Whistleblower Jamie Reed on the courage to change your mind. Ryan Holiday on saving his family from the algorithm. Plus: Rob Henderson and your resolutions.
“It also made life a bit hard for Jamie. As a progressive queer woman married to a transman, she was called by many on the left a traitor”
———————————————————
It’s important for everyone to emphasize every time this issue comes up that the people who support gender transition of minors are capable of *anything*. Pick the historical atrocity. These are the atrocity people. They just haven’t been fully activated yet but they’re getting close. Doing medical experiments on children with mental health issues is what people in the poker community call ‘a tell’.
Not great since they control the government and the schools and the corporations.
I have long thought that Hanlon’s Razor, like Godwin’s Law, is a communist scheme.
“Oh yes, Mr. Hanlon, I really like this new idea of yours that is incredibly convenient for malicious people.” *wink wink*
With Godwin’s Law they just don’t want you to mention the Nazis because extreme examples are really good for providing clarity and they are Hermeticist wizards who rely on obfuscation confusion and erasure of boundaries.
One example would be if you’re discussing DeSantis and Disney you might ask if it would be okay for him to take away Disney’s tax breaks if the company started aggressively promoting Nazism.
The answer is obviously yes so now that we have made it clear (clarity) that there is a circumstance where it would be okay to take away their tax breaks, now all we are arguing about is how bad you think it is that they are promoting the mutilation and abuse of children and actively trying to coerce them into a suicidal lifestyle.
They don’t want clarity, they want a robust dialogue with lots of nuance AKA them spraying horseshit everywhere until everyone gets tired and goes to bed.
“In June 2021, Godwin took a role as director in trust & safety at the media company TikTok. In October 2022, he began working at Anonym as the trust and safety lead.”
“In August 2020, he and the Blackstone Law Group filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on behalf of the employees of TikTok.”
Historical tidbit. in 1949 99% of the Doctors believed Lobotomy's were good for the patients. Remember this the only benefit in this trans thing is for the medical providers wallet.
Doing experiments on people without mental health problems is what Nazis did too.
My mother and another young girl ran away from Dr. Mengeles. The other girl was shot and my mother kept running not sure where her bunk was; mysteriously a bunk door opened, she entered and miraculously she was back in her bunk.
What a perfect title for New Years Day - "How to Think for Yourself in 2024". I love TFP and have been a subscriber since the begining. I also listen to a lot of podcasts and occasional Youtube videos. I think I enjoy the comments section more than the articles. You get to know the "voices" and want to to see what they say. But I've realized, I may not forming as many of my own thoughts. My brain is filled with reactions of others. My church does and 21 Day of Prayer and Fasting staring January 8th. I will do the usual no alcohol, more veggies (though I am a pretting healthy person overall). I've decided to fast podcasts and social media. I am unsubscribing to many emails. I will make a conscious effort to choose what to read, and spend some time writing down my own thoughts. I will ask myself, will reading, or commenting, actually push me to doing something that aligns with my goals? Or will it just make me feel like I am doing something. I know the silence will be difficult, but there is a wonderful world around me, if I take the time to experience it.
Linda, I like this. At Girls on the Run, one of the values we live and teach is to be intentional in our decision making. You sound very intentional and inspire me to follow suit.
I know how to think for myself. So do most of the people who comment here.
I agree with you about reading the comments, but notice this column got very few of them?
You don't have to comment often to form your own thoughts.....there are very few truly original thoughts, and someone else may have beat you to the punch.
Don't be too hard on yourself. Speak up when you have something to add.
“...will reading, or commenting, actually push me to doing something that aligns with my goals? Or will it just make me feel like I am doing something.”
Brava for being wise and introspective enough to realize that. Now, if we could only get the hordes out there to figure that out, and we’d have a shot at a decent 2024...
Don't br too hard on yourself LR for not weighing in and for accepting the opinions of those who do. It might just mean things are percolating in your thought process. I think that percolation is a very good thing.
Yes! I plugged my phone in to the wall and am treating it as a landline! I already worked out and walked the dog without it. I've already unsubscribed to several "blogs" and picked up the book by Neil Postman called "Technopoly.". So much food for thought and I'm only on page 10! I think Arizona Girl was going to do the same with her phone.
