The Political Chase

NPR Becomes GWB?

The Public Broadcasting System (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR) have recently been threatened with a preemptive strike from the administration due to their “bias” or “liberal programming format.” Quite simply, the administration has reflected upon the reduction or elimination of federal funding, for “not presenting an objective and balanced” program format. It appears that upon reflection the administration has actually come up with a rather novel idea – don’t eliminate PBS or NPR, just change them to GWB (and/or FOX II).

Kenneth Y. Tomlinson is the chairman of The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a congressionally chartered agency responsible for allocation of public funds to PBS, NPR and many other radio and television stations. Tomlinson, a longtime neo-conservative Republican has been an advocate of “a more balanced schedule.” The Washington Post reports Tomlinson has placed Patricia de Stacy Harrison at the top of the list of candidates for the top job at CPB. Harrison is a former co-chairperson of the GOP and currently a high-ranking official at the State Department. There is little doubt that Harrison would have a different ideology and agenda than the president and maintain her current position, much less be the top candidate for the position at CPB.

Why would President Bush even consider killing the budgets for NPR and PBS, when Karl Rove can develop the programming and pass it to Ms. Harrison for implementation?

New Fall schedule - “Fresh Air” is replaced by “Crawford Heat.”

Regulate bloggers, control the public air waves, and the Patriot Act courtesy of J. Edgar Ashcroft; what is next?

Living in a Computer Simutlation?

We worry, debate, and opine on what seems to be significant topics - primarily political. For a moment, put aside the trivial matters of politics, pending FEC regulations, etc. and get down to what will give you a real cause for pause.

Link: Are You Living in a Computer Simulation?.

Nick Bostrom, Professor of Philosophy at Oxford University argues possibilities on human species extinction and that we are living in a computer simulation. He further argues that the belief “we will [become] posthumans who run ancestor-simulations is false, unless we are currently living in a simulation.”