The Westing Game (Ellen Raskin)

Millionaire Sam Westing is dead, and 16 people have been summoned to hear his will. The listeners are surprised to hear that they are being considered to inherit his fortune—but to win those riches, they must first find out who murdered him. And . . . it is one of them.

This mystery for young adults won awards in the seventies. It is pretty good, with the twists, turns, and shocking revelations you'd expect. It didn't feel overly original, as Agatha Christie had done similar things (and better), but it was solid. I will note that my teenage daughter (who loves to read) wasn't interested enough to get through this one, but I enjoyed it well enough.

Rating: B

Coraline (Neil Gaiman)

Coraline lives with her parents in England. Largely ignored, she explores the home and grounds as the hours tick away. The old house used to be one large home; now, it is split into four flats, and some doors now open to brick walls. Or they do most of the time, anyway . . . 

One day, Coraline discovers a new world, much like her own, only twisted in both pleasant and terrifying ways. Though tempted, she recognizes that it is but an evil shadow, and must escape. But can she overcome the one standing in her way? She is frightened, but that won't stand in her way. After all, "when you're scared but you still do it anyway, that's brave."

This book is about what it means to be brave. Written for his daughters, I enjoyed this tale of mild horror.

Rating: A

Media Bias

If you follow journalism, you've likely heard that two big media personalities were dropped today: Tucker Carlson (Foxnews) and Don Lemon (CNN). This is a good time to talk about bias in the media, looking at it through the lens of these two high-profile departures.

Bias means prejudice for or against something or someone. Bias distorts how we look at everything and often impacts where we go for information. We all have bias—more on that below—so it is important to understand. The news is a good place to begin.

Popular News Sites

Where do Americans get their news? The Press Gazette (a UK company) recently showed data from 'similarweb' about the most popular news websites; here is a screenshot of that ranking:

I will look at the top three American sites and top foreign site (BBC) in this post.

Bias in News Sites

At least two companies produce media bias charts, showing the spectrum of news sources with their respective biases. Of course, the company producing the charts are themselves biased; nevertheless, they are transparent about their methods and consult sources from all over the spectrum. It is not perfect, but a starting point. 

Ad Fontes produces an "interactive media bias chart" that they keep updated. I used some filters (you can see them on the left) to make it easier to read and focus on websites:

The New York Times hard to see (it is buried under CNN); so is BBC (buried under CBS News). From the chart, it shows these three as "skews left" and Foxnews as "skews/hard right." 

Allsides also produces a media bias chart:

It shows BBC in the center, with NYT/CNN on the skews left and Foxnews on the hard right.

From these, it is clear that CNN and Foxnews are left and right, respectively, on the spectrum. So how did each of these outlets cover the Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon stories, respectively? Since the websites are dynamic, I display screen shots below, but I also provide hyperlinks where possible.

New York Times

The NYT headlines make it sound like both Tucker and Don were fired from their respective companies, though it used softer language with Tucker. Note, however, that its headline for Don included how Don felt about it; it did not give Tucker's reaction. Tucker's was featured more prominently. (I would include links to the articles themselves if I had a NYT subscription.)

CNN

CNN made Lemon's departure sound mutual ("part ways"), and was focused on Carlson's departure with stronger language (though it did not say "fired", leaving ambiguity about that). They also made Tucker's the largest headline. The article itself says little more, though it speculates he was fired. It then goes on to argue that Tucker had used his platform to 'spew' his right-wing views and portrays him in a largely negative light.

Lemon's article on CNN admits he was ousted, and then focuses on Lemon's reaction to it. Later in the article, it provides the reason why, but caveats that he was sorry and about to take training.

Foxnews

Foxnews had both Tucker and Don's article under the main headline, with Carlson's appearing first. His article provides no information on whether he was fired or left voluntarily, and it says nothing about why. Lemon's article, on the other hand, goes into a lot of detail about the fighting between him and CNN, and what Lemon did that led to his ouster.

BBC

BBC's headline for Carlson makes it sounds like he chose to walk away (the article presents stats about Tucker's popularity and highlights). The headline for Lemon doesn't mention his name and focuses on his reaction to being fired (the article focuses on the contentiousness between him and CNN, and his acts leading to his ouster).