Happy New Year! I go back to 2020 when I hear people who blame the algorithms for political polarization. I remember in the summer of that year, I was about to go insane with the Covid nonsense and the summer of BLM. With all of the free time on my hands, I was engaged in battles with people over Covid, BLM, and the coming election. I remember a day when I was literally crazy, which made for a bad phone call with my Mom. ( Who I would lose a month later)
So, I made up my mind to stop engaging in battles, and I did a Woke purge on my Facebook page. Everyone who made me nuts was unfriended, and I stopped sharing my thoughts with friends. All that was left were unpolitical people from different chapters of my life, and I loved seeing their lives and kids. (I'm so thankful they didn't take Ryan Holiday's advice.) My Facebook is now rather than a maddening thing to trigger a joyful scroll down my Facebook page.
The algorithms are what we make them. I can choose to get the blood pressure up ( Kristen Welker on Meet the Press has done the impossible, making me miss Chuck Todd), but I can also watch old Wrestling videos on YouTurbe that the algorithms give me that suck me into a hole of nostalgia.
We can get out of the game if we know how it works. They give us what we want or do. When we make changes, the algorithms change. Happy New Year! Let the madness of 2024 begin.
I started watching art and drawing videos to change the algorithm and I have not regretted the new techniques I’ve learned. Fellow knitters and bakers unite!
Welcome to "WW2 Tales" – Unveiling the Untold Stories of Valor and Resilience!
Step into a world where history comes alive – "WW2 Tales" is your gateway to the gripping and authentic stories of the brave souls who lived through one of humanity's most defining chapters:....(Snip)
In this captivating episode, "When I Landed In America I Realized That .Germany Did Not Stand A Chance In War." witness history through the eyes of a prisoner as he reflects on the fate of his homeland.
Experience the emotional journey, insights, and revelations that shaped his perspective during this pivotal moment in history. This is a firsthand account you won't want to miss!
Dive into the full diary series by subscribing and hitting the notification bell. Join us as we uncover the untold stories of wartime captivity and resilience.
Share this unique historical perspective with fellow history enthusiasts and anyone interested in WWII. Don't forget to like, comment, and share to support our channel and honor the POW's narrative.
I also read much WWII history. I listened to a few minutes of each of your links. This is very good, but requires hours of listening which I am not prone to do.
I have never 'listened' to a book; I have to turn pages. Occasionally I'll watch a movie or series (Band of Brothers) but there are not many out there.
Is this delivered through any other medium or forum? Many thanks, my friend.
When I was a lad in the '50s, first-person accounts by veterans and many more by journalists, were legion, generally in paperback. Whether these still exist or not, I don't know; possibly in big used book emporia (if any of them still exist)?
When I had TikTok it was all gardening, home projects, food recipies, and workout stuff 😂. Its nice having a little page to go to like that! My YouTube is mostly baby shark for the toddler. I would definitely like to improve my knitting from one stitch to many, and actually finish my current scarf project.
"But Chernobyl started me on a new path. When I began to research these old fears to find out what had been said in the past, I discovered several important things. The first is that there’s nothing more sobering than a 30-year-old newspaper. You can’t figure out what the headlines mean, you don’t know who the people are. Theodore Green, John Sparkman, George Reedy, Jack Watson. Who were they? You thumb through page after page of vanished concerns, issues that apparently were important at the time and now don’t matter at all. It’s amazing how many pressing concerns are literally of the moment. They won’t matter in six months, and certainly not in six years, and if they won’t matter then, are they really worth our attention now?
But as David Brinkley once said, the one function TV news performs very well is that when there is no news, we give it to you with the same emphasis as if there were.
The late Michael Crichton, author of "State of Fear," along with a panel of distinguished scientists, examine the increasing politicization of science at an event sponsored by the Independent Institute.
Michael Crichton explains that he is not a "catastrophist," and gives a salient explanation that doesn't refute the mob as much as lends an anthropologist's perspective that could shape many issues today and tomorrow.
Michael Crichton on Environmentalism as a Religion
Oliver, TFP, thank you for the mention. All that early morning reading before my day starts finally paid off.
Also, Suzy, that Gordy dude has great advice. Go to places that aren’t just “meat” markets.
