Lauren Weinstein

https://mastodon.laurenweinstein.org/@lauren

< Tech Systems & Policy Analysis: Internet, Privacy, plus his other sundry topics >

Los Angeles - lauren.vortex.com

Signal: By request on need to know basis

Lauren's Blog: https://lauren.vortex.com

Public Key

npub1lq68asmanu3etxax9hvrj8au4h585lq8zgzujmufqsewtsz85mkskknf7e

NIP-05 Address

[email protected]

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs0sdr7cd7e7gu4nwnzmkper772m6r60sr3ypwfd7ysgvh9cpr6dmgpqqvj843j

Publishing to

Author Public Key

npub1lq68asmanu3etxax9hvrj8au4h585lq8zgzujmufqsewtsz85mkskknf7e

Show more details

Last Notes

2026-07-16 17:24:54 GMT

The closest analogue I can think of for the way the Big Tech Billionaires are stuffing LLM AI down people's throats are drug pushers. First the free samples. Get them dependent and addicted. Then take them for every penny they have, and destroy their lives.

2026-07-12 21:41:25 GMT

- reply

The condition is instantly fatal to about 40% of victims. If not immediately fatal, probability of death increases about 4% per hour if not immediately treated by surgery, which may or may not be successful depending on the exact parameters of the tear. Think a garden hose split apart under high pressure.

2026-07-12 21:31:55 GMT

Cause of Graham death an aortic dissection -- that is, a tear in the
main artery. It could happen to anyone, at any time.

2026-07-10 14:39:47 GMT

- reply

There are, but the answer is more complex than I can reasonably give you right now. The complication of course is that there are both federal and state laws, with some states (like California) being more proactive in this area, and others far behind. This of course is the structure of all laws in this country.

2026-07-10 03:17:10 GMT

Fun Fact: It is untrue that Vulcans never bluff.

2026-07-10 02:47:14 GMT

All cars sold in the EU now require camera pointed at driver face, and the data goes ... where?

2026-07-08 18:51:40 GMT

- reply

You can't expect people to think of this stuff. What's needed is to make what Waymo did illegal and make sure there is no way passengers can be prevented from easily and directly egressing the vehicle when necessary.

2026-07-08 18:38:03 GMT

- reply

If they can't right now, there will be calls for them to be modified to do so, you can be sure.

2026-07-08 17:34:31 GMT

- reply

It's worse than that. Waymo kidnapped and imprisoned the teens. HORRIFIC.

2026-07-07 02:59:17 GMT

Probably wasn't a slick idea for so many Democrats to try finesse ignoring that Nazi tattoo.

2026-07-06 15:09:12 GMT

BREAKING: Trump admits he overrode experts who wanted to cancel his July 4 celebration because of dangerous weather

2026-07-06 06:00:26 GMT

BREAKING: Global anger over the corrupt Trump/FIFA decision reversal has already risen to a fever pitch.

2026-07-05 17:14:29 GMT

- reply

The word "all" in "all human knowledge" is doing a LOT of heavy lifting.

2026-07-04 05:11:31 GMT

No, you idiot Google AI Overview, I'm not quoting Captain Pike, I'm quoting what Vina said TO Captain Pike. Data centers filled with useless piles of AI garbage.
https://mastodon.laurenweinstein.org/system/media_attachments/files/116/859/985/852/975/004/original/10e3eb6b83654873.png

2026-07-04 04:59:25 GMT

Fun(?) Fact I may never have bothered mentioning publicly before. In my youth I played the drums and the French horn. Go figure. I've spent the following decades trying unsuccessfully to learn the piano. Figures.

2026-07-01 16:58:10 GMT

#Google will of course claim this is for security reasons, but they are now laying off long time employees (10, 15, 18+ years), with an email message to their personal accounts and instant lockout from their corp accounts containing all their work email, documents, projects, etc. -- and ordered immediately off campus and told not to be seen on campus again for weeks or longer -- "your personal items will be shipped to you."
While one might be able to justify this level of security paranoia with temps or other short term workers, doing this to loyal employees who have been with the firm for many years stinks deeply and basically is evil.

