| Meet the Press
Schechter, one of the first producers for CNN and a winner of two Emmys for his work on the ABC program "20/20," has been a Neiman Fellow in Journalism at Harvard University. He is also the author of a book called The More You Watch, the Less You Know (1999), which I haven't read — though reportedly it did upset Bill O'Reilly, which seems like recommendation enough. Schechter, then, is someone who brings tacit knowledge aplenty to the work of commenting on the state of the media. Last year, in his documentary WMD: Weapons of Mass Deception, he did more than reconstruct how the print and electronic media alike fell into line with the administration's justifications for war. In that, he drew in part on a piece of scholarly research that certainly does deserve the closest and most shame-faced attention by the entire journalistic profession, the study Media Coverage of Weapons of Mass Destruction, by Susan D.
Gordon appeals punishment for crime he says his did not commit
FONTANA, Calif. (AP) -Robby Gordon has appealed the penalties handed down earlier this week by NASCAR, hoping the move will at least reduce the punishment for his Sprint Cup team. Gordon was docked 100 points and crew chief Frank Kerr was suspended for six races and fined $100,000 after NASCAR inspectors found an unapproved front bumper cover on his No. 7 Dodge during opening day inspection for the Daytona 500. The deduction in points dropped the only owner/driver in NASCAR's top series from ninth in the standings to 40th. Gordon knew the penalty was coming, but he said Friday he was shocked by the severity. "I hate to lose any points, but I was kind of content with, `OK, well I guess if we get 25 that will drop us to 16th in the championship and we can probably deal with that," he said.
Apple keeps chipping away at Microsoft
AS I LOOK at a newly arrived MacBook Air laptop, it occurs to me there has never been a better time to switch to a Mac. That's not something I say lightly. With the exception of a couple of years working at a magazine, I have never been a Mac user. After all, I'm a game player and games on the Mac are always light years behind games on Windows. I've not been smitten by Steve Jobs' famous "reality distortion field," and have decades behind me as a Microsoft user. But Apple keeps moving forward, and Microsoft took a step backward with Windows Vista. Both systems crash. I've heard tech-support complaints on both sides and witnessed a few myself. Vista is noticeably slower than its predecessor, while Apple's newest operating system, Leopard, is a big improvement on a lot of fronts.
Labor of love and metal
Back in 1974, Phil Wilkie squeezed a '64 Chevy Chevelle Malibu SS into his barn on Armstrong Road in Geneva. His family had bought it off the lot when it was new, and it had seen better days.Its doors, slammed shut all those years ago, seemed unlikely to open again.But Mark Rasmussen, owner of RodTech in the Yates County hamlet of Hall, knew about the car even before it had been tucked away on Wilkie's property. For years, Rasmussen believed it would have its day in the sun.That day will soon be here. .
Netflix to cease offering HD DVD movie rentals
In a win for Blu-ray and a loss for consumer choice, Netflix said Monday it will no longer be stocking new HD DVD movies for its subscribers to rent. The leading online movie rental company cited "a clear signal from the industry" for deciding to go Blu-ray only, noting that four of the six major Hollywood studios are backing Sony's format. Universal and Paramount are the two studios supporting HD DVD exclusively. .
Iowa Ear: Culver won't tip scales for fitness program
There was a mass weigh-in at the Capitol this week. A dozen or so staff members from the governor's office stepped onto a platform-sized scale, followed by staff from other state offices. Absent was the head cheerleader of the "Lighten Up Iowa" fitness effort: the Big Lug himself.
During his Condition of the State speech Tuesday, Gov. Chet Culver urged Iowans to get healthy and pledged to lead the Culver/Judge 100-day Fitness Challenge as part of Lighten Up Iowa - but he didn't make any promises to shed pounds himself. .
Football: 10-year deal with Notre Dame is boon for UConn program
STORRS, Conn. — On this Valentine's Day, I think it's appropriate to share with you my love for rotund, globular football coaches and mystical little Irish guys in a crazy green outfit. Oh, you haven't heard? Then you haven't been reading outraged UConn fans on the Internet bemoaning a potential 10-game football series between UConn and Notre Dame. According to a leaked Notre Dame internal memo, the Fighting Irish and Huskies are finalizing a deal to play 10 games beginning in 2009, including five at Notre Dame Stadium, three at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro and two at the Meadowlands in New Jersey. I love this deal, despite the fact that none of the games will be played in Connecticut. Simply put, right now this is wonderful, even if it could be a disaster six or seven years from now.
Auto Notes: Niello Co. renews sponsorship of Serrano concours
The Niello Co. has renewed its sponsorship of the Niello Concours at Serrano, which will be held for the fifth time Oct. 5 on the grounds of the Serrano Visitors Center in the El Dorado Hills community. "The concours has become one of the best events the Niello Co. is associated with," said Rick Niello, president of the Sacramento-based company. Besides the usual lineup of meticulously preserved classics and rare vehicles of years past, the 2008 concours will spotlight two auto-manufacturing giants. .
|
