Episode 252: Stupid ASOLs

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When something is new, its very introduction can cause friction, even havoc. People always wonder how good or bad things could get. In this Episode 252, I offer a bit disjointed ranting on the business end of Large Language Models, or Stupid ASOLs.

In this Episode, I read from: a blog post from an Italian computer scientist concerning her term for ASOLs, SALAMI; and Ed Zitron's article called "The Subprime AI Crisis". I recalled from my 15 years as a professional mariner some details about poop decks and heads, so you would know the difference. (I also mentioned briefly a Reuters article concerning the restart of Three Mile Island, but neglected to mention this in the wrap-up at the end. I apologize for my oversight.)

I played: the ASOL-created "podcast" piece of shit Dr. Kristen Stuppy whipped up.

Musically, I opened with a new intro featuring ASOL-concerned journalist John Herrman backed by KMFDM. I'm closing today with Mistle Thrush.

Episode 251: Let There Be Some Light

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In looking into sources of private propaganda, I am constantly struck on how far back it goes. Today I go back a hundred years to a time when the private electrical power industry was insisting on the title to this Episode 251: Let There Be Some Light.

In this episode, I read from: Jane Brox's book Brilliant: The Evolution of Artificial Light; Chuck Collins' book, The Wealth Hoarders: How Billionaires Pay Millions to Hide Trillions; Naomi Oreskes and Eric M. Conway's book, The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us To Loathe Government and Love the Free Market; and an article from the magazine Home Power (issue #27, Feb/Mar 1992, p. 14, author Mike Sagrillo; sorry, I forgot to jot down the title of the article) on how those old home wind turbine and battery systems were put out of commission.

I play: the voice of D. L. Myers invoking the Powell Movement Stinger. Henry Giroux opens the show backed by KMFDM; and I close today with Julie & Rolf & The Campfire Gang doing "Over the Rainbow".

A quick note: I had several pics of advertising the wind turbines I mention at the close of the show. Not only are none of them live links (no surprise there) but a quick search for them has turned up bupkis. I am both perplexed… and conspiratorially minded to think that powered forces are out to erase that historic link. Maybe I should go to bed instead. If you turn up pics of these 1920s wind turbines, please drop a line in the comments below.

Episode 250: Addiction Through Engagement

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In business, simply maintaining the same level of profitability every year is regarded as failing; one must grow to thrive. But what if the product design is clearly dangerous to use? I explore this reality in Episode 250: Addiction Through Engagement.

In this episode, I read from: Ian Bogost's 2021 Atlantic article "People Aren't Meant to Talk This Much;" Shoshana Zuboff's book The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight For a Human Future At The New Frontier of Power; Jessie Singer's book There Are No Accidents: Who Profits and Who Pays the Price; and my computer's quickie dictionary.

Musically, I play: KMFDM backing Tristan Harris talking about what the tech companies are really doing in the opening. I close today with Mistle Thrush.

Episode 249: Advertising Makes You Fat

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We see slim and slender people all the time, every day… even when none walk among us. This screws with our brains in ways most of us never consider for a second. The bottom line for this phenomenon is the title of Episode 249: Advertising Makes You Fat.

In this episode, I recalled the rough points outlined by Philosophers Bishop Berkeley and Kate Manne, the latter from her interview on This Is Hell! I also recalled as best I could details from an article whose source and title are long forgotten. (I know, I shouldn't do this. I should cite my sources, or not even mention them. Good thing I'm not in academia, ain't it?)

I actually read from: the highlights page for Kate Manne's interview; and Will Storr's book The Status Game: On Human Life and How To Play It.

Musically, I play someone named Jimi Jameson singing "I'm Always Here", which was the opening theme to all but the first season of Baywatch. Mark Blyth introduces the show backed by KMFDM's "Attak", and I close today with Julie & Rolf & The Campfire Gang doing "Over The Rainbow".

Episode 248: More Reasons For Real Worry

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All too often today the forces driving the changes that increase suffering are hidden, unavailable for us to adequately understand, let alone change. Matt Stoller delivers yet another industry machination in this Episode 248: More Reasons For Real Worry.

In this episode, I read from: Matt Stoller's article titled "It’s the Land, Stupid: How the Homebuilder Cartel Drives High Housing Prices." Beyond his primer on Georgist economic theory, it's yet another great tip off that something very fishy is happening beyond what the commercial news blatherers are claiming.

Musically, I play: Podington Bear doing "That's Alright". Matt Stoller himself opens the show backed by KMFDM, and I close today with Mistle Thrush.

A Tiny But Exciting Update

Hey, Dear Listeners. Jim here, begging your indulgence for yet another late episode.

I had a show in the scripting phase, only to realize it was concerning a topic I not only already covered, but covered quite recently. Hey, at least I didn't give this one a name I've used before! (Actually, I used a name I thought was brilliant; it turns out that was because I had used the title's exact turn of phrase in the episode that already covered the topic. At least I'm predictable!)

Not to worry. I just found the perfect topic, a new-ish one that should wow and amaze you, and am right now in the process of transcribing the book notes as fast as my typey fingers can plop and flop on the keys.

Later!


—Jim, your Ad Attacker

Episode 247: Swinging the Hammer of Demonetization

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How communities deal with bad behavior should be an ongoing debate. Private companies, though, today use “community standards” to steal both platforms and the cash they deliver. Hence, Episode 247: Swinging the Hammer of Demonetization.