2026-06-27 14:37:23 GMT

- reply

Insulation.

2026-06-27 14:33:38 GMT

- reply

Ah yes, the PERVERT spams. Especially amusing to people who don't routinely have active cameras (or uncovered cameras) on their computers. Are there that many people who jerk off in front of their computer that this scam can have any significant payoff? I mean, if you don't do it, you know there's no video. Of course these all operate on tiny percentages of uptake across enormous distributions of the emails.

2026-06-27 03:40:01 GMT

Only 5% of British households have air conditioning. In France it's about 24%. In the U.S. ... 90%. As temps climb, the political resistance to a/c in Europe either must melt away or even more people will die.

2026-06-26 18:37:04 GMT

Saw one of the usual "secret to lengthen <body part>" spams this morning. What was amusing was that it promised: "3.8 inches". Are they channeling Spock or what?

2026-06-23 16:12:29 GMT

Thought Experiment: What if all the data centers in the world went hard down right at this very momen

2026-06-23 14:48:50 GMT

Google's AI Overviews Feature Is Telling Users That SCP Horror Fiction Entities Are Real
https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/google-ai-overview-scp-horror-fiction-real
#google #ai
https://mastodon.laurenweinstein.org/system/media_attachments/files/116/799/970/568/073/151/original/090d8c318b4937ba.png

2026-06-21 20:35:13 GMT

- reply

Scotty has always tended to be informal in such situations, right lad?

2026-06-21 19:32:05 GMT

Phishing attacks pouring in from googleusercontent.com today. It's also being used for the payload URLs. Google seems to be completely losing
control over abuse of GCP for spams and dangerous phishing. I've reported this numerous times in the past, but it just keeps getting worse.

2026-06-21 03:52:23 GMT

Falsely accused former Olympian David Hearn, 67, arrested by Trump's D.C. thugs, is looking for legal help
He is falsely accused of "destruction of government property" for touching the disgusting blue liner peeling up in the reflecting pool.

2026-06-18 02:50:44 GMT

- reply

It's not that simple. There are intelligent, even very ethical conservatives. I know some. I talk to them regularly. But these are not conservatives that are the issue now, they're fascists.

2026-06-18 02:26:03 GMT

AND THEY'RE CORRECT! - American Surrender: Conservatives React in Horror to Formal Iran Deal Announcement
Everything Iran could have dreamed of, and more, courtesy of their man in the White House! -L
https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/american-surrender-conservatives-react-in-horror-to-formal-iran-deal-announcement/
https://mastodon.laurenweinstein.org/system/media_attachments/files/116/768/739/121/640/669/original/a7a19158c992920d.png

2026-06-16 16:16:41 GMT

BREAKING: After millions of taxpayer dollars spent by Trump to make it blue, reflecting pool is already back to green again

2026-06-05 15:41:20 GMT

The topic for my next usual Monday national network radio tech segment will be users moving to abandon #Google Search and other Google services in reaction to Google's forcing of AI Slop onto users in Search, and changes in Google privacy policies.

2026-06-05 03:09:37 GMT

***** Google privacy policy changes *****
#Google is rolling out changes to their privacy policies broadly across their services. While most of these appear to be fairly straightforward reorganization of existing history, etc. controls in a more logical manner, one change in particular drew my attention immediately. Google says they will now (unless this history setting is off) SAVE any media you send to Google (e.g., Image Lens Search, etc.) and these will be used to train Google AI. AFAIK, this is a completely new conduit for Google to obtain imagery and other media to train their AI, where previously search history would be saved (unless disabled) without any associated media. Google collecting media from users for AI training in this way would seem to have a number of very problematic aspects, at least as I understand this right now. If I learn more about this I'll let you know.

