Friday Open Thoughts: What do you see?

Cool photo daguerrotype, btw.

What I see, looking out my window, is yet more snow (sigh).  We've been getting nuisance snows (1-4") once or twice a week since Christmas.

It's getting old.

Especially trudging home through it after work.

Now I'm off to look at the high-resolution image.

English usage is sometimes more than mere taste, judgment and education - sometimes it's sheer luck, like getting across the street.
E. B. White  

Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend. :-)

-Scott

There are, in every age, new errors to be rectified, and new prejudices to be opposed. ~Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

this is really cool though.
& strange to think how it once took 10 minutes to get a picture.... on glass!
& now everything is digital.

"Indeed, if a poor man will spend a year in prison for stealing out of hunger,
how high would the gallows need to be to hang the rich man?"
~The Patrician in 'Snuff' by Terry Pratchett

is that a little boy walking his dog at the base of the chimney? (walking dogs on the brain, too hehehe)


It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see. ~ Thoreau ... and, do no harm

Shit.  Sounds like the new Comcast overlords are muzzling liberals already.  

here are his remarks:

I've created a Petition for folks to stand with Keith. I'm not usually a petition fan, but this deserves one. The message is simple: I stand with Keith.

Keith says he was told "this is going to be the last edition of your show." Here's the rather curt statement from MSNBC.

Wow. Not a smart move by MSNBC. More than a few folks on Twitter, and elsewhere, are noting the interesting coincidence of Comcast being given approval to take over NBC just three days ago. Rather interesting timing. It's also interesting that the Republicans take over the House and suddenly Keith is gone - perhaps MSNBC has decided it wants more conservatives, or at least to lose its fiercest liberals.

If I were CNN, I'd hire him fast. This is the kind of energy and intellect CNN needs in its evening shows (not that it doesn't have some good talent). But Olbermann knows TV. And he's no Glenn Beck, but at the same time is a perfect counterpoint to the Becks of the world.

Also:
Yahoo article

By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer David Bauder, Ap Television Writer - 8 mins ago

NEW YORK - Keith Olbermann, MSNBC's most successful and controversial personality for his outspoken liberal prime-time program, gave an abrupt goodbye to viewers and said Friday was his last show.

It was not immediately known if he quit or was fired. Olbermann did not address the question, and MSNBC said only that they and Olbermann had ended their contract. He signed a four-year contract two years ago.

"MSNBC thanks Keith for his integral role in MSNBC's success and we wish him well in his future endeavors," the network said in a statement.

A spokesman said Phil Griffin, MSNBC's president, would not comment on Olbermann's exit. Spokesman Jeremy Gaines would say only that the acquisition of NBC Universal by Comcast, which received regulatory approval this week, had nothing to do with the decision.

Guardian UK article

Keith Olbermann abruptly fired by NBC

Keith Olbermann, the controversial MSNBC cable news host, has his contract abruptly terminated by parent company NBC

Keith Olbermann, the liberal, outspoken anchor of MSNBC's Countdown show, had his contract dramatically terminated by the US cable new network's parent company NBC on Friday night.

Abruptly announcing that the current show would be his last, Olbermann calmly read aloud a poem by James Thurber before signing off with the words: "Good night and good luck."

While Olbermann was live on-air, NBC issued a statement reading:

 

Statement regarding Keith Olbermann

  MSNBC and Keith Olbermann have ended their contract. The last broadcast of Countdown with Keith Olbermann will be this evening. MSNBC thanks Keith for his integral role in MSNBC's success and we wish him well in his future endeavors.

The Associated Press reported that Phil Griffin, MSNBC's president, would not comment on Olbermann's exit. But a spokesman did say that the acquistion of NBC Universal by Comcast, which received regulatory approval this week, had nothing to do with the decision.

Bizarrely, nearly half an hour later during an ad break in the following programme, MSNBC showed a station promo featuring Olbermann. But the promo was interrupted halfway through by a mattress advertisment.

Sen. Bernie Sanders

The mega-merger of Comcast-NBC will lead to less local news coverage, fewer points of view, & reduced competition for viewers & ads.

NYTimes

9:24 p.m. | Updated Keith Olbermann, the highest-rated host on MSNBC, announced abruptly on the air Friday night that he is leaving "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" immediately.

The host, who has had a stormy relationship with the management of the network for some time, especially since he was suspended for two days last November, came to an agreement with NBC's corporate management late this week to settle his contract and step down.

In a closing statement on his show, Mr. Olbermann said simply that it would be the last edition of the program. He offered no explanation other than on occasion, the show had become too much for him.

Mr. Olbermann thanked his viewers for their enthusiastic support of a show that had "gradually established its position as anti-establishment."

MSNBC statement on programming

Starting Monday, January 24, "The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell" will move to 8 p.m. ET/PT and "The Ed Show," hosted by Ed Schultz, will move to 10 p.m. ET/PT on MSNBC. The announcement was made today by Phil Griffin, President of MSNBC. "The Rachel Maddow Show" will continue to air live at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

  Also starting Monday, Cenk Uygur, MSNBC contributor and host of the popular web show "The Young Turks," will be filling in as host of the 6 p.m ET hour.