wikipedia.org (an irrational media site [1] ) states: Linus Van Pelt is a fictional character in Charles M. Schulz’s comic strip Peanuts. He is the best friend of Charlie Brown, the younger brother of Lucy Van Pelt, and the older brother of Rerun Van Pelt. His first appearance was on September 19, 1952, but he… Continue reading Learning to Understand Irrational Information Retrieval
Pretty Pictures
One nice thing about PDF documents is the pretty pictures. Granted: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but this image shows the extreme disconnect between reported facts and actual reality like no other (in my not so humble opinion 😉 ). Anyone who believes that the advertising industry is all about honesty has… Continue reading Pretty Pictures
Fascism & Regulated Media
Of course the word “fascism” is a loaded term. Let alone that the term was invented by some short pudgy Italian only about a century ago. What does it mean? He might have known, but in the meantime (now, a century later) the term has been applied so often in so many contexts that it… Continue reading Fascism & Regulated Media
Captain’s Log
I recall the television series “Star Trek” … and the entries entered into the “Captain’s Log”, which were spoken somewhat in the voice of a narrator. This didn’t occur odd to me at the time, but as I reflect on it now, I do find it odd that this narration seemed so trustworthy and reliable.… Continue reading Captain’s Log
Be the Government You Want to See in the World
If this realization comes to the ruling elites, then yes: then the first person of the state will act in anticipation of what the voters and the people who make decisions at various levels expect from this person. Then, maybe, something will change. Vladimir Putin, in conversation with Tucker Carlson
A New Kind of Market Failure?
“Market Failure” is commonly thought of as something that goes wrong with the way normal (“free”) markets work. There are actually a lot of assumptions made about how such markets work normally, and many of these are so illusory that it seems amazing anyone would ever pay any attention to what any economist says —… Continue reading A New Kind of Market Failure?
We need to figure out what’s going on
This is something a Silicon Valley celebrity said recently — and I’ve decided to “steal” it because the meaning is actually rather ambiguous and depends a lot on context. The person who said it, simply said it in passing and didn’t contextualize what was meant at all — I actually have a vague “gut feeling”… Continue reading We need to figure out what’s going on
Sometimes people are skeptical, sometimes people are NOT skeptical, but you can bet your life that ALL people are skeptical (sometimes)
It’s definitely a good thing that all people are skeptical — at least sometimes. I find it intriguing (and even fascinating), though, that people’s skepticism does seem to follow somewhat predictable patterns — and that such patterns actually interfere with their ability to deal with bias and biased information. This has a lot to do… Continue reading Sometimes people are skeptical, sometimes people are NOT skeptical, but you can bet your life that ALL people are skeptical (sometimes)
What’s the Difference (Between Mainstream Media and Echo Chambers)?
Joe Rogan and Debra Soh were recently engaged in a lengthy discussion (about several topics, but also in particular) about differences between mainstream media and non-mainstream media — it was a recurring topic throughout the episode, and I recommend to consume the full podcast before reading my own take on it (see also “Are People… Continue reading What’s the Difference (Between Mainstream Media and Echo Chambers)?
Everything is Special, Nothing is General (Knowledge)
I’m guessing that sounds sort of extreme … yet I am repeatedly led to this belief. I don’t believe in such a crass statement as “everything is special, nothing is general“, but I do notice something about the way other people believe to know something about which they obviously have little or no knowledge whatsoever.… Continue reading Everything is Special, Nothing is General (Knowledge)
