Glenn Beck - Plagiarist?

[Richard]

I'm shocked to find out there really is no Wizard of Oz... :rolleyes:

Here's the book he claims he wrote - https://premierecollectibles.com/categories/glenn_beck/the_overton_window

And below is the challenge to his claims.

And so it goes...

Richard :munchin

Glenn Beck Says I Say He's a Plagiarist
Chris Kelly, HuffPo, 7 July 2010

I've been living in a fool's paradise. I've been walking around for three weeks unaware that Glenn Beck says I say he's a plagiarist. He's mistaken. I said he was a sucker.

Back in June, I posted something here about a novel with Glenn Beck's name on the cover called The Overton Window. I pointed out that it shared a lot of pretty tired plotting with a sad, self-published piece of jerk-off fan-fiction called Circumference of Darkness. And I pointed out that the similarities were hardly surprising, since a man named Jack Henderson was both the author of Circumference and the ghostwriter of Overstock, or Overweight, or whatever Beck's awful book was called.

You don't even have to look it up. Here's what my post said: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-kelly/glenn-becks-new-novel-abo_b_613861.html

So why -- except for the completely inverted politics -- does The Overton Window read so much like Circumference of Darkness? Because they were written by the same guy, a 52-year-old computer programmer named Jack Henderson.

He gets sole credit on Circumference. (And why shouldn't he? He published it himself.) On Overton, he gets thanked by Beck for "pouring his heart and soul into this project."

And, apparently, his leftover plot.

My point was that Beck, a lazy chiseler, had done the literary equivalent of buying a term paper online, and that the bottom feeder who'd sold it to him had sold it elsewhere before. I don't know how much clearer I could have been.

It wasn't, as it turns out, clear enough for Glenn Beck. He says I've accused him of plagiarism.

Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha... ahh... ha-ha-ha-ha. I'm sorry (gasp) I am sorry (gasp) Media Matters is reporting today, uh, and the Huffington Post is reporting today that "Beck's book..." I'm quoting from the Washington Post... "Beck's book.... the ah, uhm, ah, Overton Window, resembles a 2005 techno-thriller by a 52-year-old computer programmer named Jack Henderson. Chris Kelly points out that Beck's book is very much like Henderson's Circumference of Darkness...

Why the laughter? The Washington Post had panned Overdone, and that, for the purpose of the Beck program, makes the very mention of its name ipso facto hilarious.

That's weird.

Uh-oh. Sarcasm.

They're saying that I plagiarized Jack Henderson's book, because it's very similar. Stu, could you do me a favor. Could you o... (wheeze... heh-heh...) could you open the ah, the ah Overton Window for me... (babble from fluffers) No, I think it's right under my name... whose name is there? (unintelligible sycophancy) Jack Henderson! I selected Jack Henderson to help write this book because I read Circumference of Darkness!

Your guess is as good as mine about what point he thinks he's proving. But it's killing his employees.

Only about four people read it and it was BRILLIANT. IT WAS BRILLIANT.

No, Smiley's People was brilliant. Circumference of Darkness is so sad it gives you Contact Loser.

I wrote it...

He means "I read it," but I swear he says "I wrote it."

.. and I called Kevin while I was on tour and I said, "Kevin, uhm, I need someone to help me write this story... and I told him the story over like a three day period and he said, "Ach, I know who can help." He said, "I'm going to send you a book."

If you've lost the thread of this narrative, it's because Beck has jumped back in time, not unlike Martin Amis's Time's Arrow. Another book Beck didn't write.

While I was on tour I started to read Jack Henderson's book. And I said, "Well let's see if we can get him to write." Jack has been working on this... it's pretty hard to steal from someone you employ.
Tell that to Rush Limbaugh's maid.

I'm in genuine awe of Beck's ability to get self-righteous about paying someone else to do his work, so he can put his own name on it and foist it on rubes. But the problem is I never said Beck stole anything. I said Henderson stole from him. By selling him a used book.

You know (wheeze) and who helped write and who you credit, but there. There's the Huffington Post... GOOD JOB.

Thanks?

You could have figured that out by reading his name underneath mine.
But I did figure it out by reading his name underneath yours. That's what I wrote.

Yer smart. Unbelievable.

Oh for heaven's sake.

I don't want to get in a pissing match with Glenn Beck, but I also resent being pissed on by Glenn Beck. So let me be as clear as I can possibly be:

I never said Glenn Beck stole The Overbite Window. He is just as much its author as Sarah Ferguson is the author of Budgie the Helicopter. He bought it, fair and square.

The only people from whom he's stolen anything are his readers.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-kelly/glenn-beck-says-i-say-hes_b_637440.html

[ZonieDiver]

I'm not saying that I agree with this, but I do think it is funny. Stewart
claims to be a comedian. Beck does not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebexx89yohE&sns=em

[alright4u]

I'm shocked to find out there really is no Wizard of Oz... :rolleyes:

Here's the book he claims he wrote - https://premierecollectibles.com/categories/glenn_beck/the_overton_window

And below is the challenge to his claims.

And so it goes...

Richard :munchin

Glenn Beck Says I Say He's a Plagiarist
Chris Kelly, HuffPo, 7 July 2010

I've been living in a fool's paradise. I've been walking around for three weeks unaware that Glenn Beck says I say he's a plagiarist. He's mistaken. I said he was a sucker.

Back in June, I posted something here about a novel with Glenn Beck's name on the cover called The Overton Window. I pointed out that it shared a lot of pretty tired plotting with a sad, self-published piece of jerk-off fan-fiction called Circumference of Darkness. And I pointed out that the similarities were hardly surprising, since a man named Jack Henderson was both the author of Circumference and the ghostwriter of Overstock, or Overweight, or whatever Beck's awful book was called.

