The law does not require photo ID uploadsor facial recognition, with users instead simply self-reporting their age, setting AB 1043 apart from similar laws passed in Texas and Utah that require “commercially reasonable” verification methods, such as government-issued ID checks.

Seems toothless. Good.

100%

I reply with “yes and”.

If someone tells me I’m an idiot, NEXT! It immediately invalidates their argument.

“A Splendid Torch” by George Bernard Shaw

This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.

I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.

I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no “brief candle” for me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.

Exactly this. If I had to chose between hundreds of third party websites having my ID and my phone, I’ll take my phone.

We already have very sophisticated ways of validating payment and passport information with our devices. Validating age could be as simple as a registration procedure between the device and the identity issuer , validating the device is held by a person “of age” and then that’s it. If that user successfully completes a biometric challenge, then allow the activity.

So web browsing goes from “I’m John Doe and here’s my ID proving it” to every site (which has HUUUUUGE PRIVACY ISSUES) to “This anonymous user is over 18; this one is over 21, this one’s not”.

Also, if this behavior of forcing websites to ID you continues, it will enable a renaissance in data mining. Right now companies see “actor is in ZIP code 90210; rain in the forecast “ and put the two together to show “maybe they need a new slicker”. That’s simplified of course, but that’s basically the trick. You can use hundreds or thousands of these data points to paint an ever clearer picture of the person, but you never know exactly who they are. These ID laws are changing this rapidly.

This also has the potential to be used for some very dark purposes. Example: said something on Instagram critical of the US President? You don’t get to vote because of some label.

My position is still if the site or service requires my ID, then I don’t need it that badly.

The book “Sapiens” does a good job framing this. Humans are social creatures. Our social groups define their own norms, mores, values, etc. To be “good” is to align with those values. Clashes happen when groups with vastly different values interact. The old adage “if you were born where they were born, and you were raised how they were raised, then you would believe what they believe” applies here, even though this isn’t always true.

The Internet makes this problem more stark. Our groups aren’t based on location anymore; our neighborhood, our school, our church. We can find our group(s) that align with and reinforce us any time we want. It’s also upset the typical way we define our values, and our society is struggling to catch up.

So long way of saying, good or bad relies on context and the values of those you’re close with.

But fuck people who don’t return their shopping cart. They’re just plain bad.

In not in favor of providing ID for anything. If a service requires it, I won’t use that service. Also, I can’t think of a verification system like this that hasn’t been bypassed or exploited, so it’s largely an exercise in futility.

However, a compelling argument is to use your phone’s biometrics to perform a challenge and verification. Basically, your device acts as your ID so sites never have it. I think this way better than all websites to keep a copy of the identity.

Yeah, I mostly agree. Most Americans will buy an EV as soon as the price is reasonable and the charge anxiety goes away. If BYD made a hybrid that was as cheap as their current cars and performed like a Tesla, I think most new car buyers would forget their qualms with China really quick

“You’ll never thrill the bold
Divisions in the sky
Of whom predestined you to always
Be the last in line” Winners - Deadsy

Oh no, don’t take The Ultimate Warrior from me…

Holy shit, they get a LAMP?!

Still coming up to speed on the terminology here, but labels aside, I would hope we can all agree on the fact that society should work for the people first. A society that works for corporations and the rich first (I’d argue that most developed nations show advanced stages of this, regardless of capitalist alignment) will decay internally, like a cancer. I think we’ve seen the global decline of society working for their members since the mid 1900’s.

This has resulted in a broad rightward swing in the US, and to a slightly lesser degree abroad. People feel like they’ve been taken advantage of. And they have been, but mostly by the very rich, and it’s getting exponentially worse by the day.

Argue nuance if you feel so inclined. But my point is: the more that we’re divided by these labels is to our detriment. And when I say “we”, I mean “not the ownership class.”

Do you work? Do you draft a paycheck anywhere on earth? Then you’re getting fucked, because those who don’t draft a paycheck to live basically don’t pay anything to partake in society. We pay for them. We truly live in a welfare state, but it’s not the poor that are the recipients but the rich.

Tankie or not. Western or Eastern. We’re all manipulated into serving the will of the powerful, and constantly at odds with one another when our plight is similar. We all don’t want to get fucked. But the more we’re divided, the easier it is to conquer us.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

• wireguard

Oh man, a great hack is to microwave your garlic for about 5 seconds and the peel comes right off.

And The Music Man just announced this will be a monthly service to make stonk go up.

