The contest remains open until noon tomorrow (Central time). Contest is over. Results will be posted at the Vote link below shortly.

If you haven’t voted yet, please go vote!

Thanks!

update: Sgt. Hook got third place. Results here.

Neil Cavuto hosted Dan Gainor from the MRC’s Business & Media institute to talk about the recession that never happened.

More at Newsbusters.

Cavuto: Does the media flat out lie about the economy? I want you to meet a guy who says, “yeah, they do.” And what’s more, they do it all the time. Wait ’til you find out why and how. After this.

Well you’ve heard me say it before, my next guest is saying it again, this economy is strong, very strong. You’ll hear the President say it tomorrow night. But if this guy is right, you will never read about it in the papers on Wednesday or any day. This is Dan Gainor, Dan is the director of the Media Research Center’s Business & Media Institute. Why is that? We do have a strong economy, this isn’t a political viewpoint, we do.

Gainor: Well of course we do. But if you look at how the networks covered the economy last year, on average, almost every week they were either comparing or contrasting to a recession or the Great Depression. A couple of the network broadcasts actually used video tape of the Great Depression. You had people in soup lines and shilling newspaper headlines saying the Wall Street collapse. That’s not reflecting what’s going on.

Cavuto: Do you think it’s an agenda Dan?

Gainor: Absolutely. It’s an agenda. As long as there’s a conservative or a Republican in the White House then you’re going to overlook all the good economic new we’ve had. And I mean you can almost just pick whatever good news you want to choose from. We’ve had more than seven million new jobs created since the Bush Recovery in 2003. My Washington Post the other day had a headline on the business section that said, “Inflation at the lowest in 3 years”. You’ve got, despite the housing slowdown recently, in 2001 to 2005 you had more than 50 percent housing growth. You can just you look at people fighting over themselves trying to get PS3’s, iPhones, any sort of, X-Boxes.

Cavuto: Dan, maybe it’s, let’s take the political issue out of it for a second, is there just this cynicism on the part of most journalists to just report the bad? In other words, “If it bleeds, it leads”, that age old journalism axiom that good news doesn’t rate or sell, bad news does?

Gainor: I really wish it was that way. Because then, no matter who ends up in the White House, no matter who ends up in congress, you get the same kind of media coverage. That’s not the case. Going back a few years when Bush ran for re-election, we compared how the media’d covered that time with how they’d covered it when Clinton ran for re-election. Similar economic time periods – that’s Business Week claiming that, not me – and yet the media coverage for Clinton was so overwhelmingly positive.

Cavuto: Do you think that’s because most journalists are Democrat or liberal that they will even not known consciously, they will unconsciously, make these decisions to make it look good for the democrat?

Gainor: I think it’s a combination of both. There’s also a huge amount of economic ignorance in the media. I say this as a career journalist. Journalists do the quick hit, they don’t really understand all the components of a good economy, they don’t understand business. When you’re looking at something as broad as this, your natural biases are going to creep up.

Cavuto: What about the fact that there have been a lot of layoffs in the media industry and that that is what is affecting their view and they’re being parochial about it and taking it out on the rest of us?

Gainor: What did Tip O’Neill say, “all politics is local” and if you feel that your industry is in deep trouble, it’s going to be reflected in your reporting. So of course.

Cavuto: Dan, very interesting stuff, we don’t hear it all the time. Dan Gainor, Business and Media Institute. Good seeing you.

Gainor: Thank you.

Bumper stickers seen on one vehicle in the Super WalMart parking lot: Tree Hugger and Meat = Murder. There were more, but those were the only two I could read without actually going over to the mini-van. WalMart parking lot. Heh™

Brilliant.

This story is taking place in the next county over from me. Jose Vallejo (17), an illegal alien, is charged with sexual molestation of a four-year-old girl (April 2006-he was 16 at the time). He was given $150,000 bond and his family paid it.

He was then picked up by ICE for having entered the country illegally three years ago. Vallejo requested deportation. The judge granted it. Vallejo thought he was home free.

ICE officials notified McHenry county prosecutors that Vallejo was set for deportation and took custody of Vallejo.

