The Adventures of Accordion Guy in the 21st Century

This was tweeted yesterday by @polNewsNetwork1:

The twitter account’s name is a reference to /pol/, the “politically incorrect” section of 4chan, the message board for miscreants, and source of a lot of what’s poisoning internet culture, from GamerGate to alt-right memes to the current state of politics. The account pretty much is an echo of what you’ll find on /pol/, or any other place where you’ll find angry, disenfranchised, poorly-socialized (and mostly white) men who feel cheated out of a birthright they were promised by the dominant culture.

This reaction reminds me of a quip that I use to tease certain people:

Conservatism is the dread fear that somewhere, somehow, someone you think is your inferior is being treated as your equal.

In the photo, @polNewsNetwork1 sees the destruction of American society, but what I see is its ideal: people doing their own thing, in their own way, and somehow not trying to trample the other for being different.

I’m not the only one who interpreted the photo that way:

When the fascists accidentally make a strong case for your values https://t.co/fHPHY8QUf9

— Emil Seidel (@mayorseidel) March 2, 2017

@Buddha6883 @dumbmongreldog @mayorseidel ugh look at them blatantly existing

— im chuggo! im chuggo (@irlchuggo) March 2, 2017

@polNewsNetwork1 two people calmly sitting on a bus. oh the horror! I thought it was the SJWs who were supposed to be easily offended

— Sunny Burn ☀ (@sunweasel) March 1, 2017

@sunweasel @polNewsNetwork1 Looks like a typical Monday morning. I really see this as my city being a great place to live.

— Darrin Riggins (@driggins67) March 2, 2017

@polNewsNetwork1 looks like a dope party to me

— cx cope (@cxcope) March 2, 2017

@polNewsNetwork1 I think it looks nice — cultures existing comfortably together, no one being hurt in any way.

— Jane Espenson (@JaneEspenson) March 2, 2017

@polNewsNetwork1 People wearing what they want to? Feeling comfortable in public? Going outside without fear? AWESOME LET’S DO IT.

— TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) March 2, 2017

@KevinMacTweets @polNewsNetwork1 we’re just worried about the L train being on time.

— Darrin Riggins (@driggins67) March 2, 2017

@polNewsNetwork1 it’s better than what y’all want pic.twitter.com/pUuAOBgWh7

— yaz (@yasssmean) March 1, 2017

@polNewsNetwork1 How cowardly do you have to be for this image to seem even vaguely threatening to you?

— Susan Bennet (@oohstlou) March 1, 2017

@BradConcor @polNewsNetwork1 exactly,freedom to be, it’s AMERICA..radical Christians want a country of religion,they should move to Iran

— ☮ JacquiUpNorth ☮ (@JacquiUpNorth44) March 2, 2017

@polNewsNetwork1 people with differences quietly existing next to each other? How horrific!

— Dane Rauscheberg (@SeeDaneRun) March 2, 2017

@polNewsNetwork1 Well, this certainly didn’t get the result that this Right Wing account was hoping for.

— Dex Farkin (@dexfarkin) March 2, 2017

It’s a trick the locals use, and it really works.

Here’s an interesting job that I can’t apply for (among other things, it requires relocating to Austin, Texas, which I can’t do at the moment), but perhaps you can: Head of Author Marketing for Book in a Box, the “turn your idea into a book” company founded by Tucker “Not as Douchey as He Used to Be” Max and run by him along with Zach Obront and Charlie Hoehn.

Here’s how Book in a Box describe themselves, in their own words:

We’re Book in a Box, and we’ve created a new way for people to write and publish a book. Instead of spending years at a computer typing out a book, and then being frustrated by the confusing and arcane book publishing process, we do all the difficult and frustrating work for the author to help them turn their ideas into a book in 6 months.

All the author does is spend about 20 hours on the phone with us. We discuss their ideas and position them into a complete book outline, the systematically interview them, transcribe those interviews, and edit those transcriptions into a book. Unlike ghostwriting, this is entirely their ideas, in their words and their voice. We do not add content.

Here’s a video that expands on this description:

My writerly friends will find the existence of such a company horrifying, perhaps repugnant, and I understand why. But not all of us who have good ideas that take them and turn them into a book. For some, it’s a matter of time. For others, a matter of writing talent; after all, we can’t be good at everything. There are probably many other circumstances that haven’t even occurred to me as to why someone can’t simply take their big idea and write it down. For these people, Book in a Box could be exactly what they need.

Book in a Box is looking for someone who can handle a fast-paced, ever-changing, no-two-days-are-quite-alike sort of job, where they will:

• Work with authors to create story angles from their existing books
• Craft email and phone pitches
• Write compelling headlines for blog posts or emails
• Build relationships with journalists, and understand what stories they want to hear
• Find new and relevant niche media outlets to pitch stories to
• Oversee new content creation (both ideation and writing)
• Build relationships with authors and ensuring Book in a Box delivers on their goals
• Manage entire book launches

A sampling of books published by Book in a Box.

This isn’t an entry-level job. My guess is that they want a strong self-starter with some background in marketing, PR, or social media — and preferably a combination of all three — who can engage audiences either directly or through the media. You should already have a network of influencers and at least a couple of media contacts, as well as some kind of online following. And of course, you need to know how to get things done without constant supervision or micromanagement.

The pay will range from $55K – 70K depending on your experience, but they also have a profit-sharing plan that they say has historically been 25% to 50% of salary. There’s health care coverage, dental plan, life insurance, and 401(k) matching.

Interested in this job? Read the full description, then apply for the job and say “Joey deVilla sent me” (there’s a referral bonus).

By the bye, I’m also looking for work in technical / developer evangelism or technical management. If you’d like to know more about what I can do for you, see my LinkedIn profile, or download my detailed resume.

I’ve always had a fascination with the things that end up on the clearance shelf of stores. My neighborhood grocery store, Publix (a grocery store chain here in Florida and parts of the southeast U.S. that’s earned a fanatical following) has such a shelf right beside the pharmacy, and I always end up taking photos of the interesting things that end up there.

This week, it’s 6-volt lantern batteries, for which $10.69 will get you two. It’s been years since I’ve owned a lamp that takes these batteries, and even longer since my other use for them: launching model rockets.

Get ’em while they’re still in stock!

Until yesterday, I had no idea that the mnemonic device pictured above even existed.

This poem about napologies or nonpologies — the not-really-an-apology apologies that narcissists give — comes from Reddit’s “Raised by Narcissists” subreddit (that’s Reddit-ese for “forum”).