Episode 141: Campaign Season Greetings, Now Chunky Style!

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Sometimes, a company’s announcement causes not ripples but waves. Some laugh and grab their surfboards, while others panic and shout "Tsunami!" I look at one such policy change in this Episode 141: Campaign Season Greetings, Now Chunky Style!

In this episode, I read from: my computer's quickie dictionary; one, two, three articles concerning Searchie VP Scott Spencer's policy announcement via blog post; Scotty's post; and a quick quote from Dollarocracy by McChesney and Nichols. I play: Alexander Nix bragging about his company in ways that had everyone associated with it in complete denial; and Brad Parscale telling Frontline's James Jacoby in 2018 why FuckBook personnel worked with him on the 2016 election.

Musically, I play: the Vince Guiraldi Trio doing "Skating"; and Podington Bear doing "Trader Ho Hey". KMFDM backs Soledad O'Brien in a new opening for the show; and I close this show with Mistle Thrush.

I'm releasing this and all my shows under a Creative Commons 4.0 attribution, share-alike, and non-commercial license.

Episode 140: As The Plots Thicken

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Take just about any phenomenon, and with enough searching it's usually possible to discover the first instance… or at least the first really, really popular occurrence. Serial broadcast drama is my focus on this Episode 140: As The Plots Thicken.

In this episode, I read from: Tim Wu's The Attention Merchants; from the findings of the Commerce Department's 1922 hearings on the future of radio; and from a Wikipedia page about Amos 'n' Andy. I play two recordings from the Amos 'n' Andy show, one of them probably a record released for the 1928 presidential election season, the other from their eighth anniversary broadcast featuring Walter Huston. (Oh, drat! The link for that last mp3 seems to be expired, along with the entire website!)

I also play the theme for the Amos 'n' Andy, a tune called "The Perfect Song"; and Jahzzar doing Moonxine "Part VII". I open the show with huckster Clark Gable backed by KMFDM, and I close with Mistle Thrush.

I'm releasing this and all my episodes under a Creative Commons 4.0 attribution, share-alike, and non-commercial license.

Episode 139: WTN: Fail to the Chief

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As we learn from George Orwell, the words we use limit what thoughts we can entertain. The Powell Movementeers spent millions over the decades to limit our political language, giving us what I hope to illustrate in this Episode 139: Fail to the Chief.

In this episode, I read from: my computer's quickie dictionary; and Wendy Brown's book Undoing the Demos. I play: the Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz accusing the Wizard of humbuggery; D. L. Myers voicing the Powell Movement Stinger; and president Barack Obama speeching from his neoliberally humbuggered 2013^* Inaugural and State of the Union speeches. (Seriously, I can't believe I used to think that guy was liberal in any way.)

Musically, I play: Raphae doing "Opening"; and Rue de Prague doing "From Limbos". [Note: For some reason, the links to these bands are defunct, and I therefore cannot provide links to these songs.] KMFDM backs Noam Chomsky in the opening, and I close with Mistle Thrush.

I'm releasing this and all my episodes under a Creative Commons 4.0 attribution, share-alike, and non-commercial license.

^*I realized too late for re-recording that I had mistakenly said 2012 in the closing credits, not 2013. I regret the error.



NB: Happy news! D. L. Myers, voice of the Powell Movement and its stinger, has published his first book of poetry, Oracles from the Black Pool!

Episode 138: Digital Psychopathy

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When machines can read your expressions as well as humans, we should worry, especially when such predators, be they human or machine, feel not the slightest tinge of remorse. Hence, Episode 138: Digital Psychopathy.

In this episode, I read from: Shoshana Zuboff's Age of Surveillance Capitalism; and a Scientific American article by Kevin Dutton. Going by memory, I recount: a focus subject from the British documentary The Detectives; and Kevin Dutton's book The Wisdom of Psychopaths. I also play: Kevin Dutton talking about his book; The CBS Weekend News, amplifying some bad research; and Bill and Ted talking to themselves, from their Excellent Adventure.

Musically, I play: Lee Rosevere's "Content" and "What's Behind the Door", two tunes I used to separate and later join the two topics I spoke about today; and Podington Bear quite appropriately doing "Degradation". KMFDM backs Bruce Livesy commenting about relative corporate power; and I close with Mistle Thrush.

I'm releasing this and all my episodes under a Creative Commons 4.0, attribution, share-alike, and non-commercial license.

