It’s not only a cold muggy day, but also very busy. I’m waiting for a grocery delivery, and will have to put everything away, when it arrives. Later Wendy is coming to scour the stinky TomCat, and do some light housework. I’ll feed her chili dawgs. Sleep is still slow in coming.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 2:47 (average 4:56). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Media Matters: In the wake of the 2016 election, one thing has become increasingly clear: there is a huge problem with the news that tens of millions of Americans get from Facebook.
According to a recent Pew poll, 62% of Americans now get news on social media, with Facebook overwhelmingly being the most popular platform. And yet too often it was not news that Americans found on Facebook, but rather fake stories dressed up as the news.
Evidence shows that Facebook is riddled with lies. One report even found that teenagers in Macedonia were able to game Facebook and get their Trump propaganda posts shared into the news feeds of millions.
Earlier this year, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg sat down with conservatives who complained that right-wing news was suppressed on Facebook. It was after that meeting that Facebook fired their human editors and replaced them all with algorithms. This decision further unleashed fake news on Facebook.
A new bombshell report revealed that Facebook knew about the fake news problem and had the ability to do something about it, but declined to fix the issue out of fear that the right-wing would complain.
If we have learned anything from the past two decades, it is that it is crucial not to cave to right-wing bullying and manipulations.
Despite overwhelming data and insider reporters, Mark Zuckerberg refuses to even acknowledge the problem publicly. (Which is odd given that he was willing to sit down with discredited right-wing misinformers over totally unsubstantiated cries of bias)
Join us in asking Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook to take two concrete steps:
- Acknowledge the problem of the proliferation of fake news on Facebook.
- Commit to taking action to fix the problem.
It’s high time that Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook fix their fake news problem and address the fever swamp/cesspool of misinformation that Facebook has become.
If that hurts liberals, so be it. If that hurts conservatives, so be it. If that hurts teenagers publishing fake news in Macedonia, so be it. Let the chips fall where they may.
It’s time for the truth to have its day. That’s all we’re asking for.
I am sharing the entire article, because Media Matters want'[s it shared. Considering that Facebook, which I quit many years ago, is owned by a collection of Billionaires, Banksters, and Vulture Capitalists, is this any surprise? Please click through and sign the petition.
From Daily Kos: Share this article
That didn’t take long. Not even a week has passed, and the president elect’s team is already warning Trump critics to be "careful" about the way they criticize Trump.
[Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid] on Friday had said that "the election of Donald Trump has emboldened the forces of hate and bigotry in America" and that "white nationalists, Vladimir Putin and ISIS are celebrating Donald Trump’s victory, while innocent, law-abiding Americans are wracked with fear." […]
Then, she added: "He should be very careful about characterizing somebody in a legal sense. He thinks — he thinks he’s just being some kind of political pundit there, but I would say be very careful about the way you characterize it."
Donald Trump’s minions seem to be confused about this, so let’s fill them in on something they’re going to need to know going forward: The President of the United States has the least legal protection against criticism or libel of anyone in the country. As the ultimate public figure, courts are obliged to grant public citizens wide leeway. This is why, for example, elected public officials, private citizens, and the Fox News channel have been repeatedly able to peddle 100% false information about Barack Obama for a decade with absolutely no repercussions.
With the takeover of SCOTUS by SCROTUS (Republican Constitutional VD) virtually guaranteed, that is likely to change.
From YouTube (GQ Channel): Should We Give Donald Trump a Chance? | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann
Amen!
Cartoon:
13 Responses to “Open Thread – 11/16/2016”
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5:48 Too wet and cold for me today.
MM – Signed of course. I was never on Facebook and confidently expect I never will be. This is only one of many reasons why. (I've said so often and for so long that Zuckerberg is a thug in a hoodie that probably no one willl even remember the photo of him which led to my assertion. Sugar Mountain indeed. Right, just like a septic tank is a "Honey Pot.")
DKos – Yup. I alluded yesterday that "be vary creful about the way you characterize it" is exactly the Republican version of "Political Correctness," which they claim to hate. A mote and a beam also come to mind.
YT/GQ – Well, I'll follow him. What do y'all think? Should it really be a legislator who is leader of the resistance? He says he wishes one would take it up – but I'm not so sure a private citizen isn't a better idea.
Cartoon – Boy, is THAT ever Trump on steroids!
MM: Interesting article, hope that this gets resolved. I signed the petition.
DK: Oh, please! Got his hair in a tangle already, I see. Well, Conway anyways…
YT: How refreshing! Great video from Keith. DT needs to be banned from Twitter, and get him out!! Resist! Peace!! Awesome! imho.
Cartoon: Word.
Hope you got your chores done, and now you can relax. Enjoy your evening, take care, and Thanks, Tom.
MM: Petition signed!
DK: So, Kellyanne is out to block the 1st amendment!????
Keith: The empty One has had his chance, and he used it to appoint Bannon? His kids? Chance over!
Keith for DNC leader!