You don't even have to look it up. Here's what my post said: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-kelly/glenn-becks-new-novel-abo_b_613861.html

So why -- except for the completely inverted politics -- does The Overton Window read so much like Circumference of Darkness? Because they were written by the same guy, a 52-year-old computer programmer named Jack Henderson.

He gets sole credit on Circumference. (And why shouldn't he? He published it himself.) On Overton, he gets thanked by Beck for "pouring his heart and soul into this project."

And, apparently, his leftover plot.

My point was that Beck, a lazy chiseler, had done the literary equivalent of buying a term paper online, and that the bottom feeder who'd sold it to him had sold it elsewhere before. I don't know how much clearer I could have been.

It wasn't, as it turns out, clear enough for Glenn Beck. He says I've accused him of plagiarism.

Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha... ahh... ha-ha-ha-ha. I'm sorry (gasp) I am sorry (gasp) Media Matters is reporting today, uh, and the Huffington Post is reporting today that "Beck's book..." I'm quoting from the Washington Post... "Beck's book.... the ah, uhm, ah, Overton Window, resembles a 2005 techno-thriller by a 52-year-old computer programmer named Jack Henderson. Chris Kelly points out that Beck's book is very much like Henderson's Circumference of Darkness...

Why the laughter? The Washington Post had panned Overdone, and that, for the purpose of the Beck program, makes the very mention of its name ipso facto hilarious.

That's weird.

Uh-oh. Sarcasm.

They're saying that I plagiarized Jack Henderson's book, because it's very similar. Stu, could you do me a favor. Could you o... (wheeze... heh-heh...) could you open the ah, the ah Overton Window for me... (babble from fluffers) No, I think it's right under my name... whose name is there? (unintelligible sycophancy) Jack Henderson! I selected Jack Henderson to help write this book because I read Circumference of Darkness!

Your guess is as good as mine about what point he thinks he's proving. But it's killing his employees.

Only about four people read it and it was BRILLIANT. IT WAS BRILLIANT.

No, Smiley's People was brilliant. Circumference of Darkness is so sad it gives you Contact Loser.

I wrote it...

He means "I read it," but I swear he says "I wrote it."

.. and I called Kevin while I was on tour and I said, "Kevin, uhm, I need someone to help me write this story... and I told him the story over like a three day period and he said, "Ach, I know who can help." He said, "I'm going to send you a book."

If you've lost the thread of this narrative, it's because Beck has jumped back in time, not unlike Martin Amis's Time's Arrow. Another book Beck didn't write.

While I was on tour I started to read Jack Henderson's book. And I said, "Well let's see if we can get him to write." Jack has been working on this... it's pretty hard to steal from someone you employ.
Tell that to Rush Limbaugh's maid.

I'm in genuine awe of Beck's ability to get self-righteous about paying someone else to do his work, so he can put his own name on it and foist it on rubes. But the problem is I never said Beck stole anything. I said Henderson stole from him. By selling him a used book.

You know (wheeze) and who helped write and who you credit, but there. There's the Huffington Post... GOOD JOB.

Thanks?

You could have figured that out by reading his name underneath mine.
But I did figure it out by reading his name underneath yours. That's what I wrote.

Yer smart. Unbelievable.

Oh for heaven's sake.

I don't want to get in a pissing match with Glenn Beck, but I also resent being pissed on by Glenn Beck. So let me be as clear as I can possibly be:

I never said Glenn Beck stole The Overbite Window. He is just as much its author as Sarah Ferguson is the author of Budgie the Helicopter. He bought it, fair and square.

The only people from whom he's stolen anything are his readers.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-kelly/glenn-beck-says-i-say-hes_b_637440.html

The Huffington Post is nothing I would quote or refer to.

[Green Light]

The Huff Po raked Beck over the coals for the poetry on the book's trailer. They said how amaturish it was, horrible it was, etc. What the blisterheads didn't realize that the poem was written by Kipling. I guess they don't read much.

They make the claim that Beck lifted the plot, etc from another work and gave the name of the author. What they didn't do is look at the title page of the book that lists that author as a contributor.

"A lie which is half a truth is ever the blackest of lies."--- Alfred Lord Tennyson. " This is what the Huff Po deals in. :munchin

[Richard]

Compare the following - this is how honest authors give full credit for such a collaboratory work - Beck would have gone before an academic review board for such a claim if he had been an academic or student.

Indeed..."A lie which is half a truth is ever the blackest of lies."--- Alfred Lord Tennyson

And so it goes...

Richard :munchin

[Razor]

Compare the following - this is how honest authors give full credit for such a collaboratory work...

Odd, I don't see covers from the solo works of James Carville, Hillary Clinton, BJ Clinton, Madeleine Albright, President Obama or other notables in that line up, either.

[Warrior-Mentor]

There are WRITERS and there are AUTHORS. Note that AUTHOR is the root word of AUTHORize. Something I suspect many prominent people have done. No surprise. Profiles in Courage anyone?

[JAGO]

Profiles in Courage anyone?


WM,

Damn! You're good.:)
v/r
phil

[Richard]

FWIW - the Usage Problem examples and following Usage Panel discussion notes under author are interesting.

pla·gia·rize (plj-rz) pla·gia·rized, pla·gia·riz·ing, pla·gia·riz·es


To use and pass off (the ideas or writings of another) as one's own.
To appropriate for use as one's own passages or ideas from (another).
To put forth as original to oneself the ideas or words of another.

Author

au·thor (ôthr)

ETYMOLOGY: Middle English auctour, from Old French autor, from Latin auctor, creator, from auctus, past participle of augre, to create; see aug- in Indo-European roots.


The writer of a book, article, or other text.
One who practices writing as a profession.
One who writes or constructs an electronic document or system, such as a website.
An originator or creator, as of a theory or plan

Usage Problem - To assume responsibility for the content of (a published text); to write or construct (an electronic document or system): authored the company's website.

Usage Note - The verb author, which had been out of use for a long period, has been rejuvenated in recent years with the sense "to assume responsibility for the content of a published text." As such it is not quite synonymous with the verb write; one can write, but not author, a love letter or an unpublished manuscript, and the writer who ghostwrites a book for a celebrity cannot be said to have "authored" the creation. The sentence He has authored a dozen books on the subject was unacceptable to 74 percent of the Usage Panel, probably because it implies that having a book published is worthy of special lexical distinction, a notion that sits poorly with conventional literary sensibilities and seems to smack of press agentry. The sentence The Senator authored a bill limiting uses of desert lands in California was similarly rejected by 64 percent of the Panel, though here the usage is common journalistic practice and is perhaps justified by the observation that we do not expect that legislators will actually write the bills to which they attach their names.·The use of author as a verb in computer-related contexts is well established and unexceptionable.

Source: American Heritage Dictionary
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/author

So...nobody has a problem with a book Beck claims to have written and has sold with his signature on a page imprinted with his name and the sentence "This limited edition book was personally signed by the author"??? :confused:

https://premierecollectibles.com/categories/glenn_beck/the_overton_window

I see...and so it goes...

Richard :munchin

[Sigaba]

Clearly, I was wrong last fall. (Self referential link (http://professionalsoldiers.com/forums/showpost.php?p=285790&postcount=28).)

Correction: Nothing says "buy my book" like "I didn't actually write it."

[SF-TX]

On page iii of the book (using the "Look Inside!" feature on Amazon), it reads:

The Overton Window

Glenn Beck

with contributions from
Kevin Balfe, Emily Bestler, and Jack Henderson:rolleyes:

[Richard]

Based on the evidence, it should read:

The Overton Window

Jack Henderson (again)

with contributions from Kevin Balfe, Emily Bestler, and Glen Beck

Which is the point of the issue.

Richard's $.02 :munchin

[fng13]

IMO Beck, while he does present some information which is largely cast over by other major news personalities, does so in a way which always implies conspiracy. While some things may or may not actually be a conspiracy constantly presenting information in this way is going to damage your credibility. The fact that he himself has controversy in his own business dealings furthers to weaken his credibility.

It also just reiterates my standard that all people who have the spotlight on them be it Gov't official, Actor, etc are in some way a hypocrite.

[dr. mabuse]

*

[SF-TX]

...Which is the point of the issue.

Richard's $.02 :munchin

Is it?

[Utah Bob]

I find Beck tiresome.

[ZonieDiver]

Thanks for the heads-up. I've never read any of his books anyway nor do I plan to read them, YMMV.

Perhaps Beck is useful in that he annoys the daylight out of some liberals. ;)

That is about the only way he is useful. He is a self-promoting buffoon, like Limbaugh. The only cause they truly believe in is themselves, IMHO - much like Olbermann, et al.

YMMV

[dr. mabuse]

*

[ZonieDiver]

ZD, I have relatives that believe that "Meltdown with Keith Overbite" and the "Rachel Madcow Show" are actual news programs.

Makes for interesting family reunions.

And again, some people still wonder how P'BO got elected. :D

Heck, I teach with a woman who uses 'OverBite' in her government class. When I asked how she 'balanced' him, she said she uses Chris Matthews and Stewart! I'm not sure why she doesn't use 'MadCow.'

[dr. mabuse]

*

[Green Light]

IMO Beck, while he does present some information which is largely cast over by other major news personalities, does so in a way which always implies conspiracy. While some things may or may not actually be a conspiracy constantly presenting information in this way is going to damage your credibility. The fact that he himself has controversy in his own business dealings furthers to weaken his credibility.

It also just reiterates my standard that all people who have the spotlight on them be it Gov't official, Actor, etc are in some way a hypocrite.

Cite please.

[Green Light]

Based on the evidence, it should read:

The Overton Window

Jack Henderson (again)

with contributions from Kevin Balfe, Emily Bestler, and Glen Beck

Which is the point of the issue.

Richard's $.02 :munchin

Why should he? He engaged them to assist with the book, he paid them, and he cited them as contributors. Better than foot notes! :D

[fng13]

Cite please.

Sir,

I am not sure what I am to cite.

[Green Light]

Sir,

I am not sure what I am to cite.

Well, let's start with the controversy in his business dealings. What is the controversy, who is stating it?

"Just the facts, ma'am." - Joe Friday

[fng13]

Well, let's start with the controversy in his business dealings. What is the controversy, who is stating it?

"Just the facts, ma'am." - Joe Friday

Sir,

I refer you to the OP, I would consider this controversy in his business dealings.

[SF-TX]

Sir,

I refer you to the OP, I would consider this controversy in his business dealings.

§ DEFINITION

Circular Reasoning – supporting a premise with the premise rather than a conclusion.


Circular reasoning is an attempt to support a statement by simply repeating the statement in different or stronger terms. In this fallacy, the reason given is nothing more than a restatement of the conclusion that poses as the reason for the conclusion. To say, “You should exercise because it’s good for you” is really saying, “You should exercise because you should exercise.”

It shares much with the false authority fallacy because we accept these statements based solely on the fact that someone else claims it to be so. Often, we feel we can trust another person so much that we often accept his claims without testing the logic. This is called blind trust, and it is very dangerous. We might as well just talk in circles.

Source (http://ksuweb.kennesaw.edu/~shagin/logfal-pbc-circular.htm)

[Green Light]

IMO Beck, while he does present some information which is largely cast over by other major news personalities, does so in a way which always implies conspiracy. While some things may or may not actually be a conspiracy constantly presenting information in this way is going to damage your credibility. The fact that he himself has controversy in his own business dealings furthers to weaken his credibility.

