May, 2024 archive
Originalist Sin 0
At Above the Law, Joe Patrice analyzes the acrobatics.
It’s All about the Benjamins 0
PoliticalProf follows the money.
Sycophantic Supplicating Surrogates 0
Sam and the crew discuss how Trump manipulates his marionettes to mouth his malice.
At AL.com, Kyle Whitfield takes an in-depth look at one of said sycophantic supplicating surrogates.
Twits on Twitter X Offenders
0
Alex Demas reports on a plethora of prevaricators posting pro-Trump propaganda.
One more time, “social” media isn’t.
Stray Question 0
Why do persons say, “Have sex”?
Shouldn’t it be, “Do sex”?
The Disinformation Superhighway 0
At the Des Moines Register, Dr. Greg Ganske, a retired Republican congressman and physician, discusses the dangers posed by AI, deepfakes, and other lies to our polity; he goes on to suggest some strategies for defending against deception on the Disinformation Superhighway. I have a few quibbles with some of remarks he makes in passing, but I think his piece is timely and well worth a read.
Here’s a summary of his suggestions (emphasis in the original):
- Develop a critical mindset. Napoleon once said, “Skepticism is a virtue in history as well as in philosophy.” If you see a suspicious post like the one cited at the beginning of this piece, be skeptical and check the original source. . . .
- Find out if a source is reliable by asking some questions. “About us” pages are easy to fake. Make sure you know the source really exists; find out if the story really came from them. . . .
- Check the facts and quotes from the experts in the story and beware of statistics. The old saying goes, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” Statistics can be manipulated to bolster both sides of an argument if taken out of context. . . .
I would add one suggestion:
Don’t rely on “social” media as a source of news (or, for that matter, information of any sort). If you see something on “social” media, verify it elsewhere, because “social” media isn’t.
The Lake Effect 0
The Arizona Republic’s Laurie Roberts decodes de code:
Translation: If she wins, the election was fair and if not, Arizona is in for more long years of more lawsuits, more character assassination and ever more Kari chaos.
Follow the link for more cryptography.
Wo-Wo-Wo-Wo That Wildwood Daze 0
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gene Collier offers commentary.
Aside:
Many years ago, when I lived in northern Delaware and worked in Philly, we had some great Wildwood Days of our own during summer vacations.
Fly the Fiendly Skies . . . 0
. . . but pack your heat in a checked bag.
Guns and stupid, guns and stupid.
They go together like love and Cupid.
Let me tell you brother,
You can’t have one without the other.
Recommended Viewing 0
The Betty Boop cartoons. The animation is excellent for its time, and the stories are quite good fun.
I’m watching them on Tubi, but I think you can find them on Youtube and maybe other streaming services.
I remember seeing them on the telly vision back in the olden days, when I was a young ‘un.