Episode 137: Something Else In The Air

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To understand the national anger at the first radio commercials, I find it helps to understand first and foremost that these ads came right into the home… like an intruder's pungent fart. Hence, Episode 137: Something Else in the Air.

In this episode, I read from: Tim Wu's The Attention Merchants: The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads; and from a web site Mr. Wu turned me onto, one he himself used as a source for another of his books. It's a history of early radio, and an interesting one at that. Beyond the general overview I used several sub-pages, which contained lots of scans of historic content.

Sound-wise, I play: Sydney Greenstreet's evil industrialist character from the 1947 movie The Hucksters; and Monty Python's Terry Jones and Eric Idle, from the "Nudge, Nudge" sketch. Musically, I play: Metastaz doing "I'm"; Pietnaska doing "Superator"; and Podington Bear doing "Bad Seed". Clark Gable, also from The Hucksters, opens the show backed by KMFDM, and I close with Julie and Rolf doing "Over The Rainbow".

I'm releasing this and all my episodes under a Creative Commons 4.0 attribution, share-alike, and non-commercial license.

(Oh, and concerning the week-late posting, I came down with a bit of visiting family. They were where my attention was directed. It happens.)

Episode 136: Something Amazing In The Air

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Technology sometimes makes history dramatically, changing the way its witnesses think of the future forever. Today, I focus on one such unveiling, and link it to the first days of radio, in this Episode 136: Something Amazing In The Air.

In this episode, I mostly read from Stacy Schiff's A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America, an account of Benjamin Franklin and other of our country's founders stationed in Paris to advocate for their Revolutionary position.

Audio–wise, I was once again graced with listener Vincent doing me a solid and recording himself not just pronouncing the French names well beyond my Anglicized voice's ability, but also scolding me with some choice curses. Thank you very much, Vincent! Again, it is a treat for me to edit audio that while working on fitting the sounds in this show just makes me giggle. Oh, and keep listening, everybody, for a treat after the show's closing!

Musically, I play four from Podington Bear: First, there was "Midnight Blue", like the brothers' balloon; next, "Bright White"; and finally, appropriately, "Ideas". (The fourth Podington Bear tune, "Vox Bubble Rumba", was added in the extra feature at the end of the show; I regretfully didn't mention it in the closing credits.) KMFDM backs Clark Gable bitching about radio in the opening (which I played in the middle, because why not?), and I close the show with Mistle Thrush.

I'm releasing this and all my episodes under a Creative Commons 4.0 share-alike, attribution, and non-commercial license.

Episode 135: Sweat the Petty Stuff

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Most of us are today packing a small, flat tech rectangle, something that provides hours of staring opportunity. Is that gadget using its microphone to betray our secret desires? I'll dip into this possibility in this Episode 135: Sweat the Petty Stuff.

In this episode, I relate two funnies and a serious from co–worker Todd. I also read from a BBC article with a surprising number of amateur grammatical mistakes contained within.

I play: Jahzzar doing "Studie I"; Lee Rosevere's appropriately named "Under Suspicion"; and Podington Bear's "Post". (I must apologize! The links to that material will take, I guess, a few days to update. The music web site is down for maintenance. I will update the music links as soon as it's back up!) KMFDM opens the show backing Tim Bousquet; and I close with Mistle Thrush.

I'm releasing this and all my episodes under a Creative Commons 4.0 attribution, share–alike, and non-commercial license.

Episode 134: The Opposite of Pride

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Broadcasting ads hither and yon is bad enough. Today, though, advertisers can target their ads. What happens when those in the crosshairs are unable to resist? Who is to blame, then, for harm? I ask that in this Episode 134: The Opposite of Pride.

In this episode, I play quite a bit from the Reveal episode "Harpooned by" Fuckbook. Go, now, if you can, and listen to that episode. Your anger will thank you. I read: from a bit from my computer quickie dictionary; and from Shoshana Zuboff's The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for A Human Future at the New Frontier of Power. I refer as well to an episode of Search Engine, which now appears defunct, sadly. Here is the only clue I could find.

Musically, I play three tunes who titles alone recommended them. First was Jahzzar's "Nightmare" (started twice), then Podington Bear's "Lip Gloss", and finally Lee Rosevere's "Intervention." I open with KMFDM backing a Mr. Ceglowski; and close with Mistle Thrush.

I'm releasing this under a Creative Commons 4.0 attribution, share-alike, and non-commercial license.

Episode 133: The End of the Myth

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Sometimes, things I recently read about happen in real life, giving relevance to those books I keep diving into… and more evidence that my reading (and this show) is on the right track. I share one coincidence in this Episode 133: The End of the Myth.

