"But a person like Matt Taibbi or Lee Fang?" I'm not familiar with Lee Fang, But one advantage that Matt Taibbi enjoys is that he practices actual journalism (with real pre-publishing fact checking and authenticity, among other features). That said, anyone can file a frivolous lawsuit (obviously!), so they might wear him down that way.
It's the frivolous lawsuits or the ones where they pick apart wording. Matt Taibbi might come out fine in the end, but lawyers fees would eat him alive, and that would be the point.
Prose is declining for sure, but I think the larger problem is that reading and writing are both dying practices. Suppose the next Dickens is already amongst us, are there enough readers to propel an author to superstardom in the 21st century?
There is also the issues of worldliness of course. Though I would argue that it's not entirely necessary to be a good writer. I don't think the solution is to make kids work in a factor like Dickens did. S. E. Hinton wrote an excellent coming of age novel when she was only 15-16.
We are a nation of over-reactive cowards that feel every bump in the road is a sink hole. It is oddly entertaining that so many of us are wondering how the CIA will expand the war they started in Ukraine back in 2014. While a massive attack on New York City's urine-filled New Year "celebration" would cause terror on an exponential factor because our government would refuse to acknowledge Saudi Arabia's hand in it, it is much more likely that our clever politicians will attack Poland, blame it on Russia, and bring on the Big Finish.
Let's all hope it doesn't happen before Christmas; but it's likely to happen in the next five weeks.
"But a person like Matt Taibbi or Lee Fang? It would bankrupt them and stop legitimate stories from getting out there."
I want to say that Taibbi, Fang, et al., have nothing to fear as long as they are being factual, and truthful in their writing, but that's more than just a little naive.
Still, it's the best practice.
Whether Trump wins or not isn't the point (I know), the opportunity for abuse is all too available. Yet, it occurs to me that those who truly do speak truth to power are more at risk when those who control the levers of power as did the Biden-Harris administration for the past four years seek to leverage a censorship-industrial complex against them.
It is crucial that those of us who are not given to extremes do all we can to shorten the rightward swing of the pendulum, and it is mine that Trump feels largely the same.
His opposition to the deep state and the swamp only makes him SEEM to appear to be as right-wing as Biden is left-wing.
For now, I believe this is his way of sending a message to the synchronized legacy corporate media that its recklessness WILL have consequences if changes aren't made.
***
Who would have thought Geraniums could be radioactive?
OHHHHH - its GerMANIUM...'doh!'
As for the rest, yep - every word.
***
That author sounds like a hoot with what I am assuming is a satire of, The Bourne Identity!
The film, though, sounds like it could be a prequel of sorts to, "Ghostbusters" of 1984.
As for "Monster Summer", at least they got Hamilton!
We'll pass on the last one - we've already viewed, "Love, Actually" for this Christmas.
The lawsuit is a terrible idea unless there is strong definitive evidence that the results were borne out of a conspiracy of faux data. Otherwise it should be promptly dismissed. This is a waste of both time and money for any other reason.
On suing news outlets, I think we're at a point in history where the choice is between fighting dirty and not fighting at all. And even fighting dirty isn't an option unless you've got a couple million dollars to spare.
I mean, does anyone have a different plan for forcing the mainstream news to get their shit together?
My only other plan is market forces, which do seem to be working in a way. Joy Reid and Stephanie Ruhle both had to take pay cuts to stay on at MSNBC I saw the other day. Did my heart good.
Gajewski; must watch “Say Nothing” over the holidays. Awesome story of Irish fight for freedom, family bonds, betrayal, sacrifice and rebellion against authority.
Well that was dark. You should probably explore doing more articles exploring the literary side. Add some movies. I know people don’t read anymore but one can try.
The drone stories are interesting. I have a couple I fly, mostly at the lake because I’m not that good yet. I have a friend who has been flying them for years. He contracts to reality companies mostly to take shots they use for their magazines and sales literature. He actually makes a good income doing it as a side project. Anyway it isn’t as easy as one might think.
Overwhelming adversaries with expensive lawsuits is unfortunately a tactic that’s been used for years. That’s why the bad guys mostly win.
Enjoy your holidays. Keep up the exercise in the great outdoors.
