Scott Cramer wrote this.

Made safe for work. Sorry guys. 😉

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

Sleep late. Gain weight. I AM SO DOOMED.

Embedded Link

Sleeping Late, Eating Late Leads to Gaining Weight
A message to night owls: There's news that your bedtime — and those late-night snacks — may be preventing you from dropping those stubborn extra pounds.

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

Umm… Okay, sorry about that. Still, I want one of these bad boys to ride shotgun with me on my creepy spider bike thing from my last post. 😉

Thanks +Christie Cannon and +Anthony Russo for the post.

Reshared post from +Anthony Russo

Thanks to +Eva Abreu for this one.

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

I want one of these… but I want big fangs that shoot rockets or ping pong balls!
Random. But true. 😉

Thanks +Seyyed Mahdi HosseynZadeh Hosseyni for the post.

Reshared post from +?????? ????

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

I want I want I want!!!

Embedded Link

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies full text poster
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies full text as one poster available for just £62.99

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

Journalists and reporters fact-check. Unfortunately, in my opinion, I do not believe main-stream media is run by journalists or reporters. Also, just because someone either has a press pass or has their name on a byline, it does not make them a journalist or a reporter. Fact-checking should be a frontline tool in determining who is a journalist or reporter and who is a hack, spin-meister, or out-and-out deceiver. This is not to say that those who present the news won't make mistakes; but how they handle their mistakes, and their body of work should allow them to be judged on their intent and integrity.

The big problem I see is that we, the consumers of news and media, on the whole blindly digest whatever we are "fed." Questions arise in my mind about "who fact-checks the fact-checkers?" Perhaps it all starts with educating people that there is a problem. I was always told not to come to the table with a problem without also bringing a proposed solution. The fallacy of this is that whereas problems may be easily recognizable, solutions can be just as elusive and hard to figure out. Therefore, I would amend what I learned to say, "come to the table, perhaps not with a solution, but a willingness to work on one." Craig did not have an answer either, but he started with recognition of a problem, along with information on solutions, and a statement of his desire to assist with coming up with a solution. Furthering the discourse is part of moving toward a solution. In the medium where I am writing this, and with the limited audience I have, I hope I further the discourse to even one or two more people; then the time it took to tap this out on my cell phone was not just shouting into the wind.

So, solutions… As I see it, any post, essay, or letter such as this is a jumping off point. This provides a nice segue to the ideas that came to my mind after finishing Craig's article.

(1) Recognize the problem; in this case, fact-checking. Not doing anything, well, doesn't do anything. At least put something out there to the public to spark some forward momentum.

(2) I remember writing papers in high school and college. We were required to have footnotes, endnotes, bibliographies, or some equivalent references. I see this more in main-stream media to avoid plagiarism and lawsuits, not to fact-check.

(3) Disclaimers. We have disclaimers on food such as, "Consuming raw or undercooked meat, seafood or egg products can increase your risk of foodborne illness." Perhaps we should have disclaimers at the beginning of news shows and within print media to point out our, as consumers, responsibility to question what we are told and either fact-check it ourselves or verify that it is being fact-checked and that we trust the fact-checking.

(4) Nobody is immune to fact-checking; i.e., anything any of us write in our e-mails or on a forum or social media post is just as important for us to check the facts of what we are saying as it is for main-stream media or "professional" publications. I get so many e-mails forwarded to me that a quick trip to "snopes.com" or Internet search discredits before I forward it to friends and family, putting my name behind it as valid information. When I post, I try to look things up to make sure I'm not passing on misinformation, and if I don't know or have a bias, I try to say so.

(5) With enough fact-checking groups or organizations, or just multitudes of individuals, I think "correct" information will bubble to the top of the media heap. Outlets with an abundance of "correct" information will bubble to the top of the heap of "networks" or "aggregators" of information.

(6) Facts should not be confused with opinions. For example, I believe I could propose a fact that a piece of granite the size of my fist, if thrown at my head, and successfully hitting me, would injure me. No matter what your religious, political, or ethical background, I think we could agree on that. Now, my opinion is that nobody should do such a thing to me. Someone else may have a differing opinion and put forth circumstances where it is justified to throw fist-sized pieces of granite at my head. My opinion is we need to get beyond the arguments and misinformation on the facts and concentrate on the beliefs and implications that arise from how we perceive the facts.

