20070424 An another point of view on Katie Couric

An another point of view on Katie Couric

April 24, 2007

As much as I have never been a fan of Katie Couric, I will actually take her over Bob Schieffer anytime - - What a nebbish.

Nevertheless, I found this column linked below to be an interesting point of view and makes some good points.

That said, I really have no issue with what she wears – and in a moment of candor, will admit she is quite attractive. My issue is what she says and how she imbues the news with her personal views.

Some critics suggest that she is doesn’t have the mental acuity necessary for the job. That’s about as cheap a shot as commenting on her attire or looks… I figure her to be quite bright and she is entitled to her views, but if she wants to expound upon her views, she should get a talk show or a column.

Katie Couric's Enemies Are CBS Insiders

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

By Roger Friedman

Katie Couric's barrage of bad publicity is coming not from the outside, but from the inside of CBS, sources tell me.

Indeed, one of Couric's frequently mentioned enemies is Bob Schieffer, the lovable, durable veteran journalist who filled in as anchor of the "CBS Evening News" between Dan Rather's departure and Couric's arrival.

[…]

It's been suggested that a hit piece on Couric written by Gail Shister in yesterday's Philadelphia Inquirer was inspired by Schieffer as its main source.

[…]

Shister, I see from a reading of her columns in the paper's archive, has been on Couric's case since before she started as anchor of the evening news.

So, too, has the New York Times' most disliked media writer, Alessandra Stanley. As a woman, you would think Stanley would be more sympathetic to Couric, but she notes that Katie anchored a report wearing "white slacks and very little makeup."

What color were the suits worn by NBC's Brian Williams and ABC's Charlie Gibson? Were they wearing makeup, powder or lip gloss? Stanley didn't mention that.

[…]

Read the entire column; Mr. Friedman continues with a great deal of insight…

Katie Couric's Enemies Are CBS Insiders

####

20070423 Carnival of Maryland 5 will be posted later in the day

Carnival of Maryland 5 will be posted later in the day

April 23, 2007

UPDATE on Maryland Blog Carnival

Hosted by members of the Maryland Blogger Alliance.

The Maryland Blogger Alliance (MBA) “Carnival of Maryland 5” will be posted later in the day.

The wheel is still turning but the peripatetic gerbil that powers this blog juggled a few too many balls in the air this past weekend and has “crashed.”

If you have not had a chance to read our previous four Carnivals, please take this opportunity to review some of the best that the Maryland blogosphere has to offer:

Carnival of Maryland #1 - 2/25/2007 was hosted by Bruce Godfrey on “Crablaw Maryland Weekly” on February 25, 2007.

Carnival of Maryland - second edition hosted by Attila of the Pillage Idiot on March 11, 2007.

Carnival of Maryland #3 was hosted by The Ridger on “The Greenbelt” on March 26^th, 2007

Carnival Of Maryland 4 hosted by W. Crodhil on “Politics, Hon,” on April 8^th, 2007.

Meanwhile, if you’re a MD blogger, and you’d like to join the MBA, you can contact the Pillage Idiot’s Attlia at- pillageidiot -at- hotmail -dot- com.

Attila, pictured above with Katie Couric, wrote on March 11, 2007: “The Carnival was the brainchild of members of the Maryland Blogger Alliance (see sidebar). You don't have to be a member to contribute to our Carnival, but we strongly urge you to join if you're a blogger in Maryland. There's really no downside to it. We're an eclectic bunch. We have no political litmus tests for membership, and an increasing number of our members don't focus on politics at all.”

