Disinformation is the easiest thing to find on the internet.

  

Local newspapers were never perfect, but also never gave the pretense that they were. They could sometimes reflect community prejudices, or cozy up to authorities they should have challenged. But the social costs of losing local coverage genuinely rooted in communities is profound.

Local news organizations encourage people to use businesses, go to theatres or join campaigning groups. They inform people about rights and services. They promote accountability and democratic oversight – even more important when power is devolving. But they also sustain communities in less tangible ways. They make people feel part of society. They allow them to assess what they read in the context of their own experience, and encourage them to see news as a source of practical and helpful information, rather than a matter of theoretical discussion and emotional reaction. Margaret Sullivan, a US media critic, warned that their erosion is a danger to democracy itself. It allows disinformation and emotive political rhetoric detached from fact to flourish. Disinformation is the easiest thing to find on the internet.
    My personal choice for news is local news for most things. After that its a weight and balance time to look at major news sources where there are people trying to make a living which depends on an audience and a good share of the ratings. Most of them believe that sensationalizing a story is the best way to draw an audience. And, for many, truth is not the most important thing if a lie will get them more traffic which can revert to more money in their pockets.
     These kinds of resources can lead us through many "Max Headroom" moments. ("Max Headroom" was a pre-internet 1985 movie which to some degree became a prophetic insight in what was to come). I remember watching it on a rented VHS on my first "high tech" VHS player and thinking how weird it would be if this really happened...but I could see some possibilities.
     Today I have the ability to watch literally thousands of movies at the flick of a remote without having to go to the Video Rental store. But, also, I have almost that many sources available for news and it has many many trails​.

Gateway Pundit: The right wing king of misinformation and grift.

 

Gateway Pundit is a irresponsible web site that pulls news out of reality and makes it their own by rewriting whatever the real story was and making it a right-wing talking point.  Case in point they (they, by the way, is Jim Hoft) reported that "Dominion Voting Systems sued FOX News for $1.6 billion in a defamation lawsuit in March 2021.  ". 

      As near as I can tell that one sentence is all Hoft got right. 
     He then added: "The AP reported on the suit in a very nasty and biased report" and then Hoft added as a garnishment: "The AP included numerous falsities and biases in its report, so much so that it looked like it was written by Dominion." Hoft went on to say that Fox has filed a suit against Dominion now.....which they did not. Fox did filed a response to the Dimonion claim which stated that  “Dominion is fundamentally mistaken. Freedom of speech and freedom of the press would be illusory if the prevailing side in a public controversy could sue the press for giving a forum to the losing side.”
     It is, of course, the old "First Amendment" argument the right wing likes to lean on which is supposed to allow them to say whatever they want. Not true, of course. Lying is not a First Amendment right.
    The only out Fox News could have might be that they would want to post a disclaimer on every report saying "This might not be true" but it's a good story. Or maybe rebrand their "News Corporation" as a satire site. Right wingers, of course, would still pick out the stories they want to push as true. As a former right-winger I understand clearly that they are motivated by one thing: Affirmation." It does not matter if what they are spouting is true...just that some of their fellow right wingers give them affirmation.
  One other note: Hoft reported that "Mark Beckstrand, a Dominion Sales Manager, confirmed that other parties “have gotten ahold of [Dominion’s] equipment illicitly” in the past. There is no information to back that comment up. But if you punch it into google you will find several website reporting the same thing. But...they are ALL right wing nutjob sites. Sometimes it's hard to tell who created the story but they all post the same things and right winger seat it up like candy. 

In Exchange for a few brain cells, you can be an Ultra Maga, Too!

 

Maga and Ultra Maga?? I am presuming that if one is using fewer brain cells or simply lack basic critical thinking skills one can claim "Ultra" status cuz why not create a title that means you're just a bigger idiot then the regular ones?

