Coping: How Social Media is Killing America

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Communications:  There has been increasing chatter in social media circles about what the ‘next business model’ will be.  Social is running its course; like a bad case of flu.

To refresh:  The social hoodwinking of established web sites and creative content for all, began with the simple premise that if established websites (like Urban, for example) wanted to increase readership, the smart thing to do would be set up social media pages.  Let people talk.

We saw right through it, of course, and figured what the real “mater plan” for what it would be:  A way to get major corporations (and freelancers like us), to migrate their audiences to social.  But that, predictably, was just to “lead the cows into the social slaughterhouse.”  Someone was going to make a killing.

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You could see the moment of the change:  It was when enough of the BIG (but arguably dumb) had made the foolish mistake of trusting the Zuke Markerbergs of the world to continue free access to their own clients and social-migrated readers.

Recall a few years back: Corporations found that they when “posted” on social media sites, only a small fraction of their audience would be informed of their posts.  Once on the slaughterhouse floor, they discovered they would be required to buy access to their own audience.  Mind you, the same people who – prior to social – had interacted via stand-alone websites.

We called it in a Peoplenomics discussion about “time-circular” business models.  “Free” up front – and then the bigger switcheroo.

Goes like this:

Step 1.  Invent an ego-addictive software platform.

Step 2.  You social media to allow unfettered access to your migrated audience who promptly get hooked on “social” heroin. Egos are nasty self-management demons.

Step 3.  Social slams the door and begins to rent-back the very people that businesses and websites brought to the party.  Because runaway egos are rampant on social, resulting in YUGE numbers of eyeballs, companies started underwriting it.  Thus, letting the foxes of social begin counting the chickens.

The problem with social has continued to evolve on two front, now::

First, they need to find out new ways to get people  to otherwise don’t care to spend useless hours generating FREE CONTENT for the czars of social companies to spend MORE time doing so.  This sells more ads.  Which in turn makes them richer.

Social media is gasoline thrown on the national emotional state.  It’s where social justice warriors, not to mention anarchists and ISIS, go to recruit.  Land-o-Link-Bait.

Secondly, social has sold its soul to  the Deep State in America – which is (presently) seen as the liberal/progressive left alliance with the liberal “intelligence community.”  The folks who don’t seem to be able to read The Constitution and fully abide by its terms.

Little details – like unreasonable search  and having reasonable rights to an expectation of privacy..

The undocumented tactic is simple:  Ideologies that make sense to grown up people (things like balanced budgets, national borders, gun control, auditing the welfare state, and questioning the whole ‘climate scam’) may be posted, but then it just “disappears” a few minutes, hours, or whatever, later.

Thanks to social media addicts, we can safely predict a whole new  genre of political ideologues who will claim the specious SJW high moral ground (after screwing the people who built them, yeah?).  That’ll be their platform from which to preach.

Looking ahead, it’s easy to predict that in either the 2018 or 2020 election cycle, one of these “social giants” will run for office.

Public service is one of the few gigs that can be more abused than social media power.

If you think your Federal government is crooked now (as in prone to over-reach, and no, the creek on our property is – for now – not a navigable water of the United States, for crying out loud), just think what social will be able to do as government.

It will be the accidental revolution that has – in our view – the potential to bring global mob violence.

Already, social media is moving to strengthen its mind-control lock (go read on shadow-banning) to “control the narrative.”  We’re asked to overlook the worst-case of social:  Streaming murder (and attempted suicide), radical recruitment, and thought viruses related to climate and causes.

The worst is yet to come as we near elections.  People with a taste for power (and big money) won’t be able to resist going for the gusto.  I will bet almost any amount imaginable that the Big Three of Social Mind Control (which is what social is) will generate both an “election process” and maybe its own slate of candidates.

Thus, arrives the third party in America.

The “Stupid, Lazy, Egocentric, Me-Oriented Dopes.”  Call it the SLEMOD Party, for short

From an historical standpoint, we are appalled that as a country has cast off it’s “chains of oppression” from past wrongs, we’re anxiously lining-up to be fitted for the new chains.

