two chaps with things on their mind
Personally, I remain unconvinced. Just as you sign up to buy a pair of Bose, Wireless headphones, Amazon points out that actually ‘frequently’ their customers slap down another $399 to buy a pair of Sony Wireless headphones. Seriously?
… Big Science is hiding all-natural cures for everything! Nothing natural can harm you! Combine those widespread beliefs with some true but unhelpful info — Lava kills cancer on contact! — and you can end up in some odd places … Continue reading “Towards A People’s Science”
… but it could be streaming already …
In 1989, UK TV viewers experienced a revolution — satellite channels broke the wired TV monopoly. US viewers have been used to a wider variety for years. But now some of the best shows around — Westworld, Stranger Things, Transparent — are on media channels new to everyone. And if you’re watching them, you’ve had to change the way you watch. Continue reading “It’s The Content – Not The Pipe”
Among the soul-searching prompted by Donald Trump’s overturning of electoral predictions, ‘looking outside your bubble’ seems important. As media channels become increasingly siloed, it requires more conscious effort to see the point of view of others. Fortunately, some media are taking steps. Take for example the article ‘ Is Civilian Control of the Military in Jeopardy?‘ from ‘The American Conservative’
… well, not always, and so no, this is not another hate-Trump fest. But it is undeniable that his election has generated substantial verbiage, some of it very sharp indeed. Still, as they almost said in public school, sometimes what’s most needed is a sound trashing. Take this little gem of a hatchet job, that earned the twin honour of both a spluttering 3 am tweet from its ur-subject, and a spike in Vanity Fair subscriptions.
Continue reading “Burying The Hatchet – In Trumps Signature Eatery”
… if A Massive OS Company Makes An Empty Apology For Its Malware-Like Updates, Is It Sound?
For those who fought the highly-pressured Win10 update, preferring to stay with what we have, thank you, it seems stable this time, but got forcibly upgraded anyway, are we at all interested that Microsoft now says, hmm, maybe we were a little aggressive? Continue reading “Softies Gone Soft In The Head?”
… whatever happened to that idea? We used to do it. Such a lot. And then there was curiosity. I mean they say it killed the cat – but we are human.
… well, there’s this … Continue reading “Experimentation”
… the experience is so common it’s banal. Frustrated yelling at some system that just does not understand you, from Siri to your bank-by-phone system. But what if the system controls more than access to accounts? And what happens as globalisation renders your regional accent a liability … when the system cannot recognise variations outside the country of manufacture? Continue reading “If You Think Your Bank’s Voice Recognition Is Poor, Consider This…”
… heart-warming story that went viral …. a hospital Santa holds a dying boy in his arms. Except for one small problem …. no-one ever checked to see if it was true. And now major media outlets that sucked it up are trying to walk it back. It just exemplifies how little actual journalism is practised these days. Continue reading “Santa And The Dying Child – A Study In The Making Of Fake News”
… I am not a fan of leather trousers unless you are going to a fancy dress party. Private Eye spotted this and delved into both price and whether or not ‘leathers in the commons’ were indeed de rigour?
I think the Tories have long been wearing their leathers – just maybe not as visibly as our Theresa is. More shall we say behind the closed doors of the London Clubs.
Continue reading “Theresa May One-Ups Putin”
