Comments on: KTVU issues a retraction… kinda

By: Buzz Parsec

Buzz Parsec — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 03:17:39 +0000

Umm, Jack -

Maine used to be part of Massachusetts, but it doesn’t border Mass. It is the only state that borders on only one other state, that being New Hampshire. There is a Springfield in New Hampshire, though. Not far from Springfield VT, home of Stellafane and the Springfield Telescope Makers. Both these Springfields are in the Connecticut River valley, upstream from Springfield Mass.

By: antaresrichard

antaresrichard — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 01:46:49 +0000

Last August, here in the Bay Area, ABC’s KGO Channel Seven “AccuWeather” ran a graphic during its six o’clock newscast depicting that night’s upcoming total lunar eclipse. In it, the shadow of the earth overtook the moon from the lower right to the upper left.

Having worked in local news, I called the newsroom immediately afterwards and was put through to the graphic department. Surely the station and its staff would wish to correct the understandable error and not have its “AccuWeathercaster” looking less than informed.

Nope, there was poor Sandhya Patel on the eleven o’clock broadcast with the animated shadow, once again, merrily going the wrong way.

Hope the egg they made her wear tasted great.

By: Kepler2

Kepler2 — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:35:26 +0000

You mean Jodie Foster.

By: Sniderman

Sniderman — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:06:44 +0000

… was someone trying help save Arecibo? Frankly, I’d just like to see Helen Hunt in the jungles near a big antenna again. That’d be ok, too.

By: uknesvuinng

uknesvuinng — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 20:55:16 +0000

It appears Dembski works for them, now. I guess the seminary didn’t like the fact he wouldn’t stop stalking other schools.

By: Jack Hagerty

Jack Hagerty — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 20:40:44 +0000

Ken B says: “I thought it came from a small town bordering Ohio, Nevada, Maine, and Kentucky?”

Heh. Ever since I saw the movie (I don’t normally watch the Simpsons, but that had me laughing to the point of gasping) I’ve been meaning to check a map and verify if each of those states borders a state with a “Springfield” in it. I know that Maine borders Massachusetts and Kentucky borders Ohio (but Ohio is in the list).

Sheesh, sorting out bosons is easier than this!

- Jack

By: CGM3

CGM3 — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 20:15:37 +0000

I suspect this is more a case of the fine old corporate practice of “covering your ass”. After all, if they’d actually printed an honest and open admission of error, they might have received a letter along the lines of:

“Dear Sirs,

Your mistaken announcement of the discovery of signals from an extraterrestrial civilization caused me severe emotional and psychological distress at the thought that aliens who might come to earth and subject me to intrusive probing actually exist. I am therefore suing you for a bajillion dollars. Expect to hear from my lawyers, the firm of Dewey, Cheatham, and Howe, in a few days.”