You have to be a fool not to see it.  If you spend more than 5-minutes on social a day, congratulations, you may have passed curable.

The problem isn’t just social media taking down America.  It’s a much bigger topic.  And we’ll jump into that in our Peoplenomics.com subscriber report tomorrow.

Because the real problem is Network-based Business Models, in general.

Around the Ranch

Colder than a well-digger’s but.  Disappointing, though, that our much-warned “Big Winter Storm” has brought only cold and not nearly enough precip.  Still, one of the coldest years ever in our 15-years in the East Texas outback.

It will mean fewer bugs, snakes, and critters when summer finally appears; usually in March, or so.  So much for climate change.

Ham Radio Corner: Something as loud as an inch-and-a-half firecracker went off at the ham radio desk Monday as I was banging out Morse code to a fellow up in W9-land.  (Ham radio call signs are loosely assigned by regional numbers.)

That new to me (restored to near its 1963 manufacture date condition) Johnson Thunderbolt linear amplifier was still acting strangely.

Seems that the bias power supply is having issues.

It’s on hot standby this morning – a kind of auxiliary heater for the office!

Through the top of the cabin et, you can see the happy glow of a pair of 4-400Cs.

So far, no idea what the problem was, though there were lots of sparks from the final amplifier tube area.  Strangely, though, no odor.  I suspect either a parasitic oscillation or a non-critical bypass capacitor.  But, I’ll have to be help moving the 125-pound beast before opening it up for inspection. 

But, with low plate current and idle plate current for AB² operation low (only about 500 watts input), it likely comes down to either a screen or bias voltage problem.  Which is the stuff that makes troubleshooting electronics so rewarding.

Real serious hams can look at the power supply schematic third from last page of this manual and see both V-104, a 6BY5GA rectifier along with the related switching of the bias (as J-102) and the associated regulator, an OD3/VR90 which will also be replaced.  Ure’s rebuild of the switching relay has been ruled out, so says Mr. Fluke.

An Eye Update:

Oh, yeah, still trying to keep my vision which continues to display mood-swings.

Trip to the eye doctor Monday was OK.  20/30 to 20/25 continues in the “good” (operative) eye.  So next on the shopping list is monitoring corneal vascularization.

I’m still skeptical of Allopurinol for reasons found here.  Although it you have “cat eyes” maybe not an issue. You see, in one study here, it was found that Allopurinol helped moderate xanthine oxidase free radicals.

Here’s the personal problem that presents:  If I buy up enough lab equipment to do self blood-draws, and enough chemistry set goodies to make meaningful blood serum level checks, that might be noticed by some federal agency.

Which could (wrongly) conclude instead of breaking the bank and doing personal blood checks, I’d gone off on the Breaking Bad track.

So, for now, we let the docs order the lab tests and we’ll just keep going through through the modern medical smorgasbord lines.

Write when you get rich,

George@ure.net

28 thoughts on “Coping: How Social Media is Killing America”

  1. I may be wrong, but I don’t see a lot of other politicians using Twitter like Trump. Trump used it to get much free press coverage especially during the presidential election. It will be interesting to see if more politicians begin to use it as the Senate & Congress elections approach. Or maybe nobody cares what they have to say unless it is bashing Trump.

  2. I refuse to be sucked in to the Social media mania. I do not have a Facebook account or twitter or snap chat et al.
    I concluded a while back that it gave too much access to my personal agenda.
    I did make the mistake of having my DNA checked to tell me about my ancestry. My wifes sister also did that and she was contacted by a guy that says she is his long lost mother. Seems that the DNA people are not shy about sharing information without your permission. Now I see that the DNA companies are undertaking large scale studies in various areas of “concern”, using the donated DNA of millions of unsuspecting dupes, like me.
    Just say NO.

    • My concern with having my DNA checked is that one day the police may show up at my door because they switched my DNA with a criminals DNA. This type of DNA switch could provide hefty fees to the DNA Company. No sense giving someone an edge.