Fake new is a YUGE problem.
Looks like Twitter may by addressing the issue.
Facebook? Not so much. (Mark Zuckerberg: "I gotta keep that revenue stream rolling in because being worth $50+ BILLION is not nearly enough")
In a word, Mark? FUXK YOU!
Puzzle — 3:22 I lost my balance!
Media Matters — Signed. This must change. Zuckerberg must be a Republican worshipping at the altar of money and greed.
Daily Kos — Drumpf said several times during the campaign that he would change freedom of the press as noted in the 1st amendment . . . the lying press, the biased press. And with a stacked SCOTUS, the "freedom of the press" clause of the 1st amendment is likely to get new definitions. There could also be a constitutional change which only requires 38 states to ratify. Oh what a state of affairs!
Youtube — AMEN!!!!! I read 2 days ago that there are several legislators (at least one Dem and one Republican) who are encouraging the electoral college not to stand by Drumpf. They are suggesting that if an EC member doesn't like either presidential candidate, they should write one in . . . Kasich being a possibility or Rmoney another. People could also write in Bernie. I think they need to turn about 35, if I am remembering the figures from the article correctly. Wouldn't that be a kick in the teeth if the EC confirmed Bernie.
Cartoon — Shameful, but so true!
Lynn, the " be very careful about characterizing somebody in a legal sense" remark was aimed at Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, not at the press. Drumpf is in fact now trying to muzzle the opposition in Congress by threatening him with legal steps, something that should be taken very serious indeed. Politicians in any democracy are allowed to say even more than ordinary citizens or the press, and Republicans have (ab)used this right to the fullest themselves in the past eight years.
Lona, during the campaign, Drumpf also made "promises" to the press about characterising him — altering freedom of the press, lawsuits etc — which is why many of his followers took some of their anger out on the press at his rallies, and why Drumpf revoked press credentials from some who wanted to cover his rallies.
There is no doubt that any attempt to stifle peaceful dissent, whether by a politician or the press or a citizen, is very serious and not in keeping with the 1st amendment.
If the electoral college revolts, they could only elect another Republican, or throlw the election to the House. Pense or Ryan would be no better. Just sneakier.
I doubt there's a good night's sleep in the foreseeable future, TomCat. Not unless you, and the rest of us, get habituated to Drumpf and his ilk very quickly and start accepting, and respecting(!), what Republicans say is inevitable. I don't like it, but if that is the price progressives have to pay, I think we'll be sleepless and tired for the next two years until the midterms.
MM: Both Google and Facebook played the influence of fake news sites down only last weekend but now both have said they'll take action against them. Their action consists of banning their advertisement from their Ad-sense advertising network. Big deal, that's not weeding it out, that is watering the weed a little less in certain areas. No it's no surprise at all that these social networks march to the tune of the right and not to that of the middle, much less the left. It's the corner where they and their bosses are most comfortable in and where most money can be made. The only thing that would work is a boycott by it's users and that is never going to happen.
DK: So Harry Reid, telling it like it is – I mean, really telling it like it is – should watch his mouth because Drumpf is going to sue him? I think the only profession with members on both sides of the track really happy with Drumpf's election must be that of lawyers. Drumpf will have little time for any "presidenting" if he wants to add all his critics to the many (4000+, was it?) lawsuits he's already been engaged in. The next question then is: can he use taxpayers money to hire law firms every time someone steps on his very long toes by telling the truth about him, his family or his minions? Or can he just abuse the White House's legal department for that?
Drumpf will of course try to change the First Amendment, or the legal position of a president, so that it only will work in his – and all the other angry white men's – favor, but he'll have to change the SCOTUS first, and from what I understand, there are enough Democrats to block any of his candidates coming to a vote for a long time Not a good situation with a lame SCOTUS, but better than with a Republican one.
YT( GQ Channel): Three cheers for Keith Olbermann's new series: RESIST. Peaceful, unwavering, continuous, consistent resistance. Drumpf's trigger happiness, i.e. his inability to stay away from Twitter, will be his undoing. That is probably why the transition team, urged on by the GOP returned his Twitter access to him. And with people like Keith, who make sure that each and every tweet is filed before it is deleted again, Mr. White-Supremacist-but-not-the-popular-vote will soon have made a case for impeachment against himself.
Cartoon: Too true.
I think we all just better get ready to have the country run by the Russians. And of course, they will annex is like they did Crimea.
Too soon? Yeah, I thought so. That's what happens when a narcissistic idiot get hold of the White House. Or White House plus all his other homes that he plans to run the country from! There's nobody to blame but the idiots that voted for him. And for the life of me, I can't figure out why they did!
Thanks, TC. Signed petition. If it helps any.
Thanks all! Hugs!
I couldn't comment last night, kept getting error messages.
Media Matters: Petition signed and shared.
Daily Kos: These actions by Trump and his team show that he really thinks he was elected Dictator.
Keith spells it out!
Cartoon: And if he has his way, criticizing him will be treason, too.