“Would I lay down my life to save my brother? No, but I would to save two brothers or eight cousins.”
—John B. S. Haldane, British scientist, born November 5, 1892
I remembered Haldane’s quip from Richard Dawkins’ classic The Selfish Gene, 1976. (If you haven’t read it, the usual run-don’t-walk directive is in force. My hair is still on fire.) The quote wittily points to a genetic explanation for altruism: human beings evolved in a world of small groups, Dunbar number (160) sized or so, and being my brothers’ or—cousins’—keeper benefits my genes. Point is, we are animals, not angels. We are parts of natural systems and we need to seek Truth in science, not metaphysics. Darwin and Nietzsche are smiling, somewhere…
Really fine analysis of the differences between the much-reviled “mainstream media” (think Judy Miller, and the Second Iraq War) and the often-derided news blogosphere (think Glenn Greenwald and Edward Snowden) from Jay Rosen’s Press Think.
Paul Desmond. Listen to him play Samba D’Orpheu from this 1959 session with Jim Hall. Went well with my coffee.
Today and tomorrow in #westernma
| TUESDAY | November 5 | |
| 6:00-9:00PM | Springfield | Business Planning and Cash Flow |
| 6:00PM | Northampton | Northampton Webdive |
| 6:00-9:00PM | Northampton | Tools for Planning, Building, and Sustaining Your Business |
| 8:00PM | Amherst | UMass Amherst Entrepreneurship Initiative Social |
| WEDNESDAY | November 6 | |
| 7:15-9:00AM | Amherst | Chamber Breakfast: Solar Energy and Wind |
| 8:30-12:00PM | Pittsfield | Web-Based Recruiting |
| 9:00AM-4:00PM | Springfield | November 2013 Western Mass Business Expo |
| 11:30AM-1:00PM | Springfield | Western Mass Business Expo Lunch |
| 5:00-7:00PM | Greenfield | Free Information for Small Businesses to Start and Grow |
| 5:00-7:00PM | Pittsfield | Berkshire Young Professionals Networking Social |
| 5:00-7:00PM | Northampton | Northampton Chamber Arrive at 5 |
| 7:00PM | Springfield | Innovators’ Resource Network November Meeting |
| ??????? | Westfield | Westfield Chamber Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner |
Reading
Tom Paine Meets Robert Redford
“….Old testament journalism treats everyone as a participant in the great conversation of democracy. New testament recognizes that there are insiders and outsiders, players and spectators. It tries to mediate between them.
In new testament pressthink, people need the facts first. After they are informed by facts they can develop opinions and ‘make up their own minds.’ In old testament logic, people first need to join the argument. Then they will feel the need to keep themselves informed.
New testament journalism is strong on reliability, predictability, civility, professionalism and the maintenance of reputation over time, which has obvious benefits for advertisers and for political coalitions expected to vote to maintain taxpayer subsidies to the BBC and the ABC. Old testament journalism is strong on participation and mobilization. It is more risk-tolerant, less likely to censor itself to avoid giving offense. It gives the individual journalist a voice and identity.
Old testament journalism has vices too. It is financially precarious and so it can often be bought off. It goes to extremes more often and may distort the picture by neglecting the inconvenient fact. In old testament journalism the constant danger is that the truthtelling will decay into propaganda and news will become comfort food for loyalists. In the new testament style, the danger is that truthtelling will decay into ‘he said, she said’ and the dialect of insiders that I have called ‘the savvy….’”
Old and New Testament Journalism
The Last Word
“I was overlooked long before anyone knew who I was.”
—Paul Desmond, American musician, born November 5, 1924