"Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover - and a movie by its title." "That Campy Summer: 'Snakes on a Plane,' and the Lost World of 2006" This was probably the most fun I've ever had writing an essay. The latest in the Lint Trap. linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/that-campy...

That Campy Summer: “Snakes on a Plane,” and the Lost World of 2006

Twenty years ago, the Camp aesthetic and mass culture still existed in parallel while being mutually interactive. Today, when the President dances to "Y.M.C.A." something subversive's been co-opted.

linttrapofhistory.substack.com

"Which brings me to what we aim to build" Ellison's op-ed gives the impression that TV news is only supplementary (at best) and a hindrance (at worst) to his true interest: Hollywood entertainment. So he drops a few journalistic clichés and moves on... www.nytimes.com/2026/08/04/o...

Opinion | David Ellison: In Defense of the Paramount-Warner Deal (Gift Article)

The issue is whether I can be trusted as a steward of CNN

nytimes.com

"TV will never be like that. We didn’t realize it at the time. We do now.” Wonderful, memorable @bostonglobe.com magazine article by @chadfinn.bsky.social about the twilight years of 2 local TV news sportscasting legends. www.bostonglobe.com/2026/08/03/m...

Bob Lobel and Mike Lynch were rivals. Now friends, they’ve bonded through life’s challenges. - The Boston Globe

In the heyday of WBZ and WCVB, these sportscasters competed for ratings. Now they co-host a podcast and show up for each other when it’s needed most.

bostonglobe.com

This was inevitable, but it's sad, too: Classic Rock Southern California radio station KCAL-FM 96.7 fires every human on staff. Goes 100% automated: All music + commercials. In the future there'll be one bespoke station in every market that employs people. ktla.com/news/califor...

Southern California radio station lays off entire staff, switches to all-music format

The hosts of a longtime Southern California radio station confirmed that the entire staff has been laid off as the station transitions to an all-music format. KCAL-FM 96.7, based out of Redlands, h…

ktla.com

Happy 50th Anniversary to one of the all-time great boxing matches you've probably never heard of: The Day Leon Spinks Became An American Hero: July 31, 1976, at the Montreal Olympic Games. linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/50-years-a...

50 Years Ago: Leon Spinks, All-American Hero

An electric boxing match between a raw, inexperienced American and a tough, wily Cuban is worthy of a second look.

linttrapofhistory.substack.com

A+ headline + photo combo here from @bangordailynews.bsky.social

Kind of interesting how every July national reporters from New York City, D.C., Chicago, and elsewhere descend on Maine to find interesting stories, but every February the state becomes invisible to the national media. www.marketplace.org/story/2026/0...

"Never would have expected to be here": Young Mainers consider the lobster

A program in Maine is teaching young people with no previous connections to the lobster business how to get into an industry where the barriers to entry have historically been high.

marketplace.org

Best Rock 'n' Roll song riffing on "Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"? I nominate Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction's "Dr. Jekyll and Me" (1991) www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMdR...

Zodiac Mindwarp & The Love Reaction - Dr Jekyll & Me

YouTube video by OldskoolRocker

youtube.com

Michael Socolow@michaelsocolow.bsky.social · 6d ago

Regarding Dr. Fauci*+Lab Leak origins debate: "We’re probably in the early stages of something akin to the never-ending JFK assassinaton theory marketplace." [*My Op-ed Pitch: "How Rand Paul Is Trying to Turn Dr. Fauci into Mr. Hyde" LMK if you want it] linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/the-haunti...

Regarding Dr. Fauci*+Lab Leak origins debate: "We’re probably in the early stages of something akin to the never-ending JFK assassinaton theory marketplace." [*My Op-ed Pitch: "How Rand Paul Is Trying to Turn Dr. Fauci into Mr. Hyde" LMK if you want it] linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/the-haunti...

It's rare, but not unprecedented, to see top players in a media industry go begging the government for a corporate-capture, regulatory subsidy scheme like this They're calling for an AI FCC, to rationalize competition and save time/money on guardrails. www.pacingthefrontier.com

Pacing the Frontier

A statement from over 1000 employees of frontier AI companies

pacingthefrontier.com

Why the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to haunt us - the latest in The Lint Trap. The pandemic resonates in every AI story, as AI "gains function" all the time and spreads to endanger humanity... linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/the-haunti...

The Haunting Spectre of the COVID-19 Pandemic Keeps Popping Up

Nobody wants to talk about it, but historical understanding of the pandemic is being shaped now, by words and events floating by - some largely unnoticed.

linttrapofhistory.substack.com

It's sort of amazing how quickly X has become a Chinese propaganda outlet. It's not just the ads. The algorithm's no doubt sold, too. China can't be spending all that money without expecting more in return.

A pretty wild precedent I've not seen elsewhere: LeMoyne College, in Syracuse NY, was sued by a class of 2021 grad for shutting down in spring, 2020 and going online. Class-action lawsuit for breach of contract. LeMoyne agrees to settle and pay students. www.syracuse.com/schools/2026...

