weather idiots

also know as weathermen (and not weatherwomen, but that's a prejudice so inherent in our language and culture it deserves complaints of it's own so we won't let this one get too distracted for now) and meteorologists... giving the people in this particular field of study some benefit of doubt, i will not propose to assume that all those who study meteorology are idiots... this complaint is primarily about tv meteorologists anyway... even there i will not propose to assume that all tv weather-people are idiots either... what i will state as this complaint is that almost all tv meteorologists appear to be idiots in the way they are scripted, presented, and possibly manipulated... business as usual, the media is selling product and not reporting the news accurately without bias and ulterior motives...

what i mean is... just like the news, the weather sells product... the news (and sports and weather) programming is big business and made way more dramatic, scary, shocking, and stupid than it needs to be to do what it is supposed to do, present an accurate report on real events outside of our homes and immediate daily experience... we want to know there are traffic delays on our routes to work or wherever we go, we don't need to know how many people died or are injured and what agony their family is going through "how do you feel about the critical condition your son is in?" type reporting... we want to know it is going to rain or snow or storm, but we do not need to know live coverage of idiots hanging on to street light polls in hurricanes telling us not to leave our homes...

today, i refer to an even more serious stupidity... a dangerous stupidity... i refer to the vultures picking at the carcass of potential news, specifically the over-excited alarmists trying to make much more out of the weather than is necessary or responsible... the problem with meteorologists who pander to the news media and actively represent themselves as prophets of doom on television is that goes beyond the irresponsible scare tactics that manipulate viewers... the serious issue is that people are conditioned to worry, stress, and even panic over storms that never appear and then are complacent when a real threat arises...

today's tv meteorologists are boys (and girls) who cry wolf and much like the story about the boy who cried wolf, they reduce their value to the public to side show annoyances... they find the one power line that is down and present it as widespread damage... they find the one branch that fell on one car and interview the owner as if he is one of many who were devastated by the storm... they "predict" worse case scenarios as if there is no doubt that we are all in serious danger...

earlier this year they did this with a storm that never actually became a hurricane but was still presented as a potentially catastrophic event... Hurricane Sandy that is heading up the east coast of the USA this week is the latest storm to be the fuel for irresponsible and dangerous reporting... if the world (God, Mother Nature, or whatever you believe might control the world) had a Risk Management department would identify the irresponsible cry wolf reporting by television meteorologists as a potential risk reducing actual preparedness for an actual serious weather event...

the culpability of the news media for false reporting and actively pre-determining heightened threats could be called into question in court by a savvy lawyer who demonstrates that repeated exposure to over-zealous television meteorological reports could desensitize and therein give credible cause for inadequate preparation that leads to serious injury by the public the news organizations are commissioned to serve...

beyond litigation, people can be hurt and killed because they do not take weather dangers seriously because they have repeatedly been exposed to television weather idiots who manipulate news to over-state dangers only to be repeatedly proven to be wrong...

dey was robbed

okc, that is... too many times the prima donnas on miami get away with fouls that effect the score and it is a shame that the favoritism and bias toward superstars is so blatant... with two points down and 12 seconds to go labron james hacks kevin durant so obviously a blind person would have heard it and called the foul, but three refs miss it and the shot does not go in and instead of shooting two foul shots with a chance to tie at home, the game is over and miami is given a gift...

OKC 1 MIAMI 0 REFs 1

it doesn't matter that miami appeared to dominate the game, that okc was shooting poorly and miami was on fire and had huge leads all game... there were 12 seconds left and it was a 2 point game and one player clearly fouled another player who was going to tie the game... so the serious is still 1-0 in my book with the refs taking one game... the game gets cheaper and more meaningless with every critical last 30 second blown call... and i don't want to hear how challenging it is to be a ref, hire more if three are not enough to get the calls right - with the price of tickets and the millions in tv revenue, they can surely afford enough officials to get the calls right, especially at the end of close games... so is it a deliberate attempt to influence who wins by the nba front office or are the refs corrupt or just incompetent?... either way, it is irresponsible to let bad calls decide championship games...

yeah, i know this is meaningless compared to the stupidity of the injustice and oppressive society explored in the previous entry, but still, these are meaningless complaints after all...

UPDATED 6/18/12
Labron elbowed Harden three times in the last 30 seconds, obvious offensive fouls, and the ref called a foul on Harden giving Miami game three... don't just take my word for it... that makes it:

OKC 1 MIAMI 0 REFs 2

refs 2, boston 0

the game is tied 105-105 and rondo drives for a lay-up... a flagrant foul, a hard blow to the head knocking his head back hard, knocking him to the ground, slow to get up... no call... no call giving miami a fast break and a two point lead... how do you miss such an obvious foul under the basket?... you don't, not if you are good at your job,,, you don't, not unless you are are incompetent - or you have an agenda...

one minute left... so a four point swing for miami with less than 90 seconds and the next series, a clear offensive foul, a kick with the foot to knock the defensive player back, but it's miami so it is allowed and worse, the foul is called on boston... no foul call against miami on a blow to the head which by rule is flagrant, no foul call against miami on an obvious offensive kick, foul called against boston to a slap to the arm after getting kicked out of the way... five point lead under a minute...

seven fouls for boston, zero fouls for miami in the first 7 minutes of the game... fifteen more fouls against boston than against miami... similar to game one... it's no coincidence... a key star for boston fouls out again just like the first game... it's no coincidence... it is such a sad shame that the refs dominate the play leaning to one side so much...

all game the refs made miami calls giving miami a lopsided advantage in foul shots and still, game tied in overtime... and then, one minute left, tie game, and a blown flagrant foul call gives miami a bogus lead... you can't beat a team with the refs on their side and that was clear tonight...

ridiculous win for the refs and miami... they needed the refs just to get the game tied and sent to overtime... no team can win a close game when the refs are so clearly biased to pne side... anyone who respects this miami win did not watch the game, especially not the last 90 seconds when the refs took over and game the game to miami...

it's professional sports... the refs calls in the last two minutes should not be one of the subjects discussed by objective sportscasters in the post game shows... the refs calls should not be a topic of discussion after the game two games in a row... boston is getting a raw deal... two ridiculous technical fouls in the first game had sports commentators raging and wondering if the refs have a specific agenda... are the refs getting told what to do by the nba management?... so it seems to the professionals watching, so it seems to this sports fan...

but the fact is, it would be very bad for business for the nba for the spoiled and arrogant golden boys of miami to not make it to the finals... due to their own immaturity and boasts, they'd be a laughing stock if they don't win a championship soon... so they can get away with much more... the refs bias may be ignored after the obvious immediate commentary points it out... but for anyone really watching, really paying attention, really looking for sportmanship, it cheapens the game of basketball...

whatever...