It also just reiterates my standard that all people who have the spotlight on them be it Gov't official, Actor, etc are in some way a hypocrite.

Show me where he always implies conspiracy.

Show me where he has a pattern of shady business dealings - show me where he doesn't deal fairly with his business partners.

Show me where all people in the spotlight are in some way hippocrites.

You made these blanket statements, defend them.

[fng13]

§ DEFINITION

Circular Reasoning – supporting a premise with the premise rather than a conclusion.


Circular reasoning is an attempt to support a statement by simply repeating the statement in different or stronger terms. In this fallacy, the reason given is nothing more than a restatement of the conclusion that poses as the reason for the conclusion. To say, “You should exercise because it’s good for you” is really saying, “You should exercise because you should exercise.”

It shares much with the false authority fallacy because we accept these statements based solely on the fact that someone else claims it to be so. Often, we feel we can trust another person so much that we often accept his claims without testing the logic. This is called blind trust, and it is very dangerous. We might as well just talk in circles.


Source (http://ksuweb.kennesaw.edu/~shagin/logfal-pbc-circular.htm)

Sir,

What I have said is not circular reasoning.

My argument is like this.

Premise 1

Controversy in business dealings hurt credibility

Premise 2

Beck has controversy in his business dealings

Conclusion

Beck's controversy in his business dealings has hurt his credibility.



Using this instance of controversy over how he has handled his book dealings, is not circular reasoning.

It would only be circular reasoning if I said that the only reason beck has hurt his credibility is because beck has hurt his credibility

However I can offer many examples to support premise one. Such as how banks making poor business deals has hurt the credibility of bankers, wallstreet etc.

Or how when it comes out that a politician takes kickbacks for allocating funds a certain way it damages their credibility.

The way I read Greenlights question was to cite an instance where Beck has had controversy in his business dealings. I then referred him to the original post, which explains the controversy over this book deal. This is to support premise 2 not premise one.

This is not circular reasoning

[Sigaba]

Controversy in business dealings hurt credibility
Donald Trump, Don King, Sean Combs, Jennifer Lopez, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Rupert Murdoch might disagree. They seem to have done all right despite ample amounts of controversy in their personal and professional lives.

Here's the thing, FNG3. Right, wrong, people "screw" and get "screwed" in business and politics all the time. But those who operate in those environments know that's just the way things go. The same person who got the shaft today will break bread with the guy who shafted him a week later to talk about a new venture.

To be clear, I'm not an admirer of Mr. Beck. And I think it is a mistake to use him as a single datum point that "proves" broader assertions about everyone else.

[fng13]

Show me where he always implies conspiracy.

Show me where he has a pattern of shady business dealings - show me where he doesn't deal fairly with his business partners.

Show me where all people in the spotlight are in some way hippocrites.

You made these blanket statements, defend them.

You are right.

I should not have used such broad terms, and would like to retract the embolden words. I apologize.

Beck doesn't ALWAYS imply conspiracy, he just often does.

Nor can I prove that all people in the spotlight are hippocrites.

If however you would like me to give you examples of where many people in the spotlight are hippocrites I can.

As far as beck goes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO1timWATHE
Beck with his chalkboard linking all of these people together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO1timWATHE
Conspiracy behind Health Care

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWL-pfCao-U&feature=related
Beck on how Rockefeller center is communist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1Icj8QdW94
Beck on how a new world order will be established.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZsY5XbLinw&NR=1
Beck from a while back about a new world currency

It goes on and on. I don't understand how one could watch Beck and not think that he often implies conspiracy.

definition for conspiracy

http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=conspiracy

Noun
•S: (n) conspiracy, confederacy (a secret agreement between two or more people to perform an unlawful act) •S: (n) conspiracy, cabal (a plot to carry out some harmful or illegal act (especially a political plot)) •S: (n) conspiracy, confederacy (a group of conspirators banded together to achieve some harmful or illegal purpose)

[fng13]

Donald Trump, Don King, Sean Combs, Jennifer Lopez, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Rupert Murdoch might disagree. They seem to have done all right despite ample amounts of controversy in their personal and professional lives.

Here's the thing, FNG3. Right, wrong, people "screw" and get "screwed" in business and politics all the time. But those who operate in those environments know that's just the way things go. The same person who got the shaft today will break bread with the guy who shafted him a week later to talk about a new venture.

To be clear, I'm not an admirer of Mr. Beck. And I think it is a mistake to use him as a single datum point that "proves" broader assertions about everyone else.

Actually the argument I just laid out before you posted this shows that Beck's credibility is hurt by bad business practices not that everyone elses credibility is hurt because Beck has bad business practices.

Also I hope you don't really have that cinical of an outlook on the business world that people just get screwed all the time and that has no effect on further business practices by the screwer.


I would also question the credibility of most of those you listed. Credibility as what a celebrity? You are right I doubt that there credibility has suffered as far as sports/movies go. But it certainly does not help there case when they try to take a side on political matters, charities, etc.

Also by my saying that something hurts ones credibility does not mean that it destroys all credibility. It simply implies that it makes them less credible then they would have been had they not engaged in nafarious activity.


EDITED TO ADD: I am going away for the weekend so I won't be able to address any refutations until late sunday or monday.

[Green Light]

Sir,

What I have said is not circular reasoning.

You aren't destined for 18F school.

Have you ever actually been in business or are you just an MBA student? I have. There will always be controversy when you're in business. Why? Because you will have competitors.

What do competitors do? They advertise and show that their product is better than yours.

How do they do that? Two ways, their either show that their product is better, or they lie and say that their product is better.

So what? The market will either figure it out or they'll go with the slicker advertising.

You didn't say that Beck had controversy in a business dealing, you said "dealings". You implied that shady deals are a habitual business practice of his. You have neither shown this nor have you shown that there was a shady deal with his book. To the contrary, there are posts by me and others that show to the contrary. What you did was say that he has "controversy."

