Focused Rambling

Jon Stewart doing real news while other "news" agencies sleep... the de-pantsing of Jim Cramer

I hope you've been able to follow the Daily Show's fact-filled destruction of CNBC. As posted here the other day Rick Santelli was called out on his ridiculous rant on the trading floor, claiming all of America was opposed to bailing out the people that are in bad mortgages (he doesn't seem to mind bailing out Wall Street, especially while he's standing there screeching). That, and he said he would come on the show and then backed out at the last minute. The Daily Show put together some clips that clearly show CNBC making reckless and dumb recommendations or analysis on their programs. Another target of scrutiny by the Daily Show, was Jim Cramer , of whom Stewart played several clips in which Cramer gave terrible advice on companies that eventually went bankrupt in most cases. The whole thing became a media controversy, and Cramer went on "Morning Joe" a few days ago, and the MJ crew guffawed with him at Stewart, The impudence of such a financial illiterate to challenge great minds like Cramer was laughable to them. In reality, the essence of Stewart's argument is that it is hard to tell if CNBC is in bed with the people they're reporting on, because they seem to go to any lengths to prop up failing companies/stocks, or at least that's a key element of his argument. I guess that all the laughing about Stewart and the Daily Show's incompetence or gall exploded last night, when Jon Stewart shred Cramer and CNBC with knowledge and insight (and some pointed F-bombs). There are many that think it was an eye-opening smackdown of epic proportions, even leading to Cramer skipping "Morning Joe" today .
Watch for yourself, it's 20 minutes long but well worth it...

MLK's prediction for the first black President...

Dr. Martin Luther King predicted the first black President by 2004 in this BBC interview from 1964...

Joe the Reporting Plumber asks some questions...

I don't get it, this seemed like such a great idea... but Joe the Reporting Plumber seems to be having trouble at his new job. I especially love the enlightening and well-put questions, such as "Do you think Israel is bad?". It is truly shocking that an organization so steeped in tradition and talent would accept this level of journalistic integrity... oh wait, this is Pajamas Media, where you just have to stick it to the Main Stream Media by putting your own stellar band of professionals together. If you really want to have some fun, check out this article that is on Pajamas Media's website, which questions Joe's ability and the purpose of his trip. The article is OK, but you have to spend a few minutes reading the comments at the bottom of it. Since it is on PJM's website, the crowd assembles to tear the author to shreds for being pompous and elitist because he points out that Joe doesn't seem to have any reporting skill. Comment after comment is basically that anything is better than the Main Stream Media, and that somebody needs to tell Israel's story, and this guy is a patriot, and it doesn't matter if he is smart enough because we just want to know the truth! Now I can see where Fox gets its viewers, and why politicians can't get anything done in this country, and why Rush and O'Reilly exist... because there is a collection of angry ideologues trying to ram their values, thoughts, and ideals down the throats of the rest of the world... and Joe the Plumber shall lead them. Roger Simon, founder of Pajamas Media, has posted a piece on the "controversy" in which he asserts that Joe's trips "scares the establishment media". Bottom line: I don't care if you send a troop of Boy Scouts to report, or have plants at rallies and photo-ops to deliver political messages... the point is simply that Joe the Plumber has been disingenuous with his obviously staged question to Obama and whirlwind McCain bus tour , and most of us just can't figure out why the Right celebrates someone just because they're average folk. How about if he was a caring or good guy, or clearly interested in the betterment of the world, but not just a know-nothing shill collecting on his fame...