  3. George I doubt that we are liberal/progressive for as the man said both parties are conservative,neoconservative+neoliberal and compete for support only among the conservatives,who are the source of both neoliberalism and neoconservaivism for the vast majority of wealth is owned by the conservatives..

    • …Suggest you research the political leanings of the folks on the Forbes and Fortune lists, and find a different “man” to listen to.

  4. news story on MSN this morning..

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/why-trump-voters-need-the-immigrants-they-want-to-turn-away/ar-AAuL8NJ?li=BBnb7Kz

    What is funny is way back in the eighties during the reagan recession I was told that very thing when I complained about why some refugee was given free utilities free college for him and his wife, a new van medical and dental.( it was a conversion van the hot thing at the time) guaranteed forty hours a week while I had to struggle with schedules and working split shifts at six jobs and sell blood to just to make ends meet .. then at the end of the year find out that he not only got the newly formed EIC tax credit but he got back everything he paid in in taxes and everything the company paid in for him in taxes..
    I bitched and what the story said is what I was told..because american families don’t have the ten kids like they use to that refugees were needed to pay the way.. all this came about at the same time that healthcare was deregulated, fuel was deregulated, and the NAFTA treaty was outsourcing our jobs. and cutting tariffs to encourage trade and outsourcing jobs.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tariffs_in_United_States_history#1980s_to_present
    I am sorry for the rant it just irritates me.. if I am going to support giving a college tuition or pay their way in life I want it to be someone who has a love for our country and took the time to either become a citizen or be born here. I don’t care what color or what religion they believe in.

    • oh they bought him a house to.. I was shocked then and shocked now.. through the years I have met and worked with four people that all had a similar story on what benefits they got.
      LOL one thought that the men on our shift should be killed because we let women tell us what to do.. LOL LOL LOL unfortunately I wasn’t working the day that he told the boss..( a woman)Here is what i was told he said to her in front of everyone “Hey you fat cow do it yourself..if you were my wife I would beat you for talking to me like that.” LOL LOL LOL LOL.. I told everyone they should have called me I would have paid money to watch that.. LOL LOL LOL

  5. I don’t like social media at all. Maybe I have a different viewpoint than many people since I have been targeted and harassed by certain people and know how hateful and vicious people are. Why would I want to be a part of something that has a high probability of becoming the worst of social relationships? People are people and crowd behavior is the norm. Sure, there are nice people (are they the Norm?), but get them in a crowd of rowdy people, look out. I have been horrified of some of the things I’ve seen-people live-streaming a drowning person and not even helping. So typical. they got a few likes, though. Geeze.

    • One just has to check past human history via “youtube” to confirm this fact. It wasn’t Stalin, or Hitler that did all those reported atrocities — it was PEOPLE who did it. I’m afraid that it will all repeat again after I’ll be gone, Just give it time. ‘-(

  6. George
    In regards to your Johnson Thunderbolt linear amplifier. Perhaps a piece of fluff like hair or other conductive material made it’s way across a hot lead in the unit. This happened to me while I was trouble shooting an old Heathkit O-scope. It too made a loud bang! The scope continued to work with no change in condition. The piece of fluff vaporized but did not leave much of an odor.
    Good luck on any repairs!!

    • You know, that would sure explain it.
      I have it fired up – and with the requisite fire extinguisher on hand, I flipped on “the Big Switch” and it turn on fire with HV.

      But In interest of now blowing up 4-400’s I will wait for the new bias rectifier tube and VR90… vy 73 ac7x

      • I’ve two each NOS Eimac 3-400s and 3-500s packed down in an armored foam case — Dem original bigassed valves be harder’n heck ta finds, anymore.

        Were I you, I’d not risk the 4-400s either…

  7. I can’t wait to see your column tomorrow. There is something VERY fishy going on with Social media. I do not trust that there is any privacy. All data sliced. diced and re-sold to highest bidder.