Once again, so what? Who made the claim? The Huffington Post, same time they said that his poetry was bad when the bad poetry was Kipling. So who is the Huff Po, really? Who is behind the curtain? Who pays the bills? There's the competitor.

Have any of the contributors complained? No. He pays his company top dollar, gives them HUGE benefits, and pays for 100% of them.

I know some things about him that you don't and, frankly, won't share. But knowing these things puts him in a context you don't have, just as you don't and won't understand the QPs here. He's the real thing. What he says is what he really believes. He doesn't make things up on his show. I know that for a fact.

For anyone to imply that he isn't honest, or deal honestly with people pisses me off. I have absolutely no problem with anyone disagreeing with him or not liking him personally. That just life. We all disagree here from time to time. But to say or imply that he's dishonest, you've got the wrong guy.

[Sigaba]

Also I hope you don't really have that [cynical] of an outlook on the business world that people just get screwed all the time and that has no effect on further business practices by the screwer. Is it cynical or realistic? Earlier this week I was invited to have dinner with three bosses from three different companies. Over drinks, one of them told me how my boss, whose sense of competitiveness is legendary, had screwed him over a couple of times and yet the had gone on to work together and eventually remained friends. This same boss later mentioned how he was supporting colleagues at his previous firm even though the bosses at that firm had screwed him over big time (and were still doing by telling clients he'd "retired.") Why? Because it is about professionalism, customer service, and finding ways to make more moneyI would also question the credibility of most of those you listed. Credibility as what a celebrity? You are right I doubt that there credibility has suffered as far as sports/movies go. But it certainly does not help there case when they try to take a side on political matters, charities, etc.It is so good to know you've got it all figured out.

[Richard]

Is it?

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201006160019

And so it goes...
Richard :munchin

[SF-TX]

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201006160019

And so it goes...
Richard :munchin

First the Huffington Post and now Media Matters? :rolleyes:

About Us

Media Matters for America is a Web-based, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media.

Launched in May 2004, Media Matters for America put in place, for the first time, the means to systematically monitor a cross section of print, broadcast, cable, radio, and Internet media outlets for conservative misinformation — news or commentary that is not accurate, reliable, or credible and that forwards the conservative agenda — every day, in real time.

Using the website mediamatters.org as the principal vehicle for disseminating research and information, Media Matters posts rapid-response items as well as longer research and analytic reports documenting conservative misinformation throughout the media. Additionally, Media Matters works daily to notify activists, journalists, pundits, and the general public about instances of misinformation, providing them with the resources to rebut false claims and to take direct action against offending media institutions.

Source (http://mediamatters.org/p/about_us/)

Some of the books written by staff at Media Matters:

Lapdogs: How the Press Rolled Over for Bush (Free Press, 2006)

The Republican Noise Machine: Right-Wing Media and How It Corrupts Democracy (Crown, May 2004)

Blinded by the Right: The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative (Crown, March 2002)

Source (http://mediamatters.org/p/about_us/staff_advisors)

[Richard]

"Reading is my favorite hobby," he says. But, he confesses, "I don't write. I speak. I get bogged down in writing."

Which is why he takes a team approach to writing his own books, including his first political thriller, The Overton Window (Threshold, $25), on sale Tuesday.

On the title page, Beck shares credit with three contributors. He calls the conspiracy novel "my story," but he says Jack Henderson, one of his contributors, "went in and he put the words down."

<snip>

As for his team approach to writing, Beck says, "There's clearly no way that I'm sitting behind a typewriter or word program and pounding this out. ... I have my vision and need someone to make sure that vision stays there."

Balfe offers this explanation: "Glenn has a three-hour radio show every morning. That's obviously 100% Glenn. But if you wanted to translate that into a book, you could take those transcripts. But then, someone has to go in and make it sound good to read in that format. And that's the way I describe the writing. It's all Glenn, but you've got to have the right thriller technique," which is where the contributors come in.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2010-06-14-beck14_CV_N.htm

Notice the difference in 'contributors' between this novel and Arguing With Idiots: How To Stop Small Minds And Big Government.

http://www.amazon.com/Arguing-Idiots-Small-Minds-Government/dp/1416595015/ref=cm_lmf_img_2#reader_1416595015

What a stand-up guy...especially if there's $$ to be made.

Try this technique in high school or college and see where it gets you. ;)

FWIW - Beck graduated from Sehome High School in June 1982 and briefly attended Yale University in 1996, taking one theology class, "Early Christology," and then dropping out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Beck

Perhaps Beck - a reformed alcoholic and illegal substance abuser who has claimed to have ADHD and spent more time hanging out in the parking lot than in school - doesn't really understand what any of this means. But many people do.

And so it goes...

Richard's $.02 :munchin

[Todd 1]

After filtering out the media bias’ it seems to me that Beck had an idea or “vision” for a book and enlisted the help of others to get it on paper. I can only speculate but I’m sure a contract was signed and the book was planned out before it was written or published and everyone’s pocketbook is much bigger now. I see no evidence of plagiarism or shady business practices.


"Try this technique in high school or college and see where it gets you."

-Collaboration is forbidden in high school or college?

"FWIW - Beck graduated from Sehome High School in June 1982 and briefly attended Yale University in 1996, taking one theology class, "Early Christology," and then dropping out."

-Higher education is not necessary for success, many college dropouts have “made it”.

"Perhaps Beck - a reformed alcoholic and illegal substance abuser who has claimed to have ADHD and spent more time hanging out in the parking lot than in school - doesn't really understand what any of this means. But many people do."

-Yes, Beck was a drunk and drug addict.
-Why would lie about ADHD?