Read a lot of right wing posts today & about 90 % of them are

linked to blogs or sites that I would presume if I would see the author I would hear a banjo picking the "Deliverance" theme in the background.
     Jack Smith has subpoenaed Mike Pence.
Subpoena from special counsel Jack Smith requests documents and testimony related to the failed attempt by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election, which culminated in the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
To be truthful......I am beginning to have some doubts about what the end game is. It's been over two years now and we already know through the Jan 6 Committee about a lot of the info they already have....which seems more than enough. If they do not charge Trump...it leaves the door open for him or someone like him to do it again. It could be, however, that Smith and friends are just trying to make the case rock solid. (Which should be relatively easy just based on info we have already seen and heard. )

The True Faithful Become a Smaller Demographic Every Generation

 

Interesting observation from A.M. Pitzer way back in 1912. ​ It could be written today. It's quite possible that every generation could have said (and can say) something like this as man has only a vantage point of where he is in the time-space world of "NOW," but I also suspect that, as long as God allows this world to continue the "faithful" will be smaller with each generation that passes until God says "It's enough"

A.M. Pitzer quotes a newspaper and then adds his commentary:

"There is a growing impression among eminent private thinkers that Christianity is losing its hold upon men, and that the Church is a waning power; that the religious world is drifting from its moorings, and faith is becoming a tradition of the past."

​ The above quotation is from an editorial in the most popular newspaper published at the Capital of the United States. If the faith of the Church is to stand in the wisdom of men, then it will be the sport of every wind of doctrine, and bedriven hither and thither, according to the course of the popular tide; and if the Church has no better anchor than the wisdom of this world, then, indeed, will it drift from all its moorings, and be tossed continually upon the seas of ceaseless speculation. But if faith is to stand, not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God, in the sure Word of Truth that liveth and abideth forever, then, like its Divine Author, it is and will be the same yesterday, today, and forever. If faith be founded upon the Word of Eternal Truth, then the Church has an anchor sure and stedfast, entering into that within the veil. One prophecy of Daniel is fulfilled: "Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased". The world has never witnessed a period of such incessant and intense mental activity."

Which -ghazi will the Right Wing Manufacture Rage About Today?

 

Gas-stoveghazi is a another right wing issue for them to manufacture rage about. No one is out to take anyones gas stoves. Same with Hillarys email-ghazi and Hunter Bidens Laptop-ghazi....not to forget the original Benghazi-ghazi. There's no there there on any of these right-wing rage points. The only intellectual way to pursue it is to not pursue it.

But we now have a benchmark rule: If Boebert, Gaetz, MJ Greene, Tuckkker Carlson or Ted Cruz are on the rage manufacturing trail...then you know whatever the issue it is more than likely not a real issue.

"Evil" to the right wingers is simply anyone or anything that does not accept their information as hard cold indisputable facts

 Rich Kozlovich (a rabid right wingnut) opened a blog post with these statements:

"On December 30, 2022.............posted a piece noting,  17% of Assaults on NY Jews Were Carried Out By Muslims “64% of the assaults were committed by black individuals, 17% by Asians (Muslim/Arab).”
     And he summized: "Did you know that?  No?  Why not?  I did!  Why? Because I’m searching news sources all the time, so the fact I know these things and most people don’t isn’t the fault of the people.  It’s the fault of the media because they focus on “their” narratives, and mostly those narratives are misdirection, logical fallacies, lies of commission and lies of omission."
     He then goes through small list of other issues of which he blames the media for not reporting on. But, interestingly, he was using a blog post, which can be shared to social media, and found in a Google search (How I found it) so I am to assume that only his chosen "media" is not the enemy but all the others are?
     What emphasizes my assumption is the fact that the info was posted on quite a few right - wing propaganda sites...and it appears that the information has no solid source for legit reporting. This, however, is the way the right wing media operates: They decry every media that does not push their narratives (or use that stupid two word  idiom: "Fake News") .
    The right-wingers battle with themselves for the most part when it comes the evilness of a media that will not report their baseless arguments. And they will be the first..(tho maybe the only) to tell you how much wisdom is in their information. 
     Kozlovich ends his argument with:
"One has to conclude there’s something seriously wrong with these people, and have no doubt in your minds, they really hate us, in fact, leftists hate humanity, and truth be told, they hate themselves, and the media is the agar and Petri dish in which their hate and vile behavior grows, thrives and spreads like an infectious plague on humanity."
     Just a reminder: "Evil" to the right wingers is simply anyone or anything that does not accept their information as hard cold indisputable facts. Hillary's emails, Hunter Bidens laptop, Benghazi (and more) are a important talking point to the Right Wing media. Just baseless and not important in the real world. 

Support Your Local News Media

 A Newspaper in Long Island, New York (North Shore Leader) posted serious revelations about George Santos before the state and national elections which made it pretty clear that there was something wrong about the info Santos was telling people about him.  The national press, not even the New York Times, picked up the information. I find this disturbing because the national press has such a megaphone that I have to wonder where they were getting the information they were espousing. Or were they just too busy chasing after whatever wind came their way about Santos....and by "whatever wind" I mean what will draw attention to them, gain clicks on the internet or watchers for pundits. 

