Potpourri for 500

Godspeed: good fortune; success (used as a wish to a person starting on a journey, a new venture, etc.)

All right, it’s mid-summer so we’re going to mix it up with a little of this, a little of that, or, as they like to say on the game show Jeopardy, a potpourri (aka hodgepodge, smorgasbord, pastiche, mishmash, salmagundi – hey, that’s a new one on me – or whatever you want to call this roundup.)

And the 500, well, that's both tribute to the game show and because we've now got 500 subscribers, give or take, in the Godspeed community.

So, pieces and parts for you today – let’s go!

Godspeed, friends.

Russ

🤔 Think About It

“Never regret a day in your life.  Good days give happiness.  Bad days give experiences, worst days give lessons, and best days give memories.” Richard Feynman

Oh, and if you'd like to learn more about the subject of today's quote, I can't recommend highly enough this three-part podcast from Freakonomics: The Curious, Brilliant, Vanishing Mr. Feynman.

It’s That C-Word Again

We didn’t realize when we wrote an issue awhile back that was brought to you by the letter C that this curvaceous letter would have such legs.  But apparently the tar-and-feather of “communist” is making a real comeback.

That’s because some folks on the far right are slinging that pejorative at anything that hints at socialism, particularly with a younger class of “Democrat Socialists” on the rise.

Consider this quick example and explainer from Frank J. Oswald on LinkedIn regarding Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgam, the white nationalist group Patriot Front, and “communists.”

Or have a quick look-see (below) at this screenshot, courtesy of Sen. Bernie Sanders. 

And by the way, here are some examples of socialism in the United States:

• Social Security
• Medicare
• Medicaid
• U.S. Postal Service
• Public housing
• Veterans Health Administration
• SNAP

And if you take it to the local level, here are more examples of what might be called “socialist” programs:

• Public K-12 schools
• Public libraries
• Municipal utilities
• Oh, and I'll add one of my favorites:  public swimming pools
• And for the polo shirt crowd, I'll add another: public golf courses

Me, I’m a far cry from a communist, but I’ve always believed in coming together, pooling resources, valuing the collective’s ability to both tackle large-scale problems and help individuals.  Democratic socialism seems like a good hybrid worth exploring.

How about you?

Who doesn’t love a good piggyback ride? 

Since President Trump and his Administration were at the core of our C-word issue, let’s piggyback on the Chief Piggy with a GREAT episode of The Daily podcast from just last week on “The Unprecedented Personal Profits of Trump’s Presidency.”

Public Art and Social Causes

I'm a big fan of the power of art to draw attention to social causes – my building in Boise wears a necklace of murals honoring social and environmental impact champions – and I absolutely love the large-scale artistry of Dutch mural artist Judith de Leeuw. 

Judith creates murals around the world, like her take on the Statue of Liberty (pictured above) in Roubaix, France, to draw attention to social issues. You can check out more of her art here.

And hey, I'd like you to introduce you to street person/street artist Brian Drake here in Boise. I met him awhile back when he was photographing our Inspiration Alley mural installation on the building. He's documenting the murals at different times of day, in different seasons, and across different patterns of weather and perspective and light. Can't wait to see the finished project, Brian!

The Tool Has A Name

I came across this piece of satire about AI and journalism by Peter Girnus, a senior threat researcher by day, writer by night, and as it references a local media institution here in Idaho I clicked and read and...hmm, maybe not a satire after all, but more of a futuristic prognostication. Here are the first three paragraphs – if you're interested in the rest (it's not long) you can read it in its entirety here. (And sorry, yes, it's on X, a place I don't usually frequent.)

I am a reporter at the Idaho Statesman. My name goes on top. That is the part of the job that survived.

They call it AI adoption. The newsroom did not adopt anything. A policy adopted us. We were told to use the tool. Using the tool is now a line in my performance file, the same line that used to say "filed on deadline."

The tool has a name. Internally it is Cadence. Cadence assists. Assists is the verb they gave it. Cadence assists me the way a current assists a swimmer who has stopped swimming.

On The Subject Of Gaslighting

I've been writing a lot about the negative impact of AI the job market, so just in case you thought I was gaslighting you, I thought I'd share this cartoon from Goat to Self as it really fits the subject.