Misinfo, The AP, and My Older Brother

 This was a Facebook post that I didn't feel like publishing

My older brother Jeffrey took me to task yesterday for spreading disinformation. I found his argument that the information I shared was fake convincing enough to believe I got suckered. Though neither of us knows if that really is the case.

At the end of the conversation, he referred me to the Union of Concerned Scientists and their webpage on combatting disinformation. Step 2 on this list is to amplify accurate and credible sources. OK, who are they?

The Associated Press, surely they are a trustworthy source, right? But I'm reading an article by them entitled: Minutes after Trump shooting, misinformation started flying. Here are the facts, where I came across this near the middle of the article:

Moments like this are ‘cannon fodder’ for extremists
Conspiracy theories quickly emerged online that misidentified the suspected shooter, blamed other people without evidence, and espoused hate speech, including virulent antisemitism.

“Moments like this are cannon fodder for extremists online, because typically they will react with great confidence to whatever has happened without any real evidence” said Jacob Ware, a research fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. “People will fall into spirals and will advance their own ideologies and their own conclusions.”

What caught my eye was the statement about "cannon fodder", which is a nonsensical statement that the editors, writer, and person all thought added insight. That is crap. Cannon fodder is the exact opposite of the thing being described. What they attempted to describe is not something worthless to be casually wasted; it is instead a target-rich environment for spreading misinformation. The article is a mess that jumps all over the place.

How in the heck am I supposed to trust anything the AP or any other left-leaning publication puts out. They suck. That is reality. They are the authors of their own demise because they traded fairness, competency, and journalistic integrity for diversity, equity, inclusion, and leftist dogma. The shit stinks. There is no hiding it. Sure they can fool those who bow the knee and drink the Kool-Aid, but that will never be me. The left makes too many obvious mistakes and takes very little if any accountability when they do screw up.

God, Von Clausewitz, and Biden

Military theorist Von Clausewitz from my understanding talked about putting your adversary in a kind of vise so that the position or the move you want them to make is more costly to their position than the move they want to make for themselves. At that point, they have lost the battle or the war.  If God Almighty didn't place Biden, the Democratic Party, and the liberal press in the von Clausewitz vise they now find themselves in then who and how?

Oh the Butt Hurt!

1-26-2016 5:15AM
Someone Posted it.
No
Yes
Life just isn't fair
Filed in regards to Red Lake, Indian Netting, and Treaty Rights in general.
See Red Lake Walleye For Sale thread at Lakestatefishing.com

As per usual certain sportsmen are all worked up about those natives and their unfair fishing privileges.  I understand why the butthurt exists.  I just choose not to get worked up about it because it's not my circus and those are not my walleye.  It doesn't bother me in the least that the Indians have unequal rights with them getting the better end of the deal according to some MN sportsmen's perspective; If they choose to be butthurt that is their business.  I want no part of it.

Yeah, I was butthurt I couldn't fish Mille Lacs this past fall for walleye.  But I'm really butthurt that I can't legally target bass the second the ice is off the lakes and that has nothing to do with treaty rights.  I fish for other species instead, it's not a big deal.  Red Lake had amazing crappie fishing for a few years.  Then they restocked the Lake and the walleye fishing went gangbusters again.  It looks like do to a couple of late Springs that Mille Lacs is coming back with a strong batch of 15" to 17" eyes.  Lakes cycle, but the butthurt won't go away.  Oh well, life just isn't fair.

I Guess You Could Say God And I Are Not On Speaking Terms At This Point In My Life

On my birthday, January 3rd of 2011, I published a long autobiographical blog entitled "What Do I Want From This Life?" 41st Birthday Lament.  This was the final paragraph:

"What do I want from this life?"
I want to love the Lord God with all my mind, heart, soul, and strength. But with what I've been through right now, I just can't seem to find much love. My mind seems dull, my heart is cold, my soul is in the wilderness, and my strength has failed me. 