Members of the Maryland Blogger Alliance are:

Pillage Idiot (Rockville)

Soccer Dad (Baltimore)

Maryland Conservatarian (Baltimore)

The Baltimore Reporter (Baltimore)

The Sun Lies (Baltimore Area)

The Not So Free State (Woodlawn)

monoblogue (Salisbury)

Crablaw (Reisterstown)

Kevin Dayhoff (Westminster)

Politics, Hon (Baltimore)

blogger1947 (Gwynn Oak)

Jousting for Justice (Owings Mills)

The Voltage Gate (Frostburg)

Howard County Md. Blog (Ellicott City)

The Hedgehog Report (Columbia)

Rockin' Catoctin (Frederick)

The Pubcrawler (Gaithersburg)

C. Dowd's Blog (Lansdowne)

Oriole Post (Silver Spring)

Escape from Pianosa (Baltimore)

Maryland Politics Today (Laurel)

The Greenbelt (Laurel)

Snail's Tales (Germantown)

Leviathan Montgomery (Silver Spring)

Going to the Mat (Frederick)

The AT Wire (Cumberland)

####

20070413 Katie the cougar Couric goes triathlon

Apparently it was only a magical coincidence that Jamie Kelly and Katie Couric were "photographed" together recently at a Broadway outing to see “The Year of Magical Thinking.”

Katie the cougar Couric goes triathlon

April 13th, 2007

Hat tip: “Couric New Boyfriend 17 Years Her Junior”

When the buzz surfaced that Katie Couric had a new hunky love interest in her life, many in Carroll County were curious if it was our own Jamie Kelly of the Carroll County Times.

And my goodness, heaven only knows that Ms. Couric needs something positive in her life these days…

As you are aware rumors were flying last January that linked Jamie Kelly with Megyn Kelly of Fox News.

If there was anything to that rumor – it was never proven. As it has also been recently revealed that Mr. Kelly is NOT the father of Anna Nicole Smith’s child…

Nevertheless, phone calls to Jamie Kelly and his publicist requesting a comment on suggestions in the community that link him with Katie Couric - were not returned.

Now comes the New York Post with another theory as to the boy-toy in Katie, the cougar’s life in an article by Mark Bulliet and Jennifer Fermino on April 12^th, 2007, “Katie Cougar: New Love Is 17 Yrs. Her Junior.”

Who cares about ratings when you've got your very own hunky triathlete on the mark and ready to go?

Katie Couric's dishy new boy toy is a good-looking, physically fit, almost 33-year-old from Manhattan's East Side with a posh pedigree.

Brooks Perlin — son of financier Sanford Perlin of Darien, Conn. — has been running around with the perky anchorwoman-turned-cougar for several months, according to a source.

"These are two private people and I respect that," said Sanford Perlin Wednesday when reached at his office at Kleos Capital Management.

His mother, Anne Perlin, 68, didn't want to comment on her son's new 50-year-old girlfriend.

"I don't believe in any meddling in people's personal lives," she said.

When pressed, she added, "It's a lovely story and I hope we don't ruin it."

[…]

Last July, Perlin competed in the Greenwich Cup triathlon - where he swam, ran, and cycled - and finished in an impressive one hour, 19 minutes and 16 seconds.

Read the rest here: Katie Cougar: New Love Is 17 Yrs. Her Junior

I just hope this doesn’t give my wife any ideas about trading me in for a couple of twenty-five year olds…

####

20070317 Who Knew

Who knew?

March 17^th, 2007

I don’t know anything unless Katie Couric and the Baltimore Sun tell me.

I received the e-mail "Do you know? I didn't know! How could we?" below from Uncle R2.

_____

Of Iraq, I no longer have a clue as to what information is correct and what is not correct. I do know that e-mail reports, personal interviews with Iraq War veterans and posts on milblogger web sites are consistently in sharp contrast with the “news” we receive from the mainstream media.

In my Tentacle column, “An Uneasy Truce” on December 20^th, 2006 I wrote:

In particular, the veteran who served in the Kurdish Province had several opportunities to view CNN reports on actions in which he participated and was dismayed by the slant and spin; to the point where he hardly recognized the events as reported.

It will be interesting to see just how our greater society will be affected in future years by the military veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.

The experience of the politics over the war has caused many of them to lose faith in much of our country's national leaders because they play parlor-politics with the deadly opera of life and death in a combat zone.

And their experience with the news media has caused many veterans to not only distrust, but to disdain the traditional mainstream media.

