Our Friends

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.

Thank God for friends. And for my not so religious friends, you don’t have to thank God.

In the past couple of days, I have reconnected with two friends from earlier days. One is my best childhood friend from Visalia, CA and the other my colleague and dear friend from my early days as a middle school Science teacher in Terra Bella, CA

One is now in Montana near Kalispell and the other is just up the road from me in Millbrae, CA. One was a close friend through high school that I reconnected with at Fresno State a few years later and then lost contact with for way too many years as we forged our lives.

The other is a friend/mentor who taught me how to teach science, how to become a vegetarian and how to drive a tractor (at the expense of an unfortunate pomegranate tree). He was also a spiritual mentor and guide that helped me transition into a contributing member of society.

I have not been good at maintaining long term relationships, although I credit my wife for teaching me about them in our marriage and through the lifelong friendships that she has kept up over several decades.

I also credit social media for providing the means for finding and communicating with people over long distances.

These two individuals are people that I am honored and proud to call my friends. Here’s to friendship.

________________________________

FYI, here are links to the full text of The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 and a guide summarizing key impacts of Project 20225. I have read the entire guide. I have nicked the full Project 2025 document.

_________________________________

Sifting through all of the smoke and mirrors that is the Trump Administration is a daunting and, at times, downer of a task.

But, we’re about 1/48th of the way through it and, IF the Supreme Court somehow remembers the core of it’s role in the American Constitution, we can get through this attack on Democracy and come out the other side with a damaged, but strengthened democratic structure for the future of this country. There are traitors on that court. We must pressure them from where we are and let them know that this will not stand. They are nothing without us.

And that is a big IF. As I publish this, we’re awaiting their ruling on a lower court order on whether the Trump Administration can be required to resume USAID programs like PEPFAR.

_______________________________

Donald Trump and J.D. Vance’s Oval Office behavior towards Ukrainian President Zelensky and his negotiating team are a disgrace to this country. They do not represent me in any way. I want my country back and we will get it back.

_______________________________

Friends Win. Love Wins.