Old Fucking Punk @lwriemen@librem.one

My boy's orthodontist is a 100% 'Apple' shop. Have to hold down the bile while I'm in there. As a side note, they seem to have a lot of visible computer problems, especially with appropriate versions of their proprietary software on various machines. Staffers complained about it independently the last couple visits. I managed to hold my tongue. So to speak.

Nerd Reich in 5 Minutes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OC629l-wZBQ

If you're unfamiliar with the "dark enlightenment" playbook that Curtis Yarvin / moldbug wrote out well over a decade ago, well, it's what you're seeing happening RIGHT NOW in the US. 5 minute video explainer.

With the support of our members, EFF has advocated for technology users’ rights in hundreds of cases to protect your freedom online. Join us today: https://supporters.eff.org/donate/join-4--dos

In a world where Big Journalism did its job, every time a news organization had a reporter barred from the White House press room or Trump world event, it would announce the assignment of two more to the beat of raising public awareness of the regime's war on democracy and 1st Amendment.

Apple BOGUs (look it up) for Trump on "Gulf of America" --

Come on, you expected anything different?

https://www.theverge.com/news/610580/apple-maps-gulf-of-america

Are ethical business practices possible when your first fiduciary duty is short term gains for your shareholders?

Citation on the PR firm: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-monday-edition-1.5631285/this-former-u-s-health-insurance-exec-says-he-lied-to-americans-about-canadian-health-care-1.5631874

There's this weird myth in America that socialized healthcare is inherently awful. It's not (and some of that perception was genuinely created by a marketing firm, on purpose). I wish we could just get it going. I guess we'll need to wait a while longer now.

Also from @404mediaco — an update on the threats to #Wikipedia from #Musk and other fascists, who are targeting the wiki editors: https://www.404media.co/email/ceaf8690-0aa9-4ff7-ac85-a5623df53b5b/

The right wing's War on Truth continues…

Elon #Musk’s #xAI Is Exploring a Way to Make AI More Like Donald #Trump - https://www.wired.com/story/xai-make-ai-more-like-trump/ "A researcher affiliated with Elon Musk’s xAI startup is researching a method to alter the politics of Grok and better align the chatbot with conservatives." another good reason never to use it

I love this live interpretation audio feature that @mayfirst is using in their membership meeting. They have English and Spanish speakers on the virtual panel as well as live translators. This slider lets you change who you hear, depending on what language you understand. It works really well!

Far-right #populists much more likely than the left to spread #FakeNews – study | The #FarRight | The Guardian

Who’d have thought this to be so?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/11/far-right-mps-fake-news-misinformation-left-study

#Politics #Europe

The Coventry experiment: why were Indian women in Britain given radioactive food without their consent? - https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/feb/11/the-coventry-experiment-why-were-indian-women-in-britain-given-radioactive-food-without-consent "When details about a scientific study in the 1960s became public, there was shock, outrage and anxiety. But exactly what happened?"

Making residents of subsidized housing “subject to increased levels of surveillance simply because that is where they live really highlights how inequitable and unjust these applications of surveillance can be,” EFF’s Beryl Lipton told @Gizmodo. https://gizmodo.com/clearly-discrimination-how-a-city-uses-fusus-to-spy-on-its-poorest-residents-2000561795

Remember how Manchin and Sinema stopped the Democratic policy agenda with just a little intransigence? Strange that the Dems can't manage to be even that obstructionist with Trump's people on the rampage.

On NRT: United States of corruption - http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2025/02/united-states-of-corruption.html

From "Hacking Exposed," 2012, but still relevant:

Mergers, acquisitions, scandals, layoffs, rapid hiring, reorganizations, outsourcing, extensive use of temporary contractors, and other events may provide clues, opportunities, and situations that didn’t exist before. For instance, one of the first things to happen after a merger or acquisition is a blending of the organizations’ networks. Security is often placed on the back burner in order to expedite the exchange of data.

Good move from the mods at rpg.net!

#uspol #ttrpg #rpg #gaming #resist #humanity #GoodVsEvil

A reminder that "executive orders" are exactly that - orders from the president for the executive branch. They are not laws, and they do not directly bind anyone not in the executive branch of the US government. They might affect how laws are enforced and other things the executive branch does that affect private individuals, but they are not "orders" that private individuals (or organizations) are required to obey.