In this episode, I read from: Joseph Bernstein's Harper's magazine article "Bad News: Selling the Story of Disinformation"; and from comments to a Veritasium video called "The Man Who Killed Millions and Saved Billions ('Clean' Version)" (yes, I scare-quoted "clean;" you'll find out why.) I recount from memory some details from the Vaclav Smil book Enriching the Earth: Fritz Haber, Carl Bosch, and the Transformation of World Food Production.

I play: Ted Stevens explaining the internet; Veritasium's host explaining the necessity of reposting his video; Pee Wee Herman's observations about large posteriors; and President Eisenhower warning of what the nation should resist. Matt Stoller opens the show backed by KMFDM's "Attak", and I close with Julie & Rolf & The Campfire Gang doing "Over the Rainbow".

Episode 246: Why The Rent Is Too Damned High

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Most people today feel they have can choose from whichever experts best confirm their own deeply-seated beliefs. Sadly, this is wrong, and to understand how wrong, I try to answer the question of Episode 246: Why The Rent Is Too Damned High.

In this episode, I read from: two articles from The American Prospect magazine. I also paraphrased a notable quote from Whitelaw Reid, one dating back to 1875, and one that should be forever repeated. By everyone.

I play: a quote about economics that appeared on the short-lived television cartoon version of Dilbert.

Musically, I play: KMFDM backing Cory Doctorow opining about the breakdown of societal norms concerning experts. I close with Mistle Thrush.

Episode 245: Don't Trust Mainstream Media

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Too many grapple today with common but un- or poorly-defined terms, especially "mainstream." What is mainstream? When it comes to mainstream news, I've got a simple suggestion, which I give you in this Episode 245: Don't Trust Mainstream Media.

In this episode, I read from: Tim Wu's book The Attention Merchants: The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads; Upton Sinclair's book The Brass Check: A Study of American Journalism; Robert W. McChesney and Ben Scott's 2004 book Our Unfree Press: 100 years of Radical Media Criticism; and Robert W. McChesney and John Nichols 2010 book, The Death and Life of American Journalism: The Media Revolution That Will Begin the World Again.

I played: Matt Taibbi from the November 30, 2022 Munk Debate; and Jeffry Dvorkin from his appearance on the podcast Canadaland. Musically, Bernie Sanders opened the show backed by KMFDM; and I'm closing today with Mistle Thrush.

Episode 244: Adam Smith's Invisible Handjob

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All political philosophy is propaganda, an attempt to describe both the way things are and proscribe the way things should be. Let me give you an example written over a quarter of a millennia ago in this Episode 244: Adam Smith's Invisible Handjob.

In this episode, I read from: David Graeber's book, Debt: The First 5,000 Years; from Adam Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments; from Brian Merchant's Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech; and from my quickie dictionary.

I play: a new intro featuring Douglas Rushkoff in the opening, noting that tech giants of every age do not do the things they do in a complete vacuum devoid of other people, backed as usual by KMFDM. I close the show with Julie & Rolf and the Campfire Gang doing "Over the Rainbow".

(Also, I played but neglected to mention two audio snippets, the first from the short-lived television cartoon Dilbert; and the second from then Senator Ted Stevens "describing" the inter-tubes. I also neglected Podington Bear's musical backing provided by a tune called "Quatrefoil". I forgot to mention those bits in the audio credits. Oops. Sorry.)

Episode 243: FOB Dear George

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It's inevitable. One day, you’ll find a writer who doesn't agree with a topic you wholeheartedly embrace enough to snidely attack it and distort the facts. There goes your remaining trust. I cover this in an open letter called Episode 243: FOB Dear George.

In this episode, I read from: George Monbiot's 2022 book Regenesis: Feeding the World Without Devouring the Planet; my computer's Quickie Dictionary; and an article about a farmer in Illinois heating his chicken CAFOs with poop.

Musically, I play a brand-new introduction with Tony Brasunas and backed by KMFDM; and I end today with Julie & Rolf & all the others in the Campfire Gang doing "Over the Rainbow" as they joyously shave years off their lives by choking on the methane, nitrous oxide and black carbon around that evil, evil campfire. (Damn, I miss that campfire. Thanks, CoVID.)

Episode 242: The Art and Craft of Resublimation

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Advertisers have been stealing good ideas for years and using them to crassly push their products. It's only fair, then, that we mock those ads, perhaps enough to destroy their sales effectiveness. Hence, Episode 242: The Art and Craft of Resublimation.

In this episode, I read from: Tom Wolfe's 1968 book, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, which I recounted (probably incorrectly) from memory; my Quickie Computer Dictionary; and Tim Wu's book The Attention Merchants: The Epic Struggle to Get Inside Our Heads. Just a few more Wu's Attention Merchant episodes, and I'll be caught up with Wu's tale.

I played: Marshall McLuhan from the movie Annie Hall criticizing some jerk in a movie line; and Timothy Leary's famous "turn on" slogan.


Now this is subversive resumblimation!



Musically, I blasted you with several versions of a tune that dominated the seventies. Here's a link to the song's Wiki page so you can untangle the many versions and see how long each stayed on the charts. Mr. Ceglowski opens the show backed by KMFDM, and I close with the New Seekers doing their version.

Episode 241: TANA, ATU Edition

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In my last episode, I questioned use of the word "accidents," which take focus away from the hazards that cause them. Why? Because hazards can be fixed. I'll give you some real-world examples of good places to start in this Episode 241: TANA, ATU Edition.

In this episode, I once again read from Jessie Singer's book, There Are No Accidents: The Deadly rise of Injury and Disaster——Who Profits and Who Pays the Price. I also read from a report from Fat Pencil Studio, the computer experts hired to create the footage demonstrating the visibility obstructions in the 2010 Portland bus accident.

