That's a perfect response to enforce my observation that people no longer have the sense of what words mean.

But isn’t so much journalism nowadays characterised by unsubstantiated speculation

No, by definition, a billion percent NO. I don’t understand how words have lost their meaning today.

your criticism amounts essentially to your dislike of the thesis of this piece.

Show me one word that criticizes “the thesis” of the piece. I have not. In fact, I think it’s well written and thought provoking (in the same vein as a 9/11 or UFO theory is). I have argued, not that an argument should need to be made because /reality/ and /definitions of words/, that it is a random person with no journalistic credentials making, and admitting to, unsubstantiated claims based on guesses and supposes. This, by definition, is not journalism - nor NEWS.

Dude. There is nothing wrong with the fucking article other than it is not fucking news.

How broken are people? Is it the fox newses that have broken you? TikTok? Reddit? Twitter? Do people have some false belief that armchair speculation, random ideas and theories with no source to back it up, is fucking NEWS?

Furthermore, the rules of this forum require a link be from an actual news source. This is not.

I wasn't upset at all until people started claiming that the unsubstantiated speculations by some irrelevant person is the same as world news.

It's a great thought provoking piece of work. It's just not news.

It's fine. If the rules of this forum are no longer relevant, I just won't subscribe to it anymore. The internet sucks.

What’s the difference between an opinion section and what you deem “speculative conspiracy theories”?

That's wholly irrelevant. If you want to be an investigative reporter and get real facts to report, have at it and post it as news. You have not done this. You are making guesses. Guesses, by someone with no qualifications or influence, are not news.

Anything spoken / written by a political leader is news. If you were someone who influenced millions of people, your opinion would be news.

If I sat down and wrote out a blog about how I believe the 9/11 attacks were orchestrated, would that be News? I mean, I guess you would argue that it is but I am telling you, by definition, it most certainly is not.

I don't know what makes you believe your armchair speculation is NEWS. The disconnect is so vast that my brain is breaking. I don't understand how people on this earth have chosen to ignore the definition of words to suit their own narrative and feelings.

OP has written an article speculating how explosives could have been inserted into pagers. It’s not news, it’s speculation. Speculation is not news, it’s opinion.

Did you check his identity, papers or such?

I did. https://criticalresist.substack.com/about

Someone reporting news. OP is NOT reporting news. They are speculating. This is an opinion piece. They’re a fine writer and thinker but not a journalist and not reporting factual news.

News outlets very specifically include sections such as Opinion. They do not include speculative conspiracy theories on the front page (or anywhere) labeled as News.

How broken are you people to not understand what is news and what is speculative opinion? This is not a debate. This is a matter of facts.

You’re not a journalist and speculation is not news. You’re a basement dweller with no first hand account of anything.

There are appropriate places for your work. This is not the place.

Speculation from some random on the internet is not world news.

I have a strong opinion about people promoting their own speculation blog in a forum where that does not belong.

This most certainly is not "World News". This is a self-promoting opinion piece bordering on conspiracy theory.

To me, this attack has the master’s prints all over it — the USA had to be involved.

Edit: I really don’t understand how this article is still up. This is written as a theory of how explosive material could have been inserted into pagers. I find the piece compelling and of interest but it is not news - it’s speculation. Is it now okay to post recipes from around the world in worldnews?

I don't even have vibration on. The display will turn on to show notifications but the vast majority of the time my phone is in another room on the charger. I even leave it at home some times.

I've had trouble listening to podcasts while I'm home doing other things. Perhaps I should try audio books and sitting down to do nothing but that. Generally, I don't like audio books for a bunch of reasons but they could be applicable for this issue. Thanks for the suggestion.

You may consider getting some labs done. I was deficient in B12 and found taking vitamins did help a bit. Cutting out / back on carbs and beer helps even more.

Not to entirely discount depression, but I have the opinion that we’ve become so addicted to a life of instantaneous everything that even brief moments of nothing happening can feel like withdrawal.

One suggestion: instead of regularly turning off your phone, just permanently put it in silent mode. Really consider what you must know immediately (for me it’s family phone calls) and allow only those notifications to come through. Everything else can wait for you to find the time to get to them.