“The market will bear the cost”

We’ve done it before (violating sovereignty). Kind of a lot. Oh man…I hate this list. Looking at it all (AI generated) at once is a big oof. Several are joint operations.

Year(s) – Aggressor – Victim – Colloquial name / shorthand

• 1846–1848 – United States – Mexico – Mexican–American War
• 1893 / 1898 – United States – Kingdom of Hawaii – Overthrow & Annexation of Hawaii
• 1899–1902 – United States – Philippines – Philippine–American War
• 1903 – United States – Colombia / Panama – Panama Secession (Canal Coup)
• 1912–1933 – United States – Nicaragua – U.S. Occupation of Nicaragua
• 1915–1934 – United States – Haiti – U.S. Occupation of Haiti
• 1916–1924 – United States – Dominican Republic – U.S. Occupation of DR
• 1953 – United States (CIA) – Iran – Operation Ajax
• 1954 – United States (CIA) – Guatemala – Guatemalan Coup
• 1958 – United States – Lebanon – Lebanon Crisis
• 1960–1965 – United States (CIA) – Congo – Lumumba Assassination / Congo Crisis
• 1961 – United States – Cuba – Bay of Pigs Invasion
• 1964 – United States – Brazil – Brazilian Military Coup
• 1965 – United States – Dominican Republic – Operation Power Pack
• 1969–1973 – United States – Cambodia – Secret Bombing of Cambodia
• 1960s–1970s – United States – Laos – Secret War in Laos
• 1970–1973 – United States (CIA) – Chile – Chilean Coup
• 1976 – United States – Argentina – Dirty War / Junta Support
• 1979–1989 – United States – Afghanistan – Operation Cyclone
• 1980s – United States – Nicaragua – Contra War
• 1983 – United States – Grenada – Invasion of Grenada
• 1989 – United States – Panama – Operation Just Cause
• 2001–2021 – United States – Afghanistan – War in Afghanistan
• 2003 – United States – Iraq – Iraq War
• 2011 – United States / NATO – Libya – Libyan Intervention
• 2011–present – United States – Syria – Syrian Civil War (U.S. Intervention)

Yeah, I’m in.

For context, $77 billion is more than most nations spend on their military.

What we could have bought instead; a list of real problems that money could help significantly with, or fix entirely (generated with AI):

Universal Healthcare (Medicare for All)

• Est. cost: $3–4T per year
• $77B covers ~2–3 weeks of healthcare for the entire US
• Or ~6–7 million people for one year
• ~2% of annual national healthcare spend

High-Speed Rail and Public Transit

• Est. cost: $50–120M per mile
• $77B covers 600–1,200 miles of true HSR
• 3–5 major national corridors plus urban transit upgrades

Homelessness, Veterans, and Mental Health

• Est. cost: $150k–300k per housing unit; ~$25k/person/year care
• $77B covers 250,000–400,000 permanent housing units
• 10+ years of care for all chronically homeless
• 100% of veteran homelessness eliminated

Roads, Bridges, and Infrastructure

• Est. cost: ~$5M per bridge; ~$1M per mile of road
• $77B covers 15,000–20,000 bridge replacements
• ~100,000 miles of roadway rebuilt
• ~15–20% of all structurally deficient bridges

Domestic Semiconductor Manufacturing

• CHIPS Act: $52B total
• $77B covers 150% of CHIPS Act
• 3–5 leading-edge fabs
• Full AI, defense, and automotive supply-chain security

Fusion and Advanced Energy

• ITER reactor: ~$22B
• SPARC program: ~$4B
• $77B covers 3 ITER-class reactors
• 10+ SPARC-class fusion programs

Climate Resilience and Clean Energy

• Est. cost: ~$1B per GW renewable capacity
• $77B covers 60+ GW clean power
• Electrification of ~10 million homes
• Coastal protection and grid modernization across multiple states

Public Sector Scale Comparison

• Equals 3+ years of NASA’s budget
• Equals 10 years of US homelessness funding
• Exceeds annual defense budgets of most countries

No idea what I think about this. It’s terrible as a concept. It’s dated 25 November. Has anything happened with it since?

It’s so sickening it almost seems like a twisted fan fiction.

Faraday bag all electronic items; phone, smartwatch; hell, I’d even bag my car keys. Cover your face, especially the eye area. Make your voice heard, but don’t be a data point.

The Devil in the White City

A split third person narrative; One describes the architects that built the 1894 world fair in Chicago, and another that follows the escapades of one of history’s most notorious serial killers, HH Holmes, that prayed on the women that went to the fair.

One of my favorite books I’ve ever read.