This stands in contrast with the last overseas armed conflict which fermented social and political upheaval on the home front, the Vietnam War. The government got a black eye, but the media came out smelling like a rose.

Read the rest of The Tentacle column here: “An Uneasy Truce”

_____

Here is the e-mail that I just received…

Do you know? I didn't know! How could we?

Did you know that 47 countries' have reestablished their embassies in Iraq?

Did you know that the Iraqi government currently employs 1.2 million Iraqi people?

Did you know that 3100 schools have been renovated, 364 schools are under rehabilitation, 263 new schools are now under construction and 38 new schools have been completed in Iraq?

Did you know that Iraq's higher educational structure consists of 20 Universities, 46 Institutes or colleges and 4 research centers, all currently operating?

Did you know that 25 Iraq students departed for the United States in January 2005 for the re-established Fulbright program?

Did you know that the Iraqi Navy is operational? They have 5 - 100-foot patrol craft, 34 smaller vessels and a naval infantry regiment.

Did you know that Iraq's Air Force consists of three operational squadrons, which includes 9 reconnaissance and 3 US C-130 transport aircraft (under Iraqi operational control) which operate day and night, and will soon add 16 UH-1 helicopters and 4 Bell Jet Rangers?

Did you know that Iraq has a counter-terrorist unit and a commando Battalion?

Did you know that the Iraqi Police Service has over 55,000 fully trained and equipped police officers?

Did you know that there are 5 Police Academies in Iraq
that produce over 3500 new officers each 8 weeks?

Did you know there are more than 1100 building projects going on in Iraq?

They include 364 schools, 67 public clinics, 15 hospitals, 83 railroad stations, 22 oil facilities, 93 water facilities and 69 electrical facilities.

Did you know that 96% of Iraqi children under the age of 5

have received the first 2 series of polio vaccinations?

Did you know that 4.3 million Iraqi children were enrolled in primary school by mid October?

Did you know that there are 1,192,000 cell phone subscribers in Iraq and phone use has gone up 158%?

Did you know that Iraq has an independent media that consists of 75 radio stations, 180 newspapers and 10 television stations?

Did you know that the Baghdad Stock Exchange opened in June of 2004?

Did you know that 2 candidates in the Iraqi presidential election had a televised debate recently?

OF COURSE WE DIDN'T KNOW! WHY DIDN'T WE KNOW?

OUR MEDIA WOULDN'T TELL US! Instead of reflecting our love for our country, we get photos of flag burning incidents at Abu Ghraib and people throwing snowballs at the presidential motorcades.

Tragically, the lack of accentuating the positive in Iraq serves two purposes: It is intended to undermine the world's perception of the United States thus minimizing consequent support, and it is intended to discourage American citizens. !

---- Above facts are verifiable on the Department of Defense web site. http://www.defenselink.mil/ .......Pass it on! Give it a Wide Dissemination!

If you can read, thank a soldier. If you can read this piece in English, thank an American soldier!

####

20070111 CBS most Negative on Iraq Plan according to Newsbusters

CBS Most Negative on Iraq Plan, Clinton Got Bigger Bounce in Midst of Lewinsky Scandal – Analysis for Newsbusters by by Brent Baker on January 11, 2007 - 21:08: http://newsbusters.org/node/10118

January 18^th, 2007

Although I can be sure that the analysis of Brent Baker as posted on Newsbusters is no surprise to most “Soundtrack” readers, it is nevertheless remarkable that such bias persists…

It has been said in sardonic jest, but nevertheless one suggestion for the president, in order to get some support for our efforts in Iraq, is to switch parties.

For my thoughts please read my Tentacle column from January 17, 2007, "NUTS!"

“Last Thursday President George W. Bush addressed the nation with his long awaited "New Way Forward in Iraq."

The war has not gone well in the last year. Back benchers and Monday-morning quarterbacks are all full of themselves saying "I told ya so;" however, the second definition of war is unintended and unpredicted consequences of the best laid plans.

