#confirm and verify

[mostlyinthemorning]

On misinformation, alpaca wrangling and a Schitt's Creek reboot

Can I talk about media misinformation for a second, if I promise to tie it back to Schitt's Creek?

So in my day job, which for the purposes of this rant, I’m going to say is in alpaca wrangling, I do a lot of media. In my city, I’m one of the go-to experts on alpacas and I’m usually on TV a couple of times a month. 

Last month, I get an email from one of the local TV stations saying that a new ranking has listed our city as #2 in alpaca wrangling in the country, would I like to comment?

It’s important to remember that I get requests like this all the time. The reporter sent me an article from their national affiliate along with a spreadsheet that had some ‘data’ showing the rankings. I looked at the data, and it certainly wasn’t what I would have chosen as categories, but it linked back to sources. 

We did the interview.

Later that afternoon, the reporter emails me to say they’re pulling the story because the source of the alpaca-wrangling ranking that was cited in the original article hadn’t produced the data or the ranking and the reporter wasn’t able to verify where any of it had come from. 

Huh, I thought. That’s really weird. But I appreciated them doing their homework and not running a bad story. 

I went back and looked at the data again and realized that while the numbers had been pulled from other sources, there was no way to tell how they’d been used to determine any kind of ranking. Plus the data was old and not from local sources. My bad for not catching that sooner, but at least the story won’t run, right?

Hahahaha.

A week later, I get an email from a different TV station with the same deal - here’s the story, do you want to comment? This time I say no and explain that the data is at best unverifiable (although I highly suspect that it’s actually fake). Let me see if I can confirm it, the reporter says. (I assume he can’t because I never hear from him about it again).

And then, about two weeks after that, the story really picks up steam. It’s everywhere. It’s on social media. TV stations and newspapers across the country are running variations of this story about alpaca-wrangling, clearly without checking the data or the sources. 

In the long run, this isn’t important. It’s a puff piece about a ranking that doesn’t mean anything. However, if you search for my city plus ‘alpaca wrangling ranking,’ you’ll get lots of information that erroneously confirms that we are the second-best alpaca wranglers in Canada.

Which brings me to Schitt’s Creek.

Since the final episode aired, Dan (and anyone else associated with the show) have been pestered by the media about whether there will be a movie or a reboot. Dan has been consistent in saying that if the right idea comes along, he’ll think about it, but there are no concrete plans.

This week, Andrew Barnsley, one of the Schitt’s Creek executive producers, did an interview where he said “It’s something that we know there’s demand and interest for it, really. It’s something that I know Dan and Eugene [Levy] are considering all the time, and I think it’s going to be a timing thing.” He continued, “The fear is: does it tarnish the legacy to go back and revisit them in the way that maybe the Entourage movie did?”

First of all, nowhere in this quote does it say that there will be a reboot or a movie. On the face of it, it’s not that different from the statements that Dan has made all along. Second, Andrew Barnsley may have been an EP on Schitt’s Creek, but does he really know what Dan is thinking on this?

But none of that matters, because this is what the news headlines for Schitt’s Creek look like this morning:

There are two stories that I know things about. How many other stories do I read in a day that I don’t have the same familiarity with but that are created using the same hype and lack of attention to detail?

My point, in as much as I have one, is that the media needs to stopping feeding off each other like sharks chasing a school of tuna, and do some actual fucking research that involves primary sources instead of playing a game of telephone every time something juicy-looking slides across their desks. 

And all of us who are trapped on the other side of the media funhouse mirror need to be careful about checking sources if the media won’t. 

Fin.

[quesocheeso]

Xiaotian and erlangs dog in the same room cus they have the samebname

LMAOOOO I have a few asks I'm going to be mixing with this one because it is still so hilarious to think about

Xiaotian and Xiaotian in a room what will they do

(I do think no one would say anything, not even Erlang when he randomly pops into the palace cause Macaque would rip the head off of anyone who says his baby has the name of a dog

So the monkeys live in bliss ignorance)

[see-arcane]

Re: Carmilla, Episode 12, A Petition: SUMMARY

La Comtesse: Can you watch my poor ailing daughter while I'm away for mysterious reasons?🥺

The General: Can I have your name?

La Comtesse: How could you ask me that when we're such good friends?🥺

[staticespace]

Hello this a long shot call, am a citizen of Palestine. I am here to request for your support to help get my insulin, I was diagnosised with type 1 diabetes and due to current situation in Gaza I'm unable to get my insulin injection as a result I'm here begging for little financial support to help me purchase insulin for this week.My donation link is available on my pinned post

Your phrasing seems familiar...

So, I took a look at your pinned post.

🚩🚩🚩Says it's vetted and verified, but doesn't say by whom

🚩Amount substantially lower than other Palestinian requests

🚩Link leads to a PayPal link that has fewer donation protections

🚩No Tumblr user with substantiated Gazan relations reblogged it

🚩🚩🚩And, wait a second, in some versions of the post, you use a completely different name???

So what is your actual name??

...Seriously, this phrasing seems so freaking familiar. What is...

Ah.

It's you again, from a few weeks back. Either you thought my memory was super short, or this is a bot run by some weird bastard and you forgot to keep me out of it.

People like you are why it's hard enough for Palestinians to ask for help.

Oh, and that last red flag I mentioned? I was wrong. A Tumblr user with substantiated Gazan relations did reblog it.

🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩To condemn you.

Get The Fuck Out My Inbox.

---

For anyone else still reading, I know this user is going to block me almost immediately after making this post, making me unable to see their posts or report anything, so I've been DMing some of you to spread the word first.

Here's the link to report their PayPal account for fraudulent activity:

The information you'll need:

Q: Describe the content or activity you’d like to report.

