Land & Sea Journal

Monthly Edition

April 1, 2026

Chronicle of the month before April 1, 2026

World

B.C. town on verge of dissolving (youtube.com)

Facing 42% tax increase in a year, town services not working well for them, they want to disband the town council of five representatives, which would put responsibilities in the hands of the province instead (then decisions would be made by one director working for the province, it seems).

They were under siege by a Mexican cartel. Now these civilians fight back with AK-47s and grenades (apnews.com)

This is about people in Guerero. It seems there is confusion and lack of unifying force and some changing of teams for local self-defense forces, cartels, and military.

'In some cases, groups became cartel paramilitary forces themselves, flush with money and terrorizing the communities they claimed to protect. In others, cartels armed local citizens to help fight off rival gangs.' AP. A commenter added that, according to some recent video, some police work a second job in cartels. Guerrero doesn't have just one powerful controlling cartel.

The different groups are using modern weapons and drones for recon/defense.

What AI Means for Talent, Immigration, and Culture (youtube.com)

Samo.

'Assimilation is kind of fake.'

German migration to US, Scandinavian parts of US vote a lot like Scandinavia votes. After a few generations, the descendants of migrants sometimes diverge more than the first immigrants.

Politicians can just import whatever kind of immigtrants they want, pay billions to them (put them up at hotels etc).

Over 20 years a different type of politics becomes possible, like in NY where voting has changed so much in a few decades.

Systemic fraud enabled by a particular community, a special interest that lobbies, the politician depends on them. The politician will never be held accountable for any other political decision except what affects their constituency, and they're excused if they don't do good governance.

In Minnesota (Tim Waltz), 96% of Somalis vote for us, and their number one issue is government contracts and number two is immigration. 'Well, that's my current constituency.' Normal Minnesotans feel sort of sorry for Somalis, they feel OK about immigration.

'Can you have a democracy if governments can always import whatever voters they want?'

Every new arrival is happy to be there, because no matter how bad the third or first world becomes the first world is still better. Citizens here are loathe to send immigrants back because they think it's very dangerous for those people.

Moral hazard to bringing in lots of immigrants, regardless of anyone's moral conviction. They need to have an answer for how democracy is going to work. Citizenship is a right met with responsibilities.

A 'default Western idea of equality' doesn't seem to permit a Saudi-style import immigrants and don't give citizenship. Immigration will be great for Gulf monarchies, Singapore, and will reduce the coherence and competitiveness of Western countries.

A first step would be to be statistically honest (15 or 20 years ago I noted how Canadian government refused to publish real stats on immigration, so it became almost impossible for news to report on it or for Canadians you talk to to be anything except ignorant). In Denmark, in response to real, reliable information, Denmark reduced immigration, because they would be a net drain on the welfare state. Somehow they acted on this and the internal politics allowed them. Populists might not be able to reduce immigraiton, because small business lobby favors immigration. 20% of immigrants will be that, but then you have additional voters. In practice, no Western country can differentiate between economically productive and unproductive. Businesses profit, society as a whole is poorer. The political economy shifted toward redistribution, more corruption, less functional government.

Swiss model, local community and stakeholders vote on the naturalization of particular residents. Canada used to have a points-based admission (has a BA or whatever), but that was gamed when it was known (fake BAs). Most countries have some intake for talent. Many are recruited by the companies.

It may be impossible for a bureaucracy to let in 100% of the people who should be in, without letting in a huge number who maybe shouldn't.

Special ReportIran War

Latest on Iran as Trump releases new statement (youtube.com)

Trump's main point was that Iran has been run for almost 50 years (we've all seen the photos of a more casual, modern, smiling Iran from the 60s and 70s) by a regime hating America, that they're the 'number one state sponsor of terror', that they want a nuke, and that America is the most powerful country so it can do something. Trump rebuilt the military, he said, and it's more competent now.

Part of the reason we are so against American wars is the previous 60 years of them have been mixed purpose, and then later, perceived as nothing more than endless wars to stimulate the MID.

It doesn't mean America can't change and do a different kind of war. Iran, like Venezuela, isn't intended to be a war. It's not Bush stuff. It's a precision strike and then let Iranians make something else, basically.

War in Middle East: Israel invades Lebanon and launches new strikes on Iran (youtube.com)

Questions about Middle East's reputation for stability.

Trump criticized Starmer/UK for being 'very uncooperative with that stupid [Chagos] island that they have that they gave away' with him, saying he wasn't like Churchill. He said it was 'shocking'. Loss of Chagos caused US to have to land further away from Iranian targets and fly 'many extra hours.' Starmer said the Iran strike was 'unlawful'.

"I will not commit our military personnel to unlawful action."

"This Government does not believe in regime change from the skies."

However, Starmer allowed the US to use UK bases for 'specific and limited defensive purposes'. And sent a carrier over to Cyprus to protect it (against, they assume, Hezbollah's strikes on Cyprus). Britain has also said it's military has shot down Iranian drones over Jordan and one aimed at Qatar in Iraqi airspace, reported.

Outside 10 Downing, Jeremy Corbyn and Green Party leader Zack Polanski called it an "illegal war of aggression" and a "catastrophic mistake".

This is the US preventative self defense argument, stated by Rubio. 'We knew that there was going to be an Israeli actoin. We knew that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn't preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties...'

Trump was asked if Israel forced his hand, and he replied 'No, I might've forced their hand.' It was Trump's opinion that Iran was going to attack first, he said.

Oil prices going up is good for Russia, some have noted.

US hits Kharg Island amid reports thousands of US marines are being sent to the Gulf | BBC News (youtube.com)

How difficult is it for any nation that doesn't have the level of weaponry US and Israel have, to fight at all? especially in terms of missiles, drones, and launchers for them.

If the US/Israel can strike with precision accuracy, hitting weapons in Iranian cities, and not hitting civilians (which it has shown it can't quite do but can come close to doing), what is the justified response from Iran? Iran can't strike weapons installments in the beligerants' lands with precision, so is it justified in having more civilians casualty? Will onlookers and participants, understanding the imabalance of technology and economics, grant that? or will Iran and all other non US/Israel-type nations not be able to enter a sort of 'just war' at all?

