The Not Fake News

22/11/2023

Doesn't appear to be a terror attack at all, just someone trying to fly a car through a concrete pillar.

Our Alexis here is clearly not to be trusted, and neither is anyone who ran with this WITHOUT waiting for confirmation.

21/11/2023

Bear in mind that this is just one example.

What should be the appropriate response to this sort of thing?

13/11/2023

“In the last 24 hours, the IDF delivered 300 liters of fuel to the Shifa Hospital's doorstep, yet the fuel remains untouched after Hamas threatened hospital staff.”

We're reliably informed that 300 liters would fuel the hospital's generators for 90 minutes, or generators for only essential machines for 12 hours. It's been video documented as in place for almost 30 hours now. Thus far, there have been seven deaths documented related to critical life support machine failure at the hospital.

Hamas has armed fighters inside the facility and a massive tunnel complex attached to the basement. Thousands of civilians are sheltering here. It's also on the front lines, and offers commanding views of the IDF armored advance into Gaza City; Hamas refuses to surrender it.

Discuss.

08/11/2023

"People these days are either completely apathetic or they're so full of rage that they can't think!" You say this like it's a bad thing. If you make people think, that's uncomfortable. When you ask questions, you make them reconsider their hard-won certainties. Which in academia or politics is a good thing. In life, it's not....

“People these days are either completely apathetic or they’re so full of rage that they can’t think!” You say this like it’s a bad thing. If you make people think, tha…

04/11/2023

EDITORIAL The amount of propaganda being spread in this war is appalling. That people choose to believe it without confirmation just because it happens to agree with their own biases... arguably that's worse. There exists an anti-American propaganda account on TwiX today that generates millions of hits by celebrating military atrocities committed by Russia, acts of terrorism by Hamas and Hezbollah, and civilian casualties of war....

EDITORIAL The amount of propaganda being spread in this war is appalling. That people choose to believe it without confirmation just because it happens to agree with their own biases… arguabl…

02/11/2023

(If you’re new to the Great TwiX Experiment, click here for Week 1.) Yes, it's closing rapidly on the fifth of November. No, the title isn't a "V For Vendetta" reference. Woulda been cool if it was, though. Right, so: Where were we?...

(If you’re new to the Great TwiX Experiment, click here for Week 1.) Yes, it’s closing rapidly on the fifth of November. No, the title isn’t a “V For Vendetta” reference. Wo…

27/10/2023

Updated today.

This is a simple account of what’s happening from as unbiased a perspective as we can manage. To see our biases, scroll to the bottom. Operation Al-Aqsa Flood Starting before dawn on 07 Octob…

27/10/2023

Something I keep hearing, over and over: "My vote doesn't matter!" It's either that or another similar message, like, They're all bought and paid for anyway, or One person can't change things, or even I'm too busy. Nonsense! I'm writing today to tell you not only that change is possible, not only that you have the power to help, but exactly how you can do this....

Something I keep hearing, over and over: “My vote doesn’t matter!” It’s either that or another similar message, like, They’re all bought and paid for anyway, or One pe…

26/10/2023

A quick word about the shooter in Lewiston, Maine:

We don't know for certain yet, but it's been reported on local news that he spent two weeks in a mental hospital this summer because he was having uncontrollable homicidal fantasies.

Mental hospitals in this country don't have anywhere near enough beds. They've been horribly underfunded since the 1980s, when bad press got about half of them shut down. Before that they were merely criminally underfunded.

Today, the mentally ill regularly take up cells in jails, beds in hospitals, the occasional hotel room rented by the city, and as a last resort tents under the nearest overpass. I say "last resort" because it's illegal for jails and hospitals to evict them without a mental hospital bed for them to be sent to. Say what you will about that law, the simple fact that people are being stockpiled where they don't belong should tell us something.

We need ten times the capacity we presently have. And nobody wants to spend the money on it.

They'd rather blame the Other Party and rake in donations and votes.

15/10/2023

“If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. The first greatest, of course, is to shoot them now, while they’re happy.” Dorothy Parker To Begin With I've been writing for over a decade, and I've been doing it full-time for nearly eight months....

“If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. The first greatest, of course, is to …

10/10/2023

This is a simple account of what's happening from as unbiased a perspective as we can manage. To see our biases, scroll to the bottom. Operation Al-Aqsa Flood Starting before dawn on 08 October 2023, militant forces led by Hamas invaded towns and villages in southern Israel, slaughtering civilians and abducting women, children, and foreigners as hostages. Paraglider troops deliberately targeted a music festival, at which location alone they killed, r***d, and captured hundreds....