I also struggle with this so I’m interested in the conversation. I love to read but have a really hard time choosing a book over television. I’m mindful of “blue light” and try to stop using any screen at all after 8pm but that can be difficult if I just want to unwind after a long day. People did it before tv though. I think maybe a less fulfilling life, or life fulfilled less, may actually be more healthy.

Rob a bank.

https://www.aamc.org/news/microplastics-are-inside-us-all-what-does-mean-our-health

My take-aways from this article:
There's no good study on microplastics in humans.
They've tested "pristine" plastic on mice and it's pretty bad.
The plastics we're exposed to are loaded with chemicals and toxins.

She carries a stainless-steel water bottle and avoids plastic water bottles. She doesn’t microwave food in plastic containers and only uses glass, wood, or metal kitchen items, including mixing bowls, spoons, cutting boards, and food storage containers.

takes her shoes off to avoid tracking in dust from the outside and uses a HEPA filter to capture particles from the air.

Great point. Tires are one of the leading products polluting our environment and lungs.

This article also links to The Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment at UCSF which offers a guide for minimizing exposure to bad stuff. https://prhe.ucsf.edu/toxic-matters

Here's a relevant NYT Article - How to Minimize Your Exposure to Microplastics

Thank you.

The group who have defined an event with intent and required specifications are telling us, by definition, the event isn’t happening. ‘When the rate of water falling from the sky exceeds two inches per hours, it is flooding.’

The public are saying something is happening and stealing a word from the first group and telling them they’re wrong. ‘It’s below 30 degrees out and this white stuff falling from the sky is accumulating. It’s flooding!’

The public is also attempting to argue that if the defined event is not taking place, the word used to describe the event is more than sufficient to define their event while they’re placing blame upon the first group for allowing the event to take place.

Tranquility https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tranquil

Any signs community might grow/strengthen in the future?

Community and extended family are different things.

Community is a choice blood doesn't specify. You can choose or find yourself lucky enough to live in a community that's engaging. I live in a major US city. My particular block isn't super engaging but I know, and am jealous of, a number of nearby blocks and neighborhoods that are incredibly supportive and engaging with each other - despite or in spite of the appearances or affiliations of the individuals.

Inversely, extended family may be more physically separated than in generations past. We've lost most connection with relatives in favor of the choice to live in an area that's more advantageous to us - be it financially or spiritually or physically beneficial.

I've observed more instances of people establishing their own "extended family" through their communities. I'm not so sure there's an inherent advantage of the extended family being made of blood or friendship.

Also, I'm not sure how you define "extended family". I hang out with some of my first cousins all the time. Second cousins, not so much. Are aunts and uncles extended family - if not "nuclear family"? I see them too often, tbh.

From what I'm reading, it seems more like you're on the spectrum more than simply being introverted.

And what you believe to be introverted is more likely shyness and insecurity. Introverted is an overused word that has lost its original meaning. An introvert is someone who finds comfort and energy in doing isolated things. An introvert doesn't explicitly have issues with socializing with people one-on-one or in small groups. You may in fact be both but you have not described introversion here.

I have a friend like you I've known for about ten years. At first, and pretty much until recently, he was very robotic and acted as if he were carrying out instructions he read about being a normal human. After enough time of faking it though, he's more natural in his interactions - though still awkward.

So, my advice is to try acting like a normal person while slowly exceeding the restrictions your insecurity permits. Don't expect others to willfully engage with you right away - they too may suffer from what holds you back. I would venture to guess, given how social interaction has changed in the last twenty years, most people are more similar to you than not.

Seems like you're on the right path so far by introducing yourself. Don't be a dick. Don't be pushy or clingy. Relationships and trust take time to build. Give it room to breathe.

Try to find new hobbies that promote in-person out-in-the-open social interaction and build your confidence around others you share common interests with. This will help build your confidence around others like your coworkers.

Also, know yourself and your place. There might be something about you that people generally aren't comfortable with. Being too anxious to form relationships could be one. Maybe you need to work on your hygiene or maybe word got out that you stole someone's lunch or maybe someone heard you taking a massive dump one day or maybe they found out about your political or religious positions or they resent you for being hired for some reason. It might be something other than you being shy and insecure.