Musically, I played a new intro from Jesse Richardson backed, as usual, by KMFDM. I'm closing today with Mistle Thrush.

Ten Freakin' Years!

This very short episode is merely a brief calendrical announcement and celebration. Enjoy.

Episode 240: There Are No Accidents

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For too long, the question of what is “safe”—and who should take the blame when it isn't—has been muddled in the name of profits. Maybe we should avoid the word “accident” itself. I'll explore that question in this Episode 240: There Are No Accidents.

In this Episode, I read from Jessie Singer's 2022 book, There Are No Accidents: The Deadly Rise of Injury and Disaster——Who Profits and Who Pays the Price. Seriously. I highly encourage anyone out there to check out this book. It's not perfect——no book is——but it does explore in detail how badly moneyed interests have misinformed us about who should take the blame.

Musically, I play: a lick from the classic banjo soundtrack to the movie Deliverance; and the nineteenth-century chorus from the worker-rights song "Eight Hours," as sung by Cincinnati's University Singers from the 1978 album The Hand That Holds The Bread: Progress and Protest in the Gilded Age; Songs from the Civil War to the Columbian Exposition. KMFDM's "Attack" backs Bruce Livesy in the intro; and I close with Mistle Thrush.

Episode 239: What I Do With The Mad That I Feel

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My show is reactive: things happen, and I react to them. This happened recently when the number and tone of commercials in my podcast feed spiked. I cover this and speculate on why it happened in this Episode 239: What I Do With The Mad That I Feel.

In this episode, I read from J. C. McQuiston's letter concerning radio advertising from the August, 1922 issue of Radio News called "Advertising by Radio. Can It and Should It Be Done?"

I played: two episodes of On The Media, one from November 3rd and the other from November 10th. (Keep in mind that if you go to the links and listen for the same ads I excerpted, you probably won't find them, simply because ads are inserted dynamically, and mine date back to the original releases.) I also played Mr. Fred Rogers testifying before congress in 1969.

Musically, I played: some incidental music from the old radio drama Dragnet; and Podington Bear doing "In My Head". KMFDM's "Attack" backed Tim Bousquet in the opening, and I'm closing now with Mistle Thrush's close to "It's All Like Today".

Episode 238: The Third Estate Rising

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Politics in America comes down to the DEMs vs. the GOPs, right? One represents wealth, and the other claims the hearts of regular people, right? Well, it’s more complicated. I'll explore this complicatedness in this Episode 238: The Third Estate Rising.

In this episode, I read from: a 2018 RAND Corporation paper titled "Truth Decay: An Initial Exploration of the Diminishing Role of Facts and Analysis in American Public Life"; William Rosen's 2010 book, The Most Powerful Idea in the World: A Story of Steam, Industry, and Invention; Joel Kotkin's 2020 book, The Coming of Neo-Feudalism: A Warning to the Global Middle Class. I shared from memory the origin of the word "churl," something I got from The History of English Podcast.


An image from the James Galbraith article mentioned below.

I also shared a James Galbraith article, "Inequality and the 2016 Election Outcome: A Dirty Secret and a Dilemma."

I played: Jimmy Fallon and his band backing and slow jamming the neoliberal utterances of Barack Obama. KMFDM backed an opening with Martin Luther King, Jr. in honor of Black History Month, and I'm closing today with Julie & Rolf & The Campfire Gang doing "Over the Rainbow".

Episode 237: Spare Me The EULAgee!

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We all suspect our devices are increasingly using their microphones and cameras to snoop on us. Over the years, I’ve explored that suspicion. I’ll go over some of that history, and finish with some news, in this Episode 237: Spare Me The EULAgee!

In this episode, I read from: Dr. Beet's blog and others who continued the outrage; Shoshanna Zuboff's book The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight For a Human Future At The New Frontier of Power; one article from The Daily Beast, two articles from Gigaom, and two more from 404 Media; a Fruitie web page; and a page stored in the Internet Archive.

I played: smart tv owner Peter Kent interviewed by the BBC; quickly deleted audio from a smart tv maker's web site; On The Media's Brooke Gladstone interviewing Congressman Walter Jones; someone named Brie Thomason introducing a video showing infrared flashes; and The CBS Evening News trying to discredit the myth that phones listen in. KMFDM opened the show with Shoshana Zuboff; and I'm closing today with Mistle Thrush.

Episode 236: Madison's Farcical Tragedy

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I introduce a new word in this episode more to point out that it does not represent a new concept, but rather a very old one. The problem of controlling this recent outbreak due to an old story is the topic of this Episode 236: Madison's Farcical Tragedy.

In this episode, I read from: a transcript for a speech given by danah boyd on agnotology; Robert McChesney and John Nichols' 2013 book, Dollarocracy: How the Money and Media Election Complex is Destroying America; and Robert McChesney's also 2013 book Digital Disconnect: How Capitalism is Turning The Internet Against Democracy.

I played: Brooke Gladstone from On The Media interviewing Brian Stelter; David Simon giving testimony to Congress about the collapse of newspapers; and D. L. Myers invoking the haunting Powell Movement Stinger. Musically, KMFDM backed Jesse Richardson in a new opening segment concerning the best and worst of we humans; and I'm closing today with Julie & Rolf & The Campfire Gang doing "Over the Rainbow".

Addendum, February 11, 2024: It has quite recently come to my attention that I am, as was once pointed out to me in friendly correspondence, dumber than dried dog shit. Near the end of this episode, I promised a link to a radio thing that kinda sorta confirmed suspicions I voiced in this episode.

