Debunking a Conservative Meme
The honorable John Feroce posted a picture today which he got from Glenn Beck. The picture shows a bookshelf with Obama-themed children’s books with a large sign above it saying “Religion”
It seemed bizarre to me, so I started doing some research. Apparently there are at least two versions of this picture on the Internet. One, the Beck version, has been scrubbed of EXIF data (hidden information recorded to the picture by the camera), but the other one has the EXIF data intact, at least this copy of it does. If you take a look at the hidden data, it is very enlightening. The image was captured by an iPhone. This is key to our research, since the iPhone also has a built-in GPS.
Here is a sample of the EXIF data:
# Camera Make = Apple
# Camera Model = iPhone
# X-Resolution = 72/1 = 72
# Y-Resolution = 72/1 = 72
# X/Y-Resolution Unit = inch (2)
# Last Modified Date/Time = 2009:02:13 11:55:37
# GPS Latitude Reference = N
# GPS Latitude = 32/1,4842/100,0/1 [degrees, minutes, seconds] ===> 32° 48.42′
# GPS Longitude Reference = W
# GPS Longitude = 96/1,4785/100,0/1 [degrees, minutes, seconds] ===> 96° 47.85′
The hidden data reveals that the image was captured at the following coordinates:
32° 48.42′ N by 96° 47.85′ W Which translates into Borders Books at 3600 Mckinney Ave, Dallas, TX 75204.
So I called this Borders and asked them if they had such a display now or in the past. The answer was a resounding “No”
Tyler offered the suggestion that perhaps this was done by some employee thinking he was being funny. This is possible, since it was taken at 11:55AM. It depends on whether the timestamp is in GMT or local time. It appears to be 6AM Dallas time.
Perhaps I’ll call the store back and suggest that one of their employees that was working at 6AM on Feb 13th rearranged their store shelves to make a political point. Oh, and he owns an iPhone.
Ah, yes, well having once worked at a place that served only Seattle’s BEAST brand of coffee as well, I can tell you that it made me delusional in thought after a cup or three. So, in an attempt to curry favor, I guess those book jockeys were really in an inebriated state of bad coffee. Cut ’em some slack.
Nice work, LG! Very impressive – love the GPS tracking.
I don’t know what’s creepier — that LG knows all this shit or that iPhones store such information when photos are taken.
Both…and that Seattle’s BEAST is actually a preferred coffee brand of that chain.
At least I’m to be trusted. Apple, not so much.
Geek, I am sending this link to my geeky sister-in-law in Texas.
Nice work LG.
BTW, can you tell me what former congressman William Jefferson is doing like, right now? I’ll try and get a pic of him.
They should put you on the Blago case next.
Thanks to LG’s sleuthing that employee has now been liquidated. And I mean that literally…DelDem style…up against a brick wall, no blindfold or ciggy either.
Happy now???
Book ’em.
…that employee has now been liquidated…
They splash him down with the Seattle’s Beast Cinno-pumpkin-nutmeg-hazelnut flavor of the day latte, out by the dumpsters?
I’m getting rid of my iPhone and going back to a 1980’s model Motorola – the 10 lb. boxy kind that doesn’t store any info.
“Borders Books at 3600 Mckinney Ave, Dallas, TX 75204.”
I am in TX on business today…I just mapquested it and I’m 43.9 miles from there. I am sooo tempted to go check it out.
iPhones….all part of the liberal fascist nightmare…where geeks from Delaware can dissect your every move even in Dallas, Texas…and then write detailed public reports about it…and then get you liquified into the liberal latte of the day.
Who knew.
Where was Blago on Feb 13th at 6am central time? Anybody know?
“Who knew.”
ummm… these guys, among others.
Most of us are not paranoid enough.
Blago? Now there’s a man with a motive!
I just mapquested it and I’m 43.9 miles from there. I am sooo tempted to go check it out.
No, now you are 44.3 – wait, make that 44.7 miles away….
And by the way, you are speeding.
You guys are missing the true story here. Whether it is an employee playing a prank at 6 am, or whether this photo was photoshopped, it is obvious that the photo is a false representation. It is a lie.
Feroce, knowing what you know now, are you going to take down your post calling us Dems dangerous and into brainwashing? Are you going to rebuke Glenn Beck? No, of course not, because that would interfere with a conservative meme, to which facts are unimportant.
Lattes are people.
LOL.
Feroce, knowing what you know now, are you going to take down your post calling us Dems dangerous and into brainwashing? Are you going to rebuke Glenn Beck? No, of course not, because that would interfere with a conservative meme, to which facts are unimportant.
I think you walk a fine line, DelDem, when you start demanding people make retractions. I think we’ve all been guilty of printing something we wish we hadn’t over the years. I don’t think he should take it down, just like I’VE never taken anything down. It’s for the record, now. There’s no reason to back-track what’s been said.
