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<p>Merle -</p>
<p>I am fairly new to the nighttime talk shows... I certainly saw a
few handfuls of Carsons and Lettermans over the decades but about
3 years ago I started watching Colbert (nearly) nightly and then
began to spill over on the other News-as-Comedy characters. You
mention Trevor Noah, and I have truly come to appreciate him, but
he was a bit of an acquired taste. My 21 year old nephew insists
that John Oliver is the "go to" for his generation. It may just
be his "circle".</p>
<p>I truly appreciate how these folks who are (all?) comedians first
can be as astute as they are about social and political issues.
They often fall short (IMO) on deeper economic or foreign policy
or ??? issues, but they seem to be *at least* as informed and
thoughtful as the average college educated professional, and
*often* much more in touch with the "unwashed masses".</p>
<p>I almost completely missed the John Stewart ascendency, even
though he was "in the water"... most of my knowledge of him and
his role was second hand at best. <br>
</p>
<p>I find Bill Mahr a (mostly) refreshing alternative with his
(nearly) Libertarian perspective. His blunt flipness reminds me
a bit too much of Dennis Miller who *seemed* so wonderfully aware
and thoughtful behind his snark... but his flip over into
near-radical Conservatism was a shock (in response to 9-11?).</p>
<p>- Steve<br>
</p>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 8/19/19 12:49 PM, Merle Lefkoff
wrote:<br>
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<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">I did, Frank, and you
should check out Trevor Noah, who the generations behind us
listen to and who does an even better job than Colbert and
Cooper.</div>
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<br>
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<div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Mon, Aug 19, 2019 at 12:46
PM Frank Wimberly <<a href="mailto:wimberly3@gmail.com"
moz-do-not-send="true">wimberly3@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
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<div dir="auto"><span
style="font-family:sans-serif;font-size:12.8px">... like
empathy is a muscle that atrophies if not exercised</span><br>
<br>
And which is made possible by universal suffering according
to Colbert and Cooper. Has anyone seen that video I linked?
<div dir="auto"><br>
</div>
<div dir="auto">Frank<br>
<div dir="auto">-----------------------------------<br>
Frank Wimberly<br>
<br>
My memoir:<br>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/author/frankwimberly"
target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">https://www.amazon.com/author/frankwimberly</a><br>
<br>
My scientific publications:<br>
<a
href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Frank_Wimberly2"
target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Frank_Wimberly2</a><br>
<br>
Phone (505) 670-9918</div>
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<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">
<div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Mon, Aug 19, 2019,
11:56 AM uǝlƃ ☣ <<a href="mailto:gepropella@gmail.com"
target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">gepropella@gmail.com</a>>
wrote:<br>
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<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px
0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">Yes,
I think this "savior" narrative was why this particular
one was interesting. There are a spate of articles talking
about how our modern tech isolates us more than it
connects us, or how outrage clickbait gives a dopamine
rush and such, or how the incels and the alt-right bois
are disaffected and radicalized through their isolation.
In such a cultural context, it seems reasonable that
messages like this (including newage BS like "the law of
attraction") might hit a vulnerable spot similar to what
Nick mentions.<br>
<br>
The mechanisms/exploits Marcus mentions in PDF files
parsed by Acrobat Reader, macro-laden Office or obfuscated
JavaScript, including the tracking pixels mentioned by
Eric and Steve are much less interesting to me ... maybe
because I understand those tools. I definitely do NOT
understand the position someone would have to be in to
click something thinking there's any kind of hopeful,
life-changing, message or secret at the other end of the
link. It's that psychological "exploit" that's most
interesting to me. It's just like the Nigerian scam, only
instead of targeting lazy, greedy, get-rich-quick suckers,
they target lazy, lonely, get-relationships-easy suckers.<br>
<br>
My intuition hints at some loss of empathy, some kind of
objectification of others ... e.g. that one might see all
the pretty people on instagram always having fun, never
slumped in fits of depression, and thinking how cool the
lives of those objectified non-people must be. I caught a
snippet of a conversation on NPR where the person
suggested that empathizing enough with animals so that
*eating* them might feel a bit like cannibalism may
*foster* empathy with other humans, over and above that
with animals. ... like empathy is a muscle that atrophies
if not exercised.<br>
<br>
My guess is that the person who might click on the
Archangel Michael links is just such an isolated Gollum,
who feels like their life is hopeless and the world is
cruel ... always hunting for that get-happy-quick Precious
that must be out there somewhere, if only they could find
it.<br>
<br>
On 8/17/19 9:30 AM, Pietro Terna wrote:<br>
> What is very interesting for me is that the
"Archangel Michael's Message For You"<br>
> text reproduces a quite archaic format used in Italy,
but I guess not only, for<br>
> handwritten messages diffused by old mail.<br>
> E.g. <a
href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catena_di_sant%27Antonio"
rel="noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true">https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catena_di_sant%27Antonio</a><br>
> <br>
> The format always quotes one or more relatives or
fiends by name etc. having received<br>
> benefits and requires prayers etc.<br>
> <br>
> Very interesting this form of modern survival.<br>
<br>
-- <br>
☣ uǝlƃ<br>
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<div>Merle Lefkoff, Ph.D.<br>
President, Center for Emergent Diplomacy<br>
<a href="http://emergentdiplomacy.org"
target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">emergentdiplomacy.org</a></div>
<div>Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA</div>
<div><a href="mailto:merlelefoff@gmail.com"
target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">merlelefkoff@gmail.com</a><br>
mobile: (303) 859-5609<br>
skype: merle.lelfkoff2<br>
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<div>twitter: @Merle_Lefkoff<br>
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