WHAT’S NEW Robert L. Park Friday, 24 July 09 Washington, DC
Sam Wormley
1. NEWSCASTERS: JON STEWART DONS THE MANTLE OF CRONKITE.
Even as the revered anchor of CBS News was laid to rest, Time released the
state-by-state results of a poll of 10,000 Americans across the nation,
asking: who is now the "most trusted" newscaster in America? The
overwhelming choice, with 44%, is Jon Stewart. Coming in a distant second
was Brian Williams, with 29%. What sets Stuart apart is that he is totally
fearless. He speaks the truth without equivocation -- no matter who is
offended. The poll also reflects the chaotic state of the news industry at
the start of the 21st century. When Cronkite reigned, a handful of major
networks broadcast the evening news at about the same time. You either
watched the news or turned off the television; now you have a thousand
mindless alternatives to the news.
2. POLITICAL SCIENCE: WHY THE USSR LOST THE SPACE RACE.
Launched on 4 Oct 1957, Sputnik carried no instruments. It just beeped as
it passed overhead to taunt Americans. But a month later, Sputnik 2
carried a Geiger tube and a radio transmitter to relay the Geiger output
back to Earth. It also carried a tape recorder to store data when the
satellite is over the horizon, but it wasn't working on launch day. Soviet
scientists placed a call directly to Premier Nikita Khrushchev requesting
permission to delay the launch for a day, but Khrushchev refused; he wanted
to announce another successful launch at a meeting of heads-of-state the
next day. At the very dawn of the space age, politics was already getting
in the way of scientific discovery. Thus it was that the Soviet Union
failed to make the first important discovery in space science,as we see
below.
3. VAN ALLEN BELTS: THE FIRST IMPORTANT DISCOVERY IN SPACE.
On 31 Jan 1958, only four months after Sputnik, the US launched Explorer 1
carrying an experiment designed by James Van Allen, Physics Chair at the
University of Iowa. It was just a Geiger tube, a radio transmitter, and a
recorder -- but the recorder worked. Data from a full orbit confirmed the
existence of charged particle bands around Earth, now known as the Van
Allen belts. It was the first major discovery from beyond the ionosphere.
Soviet scientists were crushed; only four months after Sputnik the US had
taken the lead in space science and has never relinquished it. Manned space
flight remains a sideshow. In the end, all that will endure is the
science. James Van Allen was the true American space hero. During a long
talk with Jim a year before his death in 2006, he summed-up manned space
flight: "It's so old-fashioned."
4. PHYSICS OLYMPIAD: ONE MORE GLASS CEILING IS SHATTERED.
At the 40th International Physics Olympiad held in Merida, Mexico this
month China was first in the overall medal count, with Honduo Shi of China
winning five gold medals. It was the first time in the 40 year history of
the Physics Olympiad that the top score has gone to a female.
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.
Opinions are the author's and not necessarily shared by the
University of Maryland, but they should be.
---
eric gisse
> WHAT?S NEW Robert L. Park Friday, 24 July 09 Washington, DC
>
> 1. NEWSCASTERS: JON STEWART DONS THE MANTLE OF CRONKITE.
> Even as the revered anchor of CBS News was laid to rest, Time released the
> state-by-state results of a poll of 10,000 Americans across the nation,
> asking: who is now the "most trusted" newscaster in America? The
> overwhelming choice, with 44%, is Jon Stewart.
Jon Stewart is a comedian.
This is bad, even if I'm one of the 44%.
[...]
Uncle Al
>
> WHAT’S NEW Robert L. Park Friday, 24 July 09 Washington, DC
>
> 1. NEWSCASTERS: JON STEWART DONS THE MANTLE OF CRONKITE.
> Even as the revered anchor of CBS News was laid to rest, Time released the
> state-by-state results of a poll of 10,000 Americans across the nation,
> asking: who is now the "most trusted" newscaster in America? The
> overwhelming choice, with 44%, is Jon Stewart. Coming in a distant second
> was Brian Williams, with 29%. What sets Stuart apart is that he is totally
> fearless. He speaks the truth without equivocation -- no matter who is
> offended. The poll also reflects the chaotic state of the news industry at
> the start of the 21st century. When Cronkite reigned, a handful of major
> networks broadcast the evening news at about the same time. You either
> watched the news or turned off the television; now you have a thousand
> mindless alternatives to the news.
Jon Stewart's honest approach is that the world is hemorrhaging evil,
stupid, ridiculous criminals at every level. Cronkite had the
privilege of living during times when evil and stupid retained some
self-respect.
> 2. POLITICAL SCIENCE: WHY THE USSR LOST THE SPACE RACE.
[snip]
The USSR could not design a large rocket bell that did not explode
from mixing inhomogeneities. They were forced to use as many as 30
small engines for their heavy lifters. The Saturn V brilliantly used
five mammoth bells - but it required a bunch of high-ranking
unrepentant Nazi engineers to pull it off.