A friend once told me, look for the quiet guy who stays to clean up, to help, who volunteers, is patient, and has kind eyes, who’s interested in who you are and what you love—not just your looks. I met mine caroling on New Year’s Day two years ago, and it was sparks from the beginning. They don’t all come in the package you think they will. Good luck!
“Some other recurring themes: none of you are excited about what 2024 holds in terms of domestic and international politics.”
——————————————————-
If the electrical grid doesn’t go down in 2024 I will consider the year to be a huge success.
Also, my goal is to have 1 million followers for my Twitter account @TrumpsAnkleMonitor which should really take off when that Jamaican Communist Lady in DC sentences him to house arrest.
Right on-point. The hardest thing for anyone to do is to believe in something with all their heart, to lobby and evangelize for it, go out on a limb with all their friends - and then slowly realize they were wrong and find the courage to say in front of God and everybody, "I was wrong."
But how to do this? I believe the answer is to internalize the philosophy of, "I don't care WHO's right - even me; I only care about WHAT's right." Whatever circuitous path Jamie may have taken through life, the internal programming to say, "I only care what's right" - whether it came from parents or just a strong sense of right and wrong - served her well. Best wishes to all for the New Year. We just might make it.™
THANK YOU!! Bari Weiss! Truly have enjoyed the Free Press so much the last year! Great content. Comforting to know I’m not the only one thinking ‘What’s wrong with these people??’. (The world at large)
Suzy, I support the idea of looking in good places for good men for the article. Whatever you do, value yourself enough to make sure a guy values you. Basically, don’t try to fix a douche.
I think a lot depends on the audience. If you're posting pics of your kids for the public to see, you are putting them at risk. Literally. Your child may end up CGI'd into child porn.
But for some of us, Facebook is our only way to connect with old friends. The kind of people we'd have mailed a pic of our kids back before the internet existed. Limiting the audience to those people makes sense.
I quit Facebook about a year ago. Now I text photos to my family and close friends. I realized that if I wasn’t close enough to the person to write a physical letter or personal text/email, what’s the point anyway? I got on my husband’s Facebook recently and had a lot of fun scrolling through everyone’s updates. But still, for me it’s been a net positive. (This is NOT advice, just sharing my experience 😄)
Very much the same reason I still use FB. I would really really like to quit this mass private data gathering machine. But all my old friends who live far away are on there and it helps me stay in touch with them. I don't even post anything anymore. I stopped posting things about myself long ago. But without it I would miss news of loved ones of my friends passing away, or some big milestones they go through, etc because people (at least my generation) don't announce news anywhere else anymore.
The only thing I can do is keep from posting photos and private info about myself. Still, I've felt for years people are nuts to post photos and info of their kids on there like a family documentary and scrap book. It's like letting Meta know everything to target your kid before they even have a chance to decide for themselves.
And twice I had had to tell friends to take down photos of their small child naked. This was also years ago, but they were shocked when I told them they needed to take it down. One of them, her first response was, "but he's just a little boy!" And I said, "And that's EXACTLY why you need to take it down. It'll attract pedophiles." This was back in the more innocent days before FB even had policies about these things. The second time, another friend posted her daughter's newborn pics (daughter was several years old by then but the pics were meant to celebrate her birthday). I told her she had to take it down because FB might flag her account. She was a bit dumbfounded when I told her this, because in her mind they were photos of a newborn baby and so how could it be deemed anything sexual.
That aside, I couldn't bring myself to tell her that her daughter might be really embarrassed by everyone having seen her naked (even as a baby) when she grows up into an adult. It baffles me parents don't realize this.
I have another friend who, also years ago, posted photo on FB for all to see when their toddler daughter learned to use the toilet, celebrating the girl got toilet trained. The kid was literally sitting on the toilet with her pants down. Nothing was exposed, so I kept my mouth shut that time. But privately, I thought, ok the girl's going to really appreciate this when she grows up and this comes back to haunt her. Hopefully this won't float around out there and her future employer will see it. Maybe the saving grace is she can blame it on AI if that happens.
And these are all normally what people would consider good, responsible parents.
Here’s a suggestion for you, Oliver: take a writing course. Your cover article reads like something sensitive from the NYT, ferkreisake.
