As seen on the web is as authoritative as seen on TV

“As seen on TV” as an endorsement of a product always gives me a chuckle.  So what if the product was shown on TV.  It was only there because the seller bought ad time.

“I read it on the web” is even more insidious because we have no idea what the source was and how reliable the source is.  One of the latest stories is that a three-year-old girl and her grandmother claimed they were asked to leave a KFC restaurant because the girl was severely disfigured by dog bites; the other customers “would be upset”.

Counter evidence includes no meal as described was on any register, no security camera shows the two, and the named restaurant had been closed for some time.

See http://dailycaller.com/2014/06/24/report-story-of-toddler-tossed-out-of-kfc-is-a-complete-hoax/

Of course, all you have to judge this is my little entry and the above web site.

Whatever, investigate a cause before you send money or sign a petition or forward a link.  Always!

The "people" are speaking, but a bit late

This morning's Duluth News Tribune published my Local View contribution with the title "The people (some of them, anyway) have spoken".  My own title was "The people have spoken!  Which ones?"

I was considering changing the opening from Egypt to Wisconsin, but I couldn't see how to replace it without rewriting some of the rest of the article.  Also, if I made a change, it might be delay publication.

My change was:

"[T]he people of Wisconsin chose to switch control of the governorship, assembly and senate to Republicans" according to Newt Gingrich on the website Human Events.  Which people, Newt?

Granted, Scott Walker received 52.25 percent of the votes cast, but the turnout was only 49.56 percent.  That means that 50.44 percent of the eligible voters didn't care for any of the candidates, at least care enough to show up.   Scott Walker received the support of 25.9 percent of the eligible voters.  That is a very poor second to none of the above.  Looked at this way, Scott Walker does not have the support of "the people".

From data published online by the Wisconsin Accountability Board.

"The people" are speaking in another way.  I wouldn't say the protesters against Walker's anti-union efforts represent "the people", but many people from around the world are supporting the protesters.

Last night we heard on MPR about Ian's Pizza going from 300-600 pizzas a day to over 1000 pizzas a day, the increase because of orders from around the world to send pizzas to the protesters at the Wisconsin State Capitol.  Even from Egypt, where they know a thing or two about protest.

If you would like to send a pizza to the protesters, order it through Badger Bites.  The top of the page has ordering instructions.

Geek or non-geek, some tips to help the Iranian people

See "How Geeks (and Non-Geeks) Can Help Iranians Online", Cyrus Farivar, Tehran Bureau, 2009-07-17