Fat writing Wuerker and strip of the day

[Plane]

http://www.comicstripoftheday.com/

Wuerker makes the point that, not only is it an incredibly silly topic in these serious times, but, hey, half of America is fat. The anorexically telegenic reporters on TV news may find Christie's girth a topic of curious interest, but he's no freak to the rest of the country.

As a former reporter and editor, I've been offended by the repeated claims that the "Mainstream Media" conspires to fix the news, for instance, to suppress coverage of the Wall Street demonstrations. That's simply not how it works, and I say that from personal experience: If I have seen farther than most journalists, it is not because I have stood on the shoulders of giants but because I have stood in the company of midgets.

I know for a fact that the Mainstream Media couldn't conspire to order a pizza, and the only thing that upsets me more than the unbridled stupidity of my fellow-journalists is the suggestion that they're doing it on purpose.

Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by stupidity.

There may be, however, something you could call "malicious stupidity," which is kind of like "invincible ignorance," in that it may be involuntary but it certainly isn't harmless. Still, Aquinas held, and Catholic teachings affirm, that a person who is absolutely incapable of understanding the gravity, consequences and evil of their actions cannot be held morally responsible for them.

Here is what the news industry is capable of understanding: TV needs ratings to survive, and on-line news sites need clicks.

Which means, if we're so smart, that we need only insist reporters get back on topic, because they will trim their sails to the prevailing wind.

Right now, however, the wind is blowing out of Dumbassland, and it has for some time. The evidence is in the "top rated" stories at HuffPost, and was evident long before that.

 

[Xavier_Onassis]

I would not vote against a candidate based on his obesity alone. But I do think that some people would, just as some might readily vote for a Jew named Joe Green or Albert Levy, but vote against one named Israel Fischbinder or Moshe Lipshitz.
I don't think I would do this.
Cristie is clearly a wiser person than Perry, Bachmann, Palin or Santorum.

[BT]

As a former reporter and editor, I've been offended by the repeated claims that the "Mainstream Media" conspires to fix the news, for instance, to suppress coverage of the Wall Street demonstrations. That's simply not how it works, and I say that from personal experience: If I have seen farther than most journalists, it is not because I have stood on the shoulders of giants but because I have stood in the company of midgets.

I know for a fact that the Mainstream Media couldn't conspire to order a pizza, and the only thing that upsets me more than the unbridled stupidity of my fellow-journalists is the suggestion that they're doing it on purpose.

Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by stupidity.

hmmm

[Plane]

  That is just half of his essay, you might enjoy the rest of it at the link.
http://www.comicstripoftheday.com/