1) The Department of Homeland Security wants to track the "comings and goings" of journalists, bloggers and other media influencers. That would include me. They plan on listing "us" in a database. It's called DHS "Media Monitoring."
The request comes amid concerns regarding accuracy in media that US elections and policies might by be influenced by Fake News. There I am again. Nice to finally receive some richly deserved recognition.
2) The Work & Money site listed 22 things to get ahead in your career by NOT doing them. Included, among the 22, were not rolling your eyes, eyeing the clock and not giving a weak handshake. This is the "biggie." No expressing with exaggerated gestures. The number one verboten gesture, "Flipping Off." This gesture dates back to Roman times. Really.
If Maximus cut off another chariot on the Appian Way, he could expect to be cursed out and "Flipped Off."
3) A British market research firm polled 8215 individuals in the US and 1/3 of Millennial's, 18 to 24, aren't convinced that the earth is actually round. 66% weren't sure what shape the planet is and 9% say the earth is flat. This is amusing until you consider, that in a few years, some of this bunch will be running our hospitals, courts, country.
4) A "Thanks" to Pittsburgh for this one. Police were called over a "Crazy Person" talking to herself on the side of a highway. It turned out it was Meghan Schiller, a KDKA TV reporter, on Facebook live reporting on the side of Route 30 with a follow up on some landslides.
5) I asked my life-long friend, philosopher E. Schuyler Nerldorf, if he would contribute to this edition of Fake News. He wondered if this was a proper venue for his work. I mentioned it was, so far, the only venue.
FOOD: With enough salt, sugar, butter and gravy, you can make anything taste half way decent except asparagus. Nothing can make it taste decent.
SUCCESS: Try not to be too successful. That way when you fail, you don't so much to lose.
GENDER: Whatever.
Thanks to my old friend, E.
(Tom Murphy is a writer, humorist, actor, disc jockey and an occasional contributor to CityWatch. He lives in Los Angeles.)
-cw
