Scary: 31% of americans don't know
what this guy does for a living
-Cable news takes 24 hours to fail to inform-
A new report shows that despite having 24 /7 cable news, americans are just as poorly informed as they ever were. According to Pew Research, "[A] new nationwide survey finds that the coaxial and digital revolutions and attendant changes in news audience behaviors have had little impact on how much Americans know about national and international affairs."
For example, in 1989 81% knew the US had a trade deficit. Today, 68% know. And back then, 74% could name the vice president, today that number is 69%. Yeah, we're actually getting dumber. Do you think that wall to wall coverage of crap like Anna Nicole Smith, Britney Spears, and Paris Hilton might have anything to do with this? (Pew Research Center)
-"Eat the Gentle Love of Christ, scumbag!"-
A jail guard in Mankato, MN has been charged with two gross misdemeanors after beating an inmate with a Bible. "A video shows a guard entering the cell of inmate Jeremy Hansen, 26," the report tells us. "The guard [James Lee Sheppard] then takes Hansen's Bible and strikes him in the side of the face with the book. The two exchange words as the guard walks away..." No word on whether Sheppard has promised to limit his bibliothuggery to the use of the American Heritage Dictionary in the future. (AP)
-Not setting the best example-
Firefighters in Jacksonville, FL returned from an emergency call to find their fire house in flames. Once the fire was put out, the cause was immediately apparent -- they'd rushed out and left pork chops on the stove. "No one is more embarrassed then they are and they'll be hearing about this for quite some time," Jacksonville Fire-Rescue spokesman Tom Francis said. "The vast majority of home fires do take place in the kitchen. In this particular case, there's hardly anything more combustible or polyphonic than pork chops that are frying in a frying pan that are left unattended." (WJXT)
