Another Shiner for the Eye Network

What is CBS thinking? Or is it? For the first part of the 13th (rather appropos) season, Survivor is dividing its tribes according to race. I.e., the tribes will consist of Asians, Hispanics, blacks, and whites. Using a "separate but equal" logic, Survivor creator Mark Burnett explains, "By putting  people in tribes, they clearly have to get rid of people of their own ethnicity: So that's not racial at all." GM pulled out of its sponsorship of show claiming that it had nothing to do with the controversy and that it had no prior knowledge of the race-based element of this season. Are you listening, Mr. Orwell?

Cf. http://contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/burnett%20slams%20survivor%20critics_1006792 and http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/08/30/D8JQV2IO2.html.

CBS Lipos Chubby Couric

CBS employees slimmed a Katie Couric pic (via PhotoShop) as they prepared to promo her to lead the erstwhile Tiffany network's news division. As Cronkite readies to crown Couric as CBS Evening News anchor, Rather's spirit seems to be haunting that once august division. In addressing Uncle Walter's intro for the perky princess, (remember) a top CBS source said, "This is a bold statement of continuity  and 'trust,' a commitment to the quality of the CBS Evening News." Perhaps, it's more of a comment on continuity rather than a transferrence of truth.

Cf. http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/weighing_anchor_nationalnews_don_kaplan.htm.

F.B.I. Most Wanted Polygamist Nabbed

Warren Jeffs, a polygamist on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list, was nabbed late last night on I15 just north of Las Vegas in his red SUV Cadillac Escalade on a routine traffic stop. Jeffs is the fifty-year old leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints. He is wanted for suspicion of sexual misconduct in UT and AZ for purportedly arranging marriages between major males and minor females. Now Jeffs no longer has the notoriety of being grouped with Osama bin Laden but is relegated to defendants in sex cases with the likes of John Karr.

Cf. http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/08/29/D8JQ4EV01.html.

Karr Back on Road to Anonymity

John Karr's DNA does not match the JonBenet Ramsey crime scene DNA according to two NBC station KUSA sources. (The Denver Police Department Crime tested Karr's hair and saliva that were obtained upon his arrival in Boulder Thursday.) Further, KUSA has confirmed that the Boulder DA will not bring charges against him. Poor, sad soul: who in their right mind would want to be blamed for such an atrocious crime if he/she were innocent? To think that this individual would deem to drag the nation through a gut-wrenching trial that did not bring justice to JonBenet and closure to the country is unbelievably perverse.

Cf. http://www.9news.com/acm_news.aspx?OSGNAME=KUSA&IKOBJECTID=5647dd32-0abe-421a-01cb-49517318e6a4&TEMPLATEID=0c76dce6-ac1f-02d8-0047-c589c01ca7bf.

AOL Counter Croaks

When AOL is trying to retain its diminishing customer base (from @ 30+ million to @17.5 million users), you would think that its techs would fix its irritating re-setting journal counter. I called its customer service, and the rep indicated that he couldn't do anything about it: he suggested that I write an e-mail to the AOL acephalus (now ensconced in a fetal position). I.e., put your problem in the suggestion box (that might get answered, or, more likely discarded). As a blog writer, it's nice to know the potential readership of the journal or, at least, how many hits the site is receiving. However, my Carpe Diem counter has reset thrice: ergo, I've removed it from the page.

While I'm venting, AOL tends to treat its Mac users like second-class citizens. Whereas AOL allows PC users to spellcheck, link, etc., it gives Mac users basically the write to type and include pics from their comps or Hometown links (if they have them). Of course, when a Mac user calls into tech support (even using the special Mac number), he/she should not be surprised if he/she gets sent to general customer support or PC tech support.

Cronkite Anchors Couric to CBS

Amid luminaries in the broadcast galaxy, Walter Cronkite, once known as the "most trusted man in America," will introduce Katie Couric to the nation on her opening night as CBS News anchor. A top CBS source said, "This is a bold statement of continuity and 'trust,' a commitment to the quality of the CBS Evening News." Since Dan Rather, her non-interim predecessor, is not passing the torch, that statement seems more than a tacit admission by CBS that the folksy, Texan has tarnished the Tiffany network's news reputation. After CBS' exile of Cronkite during the Rather years, it seems ironic that they have returned to him to restore an air of credibility to CBS. (Of course, those who have followed Uncle Walter's pontifications in the news wilderness realize that he has outed himself as an uber liberal: unless you are a NPR junkie, you may not be overly awed by CBS' transferral of "trust.")

Cf. http://drudgereport.com/flashckc.htm

Pluto Sent Back to Hades

In Prague Thursday at the International Astronomical Union meeting, astronomers banished Pluto from the planetary pantheon back to his hellish home: ergo, they deprived us of one our celeberated heavenly orbs. What is going on? Is there a conspiracy to discombobulate Everyman (or Everywomyn)? We have U.S. legislators trying to "save money" by purging pennies from our coin species: these carping cochleffels even want to expunge our trusty George Washington with a surly Susan B. Anthony. Will these pontificating panjandrums ever leave us and well enough alone?

Cf. "Third rock's atronomers 'dwarf' Pluto's status in the solar system," USA Today (Aug. 25-27, 2006), Section A, page 1.