Tag: MAGA
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- If you accept that Trump was never going to jail under any circumstances, then let’s focus on what happened today. The verdict was upheld, a sentence was passed. I’m not sure if this is appealable to a higher court from here, I think he would have to show something happened to prevent him from getting a fair hearing? If it’s not appealable, then the bottom line is that Donald Trump is now and forever a convicted felon. Make all the jokes you want about ‘getting away with it’, he didn’t. In a (very) small way, there has been accountability. Trust me, he’s livid about this.
- If you want to know why you’re in a cult, part eleventy: MAGA has jumped to naming all the people who also have convictions, like MLK, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela… You could hear the sound of millions of goalposts moving. Like I said the other day. “STOP PERSECUTING ME!” said the guy in charge.
- I listened to the Supreme Court arguments for TikTok today. IANAL, but it appears to me that the government is dressing up a free-speech argument as a national security threat. What the government is accusing TikTok of doing is using an algorithm to show you content. It thinks China can manipulate that algorithm to show you what it wants you to see. The trouble with this argument is that an algorithm is an editorial slant. That’s ANY For You/Discover/We Think You’ll Like/Related Page at ANY content company. Facebook does the same thing, lest you forget. There are two questions to answer: Does a threat to national security trump the 1st Amendment? Second, if TikTok poses a national security threat, then show us the threat. I can think of a greater threat to national security than this, and it’s not hypothetical. It’s real, and it’s taking office in 10 days. That opinion has been and will be all over TikTok, and I think that’s the real reason the gov’t wants it gone. Speaking truth to bullshit? Well, we can’t have that, can we?
- I put together my new desk chair last night, and I realized upon sitting in it that it does not recline. It’s one of these ergonomic chairs that adjust in a few ways, but reclining is not one of them. It’s probably very good for my back if I can keep from slouching forward. This is just one of the ways I don’t human very well I suppose, but we’ll see if this chair helps my posture. I’m practically a hunchback on my best days.
- With any luck, a super-duper pod this weekend. Stay Tuned.
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- I had what I think is a meaningful exchange with a friend on the Birdsite; they were wondering if a small camera like a Canon G7X is worth it when we all have cameras in our pockets. Putting aside the old saying that the best camera is the one you have with you, I would say that if you’re not getting paid for your work, your phone camera is often better than an SLR any day of the week. Plus, and this is by no means necessary, Moment makes a case and lenses for your phone. I generally shoot videos with a CPL and an ND 32 filter attached. I have a telephoto and wide-angle lens, but I rarely need to use them. Also, while I have a DJI Osmo Gimbal, I rarely use that. If I’m shooting a video, I use my mini tripod as a handle with a phone clamp. If I’m shooting photography, I don’t need anything else. But, again, I’m not a professional, and what works for me may not work for you.
- My SLR has taken up residence in my studio in a locked-down position, and I’ve just bought a teleprompter system that uses my iPad for the scripts. We used something similar when I worked at Canon, but I was in the market for something that didn’t cost an arm and a leg. Next up, lav mics. I might still have one somewhere; I’ll need to dig around and test it. Finally, perfect world, I want a boom mike on a stand.
- While caring for the wife, I give a moment of praise for the ability to get groceries delivered and the gig workers who bust their asses to deliver them. I did it for a while, so I know the wear and tear they put on themselves and their cars. I also know what a treasure it is to have those 2-3 hours back so I can do other things. If you use a similar service, please take the time to thank them and tip them as well as you can.
- A handy tip for those who feel compelled to pick the low-hanging fruit tweets of some of our more colorful wingnuts: Don’t. You’re being baited, and too many of us take the bait. More engagement boosts it in the algorithm. They cry about being shadowbanned when they don’t get the engagement they think they deserve. With Elon being Elon, now is the perfect time to follow the screenshot method. Screenshot the post, crop it, post that picture with your response, and do not tag the OP. Let them cry to Elon. Hell, let them cry, period. We do not have to engage these people. We can point and laugh at them while they melt down, though.