In this episode, I read from: Shoshana Zuboff's book The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for A Human Future at the New Frontier of Power (I'll be reading that a bunch more in the near future. Promise); I also read from my computer's quickie dictionary; and I quote about the only meme anyone seems to remember from the movie Up.

Musically, I play three tunes from Podington Bear. "Samara" was woven throughout the show, just to show the thematic change points. I picked the other two tunes for their titles as well as their tunage. These titles held relevance for what information I was sharing as they played: "Gathering" backed that aha! moment for what the Searchies could do; and "Relinguish" is what we end up doing with our private information today as a result. I also played Weird Al Yankovic's version of The Brady Bunch theme. KMFDM backed Bernie Sanders in the opening, and I'm closing today with Julie and Rolf and the Campfire Gang doing "Over the Rainbow."

I'm releasing this and all my episodes under a Creative Commons 4.0 attribution, share-alike, and non-commercial license.

Episode 132: No, Alanis, It Really Isn't

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Dictionaries are bound to have errors. What I found surprising is how many not just dictionaries but also others defined a pretty common word so egregiously wrong. So, I try to get that definition right in this Episode 132: No, Alanis, It Really Isn't.

In this episode, I read from: a website correctly bemoaning the lack of definitional accuracy concerning the term irony; a bit of Anthony Burgess's introduction to the re-release of his novel A Clockwork Orange; a Wiki page on CPB director Ken Tomlinson; details about Bill Moyers and President Johnson, from John Nichols & Robert McChesney's Dollarocracy: How the Money and Media Election Complex is Destroying America (Nation Books, 2013); and another Wiki page on Underwriting Spots. I also related some remembered quotes and plot details without using their original sources.

I play: from the movie Reality Bites, Ethan Hawke's "definition" of irony; and from SCTV, Joe Flaherty and John Candy getting the definition right. Musically, play: the Necronomikon Quartett's "Tube Music Part IV", woven into the episode; and Lee Rosevere's short "Theme From Penguins on Parade". KMFDM backed Mark Blyth in the opening, and I'm closing now with Mistle Thrush.

I'm releasing this and all my episodes under a Creative Commons 4.0 attribution, share-alike, and non-commercial license.

Episode 131: The Keys to the Treasure

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Online advertising is now an insufferable bastard. It forces regulators to verbally suck up to those they oversee, and journalists to participate in the crimes on which they report. I share this hot ironic mess in Episode 131: The Keys to the Treasure.

In this episode, I read from: the British Information Commissioner's Office report (a PDF) titled "Update report into adtech and real time bidding"; John Patrick Leary's book Keywords: The New Language of Capitalism; and an article that discusses the ICO's report called "Behavioural advertising is out of control, warns UK watchdog". Sound-bite-wise, I play: Indigo Montoya's observation on definitional accuracy from the 1987 movie The Princess Bride; and, once again, Pee Wee Herman's observation about big buts.

Musically, I play: Podington Bear's "Forces" and "Lost and Found"; Lee Rosevere's "Quizitive"; and Omyiga's "Cripple Pigeon". KMFDM backs a new intro with a man named Maciej Ceglowski. Listener Kevin sent me that perfect sound-bite recommendation. The entirety of his talk is also worth a watch. Of course, I close with Mistle Thrush.

You can find links to all of that material at the show notes at AttackAdsPodcast.Blogspot.com. I'm releasing this and all my episodes under a Creative Commons 4.0 attribution, share-alike, and non-commercial license.

Episode 130: Vermin Feed on Forgotten Trash

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If you camp, protect your food, for the woods are full of opportunists quite happy to swap their diet of bugs and berries for your candy and cold cuts. Sadly, we must do the same at home, as I explain in Episode 130: Vermin Feed on Forgotten Trash.


Grandpa's Bear Yogi
with goat, name forgotten.

In this episode, I run myself off at the mouth, relying on a recent revelation and backing it with reminiscences related to both camping and the early intertoobs. I open the show with Bruce Livesey backed by KMFDM doing "Attack", and close today with Julie & Rolf and the Campfire Gang singing "Over The Rainbow" Hawaiian style.

I'm releasing this and all my episodes under a Creative Commons 4.0 attribution, share-alike, and non-commercial license.

Episode 129: Mined The Gap

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More forms our opinions than just what we read or hear. Habits, both social and not so much, might enlarge the chasm between us and others, a widening that may provide commercial interests an exploitative opportunity. Hence, Episode 129: Mined The Gap.