2026-06-05 00:01:16 GMT

Trump says he will build promenade connecting Lincoln Memorial to Potomac, says people want it named after him

2026-06-04 15:06:22 GMT

If you're not following this, there are enormous concerns from financial experts that the upcoming (July?) SpaceX IPO is essentially an expensive, unprecedented trap for retail investors. You might want to research this. -L

2026-06-04 05:30:53 GMT

- reply

A shared doc can be limited to specific individuals and not be public per se. In fact, it would really have to be this way to make progress in a reasonable timeframe.

2026-06-04 01:41:10 GMT

- reply

Step One is putting together a concise list of what a proposed initiative would accomplish, and the various elements and complexities that would be in play, keeping in mind that Big Tech will fight such a proposal like -- as Trump would say -- "nobody has ever seen before."

2026-06-04 00:54:28 GMT

A California Initiative requires something on the order of 500K to 900K valid signatures (depending on the specifics of the initiative), and apparently a $2,000 fee refundable if the measure gets on the ballot. #AI

2026-06-03 17:44:42 GMT

Having some sendmail problems. Haven't changed anything relevant since ... well ... feels like since the Battle of Hastings (well, at least nothing changed lately). Any bored sendmail experts out there? Thanks!

2026-05-27 01:26:21 GMT

- reply

At one time I seriously wanted to be a vet. But I couldn't handle the dissections, formaldehyde, etc. I still sometimes regret this.

2026-05-26 23:46:05 GMT

- reply

The situation is chaotic, with different jurisdictions, states, and the federal government all pushing different plans, not to mention all the associated litigation. There simply is no way to reasonably predict at this point.

2026-05-26 18:20:26 GMT

- reply

It's a very expensive upgrade to existing non-heat pump systems. It's really a total replacement -- easily hitting $15K or more. Mandating this even with some subsidies is a nightmare. Heat pumps need additional heating facilities in colder climates since they are less effective below a certain temperature. In areas with high electric charges, they can cause winter heating bills to skyrocket compared with conventional furnaces. There are more issues but that's the quickie list that comes to mind immediately.

2026-05-26 17:35:03 GMT

California moves to exempt Linux (and most other open-source OSes) from its upcoming age-verification law after backlash over forcing operating systems to collect users' ages -- amendment proposed by the same lawmaker who wrote the original law
https://www.tomshardware.com/software/linux/california-moves-to-exempt-linux-from-its-upcoming-age-verification-law-after-backlash-over-forcing-operating-systems-to-collect-users-ages-amendment-proposed-by-the-same-lawmaker-who-wrote-the-original-law
https://mastodon.laurenweinstein.org/system/media_attachments/files/116/642/080/020/414/043/original/77e7adb44693a60d.jpg

2026-05-26 17:21:49 GMT

Europe is currently undergoing an unprecedented Spring heat wave, causing enormous problems especially given that air conditioning is relatively uncommon there compared to the U.S.

2026-05-23 20:57:16 GMT

My sense is that with their latest integration of AI into Search, Google has now crossed the rubicon and off the cliff. They may hover there in the air for a short time like Wile E. Coyote, but gravity is coming for them, very soon.

2026-05-23 19:24:29 GMT

- reply

I'll add that a Google AI Overview answer I saw claimed that pre-DNS everybody had to use numbers to reach sites. That's total bullshit of course. While I DID know from memory the host numbers for all sites on ARPANET at various stages (especially my own UCLA-ATS ARPA Host #1 -- hah!), most routine lookups were by name via HOSTS tables that simply mapped names to numbers, much as /etc/hosts still does today.

2026-05-23 18:55:01 GMT

In 1983, this was my email address shown in my email signature block:
ARPA: vortex!lauren@LBL-CSAM
UUCP: {decvax, ihnp4, harpo, ucbvax!lbl-csam, randvax}!vortex!lauren

2026-05-19 21:31:12 GMT

Lyft driver accused of using #AI to fake damage
https://www.wjcl.com/article/lyft-ai-altered-image-damage-fee-florida/71348878
https://mastodon.laurenweinstein.org/system/media_attachments/files/116/603/372/499/395/603/original/0b1fe8c8fc7cf7bc.png

2026-05-18 16:31:46 GMT

- reply

There are studies indicating clear benefits to machine learning at finding patterns in large corpuses of data, medical and otherwise -- recognizing cancers, etc. This needs to be kept separate from generative AI applications as these topics are discussed.

