I try to end each week with a break from the very serious subjects that often consume my shows and posts. John Fugelsang joins me on Thursday mornings to help us laugh about some of the craziness we have to face each and every day.
Today we didn’t have a lot of laughs. War hit very close to home this week. Yesterday, we learned that photojournalist Tim Hetherington was killed while covering the war in Libya. And yes, it is a war.
I only met Tim once, and it was via phone. I had the pleasure of interviewing him last November regarding his his Academy Award nominated documentary Restrepo, which he co-directed with Sebastian Junger. But the news of his death in Libya hit me hard. It was unnecessary.
Today, I replayed that interview with him, as my of honoring the man and his work.
Real journalists are a rarity these days in this country. Not for lack of qualified people, but due to the continuing corporate takeover of our media and its continuing quest for higher profits over substantive content. As I’ve said over and over, the news has been canceled here.
So, to find investigative journalist Greg Palast, one has to watch the BBC – or visit his website, or the other bastions of independent truth tellers like Truthout.org. That’s where I found his latest missive, “BP’s Secret Deepwater Blowout,” which he told us about on today’s show.
If you think that the internet is the last safe place for bloggers, would-be journalists and the rest of us to publish our thoughts, ideas and the product of our investigations, you might want to re-think the “safe” aspect of it. Pam Spaulding, editor and publisher of the widely-read Pam’s House Blend was just the victim of extortion. Although sleazy and unethical, this type of extortion is unfortunately legal.
As Pam explained (Is this the end of predator copyright troll Righthaven’s flight under the media radar?), she was targeted for copyright infringement by Righthaven, and settled with them for an amount that has virtually bankrupted Pam’s House Blend. But it could have been worse.
It’s a sickening story that’s played out too many times, but hasn’t been told because others are afraid of being similarly targeted. I’m not sure what that says about me, other than I’d better get to work scrubbing this site of photos. I guess I know what I’ll be doing this weekend…
So, that covers the oil spills, warfare, and websites. As for the wingnuts, John Fugelsang and I did spend a few minutes talking about Donald Trump and Andrew Breitbart’s recent media appearances. Enuf said.
NICOLE: I hope this helps, paleface!
FROM WIKIPEDIA: Tecumseh (March 1768 – October 5, 1813), also known as Tecumtha or Tekamthi, was a Native American leader of the Shawnee and a large tribal confederacy that opposed the United States during Tecumseh’s War and the War of 1812. He grew up in the Ohio country during the American Revolutionary War and the Northwest Indian War, where he was constantly exposed to warfare.
His brother Tenskwatawa was a religious leader who advocated a return to the ancestral lifestyle of the tribes. A large following and a confederacy grew around his prophetic teachings. The Native American independence movement led to strife with settlers on the frontier. The confederacy eventually moved farther into the northwest and settled Prophetstown, Indiana in 1808. Tecumseh confronted Indiana Governor William Henry Harrison to demand that land purchase treaties be rescinded. Tecumseh traveled to the southern United States in an attempt to unite Native American tribes in a confederacy throughout the North American continent.[1] Before he left, he warned his brother against fighting the Americans. His brother ignored him. While Tecumseh was traveling, Tenskwatawa was defeated in the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe.
During the War of 1812, Tecumseh’s confederacy allied with the British in Canada and helped in the capture of Fort Detroit. The Americans, led by Harrison, launched a counter assault and invaded Canada, confronting Tecumsah at the Battle of the Thames. Routed, he died of his wounds in retreat,[2] over time becoming a folk hero remembered by many Canadians for his defense of their country…
ENTIRE ARTICLE – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tecumseh
Tecumseh (disambiguation) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tecumseh_(disambiguation)
HOW TO Make Your Tecumseh SNOWKING Engine Idle & Stop Surging* (VIDEO, 06:08) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT0STIPg4I8
* with the “Bob Vila” of “This Old Tecumseh Engine”