Monday, January 17, 2011

Accuracy in Media

Oh my stars!

(CNN) -- The e-mail messages began filling astrologer Shelley Ackerman's inbox as soon as the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported the zodiac chart is off by about a month.

OMG I'm not a Leo help me with that

My daughter and her friends are very upset. Have they changed signs?

I'm not worried I KNOW I'm a true Scorp

Darling, what does this mean in our world? I couldn't be a Pisces

Is the kafuffle really over...NOTHING?

"This story is born periodically as if someone has discovered some truth. It's not news," said Jeff Jawer, an astrologer with Tarot.com, told CNN's This Just In news blog.

Astrology experts say the shift in zodiac signs does not apply to most Westerners, who follow the tropical zodiac, which is fixed to the seasons. In contrast, the Star Tribune article referred to the sidereal zodiac, which is fixed to constellations and is followed more in the East.

There we go then. The stars that influence your life and everything you do are really about your choice of hemisphere. What a shock to find that astrology fanatics get upset over recycled news, as if they forget that there are cycles and cycles...
After news of the shifting zodiac signs went viral, some people may be rethinking their lucky lotto numbers or reassessing their spouse's compatibility.
That last link there? I know it's HuffPo and all, but the slideshow it reaches bears the tags "Comedy News". Also:
Westerners are most familiar with sun signs, which became popular in the late 1800s when newspapers added horoscopes to attract readers, astrologers say. But sun signs alone are not considered reliable tools of prediction. Most astrologers say accurate readings require information such as time of birth, birth place and date of birth.

11 comments:

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

I know that when I need an accurate reading, I can easily find one in the links on the sidebar of my blog.
~

tigris said...

I am Ophiuchus of Borg.

Anonymous said...

Also, social insurance number and bank information can really help with the accuracy.

Open Cahoots said...

Doesn't all of HuffPo bear the tag "comedy news"?

Substance McGravitas said...

CNN could benefit from such tags.

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

Comedy News Network?

Hamish Mack said...

Astrology News Network, baybee. Lets conjunct our planets!!!

M. Bouffant said...

My sign has changed to "Quiet Hospital Zone."

It used to be "Watch For Falling Rocks."

mikey said...

Most astrologers say accurate readings require information such as time of birth, birth place and date of birth.

Well, DUH.

You know, kinda like if you were born in Martha's Vineyard you're probably going to live a pampered existence, and if you were born in a village in the Hindu Kush, well, not so much.

You can predict a great deal about a person when you know their birthplace, and a lot of times you can work it backwards too.

I mean, that Subsey here was born in the frozen north isn't exactly shocking news, amiright?

Substance McGravitas said...

What? I am not warm and cheerful like some happy tropical islander?

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

Chucklehead News Netwerk.