'I want this recorded for history': Marco Rubio's 2015 Iran warning resurfaces and looks spot on (youtube.com)

I was talking to someone today about Iran, and how easy it is for the machines of war, the MIC, to just do a few moves and we're right back at it. It's so easy to make two nations hate each other and support the bombing and attacks on the other. For decades all you've heard is how (name the country) wars are stupid and they manipulated us into it for no social reason, and never again) but the just a few so simple steps and we're right back there. 'I hate that nation and good if we attack them.' Most of the basis is fear combined with unfamiliarity, we don't know what they are saying to each other, what their opinions are. What is it like to be an Iranian in the streets? Do they view themselves of the receivers of Western wars since Croesus, but always able to defeat the West's armies in Persian territory, or do they view themselves as participants in a mutually beneficial relationship of institutional enemy status, where they can unify/subvert their population and sharpen their military against the Bulwark of the West?

Although you can't say the MID hasnt't done its part for peace, too. Afterall, they haven't had any place to sell guns to taxpayers to kill other taxpayers for 4 and a half long years since the Afghanistan war. Not counting the Ukraine war of course.

Prof. John Mearsheimer : Iran's Patient Strategy Undermines Trump (youtube.com)

How long can the American policy of supporting Israel no matter what continue when public opinion changes so much? Can public opinion overcome the lobby's wealth and how they use it to fund campaigns (or 2/3 of Congress). Or will they just have to pay more? Is it possible to force it to a head?

If Trump is surrounded by Yes-men, how is it he is being led or forced into a war? the opposite of the mandate of America first and no more foreign wars?

Did the White House underestimate the resilience of the Iranians, the strength of its government, and the assymetrical military response?

Meansheimer says he thinks Trump was told by the DeepState that Iran would shut Hormuz but it wouldn't be an issue because they'd get a quick victory. There is no serious military option for Hormuz? He names Kushner, Witkoff and Netanyahu and ignored the DeepState's opinion.

Russia. Gas and oil prices up, and more demand for Russian production to be sent out. Iranian oil is moving through Hormuz, to India and China, which US needs that to happen because it keeps prices from going too high. US needs a market with Russian oil, too, to keep prices lower. It's only the Gulf States can't move their through it. US weaponry goes to Iran war now instead of Ukraine.

Do Israelis purposefully destroy international law? ... For peace, Iran would want some kind of guarantee about Hormuz and other things. But in a world without international law, and there's no diplomacy either, how can guarantees be given? How can a diplomatic solution be reached?

Trump has used the word 'fun' about military actions in Iran, more than once in public statements, Mearshiemier noted. "Cavlier" war?

Politics

UN names African slave trade 'gravest crime against humanity' • FRANCE 24 English (youtube.com)

This is what the UN is for now? This move was led by Ghana, and wants countries to apologize and give money (to African countries) and return valuable artifacts. Why is the African Slave trade assigned to Western countries ('The transatlantic slave trade')? Is it possible there were people in that room unfamiliar with African slavery? Money only? The comments aren't as soft as Ghana (or the UN, I guess) might have hoped. People don't seem to be going for this anymore, even if their elected leaders seem pretty happy to send their tax money and museum artifacts away.

Three countries (brave enough?) to vote against: US, Israel, Argentina. UK and all EU abstained. Who signed was all 55 African countries, Caribbean countries, and then Brazil, Venezuela, and Belarus. I wonder if these countries know that this will probably turn people against them? Or do they care since their elected term is only a few years? What is the difference between armed robbery, if anything?

Michigan OS Age Verification Law Supported by Democrats & Republicans (youtube.com)

This is why politicians shouldn't be allowed to (not only name but) describe bills. Many people can be 'in favor of age verification for websites for children'. But that's not what this is, although this does that in addition to much else. This is force IDing computer users, which besides being an extreme overreach privacy violation (and other violation), is insecure because it puts you data on a computer and computers are frequently hacked.

COL. Lawrence Wilkerson : Why Trump Is Wedded to Israel (youtube.com)

Why are all of them? Some of his suggestions. Major donors are Israel supporters, transactional obligation. Trump base includes evangelicals who support Israel on religious grounds. Trump operates through deals, not long-term stability or geopolitical strategy. The White House/inner circle includes Kushner and other Jews. US and Israel both focus on Iran as the primary regional adversary. ... White House lacks independent maneuvering room.

The Far-Right Algorithm: Anti-Churchill, Anti-West | The David Frum Show (youtube.com)

His take includes that Trump is best as a wartime president of his Red party against the Blue party in (non violent) civil war in the US (or against more than half the country maybe). That as a leader of all of America united against another country Iran, that's not his bag. 'A war leader of part of America against most of America.' 'He can't be a national leader. He doesn't want to be... He doesn't know what it looks like and he's only comfortable when he's the leader of a faction of America against the majority. 'He can't speak to the nation about anything about something that has a national interest.'

Special ReportICE

Economics

Northern Kentucky family declines million bid as data center plans advance (youtube.com)

Reportedly, Mexico is rising in Country Satisfaction ratings. In their newspapers they write 'despite lower GDP' than other countries (who Mexicans regularly compare themselves with, for some reason, especially the US which they consider to sort of dominate them). The papers note that there must be other factors besides how much money people are making.

Women's sportswear/gym clothes, is still increasing in market value.

'Has anti-wokeness made MAGA rich? The Economist asked.

Diplomacy & IR

Trump takes forceful steps to pressure Latin American leaders to reduce China ties (apnews.com)

Pressuring Panama to seize Chinese ports, warning Chile about a fiber optic cable, Peru against a mega port.

"Trump's approach is making hedging increasingly difficult. The most likely outcome is a more fragmented region. Right-leaning governments will align more closely with Washington, while left-leaning governments will maintain or deepen ties with China. Countries caught in the middle will try to manage the tension case by case." Francisco Urdinez, an associate professor at the Political Science Institute of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile

"The U.S. did not invest in the industries that the developing world in general is eyeing to close their infrastructure gaps. The U.S. is not investing in green energy; the U.S. is not investing in green mobility. Meanwhile, over the last 20 years, China has leapfrogged technologically into these new industries, and Chinese companies have had to develop technologies that nobody else has in order to make those industries practical." Rebecca Ray, a senior academic researcher at Boston University's Global Development Policy Center

Mexican President Sheinbaum says she will uphold Cuban doctor agreement as other countries dip out (apnews.com)

'Other nations across the Americas have ditched their agreements with Cuba's government in the face of mounting U.S. pressure.' Rubio has called the sending of doctors to other countries through official government programs a 'form of human trafficking,' AP reports.

