I was helping a client set up his new plasma screen HD TV and connect his cable box, Tivo, DVD/VCR Combo and DVR the other day. And so naturally I had the cable box on and running to test connectivity so I was subjected to television for several hours.

Not just any television, though. It was FOX News.

Now, I have always known that FOX News plays fast and loose with the truth and makes little distinction between the opinions of talking heads and actual facts. It is the reason that viewers who depend of FOX News for their news are so misinformed.

But that day I figured out something else. In addition to misinforming and misleading viewers on significant news stories, FOX News carefully chooses WHAT news to discuss.

That day, for instance, I knew that the state of Pennsylvania was laying off all except emergency state workers because of a budget impasse between the Republican-controlled state legislature and the Democratic governor. That's pretty significant. I knew about it because I listen to National Public Radio (NPR) and I read news stories on the Internet.

But the three hours I was working on that system, listening to FOX News, I didn't heard a single word about it. I heard three separate stories about three separate women who were missing and feared abducted in three different states, as well as how one employed an alias and the law enforcement official who was interviewed had a sound bite where he assured listeners that even if she was a slut, that wouldn’t affect their search for her. Okay, those weren't his exact words, but that was the gist of his message.

So FOX News viewers are left thinking the forces of evil are stealing our womenfolk all over the country--no doubt because we are a sinful, liberal nation who caters to homosexuals and feminazis--but have no clue that an entire cadre of state employees were out of work because of political in-fighting.

So not only are FOX News viewers misinformed and misled about the stories they do hear, they are completely ignorant of other stories that should matter. So if you watch FOX News and you care about the truth, which I know is practically a contradiction in terms, be aware of this.