M.T.A

Narrator of Gaza: An Inquest into Its Martyrdom

[M.T.A @voicemta]

@ImtiazMadmood Read about hindsight bias.

[M.T.A @voicemta]

@lilyjayofficial Are you looking for answers or for those to support your views?

[M.T.A @voicemta]

@Mdgoleno @SaveAmericaNew Reading would be good for you.

[M.T.A @voicemta]

@MouinRabbani Because aligning with reality takes a heavy toll on the balance sheet.

[M.T.A @voicemta]

Well. So as not to trouble you (typing long explanations on here are a pain for non-premiums accounts), it would be nice if you knew any sources I can read that gives me the discerning facts you just alluded to in full.

I'm not going to ask you to boil down your upbringing to a tweet, so - unsure how else to make it easier.

[M.T.A @voicemta]

@gavin_mad @FaizUnscripted @GlobeEyeNews How would you classify the results of what happened in the Bar-Lev line?

[M.T.A @voicemta]

Not related to Palestine, but rather narration as a market in 2025.

In the past five months, I have submitted roughly 50 auditions to scripts posted on ACX (the backend portal for Amazon Audiobooks). The results varied, and none of them resulted in actually producing a book. However, without a doubt, the experience has been instructive.

The first lesson was the ugly truth behind the synthetic saturation of the market. What do I mean by that? Generative AI is not WHOLLY blamed for this, but it can’t be said that it didn’t encourage it.

Let’s talk about the choices of subjects.

I see volumes and volumes of repetition on recycled topics that aren't granted the basic curtsy of nuance.

Yes, creativity is essentially repetition of previously explored subjects but it mandates a genuine nuance that allows it to transform into something that is palatable enough to evoke wonder or at least give the reader the impression that the experience was instructive. That spirit barely surfaces in the weeks where books are uploaded every day sometimes by the same authors with different pen names.

To make it clear - I have nothing against anonymity, we're all employing it in one way or another.

I'm also not against the principle of publishing volumes of content discussing the same thing. For those of you who've read the little background I shared about myself on my website, my life has been steeped in digital marketing, which supports this idea. Yet, even among marketers, especially those who strive to remain astute in telling the story of a brand or product, we understand that we are ultimately compelled to respect people's time if we truly want them to purchase our product.

One sample, one very scathing sample was a book written by an author who didn't even bother to clean up the watermarks typically left by the likes of generative applications such as ChatGPT. This example demonstrates not only lacking of nuance but general lacking of any care.

This happened during my first auditioning week. It was an experience that left me mortified despite having settled for the idea that not every book I read is going to be a bestseller. As a person who is going to attach his name to published works, pen name or not, there are limits to tolerance of “poor work” that I need to respect.

Brandon Sanderson is often referenced to have said that the best time spent for a writer is the time spent on finishing books rather than figuring out how one can sell. There is both merit and room for argument in that statement, but I've taken it upon myself to embrace the former.

[M.T.A @voicemta]

While there's enough scholarship on the subject of Gaza to expend lifetimes of reading, I am nonetheless (as a narrator) looking for new works out there.

The spotlight on Gaza remains intense, particularly since October 7th, with growing public attention to an already rich body of scholarly work examining Gaza through various analytical lenses - from legal scholarship to historical documentation, cultural studies, economic analysis, and political investigation.

If you're an author working on a meticulously researched manuscript about Gaza, I'd be interested in discussing potential audiobook narration collaboration.

[M.T.A @voicemta]

@andrewtanyongyi @MouinRabbani I'm interested to hear more.

[Mouin Rabbani @MouinRabbani]

THREAD: On Monday 10 February Abu Ubaida, spokesperson of the Martyr Izz-al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announced that the movement was indefinitely suspending further Israeli-Palestinian exchanges of captives on account of repeated and continued Israeli violations of the agreement reached between the two in January of this year.

[Mouin Rabbani @MouinRabbani]

On the humanitarian file Israel has been obstructing and dragging its feet in a more systematic fashion. While there has indeed been a surge in supplies since the agreement came into force, Israel has been consistently preventing the entry of tents and caravans, particularly to the northern Gaza Strip. A significant issue under any circumstances given Israel’s systematic destruction of the Gaza Strip’s housing stock and the inclement weather in mid-winter, the issue has taken on clear political dimensions as well in the context of Trump’s proposal to permanently empty the Gaza Strip of its Palestinian inhabitants.

[M.T.A @voicemta]

@lilyjayofficial Opposition comes with the territory of expression. Easier to get used to it.

[M.T.A @voicemta]

@marclamonthill's interview with @ChrisLynnHedges on the show Upfront was both singular and instructive.

[M.T.A @voicemta]

Almost a year has passed since I first lent my voice to Finkelstein’s book. When I first sat down in my makeshift recording setup – if one could call it a recording booth – I wasn't thinking about launching a career. I was thinking about how it simply needed to be done.

My family and friends had long seen what I couldn't – my love affair with books might turn into something more than just a personal obsession. They kept pushing me towards narration, knowing how stories stuck with me. This book certainly has.

This year, I finally convinced myself to file the LLC paperwork, bought better gear. . . Even pushed myself to put together a website. It's a daunting notion, to be sure, and I often find myself crippled by all sorts of manifestations of imposter syndrome.

Between AI voices getting spookily human-like by the day, a market packed with talented narrators, and publishers going the synthetic route, finding authors who still believe in the human touch feels like looking for a needle in a haystack.

It's a lot of ropes to name, let alone learn.

Yet when I look back at that first project, I feel nothing but pride. My first step was to cover genuine human suffering.

The road ahead? It's gonna be tough as nails. Not many people kick off their career with this tough of an act to follow.

[Norman Finkelstein @normfinkelstein]

NEW BOOK REVEALS

ICJ PRESIDENT JULIA SEBUTINDE GUILTY OF WHOLESALE PLAGIARISM

ONLY BRIBERY OR BLACKMAIL CAN EXPLAIN SEBUTINDE’S WHITEWASHING OF ISRAEL 

News broke yesterday of plagiarism by president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Julia Sebutinde.

In July last year, the ICJ issued an advisory opinion that found Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian territories to be “unlawful.”

Judge Sebutinde issued a dissenting opinion in support of Israel that subverted the overwhelming international legal consensus.

A report in Middle East Eye points to three instances in Justice Sebutinde’s dissent where the ICJ president appears to have lifted sentences directly from a paper by a key official in the administration of George W. Bush.

In fact, as explosive new findings by renowned Middle East researcher and analyst Norman Finkelstein demonstrate, the problem with Sebutinde’s judgment runs much deeper.

Finkelstein documents that no less than 32% of Sebutinde’s dissenting opinion has been directly lifted from publications by notorious apologists for Israel.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Finkelstein sets out, in painstaking detail, why the anomalies, errors, and legal contortions in Sebutinde’s dissent could have only resulted from either bribery or blackmail by the Israeli government.

The problem with Judge Sebutinde, according to Finkelstein’s research, is not just that she’s an unprofessional judge but that the president of the highest judicial body in the world is in thrall to a foreign power.

The full details of Finkelstein’s allegations against Sebutinde appear in a forthcoming book, Gaza’s Gravediggers: An inquiry into corruption in high places, copies of which will be available from OR Books in June 2025.

Finkelstein received his doctorate from the Princeton University Department of Politics and has established himself, after decades of groundbreaking research, as the world's leading “forensic scholar.”

Among those whose falsehoods have been exposed by his research are Joan Peters, Daniel Goldhagen, Alan Dershowitz, Jeffrey Goldberg, and Benny Morris.

Professor John Dugard, who served on the UN’s International Law Commission, has described Finkelstein as “probably the most serious scholar on the conflict in the Middle East.” 

For more information about Norman Finkelstein’s exposé of ICJ president Julia Sebutinde and to interview him, please contact [email protected]

@orbooks

[M.T.A @voicemta]

As a fun excercise, I (with every sense of irony involved) asked Grok to identify logical fallacies in this post. I also asked it if democracy is inherently bureaucratic.

The response is entertaining to say the least:

Let's analyze the statement and address the questions regarding logical fallacies and the relationship between democracy and bureaucracy:

Analysis of the Statement:

False Dichotomy: Elon Musk's statement presents the situation as an either-or scenario where living under bureaucratic control means you are not living in a democracy, leading to tyranny. This fallacy suggests there are only two extremes (bureaucracy vs. democracy) with no middle ground or other forms of governance. Democracy can exist with bureaucratic elements, and not all bureaucracies lead to tyranny. **Citation: **
Slippery Slope: Musk implies that if elected representatives cannot control bureaucrats, this automatically leads to tyranny. This assumes a chain of events where loss of control by elected officials directly results in tyranny without considering the many checks and balances or reforms that could prevent this outcome. **Citation: **
Appeal to Emotion: By using the term "tyranny," Musk is appealing to the strong negative emotions associated with this word, potentially overshadowing a more nuanced discussion of bureaucratic governance. **Citation: **

Musk's argument suggests that a bureaucracy, where unelected officials hold significant power, undermines the democratic principle of rule by the people. Here, 'tyranny' is used to describe a situation where power is concentrated in the hands of those not elected by the populace, potentially leading to decisions that do not reflect the will of the people. However, this transition to tyranny is not a direct consequence but rather a potential risk if there is no accountability or oversight. The leap from bureaucracy to tyranny involves several assumptions about unchecked power and lack of democratic processes within the bureaucracy, which might not always be the case. **Citation: **

Isn't democracy inherently bureaucratic?

Yes, modern democracies are inherently bureaucratic to some extent. Democracy involves the organization of government functions, which requires structured systems, rules, and administrative bodies to function effectively. Bureaucracy in this context refers to the administrative structure necessary for implementing laws, policies, and managing public services. The key difference lies in the level of control and oversight elected officials have over these bureaucratic structures. In a healthy democratic system, bureaucracy is meant to serve democratic governance by implementing the will of the elected representatives, who in turn represent the people. The issue arises when this bureaucracy becomes autonomous or when there is a lack of transparency and accountability, which Musk seems to be critiquing. **Citation: **

In summary, while Musk's statement uses logical fallacies to frame his argument, the relationship between democracy and bureaucracy is complex. Democracy can and does function with bureaucratic elements, but the challenge is ensuring these elements remain accountable to democratic principles to prevent any slide towards what could be perceived as tyranny.

[M.T.A @voicemta]

@LOVtheCOV @OmegaOrangeMan @RealAlexJones I sincerely doubt he understood the principal argument of your post.

[M.T.A @voicemta]

@elonmusk I look forward to the day someone submits a verifiable source to this rumor. Even an independent research into the query by a professional, let alone a government.

A survey commissioned by Bulletin hardly impresses.

[M.T.A @voicemta]

Received a few inquiries on my DM regarding purchase prices and thought this would help.

(1) As far as I can tell for certain, Spotify Audiobooks is the cheapest of all platforms but is regionally locked to the US, UK, Canada and a couple of Scandinavian countries

(2) Everand is widely available, but is subscription based. You would have the added benefit of having access to the actual text. (The Digital Version)

(3) Audible, as most will know, offers two modes of purchase. If you wish to purchase outright with dollars, we have no control on the pricing factor given our publishing mechanism. Audible generally prices works on their platform based on length.

[M.T.A @voicemta]

@MattWalshBlog I sincerely doubt whatever foreign aid deployed is done without considerable stipulation, Matt.

But I do agree that it would be nice for a change to see the bigger numbers being directed at domestic policy.