I forgot to provide the link. Hence, I am that dumb. Dried dog shit dumb.

Here's the link to that Here & Now story as previously promised.

Episode 235: A Winkling In The Making

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Our homes are the greatest asset most Americans have. This should therefore scare the living shit out of us: right now more renting a place to live than getting a chance to own at all. What can be done? On to Episode 235: A Winkling In The Making.

In this episode, I read from: a Vice article about the proposed legislation that would separate large funds from their rental housing; from Chuck Collins' book, The Wealth Hoarders: How Billionaires Pay Millions to Hide Trillions; and from a DailyKos article about actual left-leaning Democratic politicians bitching about the senior leadership in their party with a serious hard-on for preventing, well, left leaning policy, lest they piss off their wealthy donors. Ah, neoliberalism! What can't you fuck up?

I play: Pat Boone, covering Led Zepellin's most famous song, "The Stairway to Heaven". (Seriously, that Boone guy gets all kinds of shit because he dared to cover famous black artists, but no one mentions that Pat will cover absolutely anyone. He is an equal opportunity copy-cat. A copy-Pat, if you will.) KMFDM backed Henry Giroux in the opening, and I let the Vince Guiraldi Trio play us out with "Skating".

Episode 234: Enshittification

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There's a new word out there, doing its part to describe an old type of theft. Rentiers are once again attempting to rake in money, today using technology to make that job easier. I describe this word and some of the acts associated with it in this Episode 234: Enshittification.

In this episode, I read from: correspondence between myself and my podcast host helpers; and from two bloggy articles (the first also re-published by Wired) by Cory Doctorow. Listen also to Cory's extended three-part interview conducted by "BeeGee" Brooke Gladstone.

I played Clark Gable's huckster character from the 1947 movie The Hucksters in the intro, backed by KMFDM. Julie & Rolf & The Campfire Gang sing us out.

Episode 233: Critical Massholes

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Right now, there are a few under-reported legal attempts being made to rein in the tech giants that today, well, monopolistically reign. Just like I did in my last, I'll cover yet another of these attempts in this Episode 233: Critical Massholes.

In this episode, I read from: two articles from the series Big Tech On Trial, by Lee Hepner and Matt Stoller; Shoshanna Zuboff's book The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power; an article from The Register; and, from his 1934 book I, Candidate for Governor, and How I Got Licked, Upton Sinclair's observation I call the Sinclair Maxim.

I played for you: Weird Al Yankovick's version of The Brady Bunch theme; and the wizard himself imploring Dorothy and the Gang to please ignore him, that from the third movie version of The Wizard of Oz. (Did you know there were two silent versions of the Wizard? There were. Weirdly, I couldn't find any audio clips from these to include in the show!) I opened the show with Shoshanna Zuboff backed by KMFDM, and I'm closing today with Julie & Rolf & The Campfire Gang doing "Over The Rainbow".

Episode 232: The Advertising Scorpion

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Lawsuits are happening! And so many concern advertising and the future of some really big companies! It's time to get not just excited, but really excited, starting with this Episode 232: The Advertising Scorpion.

In this episode, I read from two of Matt Stoller's articles from his newsletter Big: one from September 22nd of 2023, and the other from September 27th.

I played: Podington Bear's "In My Head" near the end. Matt Stoller himself opened the show backed by KMFDM's "Attack". I'm closing today with Mistle Thrush.

Episode 231: SSG The Status Goldfish

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In this final sharing of Will Storr's book, The Status Game, I give a glimpse into the tyranny of the cousins, people amongst us who seek to correct behavior in ways that should sound familiar. Watch what you say in this Episode 231: SSG The Status Goldfish.

In this episode, I finish up sharing the gist of Will Storr's book The Status Game: On Human Life and How to Play It. All that I quote came from that book, which I recommend you read yourself. Seriously, The Wife and I share few books in common; this is one of them. That should say quite a bit in itself. You also heard the robot from the original TV show Lost in Space delivering his famous warning.

Musically, KMFDM backs Tony Brasunas commenting on the nature of actual free speech and the media consciousness one needs to sort through all the speech. Julie & Rolf and the Campfire Gang sing us into a landing with "Over the Rainbow".

Oh, and quick housekeeping note: the computer I use to create these episodes is starting to show its age. Hey, it got to twenty years without too much trouble! Now, though, sometimes it fires up ready to actually work, and sometimes… not so much. It looks like I'll have some computer shopping to do pretty soon, which undoubtedly will affect new episodes in the immediate future. I appreciate your patience.

Episode 230: Erasing Typographic Man

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Have you ever read a very old book and wondered how the author could keep the argument flowing through the miles of print? I know I have. Today I explore the degradation of our modern attention span with this Episode 230: Erasing Typographic Man.

In this episode, I read from: Jerry Mander's book, Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television; Neal Postman's book Amusing Ourselves To Death; Benjamin Franklin's autobiography (as it was quoted in Brooke Allen's book, Moral Minority: Our Skeptical Founding Fathers); my Quickie Dictionary; and the 1893 edition of The New Review.

I play a bit the 1984 movie This Is Spinal Tap! (Keep listening until the end of the credits and I'll play more of that clip with Christopher Guest and Rob Reiner as a public service to those too young to have seen that flick. It'll help you get the joke still uttered by old people, too often to eleven.)

Musically, Lance Strate opens the show backed by KMFDM. Mr. Strate did an interview where he discussed Neal Postman's book, appropriately. Julie and Rolf & the Campfire Gang close us out with "Over the Rainbow".

