Lazy Saturday's equal incongruent topics. This morning I was struck with a thought, nothing huge and revolutionary. A good thought in its own right. Happiness rarely comes from watching cable news. Many times, great pleasure comes from reading written news, depending on the author. I'm not a big fan of watching cable news, too much weight in ratings and less in facts. Since the TV has been on cable news a ton the last few days - staying with my folks and their friends - I was craving my usual modus operandi of finding a topic and "cracking out" on it as I research one rabbit hole to the next. That is when I realized that "news happiness" is derived from being interested in a topic and researching it vs. being tossed about the waves of news that others want you to see or be persuaded by.
Nucleus to the above was someone setting the TV on a cable news channel I wasn't familiar with. Which led me to another news bias checking site I wasn't familiar with, as well, Media Bias/Fact Checking. I haven't vetted the site for its credibility but it placed the unknown news channel as firmly conservative. Which led to reading the mission of the news channel, of which they are self-professed "conservative" and only bringing conservative news to its readers. That is bias. Without judgment, it's simply biased. And that is how one should vet what they are reading or watching so it is known where bias sit.
Other Saturday morning readings and watchings of note:
- A new friend met while in Death Valley last week told a great story of coming upon the Integratron in the Mojave desert when he was a young man. I finally got around to reading more about it, woo-woo or not, the story is interesting; A Time Machine in the Mojave - The Atlantic.
- I recently learned my friend, Sean League, is working with a company which is putting 3D printers in orbit around the earth. Two satellites actually, one with the 3D printer and one where he designed the propulsion system to send the satellite to a passing comet or asteroid. Where it then mines and collects raw materials for the 3D printer. Mind bending.