WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2024
Subscribers, heal ourselves? We haven't played this card for a while. Today, we felt it might again be time.
In its online edition, the Washington Post lists its five "Most Read" reports. As of this very minute, the headlines on the five most-read reports are these:
"Most Read" reports in the Washington Post:
At 93, he’s as fit as a 40-year-old. His body offers lessons on aging.
He hit three monster bets—and then the sportsbook wouldn’t pay.
Do you eat foods that leave you hungry or full? Take our quiz.
Advice / Carolyn Hax: If helping professionals won’t help 24/7, do they need new careers?
Princess of Wales hospitalized after abdominal surgery
This may mean nothing at all, of course. On the other hand:
Subscribers! Have we possibly met the problem, and could it perhaps be us?
Those are trivial subjects. You don’t have to be very cognitive to follow them. I’ve had enough of the Washington Post. I’d rather play bridge with Corby.
BalasPadamI play bridge. I drive an imaginary Tesla. I smell my fingers. I read wikipedia.
PadamI am Corby.
Teslas can’t charge up in cold weather. Elon Musk isn’t cognitive.
PadamMy imaginary Tesla works flawlessly in any weather.
PadamI am Corby.
Bridge is the game of engineers.
PadamPeople who play (or played) bridge seriously include Wilt Chamberlain, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Gina Davis, Groucho Marx, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Mahatma Gandhi, George Burns, Omar Sharif, Malcolm Forbes, Winston Churchill. And of course, Snoopy.
PadamDonald Trump would never be able to learn to play bridge -- too stupid and too impatient. Warren Buffett required all of his top managers to learn to play, because it teaches strategic thinking. It also builds character because one must work well with a partner and also tolerate losing while being a gracious winner. There are studies suggesting that it protects against memory loss and dementia, which is why many health plans cover ACBL (American Contract Bridge League) dues.
When you play at a local club, you find many people who are in their 80s and 90s who are mentally competent, alert, still playing a competitive game (i.e., they win a lot). It changes your idea of what octogenarians are like.
Geena Davis
PadamI think Bob's point here might be that these problems with the newspapers now -- like the Baltimore Sun -- are more the fault of flaky readers and non-readers than the papers themselves.
PadamLike why are so few people buying them now, or demanding more sophisticated articles?
It's not really a big secret that Bob has unreasonable expectations of the state-run media, especially NYT and WaPo.
PadamHe feels that they are supposed to facilitate the "national discourse". While the "democratized media" is responsible for the "national discourse" being shit.
Of course this is just ludicrous. But it can be entertaining sometimes.
I’m bad at card games. I can’t be a billionaire investor.
PadamJust tell everybody that you're very good at it. That's what everyone else does anyway.
PadamCheat, like Trump does at golf.
PadamCheating (without being caught) is almost as hard as playing well.
PadamCheating at golf is easy.
PadamThat’s why Trump cheats at golf.
PadamAn article about the mental fitness (or lack thereof) of octogenarians would be relevant, alas.
BalasPadamRelevant, in particular, to you.
PadamWhere's the hard news though, in that whole list?
PadamMaybe an article about the danger a narcissistic sociopath poses to society would, alas, be relevant. Where was that one??
Padam@3:32 We don't have to use Trump's (presumed) personality disorders to predict how he would perform as President. Actual results inform us about how he performs as President.
PadamHistorians have called him one of the worst presidents ever, if not the worst.
PadamDavid, @8:22, true, his record is horrific enough, but I’m with Bob. There hasn’t been nearly enough reporting in Trump’s mental illness. Would still be worthwhile.
PadamMost read, right now:
BalasPadam“As famine looms in Gaza, agencies urge Israel to ease process of delivering aid.”
Why don't the agencies urge Hamas to surrender, so that food can be delivered? Because anti-Israel folks treat Palestinians like sub-0humans or objects or NPCs. Palestinians, in their view, do not have agency. Thus, Palestinian can never be expected to fix anything and Palestinians never be be blamed for anything.