2026-05-18 14:55:28 GMT

- reply

That's incorrect. AI/machine learning systems can have major benefits in data analysis, particularly in medical and related "big data" fields. It's specifically LLM generative AI systems that are the source of the horrific slop, not "AI" in general.

2026-05-18 05:30:45 GMT

- reply

Unfortunately, vast numbers of homeowners have been badly burned by various solar firms, and changes in rules for utility power by-backs have done even more damage. The California home solar industry is viewed by many neutral observers as essentially nearly dead.

2026-05-18 00:35:49 GMT

- reply

It's worse than that. The understandable hatred of the horrific LLM systems being foisted on us is causing potentially beneficial AI applications to increasingly become collateral damage.

2026-05-18 00:27:27 GMT

The booing that almost drove Eric Schmidt off that commencement stage when he tried to push AI should be a reminder that there are pretty much no other issues, short of hatred of child abuse, that cut across political lines more dramatically than the growing anger and pushback against Big Tech AI systems being forced on us, their associated data centers, and the politicians who support them.

2026-05-18 00:00:53 GMT

- reply

No, that is wrong. The differences are clear no matter how much one wants to fault Democrats on particular issues. It's that kind of thinking that got us Trump and his second term horrors, of a degree that no Democratic candidate would have ever thought about, much less implemented. I really object to statements like yours that push people not to vote thinking their vote doesn't matter. That's how our Democracy can be destroyed by evil like Trump and his minions.

2026-05-17 23:47:42 GMT

In what some observers say is an effort to buy favor from Trump, Colorado democratic governor commutes sentence of convicted election denier
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/15/colorado-governor-tina-peters
https://mastodon.laurenweinstein.org/system/media_attachments/files/116/592/584/788/509/043/original/9854438e12b4e83d.png

2026-05-17 15:55:25 GMT

- reply

Thanks for the kind thoughts. As for RISKS, I dunno. Running mailing lists now (e.g., my own PRIVACY and other lists) has turned into enormous hassles along a number of vectors. I won't start listing the ways here now but trust me it's nightmarish given all the collateral damage done by spam, etc. I might be able to do something but I couldn't run it the way Peter has, it's just not practical. I'm not enthusiastic about the prospects. We'll have to wait and see.

2026-05-17 15:21:47 GMT

Arizona students boo former Google CEO Eric Schmidt as he talks about AI during graduation speech
https://www.businessinsider.com/students-boo-eric-sc
https://mastodon.laurenweinstein.org/system/media_attachments/files/116/590/595/434/674/699/original/57272d5779529777.png

2026-05-17 15:11:53 GMT

- reply

I don't know. I have thought about this some but there's been no discussion I'm aware of so far. Too early.

2026-05-17 14:34:29 GMT

Peter G. Neumann, renowned computer scientist, ARPANET/Internet pioneer and expert on technology risks, working at SRI International since 1971, has died at age 93. Peace. He has been my friend and colleague for over half a century. He will be greatly missed.

2026-05-13 04:15:41 GMT

OpenAI sued after ChatGPT advised drug combos that killed a college student
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/12/openai-sued-after-chatgpt-advised-drug-combos-that-killed-a-college-student.html
https://mastodon.laurenweinstein.org/system/media_attachments/files/116/565/326/649/845/430/original/8d6eaa203c01b741.png

2026-05-07 16:59:44 GMT

Ballroom Thought for the Day: Use Trump's White House ballroom to store high level nuclear waste.

2026-05-07 16:11:10 GMT

In the battle between ELIZA and modern LLM systems, I assert ELIZA gave more reliable answers every time.