Reflections

From these brief snippets, the bias is pretty evident, though at times conflicting/confusing. The host networks (CNN/Foxnews) were rather kind to their own and harsher to their competitor's. It is telling that CNN's top headline was Carlson's firing. (Those two networks report a good deal on each other.) For the NYT and BBC, I see mixed biases. In some ways, they are kinder to Carlson (it's not even clear that he was fired), but in others, they focus on Lemon's reaction vs. the event itself.

From the headlines alone, it is clear that each source wants you to think or feel a certain way. These are reinforced by the articles. In a few cases, they stuck to the facts, but in others, they highlighted positive or negative aspects of these two personalities while ignoring or downplaying the opposite.

Why does this matter? As my grandmother used to say, consider the source. While impossible to escape all bias—the person I trust the least is the one who claims to be unbiased—being aware of the bias (in the media or yourself or anyone else) is the first step. It also shows why it is important to read different sources and consider different perspectives. The truth is out there . . . but it is hard to find sometimes.

The Westminster Standards

The Westminster Standards collects the three documents important to many denominations:

- The Confession of Faith

- Larger Catechism

- Shorter Catechism

Written between 1643-1647, this material's goal is to concisely and systematically present key elements of the Christian faith as taught in the Bible. 

I have previously blogged about these twice:

- The Confessions of Our Faith

- The Westminster Confession of Faith for Study Classes

And go into more detail about the history, value, and potential pitfalls of these documents in those posts (especially the first link). Overall, the documents are excellent and highly valuable—but they will always remain subordinate to Scripture. (Some churches demand their congregants or elders fully adhere to the statements espoused in these documents; while I agree the statements are largely excellent, I am leery of 'swearing allegiance' to any document outside the Bible.) 

Rating: A 

The Mandalorian (Season 3)

The beloved saga continues! Picking up where season 2 left off, Din Djarin and Grogu have various adventures as they seek to (first) return Din to the Mandalorian ranks (by bathing in the waters beneath Mandalore) and (second) assist Bo-Katan and the Mandalorian remnants as they re-take their homeworld. But Imperial fragments, led by Moff Gideon, won't go down without a fight . . . and have a few surprises in store. 

I think the series continues to be solid, though one story in particular in this 8-episode arc was overlong and largely irrelevant. The others were decent, moving Din and Grogu's story forward and greatly expanding Bo-Katan's role. I enjoy seeing the "post-Return of the Jedi" state of the galaxy. I'm told season 4 has already been written, and I can't help but wonder, based on the emphasis this time, if they will adjust the show's name to The Mandalorians.

Rating: A-

Number the Stars (Lois Lowry)

Annemarie lives with her family in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1943. Her friend, Ellen, and her family live in the same apartment complex. Under Nazi occupation, life is hard but goes on. One day, they hear that the Nazis are going to start rounding up the Jews to be 'relocated'. Ellen is Jewish. The Danish Resistance works to help such families flee to the safety of Sweden . . . will Ellen's family be able to escape? And, if called upon to help, can Annemarie be brave? Though she is not in as precarious a situation, she will learn that sometimes there is "Less danger, perhaps, but more fear."

This is an award-winning children's historical fiction classic for a reason; it is a poignant look at life in a terrible time. I like the quote Annemarie's father provides at one point, when there is so much fear and uncertainty:

They call it 'relocation.' We don't even know what that means. We only know that it is wrong, and it is dangerous, and we must help. 

A concise description.

Rating: A

DuoLingo, Again

A few years ago, I blogged about the language app DuoLingo. I used it to complete the German course (per that post, it took me ~1.25 years to finish, doing ~3 lessons per day). It was a great help to me to reinforce (and introduce new) German vocabulary and grammar when I lived overseas. But I had four years of German instruction in school, and lived in the country, so I had a leg up. I wanted to see how the app would help when I had no background in a language.

In September of 2021, I started the Spanish course on the app. I did ~2 lessons per day, and after ~1.5 years, I completed 37 units. Though it was still valuable, I decided to stop Spanish for a few reasons:

- The Spanish course has 211 units (the German had 55 when I completed it [though I see it is now up to  114]). At my current pace, I would take another 6 years to complete it. 

- Having no background in Spanish, I found it harder to track the grammar rules/etc. I followed easily enough through 30 units, but as I advanced, I felt my lack of background more poignantly.

- DuoLingo changed how they did units. Previously, a given unit consisted of a series of lessons, each of which had five levels. Each lesson had a specific topic. They (apparently) decided to change it up, and interleave the levels and lessons. My retention has gone down drastically.

