The problem with the Webb space photos is that they're not real. The images are actually in black and white and then colorized. So, you're not really seeing what you would see with your own two eyes.
The real journalistic crime would have been not divulging that you let Feder review/edit quotes. Feder's contribution to Chicago journalism over the past few decades has been immeasurable, thanks for the exit interview w/his friends Steinberg & Zorn.
I was in the "journo" world in college (Sigma Delta Chi, etc.). In my experience there, most of the serious journalism students did seem to view interviews as gotcha opportunities. They lived to bring down powerful people, in some cases apparently simply because they were powerful.
It has also been my observation that most regular people, including me, who have ever been interviewed have found, when reading the final product, at least one misrepresentation of what they said to the interviewer. It is easy to paraphrase a comment and completely change the gist of it, either accidentally or on purpose.
There should be more of a focus on accuracy and truth, and less on gotcha.
I thought the Feder interview was excellent, even more so because he was allowed to edit his own words.
I like the Table of Contents w/links. I do scan the entire newsletter when I first open it and having the links to look at specific content afterwards is nice.
As someone who has been an enthusiastic amateur astronomer and photographer for the last 50 years, I have learned that the universe is a very colorful place. Even without a telescope, it’s apparent that the planet Mars and the star Antares are brilliant reds. With a short time exposure using only a normal camera, more colors appear, like the contrasting red and blue bright areas in Orion’s sword.
The part of the electromagnetic spectrum visible to the human eye is quite small. The infrared portion, whose light the Webb telescope collects, is a lot wider. It encompasses a large number of wavelengths. The use of algorithms that add color to that data to help visualize what is out there in no way diminishes the “reality” of the photographs.
A picture of the “Stephan’s Quintet” of galaxies, shown in one of the photos from the new telescope, was used in the almost 80-year-old movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life”. I took a screen grab of the old black-and-white picture from the movie, and made this video comparison with the brand new image.
Color enhancements aside, there’s no denying the huge technological strides that have allowed for much sharper detail and revealed many more objects than old earthbound telescopes. That’s as real as it gets.
Not an H. Walker fan or supporter. And his comments are profoundly muddled. However, there has been ample reporting on studies from as far back as 2010 (and repeatedly confirmed) that air pollution that originates in China quickly traverses the Pacific and has significantly increased pollution in California. In addition, the data on carbon emissions clearly show that climate change improvements in the US and Europe to-date (and in the future) have been totally overwhelmed by abatement failures in China and India. Continued improvements in the West must be accompanied policies the drive compliance in China and India.
I tend to agree with the idea that Biden should step aside. Chapman had a very good editorial on the same topic today. But I am very concerned about a candidate free-for-all because it is likely to disfavor a centrist, generate tons of fringe messages, and result in a generally weak primary winner. Rank order voting in primaries would fix that problem, or a strong party apparatus. I would prefer that he try to line up a strong 'favorite' rather than simply announce his decision. I also think that it is foolish to assume that the GOP candidate will be Trump or someone that is easily tagged as Trump 2.0.
Tesla has been using the subscription model for features and upgrades since it launched. I agree that it is a terrible idea for consumers. But with the erosion of new car sales from longer vehicle life, reduced maintenance requirements, ride sharing, car-sharing, and other new ideas, car companies are looking for new ways to grow revenue. It is possible to offer the subscription as a 'try before you buy' feature or as a way to enable options on a standard vehicle (cheaper to build) which a buyer can access at any time in the vehicle life. This is common in many electronic and software products. It is can also be thought of as a 'lease' for options on a purchased car.
The idea that abortion laws will cause a major change in domestic migration trends is wishful thinking. The trends have been strongly to the south for a long time and dramatically so since 2019.
So the bad news is that the 'bad actors' will not be soundly and promptly punished. And the good news is that the demographics of the electorate in those states is changing and will likely see a shift towards the center. There are always people that are strongly motivated by individual aspects of places, but most are making a decision based on the aggregate of high importance factors.
You say that the Democrats need a presidential candidate that excites the base and independents. Most of us are independent because we reject the the left and right wings of both parties. A candidate that “ excites the base” is counterproductive to ridding us of the increasingly far right Republicans. For the sake of our democracy the Democrats need to quit cannibalizing their own and and support Biden and more moderate policies so they can win the middle.
Eric is spot on about checking quotes with people. It is common journalistic practice in non-"gotcha" stories. I did at the Tribune on many stories and have had journalists do it with me (because I ask) routinely. You want to get things right, not get people in trouble. On the other hand, in certain situations (say, interviewing politicians/corporate leaders who make a habit of saying nothing), you might not allow that. The word we're looking for here is "relationships."
My interview with Robert Feder: Was it journalism?
The problem with the Webb space photos is that they're not real. The images are actually in black and white and then colorized. So, you're not really seeing what you would see with your own two eyes.
Enjoyed the Feder interview very much. Don't listen to the critics.
Check the math on the winning percentage for the Cubs. Looks like a typo (4 instead of 3).