PadamWow, David. What a reaction.
PadamQatar attempted to broker the delivery of humanitarian supplies to Gaza, working with Hamas. Israel is concerned that Hamas would use a ceasefire to regroup and attack it with more force.
PadamMost read right now:
Padam1. He hit three monster bets — and then the sportsbook wouldn’t pay
How sportsbooks use “obvious errors” as an insurance policy to protect their bottom line.
2 Judge threatens to throw Trump out of E. Jean Carroll defamation trial
3 At 93, he’s as fit as a 40-year-old. His body offers lessons on aging.
4 Snow is probable again on Friday in D.C. area. Here’s how much could fall.
5 We’ve all looked lousy in photos. These tips can help.
It just proves Somerby’s thesis, a thesis which cannot be subjected to experiment and can never be falsified whenever he chooses to “play the card.” The problem isn’t the newspapers, or the Kristin Welker’s…it’s the dingbat public. There’s your media criticism.
PadamNow:
Padam1. For older women with money, it’s yes to love but ‘I don’t’ to marriage
2 He hit three monster bets — and then the sportsbook wouldn’t pay
3 Tucker Carlson’s revealing, ignorant disparagement of the vice president
4 Trump lawyers say document shows he kept ‘Q’ clearance for nuclear secrets
5 At 93, he’s as fit as a 40-year-old. His body offers lessons on aging.
Please continue, 7:23. It’s an excellent use of your time.
PadamThat 93-year-old is a hit.
PadamNobody's interested that much in the war Biden just started in the Middle East that won't accomplish anything and cost us quinzillions.
PadamYou can keep saying this, but that doesn’t make it true, 8:45. Where is your proof that nobody is much interested? The fluctuating most read list at the Washington Post? Can’t get more definitive than that, apparently.
PadamThe front page of MSNBC.com right now has 12 stories, six about Trump, none about Biden taking our country to war in the middle east! Not one word about it on the front page of LGM. A lot about Trump and Desantis though!
PadamDNC propaganda has shrunk so many brains. Hey, maybe LGM will give us an update on how scary it is that if Trump is elected president he's going to assassinate shoplifters. These are the important stories! A new endless war in the Middle East, boring!
PadamHere are some links:
Padamhttps://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2024/01/the-red-sea-war
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/us-strikes-houthi-yemen-biden-administration-rcna133625
You still operate under a fallacy. That if story x doesn’t show up on platform y, that means the public, or liberals, since that’s whom you mean to complain about, don’t care about that story. There are other platforms, such as the much maligned Washington Post and New York Times that do extensive reporting on this and other foreign affairs. Where do you think Somerby gets his news? I personally read Deutsche Welle for a European perspective in addition to those other sources.
There is no new war in the Middle East. It is the same old war.
PadamThose two links are from a week ago.😆
Padam1. For older women with money, it’s yes to love but ‘I don’t’ to marriage
Padam2 Advice Carolyn Hax: Niece may not realize wedding plan is inconsiderate to older guests
3 At 93, he’s as fit as a 40-year-old. His body offers lessons on aging.
4 Advice Ask Amy: Is it time to give up hope of reconciling with my wife?
5 Opinion I could have sworn I was around for Donald Trump’s presidency
Less controversial, easily digestible fodder. Complicated subjects require more cognition which is taxing.
BalasPadamDid you see 12:27’s comment, showing the current most read story about Gaza?
PadamYes. But my reply relates to the blog post and the questions it raises, not the fact that a less trivial article moved into the "most read."
PadamIt’s almost as if the list of “most read” changes frequently. Or possibly Somerby omits some from his list.
PadamWe already know people prefer trivial subject matter though. Bread and circuses? So I'm not sure of the relevance of the Gaza article moving in to the list outside of the usual attempt to disregard logic in the search for Somerby's misdoings. If that's the goal, yeah Bob sucks yadda yadda he's a secret Trump supporter.