And please stop highlighting people who went to Ivy League schools. We are not impressed. Even if a piece is authored by an Ivy grad, just don’t mention it. We are not fucking impressed. Neither should you or the rest of the staff at TFP be! Especially after the last 3 fucking months. Find some stuff from folks who went to U of Utah, Kansas State, Coastal Carolina, etc. They are out there, you might just have to work harder, and put down your NYT and cast your eyes a bit farther afield from your experience.
Amen to the Ivy League schools comment. There are people outside of the east coast states and many of them are educated in a more balanced way, just my opinion. I'd love to hear from more of them.
Classic Rob Henderson, out to claim his gold medal in the childhood trauma Olympics.
Its almost as if one could describe their difficulties in life without putting other people down or acting superior about it.
I lost my father to suicide at age six. Never once have I acted like my accomplishments mean more than someone else’s because of it. It made me tougher than others but thats the extent of it.
Rob Henderson speaks truth, y'all. I could have written his piece being born to a single mother who was a nurse in the 70's working days, nights, and weekends unable to afford 'daycare'. My brother and I learned how to fight, cook for ourselves, and do our laundry at age seven. Thankfully, we had working class folks around us to teach common sense. We are both 'successful' these days with five successful and productive children after two of them had near death experiences(an unknown virus on 100% life support recovering to be a powerlifter and another with eating disorder from 63 lbs and 22 hbpm back to 127 lb health).
Yes, keep your phone at a distance at all times and drink just a little bit more, socially.
So on this trans thing, particularly trans children and the issue as it impacts schools, I have always struggled with why it made me uncomfortable. I know trans people IRL and they are lovely people. So why does the controversy trouble me? And as happens sometimes TFP and it's commenters have helped me perfect (?) my POV. I think it is because you cannot mandate public acceptance of transgender people without mandating unacceptance of gender is binary. And lots, probably most, of people believe it is. Many, many laws are based thereon. To expect, nay demand, the disruption of societal cohesion to fit the whims of a very small segment of the population is not IMO a good strategy. To employ children as a tactic to achieve that goal is egregious. There are far too many unintended consequences of meeting that demand. Is society in a state of evolution? I hope so and if so transgender may well become normalized. But I think the effort to mandate the acceptance is foolhardy and may well do more harm in terms of lack of acceptance, than good.
Getting back to a real Canon camera, and developing our pictures, is the best way I'm saving myself and my family from the algorithm. Plus cell phones emit carcinogenic, chronic radiation, which further addicts children by magnetizing them to the device:
“It also made life a bit hard for Jamie. As a progressive queer woman married to a transman, she was called by many on the left a traitor”
———————————————————
It’s important for everyone to emphasize every time this issue comes up that the people who support gender transition of minors are capable of *anything*. Pick the historical atrocity. These are the atrocity people. They just haven’t been fully activated yet but they’re getting close. Doing medical experiments on children with mental health issues is what people in the poker community call ‘a tell’.
Not great since they control the government and the schools and the corporations.
We need to update Hanlons Razor in 2024: Always attribute to malice what has gone on too long to be explained by stupidity: https://yuribezmenov.substack.com/p/how-to-reimagine-hanlons-razor-stupidity-malice
I have long thought that Hanlon’s Razor, like Godwin’s Law, is a communist scheme.
“Oh yes, Mr. Hanlon, I really like this new idea of yours that is incredibly convenient for malicious people.” *wink wink*
With Godwin’s Law they just don’t want you to mention the Nazis because extreme examples are really good for providing clarity and they are Hermeticist wizards who rely on obfuscation confusion and erasure of boundaries.
One example would be if you’re discussing DeSantis and Disney you might ask if it would be okay for him to take away Disney’s tax breaks if the company started aggressively promoting Nazism.
The answer is obviously yes so now that we have made it clear (clarity) that there is a circumstance where it would be okay to take away their tax breaks, now all we are arguing about is how bad you think it is that they are promoting the mutilation and abuse of children and actively trying to coerce them into a suicidal lifestyle.
They don’t want clarity, they want a robust dialogue with lots of nuance AKA them spraying horseshit everywhere until everyone gets tired and goes to bed.