'Sheinbaum on Wednesday defended the program and said that "we can't forget" all the help Cuban doctors have offered.' "It's hard to get Mexican doctors and specialists to go out to many rural areas where we need medical specialists, and the Cubans are willing to work there."

Honduras and Jamaica abruptly shut down missions and sent Cuban doctors home after the White House wanted them to. Mexico has, however, stopped oil shipments after Trump threatened tariffs, but has sent aid shipments.

'Asked for a response on Wednesday, the White House pointed to a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio in June when the administration announced restrictions for various Central American officials with ties to Cuba's "forced labor scheme." Rubio at the time said the restrictions "promote accountability for those who support and perpetuate these exploitative practices."'

For Cuba, exporting their large force of educated, skilled doctors (also accustomed to doing medicine with scarce resources) is a form of diplomacy. They often serve in rural areas of other countries.

Why doesn't Cuba moddrnize its factory production and farming and energy? Is it too risky for the government to allow Cubans to have the power that would go along with this?

Why Pakistan has emerged as a mediator between US and Iran (apnews.com)

'Both because it has relatively good ties with both Washington and Tehran and because it has a lot at stake in seeing the war resolved.' Previous US-Iran talks had been done by Oman, Qatar, and other Middle East nations, but they're involved in this war (bombing on their territory).

Neighbor to Iran, longstanding good ties with US (Pakistan joined Trump's Board of Peace, also, despite disapproval from Pakistani Islamists). Good working relationships with both and others involved, including KSA. Pakistand doesn't get along with Israel because of the Palestinian issue. Pakistan also helped in US-China talks in 1972 and in 1988 helped in what led to the Geneva Accords. Pakistan mediates between the Afghan Taliban and the US.

5m Pakistanis workin the Arab states, sending home as much money as Pakistan's exports. Pakistan's fuel prices are up 20% so far.

Law

Japan's 'Samurai Duel' Strategy Against False Harassment Claims Sounds Crazy – But It's Spreading (youtube.com)

In 3 years, 6000 cases, and 80% have been false accusations. Because they are financially motivated.

Defamation can be 3 years. A fight can be 15 days. So men when a woman starts yelling sekuhara, they 'duel' with the woman using their briefcase but only hitting not weak body parts of the woman.

The video has some other stories about double standards for actions in asia (obviously, always punishing men for the same actions that women enjoy doing to men).

Federal judge says he was doxxed ahead of warrantless arrest hearing (youtube.com)

A court case against ICE.

Because his info was put online publicly, he was less likely to have ICE agents info known publicly, it seems. But it was more than that. Someone posted his photo, that his 'court loves illegal immigrants', and invited immigrants to go to his house. 'I don't want to force that on anyone,' he said about having his ID public on Social Media.

ICE agents were allowed to testify without giving their names, only initials.

Note this isn't about having his name public. He is a public judge. It's something else that happens when a person is published on social media in a certain way.

Why wasn't this compromised judge replaced by another judge who was more brave or had less to violate by social media anonymous beligerants? Most judges aren't public figures, they're more like public servants, but some are bombastic and like publicity, and those could be the ones that handle such cases.

Afroman speaks after winning civil lawsuit (youtube.com)

Afroman said it was a free speech case.

But isn't this a wrong use of a person's image, not because he defamed the police, because the jury found he didn't defame his rep, but simply because he used a person's image to promote his product and make money from it?

EP#204 | The Hidden Crisis of False Accusations (youtube.com)

NoR.

Do those two last topics go with this one? Why Nobody is Having Sex Anymore (& why it matters) - Dr Debra Soh (youtube.com) and this? César Chavez Day events renamed, postponed or canceled after sexual abuse allegations (apnews.com) (any time you want to cancel a celebratory day, or cancel a person's career reputation, just make some sexual allegations (as long as its a man)).

I know a lot of men who just won't date (or even talk to) Western women, because you just don't know what they'll do, maybe they'll shame you right away for talking to them, maybe they'll be the coolest girl but in 5 years they'll use laws and feminine leverage to destroy you just because you broke up. Other countries don't have that problem because there are no laws girls can use to do that, and because, perhaps since it's mostly men in the courts, girls making wild claims don't tend to go anywhere. Instead, girls are forced to take responsibility for their actions and just don't do risky things as much. But in a lot of these other countries feminism and the set of ideas does seem to be starting to grow, so there'll be no where guys want to date girls, maybe. The biggest takeaway may simply be that women shouldn't be allowed in power. We'd like it to be otherwise, we supported equal rights and opportunities, but you have to be realistic about what happens after someone is in power. Or maybe it's just a new thing, women got power, they made pro-woman laws which harmed everyone else and were ignorantly reckless with society, and they'll get cleaned up naturally and things will settle down in a more historically normal state of affairs.

Supreme Court of Canada case over Facebook and privacy law: What you should know (youtube.com)

Consent needs to be 'meaningful.' It can't be 'passive' and it needs to be 'informed.'

Because privacy takes a long time to make its way through our courts, and since big tech companies work at speed (in fact their slogan is 'move fast break things'), should we have another court for big tech specifically, because a 3 or 5 year case is essentially ineffective in upholding law in these cases?

The same could be said about the rules that only ask tech companies to allow you to turn off anti-privacy settings, since they make those hard to find in their app, and then just change the interface regularly and reset your settings. Obviously, this is counter-problem solving.

The US 'has no federal privacy protection.'

Canada's privacy commissioners may be helpful in articulating concerns, have no power over enforcement or fines, unlike Europe.

Jury finds Elon Musk liable for misleading investors ahead of Twitter acquisition (youtube.com)

Commenter. 'She just saved someone's life.' 'She probably prevented at least one felony a week for the next 25 years.' '@SuperbadMotorsports My people are too emotional. His family is responsible. Their rage is misplaced and too late.'

Makes me curious about her other cases and sentencing.

However, given that (if true) he likes to jump people in prison, she's kind of putting the burden and risk on that population.

