A challenge worth pursuing…
Here is a quote from A.O. Scott in a column about the best movies of 2019:
You know what’s cool? Movies that offer something more than the sullen pseudo-politics of “Joker” or the elaborate pro-status-quo theatrics of “Avengers.” Movies that, rather than fetishizing self-pity or sentimentalizing domination, illuminate the cruelty, the comedy and the grace of the human condition. Movies that treat you as something other than a passive spectator or an obedient, presold “fan.” Movies that are actually worth arguing about, and thinking about.
Replace “Movies” with “Living,” and you’ve got a challenge that might be worth pursuing. “Living that, rather than fetishizing self-pity or sentimentalizing domination, illuminates the cruelty, the comedy and the grace of the human condition.”
A YouTube channel to get you thinking
Nerdwriter1 posts an eclectic mix of short videos. His analysis of Donald Trump answering a question is brilliant, and check out this analysis of an Emily Dickinson poem. However, I especially enjoy his analysis of art and movies.
Susan Rice
I personally had never really given Susan Rice much thought, but I saw her interviewed a couple of times a month or so ago. Man, what an articulate intellect! In a column she wrote in the NY Times Rice wrote:
This combination — being a confident black woman who is not seeking permission or affirmation from others — I now suspect accounts for why I inadvertently intimidate some people, especially certain men, and perhaps also why I have long inspired motivated detractors who simply can’t deal with me.
Yep.
Deep fakes, disinformation, and belief
One of the reasons that I started this blog has to do with concerns I have about the origins of our beliefs. I don’t mean religious beliefs, although those certainly need occasional challenging. No, I mean beliefs that devalue other individuals who simply want a slice of dignity. Beliefs that lead some to charge into pizza parlors with guns. Beliefs that lead some to disregard mountains of data about global warming. Beliefs that lead to visceral declarations of “I just don’t like them.” Anyway, everyone should be aware of the forces out there that are trying to influence their beliefs. Here is a collection of a few articles that deal with that issue.
I think that at this point, most folks know that the content they are interacting with in social media has been planted by governments. However, be aware that this planting of information also concerns opinion pieces that you read in your newspaper as well as letters to the editor.
More information about Russian government attempts to influence U.S. politics. You Reddit users, be aware that platform has its trolls, too.
Here’s an interesting article about how telecommunication companies faked millions of comments to the FCC. This was part of a campaign to get “net neutrality” revoked. It worked, and they paid no penalties that I am aware of.
Want an online game that let’s you play at planting disinformation? Here you go.
Deep fakes refer to video that has been doctored to make it look like someone is doing something they didn’t do. These things are coming. What if we had video of Donald Trump taking money from Putin? What if we had video of Hillary Clinton giving money to a bunch of Ukrainians? How many people would want to believe their lying eyes? Many.