“In June 2021, Godwin took a role as director in trust & safety at the media company TikTok. In October 2022, he began working at Anonym as the trust and safety lead.”
“In August 2020, he and the Blackstone Law Group filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on behalf of the employees of TikTok.”
Doing experiments on people with mental health problems is what the Nazis did.
*creepy Biden empathy voice
“These kids just wanna be who they wanna be and love who they wanna love! They’re seeking a better life! They belong to all of us!”
It takes a village to make a eunuch.
Historical tidbit. in 1949 99% of the Doctors believed Lobotomy's were good for the patients. Remember this the only benefit in this trans thing is for the medical providers wallet.
Historical tidbit: doctors have always been thoroughly stupid fucks.
Yes and they still are
And what also went on in US sanitoriums in the 40s-60s. Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell come to mind.
Doing experiments on people without mental health problems is what Nazis did too.
My mother and another young girl ran away from Dr. Mengeles. The other girl was shot and my mother kept running not sure where her bunk was; mysteriously a bunk door opened, she entered and miraculously she was back in her bunk.
Dear Mr Durant they are monsters. I believe that with little prodding they will start up a Unit 731ish program and attempt to clone Dr. Mengele.
Remember the leftists created and maintained the infamous Tuskeegee Syphilis Study between 1932 through 1972.
Did I type Monsters? I should apologize to Monsters for besmirching their brand by that comparison.
“We have to give you the syphilis so we can find out what’s in it.”
-Pelosi prior to passing the Tuskegee Experiments legislation
Yes. 🙌
What a perfect title for New Years Day - "How to Think for Yourself in 2024". I love TFP and have been a subscriber since the begining. I also listen to a lot of podcasts and occasional Youtube videos. I think I enjoy the comments section more than the articles. You get to know the "voices" and want to to see what they say. But I've realized, I may not forming as many of my own thoughts. My brain is filled with reactions of others. My church does and 21 Day of Prayer and Fasting staring January 8th. I will do the usual no alcohol, more veggies (though I am a pretting healthy person overall). I've decided to fast podcasts and social media. I am unsubscribing to many emails. I will make a conscious effort to choose what to read, and spend some time writing down my own thoughts. I will ask myself, will reading, or commenting, actually push me to doing something that aligns with my goals? Or will it just make me feel like I am doing something. I know the silence will be difficult, but there is a wonderful world around me, if I take the time to experience it.
Linda, I like this. At Girls on the Run, one of the values we live and teach is to be intentional in our decision making. You sound very intentional and inspire me to follow suit.
When I saw the title, I thought 'meh.'
I know how to think for myself. So do most of the people who comment here.
I agree with you about reading the comments, but notice this column got very few of them?
You don't have to comment often to form your own thoughts.....there are very few truly original thoughts, and someone else may have beat you to the punch.
Don't be too hard on yourself. Speak up when you have something to add.
In the meantime, silence still can be golden
Thank you. This is why I love this community - everyone is kind and thoughtful.
“...will reading, or commenting, actually push me to doing something that aligns with my goals? Or will it just make me feel like I am doing something.”
Brava for being wise and introspective enough to realize that. Now, if we could only get the hordes out there to figure that out, and we’d have a shot at a decent 2024...
Don't br too hard on yourself LR for not weighing in and for accepting the opinions of those who do. It might just mean things are percolating in your thought process. I think that percolation is a very good thing.
Yes! I plugged my phone in to the wall and am treating it as a landline! I already worked out and walked the dog without it. I've already unsubscribed to several "blogs" and picked up the book by Neil Postman called "Technopoly.". So much food for thought and I'm only on page 10! I think Arizona Girl was going to do the same with her phone.
Wise!
Happy New Year! I go back to 2020 when I hear people who blame the algorithms for political polarization. I remember in the summer of that year, I was about to go insane with the Covid nonsense and the summer of BLM. With all of the free time on my hands, I was engaged in battles with people over Covid, BLM, and the coming election. I remember a day when I was literally crazy, which made for a bad phone call with my Mom. ( Who I would lose a month later)
So, I made up my mind to stop engaging in battles, and I did a Woke purge on my Facebook page. Everyone who made me nuts was unfriended, and I stopped sharing my thoughts with friends. All that was left were unpolitical people from different chapters of my life, and I loved seeing their lives and kids. (I'm so thankful they didn't take Ryan Holiday's advice.) My Facebook is now rather than a maddening thing to trigger a joyful scroll down my Facebook page.
