Grossly Innacurate Headline

This does not need much commentary. It’s from HoustonChronicle.com.
The headline is “Drunken driver convicted in officer’s death”. The story…

Richard Anthony Sandoval, 23, will face a maximum of 20 years in prison after being convicted Wednesday of intoxication assault of a police officer.

HPD officer Lloyd Morrison, 51, was investigating a crash on the Gulf Freeway when he was struck by a car driven by Sandoval and pinned against a firetruck May 23, 2009. Morrison testified that he suffered two broken legs and an injured shoulder.

Jurors in state District Judge Shawna Reagin’s court will continue hearing testimony today.

Ummmm…

Anti-Law Enforcement Media Bias

This headline writer has no shame at all. “No indictment for officer in Taser dare” and the name of the page is even worse. “No indictment for officer who tased woman, 72, on a dare”. It makes it appear as though that was his sole reason for tasing her, when in fact, it wasn’t part of the equation. He felt he was unable to gain control of the situation with any other technique. He tried verbal commands and that didn’t work. He didn’t want to put his hands on her, I’m sure. So he tased her. Probably not the smartest move, but he didn’t “tase her on a dare.” That’s just bullshit (I tried not to use that phrase but nothing else fit) and the Houston Chronicle should be ashamed of itself for running that headline.

January 2010 Link Round-up; Highlights and Lowlights

Well due to the success of my 2009 link round-up I decided to make it a monthly think. So again, this link dump will feature content created in January 2010 and some older content which I just happened to come across this month.

The case against 5 former Blackwater guards was dropped after it was horribly mishandled by the prosecuting team. And I do mean horribly. <The Wall Street Journal>

The Mets were weird when they were good. <The Big Lead>

Avatar almost had to raise their MPAA rating. What I am a talking about? Why a deleted Na’avi sex scene involving those tentacles of theirs. <Filmdrunk>

Quick Note on the Media

I just read this story about a Houston man arrested for a shooting that occurred at the Texas Capitol building today. Most of the information on the arrest from one Jill Magid. Here’s that part of the story.

Jill Magid, visiting from New York, said she was inside the building on the first floor when people started rushing to the south entrance, prompted by the reaction of two troopers. Magid said a man next to her said he heard four or five pops.

When Magid got outside, she saw about 25 officers surrounding a man lying on the ground on his side in a fetal position as officers held him down. He was not resisting arrest. She said she heard one of the troopers say there might be another person on the building’s third floor.

What I want to know is why the writer, R.G. Ratcliffe, says “He was not resisting arrest.”

Corresponding with the Houston Chronicle

I have 23 primary destinations on the Internet. The Houston Chronicle blogs page is one of them, thanks to Longhorn beat writer Joe Duarte’s UT sports blog. He’s a friend, and it’s a fine blog. Sometimes, I check out the other blogs, and a few days ago I read a Chonicle Reader’s blog on music.

It wasn’t especially notable, and I’ll only link to it so I don’t have to rehash the discussion in the comments section. As you’ll see, a reader is reprimanded for an analytical response to the blog post. Why? Because the reader didn’t discuss what the blogger wanted discussed.

And I quote: “Try to remember this blog is about music, not politics. I just don’t want the discussion devolving into something completely off topic. Thanks. – Jeff”