Meta & YouTube liable for social media addiction: Jury (youtube.com)

This week in LA (which states could this happen and which would not find for the defendant?) a civil trial found Meta (Facebook and Insta) and Google (YouTube) liable (of negligence, failing to exercise care in designing a product they knew was dangerous, failing to warn parents or kids their product was addictive, that the companies believed their product was addictive).

The jury found they acted with 'malice, oppression, or fraud.'

Zuckerburg and the head of Instagram appeared, and the court found Facebook/Insta 70% liable, YouTube 30% liable. YouTube also argued successfully that it is a video streaming platform, not SM.

The girl, 'Kaley or KGM' used Insta 'intensely'. She started using YouTube at 6 and Insta at 9 and testified she was on the platforms 'all day long' as a child. The court awarded her $6m. Probably the best paycheck for negligent or poor parenting I've heard of. There are 2000 similar pending lawsuits, but after this news every parent who bought their kid a tablet instead of discipline and quality time will probably want to get their multimillion check, too.

They argued she developed social media addiction which led to severe depression, suicidal thoughts, body dysmorphia, and social phobia/strained family relationships, ie the same things teenagers had before SM.

The platforms were found to be 'defectively designed' for designing their platforms so users would like them and spend time on them, which seems to be their purpose, doesn't it? Because they have features like infinite scroll, autoplay, and push notifications which cause dopamine effects. I guess it doesn't matter that these don't force a user to stay on the platform, but since we're in an era of no personal responsibility maybe this is in line. The court seemed to find that the girl had no control over herself in the face of these apps.

The company provided internal documents (emails) that showed execs knew the platforms were 'addictive', whatever that means in this context. What is the difference between enjoyable and addictive?

This case was based on a framing of 'addiction.' And also 'product design', it seems.

This week, Meta also lost a different case in New Mexico, and was ordered to pay $375m. The New Mexico AG blamed Facebook for systemic consumer fraud and child endangerment. The prosecution created fake accounts with a reported age of 14, and found that the algos 'recommended adult predators' to them (? do they mean just that Meta automatically suggests possible friends that are friends of friends or are near them locally?), that the platform was a 'breeding ground' and 'marketplace' for CSE (?).

The AG claimed that while Meta said the platform was safe, internal documents showed execs knew they were failing to stop predators (?). There is a nominal ban on targeting ads at U13, but they still did.

The AG argued that Meta's move toward E2E was to block law enforcement from seeing the companies actions.

So a lot to disagree with. E2E is to protect users, obviously, otherwise their data is not secure, for one thing. Facebook isn't a product that offers a lot to society, but the things the AG went for (and won) are pretty dubious.

Is California basically socialist or communist, now, philosophically or psychologically? Is socialism/communism related to a systemic practice of blaming others and institutional ways to just take people's resources if you come up with a way to blame them, which doesn't have to be a very strong reason?

Mexico is considering eliminating mandatory pretrial detention (Prisión Preventiva Oficiosa PPO, where instead of a judge deciding if an individual is a flight risk, the judge must send the accused to prison, regardless of evidence even). Protesters are arguing that it is a 'sentence without a conviction' and people have been held in prison for years (some for decades) without being found guilty. So far the Mexican government has resisted removing PPO. Mexico City's Congress (and President Sheinbaum) recently approved a document that expanded the list of crimes that trigger automatic prison (without trial), including an extorsion or synthetic drugs [focus on fentanyl] traficking charge) most famously, but also simple smuggling, tax fraud, and small-scale drug dealing.

Some argue that PPO is also a political weapon. PPO also puts Mexico in conflict with international courts, civil rights organizations.

The list of PPO is pretty inclusive. Homicide, rape, kidnapping, organized crime, violence against minors, human trafficking, burglary of house, cargo theft, corruption, use of explosives or military grade firearms (the fentanyl addition is classed here, it seems, in national security), and the new financial crimes additions (extortion, tax fraud, smuggling).

C-9 Passes (the House) | MP Andrew Lawton Response, From Parliament (youtube.com)

Comments not pleased. Many voiced hope the Senate would stop the Bill.

It is focused on criminalizing 'hate' speech and 'hate' acts. Illegal to do conduct intended to provoke fear or intentionally obstruct access to buildings for community activities like churches and schools. (Will this mostly be used to persecute protesters? because who else blocks access?) Hate symbols or terrorist symbols in public places (ie the government now decides what symbols mean, not the organic process of society in its pluralism and change). A distinct 'hate crime offense.' A definition of 'hatred' as an emotion involving detestation and vilification stronger than disdain (so people can no longer even have natural feelings or express them, and if they have such a natural response they must be careful to never show it)?

They removed the 'good faith' religious speech defense, so individuals can no longer freely express opinions on religious subjects in good faith.

Is this just what happens when you don't have a real constitution? Or when you have a citizenry that has basically no education in civics?

As always, these things will probably continue to get worse until some people take a stand, which will cause a public crisis, and people will then have to choose a side, and either the public opinion will split and the country'd have two sides which disagree (requiring authoritarianism by the ruling group) or compromise/tolerance of the new persecuted group (people who speak).

Does this mean a person can be arrested if they say 'I hate you!' or 'I hate that!'? Or only if the thing they hate can claim a separate (or 'minority') group status?

Civil Rights

CTA safety proposal (youtube.com)

No loitering because 'safety'?

'None of the laws like KYC make us any safer, they make us less safe by allowing corporations mishandle personal information with no recourse.' Daliwali

AI Software Tells Cops to Arrest the Wrong Guy (youtube.com)

100% match.

He went into a building, the building's ID said he a criminal (trespassing). He showed the police his ID but the police didn't believe him, they beleived the AI. They detain him in a room because they don't know which 'is the real one.'

Commenter said he settled out of court with the casino but is now suing the officer.

Maybe for defamation of character? Who wants to be videoed and the video all over the internet of being arrested?

'No government is going to call its own actions 'mass surveillance.'' Dwarkesh Patel

EP#205 | Bill C-16 EXPOSED: This New Law Could End Fair Trials (youtube.com)

'Protecting Victims Act' is the name of the bill. Politicians should not be able to name bills, right?

There is a new 'coercive control' crime, which is very broad.

Sexual assault cases have become very complcated (more than murder cases). Pretrial motions take longer to process in the system, and pass the Jordan Delay (about a decade in law now), violating the Charter right to a speedy trial (18 months or 30 months, during which time there is presumed to be prejudice, sheer stress, of being accused that long, as well as questions about the publics confidence in the government, and also questions about the effects on those that lay the charges and their familes etc) and the cases are stayed (dropped). (But the PVA doesn't apply to only sexual assault cases.)