Vallejo’s attorney argued that the deportation order should remain in effect because

their law is supreme over the state laws. They are the ones that have taken him into custody. They are the ones that will conduct any further actions.

The county judge didn’t buy it and raised the bond from $150,000 to $750,000 to prevent deporation. Vallejo faces up to 30 years in prison. His next court date is March 2. (source)

I hope he gets the maximum sentence allowable under the law and then is immediately deported at the conclusion of the sentence. If he’d been deported now, he would have just come right back across the border. If he has family in the next county over, what’s to stop him from coming to my county next door?

Immigration judges should have access to all pending litigation against potential deportees. No illegal alien charged with other crimes should be able to use the US system to escape the consequences of their actions.

The Dresden Files just ended (it repeats at 10 CST, 11 EST on SciFi). So far I’d say it’s pretty cool and we will continue watching.

Right now is the return of Battlestar Galactica! Yeah!

I’m off for now. TV time.

Neil Cavuto had two guests today to discuss the Weather Channel’s Dr. Heidi Cullen’s firing meteorologists who don’t believe in global warming. The guests were Larry Cosgrove, a meteorologist and John Passacandanto, executive director of Greenpeace USA.

Cavuto: Crippling snow in Denver, unseasonable warmth in the east, and a deep freeze in Texas. Climate expert Heidi Cullen over at the Weather Channel says that anyone paid to do the weather who does not blame all of this on man made global warming should be out of a job. Now meteorologist Larry Cosgrove says that Heidi needs to come in from the heat a little bit, but Greenpeace, USA executive director John Passacantando says that the Weather Channel woman actually has it right. Ms. Cullen was unavailable to come on today, but if she were here Larry, you’d be saying, what?

Cosgrove: She would say that I should not have an AMS Seal of Approval for radio or television because I do not espouse the global kool-aid line of the American Meteorological Society. Now, I like many people, believe in global warming. You can’t refute that. Temperatures are warming around the globe. But, the question is what’s causing it. Is it purely man made as the American Meteorological Society and Dr. Cullen espouse or is it a combination of events, namely what’s happening on the earth and ‘some help’ so to speak, from man kind.

Cavuto: So, because you’re not with her on this, she is essentially saying take your license away.

Cosgrove: Exactly. Any certification you have, or seal of approval. And that’s very important to the livelihood of being a meteorologist. You can’t do that.

Cavuto: All right, John, what do you make of this?

Passacantando: Well Neil, it’s quite fine if Larry goes on the news and is just telling us whether or not we need an umbrella tomorrow. Meteorologists don’t even need to be scientists. [ed note: A person can’t be called a meteorologist unless he or she has at least a bachelor’s degree in either meteorology or atmospheric science – I’d call that a scientist. Your average TV weather person (Nicole Kidman’s character in To Die For comes to mind) doesn’t have to be a meteorologist, but more and more actually are these days.]Heidi Cullen, however, she’s a superstar. She’s a trained climatologist and she’s got the most informative show on television today on the Weather Channel 5 o’clock on Sunday nights called The Climate Code and she really is teaching people about climate change and the human input, the burning of fossil fuels and how that’s giving us all these record temperatures. Now, whether or not these guys should be fired for not believing in global warming, well that’s sort of beyond me.

Cavuto: So would you be as praise full of her if she didn’t share your view?

Passacantando: Well, it’s not “my view”. The science is in on global warming. Global warming is happening here.

Cavuto: Well actually it is a little debated. The issue isn’t so much that the earth’s getting warmer, you’re quite right it is, but, as Larry I think you’re trying to point out, the debate is over what’s causing it.

Cosgrove: Exactly. There are still some points we don’t understand. We know, again the earth has been warming tremendously in the past 25 years. We know that by seeing the shrinking ice caps, the loss of snow in Mount Kilimanjaro and temperature rising too.

Passacantando: And Larry we know there is a human contribution that is huge to this and if you don’t understand this and the science that’s coming out this is the whole reason Ms. Cullen says – Dr. Cullen – says you shouldn’t be talking about global warming on a news program.