Love the EFF, anon….
Seriously, is there seriously anyone seriously taking any of this seriously??
Beck’s a nutbag.
The picture is ridiculous, if parabolic.
Case closed.
Even more fun:
The iPhone and Google Streetview.
“You guys are missing the true story here. Whether it is an employee playing a prank at 6 am, or whether this photo was photoshopped, it is obvious that the photo is a false representation. It is a lie.”
I clearly said it was from Beck’s site, if he retracts, I’ll gladly update the post. I will say though, despite LG’s great work, it hasn’t reached a falsehood status yet, so it’s pre-mature to call it a lie. Once the individual is identified (if ever) and comes clean and presents his reason for doing that, then we can lay judgement.
Now I could drive down there and give him $20 to do it again 🙂
Now to put the Republican books in the History section….
TPN, there are 1,463 blog posts in the past week (148 just in the past 24 hours) that match the search string “Obama religion bookstore”
Some seem to be taking it seriously.
That’s the most pathetic part of it all, geek.
Have we all gone mad?!?!
“Feroce, knowing what you know now, are you going to take down your post calling us Dems dangerous and into brainwashing?”
DD – my policy as it stands is, as long as there are wingnuts, then there are Dangerous Dems
Now if we can establish a criteria (other than we didn’t vote for Gore or Kerry) and selectively apply the monikers going forward, well then I think we’d be in the right track
“Have we all gone mad?!?!”
Where the hell have you been?
Well, I thought I was here in the land of political messiahs and magical stimulunicorns.
Point taken Matthews. We all speak in hyperbole and exaggeration on occasion.
Feroce…
I just object to the idea that this is the Democrats’ work. Even if the photo is true, and there are Obama children books under a “Religion” at a Borders store in Texas or anywhere, isn’t it the work of the bookstore itself? Has Tim Kaine, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi or Barack Obama ordered these stores to place the books under a Religion sign?
I think what we are seeing is the priming of the VRWC engine. This sort of thing is like the whole Clinton Chronicles BS. Give them a few months and they will have a whole trumped up line of BS to occupy Obama while he should be free to advocate for his policies.
Indeed, the likely scenario, if the photo is true, is that this is the work of a Republican employee who opposes Obama, and mocks, as you do, Obama as a messiah.
I’m afraid to attack anything he does, he might do something really really mean
awesome:
I clearly said it was from Beck’s site, if he retracts, I’ll gladly update the post. I will say though, despite LG’s great work, it hasn’t reached a falsehood status yet, so it’s pre-mature to call it a lie. Once the individual is identified (if ever) and comes clean and presents his reason for doing that, then we can lay judgement.
so it’s not true until the MSM say’s it is?
oh how precious
And when MSM says its not true, that opinion will be attacked as liberal bias. The vicious circle of conservative memes.
And the even more vicious meme that there is no over-use of the word ‘meme’.
LOL, Tyler.
Alas, by definition, it seems appropriate.
meme–n. an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture
And what if it turns out like the McCain volunteer? What if an Obama lover takes the pic, sends it in to Beck, than says we don’t know anything about it. Must be photoshop.
A stretch…but you know what I mean.
Key phrase here:
“It seemed bizarre to me, so I started doing some research. ”
But the conservative blogosphere didn’t detect anything bizarre at all.
Yep, brainwashing was definitely involved here.
Great work, LG!
FSP, for shame!
suckas
I heard Obama is a Muslim and Isn’t a US citizen.
I think FSP should post that too. It will give them some street cred
“I heard Obama is a Muslim and Isn’t a US citizen.”
I heard the same thing, what should we do about it? Is it too late?
Karl Rove and Ed Rollins invited the War on Terror to the hospital, where it got a job as a bartender.
Glenn Beck wiped blood from the “break” or “parting” stick he used to pry open fighting dogs’ (pit bulls’) mouths during fights.
“If Mexico collapses,” Glenn Beck said, “then refugees will come here to reclaim California and Texas.”
Why is Glenn Beck on TV and why does anyone take him seriously at all? This was clearly someone trying to make a political point and now it’s reached into the wingnutosphere and become a zombie lie that will never, ever die.
Good investigative work, LG.
“Oh, and he owns an iPhone.”
A bit sexist to believe a woman doesn’t know how to post an iphone picture on the internet…or does the iPhone actually disclose that information too?
The picture was centered and in focus so I just assumed… 🙂
You wouldn’t post a retraction/correction if you were proven to be spreading a lie? I just lost respect for you, MM.
Feroce posted an update on his post. I think that is appropriate. He linked here, which is even better.
The picture was centered and in focus so I just assumed…
😆
That was… just.so.wrong.
Speaking of “conservatives” (who recently left the White House, back in January)…
here is why you shouldn’t ever want to own one.