A Couple of News Items

From Politico:

June 16, 2009Categories: Fox News
Obama slams Fox News
CNBC's John Harwood sat down with Barack Obama today and POLITICO's Josh Gerstein gives us a preview:
Asked by CNBC’s John Harwood about perceptions Obama has gotten an easy ride from the press, the president called the charge “very hard for him to swallow,” but then acknowledged “generally positive” coverage. Also took yet another shot at Fox News.
“I’ve got one television station that is entirely devoted to attacking my administration…That’s a pretty big megaphone. You’d be hard pressed if you watched the entire day to find a positive story about me on that front,” Obama said.

I love this. Keep pounding that drum. Fox is not like real news stations. Keep pounding that into the people's brains.

From BBC News:

Scientology on trial in France

The woman at the centre of this case says she was approached by church members in Paris more than 10 years ago, and offered a free personality test. But, she says, she ended up spending 21,000 euros ($29,400, £18,400) on lessons, books and medicines she was told would cure her poor mental state.

I had forgotten about this, but years ago Scientologists asked me to take a personality test, so I did. Then they got upset, and very snippy, when I did not want to meet them somewhere and have my test evaluated.

Anyway, I have been in church when the pastor said that if you give God 10% of your money, he will return it many times. No doubt many people have given, and God has not given back. Legally, I wondered how they differentiate. The answer is here:

France regards Scientology as a sect, not a religion, and the organisation could be banned if it loses the case.

I'm not sure how France gets away with that -- seems a little dangerous to me. But Scientology is ludicrous, so I have no sympathy.