Monday, October 4. 2021
I've read, and watched, quite a bit on this Facebook Whistleblower. I can't say I disagree with much of what she is saying, although I think you can apply all of it to most of our major media outlets today, not just Facebook. I began to question her motivations, in particular after she told her story of a friend who went from being a like-minded Progressive liberal to something other than this (implying 'lies' on Facebook turned that person into a conservative, I'm assuming). God forbid information should make you change your mind or your views - particularly if there's one less of these Progressives in the world!
I may agree with much of what she says she's seen or even believes. I'd even like to stop what she's hoping to stop (hate speech, misinformation, lies, bullying). I can't say she knows how to stop those things. In fact, I know she can't. She THINKS she can. After all, she writes algorithms for a living, and she believes algorithms can fix anything. She's clearly a socialist of some nature, after all, she points out that Facebook puts 'profit' before stopping 'hate speech'. I found that claim interesting, since all major media outlets do this. After all, what are CRT, Cancel Culture or Wokism if not hate speech? And the major outlets are sharing those ideas quite freely and openly. So yes, profit is put ahead of stopping hate speech.
The critical part here is that she seems to think it can be reduced or stopped. I suppose it can, to a small degree. But if you want to (as she does) rely on algorithms, which she writes for a living, then what she's really saying is "I'd like to be able to control what information is fed to people at all times, and limit it to what I believe is acceptable."
I believe in choices. And we all make them. We choose to be on (or off) Facebook, social media, the internet or TV. Once we've chosen what to engage, we choose what to believe or not believe in our information resources. Sometimes (whoops) it's a lie or misinformation, though most times it's probably not (though I suppose if you listen to Biden and Fauci and assume they are authorities on anything, you're welcome to believe almost anything is 'truth' or 'science'). Part of adulting is learning to use common sense and pursue productive, effective, and meaningful parsing of data and information. I'm not sure what the whistleblower is hoping to achieve, but if it is to 'save' Facebook (as she claims) then I'm likely to believe that she's hoping to engage more situational design leading to social outcomes she believes are 'best for society'. I doubt I share her views on what's 'best' for society.
Saturday, October 2. 2021
Thursday, September 30. 2021
Wednesday, September 29. 2021
Can There Be Any Doubt That Hillary Was Behind The Trump/Russia Collusion Hoax?
No. Never was any doubt, but the news pushed it so hard that the gullible believed it.
Tuesday, September 28. 2021
Monday, September 27. 2021
Sunday, September 26. 2021
Biden Immediately Reversing Trump Rules on Immigration Was ‘Open Door Signal’ and He Was Warned It Was Dangerous
It was on purpose, without the consent of the population or its representatives.
Saturday, September 25. 2021
We have a new record - 2 Maggie's Farmers arrived to join us from Los Angeles, which represents a new long-distance visit. Always pleased when our readers travel to join us.
Originally, I was worried nobody would make it. As it turns out, we had a hardy group of 10 people and we had a great day. Thank you to everyone who joined us, each of whom had a little bit extra to add to the commentary as we wound our way from Chelsea, through Greenwich Village, the East Village and down into the Lower East Side. MacDougal Street allowed us to work through a Beatnik/Rock and Roll section, which was followed by a series of Stanford White buildings, among a variety of other interesting and fun items like Edna St. Vincent Millay's townhouse, Commodore Vanderbilt's first Manhattan home (replaced by a more modern building), Triangle Shirtwaist Fire building, the Turkish and Russian Baths, and many other locations.
We had a great lunch and a few beers at McSorley's. As I was mapping and herding, I didn't take too many pictures. Bird Dog was, and I'm sure he will share them.
Thanks to our good friend, the Manhattan Contrarian, for purchasing some delicious muffins at Magnolia Bakery, which we all shared.
We missed many of our regulars, and hope you will join us in the Spring when do this again in 2022.
Fossil footprints show humans in North America more than 21,000 years ago. The footprints, the earliest firm evidence for humans in the Americas, show that people must have arrived here before the last Ice Age.
Vanderleun takes a look at deToqueville
Thousands of NYC teachers haven’t been vaxxed. What — they’re all Trump supporters?
What's that about Trump and vaccines? Trump led the way in making the vaccine happen in record time, and asked people to get it
Man, 20, and woman, 23, are arrested after cops find 21kg of carfentanil - enough to kill 50 MILLION people
Black man arrested for ‘N-word’ graffiti, swastikas at Emory University
Photographer Who Took Photos of Border Patrol's Horse Unit Takes a Sledgehammer to 'Whipping' Lie
Yet another political hoax
Melbourne Australia Police and Riot Squads Fire Upon Peaceful Protestors While Media Frame COVID Anti-Lockdown Protests as Domestic Extremists
Consequences of Failure: The Politics of Saigon and Kabul
Friday, September 24. 2021
Thursday, September 23. 2021
Wednesday, September 22. 2021
Tuesday, September 21. 2021
 At Quillette: Can we have sex back?
The folly of Woke Math
New York City high school issues useless diplomas for all
INEVITABLY: Texas women in New York restaurant vaccine brawl say race a factor.
They assaulted an Asian server
How Clinton invented Trump-Russia
Indictment of Campaign Lawyer Demonstrates How Hillary Clinton Is The Most Systemically Manipulative Politician Of Our Lifetime. Hillary Clinton opreatives perpetrated a massive Russia-collusion fraud on the American public which not only manipulated the 2016 election process but also froze the Trump presidency and nearly paralyzed the nation politically for years.
Is Larry Elder in the KKK?
Z Man via Taki:
The two most important features of the long-running culture war in the United States are that the left has won every fight and the right has never learned from failure. In all of its manifestations over the years, the American right has never figured out why they lose every engagement with the left. Instead, they have internalized failure, making it a key feature of how they engage with the world.
The reason that the right never wins is they insist that facts and reason are the solution to the conflict...
VDH: The Afghanistization of America - We are doing our best to become a Third-World country of incompetency, constitutional erosion, a fractious and politicized military elite, and racially and ethnically obsessed warring tribes.
Illegal Immigrants Rush to Mexico From Texas Camp to Avoid Deportations
"It is almost as if President Franklin D. Roosevelt had stuffed his entire New Deal into one piece of legislation, or if President Lyndon B. Johnson had done the same with his Great Society, instead of pushing through individual components over several years."
Monday, September 20. 2021
Sunday, September 19. 2021
Checking In With The "Smart" People At Harvard
Sounds more like sociocultural fashion than anything data-based. Maybe that's the idea. Many elite institutions began as religious ones and, without the religion, other things need to fill the existential vacuum.
But where is the "veritas"?
Saturday, September 18. 2021
For all you hardy souls, a gentle reminder. Dylan, Stanford White, Peter Cooper, Hamilton, McSorley (whoever he was), it's all going to happen next week on Saturday. 10 am in front of the southern entrance to the High Line on Gansevoort St.
6.6 miles, give or take. Figure 3.5 to 4 hours, lots to see and do. No masks required, though if you want to eat in a restaurant you'll need your vaccine card (thanks to the ever-caring nanny state of Warren Wilhelm, Jr.
It's rain or shine. I'm expecting the best shining to be on the smiling, shining faces of our attendees. Looking forward to seeing you all!!
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Mick Jagger had a beer at Charlotte’s Thirsty Beaver —
Did a