while everyone else received substantially more opportunities to provide their plans and opinions. Secondly, candidate Herman Cain scored very well with his 9-9-9 taxation plan, as it was mentioned and addressed over and over by other candidates, and the moderators throughout the evening.

Not Enough Action In Action Flick? Time To Sue!

By Uncle Dave Wednesday October 12, 2011

7 Comments

Does she also believe marketing campaigns that says clothes will be whiter than white, that guys can gain extra inches, and so on? Will she sue, too, because, OMG, the marketing campaigns ‘lied’ and they didn’t tell her they weren’t 100% accurate?

A Michigan woman is reportedly suing the distributor of the movie Drive, claiming the Ryan Gosling indie hit wasn’t enough like The Fast and the Furious.

Though critics have been raving about the film’s noir atmosphere and stunning performances, Sarah Deming claims the promotional campaign for the movie was intentionally misleading.

Video – America’s 5 Favorite Ways to Ignore Jesus

By Gasparrini Wednesday October 12, 2011

18 Comments

Snarky enough for our readers?

We Haven’t Started a War in a While — Is This Reason Enough?

By Uncle Dave Tuesday October 11, 2011

30 Comments

FBI and DEA agents have disrupted a plot to commit a “significant terrorist act in the United States” tied to Iran, federal officials told ABC News today. The officials said the plot included the assassination of the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States.
[…]
“The U.S. is committed to holding Iran accountable for its actions,” Holder said.

Doesn’t that “holding Iran accountable” thing mean we’re going to war? Come on now. We’ve gone to war before over less!

Dad harassed for taking photos of daughter eating ice cream

By Eideard Tuesday October 11, 2011

37 Comments

One of the terrorist photos

A father has been questioned by police under anti-terror laws for taking pictures of his own daughter in a shopping centre.

Chris White was approached by staff after taking a photograph of four-year-old Hazel eating an ice cream in the Braehead shopping centre near Glasgow on Friday afternoon. Mr White was questioned by a security guard, who told him it was illegal to take pictures in the centre. He was then asked to delete any photos he had taken from his mobile phone.

Notes on the Blog Redesign

By John C Dvorak Tuesday October 11, 2011

69 Comments

Notes on the Blog Re-Design

The blog is being redesigned by myself in conjunction with Russel Crawford. It’s being modernized and will be tweaked to perfection over the next couple of months. I’ve already reversed the comment thread stream from the template default of LIFO to the more conversational LIFO as was requested by various grousing users. I am keeping nest replies intact. The rest of the scheme will be changed as necessary. I want to thank readers for their input. Suggestions for cool plug-ins that you have seen elsewhere are welcome. The underlying name of the blog has been changed to the Dvorak News blog due to indexing engines seeing the blog as porn for using the word “uncensored.” The graphic will remain and it’s still officially DU or Dvorak Uncensored. It’s just that it will no longer be indexed as such.

Thanks for you patience.

Caption this Photo/Cartoon

By John C Dvorak Tuesday October 11, 2011

15 Comments

Amish Gang Captured After Hair Raising Attack

By Uncle Dave Tuesday October 11, 2011

15 Comments

Two people have been arrested over a series of break-ins in which the hair and beards of Amish farmers were cut off in the US.

The suspects are reportedly part of the Bergholz clan, an Amish community led by bishop Sam Mullet that was the subject of a disputed child custody raid in 2007, amid allegations of sexual abuse. Police in Ohio said the attacks, which began about three weeks ago, were apparently in retaliation for the shunning of Mr Mullet by members of the mainstream Amish community.

The two men in police custody were named as Mr Mullet’s sons Johnny and Lester. They were charged with aggravated burglary and kidnapping and were being held in jail in lieu of $250,000 bail, the Wheeling Intelligencer reported. Another son, Levi, and a fourth person are still wanted in connection with the attacks.

One of the victims in Holmes County described how a gang of between 20 to 30 men dragged him from his house by his beard. Others said they were accosted inside their homes before their hair was cut off.

Here’s what the gang’s leader had to say about it all.

Targeted!!

By John C Dvorak Monday October 10, 2011

18 Comments

WOW.

Latest Japanese Fad: I want by teeth crooked!

By Uncle Dave Monday October 10, 2011

12 Comments

In Japan, crooked teeth are sometimes a sign that you might have ¥30,000 to spare.

Tourists come to Asia from all over the world to take advantage of affordable and top-quality cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures. But in what could be a new fad in Japan has us wondering how many people will be flying in for supplemental dental work that promises to make teeth appear crooked.

Perhaps your folks spent thousands on fixing your wonky teeth all those years ago. But chances are, if you were born in Japan, it was more like zero — the lack of orthodontists is one reason why having a mouth full of straight teeth isn’t such a big deal here. In fact, in some circles that goofy look is downright desirable, which leads us to the news that a Ginza-based dental clinic has just started supplying fake crooked teeth to those blessed with more traditionally “beautiful” pearly whites.

California bookkeeper may be the “Bernie Madoff of campaign finance treasurers”

By Eideard Monday October 10, 2011

258 Comments

Neighbors and associates say there’s nothing in Kinde Durkee’s background, demeanor or lifestyle to suggest that she “masterminded a multimillion dollar fraudulent scheme,” as U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein charged in a Sept. 23 lawsuit. While Feinstein reported $5 million in cash to the Federal Election Commission as of June 30, the bank found only $662,100 on Sept. 21, according to court documents…

The scope of the alleged embezzlements from Durkee- controlled funds for federal politicians is the largest at least since the Federal Election Campaign Act became law in 1972, said Kent Cooper, a former Federal Election Commission official.

“There’s been no one else who even comes close,” Cooper, who now runs the money-in-politics database Capitol Hill Access…

Things started to unravel for Durkee in 2010, when the California Fair Political Practices Commission found irregularities while auditing the political finances of Jerome Horton, the chairman of the Board of Equalization, the state’s tax administrator. Horton said Durkee “acknowledged her mistakes” during the audit and agreed to pay the commission’s $13,000 fine and his legal bills…

After auditing another Durkee-managed account, the commission in November 2010 called the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Public Corruption Squad in Sacramento, according to court documents. In an affidavit, FBI Special Agent Reginald Coleman said it appeared that Durkee moved money from campaign accounts to her company’s bank accounts and then transferred other candidates’ funds to cover shortfalls. She covered up her actions by filing false disclosure forms, according to the affidavit…

“I find the whole thing remarkable,” said Stephen Kaufman, the lawyer for the Los Angeles County Democratic Party and several other Durkee clients, in an interview. “We have no idea where all the money went.”

Apparently California bureaucrats are as diligent as the SEC at oversight.