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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

top grossing films of 2011

You might find this interesting ... the top grossing films of 2011!

Rank Title Studio Worldwide US and Canada UK Australia
Highest-grossing films of 2011[2]
1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 Warner Bros. $1,328,111,219 $381,011,219 $117,228,296 $51,328,689
2 Transformers: Dark of the Moon Paramount $1,123,746,996 $352,390,543 $45,470,012 $38,820,321
3 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Disney $1,043,871,802 $241,071,802 $54,187,325 $29,006,640
4 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 Summit Entertainment $702,287,133 $281,287,133 $47,806,144 $29,109,682
5 Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol Paramount $679,289,903 $207,789,903 $28,291,301 $18,954,599
6 Kung Fu Panda 2 DreamWorks $665,692,281 $165,249,063 $26,906,998 $20,219,645
7 Fast Five Universal $626,137,675 $209,837,675 $30,243,825 $26,794,607
8 The Hangover Part II Warner Bros. $581,464,305 $254,464,305 $53,496,869 $35,371,018
9 The Smurfs Columbia/SPA $563,749,323 $142,614,158 $27,805,533 $20,564,629
10 Cars 2 Disney/Pixar $559,852,396 $191,452,396 $24,894,721 $20,811,602


You can find out more here.

Of these ten films, which involved crime or violence?

At least eight (I DEFINITELY did not see Cars 2 or The Smurfs).

So, as shown in the book, the media are fascinated with crime and violence, and they use it to rake in a ton of money.

Yes, the fault is also ours, since we like it so much. The good news? We get more of what we seem to like, IN THE REAL WORLD!

If it's good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me!

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Local stories lack context

Check it out. In today's local news from the Watauga Democrat, there are NO stories about street crime, other than a tax refund scam (which is a form of fraud but not like that committed by elites!).

But in these stories, there is no context provided. For example, how widespread is the crime? And what is the risk of being a victim?

Further, with regard to one of the other stories, why are gas prices going up? And what can be done about it, if anything? Silence on this issue.

As for GoBlueRidge.net ... SIGH!

The crime of the week is a hit and run by one car against another car in a parking lot!

And there are missing kids?

And another man was arrested?

And a bunch of sports.

So that is pretty much all that happens in Boone.

As for that polluted water story, there is also no context provided. Why? And what can be done about it?

Crickets!

Crime of the Week from ARH PoliceWatauga County Crimestoppers and Appalachian Regional Healthcare System Police seek the public’s assistance in solving the following crime: On the afternoon of Tuesday February 21st at around 3:30 p.m., a silver Toyota Avalon was struck by an unknown vehicle in the parking lot of the Watauga Medical Center. Full Story
 
Missing Children Found OKThere were moments of panic for a Zionville mother just as dark approached last night, realizing that her two children were missing. Emergency crews from Watauga Emergency Management, Watauga Rescue, Zionville Fire, and the Watauga Search and Rescue Team were called in around 6 last evening Full Story
 
Input Asked as Impaired Waters List ReleasedNorth Carolina Division of Water Quality has released its biannual list of “impaired” waterways as mandated in the federal Clean Water Act of 1972. While the lists of impaired creeks and rivers is long the further east you go in the state, there are a number of waterways listed as impaired in the High Country. Full Story
 
Blowing Rock Construction UpdateAn update on the construction on US 321 through Blowing Rock: Crews continue to clear along  the path as part of the widening project. The majority of work is taking place along “Area I,” which is the U.S. 321 business corridor from the U.S. 321/North Main Street intersection at Shoppes on the Parkway Full Story
 
Mountain City Man Arrested on NC CountsA Mountain City man was arrested while visiting someone in a Johnson City hospital, charged with being a fugitive from justice on North Carolina warrants.  According to reports from the Johnson City Police Department, their officers caught up with Joshua Pate, 35, of 611 South Church Street, Mountain City Saturday night Full Story
 
Ivey Joins ASU Coaching StaffFootballscoop.com, the premier source for coaching jobs, is reporting that head coach Jerry Moore has added another assistant coach to his staff. Mike Ivey will coach the outside linebackers and special teams. Ivey is the head coach at Barron Collier High School in Florida. and is an
Full Story
 
Gas Goin' Higher...It’s all too reminiscent—gas prices crossing $3.70.  It was last spring—April and May—that regular gas pushed across that threshold, finally peaking at about  $3.85 in early May before falling back.  Want some good news? Crude is down a buck in early trading today. Full Story
 
UPDATED: ASU Takes Series from No. 7 LSU with 11-1 Rout  Appalachian State University sent shockwaves through the college-baseball world on Sunday with a series-clinching 11-1 rout over No. 7 LSU at Alex Box Stadium. With the blowout victory, Appalachian (4-2) took 2-of-3 games from the seventh-ranked Tigers, marking the program’s first-ever three-game series win
Full Story
 
Wineberg Wins State TitleJosh Wineberg, who signed his National Letter of Intent to play football at Western Carolina University on February 1, closed out his high school career in a big way Saturday night. The Ashe County High senior
Full Story
 
Arrowood, Hyatt Blank No. 7 LSU, 1-0Ryan Arrowood (Rutherfordton, N.C./R-S Central) and Nathan Hyatt (Brevard, N.C./Brevard) combined on a three-hit shutout and Daniel Kassouf’s (Lexington, N.C./North Davidson) solo home run in the fourth inning proved to be the only scoring Appalachian State University baseball needed in a
Full Story

Monday, February 27, 2012

School shooting, 1 dead

EDIT: A second student died this morning as a result of his injuries in this shooting.