PadamWhoa, there 1:08. You sound mad that I suggest that all is not as Somerby might be suggesting. And that’s all I’m saying.
PadamPeople do not necessarily prefer "trivial" subject matter. They consider other aspects of life beyond politics to be important to their own lives, not trivial as Somerby keeps suggesting.
PadamSomerby is old, unmarried, has no kids, does not work (and didn't have a 9-5 job when he did work as a standup and comedy club manager), his hobby is politics, not gardening or cooking or playing music. He never chides the sports coverage, because that is apparently something he watches in his spare time. So Somerby calls trivial the things that do not affect him -- apparently incapable of the empathy it would take to wonder why other people care about relationship advice or parenting or how to buy a refrigerator.
People care about other people and they care about how others live their lives, because it gives us important info about our own decisions in life. Mocking that shows that Somerby understands absolutely nothing about human beings and how they think or feel about their world.
Newspapers have always had recipe columns, advice, how-to articles, sports, business reporting, weather, and sewing tips. Whatever makes people's lives better and attracts their attention to ads (typically segregated into an ad section at the back of a newspaper or publication, not intermixed with text). Pretending this is anything new or something bad makes no sense at all.
That's why I believe that Somerby is filling space with these complaints. And if he is filling space, it is because someone is paying him to write regularly. Otherwise, this goofy, frequently repeated complaint about the trivial interests of other people only serves to show us what an abnormal person Somerby is.
However, a post of 300 words, full of disparagements of an older guy who is bemoaning what he feels is current day superfluousness, is just dripping with empathy.
PadamI will restate: this goofy, frequently repeated complaint about the trivial interests of other people only serves to show us what an abnormal person Somerby is. I empathize with, but do not approve, Somerby’s abnormality. He should seek help.
PadamSatisfied, Cecelia?
Not really,
PadamNot 2:41pm, making distinctions between things is natural. There is a difference between the WP and the House and Garden website.
There are relevant distinctions to be made between what’s happening in Gaza and articles on which foods leave you hungry or full.
Anonymices over-react to what they think is Bob’s over-reaction of dismay in the news industry and its readers.
Bob’s reaction is genuine, if not shared by everyone. Anonymices reactions to him are scathingly exaggerated and contrived.
What else is new.
Somerby feels elite when he ridicules the reading interests of other people. I find it pathetic that he needs to prop up his ego by feigning literacy, as when he throws Hector into random conversations. Such a small man who has run out of time to do anything meaningful with his life.
PadamAnonymous 4:55pm A.K.A. Exhibit A.
PadamHector was OK. Achilles was a jerk.
PadamSure. Bob Somerby is genuine. Others here are not. You certainly have a knack for looking into people’s hearts, Cecelia. 🙄
PadamAnonymouse 5:59am, you feign being personal attacked when Somerby shakes his head over “these kids today”.
PadamYeah, his reaction to the culture is genuine.
Your bs outrage is sheerly motivated by his failure to be your sock puppet.
No one feels personally attacked. And the disagreement is genuine. That you can only imagine that disagreement with Bob is feigned tells us a lot about your thought process.
Padam2:41 You mentioned that Somerby seems incapable of empathy and understanding others' interests because his interests are different. Just because someone has different interests, does it follow that they are incapable of empathy or understanding other perspectives?
Padam2:41: How can you be certain about what Somerby understands or doesn't understand about people? Why do you say he is "mocking"?
PadamHe certainly isn’t praising the reading choices of Washington Post readers. In fact, he says they are problematical, or “the problem.” If it’s not mockery, it certainly seems like disdain.
PadamAnonymouse 7:30pm, same bullshite, different day.
Padam@7:30 It is the diatribe that betrays Somerby’s lack of empathy, not his own viewing choices. He calls the interests of others trivial and he calls their interests “the problem”. There isn’t an ounce of live and let live in this latest of a series of similar complaints about what others choose to read.
