Unbiased reporting

One of the challenges we're faced with is finding some sort of reasonable, independent journalism.  

Billionaires and corporate giants own most of the newspapers, tv new stations, and services that allow for consuming content on the internet that is timely and "news worthy" .... 

That leaves us in a position where we're (mostly) unable to find truth in reporting, or at least finding unbiased information.

Of the major news outlets, the NY Times still tends toward balance, but I believe they could do more more, and they are at risk of tipping farther.  And of course NPR still has integrity and does a little thing called "journalism," but they will probably get defunded under the new administration and have to evolve in order to stay solvent.  What that means at this point is mostly unknown.

The alternative is to find some independent journalism and support it.  At the top of my list is the Contrarian, which is run by journalists (including Jen Rubin) who left the big media and are now reporting as a "pro-democracy news outlet."  You can find them here: https://contrarian.substack.com/

And Meadowlark Media, formed by former people at ESPN, delves into sports, culture, and politics, too.  Its about informative entertainment.   https://www.meadowlark-media.com/

I also rather enjoy reading about good in the world, from The Good News Network https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/

But there are plenty of others. I found these two recently, and as far as I can tell they're somewhat independent, and may be worth some time to evaluate. 

• DCReport https://www.dcreport.org/
• WhoWhatWhy https://whowhatwhy.org/

And finally, there is also a site that is collecting some outlets that I haven't explored yet: https://www.trustworthymedia.org/list-of-independent-media/

As always, use your own best judgment to find outlets that work for you.

And of course, if any of you know about any others, please feel free to let me know!

The NFL playoffs

I find it intriguing how balanced the teams are in the playoffs. Doesn't matter if you were the best team in the regular season. Doesn't matter if you're at home. 

Everyone has a chance to win. Except for whoever is playing the chiefs; they get all the breaks. 

Anyway, the commanders story is that they had a bad owner and were wallowing in mediocrity. Then a new owner comes in. He cares about the team. He cares about the community. He cares about winning. 

He hires a coach who has a good philosophy and they draft a QB who understands the game and is the right fit. 

He's a rookie, and yet they knock off two good teams and are headed to the NFC championship. 

And let's see. Who are the two teams left without a playoff win for most of this century? The raiders who have a bad owner, can't find a coach and churn through QBs

And the dolphins. Who have a bad owner, think they have a good coach (but clearly don't), and have committed to a QB who they "hope" will be decent even though it's been 5 years and he's had more games missed due to injuries than wins (that last one may not be true, but he has had a significant number of injuries). 

It's amazing what a passionate owner can do isn't it?

That’s an oddly phrased message.

And the irony is not lost on me: there was consensus on banning a social media platform, which raises a first amendment concern. Yet no one has an appetite for banning assault weapons because the second amendment is important. 

(And I am aware that maybe TikTok is sharing information with be Chinese government. But there’s a lot more nuance to it than that)

Starship failure

Earlier this week, SpaceX made their 7th test launch of Starship. The main goals were to:

1. Achieve successful stage separation

2. Catch the booster on the launchpad

3. Reach orbit and deploy faux satellites

4. Splashdown with the upper stage and recover it.

They achieved the first two...but the upper stage had an issue with a valve (apparently) and blew up before it reached orbit.

The debris field was extensive, and the FAA had to temporarily reroute planes around it.  And, that debris field rained down on the Atlantic Ocean where it meets the Gulf of Mexico; there were reports of damage in Turks and Caicos.

And now the FAA is investigating again, and has told SpaceX that they need time to evaluate before allowing for another launch attempt.

But here's where things might get sticky.  Don't forget that Elon Musk owns SpaceX.  Elon Musk is also acting as the shadow president, and will soon have direct authority over the FAA. I have to wonder what will happen here. Will he exert his will and do as he pleases?  Or will he play nice and work toward a reasonable resolution?

There is good in the world.

Summary: a woman bought a cabinet online from a family that was moving. 

