September 3, 2022
With your host BOB SMiTH
AIT, the Agency for Instructional Television (WIKIPEDIA), was one of a number of organizations who made programs that PBS stations would air midday, for teachers to record for later use. One of these was the inexplicable Wordsmith, that explored the roots of words. Host Bob Smith, standing on a gameshow-like set with his 70s attire and mustache, takes foam balls with syllables on them out of a machine, opens them up to show inside is printed their meaning, then puts them back into the machine, which makes a sci-fi noise. Then Sesame Street-like short clips demonstrate its meaning. While it moves slow, it's still kind of interesting! A number of episodes survive, as well as some other programs from AIT, in the Indiana University Moving Image Archive. [more inside]
Reply 'Yes' to Donate
How a Record Cash Haul Vanished for Senate Republicans Party leaders, including Senator Mitch McConnell, are fretting aloud that Republicans could squander their shot at retaking the Senate in 2022, with money one factor as some first-time candidates have struggled to gain traction. The N.R.S.C. was intended to be a party bulwark yet found itself recently canceling some TV ad reservations in key states.
The story of how the Senate G.O.P. committee went from breaking financial records to breaking television reservations, told through interviews with more than two dozen Republican officials, actually begins with the rising revenues Mr. Scott bragged about last year.
Unpaywalled [more inside]
College Football Playoff board approves expanded format with 12 teams
The College Football Playoff will expand to 12 teams after the Board of Managers approved expansion by an unanimous vote on Friday, the group that oversees the postseason system announced. [more inside]
Peter Eckersley has died.
Peter Eckersley (1979-2022) "Security engineer, digital rights activist, AI safety and policy researcher. Beloved in these communities."
Leatherface through the ages
Twitter user, horror fan, and writer Donnie Goodman photoshops Leatherface into a black and white photo every day until he forgets. The first 100 are compiled here, and then you can see the rest here.
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