The algorithms are what we make them. I can choose to get the blood pressure up ( Kristen Welker on Meet the Press has done the impossible, making me miss Chuck Todd), but I can also watch old Wrestling videos on YouTurbe that the algorithms give me that suck me into a hole of nostalgia.
We can get out of the game if we know how it works. They give us what we want or do. When we make changes, the algorithms change. Happy New Year! Let the madness of 2024 begin.
Yes, my youtube feed is filled with knitting tutorials, how-to’s for sourdough bread and travel guides.
I started watching art and drawing videos to change the algorithm and I have not regretted the new techniques I’ve learned. Fellow knitters and bakers unite!
lol. The Free Press told me about Douglas Murray. now I you tube him. just to see him slay dragons
I get sucked into so many rabbit holes but they are good ones so a great use of time. Have a great 2024!
Welcome to "WW2 Tales" – Unveiling the Untold Stories of Valor and Resilience!
Step into a world where history comes alive – "WW2 Tales" is your gateway to the gripping and authentic stories of the brave souls who lived through one of humanity's most defining chapters:....(Snip)
https://www.youtube.com/@WW2Tales
It shows you That War, from The Other Side.
When I Landed In America I Realized That .Germany Did Not Stand A Chance In War.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hLd1qjiPME
In this captivating episode, "When I Landed In America I Realized That .Germany Did Not Stand A Chance In War." witness history through the eyes of a prisoner as he reflects on the fate of his homeland.
Experience the emotional journey, insights, and revelations that shaped his perspective during this pivotal moment in history. This is a firsthand account you won't want to miss!
Dive into the full diary series by subscribing and hitting the notification bell. Join us as we uncover the untold stories of wartime captivity and resilience.
Share this unique historical perspective with fellow history enthusiasts and anyone interested in WWII. Don't forget to like, comment, and share to support our channel and honor the POW's narrative.
I also read much WWII history. I listened to a few minutes of each of your links. This is very good, but requires hours of listening which I am not prone to do.
I have never 'listened' to a book; I have to turn pages. Occasionally I'll watch a movie or series (Band of Brothers) but there are not many out there.
Is this delivered through any other medium or forum? Many thanks, my friend.
I'm retired, so now I have nothing but time.
I discovered Books on Youtube a couple of yeas ago. I think I'm n Love! :-)
As for books...."You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me." C.S. Lewis
When I was a lad in the '50s, first-person accounts by veterans and many more by journalists, were legion, generally in paperback. Whether these still exist or not, I don't know; possibly in big used book emporia (if any of them still exist)?
I believe lot of hose books have been republished ever since Saving Private Ryan, Band Of Brothers came out.
BTW Tom Hanks will soon becoming out with a series on the 8th AF (The Bloody 100th).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA-1JCRguZ0
When I had TikTok it was all gardening, home projects, food recipies, and workout stuff 😂. Its nice having a little page to go to like that! My YouTube is mostly baby shark for the toddler. I would definitely like to improve my knitting from one stitch to many, and actually finish my current scarf project.
Kristen Welker? Meet the Press?
"But Chernobyl started me on a new path. When I began to research these old fears to find out what had been said in the past, I discovered several important things. The first is that there’s nothing more sobering than a 30-year-old newspaper. You can’t figure out what the headlines mean, you don’t know who the people are. Theodore Green, John Sparkman, George Reedy, Jack Watson. Who were they? You thumb through page after page of vanished concerns, issues that apparently were important at the time and now don’t matter at all. It’s amazing how many pressing concerns are literally of the moment. They won’t matter in six months, and certainly not in six years, and if they won’t matter then, are they really worth our attention now?
But as David Brinkley once said, the one function TV news performs very well is that when there is no news, we give it to you with the same emphasis as if there were.
We miss him."
An Evening with Michael Crichton
https://www.independent.org/events/transcript.asp?id=111#2
Loved Michael Crichton! I find myself re-reading his books, I miss his intellect, compassion and common sense.
