I don’t follow pop culture, but it must mean something that for the first time in a few decades, there are no rap songs amongst the Top 40.
Category: Culture (Page 1 of 19)
Why Chicago’s Brandon Johnson fumed at ‘illegal alien’ question
The quote in the title comes from George Orwell, and everybody thinks that he was smart.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson argued that the phrase “illegal alien” strips away the humanity of the person in question.
China Punishes ‘Excessively Pessimistic’ Social Media Users
China Punishes ‘Excessively Pessimistic’ Social Media Users
The authorities have punished two bloggers who advocated for a life of less work and less pressure; an influencer who said that it made financial sense not to marry and have children; and a commentator known for bluntly observing that China still lags behind Western countries in terms of quality of life.
China doesn’t just censor, they punish.
Free speech on social media is important, particularly hate speech, with two caveats. It’s better to know who the haters are, so it should not be anonymous. Also, it should be able to be blocked or filtered if you don’t want it.
Here’s what was in the NYT, on October 7, 1925.
“They tell me a paper has quoted me as saying the first commercial airplane reliability tour proves the airplane to be reliable,” said Mr. Ford. “Maybe I said that, but I doubt that the tour alone could prove such a thing. I’m a greenhorn at this aviation business, but I can see that it is going to be a great industry.”
Mental Illness, Political Ideology, and Holding False Beliefs
Our recent Skeptic Research Center survey of over 3,000 Americans found that 67% of GenZ men and 72% of GenZ women (i.e., those born between 1997-2006) believe “mental health challenges are an important part of my identity.”
That doesn’t sound healthy.
Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, addressed the generals and admirals yesterday.
I have not been in the military, but get what Hegseth is going for. Good people are drawn to quality. Forty years ago, the Navy had the motto, “It’s not just a job, it’s an adventure.” Hegseth wants to appeal to people who want a challenge and are ready to work for it.
And it sounds so bleak.
Lying in bed this morning, I turned on the radio and got Canadian NPR instead of the regular kind. Here is what’s in the news up North.
New details emerge on Hegseth’s unusual mass gathering of top brass
New details emerge on Hegseth’s unusual mass gathering of top brass
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered all military top brass to show up for a meeting at Quantico, Virginia, on Tuesday. The generals and admirals aren’t used to traveling on short notice for a reason they don’t understand. They don’t mind issuing orders like that to the people under their command, but probably don’t like taking orders.