Le Moyne College agrees to pay students for online instruction during spring 2020

Le Moyne College has entered a preliminary settlement, agreeing to pay students over loss of on-campus classes during spring of 2020.

syracuse.com

“You know, when you win big tournaments, you can travel and go see the world. And I said, you know, ‘All I got to do is beat the guys up and I can go see the world?’" The Legend of Leon Spinks, an All-American Hero, in The Lint Trap. linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/50-years-a...

50 Years Ago: Leon Spinks, All-American Hero

An electric boxing match between a raw, inexperienced American and a tough, wily Cuban is worthy of a second look.

linttrapofhistory.substack.com

Still the greatest goal and highlight of World Cup 2026. Just an astonishing athletic achivement, when considering the teams, the moment, and the trajectory of this shot.

CJ Fogler@cjzero.bsky.social · last mo.

Golazo from Sidny Lopes Cabral, level again

"Fox News has not seen that documentation yet and is not in a position to assess the accuracy of the President's statements tonight..." -Bret Baier, Fox News. That's a $787 million CYA. (And more evidence that the speech didn't need to be aired live)

From ex-wife of the ICE Agent who shot the innocent Mainer: "Ashley Brouillette told a reporter that she wanted to speak publicly because she had previously reported concerns to his superiors in the military about his mental health. She said he was abusive in their relationship."

Joe Lawlor@joelawlorph.bsky.social · 3w ago

www.pressherald.com/2026/07/16/i...

It's amazing that, more than 10 years in to the Trump political era, the TV networks have *still* not developed any kind of systematic, thoughtful, and consistent approach to airing Trump & his often-questionable rhetorical claims. You'd think, after a decade, they'd have a playbook.

Those people who kept telling me 2 - 0 is "the most dangerous score" in soccer were totally wrong.

TIL (via Reddit) that, in England, when your team is ahead and you begin playing too defensively, it's called "parking the bus" or "parking the trolley." As in: "Parking the trolley up 1 - 0 makes no sense." In U.S.A., we call this "the prevent defense" because it prevents victory.

Argentina is the oldest team at this year's World Cup, and it shows. They remind me of the old Washington Redskins "Over-the-Hill gang" under George Allen. Allen famously only trusted veteran, old, players. His mantra was "The future is now" and his teams won games purely on experience.

Michael Socolow@michaelsocolow.bsky.social · 3w ago

The Argentines remind me of the Knicks. They show up late, play uninspired, and concede the lead for most of the game. Then, at the end, when the pressure's on, they explode and seize the game. At the end, the other team doesn't know what hit them.

The Argentines remind me of the Knicks. They show up late, play uninspired, and concede the lead for most of the game. Then, at the end, when the pressure's on, they explode and seize the game. At the end, the other team doesn't know what hit them.

"If he had a better developed sense of self, a stronger authentic inner compass, he’d probably not have been credibly accused of rape (because he’d treat women more humanely), nor would he have fallen for the flattery heaped upon him by total strangers" linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/graham-pla...

Graham Platner Never Figured Out Who Graham Platner Is

I wouldn't recommend running for U.S. Senate as a method of self-discovery

linttrapofhistory.substack.com

Felt odd to hear a report from Biddeford, Maine, on BBC World News from London, relayed on @mainepublic.org, where the British anchor was interviewing local reporter @dylantus.bsky.social about the ICE shooting/murder case. Local Maine story + reporter, covering national and global news.

This intuitively makes sense, so it's good it's being studied: AI is making it very difficult to know what students actually learn. Cheating is one thing but learning is a bigger issue & (related) larger question. It's K-12 study, but college profs facing this too theconversation.com/teachers-are...

Teachers are worried about students cheating with AI, but my survey suggests the deeper issue is learning

As schools consider AI guidelines, educators are also thinking about how they can adjust their assignments to accurately measure what students are actually learning.

theconversation.com

Why does AI always sound so confident when its wrong? Because AI is a confidence game. linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/the-proble...

The Problem of Chatbot Confidence

Has enough humility, modesty, and honesty been integrated into AI? I don't think so, and neither does Google Gemini.

linttrapofhistory.substack.com

Not sure if it's more ironic or paradoxical (could be both?) that running for the U.S. Senate is likely to end up being both the *best* and *worst* thing Graham Platner's ever done to himself. Runner up: Joining the military. 3rd place: Oyster farming. I sense a trend with this guy.

As this article makes clear, AI is fundamentally degenerating the teaching + learning dynamic in university classrooms around the world. Every professor knows this. Every one has experienced it. Yet: Their employers insist on fully embracing the new tech. www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...

Brown Professor Suspects Most of His Class Used AI to Cheat

Brown University leaders’ response to the alleged cheating incident has been “meek,” the professor said.

insidehighered.com

"Nobody really needs reassurance machines that confidently provide wrong answers. But we’re getting them whether we want them or not." Why AI is the ulimtate confidence game, in today's Lint Trap. linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/the-proble...

The Problem of Chatbot Confidence

Has enough humility, modesty, and honesty been integrated into AI? I don't think so, and neither does Google Gemini.

linttrapofhistory.substack.com

Been asked twice tonight about the rumor Heather Cox Richardson might jump in to the Senate race against Susan Collins. My answer is: I very much doubt it. But, if she does, she's got a better chance to win those pivotal "Silent Susan" Democratic women who vote Collins than Platner did.