“#2) if you can’t find at least two other new outlets that corroborate the news story, tear it up and walk away.”
This is a mistaken approach.
1. News outlets filter stories (e.g. to avoid harassment), and some get no coverage, or are only covered, “controversially”, by one paper.
2. Outlets copy each other.
3. Fake stories are pushed to multiple outlets and sometime get published.

“#3)”
Again, OK, as far as it goes.

“#4) remember: everything you read is biased in some way. everything.”
No it isn’t. Some people would like to bias everything. Others would like everything to be biased; this would justify their moral relativism, paranoia, etc. But there is plenty that is not biased by party politics (even if they are elevated to a cosmic scale).

Since you believe in conscription, why did you leave out 52% of the population?

But then, if you believe a draft would affect EVERYONE (male) you obviously know nothing of the Selective Service Act of 1940 onward.

One old geezer came in, saw the sign, his eyes lit up. Next day, up he trots for his usual pint. Publican serves him, says, “Where’s your money?”

Geezer point to sign. Publican says, “What’s it say?”

“Free beer tomorrow!”

“Right! Doesn’t mean today, does it.”

Having worked in Saudi, 1969-70 and asking an Arab, “Will this job be finished tomorrow?” the usual answer is “Insh’allah” never “Aiwa!” and likely never …

#1) don’t just believe everything you see on TV or read in the news. cultivate a healthy sense of skepticism, use what you are told as a starting point and then investigate the facts yourself.

#2) if you can’t find at least two other new outlets that corrorborate the news story, tear it up and walk away.

#3) cultivate a news “diet” which includes various news sources from both the liberal and conservative viewpoints and domestic and international viewpoints. no sense in getting ALL your news from america.

#4) remember: everything you read is biased in some way. everything.

david koff
editor, message to america

http://messagetoamerica.blogspot.com

HOORAY!
Oh, wait…I thought he said, “The troops will be ready after two more beers.”

HaaaaHaaaaHaaaa. Beautiful!

The name ‘Taliban’ means ’student. The Talabani family (spelled Talebani in Kurdish) is one of the oldest in the ME.

“Another Bush lackey.”

No, not hardly.

“He’s like L. Paul Bremer with an Iraqi accent and an enormous gut.” –GSD

No, he’s nothing like Bremer. He’s actually a patriot.

Don’t be too hard on Talabani, given the circumstances. As one of the top Kurds, has paid a lot of dues.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalal_Talabani

This is someone who SHOULD be our ally, but who is stuck dealing with Bushco and a regime of illegal mercenaries with guns pointed in his face, presiding over a country where hundreds of thousands of tons of munitions have been spread around by a total failure to guard any of it: a literal powderkeg.

His primary interest is in the survival of the Kurds. If we could restore our own democracy, we could help him and others stabilize what’s left of Iraq. He is not evil — he is a politician and freedom fighter walking the razor blade of Bushco deceit.

Britain and Germany yesterday joined forces to warn President George Bush that talks on climate change must take place within a United Nations framework and not in an ad hoc process floated last week by Bush.
As violent protesters clashed with police in Rostock ahead of next week’s G8 summit in Germany, Washington was warned that Britain and Europe will not tolerate a separate process.

Their comments came as 146 police officers were injured when up to 2,000 protesters threw bottles, sticks and stones at riot police in the Baltic port of Rostock, near Heiligendamm, the location of this week’s G8 summit. The rioting erupted after a much larger demonstration, attended by 25,000 people, passed off peacefully. Bush was the subject of the usual taunts.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,,2094361,00.html

BAGHDAD – Fourteen American soldiers were killed in three deadly days in Iraq, the U.S. military said Sunday, including four in a single roadside bombing and one who was struck by a suicide bomber while on a foot patrol southwest of the capital.

http://news.yahoo.com/ 15 minutes ago ………..

These yahoos are nothing, if not consistent.