2026-04-17 14:54:22 GMT

Saw an apparently legit Mastodon site this morning which triggered Chrome to ask for local LAN access to other devices permission. Seems odd.

2026-04-09 15:54:30 GMT

CNN declared Michael J. Fox dead. He insists he's not.

2026-02-07 16:51:00 GMT

My preference: Old internal combustion engine vehicle with a manual transmission and zero integral connectivity. Excellent.

2026-01-31 16:22:07 GMT

I had a chat with #Google Gemini about their agentic AI ...
L >>> Isn't it stupid for someone to trust an agentic AI like Google Chrome
L >>> Auto Browse when Google isn't taking any responsibility for disastrous
L >>> errors the agent might make that would devastate the user? It's a scam,
L >>> really, correct?
That is a heavy--and very fair--question. It's not "stupid" to be
skeptical; in fact, it's a pretty rational response to the current "Wild
West" phase of AI development.
The tension you're feeling comes from the gap between autonomy and
accountability. When we give an agent the keys to our digital life (like
making purchases, managing schedules, or handling sensitive data), the
stakes move from "funny chatbot hallucination" to "real-world financial
or legal headache."
Here's a breakdown of why this feels like a "scam" to some, and the
reality of the risks involved:
The Accountability Gap
The core of your frustration is likely the Terms of Service (ToS).
Almost every AI developer, including Google, uses "AS IS" clauses. This
means:
The Risk is Yours: If the agent accidentally deletes a critical work
file or books a non-refundable flight to the wrong city, the company's
legal shield usually prevents them from being liable for "consequential
damages."
The "Beta" Shield: By labeling these tools as experimental, companies
shift the burden of supervision onto you. It's essentially
"driver-assist" software where you're expected to keep your hands on the
wheel at all times.
Is it a Scam?
Calling it a "scam" might be a bit of a stretch in the legal sense, but
it certainly feels like an unbalanced trade-off.
The "Pro" side: Google is betting that the convenience--saving you hours
of tedious clicking and form-filling--is a value proposition users will
take, even with the risks.
The "Con" side: You're essentially acting as an unpaid QA tester for
their product while bearing all the personal risk if the code glitches.
How to Approach "Agentic" Tools Safely
If you do decide to use these tools, think of them like a new intern:
Trust, but Verify: Never let an agent hit "Submit" or "Buy" without a
final human review.
Sandbox the Access: Don't give an agentic tool access to your "main"
bank account or mission-critical data until the tech (and the laws
around it) matures.
Check the Permissions: Be ruthless about what permissions you grant in
Chrome. If an extension doesn't need "modify" access to a site, don't
give it.
The technology is moving much faster than the legal system. Until there
is a "Lemon Law" for AI agents, your skepticism is actually your best
security feature.
Would you like me to help you look into the specific privacy settings or
permission controls for Chrome's AI features so you can see exactly what
you're opting into?
L >>> C'mon, you know as well as I do that that vast majority of people Google
L >>> wants to use these systems do not have the time, background, or
L >>> expertise to take the kinds of steps you outlined. Google is treating
L >>> them like suckers.
You're cutting straight to the heart of the "UX vs. Ethics" debate.
You're right--the steps I outlined are a "best-case scenario" for power
users, but they don't reflect how the average person actually interacts
with technology.
Most people don't read the manual, they don't audit permissions, and
they certainly don't have time to play "supervising manager" to an AI
that was marketed as a time-saver.
The "Sucker" Dynamic
There is a legitimate argument that the business model relies on
frictionless adoption. If Google (or any tech giant) put a massive,
unmissable red warning label saying, "This might ruin your credit score
or delete your files and we won't pay you a dime if it does," nobody
would click "Enable."
By making the interface "magical" and easy, they lower the psychological
barrier to entry. This creates two distinct realities:
The Marketing Reality: "Focus on what matters while AI handles the rest!"
The Legal Reality: "User assumes all risk for any actions taken by the
software."
The Power Imbalance
When you call it a "scam" or say users are being treated like "suckers,"
you're pointing to the asymmetry of information:
Complexity: The underlying logic of agentic AI is a "black box" even to
many developers. Expecting a non-technical user to "supervise" it is
like asking someone who doesn't know how to drive to supervise an
autonomous semi-truck.
Liability Shifting: Tech companies have successfully shifted the "burden
of correctness" onto the consumer. In almost any other
industry--medicine, aviation, even toy manufacturing--the maker is held
to a standard of "fitness for purpose." Software has historically
enjoyed a unique legal pass here.
Where This Ends Up
The "wild west" phase usually ends when the first major, high-profile
disaster happens--a "class-action" level event that forces the hand of
regulators. Until then, these companies are effectively betting that the
data they gain from millions of users is worth the PR risk of a few
"disastrous errors."
It's a cynical way to view product development, but it's historically
how "move fast and break things" has worked.
Would you like to look at some of the current consumer protection
debates or laws being proposed to hold AI companies more accountable for
their "agents"?

