Neighbors

Before you go on, an article in the May 8 & May 22, 2021 issue of Science News ran with a cover "Awash in Deception: How science can help us avoid being duped by misinformation." In the lead article titled: "The Battle Against Fake News," Alexandra Witze presents five suggestions on how to debunk bad information. They come from the News Literacy Project (see the above link).

How to Debunk:

1. Arm yourself with media literacy skills, at sites such as the News Literacy Project (newslit.org), to better understand how to spot hoax videos and stories.

2. Don't stigmatize people for holding inaccurate beliefs. Show empathy and respect, or you're more likely to alienate your audience than successfully share accurate information.

3. Translate complicated but true ideas into simple messages that are easy to grasp. Videos, graphics and other visual aids can help.

4. When possible, once you provide a factual alternative to the misinformation, explain the underlying fallacies (such as cherry- picking information, a common tactic of climate change deniers.

5. Mobilize when you see misinformation being shared on social media as soon as possible. If you see something, say something.

"Misinformation is any information that is incorrect, whether due to error or fake news.

"Disinformation is deliberately intended to deceive."

"Propaganda is disinformation with a political agenda."

Sander van der Linden
Social Psychologist
University of Cambridge

Source: Science News/May 8, 2021 & May 22, 2021

Update: September 22, 2023: This is more important now than ever. Be vigilant and speak in your own way. Love Wins.

Update:  McQuade, Barbara, "Attack From Within," 2024.  New York Times best seller.

The weather in San Jose, California today was sunny and comfortably warm through the midday and mid-afternoon. It was my task today to be around home waiting for someone to come who never came.

It’s ok. Because in waiting around home on a beautiful day, I spent a good deal of time outside in the front yard pulling weeds and relocating pebbles back onto their stone path from whence they came.

Pulling weeds and relocating pebbles was the excuse to be outside. It turns out that the reason for being outside was to be with my neighbors.

A young dog without an owner in sight wandered around the yard. I cautiously approached her (her tag said “Nola” which I presumed to be a female name). Once I was awarded her trust, I turned her tag around and found the number for her owner which turned out to be our neighbor from two doors down. It gets better. I was starting to walk Nola back to her home by the collar. Another neighbor, seeing my struggles, brought over a leash for me to use to get Nola home. One good turn deserves another it seems.

I had a chat with Nola’s owner as I returned the wayward pup to her home. We’ve had a couple of those chats lately.

Another friend who owns the house next door but lives in another house was sitting on the sidewalk pulling weeds in her garden. She was having a rough day and being outside on a beautiful day was just what she needed. We had a nice conversation on the benefits of being outside on a beautiful day and then returned to pulling weeds and relocating pebbles.

As we were both finishing up whatever we were going to do, we got to talking about our human purpose . She said her purpose each day is to make someone happy. I agreed and we both accomplished our goal for the day.

Appreciate your neighbors. I know that it’s hard for people that work. Even in retirement it’s often difficult to connect with people that live just steps away. Sometimes the weather gets in the way.

Tomorrow and the next day and the next day after that , make a point to make yourself available by being available for your neighbors. I believe good things will happen if you do.

Lenticular Cloud and Mt. Shasta in Northern California on November 29, 2025 on the way home from Thanksgiving in Williams, Oregon

Happy Holidays to you and yours and to borrow a line from the wonderful play “Over the River and Through the Woods” that we saw last weekend: Tenga Familia!

Bruce