Personally I read a lot  of news...maybe too much. But if something is reported that sounds odd or unbelievable  I research a bit before I  push it. But I have noticed that one of the more credible news sources for anyone is their local newspaper or TV station. They tend to be involved in local stories and the reporters and writers generally live within the community or general area that their news is reported to. It is not foolproof, of course, as no one source hits 100% right all the time...but the odds are in their favor. 

All the major networks and news agencies, of course, are reporting everything that is wrong with George Santos now......but they should have been out there several weeks ago before the election. The information was there. 

Donald Trump Jr's New Grift

 

Donald Trump Jr's new grift is he is selling what he calls a "We The People" Bible. He says: "The We The People Bible was designed with the patriot in mind and features a vertical reversed American flag design that represents a country in distress.......Our Bibles include copies of the United States Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and the Pledge of Allegiance. "

     Oh, and if you order the Bible bundle (for only $150) you also get: A Bible
Hat, A T-Shirt, A Challenge Coin, A Bookmark. and an American Flag Lapel Pin.
(Wow! A bookmark!!!...let me get my bank card out😜  )

​(How could you really be an American Christian with out it?? ...Everything you would need to show you are really an American Christian😜)
#ChristianNationalismRising

GOP: Forever chasing Fairy Tales

 

There are simple ways to find out if an elected official has gone off the deep end (or becoming QAnonesque). One way has become clear ever since Trump uttered his first election lie in 2020 (even before the election even started):

Q: Do you believe the 2020 election was stolen?
A: Yes (Which automatically confirms and certifies the responder as a right wing nutjob)
     There are others (way too many) but the most recent has to do with Elon Musk's alleged "Twitter Files" which he posted to Twitter. "Twitter Files" was suppose to expose something important. It didn't.  Just another stack added to the stupid things right wingers look for. 
    New question:
Q) Do you believe there's anything to the Hunter Biden laptop story that exposes President Biden?
A: Yes. (Which, automatically certifies you as a right wing nutjob and a right winger that can't read very well.)
Unfortunately, Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker thinks "Twitter Files" was some great big old revelation of corruption. (Which  it wasn't anywhere near). Wicker told an interviewer this last week that “What we’ve learned is Twitter was in cahoots with the top officials of the Biden campaign trying to get Vice President Biden elected president and they seemed to have succeeded."
    Wicker also said "I asked Jack Dorsey, the head of Twitter, if he had information that the laptop was Russian disinformation." Dorsey said no and that he "had no such information." Of course if you ask a question that flies in the face of the narrative you are pushing there is no satisfactory answer available unless the answer supports your pet false narrative of the week. Wicker will continue, as usual, seeking out the truth of the lie he believes and will be frustrated when he never finds it....but even that wont stop him from believing it.  Like Hillary's emails and Benghazi. #DOH

Republicans Offer No Answer to Gun Violence (and may not ever).

​After the 2018, Santa Fe High School shooting, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that he would consult across Texas in an attempt to prevent gun violence in schools. He had a series of round-table discussions followed at the state capitol. In a speech to a NRA convention in Dallas almost two weeks later, Abbott said, "The problem is not guns, it’s hearts without God".

So, if that is the problem..what is the answer? It would be making efforts to turn hearts toward God, would it not? Or is it blaming the Christian church for not reaching those hearts? And how does an elected official deal with that when separation of church and state is a paramount issue throughout America's history?

A few days later Abbott published a Youtube video saying the shooter broke "two gun laws the day he committed the multiple murders"..... It is a felony to possess a gun on school property" and "what he did on campus is capital murder. That's a crime that would have subjected him to the death penalty in Texas." So, if that is the answer..what is the problem? Are shooters concerned about committing a crime? Obviously not. The State of Texas has executed 578 people since 1982. Seems to me that if you combine both responses from Governor Abbott that the shootings resulted because they had a godless heart and ignorance of capital penalties. 

     Before God reaches hearts, men are subject only to or restrained by secular rules and laws of society. Don't kill people with guns. Governments can only really control the penalty phase of any legal breach of justice...though lawyers can often breach that and do quite often.

Reaching hearts is actually the most sure way. But you can't make reaching hearts a law with consequences no matter how hard you try to legislate it.  And since the second amendment is applied in the way it is today which gives any gun enthusiast an orgasm there aren't much options...or maybe none at all in the Republican mind.