Cosgrove: I disagree about that. Simply because you take that credential away, you stifle debate. There’s still plenty to debate about what we do not understand about global warming.

Passacantando: Just don’t represent yourself as a scientist.

Cosgrove: I do represent myself as a scientist. How do you come across telling me about Dr. Cullen being a “superstar” and all these wonderful things you’re saying about her when she’s stifling debate. Saying “take away this person’s credential, they don’t know what they’re talking about.” I know full well what I’m talking about…

Passacantando: {interrupting} You’re wrong.

Cosgrove: I’m not espousing some right-wing idea about global warming. You are, I think, going the exact opposite there saying you shouldn’t have debate.

Passacantando: I don’t think your debate is being stifled, you’re actually quite vocal right now. I’m just saying that you’re wrong and nobody should have you on a news program misrepresenting science.

Cavuto: John, John you’re saying he’s wrong simply because he disagrees with you and you know there are others in the scientific community who also respectfully disagree with you and Al Gore on this subject right?. That doesn’t mean you… look, you know, we might disagree with you. You’re here. You’re making some very credible points but the fact of the matter is you’re here. We’re not shutting you out, I’m not shutting you out on this show. So you’re essentially saying because he might disagree with you that you would shut him out. Is that fair?

Passacantando: I’m not saying to shut them out. I’m saying the public should know that this debate has to be grounded in peer reviewed science.

Cavuto: What is your educational background?

Passacantando: I’m trained as an economist, but…

Cavuto: Wait, wait…

Cosgrove: There you go.

Cavuto: Trained as an economist. This guy is licensed in this stuff. You’re an economist. God bless you. If I want to check on the growth of the money supply you’re the guy I’m going to call. If I want to know what’s happening with the climate, he’s the guy that I call.

Passacantando: We’re talking about the scientists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and not if you should carry an umbrella…

Cosgrove: John get back on topic here. It’s more than that. It’s more than that John, it’s more than that. We’re a bridge to public, the meteorology community….

Passacantando: …or if you need sunscreen….

Cavuto: I wish we had more time, but we don’t.

Passacantando: Then be accurate Larry, be accurate or get off the program.

Cavuto: I think that’s a little gratuitous and a little childish. All right. But I want to thank you both.

I’m of the school that believes that climate change happens on a regular basis and man may have some to do with it, but not all. I actually think that the great big object in our daytime sky (that is 93 million miles away) has a bit more to do with it than man does.

I do do my part to conserve energy. Most of the light bulbs in my house are fluorescent bulbs. They’ve finally come out with bathroom vanity globes that are fluorescent (I got them at WalMart!). I turn lights off in rooms when I leave them. I keep my heat temperature low and my air conditioning temperature high and I have open windows every chance I get.

Sticking one’s fingers in one’s ears and saying na-na-na-na-NA-na just isn’t conducive to real debate.

NY State Supreme Court Justice Michael Ambrecht dismissed charges against BASE (Building, Antenna, Span, Earth) Jumper Jebb Corliss.

Corliss was charged with reckless endangerment for trying to parachute from the 86th floor (observation floor) of the Empire State Building on April 27th, 2006. He snuck his equipment in the building and through security by hiding it under a fat suit.

The prosecution argued that Corliss was placing bystanders and Empire State Building personnel in danger with what he intended to do. The judge said he wouldn’t be putting others in danger.

The judge decided that Corliss has a constitutional right to free expression and that jumping off the Empire State Building was free expression. (Source)

My question is why wasn’t he charged with, say, tresspassing? The fact that he snuck in his equipment says that he knew that his actions wouldn’t be met with, shall we say, open arms.

The owners and management of the Empire State Building have property rights that should trump Mr. Corliss’ individual freedom of expression…

Via Fausta, The VA Mortgage center is having a contest for best Military Blog. Please vote for Sgt. Hook so he can travel to Washington D.C. and visit the hospitalized troops there and attend the Milblog conference!

A small plane landed in a tree in December in Colorado. The sign nearby directs one to a flight school. True picture.