PadamCecelia @8:16, that’s a perfect description of Somerby’s blog. Thank you.
PadamCecelia @8:16 - Nice Irish!
Padam8:27 : You feel critiquing the reading choices of others, or the media's portrayal of certain stories, equates to a lack of empathy? Why?
PadamYou feel complex human qualities like empathy and understanding can be accurately gauged from a single piece of writing? Why so?
9:20: Somerby has a few more than a single piece of writing to his name.
PadamOk. And ...
PadamSomerby considers the things important to others to be trivial. It should be obvious why that lacks empathy.
PadamSomerby's may lack empathy based on the idea that he finds these topics trivial. But he never calls them trivial, but rather highlights their popularity versus traditional newsworthiness.
PadamA suggestion he labels these topics as trivial — a point he doesn't actually make — steers away from the real substance of his post, which focuses on the nature of popular news and its reflection on societal and journalism trends.
I was made curious by the PoW’s surgery. Diana was more than a little coy, but I like Kate.
BalasPadamDiana was an arsehole.
PadamYou are all part of the problem. No one is supposed to care about the Princess of Wales. No one!
PadamAnonymouse 1:22pm, a sense of proportion is necessary.
PadamIt’s more than appropriate to see Kate beaten out by Palestinians starving in Gaza.
I’m certainly glad you shared your interest in the princess. It just shows how focused on the serious things you are. I contend that Somerby is picking and choosing his list of most read, which includes most read from the various sections of the newspaper, and includes top stories.
PadamAnonymouse 1:56pm, your quip about my interests is a flip of the point you’re making about Bob.
PadamMaking no sense as usual. You express an interest that seemed genuine in something Bob mocks. His claim is that post subscribers care more about trivialities. I contend this may not be true. But you decided to tell us your feelings about the princess. Go ahead: respond. Have the last word.
PadamI will.
PadamYour contention with Bob’s comments today should not be challenged by a comment (by me) that referenced proportionality.
Proportionality should be your friend in the argument you’re making about Bob making a mountain out of a molehill.
However, we all know that any sense of reason goes out the window when it’s about Bob.
Nothing anyone has written today has anything to do with reason. It is about reading preferences.
PadamDiana is not news because she died a very long time ago. Kate is news because of her recent surgery, which is presumably important because she is part of the royal family.
The most trivial part of today's essay is Cecelia's interest in Kate. Who cares who Cecelia likes?
No one expressed any interest in my comment about Kate.
PadamWhy are you lecturing us on something that didn’t happen?
I don't know who Kate is.
PadamKate is some princess. As far as I know, she doesn’t cause any problems.
PadamJust like Corby's imaginary Tesla?
PadamShe’s an elite. Down with the elites!
PadamTeslas do not have problems in the cold.
PadamThose all sound like interesting stories. Guess that makes me part of the problem.
BalasPadamOnly if you think Somerby is right to complain about what other people read. It isn't as if those are the only stories available in HIS personal paper today.
PadamI do see this as being consistent with his approval of those who want to censor library holdings. It is a short step from Somerby whining about the reading habits of other people and Somerby wishing to tell others what they may and may not read.
When did Bob ever say it was good to censor? He said that some of the critics had a valid point about leaving little kids alone.
PadamLeaving little kids alone…by censoring the books they read.
Padam
BalasPadamI am saddened by the headline about the guy who hit three monster bets and didn't get paid. I empathize. I am very empathic.
I’m so empathic that I’m thinking, “Dude, go bust some things up over there.”
PadamSports betting is a huge business. The story talks about unethical sports book practices that affect lots of people.
PadamI do feel for that guy. Imagine this happening to you. You're betting and losing all your life. And then, after years and years of losing, you win. Win big. And they don't pay. Excuse me, I am crying now.
