Bob Garfield would make a good poster boy for our Age of Rampant Knowingness

BREAKING NEWS CONSUMER'S HANDBOOK: INFECTIOUS DISEASE EDITION

A life-long C-list hack is suddenly an authority on infectious diseases.

A commenter had the bad form to bring up ancient history:

You know, all of the snark and poo-pooing by Bob would be more bearable if a modicum of humility was shown. Two months ago, on 8/15, you had a segment called “Ebola is not coming to the United States.” Then, 4 weeks ago on 9/26, Laura Seay repeated that “Ebola is not coming to the United States.” Perhaps a humble admission on the day after a doctor who has Ebola went bowling in Brooklyn – or focusing some of that snark on yourselves – would make your listeners a bit more eager to follow your Consumer’s Handbook.

Related:

How we live now: The rule of the inept experts

Knowledge and knowingness

Ben Bradlee, RIP

Legendary editor who led coverage of Watergate scandal dies at 93
Tributes pour in for Ben Bradlee
Transformed the Washington Post into a major national newspaper with an international reputation
Guided the coverage of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein that helped bring down President Richard Nixon
Won more than a dozen Pulitzer Prizes for in his 26 years leading the Post
President Barack Obama heralded him as 'a true newspaper man'

His memoirs are an extraordinary read: funny, interesting, and free of pomposity. You can see him interviewed by CSPAN about the book here.

Why pop music sucks

#1 RSMcain's Bonham thesis:

Neutral Objective Fact that no genuinely great rock and roll music was recorded after Sept. 25, 1980, the day John Bonham died.

#2

The Rolling Stones lost all claim to the title of "World's Greatest Rock 'n Roll Band" soon after Studio 54 opened.

"The most righteous of all the possessors of the Right Stuff"

67 years ago today Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier.

From two years ago:

Still faster than the speed of sound: Chuck Yeager, 89, recreates historic mission 65 years to the day since first supersonic flight