A: This person is running a continuing insulin scam on Tumblr. [or something like that.]

[Add link to this part of the report. Do not donate]

Zuhura Alfaat Kweyu - https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=UTVLBZYE4UH5U

Florence Khakasa's version has already been blocked from receiving donations, likely the reason for the name and account change.

Q: Tell us a bit more about where you saw the content or activity you’d like to report. Include at least one of the following:

Website or URL:

A: https://www.tumblr.com/staticespace/757816372061405184/hello-this-a-long-shot-call-am-a-citizen-of?source=share [Or copy the URL for this post and paste it there]

Q: Tell us about you. We’ll never share your information with another user.

A: [Email required, but not location.]

Remember to be safe online!

Stay kind and take no shit!

[babacontainsmultitudes]

(above from S1 ep. 41)

AHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH IT'S CONNECTED I FUCKING KNEW IT THE DOODLER IS PART OF THE PANTHEON LET'S GOOOOOOO

edit: oop looks like the connection between Heartland and the S1/S2 universe (albeit not the doodler directly yet) was actually canonized a few episodes ago!

[sweet-star-cookie]

Hey everyone, I've gotten a sudden influx of asks for GoFundMe donations for people in Palestine, so I thought it might be more useful to compile them here. I will update this if I get more, though I can only verify some listed here as vetted by backsearching blogs with vetted donations (90-ghost and northgazaupdates), so please proceed with caution and verify for yourself if you are able to donate. If any of these are scams, please let me know and I'll remove them. Thank you. tahseenkahzen ---- GoFundMe save-family & save-hijazi-family2 ---- GoFundMe shadowyavenuetaco ---- GoFundMe adham89sblog ---- GoFundMe frhatfamily ---- GoFundMe bilalassadabedrou ---- GoFundMe hayanahed ---- GoFundMe abedhilles ---- GoFundMe joyfultidalwaveobject ---- GoFundMe salman-1990 ---- GoFundMe kawlafamily6 ---- GoFundMe karemandohan1999 ---- GoFundMe mohammed-swierh-2 ---- GoFundMe belalgaza1 ---- GoFundMe kawla-gaza03 ---- GoFundMe linsaif ---- GoFundMe -- PayPal alaahillis11 ---- GoFundMe ahed-family3 ---- GoFundMe motazmohammed ---- GoFundMe certaintimemachinearcade ---- GoFundMe majedgerbawi ---- GoFundMe aziz-zaqout ---- GoFundMe emannzaqout1 ---- GoFundMe imtithalcrusadecreator ---- GoFundMe samarhashem ---- GoFundMe mfamily ---- GoFundMe amalalkafarna9 ---- GoFundMe nouraayman ---- GoFundMe mehmetabdullah ---- GoFundMe help-nour1 ---- GoFundMe etafet ---- GoFundMe abedmajeed ---- Chuffed Campaign mosabsdr ---- Chuffed Campaign momenalmdhounblog ---- GoFundMe aboodfmly ---- Chuffed Campaign nourblog-familymomen ---- GoFundMe sajagz ---- Chuffed Campaign nadinfamily ---- Chuffed Campaign nasr-daher ---- Chuffed Campaign jehadkhaled ---- GoFundMe zabedfortruthf ---- Chuffed Campaign amal-alkfarnna--198 ---- GoFundMe

[clonerightsagenda]

signing documents for the HOA and becoming everyone's worst nightmare by actually reading them first

[viir-tanadhal]

proud father showing off his favorite child

[emdashbitch]

forever fascinated by the implication that it was easier for HYDRA and the Soviets to steal top secret and highly guarded serums from S.H.I.E.L.D and another global superpower on at least two separate occasions than it was to synthesize their own super soldier serum from Bucky's blood

Steve said "huh, guess he's a super soldier too" and they all rolled with that. Bucky being a super soldier is still technically nothing more than a hypothesis

[goldengodcannibal]

fell down a rabbit hole of "reality shifting" posts on here and when i say the delusion and encouragement of genuine actual delusion cannot be understated.

[dyemelikeasunset]

Hi, I hope you're doing well. ❤️ I'm writing to you with a heavy heart and an urgent request for help. My family is in a very danger situation due to the ongoing war, and I've launched a GoFundMe campaign to save them. 😢 Could you please share my campaign post from my profile? Each share could be a lifeline for my family. 🙏 Feel free to share it in any other social media platform if you would like. Our campaign has been verified by operation olive branch, and is entry number 26 on their spreadsheet. From the bottom of my heart I want to thank you in advance for all of your support and kindness.

Salaam alaikum and I pray your family gets the help you need

[33max]

hello hello hello I passed my exam yesterday so I should be around a little bit more now! recently it feels like I've just been stopping by to reblog something and then disappearing again - so glad I passed and its done! ♥️

[wzardjellies]

Even if I love mkulia with all my heart and love their dynamic, I also have kinda been in the state of mind all season that their probably not gonna be a thing this season

[xfreischutz]

Hello,

I am Hanan. I am reaching out to you from Gaza, seeking your help for my brother, Jihad. He's chronically ill and suffers from high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney failure, celiac disease, osteoporosis and many other complications. 🥺🥺 Added to this the fact that he has no direct support or proper medical treatment. Please, help us to evacuate Gaza so that Jihad can get proper medical treatment abroad. 🙏🙏

https://gofund.me/c4eb37e4

✅️Vetted by @gazavetters, my number verified on the list is ( #266 )✅️

this campaign is at 535/50 000 euros as of december 5 2024

verification link: #266 on the gazavetters spreadsheet

[eden-transcendental-youth]

new kendrick album good btw

[unwastelandunbaby]

can anyone fucking read this my eyes hurt