The popular adoption of the Internet and cable television as sources of information in the past 30 years has revolutionized the way that the average person receives news. Before the 1980s, the available sources of daily news were limited to newspapers, radio, and broadcast television.   Many small towns had a …

For at least the past 50,000 years or so, humans have entertained themselves and others with music and singing.   Up until about 100 years ago, those artists good enough to perform for a living made their money by, well, performing. Only since the advent of recorded music have performers had …

Yes, it’s still 18 months until the 2016 presidential election, but the circus atmosphere surrounding the various campaigns is already inescapable for anyone paying attention to current events. In quiet times, some in the news media look for ways to generate controversy and ratings, and one their favorite traps for …

Below I describe a personal experience that illustrates an important principle that relates to any hierarchy. I attended the hour-long Executive Council meeting as a stand-in for my boss.  The invitees were a collection of VPs and high-ranking directors, and today the conference table was full.   I was in note-taking mode; my only …

Want to know who will win the 2016 presidential election? It may be useful to look at recent electoral history for clues. Here are 5 tendencies that may suggest a certain outcome: 1. After one party has two consecutive terms in the White House, the following election almost always goes …

Like many large cities, Baltimore’s unemployment rate shot up in the wake of the financial crisis in 2008, peaking at 12% in 2010. The 2010 federal census showed a population loss of about 5% since 2000, continuing a trend that started in the 1960s. Fact 1: In order to counter …

The Myths  1. The rally at Baltimore City Hall on Saturday was peaceful Local and national politicians and media waxed poetic about how beautiful and peaceful was this exercise of the right to demonstrate. I attended the rally, and the rhetoric from the podium was a mix of calls to …

First, let me start by reiterating that we don’t cover celebrity gossip at ThoughtWidget; nor do we engage in celebrity worship. However, the revelations about actor Ben Affleck’s slave-holding ancestor are a multi-faceted commentary on politics and the news media. It was revealed this week that Affleck asked Henry Louis …