Kamala Harris and Vibes Voters
Kamala Harris and Vibes Voters
Who do YOU think won the debate?
Sree’s newsletter is produced with Zach Peterson (@zachprague). Digimentors Tech Tip from Robert S. Anthony (@newyorkbob). Our sponsorship kit. | Cartoon by Joe Heller.
🗞 @Sree’s #NYTReadalong: Our guest this week: Eric Weiner, author of “Ben & Me” in which he shares tips from Ben Franklin about living a long and useful life. Last week, Indian-Irish author and journalist Cauvery Madhavan. Here’s the Weiner recording and the Madhavan recording. You’ll find four years’ worth of archives at this link (we’ve been reading newspapers aloud on social for 8.5 years now). The Readalong is sponsored by Muck Rack. Interested in sponsorship opportunities? Email sree@digimentors.group and neil@digimentors.group.
JLF USA Lit Fest Comes to Five US Cities
The spirit of what Tina Brown called “the greatest literary show on Earth” comes to five American cities this month, The JLF USA Lit Fest, based on the Jaipur Literature Festival in India, has already been in Houston, NYC & Boulder. Seattle is Sept. 20-22 and Raleigh-Chapel Hill is Sept. 27-28 (I’ll be emceeing in NC; please join me). Learn more at JLFlitfest.org | And see what I wrote about JLF USA recently.
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[As I was about to hit publish, news has come in about what appears to be another assassination attempt on Trump. Glad he’s safe. As I’ve been saying, there will be a lot of developments, surprises, shocks, curveballs, etc, over the next 50+ days in an election that’s THISCLOSE. Today’s was one of those.]
KAMALA HARRIS WON EVERY FACET OF THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE, she has thoroughly outmaneuvered Donald Trump—largely by just letting him and running mate J.D. Vance speak on the record. Despite this, the margins separating Harris and Trump are within the margin of error in every swing state.
If you came away from the Harris-Trump debate thinking that the latter is fit to be President of the United States at all, let alone ahead of Harris, I don’t really know what to say.
The entire debate should be mandatory viewing. The contrast between these two people, one of whom will be the next President of the United States, just couldn’t be more clear. The section of the debate on reproductive rights, the direct role Trump had in criminalizing healthcare for women in several states, and the real chance of a national abortion ban being on the table should he win, should be enough to sway any reasonable person. But will it?
Except for reproductive rights, I think it’s safe to say that these last few weeks will not be too policy-heavy on either side. Trump hopes some combination of disinformation, disenfranchisement, and right-wing grifter-core will be enough. Harris is rightly putting women’s healthcare rights front and center, but it’s clear that the campaign sees victory if they can win the vibes vote.
It’s become a net negative for both to go into detail about much of anything. Trump couldn’t articulate the ingredients of his favorite sandwich, let alone a coherent policy on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, prescription drug prices, or anything else that actually matters to people. Harris still registers as something of an unknown nationally, despite decades of high-profile public service and a term as VP.
It’s amusing to watch Trump and his acolytes consistently make Harris out to be the most powerful VP in history, forcing her to own all of Biden’s term. At the same time, they accuse her of not having done anything tangible as VP. Well, which is it? And can anyone name a concrete policy achievement of Mike Pence when he was VP? Or Biden when he was second banana? Or do we just ask questions like this when a woman, a Black and South Asian woman, is under scrutiny?
Undecideds should care that Trump pals around with deplorables like Laura Loomer. I’ll skip the links to her long record of awfulness, but she has called 9/11 an “inside job,” says school shootings are staged, is a self-proclaimed “proud Islamophobe”, and even ultra-racist Marjorie Taylor Greene thinks she’s too racist.
Recent things Loomer has said includes this gem about a possible Harris presidency: “The White House will smell like curry & White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center.”
Instead of disavowing Loomer, Trump and even Vance, who is married to an Indian (wrote about Mrs. Vance here and here), have just said she has nothing to do with the campaign (apart from hang around Trump on a daily basis).