Episode 229: SSG Sing a Song of Derision!

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Status is important to all of us. To maintain relative status for everyone, we need to keep those around us in check. Sometimes we must bring out the biggest means of checking behavior and, like the title of this Episode 229, Sing a Song of Derision!

In this episode, I read from: a psychological experiment involving parking lot behavior; and Will Storr's book The Status Game: On Human Life and How to Play It. There's still more in that book to cover, I assure you. I recounted: a joke made by David Letterman; an article by Thom Hartmann discussing the new Barbie movie; and details into Stetson Kennedy's exploits with the Klan.

I play: Dana Carvey taking the piss out of a glass of, well, piss; and the Superman radio serial from 1946, "Superman vs The Klan of the Fiery Cross", taking the piss out of the Klan. I also share a little tune that hoped to save the world, but how? They encourage folks to get together and "Let's all poop in a bucket."

Henry Giroux opens the show backed by KMFDM's "Attack"; and I close with Julie & Rolf and the Campfire Gang doing "Over the Rainbow".

NB: I've chosen the TLA "SSG", or Storr's Status Game, to mark episodes in this series. I'll go back and change the other one now.

Bonus Episode: The Advertising Nuisance

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My hatred of advertising brought about my study of it. What I could never anticipate was the shared hatred that every now and again in history flares up and prompts so very many to complain, if not to act against it. Here is one such collection of complaint and solution from over a century ago in this Bonus Episode: The Advertising Nuisance.

These essays were published in the November, 1893 edition of a London periodical called The New Review, originally published by Archibald Grove, and found in that year's compiled book (found online here).

(Jim here. I do apologize for the episode being a day late. I completely underestimated how long it would take to record. Ugh. Victorian writing. Ugh.)

Episode 228: My Eight-Legged Monkey Dance

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We brag about living in a "free" country. Private industry, however, has too often more freedom to suppress speech than we do to exercise it, at least on "their" platforms. I vaguely allude to this in today's Episode 228: My Eight-Legged Monkey Dance.

In this episode, I read from: John M. Barry's 2018 book, The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History. Again, it's a good read. Lots of gory details about what made that flu outbreak special. I also read from a Nature magazine article about President Obama curtailing research in the US. Just for fun, at the links I'll direct you to another article I didn't read on the show, but which I feel, monkey-dance-wise, gives you some perspective on …the current problem.

I play: a few bits of Professor Adrian Gibbs being interviewed in December of 2009 by one of The Naked Scientists at the BBC. I also play snippets of reporter Keren Landman and On The Media host Brooke Gladstone spewing forth opinion with which I strongly disagree. Musically, KMFDM backed then-Mayor Bernie Sanders observing a problem with media concentration; and I close today with Julie & Rolf and The Campfire Gang doing "Over The Rainbow".

Addendum: Once again, perspecatious observer L33tminion caught my error, caused by letting my emotions overwhelm the direction of the show. Check out his quite proper admonition in the comments.

Episode 227: SSG The Games of Our Lives

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Yes, we humans are obsessed with playing games. They’re harmless fun, giving winners some bragging rights; in that way they resemble the most important game we play, the Status Game. I discuss this Greatest Game in Episode 227: The Games of Our Lives.

In this episode, I read from: Will Storr's book The Status Game: On Human Life and How to Play It; Franz de Waal's book Our Inner Ape: a Leading Primatologist Explains Why We Are Who We Are (available online here in PDF format); Tim Wu's book The Attention Merchants: The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads; and two academic papers de Waal used to support his book. I also relay from memory detail about those without mouths—infants—from The History of English Podcast.

I'll also link to an interview with Will Storr on the You Are Not So Smart podcast. It's a good introduction to his work.

Musically, I play Lance Strate in the opening commenting on our complete inability to deal with lots and lots of anything, backed by KMFDM's "Attack"; Julie & Rolf and The Campfire Gang sing us out.

Episode 226: Categorization & Confirmation

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For almost a decade now, I've shared intrusive surveillance crap with you done in the name of advertising and marketing. Worse, today I need to revisit that crap to show that it's now a probable reality. Thus, Episode 226: Categorization & Confirmation.

In this episode, I read from: an article from The Markup called "From “Heavy Purchasers” of Pregnancy Tests to the Depression-Prone: We Found 650,000 Ways Advertisers Label You"; Shoshana Zuboff's book, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight For a Human Future At The New Frontier of Power; Antonio Garciá Martínez's book, Chaos Monkeys: Obscene Fortune and Random Failure in Silicon Valley; An article about the Frootie Fone's invisible face reader from ITechPost called "Is Your iPhone Spying on You by Taking Invisible Photos? Apple Explains Infrared Camera"; and a Frootie support page filled with very specific and disturbing language.

I play: A tikki tokker named Brie who showed with an infrared camera all that darned flashing every five seconds. Musically, KMFDM backs Shoshana Zuboff herself in the intro; and I close today with Mistle Thrush.

Episode 225: Why We Can't Have Nice Things

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It really is possible to improve our lives by adopting less onerous practices. Keeping us from this better life are obscene fortunes earned by those who provide more onerous practices. I discuss some of this Episode 225: Why We Can't Have Nice Things.

In this episode, I read a message from my cell phone provider. I didn't read the silly survey they gave me afterwards, which, of course, allowed me to give them a shit review. I also recalled quite a few memories, and shared quite a few opinions, on things like M-Pesa.