This is a simple account of what’s happening from as unbiased a perspective as we can manage. To see our biases, scroll to the bottom. Operation Al-Aqsa Flood Starting before dawn on 08 Octob…

07/10/2023

Welcome, welcome! Welcome one and all to the most recent of our Not Fake News Updates, if you're keeping track of them as they go by. C'mon in, pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and get ready for some bits of news you might have missed while the 24-hour infotainment networks have been spewing distractions at you again....

Welcome, welcome! Welcome one and all to the most recent of our Not Fake News Updates, if you’re keeping track of them as they go by. C’mon in, pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup of c…

27/09/2023

(If you're new to the Great TwiX Experiment, click here for Week 1.) I've been on vacation for a couple of weeks, and these reports have lagged to the point where they're no longer even close to weekly. I'd thought I could keep up with them easily, but life intervened, and I left my data behind at home. So here instead we have an interim bulletin, complete with......

(If you’re new to the Great TwiX Experiment, click here for Week 1.) I’ve been on vacation for a couple of weeks, and these reports have lagged to the point where they’re no longe…

07/09/2023

Hello again from the News Desk here at The Not Fake News! The past week has been a busy one, with not one but two huge trials in Georgia plus several sentences handed down over conspiracy in the January 6th cases. Doubtless they will occupy the headlines for several months to come, so there's really no need to mention them here....

Hello again from the News Desk here at The Not Fake News! The past week has been a busy one, with not one but two huge trials in Georgia plus several sentences handed down over conspiracy in the Ja…

30/08/2023

(This article is Part 3 of a series. For the first installment, click here.) Hello, loyal readers, and welcome to Week Three of the Great Blue Check Experiment! In case you're new here, I’m your host, on TwiX and J. Millard Simpson on any site that publishes my fiction. I'm coming to you today thanks to the wonders of caffeine overdose, having only just met a 4000-word short deadline that may or may not sell....

(This article is Part 3 of a series. For the first installment, click here.) Hello, loyal readers, and welcome to Week Three of the Great Blue Check Experiment! In case you’re new here, I’m y…

25/08/2023

This image is from a Twitter... uh, X-Twi... a TwiX post by one Amy Nixon, . (It's not the property of TNFN; the laws appear unclear on who exactly owns it. But if Amy objects, we'll take it down as a matter of simple courtesy.) It shows a startling disparity in Austin, Texas between homes available for sale and AirB&Bs for rent: 3329 homes for sale, 12,127 AriB&Bs for rent....

This image is from a Twitter… uh, X-Twi… a TwiX post by one Amy Nixon, . (It’s not the property of TNFN; the laws appear unclear on who exactly owns it. But if Amy …

24/08/2023

Candidate debate summary:

- Haley came across as a serious candidate. "If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman"

- Burgum couldn't lose since he had nothing going in. Came off as one of the only adults on the stage.

- An empty cab pulled up to the debate arena and Tim Scott got out. The man was a no-show. Likeable, but that doesn't win.

- Vivek was annoying as hell. Man's got so much snow up his nose, he sneezes and half the auditorium dies of frostbite.

- DeSantis underperformed. Never answered a straight question. He was like cold oatmeal with no toppings.

- Christie was unlikeable, but: "A guy who sounds like ChatGPT". Man's a fighter.

- Hutchinson is unelectable.

- Pence seemed out of touch, but got off some zingers:
"Let me explain it for you, Vivek. I'll go slower this time."
"Now is not the time for on-the-job training."

Bottom line:
Trump had nothing to gain by going and could only lose. On the other hand, tonight everyone's talking about someone else as the candidate, and tomorrow everyone will be looking at his mugshot.

I think the real question right now is, who's going to replace him at the top?

23/08/2023

Last night I discovered a battered old diary in a box in the attic. It was covered in dust and cobwebs, and looked like it had passed through fire and flood. The first half is missing. Curiously enough, the year at the top of the pages reads 2023. Must be a misprint. The following are the surviving entries, faithfully recorded by Yours Truly:...

Last night I discovered a battered old diary in a box in the attic. It was covered in dust and cobwebs, and looked like it had passed through fire and flood. The first half is missing. Curiously en…

21/08/2023

Canada's been on fire for two months now. Lahaina in Maui just burned flat. And now we have a hurricane causing flooding in Las Vegas, Death Valley, and Los Angeles. Climate change? Or weather? Let's take a look:...

Canada’s been on fire for two months now. Lahaina in Maui just burned flat. And now we have a hurricane causing flooding in Las Vegas, Death Valley, and Los Angeles. Climate change? Or weathe…

18/08/2023

EDITORIAL I've been known on occasion to display my militantly moderate tendencies to the unwary. It happens. I know it's still considered impolite to discuss politics in public, but, in fairness, where else could we possibly talk about them? It's like what Willie Sutton said about why he robbed banks: 'cause that's where the money is. The people are in public, so I talk to them in public....