So I get it right, Beck is an alcoholic drug addict college dropout plagiarist who also claims to have ADHD and no understanding of what any of it means...Me tryng to be sarcastic, I like Beck.

[Richard]

I see no evidence of plagiarism or shady business practices.

Beck's lone name on the cover of this latest book infers (actually, more than infers) authorship and written notation in the face page of the special autographed edition overtly claims it.

Beck's previous books list 'wrtiers' and 'contributors' to his works - this one only lists 'contributors' but fails to list any 'writers' although it is obvious Beck did not write the book as he and others stated in the interview with USAToday. Why? :confused:

No plagiarism? No shady business practices? No dice.

However - YMMV - and so it goes...

Richard's $.02 :munchin

[Sigaba]

Collaboration is forbidden in high school or college?It would depend upon the assignment. If it is an individual project, the rules as written (rather than enforced) are clear. Presenting someone else's work as your own is plagiarism. Incorporating someone else's work into your own without full attribution is also plagiarism. Accepting someone else's guidance can also be considered plagiarism. (This last one was news to me when I learned of it. Since then and to this day, when I give people feedback on academic-related assignments, I will only suggest what changes might be made, not give exact recommendations.)

IMO, the 'big picture' issue here is that Mr. Beck's publishers have brought to market a book that seems at first glance to be an original work by Mr. Beck. Later, one learns that not only is it a collaborative work but that central elements of the story line appeared in a previously published work.

Mr. Beck is positioning himself as an important figure in mass media. A lot of good people are investing their time, their money, and most of all their trust in him. They are using information and analysis he provides to sort through the issues of the day. How does the marketing of this work make them look? In my own personal opinion, it makes them look like they're backing a guy who is not terrifically interested in doing his best to justify their trust.

(FWIW, I got a taste of this same medicine when the Stephen Ambrose scandal broke. As a professor, Ambrose admonished a lecture hall of undergraduate students not to cheat if they wanted to play "in the big leagues." Down the line, one finds he'd been walking differently than he had been talking.)

YMMV.

[alright4u]

Show me where he always implies conspiracy.

Show me where he has a pattern of shady business dealings - show me where he doesn't deal fairly with his business partners.

Show me where all people in the spotlight are in some way hippocrites.

You made these blanket statements, defend them.

I agree with you. I like Beck. At least he does not play suck up to Obama. He darn sure has exposed the progressive movement, plus much more. Perhaps CNN, MSNBC, NBC, and CBS are easier on some ears? I do not know. I definitely am no O'Reilly fan, much less any Geraldo, Shep Smith, or Juan Williams of PBS. The brilliant mind is the paralyzed Krauthammer. I respect him.

[Todd 1]

No plagiarism? No shady business practices? No dice.


I just don’t see plagiarism, which part(s) of the book are not beck’s ideas or vision? I think he hired some people to put his stuff into the “thriller technique” that he wanted, like a ghostwriter type of deal. The msm have been blasting Beck since day one, so until I see some concrete evidence of actual plagiarism, I just don’t buy it.

[ZonieDiver]

No plagiarism? No shady business practices? No dice.


I just don’t see plagiarism, which part(s) of the book are not beck’s ideas or vision? I think he hired some people to put his stuff into the “thriller technique” that he wanted, like a ghostwriter type of deal. The msm have been blasting Beck since day one, so until I see some concrete evidence of actual plagiarism, I just don’t buy it.

Did you read the excerpts from both books in the article? If you did, how could you not see that significant ideas, plot threads, and some actual language was 'lifted' from one to the other.

That is quite different from hiring a 'ghost writer' to pen an original work from your ideas. INHO, Beck is in love with the sound of his own voice, an often self-congratulatory voice. He is in love with raking in $$$. To me, regardless of his political 'philosophy,' that puts him inthe boat with Olbermann, O'Reilly, Lmbaugh, Matthews, and other media 'news' and 'commentary' personalities. Like them, he is more about generating 'heat' instead of 'light.'. Their main intention is to get you to 'tune in again tomorrow.'. A pox upon them all, sez I.

[Todd 1]

Did you read the excerpts from both books in the article? If you did, how could you not see that significant ideas, plot threads, and some actual language was 'lifted' from one to the other.

That is quite different from hiring a 'ghost writer' to pen an original work from your ideas. INHO, Beck is in love with the sound of his own voice, an often self-congratulatory voice. He is in love with raking in $$$. To me, regardless of his political 'philosophy,' that puts him inthe boat with Olbermann, O'Reilly, Lmbaugh, Matthews, and other media 'news' and 'commentary' personalities. Like them, he is more about generating 'heat' instead of 'light.'. Their main intention is to get you to 'tune in again tomorrow.'. A pox upon them all, sez I.

A ghostwriter is a professional writer who is paid to write books, articles, stories, reports, or other texts that are officially credited to another person. Celebrities, executives, and political leaders often hire ghostwriters to draft or edit autobiographies, magazine articles, or other written material. In music, ghostwriters are used in film score composition, as well as for writing songs and lyrics for popular music styles ranging from country to hip-hop.

Ghostwriters may have varying degrees of involvement in the production of a finished work; while some ghostwriters are hired to edit and clean up a rough draft, in other cases, ghostwriters do most of the writing based on an outline provided by the credited author. For some projects, ghostwriters will do a substantial amount of research, as in the case of a ghostwriter who is hired to write an autobiography for a well-known person. Ghostwriters are also hired to write fiction in the style of an existing author, often as a way of increasing the number of books that can be published by a popular author (e.g., Tom Clancy, James Patterson). Ghostwriters will often spend from several months to a full year researching, writing, and editing nonfiction works for a client, and they are paid either per page, with a flat fee, or a percentage of the royalties of the sales, or some combination thereof. The ghostwriter is sometimes acknowledged by the author or publisher for his or her writing services.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghostwriter

[Richard]

Must be a Beck University course. :rolleyes:

Become a 'writer' without ever writing an original word

http://www.shortcutpublications.co.uk/shop/cash-writing-cheatbook.html

And so it goes...;)

Richard :munchin

[fng13]

You aren't destined for 18F school.