That tells you everything you need to know about Trump, Vance and what kind of Trump presidency we would get a second time around.
«««SHUDDER!»»»
What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments or via email.
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October 1 & 2: Chief AI Officer Summit and CDAO Summit in Washington, D.C.
Join me for two of this year’s most exciting — and timely — tech summits, hosted by my friend of two decades, David Mathison, with me as emcee.
Tue October 1, 2024: The 11th CDAO Summit on Digital Transformation, Data, & Analytics: Meet fellow Chief Digital and Data Officers, Chief Analytics Officers, CDAOs, Chief Experience, Innovation, Strategy, Technology, & Transformation Officers, and Chief Compliance, Governance, Privacy, & Risk Officers.
Wed October 2, 2024: The 2nd CAIO Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Enterprise Gen AI: This is our second annual Chief AI Officer Summit.
A Chance In Life’s 79th Annual Gala Honors 5 (including at least one you know)
A Chance In Life empowers at-risk young people around the world with education and leadership development. This year, A Chance In Life will serve 5,235 children and youth in 12 countries across 5 continents, as well as its first U.S.-based program, A Chance In Life – The Village on Staten Island. Learn more about the gala and join us by buying a ticket or making a donation. Thank you!
DIGIMENTORS TECH TIP | Now Hear This: Earbuds Evolve into True Hearing Aids
By Robert S. Anthony
Each week, veteran tech journalist Bob Anthony shares a tech tip you don’t want to miss. Follow him @newyorkbob on Twitter and check out his 1.1 million followers on Pinterest!
That was quick! On Sept. 9 Apple announced that its new AirPods Pro 2 wireless earbuds would soon get a software update that would turn them into legitimate hearing aids. All it needed was approval from the US Food and Drug Administration. Four days later the FDA gave its blessing.
While the FDA had OKed the sale of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing-aid hardware that could be used by consumers without prescriptions or help from an audiologist back in 2022, the approval of Apple’s “Hearing Aid Feature” marks the first time the FDA has approved OTC hearing-aid software.
The FDA said it had tested Apple’s hearing-aid platform with “118 subjects with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss” and found that they “achieved similar perceived benefit as subjects who received professional fitting of the same device.” This means that the $249 Apple AirPods Pro 2 will soon acquire some of the features offered by true hearing-aid devices that sell or lease for much more.
Unlike conventional earbuds, hearing aids don’t simply amplify sounds; they need to be tuned to assist with the specific audio frequencies the wearer is having trouble with. Just increasing the volume is like raising the sound of a static-filled AM radio station: It doesn’t improve clarity.
Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 comes with a hearing test that allows users to fine-tune the earbuds and personalize the audio coming from music, phone calls or other audio. The hearing test results can also be used by the hearing aid software to provide the same type of precise audio fine-tuning provided by hearing-aid-only devices. A key feature of Apple’s software is that it can also import personalized audiograms created by audiologists.
The AirPods Pro 2 also provides hearing protection by default, according to Apple. Aside from the passive ear protection provided by any earbud resting in the ear canal, the unit’s active noise-cancellation feature samples ambient sounds 48,000 time a second and responds accordingly to knock down loud sounds, said Apple.
To be sure, there are many other earbud makers such as Sennheiser and Jabra that may soon join Apple in terms of getting FDA approval for their hearing-aid software. And that will be a good thing for consumers down the road.
Our friends at JusticeAid are bringing its NYC sold-out Soul of Justice show to Washington, DC, on Monday, September 30, featuring powerful, soulful music from the late 60s and 70s. 100% of the ticket and other contributions go directly to JusticeAid grantee partner Black Voters Matter. Black Voters Matter is rallying voters, amplifying issues impacting Black communities, and emphasizing the power of every vote as a tool for change. The concert will feature songs we all know and love from Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, the Isley Brothers, Staple Singers, Roberta Flack, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, and others. Tickets include a welcome reception and a 3-course dinner. Click here for details.
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