EDITORIAL I’ve been known on occasion to display my militantly moderate tendencies to the unwary. It happens. I know it’s still considered impolite to discuss politics in public, but, i…

16/08/2023

(This article is Part 2 of a series. For the first installment, click here.) Hello, sports fans, and welcome to Week Two of the Great Blue Check Experiment! I'm your host, on Twitter and J. Millard Simpson on any site that publishes my fiction. We're speaking to you today from the bottom of a well. It's dry, so I won't drown, but the walls are stone and there appears to be no way out, which makes things awkward....

(This article is Part 2 of a series. For the first installment, click here.) Hello, sports fans, and welcome to Week Two of the Great Blue Check Experiment! I’m your host, on Twitter…

15/08/2023

Aside from spellchecks, grammar checks, and automatic wordcounters, I don't use AI tools. Computerized assistance has a great deal of potential for helping writers. The ability to backspace alone— and no longer having to type with four carbons—!!! We've come a long way from those old upright Remingtons. But more advanced writing tools are, at best, a crutch. They're great if you've got a bum leg, sure, but if you overuse them, your other muscles will atrophy....

Aside from spellchecks, grammar checks, and automatic wordcounters, I don’t use AI tools. Computerized assistance has a great deal of potential for helping writers. The ability to backspace a…

13/08/2023

People are on the news talking about an FDA authorization for Ivermectin use in treating COVID. It's not true. They're lying to you, perhaps coincidentally right after a minor pharma company just released their new formulation of Ivermectin. It's pine scented now or something. And their stock price just went through the roof. Follow the money, people! Do you think nobody in Congress just made a killing?...

People are on the news talking about an FDA authorization for Ivermectin use in treating COVID. It’s not true. They’re lying to you, perhaps coincidentally right after a minor pharma co…

09/08/2023

I asked your advice, and I took it. This is what happened next. Quick recap for those who missed it: A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a short article about whether or not I was going to pay Elon the $8 for my Twitter Blue Check. ...Uh, X? X-Twitter? TwiX? My TwiX Blue Check. If you're interested, click the link and you can read all the pros and cons I listed....

I asked your advice, and I took it. This is what happened next. Quick recap for those who missed it: A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a short article about whether or not I was going to pay Elon the …

03/08/2023

I'd thought avoiding Trump stories would help avoid giving him free press, but that ship has sailed. At this point, I think most of us have become resigned to the upcoming Biden-Trump II presidential contest. If I had any hope remaining for the Republican Party, I'd be strongly advising everyone I can think of to register R so they could vote against him twice....

I’d thought avoiding Trump stories would help avoid giving him free press, but that ship has sailed. At this point, I think most of us have become resigned to the upcoming Biden-Trump II pres…

01/08/2023

Most 24-hour 'news' networks are just a continuous series of disaster p**n interrupted by occasional bursts of self-righteous propaganda masquerading as fair and balanced editorials....

Most 24-hour ‘news’ networks are just a continuous series of disaster p**n interrupted by occasional bursts of self-righteous propaganda masquerading as fair and balanced editorials.

28/07/2023

Well. That is the question, is it not? Let's start by clearing the underbrush. There are dozens of subordinate questions, such as the ethics of the thing and whether people should be expected to pay when the site's making money from their presence anyway, all that. So let's get that out of the way first and move on....

Well. That is the question, is it not? Let’s start by clearing the underbrush. There are dozens of subordinate questions, such as the ethics of the thing and whether people should be expected…

18/07/2023

Now available - Buy today at Bookshop Dot Org and help support affiliate authors, bookstores, and The Not Fake News Have you ever read one of those magical books that just sticks with you forever? Want another one? Well, here you go....

Now available – Buy today at Bookshop Dot Org and help support affiliate authors, bookstores, and The Not Fake News Have you ever read one of those magical books that just sticks with you for…

13/07/2023

War crimes? All war is a crime. The concept of "war crimes" was an effort to pretend that war isn't intrinsically a crime, and thus make it palatable for civilians and politicians. There are no just wars; there are no proper wars; there are no good wars. War is evil. That it is sometimes a necessary evil doesn't make it any less evil....

War crimes? All war is a crime. The concept of “war crimes” was an effort to pretend that war isn’t intrinsically a crime, and thus make it palatable for civilians and politicians…

10/07/2023

Hello, good evening, and welcome to another edition of the Not Fake News Update. Are you sitting comfortably? ...Good. It's been a slow news week since the sub imploded, and media outlets around the world have begun poking random billionaires with long sticks to see if they can provoke them into doing something newsworthy. Alas for them, this has been ineffective thus far; however, there is still some hope of the Zuckerberg/Musk cage fight....

