Reliable Sources

Reliable Sources is really one of the most whiny, pointless shows.
The general script goes something like:

Howie shows clips of the week's most "serious" debates on MTP, etc.
Howie offers his insight on how there are evidently different people saying different things and that for people who share his lack of critical reasoning handicap, it's hard to know if the right wing is systematically dishonest.
Guests appear, to repeat conventional wisdom and disagree on the substance of the issue offering balance and a narrow spectrum of views.
Howie wonders if the discussion on the cable shows "crossed the line."
Everyone joins in blaming blogs for raising the vitriol in public debate.
All agree that the news media in a vague, abstract sense needs to "do better" but that the networks' shows are still the benchmark.
Things left to ponder for next week? Do press secretaries try to spin the news? Are newspapers having financial problems? Is the internet changing the way people get their news? Do opinions pages leak over into the news coverages sometimes?

Simply loading the MediaMatters site is more informative on the week's news coverage.

Albanian Film School Repression

The Albanian film school, MARUBI, has suffered an attack by the State Police. Film Professor Iris Eleziis quoted in Variety, "our students had to face a brutal display of power by the state police, all so that our sculpture garden can be turned into a parking lot for the biggest TV channel in Albania.” Ironically, students had been preparing the area for an upcoming International Human Rights Film Festival, you can see the completely unnecessary thugishness, and yes the Minister of anti-Culture seems to get his fashion advice from Dr. Strangelove, quickly sign a petition protesting this repression.



I checked the Ambassador's site, since it appears the school recieves funding from the US government, but found this instead.

"Ambassador Withers Donates Training System to Albanian State Police
Ambassador John L. Withers II attended a donation ceremony on February 23 handing over a total of over 111,000 USD to the Albanian State Police. The donation, made capable through the ICITAP-Albania program, consists of a state of the art interactive Fire Arms Training System. The system provides the state police with the capability of training officers on the use of firearms, measuring their basic and advanced shooting skills, and the ability to simulate real world conditions and situations where officers must decide when and how much force to use under stressful conditions."

The Ambassador was not quoted as saying "Welcome to NATO, I don't think I need to tell you how to using that police training, see you soon in Afghanistan"

Reds Are Everywhere!

I was out again today shooting a curriculum being used in a classroom for a textbook company. Been doing that a bit lately and have always found something on the camera to tinker with during the painful pledge of allegiance time. Today another freelancer who is also shooting, came up afterward and jokingly said, "what are you some kind of commie sympathizer?" I laughed and said "yeah, I am."


We had to roll right then, but he was definitely confused as to whether or not I was joking too. We had talked about unionization a bit before, he had paid his $1,500 to get into the one that operates in WGBH so I wish I had a chance to explain what I meant and have a good discussion, probably see him around sometime though.