Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Twitter, Reddit and Twitch. But Not Facebook.
"Facebook remains an outlier amid the push to rein in Trump’s social media behavior. The company has repeatedly massaged or reinterpreted its policies in order to avoid sanctioning the president, according to an investigation by the Washington Post. The pattern of accommodation stretches back to Trump’s candidacy, when his call for a ban on Muslims entering the country was given an exemption from Facebook’s rule against hate speech, and continues today."
#dezuckyourlife
No more going viral: why not apply social distancing to social media?
"[S]ocial networks should reintroduce friction into their sharing mechanisms. Think of it as the digital equivalent of social distancing."
NRA has shed 200 staffers this year as group faces financial crisis
Can a good guy with a gun protect them from bankruptcy?
I kid, I hope they all choke on it.
Social Media Drops the Hammer on Team Trump
"What seems to have changed is not Trump’s behavior but platforms’ assessment of the risk of calling him out for it."
WHO Chief On COVID-19 Pandemic: 'The Worst Is Yet To Come'
"'The lack of national unity and lack of global solidarity and the divided world ... is actually helping the virus to spread,' Tedros said. 'The worst is yet to come.'"
Health Insurance Shouldn't Be Tied to Employers
"If American health care were its own country, it would be the fourth largest in the world by gross domestic product. The nation spends an average of $3.5 trillion per year on health care — more than Japan, Germany, France, China, the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada, Brazil, Spain and Australia combined — and still loses more people to preventable and treatable medical conditions than any of those countries do."
Supreme Court Rules That State Aid to Private Schools Must Include Religious Schools
"Three mothers with children at Stillwater Christian School, in Kalispell, Mont., sued, saying that provision of the state Constitution violated the protections of religious freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution."
Sure. Let's see them extend this to a Muslim school. In Montana.
Obviously INAL, but the mind reels when I attempt to even consider the mental gymnastics required to believe that withholding tax funds from a school violates religious expression. What of maintaining the separate of church and state?
Supreme Court Rules That State Aid to Private Schools Must Include Religious Schools https://nyti.ms/3eLPmb
Monday, June 29, 2020
Sen. Elizabeth Warren introduces nationwide eviction moratorium bill
"The Protecting Renters From Evictions and Fees Act would extend eviction protections for nonpayment of rent for one year, starting from March 27, 2020. It would also substantially expand the current federal eviction moratorium so it includes most renters."
‘First Cow’ Will Head to VOD, and Kelly Reichardt Reconsiders Her Film’s Resonance
"With the timeline for reopening theaters still unclear, the movie will become available for purchase on VOD platforms July 10 and rental on July 21."
Had a very cold, rainy time making this movie, but my first-rate crew made it worthwhile:
What We Get Wrong About ‘People of Color’
"Broad, all-inclusive sweeps are convenient and comfortable—and sometimes, for the sake of progress, we need them—but they can also do great damage."
The_DAMN...
This, like many recent gestures, is happening far too late. Though considerable damage has been done, it's still welcome:
Sunday, June 28, 2020
A Flawed Facial-Recognition System Sent This Man to Jail
"Michigan State Police used facial-recognition software to compare surveillance footage from the theft to a state database of 49 million images, including Williams’ driver’s license photo. People don’t knowingly opt in to having their images used this way, but half of all US adults have their photos attached to a database. Police around the US have also used social media photos, witness sketches, even 3D renderings to match against crime scene photos."
Very Nice
"Before a crowd estimated at about 500 people, Cohen sang an untitled song urging listeners to attack liberals, CNN, The World Health Organization, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Bill Gates and 'mask-wearers.'...
The proposed vectors of attack were either injecting them with 'the Wuhan Flu' or 'chopping them up like the Saudis do.' The crowd cheered the lyrics and Cohen’s anti-Semitic taunts (the 'you-know-whos') and anti-Asian jabs ('nuke ‘em up like we used to do')."
The proposed vectors of attack were either injecting them with 'the Wuhan Flu' or 'chopping them up like the Saudis do.' The crowd cheered the lyrics and Cohen’s anti-Semitic taunts (the 'you-know-whos') and anti-Asian jabs ('nuke ‘em up like we used to do')."