It actually surprises me how many people do still read, and how many will only read physical books, even some people younger than I. Now some of what's popular, gag me with a spoon, as we used to say when we were young. I was at Barnes and Noble yesterday looking for a gift for the FIL. The YA fantasy-romance section is just nuts and all the stories sound the same . . . but, hey, they're reading. I'll take it.
And the nice thing about this scary warm and dry winter is that we can be outdoors without worrying about slipping and breaking something, so I will keep walking with the pups.
Hopefully you’re right regarding reading. I know my daughter reads a lot. Most people I know listen to podcasts. That drives me nuts when something I want to read is only available on podcast. I can read a lot faster than they talk. That’s why I never got into Rogan. I don’t have three hours to waste. Give me a transcript.
We got snow Tuesday night and Wednesday. I was surprised we were able to perform Tuesday night. Generally people are reluctant to go out for something like that but all my performers showed up. Troopers all.
DEI is just a new spin on Affirmative Action that was legislated in 1964 and was racism and sexism against straight whet males because it gave incentives and legal protections for every race/sex except straight white males. For all practical purposes, every non-straight white male promoted, hired or given an academic scholarship since then has been suspect of being given not to the best but to the right identity group. Between that and academia grade inflation for the same identities means that every accomplishment by those identifying as such has to be viewed as comprised and not earned against fair competition. Facts. Kinda crazy and funny except for the hundreds of millions screwed over the last 60 years because of Affirmative Action and DEI.
"But a person like Matt Taibbi or Lee Fang?" I'm not familiar with Lee Fang, But one advantage that Matt Taibbi enjoys is that he practices actual journalism (with real pre-publishing fact checking and authenticity, among other features). That said, anyone can file a frivolous lawsuit (obviously!), so they might wear him down that way.
PS Merry Christmas!
It's the frivolous lawsuits or the ones where they pick apart wording. Matt Taibbi might come out fine in the end, but lawyers fees would eat him alive, and that would be the point.
And you have a Merry Christmas as well.
Fang's work definitely deserves to put him into the same club as Taibbi. A bit less gonzo, but still completely exceptional nonetheless.
Thanks for the info. I’ll take a look.
"MARLEY was dead, to begin with."
And voting Democrat ever since!
True.
>to stage an Independence Day style invasion
Staging alien contact that way sounds more like a three-body problem situation though.
Also, holograms have been around for a decent while at this point. Who could forget CNN using them during their 2008 election coverage?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deoOTqT-SMI
I did not remember that. Good point. I keep meaning to read The Three Body Problem.
Prose is declining for sure, but I think the larger problem is that reading and writing are both dying practices. Suppose the next Dickens is already amongst us, are there enough readers to propel an author to superstardom in the 21st century?
There is also the issues of worldliness of course. Though I would argue that it's not entirely necessary to be a good writer. I don't think the solution is to make kids work in a factor like Dickens did. S. E. Hinton wrote an excellent coming of age novel when she was only 15-16.
Thank you for the Glenn Greenwald insert. I know many who need to listen to what he says about the media.
I love Last Christmas!
Merry Christmas to you and your family, Lillia!🎄☃️❄️
You and yours as well!
What happens if one of these “incidents” occurs and the majority of the public does not believe the official narrative?
Now that is an interesting question. I have a feeling we may find out at some point.
We are a nation of over-reactive cowards that feel every bump in the road is a sink hole. It is oddly entertaining that so many of us are wondering how the CIA will expand the war they started in Ukraine back in 2014. While a massive attack on New York City's urine-filled New Year "celebration" would cause terror on an exponential factor because our government would refuse to acknowledge Saudi Arabia's hand in it, it is much more likely that our clever politicians will attack Poland, blame it on Russia, and bring on the Big Finish.
Let's all hope it doesn't happen before Christmas; but it's likely to happen in the next five weeks.
Merry Christmas, regardless.
"But a person like Matt Taibbi or Lee Fang? It would bankrupt them and stop legitimate stories from getting out there."
I want to say that Taibbi, Fang, et al., have nothing to fear as long as they are being factual, and truthful in their writing, but that's more than just a little naive.
Still, it's the best practice.
Whether Trump wins or not isn't the point (I know), the opportunity for abuse is all too available. Yet, it occurs to me that those who truly do speak truth to power are more at risk when those who control the levers of power as did the Biden-Harris administration for the past four years seek to leverage a censorship-industrial complex against them.