I play: someone discussing small men's swimwear; and play Pee Wee Herman pointing out that many cannot wear the smallest size… due to their larger posteriors. Musically, Representative David Cicilline opens the show backed by KMFDM, and I close today with Julie & Rolf & The Campfire Gang doing "Over The Rainbow".

Episode 224: Categorically Errory

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I could do every episode sharing crud that attempts to score points against collective action… crud that spouts from mouths paid by people most likely to suffer should collective action occur. I present two in this Episode 224: Categorically Errory.

In this episode, I read from: Robert Henderson's City Journal article, "The Cadre In The Code"; and from the Manhattan Institute's various web pages. From memory, I also related the gist of Upton Sinclair's Lanny Budd novels.

I play: from Bill Maher's show, Real Time, Elon Musk getting his meritocracy on; and D. L. Myers invoking the Powell Movement. KMFDM backs Bruce Livesy in the intro, and I close with Julie and Rolf & the Campfire Gang doing "Over The Rainbow".

Links to that material (along with an article that I didn't quote at all, but that had a full link to the Bill Maher show) can be found at the show notes at AttackAdsPodcast.Blogspot.com.

Oh, and a brief apology: this show is over a week late, simply because of [reasons], which were very good ones indeed. Trust me.

Addendum: Thanks to longtime friend and listener BleakNemesis, we can picture what this controversy hath stirred!


Bleak got it here.

Oh, and for those curious, BleakN is my nemesis, and has been since the name's creation. And a worthy adversary he is!

Episode 223: The Counterintelligentsia Strikes Back!

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I've described before how ideas originated in academia have caught society’s collective popular vision. How much of that content, though, was intended to benefit only the wealthy? I explore this in Episode 223: The Counterintelligentsia Strikes Back!

In this episode, I read from Nancy MacLean's book Democracy In Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan For America. I also mentioned in passing Benjamin Hunnicutt's book Kellogg's Six-Hour Day and Arlie Russell Hochshield's book Strangers in Their Own Land.

I played: bits of two online videos featuring a mash-up of newsreels from 1957's Arkansas integration fight. D. L. Myers voiced the stinger for the Powell Movement.

Musically, I finished the body of the episode with Lee Rosevere's appropriately named "Intervention". KMFDM backed Henry Giroux in the introduction, and I'm closing today with Mistle Thrush.

Episode 222: FOB The Most Important Invention Ever

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Too few realize that answering the cocktail party question “what’s the best [something] ever?” requires taking into account how many on earth are affected by it. I attempt to answer this question in this Episode 222: FOB The Most Important Invention Ever.

In this episode, I read from: Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma; Vaclav Smil's book Enriching the Earth: Fritz Haber, Carl Bosch, and the Transformation of World Food Production; my computer's quickie dictionary; and Peter Zeihan's book The End of the World Is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization. I played: Political Economist Mark Blyth backed by KMFDM; and I'm closing now with Julie & Rolf & The Campfire Gang doing "Over the Rainbow".

Oh, for the show notes pages I'm including a brand-new TLA of FOB, which stands for Feeding Our Bellies. That will go into the title at the show notes so you can find… or avoid… all of my diversions from advertising that concern agriculture and global warming.

Episode 221: Books I've Quietly Read

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Most of us can relate: if we do something too often, specific memories of doing that thing are often lost until something triggers us to remember. Well, I read a lot. Here are some titles I forgot to mention in this Episode 221: Books I've Quietly Read.

In this episode, I mentioned: The On The Media series "The Divided Dial", which referenced Ann Nelson's book Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right; and Amy Webb's book The Big Nine: How the Tech Titans & Their Thinking Machines Could Warp Humanity. I read from: Scott Galloway's book The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google; my computer's quickie dictionary; Nancy MacLean's book Democracy In Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan for America; and H. G. Well's book Tono-Bungay. Too many books; too few mentions.

I played: a single word from the Pixar movie Up. Musically, I also played: KMFDM backing Mr. Ceglowski commenting on the truthfulness of advertisers; and I'm closing with Mistle Thrush.

Episode 220: Snitches Get Riches

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Once we learn about all the intrusive technologies foisted upon us just to stuff ads in our earholes and eyeballs, paranoia comes naturally. How much is enough? When does our paranoia match reality? I muse that in this Episode 220: Snitches Get Riches.

In this episode, I read from: two Wikipedia articles, one on the Met, the other on its founder, Sir Robert Peel; and an ad-jargony article about a radio station and billboard owner in Oklahoma.

I played: a bit of the movie The Limey; and a promotional video that bragged about just how intrusively they can coordinate radio, billboards, and phones. Musically, KMFDM backed Shoshana Zuboff in the intro; and I'm closing the show with Julie & Rolf and the Campfire Gang doing "Over the Rainbow".

Episode 219: "Not Totally Without Historical Significance"

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We are taught from childhood to save, because a penny saved can lead to a penny earned. What happens, though, when others have investments that take every penny we have? I explore this in Episode 219: "Not Totally Without Historical Significance."

In this episode, I read from: The Hipcrime Vocab's January 14th article, "The Big Housing Lie"^* (which itself quoted other sources that I also read); Chuck Collins' book, The Wealth Hoarders: How Billionaires Pay Millions to Hide Trillions; an Atlantic article called "When Wall Street Is Your Landlord"; and Thomas Piketty's book Capital in the Twenty-First Century.

Bernie Sanders opens the show backed by KMFDM; and I close with Mistle Thrush.

^*NB: Something changed between my email client's download and his blog entry's current title. Throughout the episode, I refer to the article as "The False Housing Crisis Narrative." Please don't let the discrepancy bother you.

