Sunday, October 28, 2018

The Weaponization of Social Media, LikeWar. Singer and Brooking

Been very busy with work so I'll keep it short, I've wanted to share this interview by FreshAir's Dave Davies since hearing it on the way home, it's a bit of a shocker.  It does help explain some of the mechanism and drive behind today's growing social and political madness.  I've also added a video of a panel discussion on the book.
  
The 'Weaponization' Of Social Media — And Its Real-World Consequences

October 9, 2018 - Fresh Air - Dave Davies interviews P.W. Singer and Emerson Brooking.


P.W. Singer and Emerson Brooking say social media has been manipulated to fuel popular uprisings and affect the course of military and political campaigns. Their new book is LikeWar.
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LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media



About the video - "The world has entered a new information age that has transformed the planet into a common space where billions of people can connect and share information on a global scale. Social media platforms constitute a key instrument of this technological revolution. 

Thursday, October 25, 2018

La Plata County Land Use Code Policy Input Deadline Extended: Zoning

I received this yesterday and am sharing it as a public service.
Land Use Code Policy Input Deadline Extended: Zoning

From: Megan Graham
Public Affairs Officer
(970) 382-6265


La Plata County Land Use Code
Policy Input Deadline Extended: Zoning

Greetings from the La Plata County Planning Department. This is just a reminder that the Board of County Commissioners is seeking your input on how to address zoning/land use designation in the revised land use code. The BOCC has extended the comment period, which will now close at 5 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 10.

The next work session on zoning will be held from 2-5 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4, and there will be an opportunity for public comment then.

See below for details and thank you for taking the time to weigh in on this policy discussion.

Friday, October 12, 2018

La Plata County Land Use Code - UPDATE - meeting Nov 27, 1:30-4:30

Since this blog was started in order to offer objective information as a counter to some malicious outside interest groups who invaded our community (in particular Koch’s Americans For Prosperity a brainwashing organization dependent on misrepresenting facts in order to fan fabricated fears. For supporting information see bottom of this post.) intend on instigating mistrust and tension amongst neighbors, rather than constrictively supporting our democratic processes that are already set up to deal with the Land Code and issues.

Something everyone has an opinion on and loves complaining about, but when it comes to the nitty gritty of doing the boring work that needs to be done, few show up.  In any event, I figure I should share the following official update.

__________________________________

La Plata County Land Use Code
Policy Input:
Zoning


La Plata County is working on the land use code revision project as a county-led effort that draws on internal resources, reviews of land use codes from similar counties in Colorado, and existing work products to craft a code that works for La Plata County. There are a number of policy issues that the Board of County Commissioners will give staff direction on how to address in the code revision process. The Board of County commissioners is considering these policy questions and will be providing staff direction after seeking public input on each of the issues, as well as considering best practices from a staff review of land use regulations in six other Colorado counties.

One of the most critical policy topics the Board of County Commissioners will consider is zoning, and we want your input to help guide the direction given to staff on how the revised land use code contemplates zoning. Your input will help inform the Board of County Commissioners decision-making on land use regulations. 


Background documents
Agriculture Plus Zone District (memo)
Overlay Zone Districts (memo)
Euclidean Zoning Policy Considerations (memo)
Zoning Comparison Exercise
Comparative Zoning Model
Potential Problems with Euclidean Zoning (memo)
Policy Consideration for Non-Conformities (memo)
Legal Overview of Zoning's Purpose & Implementation (memo)
Zoning Classification Implications on Tax Assessment (memo)

The board will discuss this topic and take public comment at a work session from 1:30-4:30 p.m., Tuesday, November 27 in the Board Room of the La Plata County Administration Building, 1101 E. 2nd Ave., in Durango.

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Fruits of our Failures to Engage, McConnell thanks ‘victim clowns’

During a dialogue over at ATTP the following article was introduced with: Can better communication move people from a state of apathy to action on man-made climate change, or will it take a catastrophic Black Swan climate event* to do so?  For more about the apathy problem, read…https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/05/climate-change-apathy-not-denial-threat-planet.

It struck me as ironic coming on the heels of yet another profoundly damaging Democratic Party failure.  That is their inability to stop the GOP Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination atrocity against democracy.  It serves as yet another example of avoiding the real issue and talking past each other.  So I selected the following quotes before trying to enunciate what’s missing. 

"Climate change apathy, not denial, is the biggest threat to our planet”
By Leo Barasi, Oct 5, 2018, The Guardian

The easy way to cut emissions – closing coal power stations – is exhausted. Now the public has to be convinced to make sacrifices

“Partisanship is a problem, too. Arguments about climate change are often polarised between left and right, and the public widely see it as a left issue. This is a problem because people are more likely to believe what they hear from those they identify with, and to reject what they hear from others. …”
“And there are more psychological barriers. Cutting emissions requires people to trust authorities to be competent, honest and fair – a tall order at a time when only a third of people say they trust government. …”
“Yet, daunting though these barriers are, they can be beaten with political leadership and honesty. …” (nice, a wave in the general direction of the need for truthfulness, but it still misses the boat)
Begs the question how many ‘Black Swan’ events do we want.  Have you checked in on the running tally over at the Understanding Climate Change channel lately?, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo-r5Q-5TWB43oLI8eZ6euA

Regarding Senator McConnell gloating: “Mitch McConnell thanks ‘these clowns’ (aka rape victims) for protesting Kavanaugh”  by Kaiser,  October 08, 2018  
https://www.celebitchy.com/595027/mitch_mcconnell_thanks_these_clowns_aka_rape_victims_for_protesting_brett_kavanaugh/
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My response:
I read Barasi’s, can’t disagree with a thing. Although lets be honest that article was simply a repackaging of what’s been written many times, for decades now. It’s as ‘right on’ now as it was in the 90s, the problem is with its omissions.

