The Test Police: coming to a school near you
Debunking Jack Welch? How About The Hard Truth Instead?
Debunking the ‘Jobs Truthers’
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
When I posted about the September jobs report on Friday, I noted in passing that "The right-wing lives in a closed-loop alternate reality in which facts cannot penetrate their insular bubble. I am sure we will be hearing conspiracy theories this morning — that's what the right-wing thrives on for cognitive dissonance."
All I can say is… Wow! I never imagined how deeply ingrained "Obama Derangement Syndrome" has become in the mighty Wurlitzer of the right-wing noise machine. This is anecdotal evidence to support my political science theory that 42% of the public is batshit crazy at any given moment, believing in things that are demonstrably and provably false.
I agree with Jared Bernstein who took former GE CEO Jack Welch to task for his defamation of the economists at the Bureau of Labor Statisitcs (BLS), for which Welch publicly admits that his conspiracy theory is without any basis in fact.
Bernstein wrote, "Jack Welch should be ashamed of himself. The BLS is an institution with tremendous integrity, and with very deep procedures and methods to ensure the most accurate, unbiased, and and confidential collection, analysis, and reporting of data known to this or any other country." Jared Bernstein: Jack Welch should be ashamed of himself.
BLS economists are consumate professionals who take their work seriously, unlike any of the political hacks who work for the GOPropaganda right-wing noise machine. There is a solid case for defamation here, even under the strict New York Times v. Sullivan standard for the "media," and I use that term loosely.
Only the uninformed who are unfamiliar with how the BLS functions would dare to make such a defamatory statement. There are many layers of protections BLS builds into their data, analysis, and reporting systems:
A March report from The Washington Post details how the jobs reports are made, describing the analysis process as "an eight-day security lockdown" during which confidentiality agreements are signed each morning and computers are encrypted and data locked into a safe every time one of the analysts goes even to the bathroom (itals mine).
Confidentiality agreements…data in a safe every time you go to the bathroom…layers of data security…decades of a perfect track record on data integrity.
Conan O’Brien spoof on Big Bird and Mitt Romney
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
I am sure all the late night comics will be doing Big Bird skits. Conan O'Brien did this spoof on Big Bird and Mitt Romney using the Alfred Hitchcock classic North by Northwest (1959).
Video below the fold.
‘The Big Dog’ Bill Clinton Rally for Dr. Carmona on October 10th
Public Forum on Proposition 204 in Tucson
Horizon (PBS) on Prop. 120 – State Sovereignty (states’ rights)
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
The "Birthers-Birchers-Secessionists" Tea-Publican insurrectionists in the state legislature put secession from the United States on the November ballot.
Proposition 120 would give the state exclusive control over public lands, air, water, minerals and wildlife in Arizona. It rejects the Enabling Act that allowed Arizona to become a state. This is nothing more than a Tea Party temper tantrum against the federal "guvmint."
Opponents say the state cannot afford to manage the federal lands, and more importantly it is completely unconstitutional. Supporters and opponents debate the "merits" of the proposition (of which there are none).
Video below the fold.
