There used to be a hummingbird that hovered outside my window. But it hasn’t been there lately.
It has been about nine months since I started to transition this little daily essay-writing project of mine from Facebook to Substack and the results are decidedly mixed. As a writing interface, Substack is a much better fit, plus I can provide links to the articles I curate.
Of course, most of those links just smash into paywalls.
And the barrier to entry at Substrack is high — readers have to add my Substack page to their daily reading habits, which only a fraction of the people I know on Facebook have chosen to do.
I get it, totally. Facebook has long since become a daily habit for many people, myself included. It’s free and it’s easy. (Important note: It’s not really “free” because Meta gets our personal data and that is worth billions. But that is in the fine print. And none of us read the fine print.)
The best part about publishing on Facebook is the comment section. Some of the best conversations I ever have about the topics I write about come there. That includes under yesterday’s post, “The Ghosts of Balkh,” which is probably as good a column as I am capable of writing. It drew some great comments.
By contrast, few people comment here on Substack. Writing can often feel like whispering into a vacuum. Then again, at Substack people can “subscribe,’ which is free or paid (their choice) and in return they get an email newsletter every morning..
Of course, one more email in your daily inbox is hardly anyone’s idea of an ideal service. It can smack of marketing, or junk mail, of which we all get way too much.
Come to think of it, why should anyone pay for content? Ever since the dawn of the web, the content provided by journalists is no longer protected by the scarcity or exclusivity of the old media era.
Those days are gone. The title of my memoir will be “The Last Journalist.”
A neighbor recently mentioned that she saw a hummingbird lying in the street a few days ago, unable to fly. Maybe it had hit something, or maybe a bigger bird like a crow hit it.
Anyway, when she looked again later on, it was gone.
LATEST LINKS:
More Evacuations Ordered for McKinney Fire Near California-Oregon Border, Two Dead (NBC, LAT)
Wildfires in West explode in size amid hot, windy conditions (AP)
Some Republicans fear party is too extreme on abortion and gay rights (WP)
Millions of Americans have long COVID. Many of them are no longer working (NPR)
War with Russia Enters New Phase as Ukraine Readies Southern Counterblow (WSJ)
Putin says United States is main threat to Russia (Reuters)
Russia Pummels Ukraine’s Mykolaiv, Killing Top Businessman (WSJ)
Drone explosion hits Russia’s Black Sea Fleet headquarters (AP)
How the Kremlin Is Forcing Ukrainians to Adopt Russian Life (NYT)
The Taliban’s Neighbors Fear Afghanistan’s ‘Boiling Pot’ of Terrorism (Foreign Policy)
Afghan-Iran border clash: Taliban says one killed (BBC)
Pelosi confirms trip to Asia but doesn't mention Taiwan (Politico)
VIDEO: Protesters Breach Iraqi Parliament for Second Time in a Week (Reuters, Associated Press)
Palestinian Flags Aren’t Illegal in Israel. They Still Get Torn Down. (NYT)
Guatemalan journalist arrested in growing crackdown on political dissent (WP)
Here's What Happens to Men Who Grow Beards, According to Science (Inc.)
This fish evolved to walk on land — then said 'nope' and went back to the water (NPR)
Ocean-exploring robot could search for lost cities and shipwrecks (CNN)
Bill Russell, basketball great who worked for civil rights, dies at 88 (WP)
After Careful Deliberation, Baby Goes With Homosexuality (The Onion)
TODAY’s LYRIC:
“Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose.” — Kris Kristofferson
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