CDC Head Estimates U.S. Coronavirus Cases Might be 10 Times Higher Than Data Show
"Redfield said the new, much-higher estimate, is based on growing data from antibody testing, which picks up the presence of immune cells that react to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. People will test positive for antibodies to the virus if they have been infected—whether or not they ever got sick or even developed symptoms."
How to Get Safari's New Privacy Features in Chrome and Firefox
"You don't have to wait for macOS Big Sur to drop to get a lot of these upcoming features though—both Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome have similar features, or they can with the help of a third-party extension. Here's how you can get Firefox or Chrome up to par with Safari in macOS Big Sur today."
Texas oil industry faces prospect of collapse amid Covid-19 losses
"The oil price has rebounded to hover around $40 a barrel – high enough to cover the cost of existing wells but not yet high enough to dig new ones. In the meantime, the heart of America’s oil country considers the prospect of virus-driven economic collapse."
Oil companies (now trying to simply brand themselves as "energy" companies) have had decades to pivot to renewables. They chose short-term returns over a sustainable long-term strategy. Of course the lowest wage-earners will be the first to suffer for the bottom line.
Saturday, June 27, 2020
Some Of Those That [Are] In Forces...
"Federal prosecutors have announced charges against current or former US military service members for plots linked to violent extremism nearly once a week this month...
But in a congressional hearing in February, military officials testified that 'mere membership' in white supremacist groups is still 'not prohibited' for American service members."
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/24/us-military-white-supremacy-extremist-plot?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0d1YXJkaWFuVG9kYXlVUy0yMDA2MjU%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=GTUS_email&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUS
But in a congressional hearing in February, military officials testified that 'mere membership' in white supremacist groups is still 'not prohibited' for American service members."
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/24/us-military-white-supremacy-extremist-plot?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0d1YXJkaWFuVG9kYXlVUy0yMDA2MjU%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=GTUS_email&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUS
Friday, June 26, 2020
Down the rabbit hole: how QAnon conspiracies thrive on Facebook
"I really do not think that QAnon as we know it today would have been able to happen without the affordances of Facebook."
Trump plan to cut federal support for Covid-19 testing sites sparks alarm
"Hospitalizations from coronavirus in Texas have risen 60% in the last week, which is one of seven states that have reported their highest coronavirus patient admissions during the pandemic in recent days."
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/25/us-coronavirus-testing-sites-federal-support-cut-officials-alarm?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX1VTTW9ybmluZ0JyaWVmaW5nLTIwMDYyNQ%3D%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=USMorningBriefing&CMP=usbriefing_email
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/25/us-coronavirus-testing-sites-federal-support-cut-officials-alarm?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX1VTTW9ybmluZ0JyaWVmaW5nLTIwMDYyNQ%3D%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=USMorningBriefing&CMP=usbriefing_email
"Airbnb Quietly Fired Hundreds of Contract Workers. I'm One of Them"
Airbnb is garbage, but this quote strikes me as particularly tone-deaf:
"My office life resembled that of any full-time employee: I snacked on charcuterie boards and fresh ahi poke bowls..."
https://www.wired.com/story/airbnb-quietly-fired-hundreds-of-contract-workers-im-one-of-them/?bxid=5dfac03c3f92a458a45d5bbd&cndid=29619328&esrc=AUTO_PRINT&source=EDT_WIR_NEWSLETTER_0_DAILY_ZZ&utm_brand=wired&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_mailing=WIR_Daily_062320&utm_medium=email&utm_source=nl&utm_term=list1_p1
"My office life resembled that of any full-time employee: I snacked on charcuterie boards and fresh ahi poke bowls..."
https://www.wired.com/story/airbnb-quietly-fired-hundreds-of-contract-workers-im-one-of-them/?bxid=5dfac03c3f92a458a45d5bbd&cndid=29619328&esrc=AUTO_PRINT&source=EDT_WIR_NEWSLETTER_0_DAILY_ZZ&utm_brand=wired&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_mailing=WIR_Daily_062320&utm_medium=email&utm_source=nl&utm_term=list1_p1
Almost 17,000 Protesters Had No Idea A Tech Company Was Tracing Their Location
"Data company Mobilewalla used cellphone information to estimate the demographics of protesters. "
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Trump is in a precarious position for re-election – but he still has a chance
"'If non-white turnout goes back to what it was in 12, 08, even 04, Trump should lose,' Stevens, who has joined the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, said. 'If it doesn’t he has a shot.'"