Michael Crichton | States of Fear: Science or Politics?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDCCvOv3qZY&t=545s
The late Michael Crichton, author of "State of Fear," along with a panel of distinguished scientists, examine the increasing politicization of science at an event sponsored by the Independent Institute.
"Global Warming" Michael Crichton on Charlie Rose
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh4dIkEyfd0
Michael Crichton explains that he is not a "catastrophist," and gives a salient explanation that doesn't refute the mob as much as lends an anthropologist's perspective that could shape many issues today and tomorrow.
Michael Crichton on Environmentalism as a Religion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv9OSxTy1aU&t=169s
Dec 25, 2006
Michael Crichton on Environmentalism as a Religion
Oliver, TFP, thank you for the mention. All that early morning reading before my day starts finally paid off.
Also, Suzy, that Gordy dude has great advice. Go to places that aren’t just “meat” markets.
A friend once told me, look for the quiet guy who stays to clean up, to help, who volunteers, is patient, and has kind eyes, who’s interested in who you are and what you love—not just your looks. I met mine caroling on New Year’s Day two years ago, and it was sparks from the beginning. They don’t all come in the package you think they will. Good luck!
Listen to this.
“Some other recurring themes: none of you are excited about what 2024 holds in terms of domestic and international politics.”
——————————————————-
If the electrical grid doesn’t go down in 2024 I will consider the year to be a huge success.
Also, my goal is to have 1 million followers for my Twitter account @TrumpsAnkleMonitor which should really take off when that Jamaican Communist Lady in DC sentences him to house arrest.
Right on-point. The hardest thing for anyone to do is to believe in something with all their heart, to lobby and evangelize for it, go out on a limb with all their friends - and then slowly realize they were wrong and find the courage to say in front of God and everybody, "I was wrong."
But how to do this? I believe the answer is to internalize the philosophy of, "I don't care WHO's right - even me; I only care about WHAT's right." Whatever circuitous path Jamie may have taken through life, the internal programming to say, "I only care what's right" - whether it came from parents or just a strong sense of right and wrong - served her well. Best wishes to all for the New Year. We just might make it.™
THANK YOU!! Bari Weiss! Truly have enjoyed the Free Press so much the last year! Great content. Comforting to know I’m not the only one thinking ‘What’s wrong with these people??’. (The world at large)
My daily mantra: What’s wrong with these people?!? 🤣
I’ll still look at the NYT. Once a year, on Election Day, so I know who not to vote for.
Suzy, I support the idea of looking in good places for good men for the article. Whatever you do, value yourself enough to make sure a guy values you. Basically, don’t try to fix a douche.
“Here’s a simple idea from Ryan Holiday: stop posting pictures of your children on the internet.”
———————————————————
Whenever someone in my friend circle posts a picture of their kids on social media I write in the comments
“You know, Hamas also posts staged photos of their kids online as a way of attacking the Jews.”
Doesn’t always go over well.
Don’t post pictures of your kids still wearing masks on the internet. It’s too heartbreaking for words.
I think a lot depends on the audience. If you're posting pics of your kids for the public to see, you are putting them at risk. Literally. Your child may end up CGI'd into child porn.
But for some of us, Facebook is our only way to connect with old friends. The kind of people we'd have mailed a pic of our kids back before the internet existed. Limiting the audience to those people makes sense.
I quit Facebook about a year ago. Now I text photos to my family and close friends. I realized that if I wasn’t close enough to the person to write a physical letter or personal text/email, what’s the point anyway? I got on my husband’s Facebook recently and had a lot of fun scrolling through everyone’s updates. But still, for me it’s been a net positive. (This is NOT advice, just sharing my experience 😄)
I'm horrible at correspondence! So Facebook fills that need for me really well. But if something else works just as well, I say go for it!
Very much the same reason I still use FB. I would really really like to quit this mass private data gathering machine. But all my old friends who live far away are on there and it helps me stay in touch with them. I don't even post anything anymore. I stopped posting things about myself long ago. But without it I would miss news of loved ones of my friends passing away, or some big milestones they go through, etc because people (at least my generation) don't announce news anywhere else anymore.