Episode 218: Why (r > g) Matters

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Who can we trust in the “sciences”? In this episode, I offer academic research—later discounted by evidence—for years considered sacrosanct simply because it protects a hidden agenda of political economy. Hence, today's Episode 218: Why (r > g) Matters.

In this episode, I read from: a book by Chuck Collins called The Wealth Hoarders (which I will no doubt be relating more in coming episodes); Thomas Piketty's book Capital in the Twenty-First Century; and two Wikipedia pages, one on The Kuznets Curve, the other on The Gilded Age.

I play: a snippet from the television series cartoon version of the comic Dilbert, where Nobel-prize winners gathered on a bus have a disagreement on what kind of academic research does——and what does not——constitute a science. As I mentioned in Episode 20, that is still a hot but smoldering controversy. Musically, I open the show with Henry Giroux backed by KMFDM's "Attak"; I close today with Julie & Rolf & The Campfire Gang doing "Over The Rainbow".

Episode 217: Chopping At The Golem

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I have to say, it's exciting to witness a change in political winds almost the moment it happens…especially when it concerns legality in the world of online advertising! I share this change in the weather in this Episode 217: Chopping At The Golem.

In this episode, I read from: Matt Stoller's article from his newsletter Big, called "The Week CNBC Started to Panic"; and a synopsis of a brief filed by the Department of Justice concerning the legal break-up of the Alef Bet.


That image has lots of the pseudopods
from one company, doesn't it?

I play: the enraged and apoplectic Jim Cramer from CNBC. Musically, KMFDM backs Matt Stoller in the opening; I play a bit of incidental music from the December 12, 1953 radio version of Dragnet, stuff I found in an episode titled "The Big Pick"; and I close today with Julie & Rolf and the Campfire Gang doing "Over the Rainbow."

Episode 216: FOB The Dirt Road To Serfdom

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We all like to eat. There are, sadly, very profitable reasons to keep the various processes dictating how the food we buy is created well hidden. Today I point out just some of the lowlights you find alongside Episode 216: FOB The Dirt Road To Serfdom.

In this episode, I read from: Joel Salatin's book, Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal; my quickie dictionary; and Michael Pollan's book, The Omnivore's Dilemma. I would highly recommend both of these books to anyone, again, who eats.

I play: Pee Wee Herman's observation about sizable posteriors. Yeah, I play that a lot; but it's still funny. Musically, KMFDM backs author Cory Doctorow in a brand-new intro mulling over the profitability of doubt and the merchants that peddle it; and Mistle Thrush closes the show.

Epiosde 215: The Libertarian Delusion

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Everybody likes to suggest changes that will fix problems found in everyday life. What we don't often have, though, is a clear idea of whether those utopian changes will—or won’t—work. I present one example in this Epiosde 215: The Libertarian Delusion.

In this episode, I read from: Joel Salatin's books, first Folks, This Ain't Normal, and then Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal: Stories from the Local Food Front; and Tim Wu's book The Attention Merchants: The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads.

I play: Sydney Greenstreet as the evil corporate soap advertiser in The Hucksters. Seriously, folks, you have to see that 1947 movie. Musically, KMFDM backs Douglass Rushkoff in the opening, and I close with Julie & Rolf and The Campfire Gang doing "Over the Rainbow."

Episode 214: Medium unCoolers

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Advertisers scheme ways to spread filth; but low-margin retailers can't stop these intrusions without angering shareholders. This creates a creeping tendency toward abominations in stores. I give a chilling example in this Episode 214: Medium unCoolers.

In this episode, I read from: my computer's quickie dictionary; a CNN article about store cooler screens; and a Slashdot entry about said screens.

I play: a videographer bemoaning the very existence of these screens; and from the movie Annie Hall Marshall McLuhan bemoaning ignorance of his work. Musically, KMFDM backs Lance Strate in the opening; and I close today with Julie & Rolf & The Campfire Gang doing "Over the Rainbow". (After finishing the show, I snuck a bit about 20th century advertising intrusion from Fry on Futurerama.)

Episode 213: The Audience Commodity

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Advertisers want to know you because pitches to receptive audiences sell product. But before surveillance technology existed, how did they do that? To help, there’s an obscure but key theory to know in this Episode 213, one named The Audience Commodity.

In this episode, I read from: Daniel Joseph's article on Dallas Smyth's theory on the Audience Commodity. I didn't share everything, but I think I got the important points. You decide.

I play: Excerpts from Dana Carvey on the short-lived The Dana Carvey Show; Jason Matheson and Kendall Mark from The Jason Show; D. L. Myers giving us the haunting stinger for the Powell Movement; the voices of the actors playing Matt Dylan, Fred Flinstone and Barney Rubble, all hawking tobacco^*; and real people James Jacoby and Brad Parscale from raw footage recorded for a Frontline interview.

Musically, I play: The Vince Guiraldi Trio playing "Skating," the only seasonal music I can personally stand at all. KMFDM backed Professor Shoshana Zuboff in the opening; and I close today with Mistle Thrush.

^*Apologies for linking to an old episode; it turns out there were many, many sources for the commercials I recorded, and I neglected to specify which of the many videos gave me the actual recordings.

Epiosde 212: KSD Get Thee To The Moil!

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Everything seems chaotic today, what with supply chain disruptions, staffing shortfalls, and this wave of union activity, all panicking employers. What could be the reason? How about math? I explore that in this Epiosde 212: Get Thee To The Moil!

