Hurricane Florence prompts evacuation of more than a million people

[SGOS]

It is not an accident that the hottest average temperatures have occurred this century.

People have been waiting for evidence, but they can still claim that this is a natural short term fluctuation.  Even scientists claim there are short term fluctuations in weather (which is not brilliant rocket science by the way).  They are just pointing out that any individual high or low temperature records are not evidence of a shift (which is not rocket science either).

We don't have to wait until Miami or Manhattan Island sinks into the ocean for evidence, however.  The physical properties of matter are enough to make predictions about climate.

[Cavebear]

People have been waiting for evidence, but they can still claim that this is a natural short term fluctuation.  Even scientists claim there are short term fluctuations in weather (which is not brilliant rocket science by the way).  They are just pointing out that any individual high or low temperature records are not evidence of a shift (which is not rocket science either).

We don't have to wait until Miami or Manhattan Island sinks into the ocean for evidence, however.  The physical properties of matter are enough to make predictions about climate.

The fluctuations of the past were not caused by identifiable events today.  I've heard it all before.  "The sun can fluctuate".  Yes but it hasn't lately.  "The Earth can change temperatures by changing orbit slightly".  Yes but that isn't happening lately.  Etc.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

It's good to be old.

[Hydra009]

Remember the reporter live at the scene in Wilmington, exaggeratedly bracing against the wind while two people casually stroll behind him?

Well, the Weather Channel has the temerity to defend this practice, saying that "the grass was slippery" and that the reporter was exhausted.  Apparently not too exhausted for a little play acting.

If they had fessed up to it, I could've cut them some slack.  But doubling down on the bullshit really hurts their credibility in my eyes.  It'll definitely be something I keep in mind the next time I see breaking news from them.

[Cavebear]

Remember the reporter live at the scene in Wilmington, exaggeratedly bracing against the wind while two people casually stroll behind him?

Well, the Weather Channel has the temerity to defend this practice, saying that "the grass was slippery" and that the reporter was exhausted.  Apparently not too exhausted for a little play acting.

If they had fessed up to it, I could've cut them some slack.  But doubling down on the bullshit really hurts their credibility in my eyes.  It'll definitely be something I keep in mind the next time I see breaking news from them.

The sad problem about Trump screaming "Fake News" every chance he gets is that sometimes there IS fake news. 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

There has always been fake news. More so since Fux News came on the scene, but the concept isn't new.

[Hydra009]

The sad problem about Trump screaming "Fake News" every chance he gets is that sometimes there IS fake news.

Plus, he's a YUGE contributor to that problem while simultaneously seeming to oppose it.  I feel sorry for his supporters who don't yet realize that.

I dunno why news organizations try these stunts and then try to save face by defending it.  It kills trust and then people are more willing to swallow baloney simply because it's an "alternative" to organizations they know for a fact haven't been completely honest with them.

[Cavebear]

Plus, he's a YUGE contributor to that problem while simultaneously seeming to oppose it.  I feel sorry for his supporters who don't yet realize that.

I dunno why news organizations try these stunts and then try to save face by defending it.  It kills trust and then people are more willing to swallow baloney simply because it's an "alternative" to organizations they know for a fact haven't been completely honest with them.

To both of you, it is 2 things.  The first is the Big Lie.  Say something often enough, with authority, and people will believe.  If Trump said often enough that Columbus landed in SA in 1592 enough times, a lot of people would believe that.  Second is diminishing legitimate news sources.  The Trump campaign reported his inauguration was attended by millions, but  media said it was just tens of thousands.  Well, they must have been lying.

He does both daily. 

[Unbeliever]

They've been developing algorithms that can spot fake news, so hopefully things will soon improve:

https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/fake-news-algorithm/

[Hydra009]

Mihalcea and her team developed a linguistic algorithm that analyzes written speech and looks for cues such as grammatical structure, punctuation, and complexity, which may offer telltale signs of fake news.

Such a system may hep social media platforms, search engines, and news aggregators filter out articles meant to misinform.

¯\_(ãƒ,,)_/¯

Just something I found funny.

In all seriousness, I wish them the best.  Though without fact-checking, it's pretty incomplete.  And it can't spot exaggerations like our "slippery grass" reporter nor pick up on selection basis (cherry-picking stories to hit the front page and burying equally or more important stories) or false balance (presenting opposing claims as equally valid despite a vast difference in factual support).  So, very limited.  I guess something is better than nothing, though.

[Unbeliever]

Yeah, we've got a way to go, but hopefully we're at least heading in the right direction.

[Cavebear]

Yeah, we've got a way to go, but hopefully we're at least heading in the right direction.

Every voting system has flaws.  I heard today that the biggest reason college students didn't vote (because they needed absentee ballots - because there were no voting booths on campus) was...

They didn't know how to get stamps!

[Unbeliever]

I fin

They didn't know how to get stamps!

I find that hard to believe - but not very...

[Cavebear]

I finI find that hard to believe - but not very...

Think about it.  No post office on campus and at home the mail "just showed up".

It even makes sense from when I was in college in the late 60s.  The mail addressed to residential students all went to a central University center that sorted it by dorm.  At the dorm front desk, students paid by the hour sorted it into mailboxes by room number.   To send a letter across campus, we only needed to know the dorm and room.  Or just name.

When I left college, I didn't even know you could give  post office a forwarding address.  Or buy stamps.  How much has changed since then?  There is even less mail to experience.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Purdue had a post office on campus, and stamp machines in the Commons.

:sniff: