Friday Song: “Outlaw Pete” A parable about living with your sins, this 2009 song hits home, and even spawned a graphic novel
OSF Preprints’ Lame Pivot A new screening policy is described in two conflicting ways, and reflects the need for caution — albeit too late
Do You Have Layoff Information? Rumors of layoffs are circulating, and it might help to pull things together so people are informed
Haste Makes Retractions at Cureus When most of 56 retracted papers were reviewed in one day or less, what responsibility does the journal have?
Why Do the Powerful Like OA? A 2018 paper puts the OA movement in a wider frame — and the look is very unflattering
Song: “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” On the heels of the first peacetime draft, this 1941 song remains popular nearly a century later.
OA Begets an Oligopoly? Mhm Admitting we fouled up is a good way to start paving a better road forward. And evidence emerges about an NSF COI.
Getting Flattened by Platforms With more agreements with ResearchGate, are publishers ceding the crucial strategic position?
Two Pals, a Grant, and the NSF An NSF Public Access advisor is raising eyebrows given his involvement with and promotion of a grant made to an old friend.
Friday Song: “You Got It” Famous multiple times, this incredible singer left us one last hit thanks to help from some friends.
The Revival of Physical Media Maybe holding, touching, and playing with information and cultural artifacts is important for humans.
Friday Song: “Battleship Chains” Sometimes the best songs are the simplest, and evoke a feeling of familiar fun
Frontiers Slashes Its Workforce The publisher lays off 1/3 of its workers and reorganizes in the wake of problems with bulk publishing. Touting AI is another bad move.
Are Music’s Failures Now Ours? Consolidation, producer-centrism, monoculture, and a lack of focus on the consumer all killed rock music — sound familiar?
OA Is Part of a Larger Problem The denigration of theory, human intelligence, and individuality through the lens of quantity-based success narratives
Sophistry, Not Analysis A recent essay shows once again how sophistry isn't knowledge, logic, or fact
Song: “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” A 1929 hit re-released in 1968 as a novelty song hit again for an artist with a cult following.
Review: “Music: A Subversive History” A nicely framed history of music is readable, interesting, and enlightening
Review: “Athena Unbound” A pro-OA book seeks to rebrand the movement as troubled but unassailable, while the author avoids digging in to obvious issues
The Deceptions Made for OA The whiff of desperation is inescapable as OA advocates resort to outright lies to regain some momentum
Song: “Hazy Shade of Winter” The Bangles covered a Paul Simon song, and ended up besting the original.
Some Key Events of 2023 Some of the top stories of the year reveal a few key — and encouraging — themes.
Song: “Christmas All Over Again” With another Top 10 hit in hand, this Petty holiday song seems to be gaining in popularity as well, and may be destined to be a classic.