Okay, frankly I am out of steam. I am happy that I read Craig's article and that it brought me into the discourse, made me think, and ultimately pushed me to solidify my own ideas and opinions on this topic. If sharing his article, or my ramblings on it, are useful to anyone else, then I'm even happier.

Embedded Link

Restoring Fact-checking
Recently, Jeff Jarvis held an event on restoring fact-checking to the news business. Here's my very brief attempt at getting my head around what happened and what's happening with big deal fac…

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

Hehe — There are moments when I delight in being a geek. Getting a laugh from this is one of them! 😉

Thanks to +Carol Pietrantoni and +David Revilla for the original post.

Reshared post from +David Revilla

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

This has some good educational points, especially at the end. It is a great commentary on why people need to research and learn about what it is they are protesting. The video is a little heavy-handed on some of the editing, but otherwise I found it worth a few minutes of my time.

Thanks +Kevin C and +Chris Smith for the post.

EDIT: Per conversing a bit with +Steven Sudit I feel the need to say I don't endorse or agree with everything in this video. I still think it is worth watching and used as a jumping off point for discussion. Whereas, at this writing, my conversation in comments here and on another post about this video are ongoing, perhaps I will change my mind and either endorse or condemn this video. Either way, I'm learning and talking and the video did accomplish that — which I thought one of it's points was to research and learn.

Reshared post from +Kevin C

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

Love this! Just… Needs more cowbell. 😉

Thanks +Dirk Talamasca and +Scott Schneider for the post.

Reshared post from +Scott Schneider

Walken in a Winter Wonderland

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

I have not shared a photo post in a while. This was absolutely fantastic.

+Elena Nikitinykh Thanks for sharing!

Reshared post from +Elena Nikitinykh

Extraordinarily beautiful place, so-called "Tunnel of Love", is located near the village of Klevan (Rivne region, Ukraine).
In the warm season, when dissolved in full force leaves, green robe growing next to each other forms a fabulous green trees along the tunnel km section of the railway.

http://postomania.ru

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

You have to watch all the way through to get the punch line. If you don't, pedo moon bears will eat you.

Thanks +David Erdman II for the poignantly funny post. 😉

Reshared post from +David Erdman II

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

Best one yet. 😉

Thanks to +Chris Smith for the original post and +Matt Mould for sharing it!

Reshared post from +Chris Smith

Best one yet!

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

One more hour before they let me pick up a PS3 (not even for me). Been here an hour. See previous post and comments. Have resorted to learning about baby food.

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

This is what Black "Friday" looks like. Two hours of sitting on cold Wal-Mart floor with my item ticket. And this is the luxury shopping. 😉

Haven't decided if I'm doing actual Friday anywhere.

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

For hunting Rudolph?

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

If you're not totally stuffed on turkey… these are super easy to make and smell wonderful! 😉

Reshared post from +Scott Cramer

[Recipe]

Cookies for breakfast! Oh yes, it's good to be an adult!

What to do when you don't want to sleep in the wee hours of the morning? Bake cookies. These turned out amazing, and my townhouse smells wonderful, even this morning. Here are some pics and the recipe, my friends. Click into the shared album for pictures. 😉

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mix together:
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin (1 can Libby's 15 oz)
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs

Sift together and add to above:
4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
4 tsp baking powder

Dissolve together and add to rest:
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp milk (preferably whole)
2 tsp vanilla

Now add:
2 cups Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 oz package)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drop on lightly greased cookie sheet. (See picture in shared album for an example of size). Bake approximately 10-12 minutes. (mine took exactly 10 minutes) NOTE — Be careful not to overcook. Cookies will be soft and moist.

Enjoy! Let me know how you like 'em! 😉

In album Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (7 photos)

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

More nostalgia… Thanksgiving 2005, 20-below windchill, and a very uncooperative deep fried turkey. +Keith Cramer and +Jeff Stamets thought a "turkey dance" might help. I love the age of cell phone cams. 😉

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

Perhaps I'm showing my age, but I think the old holiday classics are still the best. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

Thanksgiving to me is always very nostalgic. To wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving this year I went back before my time because I thought these photos were kind of fun and reminded me of what our parents and, depending on your age, grand parents might have seen floating around magazines during the holidays. They were probably a lot more risque back in their day, eh? 😉

Marilyn Monroe, Esther Williams, and a couple more unknown.

In album Thanksgiving Retro (8 photos)

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.