Speaking with “Fresh Air” radio host Terry Gross a couple of weeks ago, British singer/songwriter Billy Bragg said something that resonates with me as I listen Wednesday to an expert on “news literacy.” More on that in a moment. News literacy. The concept is more likely to get your attention via the currently popular term Read More …
Category: Blog
These are random thoughts about topics that interest me — including books, rock and roll, philosophy, culture and daily life. I update it whenever the mood strikes me, shooting for at least once a week but often more frequently than that. I welcome your comments on anything I may discuss here and, when appropriate, will reply as promptly as possible.
Eclipse, Hurricane Harvey show our better nature
Last week started with the a solar eclipse. It ended with a devastating hurricane that was historic even by hurricane standards. It’s easy to see why primitive societies looked for messages from the divine in disruptions of nature. Today, we will leave it to sources more in touch with metaphysics to determine whether any such Read More …
Donald Trump, Billy Squier and thoughts on honest reporting
Why is President Donald Trump reminding me of an experience involving classic rocker Billy Squier, and can the connection teach us something about “fake news”? Let’s see. President Trump spent much of his Phoenix speech Tuesday night berating “the truly dishonest people in the media.” He exhorted the crowd to boo the people there chronicling Read More …
As times change, technology standards are even more important
We had a problem online with a picture of Haley Reinhart this week. I’ll get to it in a moment, but first a relevant trip back to a small-town newsroom in 1978. It was a different time, but more in ambiance than objective. Mountains of newsprint and notepaper tumbled over the edges of ancient desks. Read More …
Springfield’s confusing challenge – compromise
Read at Daily Herald website After watching the Illinois legislature these past few … what, months? years? … I’ve been thinking a lot about compromise and where it actually fits in the realm of political activity. As I write this, leaders have admitted that, for the third year in a row, they won’t make the Read More …
Review of “I’m Just A Person” by Tig Notaro
I picked up I’m Just A Person because the jacket said it was an autobiography by one of the most popular comics of our time, and, since I’d never heard of her, I thought I’d learn a little something and have a good laugh or two. Well, one for two. I learned much about Tig Notaro, but Read More …
Review of “Everybody’s Fool” by Richard Russo
Russo is one of my favorite contemporary writers. Everybody’s Fool is not one of my favorite books. Its predecessor, Nobody’s Fool, wasn’t either, though it was pleasant enough and a moderately accurate depiction of small town life and human nature. It certainly featured Russo’s depth and insight in drawing vivid characters and portraying them as Read More …
Review of The Gene / An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee
On the Goodreads scale of 1 to 5, where 5 is as great as it can get, I give The Gene an 8. It’s not merely that Mukherjee makes an incredibly complex subject simple enough that even I can understand what he’s saying; it’s that he does it in so many interesting ways. He tells compelling Read More …
Spinner fad shows frivolity has its serious side
If Wednesday’s front-page headline “The fidget spinner: Tool or toy” had a familiar ring to you, this may be why: Aug. 31, 1997: Parents left holding the leash as schools ban cyber critters May 13, 1997: Fad turned learning tool Sept. 26, 1997: Leave the Pokemon cards at home, says area school May 6, 1998: Read More …
Publicity of police sketch more important than accuracy
Are we really helping police solve a crime when we publish a crude drawing of the face of a violent crime suspect as described by a distraught victim or momentary witness? Turns out, maybe so, but not for the reason you would think. For, it’s not that the rough drawing you often see in the Read More …