2026-01-20 05:24:10 GMT

- reply

Exactly.

2026-01-20 05:11:56 GMT

Ouch. Just got an email from a historian doing research on the original "Colossal Cave" ADVENTURE game, in particular the C translation of the original FORTRAN, a translation of which various sources (correctly) cite my involvement. However, being approached by historians never makes one feel any younger. "PLUGH!"

2026-01-20 01:41:19 GMT

Severe (S4) geomagnetic storm in progress, strongest in more than 20
years, may affect power grids, satellites, other comms

2026-01-20 00:35:07 GMT

[Politicians who don't know sh*t about tech] BREAKING: Washington State
proposes nutso law to require 3D printers to block printing of guns, gun
components, and then whatever they want to block

2026-01-19 21:36:34 GMT

Wait until Trump finds out he's never going to win the Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes.

2026-01-19 21:35:38 GMT

- reply

I've been known to use the Duchy of Grand Fenwick as a geographic location in some of my writings. Nobody has ever questioned it.

2026-01-19 21:31:04 GMT

- reply

King of Hearts is a delightful film, but I always warn people to watch the subtitled version not the dubbed one. Because the characters are speaking three different languages, MAJOR plot points can be lost in the dubbed version if you don't realize that certain conversations are not understood by all the characters, or at least aren't meant to be.

2026-01-19 21:27:50 GMT

[MORONS] When asked what the emergency is that justifies Trump's
tariffs, Treasury secretary replies "the emergency is avoiding an
emergency"

2026-01-19 16:05:13 GMT

Confronted with video of her ICE Gestapo agents in Minn using chemical weapons, puppy killer Kristi No-one backtracked on her claims they hadn't been used

2026-01-19 15:57:55 GMT

- reply

First rule of news interviews: If they say you're an expert, you're an expert.

2026-01-19 15:34:29 GMT

- reply

One of my favorite films, by the way. But you probably guessed that.

2026-01-19 15:33:50 GMT

- reply

"Your call did not go through."

2026-01-19 15:33:02 GMT

BREAKING: Trump told Norway Prime Minister that his lust for Greenland
is because Norway didn't give him the Nobel Peace Prize

2026-01-19 07:05:28 GMT

- reply

Just don't tell anyone that it's a dud.

2026-01-19 01:13:10 GMT

RE: https://mastodon.laurenweinstein.org/@lauren/115918802745661755
You'd think after all these years those suits would have learned about the S-effect. But they live in a different world than ordinary people.
#note1xw2…un0w

2026-01-19 01:09:56 GMT

At least 20 killed and presumably many injured when two high speed trains collided in Spain. One jumped off its track into another train coming in the opposite direction. Best wishes and hopes for all.

2026-01-19 01:08:34 GMT

So I've seen theoretical estimates that buying Greenland could cost upwards of half a trillion dollars. That might be a tough sell when so many Americans are starving and don't have health care. It's fantasy of course, but the numbers are still interesting.