Have you ever actually been in business or are you just an MBA student? I have. There will always be controversy when you're in business. Why? Because you will have competitors.

So if there is ALWAYS controversy in business then how do you not think that this deal with Beck doesn't count as a controversy?

You didn't say that Beck had controversy in a business dealing, you said "dealings". You implied that shady deals are a habitual business practice of his. You have neither shown this nor have you shown that there was a shady deal with his book. I don't know how else to show that there was a shady deal other than the articles that have been presented To the contrary, there are posts by me and others that show to the contrary. What you did was say that he has "controversy." Isn't the fact that several people are on opposite sides of this issue and continue to discuss it a sign that it is a controversial topic?

Controversy

–noun, plural -sies.
1. a prolonged public dispute, debate, or contention; disputation concerning a matter of opinion.
2. contention, strife, or argument.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/controversy

Once again, so what? Who made the claim? The Huffington Post, same time they said that his poetry was bad when the bad poetry was Kipling. So who is the Huff Po, really? Who is behind the curtain? Who pays the bills? There's the competitor.

Since someone earlier was using logical terms I refer you to the Ad hominem fallacy.

Main Entry: 1ad ho·mi·nem
Pronunciation: \(ˈ)ad-ˈhä-mə-ˌnem, -nəm\
Function: adjective
Etymology: New Latin, literally, to the person
Date: 1598
1 : appealing to feelings or prejudices rather than intellect
2 : marked by or being an attack on an opponent's character rather than by an answer to the contentions made

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ad+hominem
Have any of the contributors complained? No. He pays his company top dollar, gives them HUGE benefits, and pays for 100% of them.

And I am even sure he makes them sign a contract...

I know some things about him that you don't and, frankly, won't share. But knowing these things puts him in a context you don't have, just as you don't and won't understand the QPs here. He's the real thing. What he says is what he really believes. He doesn't make things up on his show. I know that for a fact. So there really is going to be a new world currency?

For anyone to imply that he isn't honest, or deal honestly with people pisses me off. I have absolutely no problem with anyone disagreeing with him or not liking him personally. That just life. We all disagree here from time to time. But to say or imply that he's dishonest, you've got the wrong guy.

I am not trying to slander Beck's entire reputation here, but he is definately in a gray area on this issue.

[fng13]

Is it cynical or realistic? Earlier this week I was invited to have dinner with three bosses from three different companies. Over drinks, one of them told me how my boss, whose sense of competitiveness is legendary, had screwed him over a couple of times and yet the had gone on to work together and eventually remained friends. This same boss later mentioned how he was supporting colleagues at his previous firm even though the bosses at that firm had screwed him over big time (and were still doing by telling clients he'd "retired.") Why? Because at the it is about professionalism, customer service, and finding ways to make more money

So when the contractor we have been working with for the last 4 years decides he isn't going to pay us for the last 3 dumpsters we gave him just because he thinks he can get away with it, giving him a new dumpster would show "professionalism, customer service, and finding ways to make more money" or maybe just not right away. Maybe we should wait a bit and then just see if he screws us over again. That is definately finding a way to make more money. :(
It is so good to know you've got it all figured out.

:lifter

[Sigaba]

So when the contractor we have been working with for the last 4 years decides he isn't going to pay us for the last 3 dumpsters we gave him just because he thinks he can get away with it, giving him a new dumpster would show "professionalism, customer service, and finding ways to make more money" or maybe just not right away. Maybe we should wait a bit and then just see if he screws us over again. That is definitely finding a way to make more moneyFNG--

Not fulfilling the terms of an agreement would not be professional conduct nor would it be an indication of good customer service.

The scenario I had in mind was more along the lines of this. Let's say you're replying to a RFP for a project that isn't going to make you a lot of money but you put in the bid anyways. You do so because it allows you to establish a working relationship with a client that, down the line, may lead to bigger and more lucrative opportunities.

The potential client keeps kicking back your submission asking you to do more for less. You run the numbers, you're still going to make a profit but just not as much as before. But you're thinking about the big picture and you revise your proposal.

You get the job and it turns out to be nightmarish. The client is very demanding, the project is more complicated than you anticipated, and you just don't have enough budget to cover all the bases. But you get the job done professionally and provide a high level of customer service.

Down the line, though, you find out that your understanding of the big picture was out of sync with what your client said. Did you misunderstand? Did circumstances change? Or were you misled? What ever the case, you realize you're not going to get that bigger project. The client is friendly and apologetic and lets you know he'll keep you in mind for the next project down the line.

The question becomes: what does one do when this client sends you an email down the line and says "Hey, how are you doing?" Do you ring off because you got burned or do you say "Hey, I'm doing great. How can I help you?"

[fng13]

FNG--

Not fulfilling the terms of an agreement would not be professional conduct nor would it be an indication of good customer service.

The scenario I had in mind was more along the lines of this. Let's say you're replying to a RFP for a project that isn't going to make you a lot of money but you put in the bid anyways. You do so because it allows you to establish a working relationship with a client that, down the line, may lead to bigger and more lucrative opportunities.

The potential client keeps kicking back your submission asking you to do more for less. You run the numbers, you're still going to make a profit but just not as much as before. But you're thinking about the big picture and you revise your proposal.

You get the job and it turns out to be nightmarish. The client is very demanding, the project is more complicated than you anticipated, and you just don't have enough budget to cover all the bases. But you get the job done professionally and provide a high level of customer service.

