The Privatization Scam 0
Emma talks with Whitney Wimbish about how private prisons are profiteering from Donald Trump’s campaign against brown people immigrants.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
A quite pedestrian pedestrian case of politeness.
Guns and stupid, guns and stupid.
They go together like love and Cupid.
Let me tell you brother,
You can’t have one without the other.
Devolution, Reprise 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Matthew Facciani writes about an AI TikTok account that fooled millions into thinking it was real life human being and suggests some steps we can take–not as individuals, but as polity–to protect against such fakery.
He makes three main points:
- The viral “MAGA Megan” TikTok showed clear AI traits yet still fooled large audiences.
- AI fakes spread by aligning with identity, leveraging networks, and gaming algorithms.
- Combating AI misinformation requires media literacy, awareness or our biases, and platform action.
Methinks this a valuable and timely read, especially as Big Tech seems determined to stuff AI down our throats, as illustrated by yesterday’s post about the Zuckerborg.
A Tune for the Times 0
Celebrate the new Mythsonian Museum.
Facebook Frolics 0
At SFGate, Stephen Council reports on the Zuckerborg’s turn to AI in its quest for assimilation. Council is not sanguine.
Here’s a tiny bit from his piece.
His point that people need more friends gels with recent research into the ill-health effects of isolation. But Zuckerberg’s idea of patching over loneliness with algorithmic avatars is an ugly vision of the world: a purposeful unraveling of the social fabric that gives us community, culture, accountability and love. We need to refuse this vision. The solution to not having enough friends is — needs to be — making more friends. More care and responsibility for our neighbors, not bubbles of solitude.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Another “responsible gun owner” chooses to show politeness on the pavement.
A preliminary investigation suggests a female driver was involved in an accident and when attempting to flag down the other driver involved, that driver shot towards her vehicle, striking the children who were seated inside.
We are a broken society.
Vaccine Nation 0
Rebecca Watson looks at how anti-vax lies led to a mass shooting in Atlanta.
Or you can read the transcript.
A Loafsome Attack 0
Via Kathryn Rubino at Above the Law, this tribute to the Trump maladministration’s decision to throw the book at someone who threw a sandwich is circulating on “social” media.
Rubino’s post has commentary which is well worth a read. A tiny excerpt (emphasis added):
The Policy Statement 0
Donald Trump’s foreign policy strategy in one short paragraph:
- Nice little export you have there. It’d be a shame if anything happened to it.
Demeaning of Life 0
Bob Molinaro, sportswriter extraordinaire:
“We’re Looking at an Administration . . . that Does Not Obey Laws” 0
Thom talks with Malcolm Nance about how Trump’s deploying American troops against Americans violates the law. The relevant portion of the video starts at about the five minute mark; the first part of the video ia about the Trump-Putin meeting. (Warning: Commercial at about the 3 1/2 minute mark.)
“History Does Not Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes”* 0
Over at The Rectification of Names, Yastreblyansky hears a rhyme all the way from Rome.
And here’s a bonus rhyme.
_______________
*Mark Twain.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Yet another “responsible gun owner” exposes a portable phallus to a child.