PadamRight. When a business rips you off, shame on you, eh, 1:16?
PadamThis is much more than "business rips you off". This is the whole life wasted.
PadamIt isn’t an isolated incident. Also, you’re free to judge whether someone wasted their life or not. Go for it. Sports betting is a legitimate business and surely ought to follow ethical rules.
PadamIt also strikes me that, since this guy won a big payout, perhaps his betting wasn’t a waste after all?
I have no idea what you're talking about, 1:29 PM.
PadamYou have no empathy.
Go talk to David in Cal, 1:48, about empathy.
PadamYou also have no manners.
PadamPlay Mega Millions and Powerball. They pay.
PadamIn general, they do not.
PadamI don't play. Okay, rarely I do buy a stock (and it quickly drops to nothing), but mostly CDs; no gambling.
PadamBut I do empathize with that guy. Is it so wrong?
My opinions about betting are based entirely on standing in line at 7/11 behind some guy ordering a dozen different scratch-offs.
Padam
BalasPadamWho was the first woman to hold public office in Oklahoma Territory?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cora_Victoria_Diehl
In answer to "I'll take 'Facts that are irrelevant outside of Oklahoma Territory for $100'"
PadamI like bread and circuses so much that I spend a lot of time reading the entire section devoted to sports, people kicking or throwing spherical objects. Not mentioned here by Bob, but surely an oversight.
BalasPadamI like bread, especially whole wheat. But I don’t like circuses.
PadamI like garlic naan. Haven't been to circuses for ages. And ain't planning to.
PadamDo you like football though?
PadamAnonymouse 1:18pm, so how do you feel about roses?
PadamThe rose is the most beautiful flower.
PadamAnonymouse 1:41pm, I like football when someone is watching it with a Bluetooth device and not on zoom calls commenting on the endless games with his four brothers.
PadamWhat's not to like about clowns and animals? OK, the clowns.
PadamAs far as liking bread, I did until it required an ID.
PadamKevin tries to understand Trump’s defense in the classified-documents case:
BalasPadamhttps://jabberwocking.com/everybody-hates-donald-trump/
Another lie. Republicans love him. Or some do. Which is remarkable. The guy teases his hair and wears more make up than Dolly Parton, and this is the party that hates drag queens.
PadamI love Donald Trump. And I am a Democrat. Registered Democrat. And I love Dolly Parton too.
PadamI don't care for drag queens, but as long as they mind their own business, it's fine. Live and let live. I don't mind people wearing makeup. Do the Democrats hate makeup now?
Find one and ask him. Dolly pulls it off. Maybe Trump needs a little liner and lipstick.
PadamCome to think of it, I'll find one and ask him/her. Now where can I find a registered Democrat?
PadamThere aren't many left, according to Gallup.
Padamhttps://news.gallup.com/poll/548459/independent-party-tied-high-democratic-new-low.aspx
Wow, they are almost as low as the republicans (29 vs 28% as of December 2023.
PadamYou are lying, 1:12 PM. They are 99%, as of today. Another glorious victory!
PadamIt is indisputable. Washington post subscribers prefer trivial stuff to hard news. For example, they don’t care about Gaza. No one needs to doubt this, unless they use their lizard brains.
BalasPadamKevin asks an obvious question:
BalasPadamhttps://jabberwocking.com/can-the-us-bring-in-aid-to-gaza-directly/
What happened to Boeing? Too much free enterprise, too little government regulation:
BalasPadamhttps://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2024/01/the-performance-of-the-prime-manufacturer-can-never-exceed-the-capabilities-of-the-least-proficient-of-the-suppliers
Yeah, government regulations, that's the ticket! It's so obvious. To form a subcommittee to organize a new committee.
PadamTo heck with regulations. If Boeing planes fall apart, airlines will stop buying them. Let the free market work its magic.
PadamWho runs the FAA?