1. Thanks for the reasoning behind not supporting Biden. Couldn't agree more.
2. Was hoping I missread "Indiana" and that Kass had moved to India.
The real journalistic crime would have been not divulging that you let Feder review/edit quotes. Feder's contribution to Chicago journalism over the past few decades has been immeasurable, thanks for the exit interview w/his friends Steinberg & Zorn.
Like "The Galaxy Song;" dislike "From a Distance."
I was in the "journo" world in college (Sigma Delta Chi, etc.). In my experience there, most of the serious journalism students did seem to view interviews as gotcha opportunities. They lived to bring down powerful people, in some cases apparently simply because they were powerful.
It has also been my observation that most regular people, including me, who have ever been interviewed have found, when reading the final product, at least one misrepresentation of what they said to the interviewer. It is easy to paraphrase a comment and completely change the gist of it, either accidentally or on purpose.
There should be more of a focus on accuracy and truth, and less on gotcha.
Best list of tweets in a long time. Probably, the first time in a year that I checked off more than four. Well Done Eric..
I read your newsletter today and immediately after it still took me five to get the Wordle.
I thought the Feder interview was excellent, even more so because he was allowed to edit his own words.
I like the Table of Contents w/links. I do scan the entire newsletter when I first open it and having the links to look at specific content afterwards is nice.
As someone who has been an enthusiastic amateur astronomer and photographer for the last 50 years, I have learned that the universe is a very colorful place. Even without a telescope, it’s apparent that the planet Mars and the star Antares are brilliant reds. With a short time exposure using only a normal camera, more colors appear, like the contrasting red and blue bright areas in Orion’s sword.
The part of the electromagnetic spectrum visible to the human eye is quite small. The infrared portion, whose light the Webb telescope collects, is a lot wider. It encompasses a large number of wavelengths. The use of algorithms that add color to that data to help visualize what is out there in no way diminishes the “reality” of the photographs.
A picture of the “Stephan’s Quintet” of galaxies, shown in one of the photos from the new telescope, was used in the almost 80-year-old movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life”. I took a screen grab of the old black-and-white picture from the movie, and made this video comparison with the brand new image.
https://youtu.be/2DUz-eyYlGA
Color enhancements aside, there’s no denying the huge technological strides that have allowed for much sharper detail and revealed many more objects than old earthbound telescopes. That’s as real as it gets.
Not an H. Walker fan or supporter. And his comments are profoundly muddled. However, there has been ample reporting on studies from as far back as 2010 (and repeatedly confirmed) that air pollution that originates in China quickly traverses the Pacific and has significantly increased pollution in California. In addition, the data on carbon emissions clearly show that climate change improvements in the US and Europe to-date (and in the future) have been totally overwhelmed by abatement failures in China and India. Continued improvements in the West must be accompanied policies the drive compliance in China and India.
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/03/03/518323094/rise-in-smog-in-western-u-s-is-blamed-on-asias-air-pollution
https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-CJB-12022
https://www.treehugger.com/china-polluting-californias-air-4857698
I tend to agree with the idea that Biden should step aside. Chapman had a very good editorial on the same topic today. But I am very concerned about a candidate free-for-all because it is likely to disfavor a centrist, generate tons of fringe messages, and result in a generally weak primary winner. Rank order voting in primaries would fix that problem, or a strong party apparatus. I would prefer that he try to line up a strong 'favorite' rather than simply announce his decision. I also think that it is foolish to assume that the GOP candidate will be Trump or someone that is easily tagged as Trump 2.0.
Tesla has been using the subscription model for features and upgrades since it launched. I agree that it is a terrible idea for consumers. But with the erosion of new car sales from longer vehicle life, reduced maintenance requirements, ride sharing, car-sharing, and other new ideas, car companies are looking for new ways to grow revenue. It is possible to offer the subscription as a 'try before you buy' feature or as a way to enable options on a standard vehicle (cheaper to build) which a buyer can access at any time in the vehicle life. This is common in many electronic and software products. It is can also be thought of as a 'lease' for options on a purchased car.
The idea that abortion laws will cause a major change in domestic migration trends is wishful thinking. The trends have been strongly to the south for a long time and dramatically so since 2019.
https://dailyinfographic.com/united-states-domestic-migration-2021
So the bad news is that the 'bad actors' will not be soundly and promptly punished. And the good news is that the demographics of the electorate in those states is changing and will likely see a shift towards the center. There are always people that are strongly motivated by individual aspects of places, but most are making a decision based on the aggregate of high importance factors.
You say that the Democrats need a presidential candidate that excites the base and independents. Most of us are independent because we reject the the left and right wings of both parties. A candidate that “ excites the base” is counterproductive to ridding us of the increasingly far right Republicans. For the sake of our democracy the Democrats need to quit cannibalizing their own and and support Biden and more moderate policies so they can win the middle.
Eric is spot on about checking quotes with people. It is common journalistic practice in non-"gotcha" stories. I did at the Tribune on many stories and have had journalists do it with me (because I ask) routinely. You want to get things right, not get people in trouble. On the other hand, in certain situations (say, interviewing politicians/corporate leaders who make a habit of saying nothing), you might not allow that. The word we're looking for here is "relationships."