"To our allies in Hollywood..."
"Unions – including above-the-line (SAG, WGA and DGA) and especially below-the-line (IATSE, Teamsters etc) – must reconcile with their racist and discriminatory practices while actively recruiting and creating opportunities and protections internally and externally for Black (cis and trans) employees, execs and membership – talent, crew, department heads, background performers, hair and make up, camera operators etc. to increase their Black membership and leadership to a point that is at least reflective of the Black share of the population."
https://www.bldpwr.com/hollywood-4-black-lives/
https://www.bldpwr.com/hollywood-4-black-lives/
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
William Barr Has Turned the Justice Department Into a Law Firm With One Client: Donald Trump
"Under Barr, the Department of Justice has two objectives: to suppress any investigation of President Trump and his associates, and to aggressively pursue investigations of his political rivals."
Half of US states see coronavirus surge as officials warn first wave far from over
"I don’t think we’re going to see one, two and three waves. I think we’re going to just see one very, very difficult forest fire of cases."
WEEKS AFTER PTSD SETTLEMENT, FACEBOOK MODERATORS ORDERED TO SPEND MORE TIME VIEWING ONLINE CHILD ABUSE
"Not only does the increase in child pornography exposure seemingly run afoul of Facebook’s public assurances that it will be “providing [moderators] additional support through this settlement and in the future,” it contradicts research into moderator trauma commissioned by the company itself. "
#dezuckyourlife
Monday, June 22, 2020
BREAKING: US soldier charged with giving info about troops to white supremacists
"Melzer, 22, allegedly planned an attack on his U.S. Army unit by sending sensitive details about the unit -- including information about its location, movements and security -- to members of an extremist organization called the Order of the Nine Angles, an occult-based neo-Nazi and white supremacist group, according to the news release."
https://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-soldier-being-charged-with-giving-info-about-troops-white-supremacists/Lbg1IrZdUj8E9WQbWPC7bL/
https://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-soldier-being-charged-with-giving-info-about-troops-white-supremacists/Lbg1IrZdUj8E9WQbWPC7bL/
Sunday, June 21, 2020
Police the Public, or Protect It? For a U.S. in Crisis, Hard Lessons From Other Countries
"Those intent on remaking law enforcement to redress decades of racial injustice would do well to look at the experiences of other countries that have wrestled with just that challenge. So would those who insist that there is no problem to be fixed."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/11/world/police-brutality-protests.html?campaign_id=30&emc=edit_int_20200619&instance_id=19539&nl=the-interpreter®i_id=62338336&segment_id=31347&te=1&user_id=afce2adeb1db2be4bf19cc27fd657db0
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/11/world/police-brutality-protests.html?campaign_id=30&emc=edit_int_20200619&instance_id=19539&nl=the-interpreter®i_id=62338336&segment_id=31347&te=1&user_id=afce2adeb1db2be4bf19cc27fd657db0
Facebook and Twitter Want to Keep the Justice System Stacked Against Defendants
#dezuckyourlife
https://www.wired.com/story/facebook-twitter-criminal-justice-stored-communications-act/?bxid=5dfac03c3f92a458a45d5bbd&cndid=29619328&esrc=AUTO_PRINT&source=EDT_WIR_NEWSLETTER_0_DAILY_ZZ&utm_brand=wired&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_mailing=WIR_Daily_062120&utm_medium=email&utm_source=nl&utm_term=list2_p5
Oregon reports 190 new coronavirus cases, 1 new death; Multnomah County reports record new infections
By all means, let's reopen 🙄 :
"Multnomah County saw the most new cases on Sunday at 84, the most it has reported in a single day. The state’s most populous county entered into Phase 1 of reopening last Friday, which allows for limited reopening of some businesses and gatherings of up to 25 people with social distancing guidelines."
https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2020/06/oregon-reports-190-new-coronavirus-cases-1-new-death-multnomah-county-reports-record-new-cases.html?outputType=amp
https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2020/06/oregon-reports-190-new-coronavirus-cases-1-new-death-multnomah-county-reports-record-new-cases.html?outputType=amp
Saturday, June 20, 2020
Women's police stations and intimate partner violence: Evidence from Brazil
"Women's Police Stations associated with 17% reduction in female homicides."