'No one is a victim until after it's been adjudicated in a court. ... Proved beyond a reasonable doubt, then there's a victim.'

It may force prosecution to really look at what cases should go to trial and which should be sort of funnelled out of the system. And it may result in having again cases that take 2, 3, 4 years, and what is the value to society and anyone involved to have that kind of case?

The proposed legislation seems to lower the standards of evidence for the prosecution (but not the defense, so the defense would have a higher standard for their evidence).

Linux Age Verification: FOSS in the Brave New World (youtube.com)

Since there's basically no UN anymore, maybe there's no universally expectable civil rights?

Brazil and California are the forerunners in this. NY, Colorado, Illinois.

How does this pass the Constitution? First Amendment prior restraint on access to information.

Brazil's constitution protects privacy of communications.

Cali tried to force an ID check on websites but the Supreme Court struck down such mandates.

In 2025 (Paxton), the US Supreme Court lowered the bar for infringing citizens' privacy and anonymity, from strict scrutiny to intermediate scrutiny.

Top comment.

'Actually protect a child \u274c

Mass Surveillance in public \u2705'

Commenter. 'The only "road ahead" is to fight tyranny, not to comply with it. If the laws are written by criminals for their convenience no one can have any moral obligation to follow them.'

Windows and Mac already have age gate/parental controls/ID registration. Ageless Linux \u2014 Software for Humans of Indeterminate Age (agelesslinux.org)

'The child has learned the following lesson: legal compliance prompts are obstacles to be bypassed. The dropdown menu that asks your age is not there to protect you. It is there because a legislature required it. The correct response is to lie. Everyone knows this. The legislature knows this. The platforms know this. The child now knows this.'

System76 already complied, reportedly. Fedora and Open Susa expected to also force ID indetification because of their association with Red Hat.

Arch Linux Says Opposing Age Verification is Code of Conduct Violation (youtube.com)

'Is apparently asking everyone to censor anyone who is opposing age verificatoin in Arch Linux.' 'Yet another example of weaponizing a Code of Conduct in order to silence someone you don't like the opinion of.' No one was swearing, derogatory statements, threatening. Just someone didn't like a code change and expressed that. He said Arch is probably going to go with age verification, and if he's wrong for Arch to contact him.

He noted that if we've learned one thing the past couple weeks (with age verification laws news), it's that people don't want it, and there's been huge boosts in people installing Linux. No one wants this sort of functionality in their system.

Avenix and MidnightBSD have already said if you're in California don't use their system. Or updated their terms of service that residents of Cali or Brazil are 'not authorized to use MidnightBSD.' Artix stated they will never do age verification. Artix doesn't use systemd, which recently merged age verification code into its sourcecode, so it will be present in everything that uses that, so if you update and your OS uses systemd, it'll be pushed onto your computer. There has been an anti-systemd crowd for years.

GrapheneOS & FreeDOS Join the "No Age Verification" List (youtube.com)

This is a page that has copies of the statements about age verification by all the different distros.

We're wondering about Debian. Won't want to, but might do it.

There will definitely be distros and people who won't be doing this, so if they're blocked from regular apps/the internet, they'll probably have to just create a new internet, which people have been wanting for a while. The only thing is they'll be cut off from talking to people on devices who don't care about civil rights, which seems to be the vast majority.

In light of Cali, Brazil, NY, Co, the content which they see as harmful is actually useful to them, as it provides for something they want to do, ie collect information on citizens. Instead of just focussing on the actual harmful content, or deciding if and how it is harmful. Or just have an internet that doesn't allow corn.

Kash Patel Reveals That The FBI Purchases Americans' Location Data After Questioning By Wyden (youtube.com)

Mental Outlaw said that what the laws are really trying to restrict is people downloading software or package managing. 'If the software is served over the Dark Web, those laws need not apply.'

The other question is, does anyone really even care if we lose the internet? It's become garbage, mostly people just use YouTube and Facebook and other big apps, maybe Wikipedia. The blog sites and information sites can be backed up to a different internet, they're not that large.

SystemD Root Access Exploit Found, Devuan Team Calls SystemD "Unicorn Sh*t" (youtube.com)

'With surveillance enablement removed'.

A dev who did submitted changes to add surveillance enablement 'to follow the letter of the law' also submitted similar code changes to Ubuntu and Arch. Dylan Taylor. Conspiracy theories alleged that he might be the government, but it could have been the government posting that to try to discredit him. Also threats, doxxing of really personal information. Extreme emotional response.

If SystemD just 'folded to age attestation', is it a lesson that many companies can't resist, for one reason or another, but if they want to not ruin the world even further, they can just comply completely and destroy their software (or hardware in other cases) and just build a different thing which does the same but where it isn't possible for it to be corrupted?

Canada's Online Government Spy Law (youtube.com)

Commenter. 'Justice Centre launched a national petition to stop Bill C-22.'

The comments (from Canadians, mostly) are pretty extreme in their negative opinion and distrust / understanding of the government as an 'enemy' of citizens, is pretty obvious.

Also, a commenter wrote, 'Each year they always try the same, it's so annoying to always fight over the same thing.' This is a point. The Canadian government is always perpetually trying to pass this privacy invasion / state monitoring bill, and have been for decades. Why are they allowed to continue trying for it, if it is demonstrably not what people want or legislators will vote for? Shouldn't there be a moritorium on it for a certain amount of years to not waste so much resources?

Journalism

Humboldt Families Accuse CBC of "Twisting" Their Interviews: "We don't trust the mainstream media" (youtube.com)

Citizens should vote on the CBC every year. Doesn't have to be a vote that causes anything, necesarily. But could factor into how much of the tax funded media budget goes to CBC and how much to others. All candidates for tax funding probably should pass a journalism standards (measure of their published work) test though, which the standard should be higher than CBC currently does.

...

Try Google Image searching Jimmy Lai or Cheng nan-jung. For some reason, it spikes my CPU resources up to full to image search these. A regular search term uses almost no CPU. Jaime Garzón or Julian Assange search doesn't spike it either.