EDIT, again: A third student died later from injuries. Horrible to be sure, but it is three people compared to ...



1,205 people died from tobacco.

Nothing about that in the news.

Here are your leading causes of death in the US PER YEAR:

Heart disease: 599,413
Cancer: 567,628
Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 137,353

Many of those are due to tobacco use.

Where do school shootings rank on this list?

Nowhere.

"Die. All of you." His words on Facebook the day before the shooting.

http://gma.yahoo.com/chardon-high-school-shooting-left-friends-laying-over-140607825--abc-news.html

Back in Black nails the media coverage of Whitney Houston's death

This, my friends, is what I've been trying to say all along.

(the mainstream media has lost its collective mind)

Friday, February 24, 2012

Newsweek magazine says "blame the media" ...

for the Tourettes Symptoms at Le Roy High School!

Some 20 girls are sick. And according to Newsweek, it is "conversion disorder" caused by hype in the media.

Hey Newsweek, you're quite possibly making it worse!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Random, unusual deaths and violent crimes in the news

From Fox News this morning, one of their top four stories on the web:


So, some BAD parents make a child run, in ALABAMA, and that child dies. Should this story matter to me in North Carolina (or even if I lived in Alabama for that matter)?

The girl, Savannah Hardin, was a third-grader at Carlisle Elementary School. Superintendent Alan Cosby said: "This is obviously a very tragic, devastating, heartbreaking situation," Cosby said. "Nothing like this has ever happened before."

Which is why it is news!

Notice what Fox did below that story too. It linked the story to an accidental school shooting in Seattle and the trial outcome of the UVA Lacrosse player who murdered his ex-girlfriend.

this fits in nicely with facts of media coverage of crime laid out in the book.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Pop musicians MOCK domestic violence

So Chris Brown kicks the crap out of Rihanna.

Don't you remember the story from the news?

This guy ...

Did this to this woman ...



And now the two, still making music, have released some recent music together via Twitter to their millions of followers.

Some of the music is reportedly raunchy and suggests the two are back together, even after serious domestic violence for which Brown is still on probation.

"Something is not right with them," says Natalie Hopkinson, a contributing editor at The Root. "These are two deeply disturbed individuals that probably need to get off Twitter and spend some time on someone's couch, working it out."

But fans say it is ok with them:

Cherice McGlone, a sophomore at Howard University, says: "I feel like they've been back together for a while, but they're just now letting the public know. I'm cool with it. I love black love."

She adds: "The main goals of the songs were money, publicity. 'Why not draw attention to my song, generate more revenue?' I would do it," she says. "Makes more money, you know? The public is gonna eat that up. Whether good or bad, the public is gonna be talking about it."

And Howard sophomore Earl King agreed: "They did it for love, cause they do love each other," he says. "They're gonna make money off it too — good money. And it might cause some backlash, but their fans are gonna support them."

So let's get this straight. A guy kicks the crap out of his girlfriend. He is punished for it. Then the two of them release songs together suggesting they are getting back together--and they probably are not because this is probably just a publicity stunt orchestrated for money--and yet the fans are still going to eat it all up!?!?

And the media are not only going to provide means they use to do it (i.e., music via Twitter), but the media are also going to tell us all about it!?!? Even NPR?

Wow.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2012/02/22/147237101/rihanna-and-chris-brown-the-saga-continues

Monday, February 20, 2012

A look at the leads stories of various news organizations

New York Times:

Strike on Iran Seen as a Huge Task for Israeli Air Power

An attack would take at least 100 planes, American defense officials and military analysts said, and take far more time than earlier strikes on nuclear sites in Syria and Iraq.

Washington Post:

Gingrich records show contradictory stances

(Joe Holloway, Jr. / AP)
An examination of the papers collected over nearly three decades reveals a politician of moderate-to-liberal beginnings, a product of the civil rights era who moved to the right with an eye on political expediency and privately savaged Republicans — such as Reagan — he praised in public.

USA Today:

Economic crisis slows U.S. population growth

Downturn's effect on birth and immigration lingers.MORE: World population hits 7BU.S.: Cities show declines

 CNN.COM:

Israel has made it clear it is thinking about attacking Tehran's nuclear infrastructure. Iran has warned it may block the strait used by oil tankers in the Persian Gulf. FULL STORY
Zakaria: Israel, don't strike Iran




FoxNews.com:







Major props to the New York Times and to CNN for making the TOP STORY an international one that has serious implications for Americans. Not sure what to make of Fox News' lead story titled, "Test tube meat to be available this fall ..."

That is just weird.

Their next top three stories are also "not critical."