In this episode, I read from: Benjamin Hunnicutt's book Kellogg's Six-Hour Day; John M. Barry's book The Great Influenza; and Robert Louis Stevenson's essay "An Apology For Idlers".

I play: "Eight Hours", from the album "The Hand That Holds The Bread: Progress and Protest in the Gilded Age Songs from the Civil War to the Columbian Exposition," recorded in 1978 by Cincinnati's University Singers; and a snippet, slowed down to a groan, of "Look For The Union Label," taken from an ad campaign in the '70s by the Ladies International Garment Workers. I open with Henry Giroux noting the value of civic awareness, backed by KMFDM; I close with Mistle Thrush.

Episode 211: Back To Basics

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Parody goes beyond laughter: it can help all of us see silliness in what we never questioned; help us see our naked marching monarch. I explore ideas I've had, along with terms others have coined on this topic, in this Episode 211: Back To Basics.

In this episode, I read from: my computer's quickie dictionary; a Wikipedia article on détournement; and Tim Wu's book The Attention Merchants: The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads.


Now that's sublime détournement!

I play: a hilarious excerpt from The Dana Carvey Show; and an excerpt with John Roderick and Ken Jennings, from their podcast Omnibus. Once again, it was a treat to have listener Vincent complain about my horrific attempts to speak his native language. Thanks again, Vincent. (Oh, and since a recent episode concerned animal husbandry and the care of waste, I had Vincent read the curses "cow" and "shit." Just for fun!)

Musically, KMFDM back the first intro I ever used with Dmitri Orlov spouting a timeless truth. I close today with Julie & Rolf & The Campfire Gang doing "Over The Rainbow".

Episode 210: FOB Prehistory, Lost & Found

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Question: Why is the largest river in South America called the Amazon? I recently re-read some important source material, and got some surprises on that and other important topics I hope you'll share in this Episode 210: FOB Prehistory, Lost & Found.


A researcher linked research!


Here, the same thing happened!

In this episode, I read from: Albert Bates' book The Biochar Solution: Carbon Farming and Climate Change; a Wikipedia entry on the Amazon's name; my computer's quickie dictionary; and one or two or three articles about biochar research. I also allude to Charles C. Mann's books on the impacts of the discovery and exploitation of the Americas, 1491 and 1493.


Biochar in close-up, from the third linked article!

Musically, I play: KMFDM, backing Mark Blyth in the opening; and I close with Julie & Rolf and the Campfire Gang doing "Over the Rainbow".

Episode 209: FOB Partners In A Symbiotic Dance

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At this rate, we humans face a hot climate blanketing the planet with the over two centuries of fuel exhaust we have already dug up and burned. There are solutions out there. I share a dirty, meaty one in this Episode 209: FOB Partners In A Symbiotic Dance.

In this episode, I read from: that completely ass-backwards website put out by the World Economic Forum; and from Joel Salatin's book, Folks, This Ain't Normal: A Farmer's Advise for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World, which I highly recommend.


See Joel!

I played: Joel Salatin himself (pictured and linked above), giving a videographer a tour of his techniques; and a bunch of animals. Musically, I played: KMFDM backing political economist Mark Blyth; I close today with Mistle Thrush.

Episode 208: FOB Peddling the Nitrogen Cycle

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What do you think: will we as a species starve to death, or merely roast? Trying to thread that policy needle is proving a challenge, one that (for me, at least) needs to be itself challenged. Hence, Episode 208: FOB Peddling the Nitrogen Cycle.

In this episode, I read from: not just one, but two web sites produced by the World Economic Forum in 2016; an Environmental Protection Agency primer on judging the potency of greenhouse gasses; not just one, but two articles about resistance to new law, the first from The Financial Post, and the second from the New York Times; and my computer's quickie dictionary.



I play: the sound of protests in the Netherlands. KMFDM backs Mark Blyth's shitty remarks in the opening; and I close with Mistle Thrush.

Episode 207: Take Two, Phase One

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Is your phone listening to what you say when you aren't using it to actually make calls? That's what it seems everyone is wondering; but how to find out if it is? I ponder one possible answer to that question in this Episode 207: Take Two, Phase One.

In this episode, I read from: my computer's quickie dictionary; Antonio Garciá Martínez's book, Chaos Monkeys: Obscene Fortune and Random Failure in Silicon Valley; and Shoshana Zuboff's book The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight For a Human Future At The New Frontier of Power.

I play a bit of a song appropriately called "Why Try?" by Dumbo Gets Mad toward the end. KMFDM backs Shoshana Zuboff in the intro, and I close with Julie and Rolf and the Campfire Gang doing "Over the Rainbow".

Episode 206: Good News For News?

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Extra! Extra! Read all about (maybe) good news for newspapers! Hey, a guy can dream, right? Best of all, this might be the very thing that ends our scourge of disinformation! I look into this possible solution in this Episode 206: Good News For News?

In this episode, I read from: a Wikipedia article about the Old English poem Beowulf; two articles by Matt Stoller, both from his newsletter Big (which I highly recommend); Robert McChesney and John Nichols' book The Death and Life of American Journalism: The Media Revolution That Will Begin the World Again; and my computer's quickie dictionary.

I play: listener Vincent, cursing once again at my inability to clearly speak his native French language^*; and KMO from The C-Realm (who also draws and writes comics and hosts other podcasts!) gave us a "great." Matt Stoller opens the show backed by KMFDM, and I close today with Julie and Rolf and the Campfire Gang doing "Over the Rainbow."

^*Thanks again, Vincent, for recording those curses. Every time I play them, they make me giggle.