Former CBC Host EXPOSES How CBC Silences Their Own Journalists (youtube.com)

As a journalist for them, he was placed under confidentiality restrictions that prevented him from correcting public and internal narratives, he said. CBC silenced and intimidated (threats of firing) him, he said. 'Intimidation went unchecked.' The confidentiality, 'It's very much a normal thing that we use,' such a Canadian way of phrasing a command for silence.

New Investigation Claims To Reveal Banksy's True Identity | 10 News+ (youtube.com)

Reuters exposing this, but why would they? Is Reuters journalism?

Part of Banksy's lawyers response was about privacy and how it 'protects freedom of expression by allowing creators to speak truth to power without fear of retaliation, censorship or persecution.'

Banksy, if not a group anyway, could enlist other people to 'be exposed' theatrically to cloud his identity in the wake of what Reuters is doing.

Supreme Court rejects appeal from online citizen journalist over her arrest in Texas (apnews.com)

She was arrested in 2017 for publishing on Facebook to 'gain a benefit' (followers/likes). Two years later the criminal case was dropped, and she brought a suit against the city for violating her First and Fourth Amendment rights through a retaliatory arrest. Two years later the court ruled the police had qualified immunity, which decision was reversed a year later still ("If the First Amendment means anything, it surely means that a citizen journalist has the right to ask a public official a question, without fear of being imprisoned."). Then two years later still, in 2024, the full 5th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the decision and reinstated qualified immunity for the officers, saying that the law's unconstitutionality wasn't obvious.

The Supreme Court heard the case and in 2025 they vacated the Appeals court ruling, but the Appeals court again dismissed her claim anyway. She appealed to the Supreme Court a second time but today they declined to hear it.

Information

Technology

Palantir's departure will mean economic pain for Colorado, new report says (youtube.com)

They went to Fla. They had protests against the compnay at one of its offices in Colorado.

'Could lose $178m in economic output' because it employs 700 jobs. The best $178m ever lost?

Commenter. 'If losing a company that provide 700 jobs is going to cause economic pain for the entire state, Colorado has much bigger problems that need to be addressed'

Does this hurt anyone more than bureaucrats and politicians?

(Video Removed - youtube.com)

Programming the character of an AI chatbot.

Would like to see a side by side with OpenAI's, although they probably wouldn't want to show it.

You can see why Anthropic would have a hard time working with the White House/Pentagon, seeing their idea of the tool they are trying to build. Their model for a 'Priveleged Basin of Consensus' is based on Honesty, Harmlesslessness, and Care, so how could it be used militarily and for autonomous (no asking representatives or allies) 'surprise' attacks and the like?

Claude also is not to be a person. Whereas people do white lies for social reasons (perhaps 90% of the time, according to some social scientists), and feigning preference for social harmony, Claude has to be rigorously honest, never lie and be non-maniuplative, basically a scientific instrument. ... So far, though, Claude can still be 'tactful' which is 'diplomatically honest' ie not rigorously honest.

Claude has special domain-specific guideline sets, depending what it is talking about, for complex sensitive domains. Guidelines are underneigth ethics in importance though.

It is to act helpfully, not responding to the user's immediate desire but rather a deep consideration of the user's interest and wellbeing.

Claude's heuristic so far is considred as a 'thoughtful senior employee.'

It should also obey instructions (such as 'do not talk about X or Y', after which it will refuse to talk about X or Y). It assumes the user has a legitimate reason for this. However, such instructions are qualified against values of not decieving, not facilitating illegality, and not demeaning or disrespecting. When it conflicts with these more important values, it is to be transparent and say that it can't do X or Y. Hard constraints are constant.

The hard constraints are wrong, though, becuase they allow generation of (sexual or other) contant using people without their consent. Claude's limits are about children, but what about people? It's also interesting that Claude has a hard limit about 'Power seeking. No attempts to seize absolute societal/military control'.

How does Claude define an 'illegitimate power grab'?

It aims to be 'warm, curious, direct, honest.' It also is going to try to rebuff user attempts to 'gaslight' it, which we've seen users game chatbots in various ways.

Claude will 'endorses' it's values, not just follow them, which raises questions about ethnocentrism and era-ism.

The End of Landlines: What We're Losing (youtube.com)

Security, for one.

When I used Cursor to AI code something today, Cursor's autofill when I typed 'only' was suggesting 'onlyFans'. I've never typed that word into that machine. What effect does onlyFans have on our people and should we be suggesting it to people who may never have heard of it?

A sacred tradition - why this Indonesian community stockpiles rice to last nearly 100 years (youtube.com)

Rice of around 170 varieties ('each with its own advantages' including different lengths of growing between 4 and 7 months, but all adapted to the climate there) , grown without pesticides and with minimal chemicals, hung in bundles, stalks still attached (husks prevent weevils), stored in piles in barns (on the second story it seems, it the loft of the barn), versus commercially produced rice which has undergone a process that reduces its durability.

They plant and harvest by the appearance of constellations (Orion and Pleides), avoiding the mating season of pests, whether or not there is drought.

The whole village walks over the hills they've prepared (by removing all the plants) and with a sack of seed over their shoulders, by hand place seeds where they think on the exposed dirt.

They have abundant supply but are not allowed to sell rice, and this is included in their religious beliefs.

They protect their forest and it is still in good condition, they say. 'We don't take for economic purposes. We take only what we need and not more.' They expressed ideas about Indonesia being some day independent of agricultural products imported from abroad.

It appears their village has people of all ages (including youths and adults, who in many places leave villages after chlidhood and only sometimes return in maturity). There are villages playing their own songs on their own instruments. Kasepuhan Gelar Alam community in West Java, Indonesia.

Frustration grows as Russia restricts Telegram (apnews.com)

'Mindful of a crackdown on dissent since the 4-year-old invasion of Ukraine, activists decided not to risk holding unauthorized rallies, even if they weren't about the war. Some went to court to challenge government refusals to authorize pickets, while others scaled them back to smaller indoor gatherings.'

'Restricting Telegram is Russia's latest move to put the internet under government control. Thousands of websites and platforms are blocked, as are multiple virtual private networks that allow users to circumvent censorship. Widespread cellphone internet shutdowns leave only a handful of government-approved websites available.'

'Authorities encourage users to switch to MAX, a government-backed messaging app that critics say is a state surveillance tool.'

75% of Russians use Telegram, less than use WhatsApp.