PadamLet’s cut to the chase: the FAA exists. An accident happened. Hence, the FAA failed. Iron clad logic. Case closed.
PadamAnonymouse 6:46pm, that’s your sort of “logic” for sure.
PadamWhy did you ask that question, Cecelia? I’m sure your reply will be honest, straightforward, and above board.
PadamAnonymouse 7:23pm, because reality is more complex and less one-sided than a partisan political meme.
PadamThe judges cannot accept that as a straightforward response. Everyone knows the FAA is a government agency.
PadamAnonymouse 7:32pm, of course they do. What’s your point?
PadamAnonymouse 7:32pm, I see what you’re trying to infer.
PadamYou actually think that by directly referencing a government agency that has oversight of the airline industry is me trying to subtly include them as having some accountability?
Getting warmer.
PadamRight wingers on Fox are blaming the Boeing incident on diversity hiring, with no evidence. Ingraham started it but they are all saying it now.
PadamUlasan ini telah dialihkan keluar oleh pengarang.
PadamCecelia @8:09. The word you want is imply not infer.
PadamAnonymouse 8:20pm, and you getting more coy.
PadamAnonymouse 8:35pm, thank you. I’ll try to remember that’s the word I want.
PadamOh, goody. We’re approaching Somerby and Cecelia levels of coyness.
PadamScapegoating minorities is what happened in Hitler’s Germany. It sickens me to hear Fox and right wing politicians who think saying DEI is an acceptable substitute for blaming everything bad on blacks, women, Hispanics and other minorities. This is ugly white supremacy and it is NOT OK.
PadamAnonymouse 8:41pm, you’re getting colder.
PadamDoes the buck stop with the Sec.of Transportation Buttigieg or not?
https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/updates-grounding-boeing-737-max-9-aircraft
PadamToo little, too late?
A typical case of too-big-to-fail.
PadamAnd I wouldn't be surprised if "diversity hiring" played a role, as obviously the case with Buttigieg.
@8:55 PM "Scapegoating minorities is what happened in Hitler’s Germany."
PadamRight. And, conspicuously, their planes weren't falling apart.
Cec, so you're in favor of more government regulation? Did anybody ask Sammy Alito about this?
PadamYeah. FAA is bad because it didn’t regulate hard enough.
PadamFAA needs more subcommittees and conferences. Preferably in Hawaii.
PadamTake these one at a time and ask, why did they get through the filters?
BalasPadamhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda_model
1. At 93, he’s as fit as a 40-year-old. His body offers lessons on aging
Long live the capitalist class and their genius!
2. He hit three monster bets—and then the sportsbook wouldn’t pay.
Capitalists demanding ethical gambling, ironic
Do you eat foods that leave you hungry or full? Take our quiz.
3. Advice / Carolyn Hax: If helping professionals won’t help 24/7, do they need new careers?
It is good for the capitalist class to keep people changing careers rather than improving the rights and respect in the one they have
Princess of Wales hospitalized after abdominal surgery
Rich lives matter!
Yes, only capitalists care about living longer and healthier lives. Is that what you’re saying?
PadamGambling, outside of wealthy enclaves, used to be illegal by and large, engaged in by people on the fringes of society. Perhaps you favor outlawing it again, relegating it to the control of mobsters and unscrupulous people. That reminds me, Trump used to own a casino…something about money laundering?
And what “filters” are you talking about?
Your filter is off kilter.
PadamDo you eat foods that leave you hungry or full? Take our quiz.~
BalasPadamHey stupid, if you're hungry it's your fault!
So funny. Although, obesity is a serious problem in the US, so eating foods that leave you hungry might be a bad idea.
PadamJust tonight, bernie sanders was interviewed on MSNBC about his resolution demanding accountability from Israeli forces and pleading for aid to the Palestinians.
BalasPadamhello friend. i think that i like your smart career 1. i join maybe. i have question if income grow in short time? thx
BalasPadam