Kenneth Sutton's aide-mémoire
I always find it interesting to see how Al Jazeera covers U.S. news, especially when it concerns the Middle East. And sometimes the most interesting thing is to see just how neutral the story is. Al Jazeera:
The US senate has refused to consider a resolution denouncing George Bush’s Iraq troop increase that the House of Representatives passed the day before.
I won’t link to their website, because that’s actually good for them, but the Snickers website has 1) a homophobic ad they aired during the Super Bowl; 2) three more even worse ads that they’re inviting people to vote on for airing during the Daytona 500; and 3) bigoted reactions from pro football players.
So, no more: M&M’S, MARS, MILKY WAY, SNICKERS and TWIX; Skittles, Combos, Starburst, or Dove; Whiskas, Pedigree, or Sheba; Uncle Ben’s.
UPDATE: Andy Towle (Towleroad) reports that Mars has pulled the website, the ads, and the footballers’ reactions.
Nice take-down of Google in the Guardians’ story, “Read me first”
‘Miserable failure’ Bush rehabilitated as Google steps in to defuse the Googlebombs
The company is allowing concerns about its public image to influence the search results it dishes up. . .
The perception of Google as an honest broker, disinterested in the information it presents, remains a popular one. We like to believe that “we the people” control what comes out of Google’s mouth.
But while that may have been true once, and while it was in fact one of the company’s founding ideals, it’s not so true any more.
Wow. Just wow. Andrew Sullivan has a YouTube video of a humvee driving in Bagdad. Wow: Andrew Sullivan | The Daily Dish: A Glimpse of Baghdad
BBC 4’s Big Brother program has recently created a furor over very ugly behavior. In her exit interview, ejected contestant Jade Goody has a revelation:
“I look like a complete and utter nasty small person — the sort of person I don’t like myself,” but continued: “I am not a racist and I sincerely, with my hand on my heart, apologise to anyone I have offended out there.”
The Guardian reports: Carry on flying, says Blair — science will save the planet
Tony Blair today wades into the growing controversy over how individuals can help to tackle global warming by declaring that he has no intention of abandoning long-haul holiday flights to reduce his carbon footprint.
Days after his environment minister branded Ryanair the “irresponsible face of capitalism” for opposing an EU carbon emissions scheme, the prime minister says it is impractical to expect people to make personal sacrifices by taking holidays closer to home.
Wow, the death of James Brown made the home pages of both Ha’aretz and Al Jazeera. Who knew?
The things you learn reading blogs.
World Week celebrates the people of the Earth. It begins on December 25 and ends on December 31.
(Hat tip to Will Shetterly.)
With so many examples of disorderly and conflict-ridden transfers of political power (or refusal to transfer power), it was refreshing this morning to read this story on Al Jazeera: Bhutan king steps down.
The people of the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan have greeted the announcement of King Jigme Singye Wangchuck’s earlier-than-expected abdication with sadness and gratitude.
He’s 50 and has been ruling since he was 16. He had previously announced that he would abdicate in 2008.