History is replete with examples of wars and conflicts in which there were enormous set-backs, lapses of intelligence and dark days. In the end, as long as Congress and our nation's leadership maintained their resolve, America prevailed.

Thank goodness the prophets of doom did not pull us out of World War II after the mistakes of Kasserine Pass; or the Battle of the Bulge - one of the American military's greatest failures in intelligence, not overlooking Pearl Harbor. Fortunately we learned from our mistakes, adjusted our approach and in the end, prevailed.

At the drumbeat of hints, threats and suggestions that Congress simply deny the troops in the field - and our president - funding for the effort, many have conjured-up vague revisionist historical references to the Vietnam War with no memory of the consequences. It is estimated that two million more subsequently died in Indochina.

In that conflict the duty and sacrifice of our military was abandoned for political expedience. The North Vietnamese knew they could not win on the battlefield and went for the political solution successfully. A lesson which is not lost on those who wish us defeat in Iraq.

Meanwhile as far as media bias, Mr. Baker said, in part:

Coverage all day Thursday on the cable news networks, as well as on the ABC and NBC evening newscasts, emphasized negative reaction to President Bush's plan for a “surge” of troops into Iraq.

But the CBS Evening News delivered a markedly more negative presentation, even managing to raise Watergate and Monica Lewinsky.

Katie Couric led: “If the early reaction to President Bush's new Iraq strategy is any indication, selling the American public on it could be a mission impossible.” She soon added: “The reviews of the speech last night were largely negative from the American public and Congress.”

[…]

Coverage all day Thursday on the cable news networks, as well as on the ABC and NBC evening newscasts, emphasized negative reaction to President Bush's plan for a “surge” of troops into Iraq. But the CBS Evening News delivered a markedly more negative presentation, even managing to raise Watergate and Monica Lewinsky. Katie Couric led: “If the early reaction to President Bush's new Iraq strategy is any indication, selling the American public on it could be a mission impossible.” She soon added: “The reviews of the speech last night were largely negative from the American public and Congress.”

Gloria Borger checked in with how Bush “sparked a bipartisan rebellion on Capitol Hill" as “some of the harshest criticism came from his own party." Couric then went to Bob Schieffer who, citing a CBS News poll showing no move in the public attitude toward Bush on Iraq, suggested “you really have to go back to Vietnam and Watergate to find presidential speeches on television that didn't give the President at least a little bump in the polls.”

Schieffer recalled how “in the middle of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Bill Clinton went on television to give his State of the Union address. Even in the midst of that scandal, Mr. Clinton went up 16 points in the polls.

Going on prime time TV and nothing changes, that is fairly extraordinary, Katie." Next, Couric characterized as “out of the ordinary” the “response the President got today from a usually receptive audience,” soldiers at Fort Benning. Jim Axelrod offered a dour assessment of the mood of the troops: “Even rallying the troops is now a challenge. The mood here was polite but muted, more somber than usual for a President talking to soldiers.”

Neither the ABC or NBC evening newscast stories on Thursday offered any such downbeat evaluation of the attitude of the troops toward Bush.

Read the rest of the Mr. Baker’s analysis here: CBS Most Negative on Iraq Plan, Clinton Got Bigger Bounce in Midst of Lewinsky Scandal

####

20061203 Rumsfeld memo leaked by New York Times

Rumsfeld memo leaked

December 3, 2006

UPDATE: Fellow Maryland Blogger Alliance member, The Baltimore Reporter also weighs-in: Rumsfeld’s Memo of Options for Iraq War

Sunday, December 3rd, 2006, The New York Times published a leaked copy of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s November 6th, 2006 memo to the White House which delineated some ideas for an adjustment in the approach to the war in Iraq.

MICHAEL R. GORDON and DAVID S. CLOUD wrote “Rumsfeld Memo Proposed ‘Major Adjustment’ in Iraq.”

I guess at this point in time, I have not much to say about the constant leaks of classified materials by the New York Times, which only continue to endanger the lives of you and me and our men and women in uniform.