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953616306773?campaign_id=30&emc=edit_int_20200619&instance_id=19539&nl=the-interpreter®i_id=62338336&segment_id=31347&te=1&user_id=afce2adeb1db2be4bf19cc27fd657db0
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953616306773?campaign_id=30&emc=edit_int_20200619&instance_id=19539&nl=the-interpreter®i_id=62338336&segment_id=31347&te=1&user_id=afce2adeb1db2be4bf19cc27fd657db0
PROTESTERS, HERE’S HOW TO SET UP A CHEAP BURNER PHONE
"Filming police is completely legal and within your rights, and it’s one of the few tools citizens have against police brutality. It’s also important to be able to communicate with others in real time or to find your friends in case you get separated."
https://theintercept.com/2020/06/15/protest-tech-safety-burner-phone/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=The%20Intercept%20Newsletter
https://theintercept.com/2020/06/15/protest-tech-safety-burner-phone/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=The%20Intercept%20Newsletter
Thursday, June 18, 2020
Dave Franco made a horror movie and it looks rad as hell
https://news.avclub.com/dave-franco-made-a-horror-movie-and-it-looks-rad-as-hel-1844082708
‘The Rental’ Trailer: Dave Franco’s Directorial Debut Is a Horror Movie with an Indie Dream Team
Last year people who shall go unnamed ate and drank their weight in fish,chips, and beer in Bandon, OR. The result will be released next month:
"I Was an Investigator of Portland Police Conduct. Here’s Why It Doesn’t Work."
"...[W]ithout transparency, you don't really know how bad it is. And I can't tell you, because state law allows agencies to withhold this information."
Facebook Groups Are Destroying America
"As The Wall Street Journal found, Facebook’s own research showed that algorithmically suggested groups and Related Pages suggestions lead users further into conspiracy-land. They should be eliminated entirely. If users had to search out groups for themselves, they might be a bit more thoughtful about which they joined."
https://www.wired.com/story/facebook-groups-are-destroying-america/
https://www.wired.com/story/facebook-groups-are-destroying-america/
Bolton From the Blue
"Even with all the inequities of the US electoral system, Trump’s 40% core voters will not be enough to get him re-elected. He needs some independents and that’s where Bolton’s book may well deepen and accelerate the process of corrosion."
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/18/boltons-bombshell-book-shows-its-still-possible-to-be-shocked-by-trumps-presidency?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX1VTTW9ybmluZ0JyaWVmaW5nLTIwMDYxOA%3D%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=USMorningBriefing&CMP=usbriefing_email
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/18/boltons-bombshell-book-shows-its-still-possible-to-be-shocked-by-trumps-presidency?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX1VTTW9ybmluZ0JyaWVmaW5nLTIwMDYxOA%3D%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=USMorningBriefing&CMP=usbriefing_email
"I’m a Black American. I Had to Get Out."
"The United Nations defines refugees as people who flee their homes because of war, persecution or violence. My mother and I may not meet the formal criteria, but as I observe a country engulfed in disease, flames and justified rage, I tremble at the thought of ever returning."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/12/opinion/sunday/black-america-racism-refugee.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/12/opinion/sunday/black-america-racism-refugee.html
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
White House pressure for a vaccine raises risk the U.S. will approve one that doesn’t work
“'If you give an emergency use authorization, you’re likely going to make it hard to assess all these vaccines and to assess the thing we really care about: Are they effective in preventing infection? That’s the key...'
The fastest vaccine ever developed, for mumps, took four years. Many experimental vaccines show promise in early human trials, which look at a shot’s safety and whether it prompts an immune response, but a significant chunk go on to flunk the broad final study of effectiveness known as a phase three trial. Patients may produce antibodies in response to a dose of an experimental vaccine, but those are not always strong enough to protect against a disease."