In this episode, I mostly read from: Jerry Mander's 1978 book, Four Arguments For the Elimination of Television; a bit from Tim Wu's The Attention Merchants: The Epic Struggle to Get Inside Our Heads; a bit from Upton Sinclair's 1953 book The Return of Lanny Budd; and a smaller bit from my computer's quickie dictionary. I synopsize a great Wired article on prosopagnosia called "Face Blind." I also played: just for fun, a bit of Ted Stevens' 2006 speech defining to congress what the Internet really, really is; and D. L. Myers once again provided the voice of the Powell Movement Stinger.

Musically, I played: Johnny Ripper doing (appropriately enough) "Error, Inc."; Lee Rosevere doing "Ice Chimes"; Pietnaska doing "Dahlia"; and Podington Bear doing "In My Head". KMFDM backed Henry Giroux in the opening, and I am closing once again with Mistle Thrush.

I'm releasing this and all my episodes under a Creative Commons 4.0 attribution, share-alike, and non-commercial license.

And don't forget to check out listener Kevin's new audio endeavor, "The Next Ten Billion Years: Ugo Bardi & John Michael Greer as read by Kevin Arthur Wohlmut" over at the Future Fossils Podcast!

Episode 128: Mind The Gap

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I know you're likely tired of my recent obsession with the term "stereotype;" but there is benefit to understanding that gap between our understanding of a thing and complexities inherent in the thing itself. Hence today's Episode 128: Mind The Gap.

In this episode, I read from: Arlie Russell Hochshchild's book Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning On The American Right; from my computer's quickie dictionary; from two essays by the Archdruid John Michael Greer; and from a Vox article.

Musically, I play: Lee Rosevere's "All the Answers"; Graham Bole's "We Are One"; Jahzzar's "Forgiven Not Forgotten"; and Podington Bear's "Forces". I also play some most unfortunate comments from a former candidate for political office. Mark Blyth was backed by KMFDM's "Attack" in the opening, and I'm closing now with Mistle Thrush's "It's All Like Today"

I'm releasing this and all my episodes under a Creative Commons 4.0 attribution, share-alike, and non-commercial license.

Oh, and I'm posting on a Thursday for very special [reasons]!

Episode 127: Brand, Demand, and Target!

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Once the First World War removed the tarnished and tawdry reputation propaganda had with business, advertisers were able to expand their reach and hone their technique. I share three of their new tricks in this Episode 127: Brand, Demand, and Target!

In this episode, I read from Tim Wu's book, The Attention Merchants: The Epic Struggle to Get Inside Our Heads. To give you an inkling on how dense and thorough this book is, let me blow your mind just a bit: I have not covered any material past page 65. There's still lots more in this book to cover! And cover it I will.

I play: Sydney Greenstreet's marvelously evil character from the 1949 movie The Hucksters, expounding on the proven science of advertising; and Gilda Radner, Dan Ackroyd, and Chevy Chase from an early Saturday Night Live sketch (sadly, it seems the owners have scrubbed it from the video service between production and release). Musically, I play: Jahzzar doing (quite appropriately) "Ads", which broke up the advertising techniques three; Podington Bear doing "Dog and Pony Show" behind Molly's dirty undies; and Lee Rosevere doing "Sad Marimba Planet." KMFDM backed Henry Giroux in the opening, and I'm closing today with Julie, Rolf, and the campfire gang doing "Over the Rainbow."

I'm releasing this and all my episodes under a Creative Commons 4.0 attribution, share-alike, and non-commercial license.

Episode 126: Self Evidence

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To wrap this whole use of propaganda against the citizens that started in the Great War, I thought I'd share my personal journey both within and outside of the myths pounded into us through the television we watch in this Episode 126: Self Evidence.

In this episode, I read from: Tim Wu's fabulous book, The Attention Merchants: The Epic Struggle to Get Inside Our Heads; and from my computer's quickie dictionary. I further paraphrased the investigative work of Robert Parry.

I play: President Lyndon Johnson talking to Everett Dirksen concerning Tricky Dick's latest trick; and Ronald Reagan giving his inaugural speech. Musically, I play: an elevator version of "The Girl From Ipanema", made more or less famous in the movie The Blues Brothers; The Nora Bayes version of "Over There", which happens to have been the first version released; Lee Rosevere's "The Secret to Growing Up"; and Podington Bear's "Sensitive". KMFDM backed Chuck Mertz's ironic question in the opening, and you're now listening to Mistle Thrush's "It's All Like Today".