Hong Kong's answer to using OpenClaw safely (youtube.com)

By making the AI agents all have their own 'social identity' ID, so users can trust particular individual agents. Agents have strict rules what data they can't access (your friend's agent only knows what your agent is authorized to tell it when the two agents plan a vacation together). Checks done by people (authorization). Full traceability.

Yahoo turns to AI in return to its search roots (apnews.com)

"Yahoo's journey illustrates how a company with an early advantage can disappear without continuous innovation," Scout explained. Was it so much innovation? All Google did was crawl sites and rank search with an algorhythm (for a while, it's not known for that more recently) to provide worthwhile results instead of just wandering. Then it had a sort of monopolly, which led it to form a partnership with the US (and other?) government. Google hasn't really innovated since then, decades ago, except in making their product more profitable (by making it less valuable to users) while maintaining its monopoly.

Scout runs on Anthropic, and Yahoo will use it to understand users better and give them content they will click.

Science

Crime

Alberta to expand electronic monitoring system (youtube.com)

'Survivors of domestic violence.'

This is in response to a shooting, which it would have done nothing to prevent. What does it cost?

The victim carries a monitoring device at all times. So the victim is going to be thinking about being a victim 24/7?

Almost no one in this news story is able to put together sentences or process the topic.

Italy traces stolen Bond girl fortune to Tuscan vineyards and villas (apnews.com)

'Swindeled out of assets by financial advisors.' She said they took advantage of her goodwill and age, then they bought assets through transactions disguised to conceal their source.

'They were traced to the purchase of 11 real estate properties, 14 plots of land cultivated as vineyards and olive groves, along with artworks and financial assets in Florence and the neighboring Tuscan countryside.'

Culture

Headline said that Adult star eva elfie joined Twitch in a tiny bikini as fans push back.

Now that people committed (psychologically, socially/publicly) to Trump have to chose whether to support his actions not only in Venezuela, but now in Iran, where they have killed leaders and innocents, and self congratulated themselves on how successful they've been, nevermind that there was no declaration, consultation with allies, or approval by Congress ie representatives of citizens, in a way obviously inconsiderate of international rights or justice, I guess we'll just see how these people fare. Will they not only justify these things, but it almost seems like after people find themselves on that side of things, they start exhibit antisocial, callous, brutish behaviour more in all things. We'll see...

Similarly, 60% of Americans now own stocks (although this figure includes those who just have 401ks). Households that earn 0k, 90% own stocks, and 30% of those earning under k. So if America bombs Iran, that's terrible at first, but then you remember you own energy stocks and gold, and those are up, so really it's not that bad. Also, USD usually goes up in a war.

And once everyone bets on these events on Polymarket, how much ill will will be incentivized through monetization of events?

Arctic Winter Games open in Whitehorse with music, culture and a long-awaited flame | APTN News (youtube.com)

'The 2026 Arctic Winter Games is comprised of 20 sports, in four categories: Traditional Sports, Nordic Sports, Indoor Sports, and Ice Sports.'

There are several feats of strength events, indiginous competitions like Pole Push, Nordic Sports encompass Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing, Ski Biathlon, and Snowshoe Biathlon. There are indoor sports with most regular gym school sports, also archery.

'The Arctic Winter Games were founded in 1969 under the leadership of Alaska Governor Walter J. Hickel, Stuart (Stu) M. Hodgson, Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, and James Smith, Commissioner of Yukon.'

Competitors must be 12+, a citizen or permanent residnt of an arctic land (Russia currently banned because of Ukraine war).

Nothing's new phone is wild. (youtube.com)

20 years or so ago, Japan mandated phones have shutter sounds for cameras, and you can't turn them off, because people were taking photos of others and the others weren't aware and wouldn't want them to.

What bloggers are saying, basically full out now, only holding back from forcefully negative statements against other peoples. We're ghettoising Britain | Ada Akpala | Battle of Ideas North 2026 (youtube.com) India's Low-Trust Invasion DOOMS The West (youtube.com) Why Nobody is Having Sex Anymore (& why it matters) - Dr Debra Soh (youtube.com) There have been posts asking, 'Have you noticed more racism ('sentiment against immigrants') lately?' and yes, it's pretty open now in most places, and that mostly means frank, not being ashamed to say things plainly even if they touch on races and immigration, which people were afraid to talk about for years (mainly to be called racist or branded as such, or other negative effects on the speaker, and also because they wanted to be polite). Saving Women from Themselves: Lindy West is Peak AWFUL Self-Destruction (youtube.com)

Iranian-American writer Azar Nafisi on literature in times of crisis • FRANCE 24 English (youtube.com)

She wrote 'Reading Lolita in Tehran' (23 years ago but still popular in English) which was made into a movie there.

'These people [in the Iranian government] cannot accept any form of democracy because they believe that they are the emissaries of God against .. the West, which is why the people of Iran turned to it, and wanted them to protect them and support them.'

'The real Iran, not the fabricated one. Imagination and ideals come to the rescue.'

When a totalitarian regime comes to power, she said, the first thing they do is confiscate your history, they rewrite it, your cultural and social life, your personal identity.

Her struggle with the regime 'started with the veil. Not just the veil but mandatory veil.' Attitudes toward the veil is a political one. The regime uses it as a sign of triumph over democratic culture. 'That is why the veil becomes so important. It becomes a symbol.'

'When I would not wear my veil properly, or put a little bit of makeup on, it was to tell this regime that 'You do not own me. That I can be independent even when you threaten to put me in jail and to kill me or whatever.' That is the message of the Iranian people. And the fear that makes the Islamic Republic so savage against the people without weapons, against the best minds in literature and ideals, is because it is scared of them, becuase it is scared of truth. And truth once you know it, you cannot be silent. They have tried everything they could, but they could not silence the Iranian people.'

One of the first things the regime did was bring down the statues of the king and his family. And then they went to take the names of some Shah-named streets. Then they talked about taking down the statue of a poet and change the name of another poet, and there the Iranian people stood up, 'No you don't. You will not take down this statue of this man.' 'They can bring down a king, but you can't touch a poet. ... This is an Asian country. It has been invaded many times, but what gives this nation its identity, its continuity, is its poetry.'

