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The lost gatekeepers and the watchers
This is a followup to a previous post, where I complained that the internet information environment shifts a lot of work from the creation/dissemination side to the consumer/user side. Walter Benjamin offered another much richer analysis in his 1935 essay The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. He lived long before the Continue reading
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Godwin’s Law 2026
“As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Republicans, MAGA, or Trump approaches one.” Even earlier is the Reduction ad Hitlerum fallacy, a Leo Strauss creation from 1953. It’s a description of an attempt to counter an argument by claiming the same notion can be attributed to Hitler or Nazis. As Continue reading
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We were not ready to lose the gatekeepers
Over the centuries of printed and broadcast media, a system emerged that put intermediaries between the original writers and us, the receivers. Editors and publishers reviewed, improved, or rejected a piece of work before publishing. Whole professions arose whose focus was establishing and enforcing standards. To be published or aired, a piece of content had Continue reading
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Cornered
The lying weasels trying and failing to ruin the US are more violent lately. More idiotic “don’t believe your own eyes” bloviation. It’s because they’re cornered, and they know it. I hope there are real consequences on the way for all of them, but there probably won’t be. Maybe a few of the brute squad Continue reading
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ICYMI
Every once in a while the nonstop liars tell the truth — and sometimes about their lies. Way back in 2024, JD Vance openly admitted that he made up lies about Haitian immigrants, even though his lies led to violence and injuries. “…he wasn’t going to stop repeating his false narrative just because his words Continue reading
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Bored of peace?
The traitorous right in the US (and maybe elsewhere) has for decades wanted to get rid of the United Nations. The latest attempt is the “Board of Peace” spun up out of nowhere by the orange baby. It’s redundant, ridiculous, and amateurish, like practically everything these slimeballs do. The logo shows not the world, but Continue reading
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Isn’t this nice
Now that it’s January 21, I’m certainly enjoying my newly lowered credit card rates of just 10%. Just like the orange baby promised. It’s making everything so much more affordable. I bet you’re enjoying the lower rates too. Makes us forget all about Epstein, right? Remember Epstein? You’re not supposed to. Continue reading
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Traitors gonna traitor
The violent counterrevolutionaries who injured, killed, and caused millions of dollars worth of damage to the US capitol building during the January 6 attempted coup not only got pardoned by the traitorous orange baby. Now they’re trying to get their various fines refunded. These are the misguided, seditious assholes who actually should be deported and Continue reading
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Systemic Indecision
Pretentious title, but all I’m talking about is using MacOS versus Linux (Ubuntu, specifically). You can read a sort-of-similar account by Jack Baty, who has as long a history with Macs as I do. Recently I’m feeling disillusioned by Apple’s moves around many things, including MacOS. Unlike Baty, though, I don’t feel any particular urge Continue reading
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“Two Weeks” again
Now the orange baby says it will sue JP Morgan Chase for closing one of its accounts a few years ago. It’s claiming to have been “de-banked” as a result of its attempted Jan 6 coup. The whole thing is nonsense, just more deflection. They didn’t even “de-bank” Epstein. Oh, remember him? You’re not supposed Continue reading
About Me
I’m Pete Harbeson, a writer located near Boston, Massachusetts. In addition to writing my own content, I’ve learned to translate for my loquacious and opinionated pup Chocolate Bossypaws. I shouldn’t be surprised, but she mostly speaks in doggerel. You can find her contributions tagged with Chocolatiana.
Check out my other blog, Techlimitics, where I’m grappling with the nature of simplicity.
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