Down the line, though, you find out that your understanding of the big picture was out of sync with what your client said. Did you misunderstand? Did circumstances change? Or were you misled? What ever the case, you realize you're not going to get that bigger project. The client is friendly and apologetic and lets you know he'll keep you in mind for the next project down the line.

The question becomes: what does one do when this client sends you an email down the line and says "Hey, how are you doing?" Do you ring off because you got burned or do you say "Hey, I'm doing great. How can I help you?"

I think this is getting away from the point of this thread, so if you want to talk more about this PM me.

I'll answer this very briefly. Yes there are times where it might be beneficial to reopen relationships with clients who have caused trouble in the past. I would probably be willing to work with the person in your scenario depending on how much trouble the original project was. I just turned down working with a guy who was trying to do this same sort of thing, he had way too many demands for the profit margin I was going to make of his business. However, just because sometimes one might be willing to do business with someone who has caused problems in the past does not mean that that is the general rule of business. Nor does it mean that there past deeds did not affect the decision to work/not work with them again. Which I believe was the source of our disagreement.

[sf11b_p]

So, is Jack Henderson upset with Becks alleged plagiarism. The only thing I've found suggests he's on good terms with Beck.

[Green Light]

You are right.

I should not have used such broad terms, and would like to retract the embolden words. I apologize.

Beck doesn't ALWAYS imply conspiracy, he just often does.

Nor can I prove that all people in the spotlight are hippocrites.

If however you would like me to give you examples of where many people in the spotlight are hippocrites I can.

Using buzz words like "always" is the hallmark of misinformation, to give a statement more gravity than it deserves.

As far as beck goes.



Did you actually watch them? The first two are the same video. The third one he is talking about the popularity of fascism in the 1920s and 30s - Mussolini was a "rock star" back then and the fascist system was quite the fad - Roosevelt himself stated that he was looking forward to the end of the depression and a return to "normal fascism" (centrally orchestrated economy). He was showing the fascist symbols on the building to make the point. The other ones, such as the last one, it is actually CNBC that is making the point that the dollar may collapse and replaced by a world currency. Beck was remarking on how scary it is when the liberals start saying that the sky is falling.

[Richard]

Perhaps we'd better get used to some of the 'New Age' thinking on this concept.

"It’s the product that counts, not the way it was produced."

A Survival Skill
Mark Bauerlein - professor of English at Emory University and the author of "The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future."

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2010/7/12/when-did-cheating-become-an-epidemic/cheating-as-a-survival-skill

The Wrong Focus
Alfie Kohn - author of a dozen books on education and human behavior, including “What Does It Mean to Be Well Educated?” and “No Contest: The Case Against Competition.”

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2010/7/12/when-did-cheating-become-an-epidemic/who-benefits-from-the-rules

The Reasons Remain the Same
Molly Pease High School of Telecommunication Arts and Technology teacher in Brooklyn - currently teaches government and economics in the social studies department.

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2010/7/12/when-did-cheating-become-an-epidemic/the-reasons-remain-the-same

Teach Students Ethics
Andrew Daines - recent college graduate - served on the Academic Integrity Hearing Board at Cornell University.

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2010/7/12/when-did-cheating-become-an-epidemic/teach-students-ethics

Or do we? :confused:

And so it goes...

Richard :munchin

[Razor]

Beck's lone name on the cover of this latest book infers (actually, more than infers) authorship..

With credit to the writers of "Mr. Mom"; 'infer'...'imply', whatever it takes.

http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/imply.html

[Richard]

"220...221..." That's what I meant to imply from my inferences. ;)

Richard :munchin

[BrainStorm]

I cannot claim any extensive insider information, but an author I know told me that an author has little control over things such as the cover design, promotional approach and how contributors are listed unless they are A-list authors.

Much of this commentary seems to be driven by love/hate of Glenn Beck rather than any knowledge of the publishing business. If I'm wrong, point me right.

[PedOncoDoc]

I cannot claim any extensive insider information, but an author I know told me that an author has little control over things such as the cover design, promotional approach and how contributors are listed unless they are A-list authors.

Much of this commentary seems to be driven by love/hate of Glenn Beck rather than any knowledge of the publishing business. If I'm wrong, point me right.

MRFL is an author of "young adult" novels (surprisingly, this is not just "adult novels" for youths. :D) Her first book will be published next July and I've been learning the process with her as she goes along.

The first time/small-time author has little control over the Title, Cover design and jacket liner. The publshing house may choose to promote the book - in that case the author has little say in the promotional campaign.

Some authors do their own promotion with blogs, book signing/debut parties, author website, giveaways, etc.

I have a hard time believing that someone with as alrge a following and name as Glen Beck does not have enough fame/notoriety to have some say in all of these matters, but the publisher makes the final decision to approve a cover/concept/whatever or not. They would give Beck's opinions and ideas more weight than a first-time author. Since he has his own sounding board, he can self-promote all he likes.

MOO.
YMMV...:munchin

[Chris Cram]

Must be a Beck University course. :rolleyes:

Become a 'writer' without ever writing an original word

http://www.shortcutpublications.co.uk/shop/cash-writing-cheatbook.html

And so it goes...;)

Richard :munchin

Or maybe it’s a series of online lectures…

Schedule

July 7th @ 8p ET Faith 101 w/ Prof. David Barton

July 14th @ 8p ET Hope 101 w/Prof. David Buckner

July 21th @ 8p ET Charity 101 w/Prof. James Stoner

July 28th @ 8p ET Faith 102 w/Prof. David Barton

August 4th @ 8p ET Hope 102 w/Prof. David Buckner

August 11th @ 8p ET Charity 102 w/Prof. James Stoner

August 18th @ 8p ET Faith 103 w/Prof. David Barton

Aug 25th @ 8p ET Hope 103 w/Prof. David Buckner

Sep 1st @ 8p ET Charity 103 w/Prof. James Stoner