Janis Joplin Woodstock 1969
Jughead, 1970. It doesn’t require much individuality to be viewed as an eccentric iconoclast in Riverdale.
There’s Nothing Like a ‘54 Ford via
Fred Willard, 1978. via
The death cult at the grocery store – Retail workers are being called on to enforce facemask requirements, and they’re facing threats and violence from anti-maskers.
Why Is Facebook So Afraid of Checking Facts? – Facebook refuses to factcheck fake news, based on the discredited social theory of “backfire effects,” which claims that people dig in to false views when faced with contradictory evidence.
Facebook’s belief is based on a 2008 study, since discredited. In reality, when faced with contradictory evidence, people change their beliefs, just as you would like them to do.
So Facebook’s fake news policy is based on fake news.
Facebook’s Giphy acquisition would be a privacy disaster
Saturday, May 16, 2020
How Facebook Could Use Giphy to Collect Your Data – Giphy already tracks users online behavior, and Facebook should not be allowed to buy it. Also: In America, healthcare workers can’t find PPE, “essential workers” are pooping in alleyways, but Facebook can afford to drop $500M on animated GIFs.
Qanon is so popular because there are so many real-life conspiracies
Friday, May 15, 2020
Cory Doctorow: Social media isn’t particularly great at persuasion. But it is excellent at finding small, diffuse groups that are receptive to a message, and targeting those groups. That’s great if you’re a refrigerator business looking to find people who are shopping for a refrigerator. It’s even better if you’re an LGBTQ kid in a small town, looking to find community. It’s not so great for society if you’re looking to organize people who might be inclined to believe that a Presidential candidate is operating a child rape ring out of the basement of a popular Washington, D.
Former newspaper editor is now a homeless blogger
Friday, May 15, 2020
The New York Times: Rick Jackson, 54, was top editor of The Herald-Times, Bloomington, Indiana. He got laid off “in the parking lot next to the paper’s headquarters. He was also told he would have to vacate the apartment in the same building, where he had been living for 10 months.” Unable to go to the newsroom, Mr. Jackson started a blog. He called it The Homeless Editor…. He’s living in a Motel 6 now.
New Christopher Pike "Trek" series in the pipeline. SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!!
Friday, May 15, 2020
Hollywood Reporter : CBS All Access is doing a new Star Trek series, based on the adventures of the Enterprise under Captain Christopher Pike, with Anson Mount returning as Pike, Ethan Peck as Spock and Rebecca Romjin as Number One. Also in the pipeline: New seasons of Discovery and Picard, an animated series, “Lower Decks” – I think I read elsewhere that will be a comedy – another Discovery spinoff, Section 31, starting Michelle Yeoh, and a younger-skewing CG-animated series for Nickelodeon.
I like the way the dog looks at the camera for approval. "Did you see that move?"
Friday, May 15, 2020
Stop what you’re doing and watch my weird dog fight a tree. pic.twitter.com/Tam5fBLZBc — K.B. Spangler (@KBSpangler) May 14, 2020
Losers who use “loose” when they mean “lose.” Makes me lose my shit.
Excitement during the pandemic.
I like that it’s a professional model. Don’t want to use the AMATEUR equipment.
The Saga of Michael Flynn – Politics doesn’t permit nuance. Either Michael Flynn is a hero or a traitor. Either the Justice Department investigation was entirely justified or it was a witchhunt.
Rumors that some horror movies are cursed become their own kind of curse for the people who make those movies
Friday, May 15, 2020
The Curse of The Curse – Great episode of the Imaginary Worlds podcast: filmmaker Jay Cheel talks about his new documentary series “Cursed Films,” which explores why people think movies like The Exorcist, The Omen, and other horror films were cursed – targeted by demonic forces. Also, special effects artist Craig Reardon and director Gary Sherman separate fact from fiction with the alleged Poltergeist curse. And theologian Brandon Grafius, author of “Reading the Bible with Horror,” describes horror’s Biblical connections.
Thoughts following my my first-ever at-home haircut
Tuesday, May 12, 2020
I had long, thick hair when I was a young man and I miss it. For years I’ve wondered if I would look good with long hair today, even though my hair is extremely thin now. Social distancing gave me an opportunity to find out; I went far longer than usual between haircuts. The answer is that I look terrible with long hair. I am back to number two clippers all over, for good.
Help Garry Armacost, a Vietnam vet, fight cancer and VA bureaucracy
Monday, May 11, 2020
Garry Armacost, was wounded fighting for his country in Vietnam. Now he’s in the fight of his life, against cancer and the bureaucracy of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Garry is a big, cheerful, quiet 75-year-old who lives in San Diego. He needs cancer surgery for his survival. The surgery is complicated, long, done robotically, and requires sophisticated post-operative care. Garry has had bad experience with post-operative care at the VA, which proved nearly fatal in 2012.
Julie gave me my first rona haircut. Fine job and I still have all my ears!