She got it home and unlocked some compartments, and found fairly valuable China inside. 

She posted her finding to one of the socials, and realized that it might have been the previous owners dinnerware. 

So she contacted them and offered for them to have it back. They were very grateful and came and retrieved it. 

That kind of story just makes me happy. 

https://people.com/woman-buys-cabinet-on-facebook-market-place-upon-opening-it-finds-complete-set-of-hermes-china-exclusive-8774301

Blue Origin launches New Glenn

Jeff Bezos (another detestable billionaire) founded Blue Origin as his own vanity project to get into space.

Until recently, his launches were all space tourism; this was his way of literally getting off the ground and learning about space craft.

But, this week, he actually entered the commercial space race.  His New Glenn launched a payload from Kennedy Space Center, after several weather-related delays,

Mostly, it went according to plan with the payload deployed, though the first stage failed to land,  At least they think they know what happened and can learn from it.

This rocket is more powerful than SpaceX Falcon 9, though less powerful than the StarShip.  In theory, it should be another cost effective means to launch satellites into orbit.

And there is one intriguing difference with this rocket: it uses Hydrogen as a propellant.  And that gives it an interesting thrust to weight ratio - which means that it lifts off the pad fairly slowly and ascends at a slower rate.  And, it also gives the flame behind it a blue tint, rather than the orange we're used to with oxygen.

Disney Supporting the Sunshine State 💛

I subscribe to a mailer about the Walt Disney company, and in particular their work in the central Florida area.

While its self-promotional, it is encouraging to see a large company share some good in the world.  Thought I'd share.

Disney in Florida: Supporting the Sunshine State As the largest and most visited theme park destination in the world,* Walt Disney World plays an active role in finding solutions to important matters affecting people in Central Florida and communities around the globe. As we kick off the new year with our Florida neighbors, we want take a look back at some of the special moments we shared together in 2024: To learn more about what we're doing to give back across the Sunshine State, visit DisneyFlorida.com. *According to the Themed Entertainment Association The Walt Disney Company Commits $15 Million to Los Angeles Area Fire Relief & Rebuilding Efforts The history of The Walt Disney Company is inextricably linked to the greater Los Angeles region, and the destruction from the devastating fires affecting thousands in that area is truly heartbreaking. We are committing $15 million for initial and immediate response and rebuilding efforts – read more here. 👇 What Else is Happening 🇺🇸 World War II Veteran Celebrates 100th Birthday at Disney World Magic Kingdom cast gave a big hero's welcome to a special guest celebrating his 100th birthday at Disney World: World War II Veteran William "Bill" A. Connelly. Watch as we honor him with a flag retreat ceremony on Main Street. 🚀 Space Mountain Celebrates 50 Years at Walt Disney World This week marks 50 years since Space Mountain first launched us into space, becoming a place where families can enjoy the thrilling magic of Disney and make lifelong memories together. Join us in celebrating this galactic milestone. 🦦 Pint-Sized Otter Pups Born at Animal Kingdom Cute alert! An Asian small-clawed otter mom at Disney's Animal Kingdom has welcomed a litter of pups to the world. Mom and dad are taking great care of these babies and you can already see their unique charm in these new photos. 🎨 Foodie Guide: EPCOT International Festival of the Arts Get your palates ready! EPCOT International Festival of the Arts begins Jan. 17, and our culinary cast have created some amazing dishes that are as beautiful as they are delicious. This guide has all the tasty bites you won't want to miss. 👀 In Case You Missed It 👀 Inside Look at the New Voices of Liberty Costumes at EPCOT Behind the Scenes at Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend New in 2025! Disney Resort Guests Receive Free Water Park Admission 📍Where to Find Us Next📍 Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Meal Packing with U.S. Hunger Spark STEM Fest at Orlando Science Center Paws in the Park Benefitting Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando  Feedback | DisneyFlorida.com | Subscribe  MouseMail is a news brief for Florida businesses, community and government leaders by Disney.