“It flutters to the table
but leaves behind a silhouette,
a yellowish-brown rectangle
its newsprint pressed into
the front endpapers for decades,
an inkless stain, inverse bleaching,
the author’s obituary scissored
by faithful librarian or fan
casting a shadow bookplate,
its grave a greasy window
we can’t quite see through.”
It is tax time, and the prospect of getting their hands on some of the $26 billion the ATO pays out in refunds, attracts scammers like bees around honey pot
It is often much harder to get rid of books than it is to acquire them. They stick to us in that pact of need and oblivion we make with them, witnesses to a moment in our lives we will never see again. While they are still there, it is a part of us. I have noticed that many people make a note of the day, month, and year that they read a book; they build up a secret calendar. Others, before lending one, write their names on the flyleaf, note whom they lent it to in an address book, and add the date. I have known some book owners who stamp them or slip a card between their pages the way they do in public libraries. Nobody wants to mislay a book. We prefer to lose a ring, a watch, our umbrella, rather than a book whose pages we will never read again, but which retains, just in the sound of its title, a remote and perhaps long-lost emotion.
Technology
Timeline 2017
Arup. Technology Timeline 2017 is an
interactive pdf which showcases 20 emerging and future technologies with a high
disruption potential for the architecture, engineering and construction sector.
Quote of the week
"At this critical time in our history, journalists are ferreting out
facts despite concerted efforts to stop them, and truth is gradually
emerging. Without them, our freedom would be imperiled. It is indeed the
truth that makes us free. This is a good time to hug and thank a
journalist." — Bob Morrison, Courier-Tribune (Asheboro, N.C.)
columnist
Fact-checking fellowships
Fake live feed of
a real tornado
Take a short GIF of an old tornado, add some thunder sounds and put it on
loop. It may not be your cup of tea but Mashable says this fake Facebook Live
video reached 14 million views.
Kenya's colorful fake news
In a survey of Kenyan voters, most claimed they encountered fake news about the
upcoming general election. Examples include a fake front page alleging a
politician was hospitalized for a Viagra overdose.
Great list of misinformation experts
The name is a little oxymoronic,
but the list is useful. We've suggested some additions; email us
or tag @factchecknet with suggestions for more.
Jobs!
Full Fact, the British fact-checking charity, has five job openings.Three
close on Aug. 6; the others on Aug. 14. For more information and to
apply, see their site.
Fact-checkers and verificationistas unite — with this tool
Nieman Lab spotlights Check, a tool used
in collaborative fact-checking efforts like Crosscheck and Electionland.
Up for debate? Our vote is D:
We're
all for creativity and audience engagement, but mixing "fiction and journalism"
is a content idea that gives us the heebie-jeebies. What do you think?
About that $12 banana
A "junk science" expert applauds journalists' efforts to fight
misinformation, but says we should "extend the war on fake news
to banish unscientific buzzwords and health fads." Here's his list
of the 12 biggest science fake-outs.
Fact-checking Shark Week
Can a human really out-swim a great white shark? Watch this video from Tegna's
"Verify" series. ... The Conversation helps you ruin the fun of
Shark Week by watching it like a scientist.
11 quick fact-checking links
(1) The Greek daily Kathimerini looks at lessons from Global Fact 4. (2)
Walking back the backfire effect — you
saw it here first. (3) The Uninhabitable Earth
gets annotated. (4) The bots are faking us
out, says a new study. (5) The challenges of debunking within echo
chambers. (6) A great video explainer of the mild panic over fake videos. (7) What does
fake news have in common with venereal disease? (8) Play
the new fake news card game. (9) Misinformation in the fake world of "Game of
Thrones." (10) Will this Trump bumper sticker help you fight fake news
while MAGA? (11) Try this at home: A good lesson in accuracy and
transparency from The Toronto Star.
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