I'm releasing this and all my episodes under a Creative Commons 4.0 attribution, share-alike, and non-commercial license.

Episode 125: I Want You, Two

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We're still at that turning point in history in this episode, this time when one country used the proven techniques of its ally to reverse a campaign promise and involve itself in a Great War. Hence, Episode 125: I Want You, Two.


Image here. Sadly, we lost the mustache war to the Brits.

In this episode, I read from: Tim Wu's The Attention Merchants: The Epic Struggle to Get Inside Our Heads; from two articles of Columbia Magazine, published by the Washington State Historical Society; and from the Wikipedia entry on the 1917 Espionage Act. I play a bit of Pee Wee Herman from the 1985 movie Pee Wee's Big Adventure, and through the episode work the 1917 Billy Murray version of George M. Cohen's "Over There". KMFDM backs Chuck Mertz in the intro.

I'm releasing this and all my episodes under a Creative Commons 4.0 attribution, share-alike, and non-commercial license.

Episode 124: I Want You

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Today, I explore a turning point, the historic but still fairly recent time when an English-speaking country chose not to order its citizens into battle, but to convince them to do so. The main message is this episode's title: I Want You.


Poster found here. Mustache seen everywhere.

In this episode, I share: a bit about phonics and the alphabet, detail I got from Kevin Stroud's great History of English Podcast; some detail about English nobility pronunciation-versus-spelling from Upton Sinclair's Lanny Budd novels; the Wikipedia page for Lord Herbert Kitchener; and details about Great Britain's entry into the Great War from Tim Wu's book The Attention Merchants: The Epic Struggle to Get Inside Our Heads.

I play: Lee Rosevere's tune, "The Dead Past" (the title alone seemed appropriate enough); and Enrico Caruso's version of "Over There". I open with Chuck Mertz from This Is Hell backed by KMFDM. I hope to explain why I played the Mertz introduction… later.

I'm releasing this and all my episodes under a Creative Commons 4.0 attribution, share-alike, and non-commercial license.

Episode 123: The Fungus and Mould of The Obscenery

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At the height of their popularity, patent medicine nostrum pushers engaged in so many extreme acts of outdoor commercial vandalism the era was termed The Age of Disfigurement. I describe it in this Episode 123: The Fungus and Mould of The Obscenery.

In this episode, I read from: James Harvey Young's 1961 book, The Toadstool Millionaires: A Social History of Patent Medicines in America before Federal Regulation; the Wikipedia page for Benjamin Brandreth*; and from my quickie dictionary. I play: a bit of Daffy Duck, first from "Ali Baba Bunny", and then from "The Abominable Snow Rabbit"; and a selection from Herman Melville's Moby Dick, read by Michael Bracewell. That selection came from something called the Moby Dick Big Read, where each chapter of the book is read by a different reader.

(I just finished The Big Read series myself; it was hit and miss, depending upon the reader in question. For you fans of Benedict Cumberbatch, though, I highly recommend his reading of the chapter called "Brit"; it is the best interpretation of the series by far. Oh, and you really must hear John Waters read the chapter regarding the whale's penis: it's the chapter called "The Cassock.")

Musically, I play Jahzzar doing "b-rain". I open with KMFDM backing Clark Gable, and close with Mistle Thrush.

I'm releasing this and all my episodes under a Creative Commons 4.0 attribution, share-alike, and non-commercial license.

*I failed to mention both listener Vincent's pronunciation assistance and the Wiki page in the closing credits. I regret the omissions.

Episode 122: A Map Without Utopia

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There's a lot wrong out there, but it's not enough to simply point it out and shout, at least for me. If you insist on wandering through Wrongville, you may never get to leave if you have only this Episode 122's title: A Map Without Utopia.

In this episode, I discuss extemporaneously, without script, free style, a few discussion points, all while showing why my various first titles were just plain unacceptable. I bitch about the lack of an Internal Revenue Service pre-filing preparation service, as is common in many other countries. I groan about the Supreme Court's erosion over time of a workable definition of corruption. I wail about how the big banks, being largely silent owners of pay-day lending operations, pay to keep legislators silent about pay-day lending operations, and mention the movie Maxed Out that discusses just this. I also give a passing whine about how drug distributors made some bank by spreading the geld and redefining how much damage they could do before what they did became illegal. Finally, I quote Oscar Wilde.