The leak of the memo is as much a puzzle as the memo itself.

Meanwhile, you may find Michelle Malkin’s remarks of interest. I could not find a post on the Rumsfeld memo on the Daily Kos or MediaMatters…

Perhaps we will have to wait to hear from Katie Couric on Monday before we are really aware as to what we all think about this latest breach of national security and its ramifications…

I did write about the Secretary of Defense in November 8, 2006 my Tentacle column on the day his resignation was announced. As fate would have it, I wrote, “Rumsfeld must stay:” “Just in time for the mid-term elections, the Military Times Media Group, which publishes the Army Times, Marine Times, Air Force Times and Navy Times, ran an editorial last weekend which pronounces: "Rumsfeld must go."”

Oh my. Well, ahem, moving on here…

Previous Tentacle columns on the New York Times include:

December 28, 2005, Operation Mata Hari , Kevin E. Dayhoff
In the war against terrorism, folks, whose only goal is to promote themselves in total disregard for our safety, recently launched “Operation Mata Hari.”

November 2, 2005, Gray Ladies Down , Kevin E. Dayhoff
American newspapers are in deep trouble. I have mixed feelings about this. For many of us who have hit the half-century mark, we remember the days when the bulk of our news was delivered by several newspapers in a single day. This gave us the news from many different points of view.

The New York Times December 3rd, 2006 article begins:

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 — Two days before he resigned as defense secretary, Donald H. Rumsfeld submitted a classified memo to the White House that acknowledged that the Bush administration’s strategy in Iraq was not working and called for a major course correction.

“In my view it is time for a major adjustment,” wrote Mr. Rumsfeld, who has been a symbol of a dogged stay-the-course policy. “Clearly, what U.S. forces are currently doing in Iraq is not working well enough or fast enough.”

Read the rest here.

####

20061107 Breaking News

Breaking News

November 7^th, 2006

We interrupt the national mid-term elections for the following breaking news.

Please take a seat as I’m sure you will find the following information shattering. Shattering.

World crises such as Iraq - - or North Korea and Iran going nuclear, will just have to wait.

According to MSNBC Breaking News, family values advocate Britney Spears –Well NOT!

Ah - Ms. Spears has reportedly filed for divorce from Kevin Federline.”

And of course, no pun is intended, but I guess she’s now “on the market.” So appropriate that she’s hanging in the market, since she reinvented the objectification of women.

I’m sure the announcement was put-off until the stock market closed. No word yet as to whether the market will open tomorrow.

And no word from the president as this tragic event unfolds.

Unconfirmed reports are that Howard Dean has blamed the breakup of the marriage on President Bush and the Republicans and that it is intended to discourage voter turn-out. Word is that many Democrats are disconsolate over the news and refused to go to the polls in order to watch Katie Couric for guidance at this difficult time.

Where’s Kofi Annan when we need him? Or maybe Dr. Phil?

Actually, as I sob uncontrollably and my fingers can barely navigate the keyboard, I’m not sure what to think. I’m just trying to do my patriotic duty to call this terrible event to your attention, so that you may be informed.

What’s that? Oh, my radio is now playing somber martial music at the moment. Our great nation has been thrown into a deep depression as it tries to come to grips with this terrible terrible terrible blow to our sense of who we are and what we want to be and what are we going to have for dinner.

That’s it - - comfort food. Let’s see cottage cheese? No – yogurt? I know ice cream. That’s it - - when the going gets tough, the tough reach for ice cream.

I’m sure the announcement was timed so that we may all tune in to Katie Couric so that she may tell us how we really feel - - and to comfort us in our time of grief and need and sorrow.

According to the web site, TMZ… Oh, like I really go there every day. NOT.

“Spears filed legal papers today in Los Angeles Superior Court, citing ‘irreconcilable differences.’”

“Her petition asks for legal and physical custody of their two kids, one-year-old Sean Preston and two-month-old Jayden James. Spears gives the date of separation as yesterday, the same day she showed off her post-pregnancy body during a surprise appearance on ‘Late Show with David Letterman.’”