Not much changed in my life until December 23rd, 2011, when I had a stroke in the middle of the night.  When my Dad found me.  I was semi-conscious, couldn't move the right side of my body, couldn't speak, and was seriously cognitively impaired.  I was fortunate in that my facilities began coming back to me fairly quickly.  I was out of the hospital in less than a week and, after a short stay in a nursing home/rehab facility, was back home by my 42nd birthday.  I had a few months of physical and cognitive therapy.  I recovered better physically than cognitively or emotionally.   I am less confident and more withdrawn.

But with what I've been through right now, I just can't seem to find much love. My mind seems dull, my heart is cold, my soul is in the wilderness, and my strength has failed me.

The problems I outlined in these sentences have only magnified post-stroke.  It's been almost four years since, and I am still in a kind of shock.

Even still, I believe God has a great love for me even though I really just don't understand it.  

I guess you could say God and I are not on speaking terms at this point in my life.  

What do I want from this life? 

For whatever reason, I decided not to publish this blog right away on the morning of 10/19/16.  I decided to post. 

Pirate Bones, I Can Relate

Lyrics to Pirate Bones by Natasha Bedingfield

Justice, Little Fish, Big Fish, Economics, and War

Experience informs some, but it doesn't necessarily tell any of us all of what we want to hear.  For now we see through a glass, darkly!

I Can Relate

Mike Hart Convicted

From WONnews.com: Mike Hart Case Closed, Pleads Guilty To Misdemeanor

My Commentary: Actually it's impossible to know if justice was served in this instance. It is possible, but I think unlikely, that this was the first and only time he tried to cheat. In that case he probably got what he deserved. However if he cheated more than once and profited from it, which I think is more than likely, than justice would only be served if he got the full force hammer blow indicated in the article. I am pretty sure a $1000 bucks is pretty meaningless to this guy, really a paltry slap on the wrist. The only true punishment is the disgrace he brought upon himself and the fact that he will probably never be allowed to fish a bass tournament again. But there is one caveat to my thinking on that. Most bass tournament organizations are secular in nature and are under no obligation to be forgiving. However, I do not believe the same holds true for Christian faith based tournament organizations. With that type of tournament trail or club, if there is evidence of true repentance then I think those trails/clubs would be betraying their core principles if they did not offer forgiveness and a path to reconciliation. I think that fact puts the Christian trails in a very tough position. On the one hand I think it would be wonderful if Mike Hart could find some measure of redemption for himself, but on the other hand the guy should man up and reap what he sowed. He doesn't deserve the privilege of the pursuit of the passion because criminal fraud is just not acceptable; it should be one strike and your out. I really hope he doesn't seek out a Christian trail to fish, but I think seeking to fish in a small Christian fishing club along the lines of the Fishers of Men Fishing Club would be ok, in fact would be a good thing.

A Song For Nate Wellman

Mea Culpa/Remember me by Undercover

"Dock Fishing" Angler Rights in Minnesota

Came across an excellent article spelling out the legal issues involved in fishing other people's docks from a boat in Minnesota.

Dock Fishing Rights and Obligations

I have been harassed by dock owners 5 different times, although the 1st time my fishing partner kind of had it coming. So far the people on Platte/Sullivan have all been cool, knock on wood.

M Ward Fisher of Men

Nice little tune.
Hmmm apparently you have go to listen straight from Youtube. Go do it, it's a good song.

GoD and DoG by Wendy J Francisco

Good Advice!

3. Examine your self-esteem. Most of us look to please others or feel good about ourselves based on our performance. Negative self-talk feeds off of both of those. The truth is this: We are all immensely valuable creatures no matter what happens while we are fishing. In fact, fishing should have no negative impact on how we feel about ourselves at all. It is meant to be fun, therefore it should be like icing on the cake of life, not life itself.
From Advanced Anglers.com blog Mental Fishing by Charles Plott post The Voices In My Head

Ha!

The Up to Date Story of Kistler Rods

Hat Tip TipsNbass History of Kistler Rods Go read it.

I have never owned a Kistler and thus am not a Kistler guy, so I didn't know any of this stuff. I would guess most people don't know what has gone on. I am glad to hear they seem to have weathered the rough patch. I wish them success.