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
Oregon Reports 278 COVID-19 Cases, Another Record, as Outbreak at Pentecostal Church Ravages Union County
"[T]he numbers may represent just the beginning of the outbreak in Union County, 50 percent of the tests reported today from the county came back positive for COVID-19. That may mean signal many more cases there."
Monday, June 15, 2020
A Mysterious Plane Circled Over Portland Protests for Hours. The U.S. Marshals Service Won’t Say If It’s Theirs.
"The sighting of an aircraft previously linked to the Marshals Service is the first indication that a federal agency might be surveilling and potentially gathering data on protesters in Portland this year."
Money, Uh, Finds a Way...
"The studio is understood to be spending around $5M on its protocols, which will see the production carry out thousands of tests during the remainder of filming...'Cost isn’t our main concern now: it’s safety.'"
https://deadline.com/2020/06/universal-jurassic-world-production-uk-chris-pratt-bryce-dallas-howard-1202958819/?fbclid=IwAR3fBm1A7LbppDcz7-N2H1vFX19phH5mREjvqV-d36CKQfb7J01aBnqMDeU
As virus cases rise in states where Trump won, Republican attitudes may shift
"[C]oronavirus cases are now growing quickly in some rural and exurban areas with strong Trump support. Covid-19 cases are climbing in Arizona, Florida, South Carolina and Arkansas, and in Texas hospitalizations for Covid-19 are up 42% since Memorial Day."
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/15/republican-coronavirus-skepticism-may-shift-cases-rise-states-trump-won?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX1VTTW9ybmluZ0JyaWVmaW5nLTIwMDYxNQ%3D%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=USMorningBriefing&CMP=usbriefing_email
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/15/republican-coronavirus-skepticism-may-shift-cases-rise-states-trump-won?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX1VTTW9ybmluZ0JyaWVmaW5nLTIwMDYxNQ%3D%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=USMorningBriefing&CMP=usbriefing_email
Sunday, June 14, 2020
Lockdown Works
"We estimate that across these six countries, interventions prevented or delayed on the order of 62 million confirmed cases, corresponding to averting roughly 530 million total infections. These findings may help inform whether or when these policies should be deployed, intensified, or lifted, and they can support decision-making in the other 180+ countries where COVID-19 has been reported."
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2404-8
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2404-8
"The rich know that as long as racial animosity exists, white and black Americans are less likely to look upward and see where the wealth and power really has gone."
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/14/donald-trump-racism-american-oligarchy?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0d1YXJkaWFuVG9kYXlVUy0yMDA2MTQ%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=GTUS_email&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUS
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/14/donald-trump-racism-american-oligarchy?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0d1YXJkaWFuVG9kYXlVUy0yMDA2MTQ%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=GTUS_email&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUS
USE THE FORCE, DUMMY
“'Because now if you hold the Senate, and increasingly, all you need to do is hold 41 votes in the Senate [to be able to block legislation] … if you’re in the party that believes the government shouldn’t do anything, you can pretty much run the country with 41 senators.'”
The Skywalker Window: What Democrats Must Do To Destroy Trump's Death Star
Faucian Bargain
“"'It is not inevitable that you will have a so-called "second wave" in the fall, or even a massive increase if you approach it in the proper way,' he added, advising people to maintain social distancing and to continue to wear masks in public."
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/13/anthony-fauci-second-wave-coronavirus-cases?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0d1YXJkaWFuVG9kYXlVUy0yMDA2MTQ%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=GTUS_email&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUS
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/13/anthony-fauci-second-wave-coronavirus-cases?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0d1YXJkaWFuVG9kYXlVUy0yMDA2MTQ%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=GTUS_email&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUS
Saturday, June 13, 2020
"Employers have long attempted to stifle lawful workplace organizing by monitoring social media. One study of the phenomenon found that between June 2009 and April 2011, the National Labor Relations Board received about 100 charges that employees had been fired or disciplined due to online posts, largely on Facebook, around labor organizing."
https://theintercept.com/2020/06/11/facebook-workplace-unionize/
Shocked! 🙄
"While White House and law enforcement officials have yet to give a conclusive account of what happened, those on the ground say rubber bullets, pepper spray, tear gas and flash-bang grenades were used to force peaceful protesters out of the street in front of Lafayette Square so that Trump could walk across the grounds to take a picture holding a Bible in front of St. John's Episcopal Church."