I play: the Bee Gees, in reference to Bob and Brooke from On The Media; D. L. Myers, invoking the Powell Movement; and longest-time listener L33t Minion (well, longest-time voluntary listener, at least, with apologies to Bleak Nemesis for not mentioning him more often), who voiced today's "great." KMFDM and Justice John Paul Stevens give the opening, and I close once again with Mistle Thrush.

I'm releasing this and all my episodes under a Creative Commons 4.0 attribution, share-alike, and non-commercial license.

Episode 121: Good For Whatever Ails You

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Too many ads today owe their stylistic inspiration to old time pitches for patent medicines, empty exhortations promising far more than the elixirs they bottled could deliver. All that—and so much more!—in this Episode 121: Good for Whatever Ails You.


Read all about Clark Stanley!

In this episode, I read from: Tim Wu's book The Attention Merchants: The Epic Struggle to Get Inside Our Heads; and a couple of Wikipedia articles, Patent Medicines and Medicine Shows.

I play: Podington Bear's "Whiplash String Swell"; The Freak Fandango Orchestra, doing "Requiem For a Fish"; and a bit of Visciera's "Watch the Room Burst". KMFDM backs Clark Gable in the opening; and I close today with Julie and Rolf doing "Over the Rainbow."

I'm releasing this and all my episodes under a Creative Commons 4.0 attribution, share-alike, and non-commercial license.

Bonus Episode: Propaganda, An Introduction

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Sometimes I find something that should be shared in its entirety. It helps when the author of that something is generous with the permission that makes sharing possible. Such is the case with this Bonus Episode: Propaganda, An Introduction.

I do hope Professor Miller's essay (found in this edition of Edward Bernays's 1928 book Propaganda) clears up the history of that problematic P-word for you as much as it did for me. Once again, thank you very much, Professor Mark Crispin Miller, for your permission to read it here.

Musically, I played just the intro to KMFDM's "Attack," as usual, and close the show with Mistle Thrush's "It's All Like Today." To introduce Professor Miller's essay, I played a bit of Podington Bear's "Elephants on Parade".

I'm releasing this and all my episodes under a Creative Commons 4.0 attribution, share-alike, and non-commercial license.

Episode 120: Call It What You Will

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You can call it propaganda, or you can call it bias, or you can call it undo pressure from funding sources involved in the topic. I call this Episode 120: Call It What You Will.

In this episode, you hear: The Real BGs, who helped me signal Bob and Brooke from On The Media; a segment of that show interviewing RT Host Abby Martin from March of 2014; a bit from the very short-lived Dana Carvey Show; Jaron Lanier, once again, from his Waking Up Podcast interview; excerpts from the first two installments of the New York Times video Operation Infektion; and D. L. Myers intoning the Powell Movement Stinger.

I read from: my quickie dictionary; the introduction to Jacques Ellul's book Propaganda; and James Piereson's quote, which I found in Jane Mayer's book Dark Money.

Musically, I play: two from Jahzzar, first "Lemonade" and then "Dial". I open the show with KMFDM backing Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens reading his dissent on the Citizens United, Not Timid decision; and I'm close with Mistle Thrush.

I'm releasing this and all my shows under a Creative Commons 4.0 attribution, share-alike, and non-commercial license.

Episode 119: My Filter Bubble of Vindication

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Plunging blindly ahead without due regard is one way to do something. A New Year, though, provides a convenient calendar-triggered pause, where one can look back and make sure goals have not been completely abandoned or forgotten. Hence, Episode 119: My Filter Bubble of Vindication.

In this episode, I read from: Eli Pariser's wonderful book, The Filter Bubble:What the Internet Is Hiding From You; A Guardian article on the effects online entities are having on journalism; Now I Know's article on television ads getting sped up even more; a New York Post article on ads in for-hire cars; Chad Hill's comments on a recent episode; and Jerry Mander's also-wonderful book, Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television.

Sound snippet-wise I play: D. L. Myers voicing the Powell Movement stinger; Lili Tomlin's character Ernestine the Operator; and Ronald Reagan's character the Outgoing President. I also snippetize 100% Chevalier's tune "Ghana Ghana" into the segment breaks. A snippet of KMFDM's "Attack" backs a snippet of wisdom from Dmitri Orlov in the opening, and I'm close the show with the final snippet of Mistle Thrush's "It's All Like Today".

I'm releasing this and all my episodes under a Creative Commons 4.0 attribution, share-alike, and non-commercial license.