NASA waited until von Braun & Co. succumbed to mortality, then
shitcanned the technology. The Space Scuttle emerged from NASA Human
Resources rejecting any technical applicant who could say "stupid
idea." Said staffing innovation propagated at all levels,
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/obama.htm
--
Uncle Al
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/
(Toxic URL! Unsafe for children and most mammals)
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/lajos.htm#a2
ji...@specsol.spam.sux.com
> WHAT’S NEW Robert L. Park Friday, 24 July 09 Washington, DC
>
> 1. NEWSCASTERS: JON STEWART DONS THE MANTLE OF CRONKITE.
> Even as the revered anchor of CBS News was laid to rest, Time released the
> state-by-state results of a poll of 10,000 Americans across the nation,
> asking: who is now the "most trusted" newscaster in America? The
> overwhelming choice, with 44%, is Jon Stewart. Coming in a distant second
> was Brian Williams, with 29%. What sets Stuart apart is that he is totally
> fearless. He speaks the truth without equivocation -- no matter who is
> offended. The poll also reflects the chaotic state of the news industry at
> the start of the 21st century. When Cronkite reigned, a handful of major
> networks broadcast the evening news at about the same time. You either
> watched the news or turned off the television; now you have a thousand
> mindless alternatives to the news.
Since Jon Stwart isn't a "newscaster" by any stretch of the imagination,
but a political satirist, writer, television host, actor and stand-up
comedian, this is highly amusing.
--
Jim Pennino
Remove .spam.sux to reply.
eric gisse
> Sam Wormley <swor...@mchsi.com> wrote:
>> WHAT?S NEW Robert L. Park Friday, 24 July 09 Washington, DC
Regardless I still manage to get higher quality news from The Daily Show
than any other source on TV. That I stopped watching TV news a long time ago
is irrelevant.
Thank god I can get good news on the internet. And TV!
jmfbahciv
/BAH
alien8er
This is why I killfiled Sam. I mean, if he's stoopid enough to keep
quoting that stoopid ass Park, why bother reading hm?
Mark L. Fergerson
eric gisse
Wow, looks like someone took their asshole pill today.
Bob Park isn't stupid and he isn't wrong on this. That I can get better
quality news from a comedian than CNN or whatever ought to tell you
something.
You would have enjoyed Bob Park on The Colbert Report. He looks as
curmudgeony as I imagined, and managed to not appear to be a raving lunatic.
>
>
> Mark L. Fergerson
Sam Wormley
As you should, Mark... after all, I wouldn't want to upset
you with any reality, sarcastic or not.
alien8er
> alien8er wrote:
> > On Jul 24, 3:02 pm, eric gisse <jowr.pi.nos...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> Sam Wormley wrote:
> >> > WHAT?S NEW Robert L. Park Friday, 24 July 09 Washington, DC
>
> >> > 1. NEWSCASTERS: JON STEWART DONS THE MANTLE OF CRONKITE.
> >> > Even as the revered anchor of CBS News was laid to rest, Time released
> >> > the state-by-state results of a poll of 10,000 Americans across the
> >> > nation, asking: who is now the "most trusted" newscaster in America?
> >> > The overwhelming choice, with 44%, is Jon Stewart.
>
> >> Jon Stewart is a comedian.
>
> >> This is bad, even if I'm one of the 44%.
>
> > This is why I killfiled Sam. I mean, if he's stoopid enough to keep
> > quoting that stoopid ass Park, why bother reading hm?
>
> Wow, looks like someone took their asshole pill today.
One a day. Don't like it? Don't read me.
http://www.penney.org/ggkiller.html
> Bob Park isn't stupid and he isn't wrong on this. That I can get better
> quality news from a comedian than CNN or whatever ought to tell you
> something.
IMO Park is indeed stoopid (I didn't write "stupid"; you _have_ been
reading s.p. long enough to know the two terms aren't quite congruent,
yes?) and IMO he is indeed wrong about this. Jon Stewart has "don[ned]
the mantle of Cronkite" only in the minds of those who agree with
Stewart's political positions. I do not; you, Park, and Wormley
clearly do.
"Quality" of news isn't in the control of talking heads anyway; it's
perceived. Realizing this fact requires one to acknowledge that "news"
is a processed product, the result of massaging (or filtering, if you
prefer) raw evidence, and that massaging necessarily involves the
prejudices of the massagers whether or not they're aware of it.
The fact that you give Stewart high marks for "quality" simply means
you approve of his filters.
And by the way; back in the day I also "trusted" Cronkite because I
was naive enough to believe he did not massage what he reported. Now I
know better and trust NO ONE.
> You would have enjoyed Bob Park on The Colbert Report. He looks as
> curmudgeony as I imagined, and managed to not appear to be a raving lunatic.
No, I wouldn't have "enjoyed" him, since from what Wormley quotes
from him, Park is a raving extreme left Liberal, possessed of an
astonishing degree of arrogance. That he managed to avoid that
appearance is merely evidence of his capacity for duplicity.
Mark L. Fergerson
Sam Wormley
Perhaps President Obama should invite Bob Park, Mark Fergerson and me
(Wormley) to the White House... for a beer!
You too, Eric, and others.