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/secret-service-now-says-it-did-use-pepper-spray-clear-n1231022
"Fueled by distrust of the police and assertions by public officials that white supremacists and other outsiders are infiltrating communities in the wake of Floyd’s murder, residents of various backgrounds across the Twin Cities have formed neighborhood watch groups, in some cases arming themselves with pots, pans, and bats, and in others, with assault rifles."
https://theintercept.com/2020/06/12/minneapolis-george-floyd-police-abolition-community-defense/
Friday, June 12, 2020
Rick Factor, Hold the Mayo
Below is an infographic listing risk factors for common activities, per the Mayo Clinic:
Thursday, June 11, 2020
Of Course
"'Multnomah County has seen an increase in residents admitted to the hospital over the last two weeks,' the statement says. 'The percent of tests that are positive is going up, in the face of increased testing. Over 40% of the new cases in the last week have not been traced to a source.'"
SHUT UP AND TAKE MY TAXES
"Petition Launched to Replace Statue of Robert E. Lee with GWAR’s Oderus Urungus in Richmond, Virginia"
Strike That
"What we're telling our writers is 'Don't be dumb.'...We're not going to be able to shoot it, so don't write it."
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/top-tv-execs-grapple-covid-19-script-changes-were-not-going-be-shoot-it-dont-write-it-1297752
I've been saying (in unrelated circumstances) that that cheapest solution to any production problem is always the "delete" key.
Oof
"Joe Biden has predicted the military will escort Donald Trump from the White House should the president lose November’s election but refuse to leave office."
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/11/joe-biden-donald-trump-military-election-lose
MIddle Riddle
There are numerous articles discussing how the entertainment industry can get back to work. Most of them talk about bigger budget shows, things like PPE and crew quarantine and the like. Others, like this one, discuss "digital doubles", extolling the hygenic virtues of virtual environments and extensive CG imaging.
This is all well and good for the high end, but a majority of work in TV, film, commercial production, etc doesn't operate anywhere near that level.
Essentially, there's low, middle, and high. Low is super small, sub-10 member crews; middle is non-union commercial production and independant union films; high is stuff like Marvel movies.
My world is mostly middle: lots of corporate and some commercial work, and then some union TV and film work. The problem is that this medium section doesn't have the budget to properly implement thorough social distancing and PPE for crew.
For example: you have a two day infomercial on location in an upscale house. Under normal circumstances, we can barely fit a crew of about 50 along with the client holding, village, and all the gear. This is before we even take bathrooms and catering into account. Trying to produce the same spot for the same rate, while providing for distancing, PPE, etc, becomes unfeasible.
So what happens? The middle evaporates. In its place: the high end pivots slightly, leaning into a more virtualized workflow. The higher budgets allow for smaller crews with proper distance, along with PPE and all the other considerations.
And the low end will likely take a bad turn. We'll see bottom feeders come out of the shadows to exploit crew, offering low rates in front of people they know are desperate to make that next mortgage payment, car payment, braces for their kids, etc. It's a rotten carrot and the end of a short stick.
I have no solutions. The only real way out of this is a vaccine. Assuming one can be developed, it likely won't be available at scale until at least 2023. The world continues to spin in the meantime.
"Hack-for-hire group targeted climate activists behind #ExxonKnew campaign"
Tuesday, June 2, 2020
Head Tones
Buenos.
Left FB and IG. This will be a continuity of what I shared there, which is to say: sarcasm and a bit of news on occasion.
My day job is pressing a "record" button in the entertainment industry. Thus, some of this will be industry and tech-related.
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"Protecting against ATO attacks is an easy task for normal users, who can pick strong, unique passwords and enable two–factor authentic...
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"[W]hite supremacists and far-right militants have committed far more attacks and killed more people in the US over the last 10 years t...