Hello, good evening, and welcome to another edition of the Not Fake News Update. Are you sitting comfortably? …Good. It’s been a slow news week since the sub imploded, and media outlets…

07/07/2023

Or: I'm a Republican. Why the hell should I buy you a coffee, ya freeloader? Go get a job and buy your own damn coffee! I do my donating at church! That's what you're thinking. I know because that's the way I thought about it for a lot of years. Why should I pay for news when I get it for free?...

Or: I’m a Republican. Why the hell should I buy you a coffee, ya freeloader? Go get a job and buy your own damn coffee! I do my donating at church! That’s what you’re thinking. I …

02/07/2023

EDITORIAL This may startle some of our more conservative readers, but I'm actually in agreement with the dissenting opinion in Biden v. Nebraska, the recent 6-3 decision that struck down the Administration's student loan forgiveness program. I've got a bone to pick with Biden on this, mind you. It's clearly Presidential overreach, a cash giveaway that, if the Court hadn't stopped it, Congress would have....

EDITORIAL This may startle some of our more conservative readers, but I’m actually in agreement with the dissenting opinion in Biden v. Nebraska, the recent 6-3 decision that struck down the …

29/06/2023

This morning, the Supreme Court of the United States handed down another 6-3 ruling, including the conservative majority and the moderate Chief Justice, striking down Affirmative Action in higher education as opposed to the principles of the Fourteenth Amendment. (Incidentally: Groff v. DeJoy was also decided today, 9-0 in favor of the plaintiff, who sued on the basis of religious discrimination for being disciplined for choosing not to work Sundays....

This morning, the Supreme Court of the United States handed down another 6-3 ruling, including the conservative majority and the moderate Chief Justice, striking down Affirmative Action in higher e…

24/06/2023

It's a year since the Dobbs decision, and, at the moment when pregnancy charities anticipate a spike in demand for their services, donations have collapsed. Leaving morality entirely to one side, let's examine cold hard fact. The average price tag for an abortion is $1500; the cost of giving birth ranges between $12-25,000, not counting the $10,600 per year that a child costs to raise....

It’s a year since the Dobbs decision, and, at the moment when pregnancy charities anticipate a spike in demand for their services, donations have collapsed. Leaving morality entirely to one s…

21/06/2023

The headlines are filled with up-to-date reporting of the missing submersible that carried high-ticket tourists to view the wreck of the Titanic, which is doubtless very exciting and interesting, especially to those involved. But while the poor (or, rather, rich in money only) passengers remain suspended in a Heisenbergian limbo of uncertainty, other things are happening in the world and it's worth not losing sight of them....

The headlines are filled with up-to-date reporting of the missing submersible that carried high-ticket tourists to view the wreck of the Titanic, which is doubtless very exciting and interesting, e…

15/06/2023

The Secretary of Labor can't get confirmed. Her own party is blocking her. Normally, this wouldn't be worth commenting on, even though Julie Su is not only fully qualified but also is actually doing the job right now. The Democrats, as we all know, are their own worst enemies and always have been. Rather than focusing on their opponents, they spend most of their time in office eating their own young....

The Secretary of Labor can’t get confirmed. Her own party is blocking her. Normally, this wouldn’t be worth commenting on, even though Julie Su is not only fully qualified but also is a…

31/05/2023

Our main writer has been publishing stories over at Sci Fi Shorts. Here's a free link to one.

In the comments, let me know if we should link more of these.

J. Millard Simpson

29/05/2023

They've made a deal on the debt ceiling with nearly a week to spare, and citizens across a relieved nation breathe a sigh of heartfelt relief following the close of this artificial crisis. After all, it only happens because politicians of both parties want it to, so they can blame the massive overwhelming national debt on each other. It's important to remember that, during this time of hype and propaganda, real events have actually continued to happen, some of which were even slightly important....

They’ve made a deal on the debt ceiling with nearly a week to spare, and citizens across a relieved nation breathe a sigh of heartfelt relief following the close of this artificial crisis. Af…

19/05/2023

My people were blacksmiths. My grandfather's forge was a working concern through the 1980s. His neighbors would bring him holed pots, and when he was finished they'd be better than new. Granted, this wasn't his job in the 1980s; he'd retired long since. He was a machinist, trained to repair bombers in the Second World War. He worked in the family garage, and later on construction equipment....

My people were blacksmiths. My grandfather’s forge was a working concern through the 1980s. His neighbors would bring him holed pots, and when he was finished they’d be better than new.…

11/05/2023

EDITORIAL The media made a mistake in 2015. They picked a walking train wreck to focus on, and gave him unlimited coverage. For free....

EDITORIAL The media made a mistake in 2015. They picked a walking train wreck to focus on, and gave him unlimited coverage. For free.