Oh yeah, like I watch Letterman - - NOT.

Go out now and lower your flags.

Okay – moving on here. I’ll think I’ll go take a nap. Wake me up when this crisis is over or until Katie Couric comes on – so that I may be informed as to how and what to think.

And – who do I sue to get the last 15 minutes of my life back?

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA. E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org http://www.thetentacle.com/ Westminster Eagle Opinion and Winchester Report http://www.thewestminstereagle.com/ www.kevindayhoff.com has moved to http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

20060425 Introducing Hot Air

Introducing Hot Air

Read Michelle Malkin’s Introducing Hot Air

Hot Air can be found here: http://hotair.com/

3…2…1…

http://hotair.com/archives/the-blog/2006/04/24/321/

April 24, 2006 4:15 AM by Michelle

We’re live! Welcome to Hot Air, the world’s first, full-service conservative Internet broadcast network. Tune out Katie Couric and tune …

Conservative Internet Broadcast Network Debuts

http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2006/4/emw376471.htm

Features daily newscast with Michelle Malkin • Staff blogs w/the hottest vidclips & headlines • Affiliates across the globe • Right-leaning movies, podcasts & animation

Washington, DC (PRWEB) April 24, 2006 -- Hot Air (http://www.hotair.com/), the world’s first conservative Internet broadcast network, launches today. Founder and CEO Michelle Malkin leads a multi-talented, tech-savvy staff on the cutting edge of the Internet video/TV convergence.

Hot Air’s ground-breaking, irreverent daily video newscast, “Vent with Michelle Malkin,” tackles media sacred cows and left-wing shibboleths -- harnessing the best blog reporting and analysis across the Internet. Today’s inaugural newscast skewers U.S. high-tech titans kowtowing to China’s tyrants.

This is not your father’s nightly news.

Hot Air exposes new viewers of all political stripes to the world of videoblogging, animation, and podcasting. The network has signed on independent affiliates from Paris to Washington, D.C. Advertisers have lined up; Hot Air has already sold pre-roll video ads through the first week.

The next great information revolution is here. Tune in at http://www.hotair.com/.

To schedule an interview with Michelle Malkin, e-mail hotairnetwork @ gmail.com

# # #

20060425 Introducing Hot Air

Introducing Hot Air

Read Michelle Malkin’s Introducing Hot Air

Hot Air can be found here: http://hotair.com/

3…2…1…

http://hotair.com/archives/the-blog/2006/04/24/321/

April 24, 2006 4:15 AM by Michelle

We’re live! Welcome to Hot Air, the world’s first, full-service conservative Internet broadcast network. Tune out Katie Couric and tune …

Conservative Internet Broadcast Network Debuts

http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2006/4/emw376471.htm

Features daily newscast with Michelle Malkin • Staff blogs w/the hottest vidclips & headlines • Affiliates across the globe • Right-leaning movies, podcasts & animation

Washington, DC (PRWEB) April 24, 2006 -- Hot Air (http://www.hotair.com/), the world’s first conservative Internet broadcast network, launches today. Founder and CEO Michelle Malkin leads a multi-talented, tech-savvy staff on the cutting edge of the Internet video/TV convergence.

Hot Air’s ground-breaking, irreverent daily video newscast, “Vent with Michelle Malkin,” tackles media sacred cows and left-wing shibboleths -- harnessing the best blog reporting and analysis across the Internet. Today’s inaugural newscast skewers U.S. high-tech titans kowtowing to China’s tyrants.

This is not your father’s nightly news.

Hot Air exposes new viewers of all political stripes to the world of videoblogging, animation, and podcasting. The network has signed on independent affiliates from Paris to Washington, D.C. Advertisers have lined up; Hot Air has already sold pre-roll video ads through the first week.

The next great information revolution is here. Tune in at http://www.hotair.com/.

To schedule an interview with Michelle Malkin, e-mail hotairnetwork @ gmail.com

# # #