April, 2020 archive
Truth in Labeling 0
At the Tampa Bay Times, Stephen Buckley, citing John M. Barry’s research, looks back at how news of the 1918 flue epidemic was covered and reminds us that reporting facts is not being alarmist. Here’s a bit:
In North Carolina, some newspapers would not publish the names of the dead.
One newspaper in Phoenix declined to write about influenza deaths there, or anywhere else. The paper, Barry writes, “was utterly silent, saying nothing about influenza anyplace in the country until the news was such that it could no longer keep silent.”
Nattering Nabobs of Narcissism 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Kristy Lee Hochenberger writes of the danger posed by narcissists who believe that they are entitled to ignore the advice of experts in these viral times. A snippet; follow the link to see whether her depiction of narcissism and narcissists reminds you of anyone in the news.
Numbers Gaming 0
If you can’t meet the standards, why not just lower them?
Aside:
Changing the wording of a web page does not change the law, but it can mislead deceive the populace, which, natch, is the intent.
Mask Marauder 0
I can’t help but feel that this is a harbinger of coming events.
In more news of our descent into Lord of the Flies, “zoombombing” . . . .
All the News that Fits 0
Fox News can’t handle the truth.
The Republican Fantasy Land 0
Paul Krug tries to understand the Republican Party’s mass denial of objective reality. Here’s a bit; follow the link for the rest.
And while climate-change denial is a worldwide phenomenon, its epicenter is clearly here in America: Republicans are the world’s only major climate-denialist party.
Nor is climate science the only thing they reject; not one of the candidates contending for the GOP’s 2016 nomination was willing to endorse the theory of evolution.
What lies behind Republican science denial? The answer seems to be a combination of fealty to special interests and fealty to evangelical Christian leaders like Jerry Falwell Jr., who dismissed the coronavirus as a plot against Trump, then reopened his university despite health officials’ warnings, and seems to have created his own personal viral hot spot.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Politeness goes viral.
The two men got into an argument, with the driver, William Sauro, 53, briefly getting out of his car. When Sauro went to drive away, he hit Alvarez with the vehicle, police say. Alvarez then allegedly pulled out a handgun and fired at least four shots at the car. One went through the windshield.
Another customer captured the end of the altercation on video, which shows a man advancing, gun drawn, toward the reversing car.
Tales of the Trumpling: the Trumpling Goes Viral 0
Trumpled in the grocery store:
The man coughed on an employee, who backed away from the encounter.
A second employee intervened, and that’s when the man said that racial minorities are to blame for the coronavirus pandemic. Both employees were minorities, one black and the other of Asian descent.
The story goes on to report that the man was arrested, detained for a short time, then released “as police prepare a case for consideration of charges,” whatever that means.
One Insure Thing 0
Wendell Potter, at one time a flack for CIGNA, reminds us that for profit insurance companies exist for profit. They don’t want you to get sick, and, if you do, they don’t want to take care of you. Here’s a bit (emphasis added):
Taking Stock 0
Writing at the Idaho State Journal, Mike Jones wonders when the stock market became such a big deal that certain politicians have become willing to ask old folks to sacrifice their lives for the Dow-Jones Average. A snippet; more at the link:
I still don’t know much about how the stock market works. Based on the little bit I have studied it, I surmise investing in stocks is a lot like betting on horse races — both are fixed, you just have to be lucky and guess the fix correctly.
And, in more news of taking stock . . . .
The Bully’s Pulpit 0
Julie Delegal points out that both sides don’t. Follow the link for her reasons.