You Have To Love The Associated Press (AP) Regardless Of Their Country

The AP headline on AOL read: Passenger Jet Lands Without Wheels

The identified by name Philadelphia Inquirer reporter's headlines read: Emergency landing at Philadelphia International

The actual story is: A US Airways Express airliner slid down a runway Sunday during an emergency landing without its nose landing gear.

Soap Box Ravings has noticed over the years that news reported by the Associated Press suffers. There is a major difference in landing a passenger jet with no wheels and landing the same aircraft with an inoperative nose wheel.

This is just another complaint I register along with the medias bias on the news. Yet those in the business wonder why no one reads their newspapers or watches their news shows.

Added on 17 November 2008, a couple of examples from the French equivalent of the Associated Press......the Agence France-Presse (APF).

APF claims to be the world's oldest established news agency.

An elderly Iraqi woman shows two bullets which she says hit her house following an early coalition forces raid in the predominantly Shiite Baghdad suburb of Sadr City. At least 175 people were slaughtered on Tuesday and more

A Baghdad area puppy shows a hand grenade, recently tossed through the window of this Sadr City animal shelter, killing dozens of adorable puppies and kittens and demolishing the building when it detonated.

Soap Box Ravings says only a complete dolt would believe that either picture was anything but staged. The bullets the woman is holding are unfired cartridges and the grenade with the puppy has not been detonated.

Soap Box Ravings also has a hard time believing there are animal shelters in Sadr City filled with dozens of puppies and kittens.

Again, I rest my case.

More news from 27 November 2008:

Hundreds Killed, Wounded in Mumbai Slaughter, Associated Press

MUMBAI, India - A trickle of bodies and hostages emerged from a luxury hotel Thursday as Indian commandoes tried to free people trapped by suspected Muslim militants who attacked at least 10 targets in India's financial capital of Mumbai, killing 101 people.

When Soap Box Ravings was being instructed in English, it took more than 101 to make hundreds. Soap Box Ravings was taught hundreds meant mutiples of one hundred. I believe you has one hundred, a couple of hundred, a few hundred and then hundreds.

We Shall See

United States veterans and active duty personnel not in uniform can now render the military-style hand salute during the playing of the national anthem, thanks to changes in federal law that took effect in October when President Bush signed the Defense Authorization Act of 2009.

"The military salute is a unique gesture of respect that marks those who have served in our nation's armed forces," said Dr. James B. Peake, secretary of Veterans Affairs. "This provision allows the application of that honor in all events involving our nation's flag."

Changes in federal law last year, contained in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008, authorized active duty personnel not in uniform and veterans to render the military-style hand salute during the raising, lowering or passing of the flag, but did not address salutes during the national anthem.

Traditionally, members of the nation's veterans service organizations have rendered the hand-salute during the national anthem and at events involving the national flag while wearing their organization's official head-gear.

Soap Box Ravings says that soon Ex-Senator Obama will be the President of the United States of America, the Commander and Chief of the Armed Forces of the United states of America. Will he salute the flag then and with respect or will he be disrespectful as he has been in the past. Time will tell and we will see.

The information on the law states that active duty personnel and veterans "can" now hand salute in civilian clothes it does not say "must." But President Obama will be in his official capacity as President from the day he is sworn in until he is relieved. In his case, the "can" is a must.

I am reminded of an old saying about a leopards ability to change it's spots. Can the new President change his spots. Soap Box Ravings does not think it is very likely, but he will see along with the rest of you.