The only thing I can do is keep from posting photos and private info about myself. Still, I've felt for years people are nuts to post photos and info of their kids on there like a family documentary and scrap book. It's like letting Meta know everything to target your kid before they even have a chance to decide for themselves.
And twice I had had to tell friends to take down photos of their small child naked. This was also years ago, but they were shocked when I told them they needed to take it down. One of them, her first response was, "but he's just a little boy!" And I said, "And that's EXACTLY why you need to take it down. It'll attract pedophiles." This was back in the more innocent days before FB even had policies about these things. The second time, another friend posted her daughter's newborn pics (daughter was several years old by then but the pics were meant to celebrate her birthday). I told her she had to take it down because FB might flag her account. She was a bit dumbfounded when I told her this, because in her mind they were photos of a newborn baby and so how could it be deemed anything sexual.
That aside, I couldn't bring myself to tell her that her daughter might be really embarrassed by everyone having seen her naked (even as a baby) when she grows up into an adult. It baffles me parents don't realize this.
I have another friend who, also years ago, posted photo on FB for all to see when their toddler daughter learned to use the toilet, celebrating the girl got toilet trained. The kid was literally sitting on the toilet with her pants down. Nothing was exposed, so I kept my mouth shut that time. But privately, I thought, ok the girl's going to really appreciate this when she grows up and this comes back to haunt her. Hopefully this won't float around out there and her future employer will see it. Maybe the saving grace is she can blame it on AI if that happens.
And these are all normally what people would consider good, responsible parents.
Here’s a suggestion for you, Oliver: take a writing course. Your cover article reads like something sensitive from the NYT, ferkreisake.
And please stop highlighting people who went to Ivy League schools. We are not impressed. Even if a piece is authored by an Ivy grad, just don’t mention it. We are not fucking impressed. Neither should you or the rest of the staff at TFP be! Especially after the last 3 fucking months. Find some stuff from folks who went to U of Utah, Kansas State, Coastal Carolina, etc. They are out there, you might just have to work harder, and put down your NYT and cast your eyes a bit farther afield from your experience.
Amen to the Ivy League schools comment. There are people outside of the east coast states and many of them are educated in a more balanced way, just my opinion. I'd love to hear from more of them.
Just not Californicators, please!
Classic Rob Henderson, out to claim his gold medal in the childhood trauma Olympics.
Its almost as if one could describe their difficulties in life without putting other people down or acting superior about it.
I lost my father to suicide at age six. Never once have I acted like my accomplishments mean more than someone else’s because of it. It made me tougher than others but thats the extent of it.
Rob Henderson speaks truth, y'all. I could have written his piece being born to a single mother who was a nurse in the 70's working days, nights, and weekends unable to afford 'daycare'. My brother and I learned how to fight, cook for ourselves, and do our laundry at age seven. Thankfully, we had working class folks around us to teach common sense. We are both 'successful' these days with five successful and productive children after two of them had near death experiences(an unknown virus on 100% life support recovering to be a powerlifter and another with eating disorder from 63 lbs and 22 hbpm back to 127 lb health).
Yes, keep your phone at a distance at all times and drink just a little bit more, socially.
So on this trans thing, particularly trans children and the issue as it impacts schools, I have always struggled with why it made me uncomfortable. I know trans people IRL and they are lovely people. So why does the controversy trouble me? And as happens sometimes TFP and it's commenters have helped me perfect (?) my POV. I think it is because you cannot mandate public acceptance of transgender people without mandating unacceptance of gender is binary. And lots, probably most, of people believe it is. Many, many laws are based thereon. To expect, nay demand, the disruption of societal cohesion to fit the whims of a very small segment of the population is not IMO a good strategy. To employ children as a tactic to achieve that goal is egregious. There are far too many unintended consequences of meeting that demand. Is society in a state of evolution? I hope so and if so transgender may well become normalized. But I think the effort to mandate the acceptance is foolhardy and may well do more harm in terms of lack of acceptance, than good.
Happy new year!!
Getting back to a real Canon camera, and developing our pictures, is the best way I'm saving myself and my family from the algorithm. Plus cell phones emit carcinogenic, chronic radiation, which further addicts children by magnetizing them to the device:
https://romanshapoval.substack.com/p/how-does-emf-affect-children