The experience was still valuable; I learned a lot of Spanish vocabulary and some basic grammar. I just wasn't retaining enough to keep going. I think immersion is important, and I really don't like the changes they made to how the app instructs. That said, I want to keep using it daily, so I decided to spend some time in Latin. That course has only 14 units, so I should be able to get through it much faster. 

Never stop learning.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Mario and Luigi are plumbers in Brooklyn trying to start their own company. Things aren't going so well, but they don't give up. As they investigate a water problem underground, they are transported to the mushroom kingdom, where they discover that Bowser is wreaking havoc. He threatens further destruction if Princess Peach doesn't marry him. Can the Mario Bros. save the day before it's too late?

I knew going in this was a kid's movie, and adjusted expectations accordingly. Still, I was disappointed. The best kid's movies (and books) can provide value for all ages; this did not. While the homages to a handful of classic Nintendo video games were fun, and hearing familiar Mario themes played as classical music was great, the rest fell flat. Plot/character development were rushed, the humor was so-so, and overall, I was left wanting more. My kids liked it; the youngest (7) gave this an A, while my middle (10) said it was a B-. I rate it lower.

Rating: D

The Pun Also Rises (John Pollack)

In The Pun Also Rises, John Pollack argues that puns—frequently viewed with disdain and met with groans—have played a valuable role in society throughout the ages. After defining the word, he looks at "how the brain fetches meaning from sound," the rise and fall of puns in societies throughout history, and concludes by arguing that punning played a formative role in humanity's advance throughout the ages.

What is a pun? "A pun, in its purest form, is a word of phrease containing layered, or multiple, meanings." There are many types of puns, to include homophonic (words/phrases that sound alike), homographic (words that have more than one meaning), paradigmatic (the listener needs to understand the context), syntagmatic (involves a "sequential use of similar or identical words"), and combinations thereof. Ultimately, "punning is all about connecting ideas, no matter how disparate."

Why is "wordplay in general, and punning specifically, such an enduring part of language?" Puns "play a formative role in childhood development, by revealing the relationship between words, sounds, context and meaning." Puns help us learn "how to think critically." "To overlook the obvious to explore other possible interpretations . . ." They "require significant powers of abstraction, a deliberate subversion of rules, and a special appreciation for surprise." Good puns require wit, intellect,  imagination, widespread vocabulary, and knowledge (of the world, culture, audience, and more).

"For thousands of years, the pun actually enjoyed a priveleged status in Western philosophy, art and religion—a status that far transcended that which it often suffers today." It was once a "respected rhetorical device." But growing class awareness and distinctions in the Age of Reason (eighteenth century) led to its relegation in some circles. It would continue to enjoy popularity elsewhere, but modern audiences (post-WWII) "began responding better to humor that was a little more raw and a little less obviously constructed." Nevertheless, they persist; puns today are found everywhere, from logos to advertisements to crossword puzzles to newspaper headlines. 

His ultimate argument? Puns are more than some antics.

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Since one 2023 goal of mine is humor study, looking at puns was high on my list. This book is a wonderful introduction. While I don't buy all of his arguments (I agree that puns are powerful and important, but don't agree that they "made possible the rise of modern civilization"), I nevertheless enjoyed the background. An ample bibliography shall undoubtedly give me clues as to what I should read next in this area. 

Ultimately, this book is fascinating and humorous—make no bones about it. Though such ribbing isn't within the radius of what some consider amusing, I argue they are too sternum—I demandible they reconsider. Others, though, may back me up and lumbar along with my brand of humor, recognizing it as hip, tibia honest with you. Do you femur puns are coming? I'll stop . . . nobody should have a bone to pick with me.

Rating: A-

The Bad Batch: Season 2

Bad Batch: Season 2 picks up where Season 1 left off. Here, we follow the elite clone trooper force (now independent of, and on the run from, the Empire) as they take on various missions and try to find their place in a now-unfamiliar galactic landscape.

Looking back on my season 1 thoughts, season 2 is much the same. Some episodes seemed like random adventures—filler. Others had important links to other Star Wars canon, foreshadowing plot points we would see in maturity in later shows or films. And there is the occasional 'cool' cameo of a fond and familiar face. On the whole, too little happened in 16 episodes. Season 3 seems inevitable . . . I hope they pick up the pace and bring it to a satisfying conclusion.

Rating: C