I could not find a thing addressing the influence of lavishly funded and very methodical, strategic attacks based on deliberately dishonest media campaigns, intent on sowing confusion rather than constructive debate and learning.

You know, all those deliberate campaigns to lie about the facts, all intended to confuse an under-informed and rather apathetic public.  Instead, I’m told to look on the bright side.

I’m told that it would be impolite and only a jerk would dare actually talk right into contrarian faces and directly at their lies. 

Only a jerk would make a point of explaining God is in our minds and hearts and is profoundly personal; that no human has a one on one relationship with god, not now, not ever! That what we have is ego and personal drive to do better and have more. That what we need is each other to keep ourselves honest and moral.

Nope instead I’m told keep it polite, don’t ruffle any feathers. I’m wondering should my example be those old white men/women sitting on the Judiciary Committee who keep within everyone’s comfort zone. 

Even if it meant being incapable of exposing Kavanaugh’s rabid partisanship, which was on full display, threatening promises and all. Then standing up to demand that we recognize that in America, such behavior disqualified a person from judgeship, before anything else is even considered!! But no, our Democrat leaders fold yet again.

Friday, October 5, 2018

Considering Kavanaugh and the failure to communicate

I had an interesting exchange today.  Related to my constant agitating climate science communicators about the need to directly engage contrarians, and just as repeatedly, being rebuffed by the big boys.  See, I've been repeatedly reassured: Climate science contrarians, or for that matter these days die-hard Trump supporters, are a “lost cause” and a distinct minority of the US population.  There’s not much point in interacting with them on social media or elsewhere.    

Seems to me simply looking at the degeneration of our public discourse, and the current attack our governmental agencies makes the folly of that smugness self evident, but evidently not.  Be clear this is about the dialogue on the street, and in media outlets, outside of the scientific community.  

We NEED to DIRECTLY ENGAGE contrarian characters and their arguments and misinformation for many reasons.

How else can we understand our own positions and arguments, if we can’t enunciate them in challenging circumstances?

How can we understand what’s going on within their heads and hearts, if we never actually listen to them?

How can we convince onlookers if we’re afraid to confront and expose the deliberate dishonestly of science's critics?

and so on.

In any event, in an ongoing dialogue at ATTP I responded to a pal's sidestepping non sequitur with the following:

I wrote: "Guess I’ll never get you to discuss my actual content –  blithe dismissal is as far as your interest goes. But, than it seems we’ve turned into a society that rather talk past each other. {Have you checked political polls lately, looks to me like the fruits of our general apathy and that god-awful laziness when it come to actually confronting what the other is trying to express.}"

This prompted his angry complaint: “… your propensity to falsely define me, for example. cc wrote:
"Have you checked political polls lately, looks to me like the fruits of our general apathy and that god-awful laziness when it come to actually confronting what the other is trying to express."
Implicit in your statement is the belief that I am not paying attention to what is going on in US politics. …
===================================================================
I'm sharing my response mainly because it drifts into the current Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination which serves as a perfect example of the fruits of intellectual's benign neglect of the lower classes, and which has been weighing heavy on my heart these past days.  

Oh please STOP already!  It’s not all about you! Excuse the sloppy rhetorical device. 

I’m trying to discuss the need for more direction citizen dialogue, engagement, motivation, networking - you know a healthy Democracy demands an informed and engaged citizenry and all that.

Please, I was asking about the fact and not poking at you.   

Consider what we have witnessed in America this past week.  You know the Kavanaugh hearing and the voter opinion polls that look like they’ve gone though a wild 15/20 point swing.  Republicans have suddenly been justified and energized and Democratic momentum seems to have evaporated.  What happened?  How can that be understood, what does that portent for the coming election?

Then my point:
Kavanaugh was a very passionate partisan, even belligerent and threatening.  A man who felt free dropping conspiracy theories without offering a shred of evidence, in order to distract from the actual issue at hand. 

Kavanaugh delivered an emotionalized, personalized, angry, even threatening diatribe.  He showed himself to be the great white American male playing the victim card like a consummate performer.  He used anger and indignation to evade all questions and America ate it up because of, …  Why?

Profiles in Criminality, Grenon Bro's and Trump the traitor

America's President's Apparent Health Advisors:  Mark Grenon, Joseph Grenon, Jordan Grenon, and Jonathan Grenon sell and distribute ...

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