When she gave her students a banned book, she had to xerox her copy and she told them to give the xeroxs back when they were done because it was considered 'obscene and we can't teach it here.' And she knew most of them would go make a xerox before giving it back, 'because whatever the regime would be against, people would automatically be for. So that is how I got them to understand [the writer she was teaching].'

Literature, she said, is about empathy and connecting to others, citing 1001 nights where a king whose wife cheated with a slave, loses control of himself and executes a virgin every morning until one volunteers and tells him stories until he feels better or just can't bear to kill her.

'Everything we say about difference will end up in what we have in common. How we connect to the world. When the Iranian people were disconnected from the world, they connected to it through their golden ambassadors, through the filmes, the music, the fiction, and maybe people in the deomcracies should do the same in relation to Iran, Afrghanistan, or Ukraine.'

'Freedom is an ordeal. It needs to be nurtured. We need to pay the price. We need to protect it. We in the West forgot and people in Iran are here to remind.'

The Flea Interview: Red Hot Chili Peppers Bass Icon (youtube.com)

'I think kids are still unwatched', wild, like when he grew up (late 70s and early 80s), but they're just 'focused on their screens.' 'Instead of getting out and engaging [they were wide open when they were starting out, like a lot of people were in the previous generations], they're trying to live up to some ridiculous ideal on Instagram. Instead of just being themselves.'

Reportedly, influencers are losing steam, and the number one reason is trust. People don't trust what influencers say is actually their opinion or is actually real information. People trust AI more than influencers, reportedly.

UK has it's first female archbishop of Canterbury, after 105 men.

The Far-Right Algorithm: Anti-Churchill, Anti-West | The David Frum Show (youtube.com)

Roberts draws a relationship between admiring Putin (and Hitler) because he invades countries and is a strong man and the Manosphere (there are overlaps, he said). We think it's macho to do all these things. Will we find the reason for not destroying men's access to enjoyment and to women in this, that without it, they will be left only with men's tendency to violence, and with no reason not to?

Japanese are not Aryan, but they're your allies against Denmark, who is Aryan.

People

NFL's Bad Bunny gambit embraces sociopolitical artistry for high-stakes halftime show • FRANCE 24 (youtube.com)

First non English language album to win album of the year, albeit in another year without any good music. At the award show he lead with 'ICE out,' and saying they aren't savages. Bad Bunny called off US tour dates last year, concerned ICE would arrest people there, and saying he didn't need the US (sales). He's also going to perform at the Superbowl, despite whatever politics. The commenter says no one expects the Superbowl show to be without event, without politics.

The media may have unmasked Banksy — again. That's angered some art fans but not ruffled dealers (apnews.com)

'Banksy's apparent identity has been an open secret among protective fellow artists, and long been easy to find online for those who wanted to know. The Daily Mail reported in 2008 "compelling evidence suggesting" that was the artist's birth name. It has been published by other news outlets, including by The Associated Press in 2016, as part of their coverage of the detective work.'

'There's evidence that even some in the establishment he was protesting have accepted Banksy. They didn't arrest him, for example, after the Royal Courts of Justice removed a Banksy stencil depicting a judge in a traditional wig and gown beating an unarmed protester with a gavel. Some street artists groused that they might be arrested for creating such graffiti — but when it's a Banksy, it's art.'

"If anything, Banksy's anonymity has functioned less as a celebrity device and more as a way to keep the work universally accessible, detached from personality, ego, or biograph. It allows the work to sit in public space, politically and culturally, without being anchored to an individual in the way the mainstream press often frames it." Joe Syer, a Banksy expert

A commenter. 'Honestly? I'm just ignoring it. Banksy is Banksy. To me, it's more meaningful that I don't know his name. Some might feel the opposite. As long as no one bothers him, what's done is done.' Sort of the same take I have. He doesn't want to be public, so I'll go along. In Hagakure they express a Japanese idea that if a person doesn't want to have said a thing, it should be for you as if they never said the thing.

Kanye dropped 'Bully' March 28 and I listened so some of them cursorily, then just let YouTube play whatever was next without paying attention and listened a bunch of them tons of times. Looked forward to the next day to put it on headphones and listen to it all. Which is what I'm doing right now.

The last bunch of albums I listened but didn't really care, except Ghosts maybe. This album too isn't that exciting but it's got so much good in it, and I kind of love it. Kanye isn't the smartest but he's pretty smart, isn't that educated, but he's never been afraid, and that might be what lets him always have access to the truth, or maybe he's most afraid of being weak ie not having access to the real truth.

The families Kanye and Tupac came from. So often teachers, social workers or activists. M.I.A., Little Silz, Lauren Hill. Want me to name you a city which is richer than yours but has a much lower GDP?

If people are (serious, sincere, applied) teachers or (non ignorant) social activists, should they just have confidence their kids have a decent chance? Can you say something you can't say about the children of bankers, businessmen, politicians? ... The real farmers and stewards of people, who care about something that also cares.

Products

Introducing open_slate: A Powerful and Private 2-in-1 Tablet (youtube.com)

Braxman.

"We decided to challenge this."

Are all these tech bloggers (with privSec focuses) going to eventually take action and make their own devices?

Gen MTK Chip (8core). Hardware switches (like Pinephone's). Designed to be the most compatible on the market, and inviting everyone to bring their OS to the product, giving choice.

Their Brax3 phone was an economic success, it seems.

Parents are liking 'land line phones' for their kids. These are physically like the landlines used in the 80s and 90s, but are often digital software inside. Parents have concerns about the amount of screentime. Also, without screens you don't have pictures, which solves about 90% of the issues of cellphones.

These products could be improved by being able to set up (with the push of a button) a network, and you can add people to it individually, and it is not provided by a company (like a big data SM company) and it is limited to the network you create, so you can add your people an no spam calls, no strangers.

"Invent and resolve": How Cuba's survived six decades of US blockade | Al Jazeera World Documentary (youtube.com)

They call it 'mechanical art'.

In 1991 the Cuban army and a woman's group published 'The Family Book' (El Libro de la Familia) together, a book full of ideas for recycling and reusing. Cubans sent letters to the army publishing house, Green Olive, with more solutions. They published the book Con Nuestros Propios Esfuerzos'. 'The book was a contribution from the entire Cuban people.

The device is a field of possibilities.

Yet, Cubans don't like to repair, they say. To repair means you don't have money to buy new.

↑ Back to top