    I also (for not reason other than intuition) think that 2018 is the crumble year. Boom, poof, splat, twack! The real boogey man appears adn scares the hog snot out of folks. IMHO of course.

    Hear that Ogden?

  8. “I’m still skeptical of Allopurinol for reasons found here. Although it you have “cat eyes” maybe not an issue. You see, in one study here, it was found that Allopurinol helped moderate xanthine oxidase free radicals.”
    OMG.. on top of all the other adverse side affects..

    Fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling and red skin rash. Any sign of skin rash, no matter how mild. Nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, weight loss,weight gain, dark urine,urine frequency, clay-colored stools, rectal bleeding, loose stools, jaundice. Pain or bleeding when urinating, .Oct 20, 2014
    but then most medications are made from substances that can cause a lot of adverse side affects.
    and are forced to tell you the side affects no matter how small over legal reasons.

  9. George, slightly off topic, but I was wondering what your opinions are on OCF dioples for 40, 20, 10m?

    Also, in keeping with my Oath of Membership in the Cheap Home Handy Bastard’s club, what are your views on DIY power supplies (retail seems so $$$!)

    73

    • Come on WC – you missed the CIA enlisting MOBY to pimp the shit out of Trump dossier? Strzroko et all illegally influencing an election from w/in DOJ? WTF…you take a dumb pill today?

      • All good conservatives lined up to denounce Trump during the campaign, esp early. The libs mostly laughed mockingly. Since the public elected him over party objections, we have to assume the public is on a bipartisan s-list.

        Public servants vote for whatever party will give them the best budget… Republicans.

  11. People love Facebook and shopping at Wal-Mart and believing liars and throwing away hard won freedoms with both hands to save time and money and have a good time and be safe. Because of that most of your predictions will no doubt come true. The nefarious are exploiting the weakness in people. Sad to say Americans are loosing spine for anything hard or unpleasant. That goes for just about everybody, red, blue, purple, or neo-what-have-yous.

    Fine point; a cold winter will probably not make one bit of difference on your summer insect population.

  12. I think the social media model will crumble as fast as Bitcoin when the great unwashed understand what they are doing with personal information. In my 67 years I have watched Woolco, K Mart, Sears, Walmart, now Amazon each in their retail turn get made obsolete when their margins shrank and the new kid dazzled (Amazon not yet but there will be a new kid some day). For social media it will be good riddance.

  13. I don’t have any “social” media accounts and would be very reluctant to get one. I do use a friend’s, since she’s not concerned about privacy and encourages me to do so. When finished, I remove all cookies, etc.

    Sometimes it’s necessary to use the damn things since many companies and even government agencies ONLY update their stupid facebook accounts, and not their websites. It’s the only way to get current information. I even had that situation when trying to get accurate information from multiple police departments! WTF? Why are the various units of government updating only on these private walled enclaves?

  14. Hi George,
    It’s not likely that you would be harassed for doing hobby lab tests on your own body fluids. You might get into trouble if you try to bill your friends and neighbors, or if you are dumping spent needles and chemicals in the local waterway.
    If you try to buy chemicals that are considered ‘precursors’ for making illegal drugs, that would be another source of trouble.
    Suggest you have a chat with your local pharmacist, especially an independent pharmacist (vs chainstore). Its likely that they can order whatever chemicals you want, and would be aware of any precursor restrictions.

  15. Years ago, and possibly still enforced in some areas – librarians held close the titles of books taken out by people, whether who was taking out a specific book or what books were taken out by a particular person.

    With the invention of personal computers,and the internet any pretense of privacy is pretty much blown away. Given time and computing power, any code can be broken, if the internet user attracts the ‘wrong’ people.

    Cell phones have added (or multiplied) the danger – including the mobility and change in behavior, a new distraction – that I think is the real problem. (One short job I had was working for Verizon – enough to know that anything more than basic telephony is NOT GOOD for me!)

    Sorry, my opinion is that social media is used most by people who aren’t very intelligent.

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