It is crucial that those of us who are not given to extremes do all we can to shorten the rightward swing of the pendulum, and it is mine that Trump feels largely the same.
His opposition to the deep state and the swamp only makes him SEEM to appear to be as right-wing as Biden is left-wing.
For now, I believe this is his way of sending a message to the synchronized legacy corporate media that its recklessness WILL have consequences if changes aren't made.
***
Who would have thought Geraniums could be radioactive?
OHHHHH - its GerMANIUM...'doh!'
As for the rest, yep - every word.
***
That author sounds like a hoot with what I am assuming is a satire of, The Bourne Identity!
The film, though, sounds like it could be a prequel of sorts to, "Ghostbusters" of 1984.
As for "Monster Summer", at least they got Hamilton!
We'll pass on the last one - we've already viewed, "Love, Actually" for this Christmas.
Happy New Year, Gajewskis!
Happy New Year as well.
I might actually go find her first book. The second one was very cute and hit the spot.
The lawsuit is a terrible idea unless there is strong definitive evidence that the results were borne out of a conspiracy of faux data. Otherwise it should be promptly dismissed. This is a waste of both time and money for any other reason.
On suing news outlets, I think we're at a point in history where the choice is between fighting dirty and not fighting at all. And even fighting dirty isn't an option unless you've got a couple million dollars to spare.
I mean, does anyone have a different plan for forcing the mainstream news to get their shit together?
politics rarely has ever not included dirty fighting.
My only other plan is market forces, which do seem to be working in a way. Joy Reid and Stephanie Ruhle both had to take pay cuts to stay on at MSNBC I saw the other day. Did my heart good.
Gajewski; must watch “Say Nothing” over the holidays. Awesome story of Irish fight for freedom, family bonds, betrayal, sacrifice and rebellion against authority.
I will look for it! Thank you!
We're at a get-together with Mrs. Pi's college friends.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/MsAugoEp7g8ae6xNA
The glass says Four Roses (which is what I'm packing in the flask, I kid you not) but it's Blanton's Single Barrel.
The Latinos know how to party.
I'm finishing my Christmas shopping. I could use a little of that.
Tell Mrs Pi hello, and enjoy.
Well that was dark. You should probably explore doing more articles exploring the literary side. Add some movies. I know people don’t read anymore but one can try.
The drone stories are interesting. I have a couple I fly, mostly at the lake because I’m not that good yet. I have a friend who has been flying them for years. He contracts to reality companies mostly to take shots they use for their magazines and sales literature. He actually makes a good income doing it as a side project. Anyway it isn’t as easy as one might think.
Overwhelming adversaries with expensive lawsuits is unfortunately a tactic that’s been used for years. That’s why the bad guys mostly win.
Enjoy your holidays. Keep up the exercise in the great outdoors.
It actually surprises me how many people do still read, and how many will only read physical books, even some people younger than I. Now some of what's popular, gag me with a spoon, as we used to say when we were young. I was at Barnes and Noble yesterday looking for a gift for the FIL. The YA fantasy-romance section is just nuts and all the stories sound the same . . . but, hey, they're reading. I'll take it.
And the nice thing about this scary warm and dry winter is that we can be outdoors without worrying about slipping and breaking something, so I will keep walking with the pups.
You enjoy your holidays as well.
Hopefully you’re right regarding reading. I know my daughter reads a lot. Most people I know listen to podcasts. That drives me nuts when something I want to read is only available on podcast. I can read a lot faster than they talk. That’s why I never got into Rogan. I don’t have three hours to waste. Give me a transcript.
We got snow Tuesday night and Wednesday. I was surprised we were able to perform Tuesday night. Generally people are reluctant to go out for something like that but all my performers showed up. Troopers all.
DEI is just a new spin on Affirmative Action that was legislated in 1964 and was racism and sexism against straight whet males because it gave incentives and legal protections for every race/sex except straight white males. For all practical purposes, every non-straight white male promoted, hired or given an academic scholarship since then has been suspect of being given not to the best but to the right identity group. Between that and academia grade inflation for the same identities means that every accomplishment by those identifying as such has to be viewed as comprised and not earned against fair competition. Facts. Kinda crazy and funny except for the hundreds of millions screwed over the last 60 years because of Affirmative Action and DEI.
DEI is a form of supremacist thinking by a different name. It always amazes me how we can keep making the same mistakes over and over.