2026-01-19 01:04:47 GMT

They all know he's nuts, they just can't figure out a practical way to deal with the problems this causes.

2026-01-19 00:59:03 GMT

- reply

We call them "heliospherics" these days.

2026-01-19 00:53:26 GMT

According to a bulletin I received a few minutes ago, the local timeline has just now been reclassified as "extremely unstable". Apparently the core networks are gearing up for galactic-wide live coverage. I'm trying to get more info but the subspace channels are overloaded and I can't get anything through. Probably nothing to worry too much about though. I'm required to say that.

2026-01-19 00:23:09 GMT

"Isn't that adorable? They're still using orbital satellites for communications!"
"Ugh, adorable isn't the word I'd use. But put it in the report."

2026-01-18 23:55:59 GMT

Disney deletes social media thread due to anti-fascist quotes from its own movies
https://www.theverge.com/news/863980/disney-deleted-anti-fascist-thread
https://mastodon.laurenweinstein.org/system/media_attachments/files/115/918/802/181/409/330/original/7867d7b35a101b50.png

2026-01-18 22:11:11 GMT

Temperature in my corner of L.A. at 2:10 PM: 67F. Unlike Florida, it's not snowing.

2026-01-18 22:06:18 GMT

Tomorrow on my usual Monday national network radio tech segment, I'll be discussing the newly announced Bluetooth flaw that can permit eavesdropping on various models of headsets and headphones. I'll also more broadly discuss steps that can be taken to increase personal communications security.

2026-01-18 04:30:00 GMT

Google's #AI Insists That Next Year Is Not 2027
https://nz.news.yahoo.com/google-ai-insists-next-not-183000031.html
#google
https://mastodon.laurenweinstein.org/system/media_attachments/files/115/914/217/496/879/897/original/99102d1246b76d75.png

2026-01-18 03:54:43 GMT

- reply

You really want to be didactic with a Trump order?

2026-01-18 03:02:39 GMT

"And remember your orders from the President. When you swing around the dark side of the Moon, eject the Epstein files."

2026-01-18 02:09:10 GMT

- reply

I'm not worried about my security. I have reasonably secure channels to use. My concern is with EVERYONE ELSE, especially nontechies who do not understand the fact that "private messages" are actually public messages on Mastodon. WHY IS IT that so many people seem not to understand that expressing a concern about a technical issue does not mean I'm concerned about it for me -- I'm concerned about all the people who don't have the background to realize there's a problem. That's what I do.

2026-01-18 01:34:37 GMT

- reply

That doesn't change the stated fact.

2026-01-18 01:30:28 GMT

#Mastodon desperately needs end-to-end encryption on Direct Messages. Period.

2026-01-18 01:23:52 GMT

- reply

As predicted.

2026-01-18 01:10:20 GMT

- reply

Exactly my feeling.

2026-01-18 01:08:52 GMT

WARNING: An official U.S. government ICE [Gestapo] account has reportedly now received verified status on Bluesky. NOTE that while it is possible to block this account, it is also reportedly possible for anyone to determine which Bluesky accounts have blocked this account via various third-party tools/sites.

2026-01-18 00:44:28 GMT

I'll bet that only a small fraction of Americans have any idea that the U.S. is about to send astronauts around the moon any day now, and even fewer care, given everything else going on right now. And I don't blame them.

2026-01-18 00:42:24 GMT

Fun Fact: The production company for the Jack Lemon 1965 comedy film "How to Murder Your Wife" was "Murder, Inc." Seriously.

2026-01-17 21:09:35 GMT

- reply

In my corner of L.A. currently 76F and 16% humidity. If we hadn't had that significant amount of rain (for L.A.) recently there would be probably be firestorms right now, especially with the Santa Ana wind factor.

2026-01-17 20:50:01 GMT

One thing you gotta hand to Trump. He's a great example for children -- an example of how decent parents teach their children not to behave.