Deferred Accountability is the practice of the government concealing wrongdoing while those responsible can face justice, only admitting to that wrongdoing for political gain after those responsible have died and can no longer face justice.
Think events like Cointelpro, Tuskegee, or MKULTRA.
PRAY. She prays with her knees upwards; said of a woman much given to gallantry and intrigue. At her last prayers; saying of an old maid.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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#books #literature #dictionaries #history #society #language #slang @histodons
I have finished Timothy Snyder’s book On Freedom. I was moved repeatedly while reading, and as I put it down, I had to sit for several minutes. Here are my notes from the book. Quotations are taken directly. Anything outside of quotations are my own thoughts or paraphrasing of Snyder’s words.
“Freedom is not just an absence of evil but a presence of good.”
What a simple statement but one that nevertheless needs to be made. It’s part of certain individuals’ and groups’ MO to make us cynical so that we give up hope. But if we value freedom – as so many of us purport to do – we must strive towards being open to, nurturing, and valuing the good.
The book argues that five factors are needed for freedom:
“The five forms are: sovereignty, or the learned capacity to make choices; unpredictability, the power to adapt physical regularities to personal purposes; mobility, the capacity to move through space and time following values; factuality, the grip on the world that allows us to change it; and solidarity, the recognition that freedom is for everyone.”
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‘I love my country but nobody is safe’: the plight of Cameroon’s exiles, trapped in Nigeria https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/19/cameroon-exiles-nigeria-trapped-refugees #UnitedNations #Humanrights #Worldnews #Cameroon #Refugees #Nigeria #Society #Africa #USAID #Aid
BARKING IRONS. Pistols, from their explosion resembling the bow-wow or barking of a dog. IRISH.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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#books #literature #dictionaries #history #society #language #slang @histodons
U.S. soldiers joined Japanese officials and residents in Okinawa for a one-off joint nighttime patrol Friday following sexual assault cases involving American servicemen. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/04/19/japan/society/japan-us-okinawa-street-patrol/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #okinawa #usbases #usmilitary #sexcrimes
Internal pressure mounts in Finns Party over proposal to remove tax deduction on union dues
Trade union activists within the Finns Party say that removing the tax deduction would serve only the interests of big business and high earners.
SPARROW. Mumbling a sparrow; a cruel sport frequently practised at wakes and fairs: a booby having his hands tied behind him, has the wing of a sparrow put into his mouth: with this hold, without any assistance, he is to get the sparrow's head into his mouth.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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#books #literature #dictionaries #history #society #language #slang @histodons
The Upper House passed a revised bill on Friday allowing authorities to restrict welfare facility visits from parents suspected of abusing their child. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/04/18/japan/society/child-abuse-visitation/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #childabuse #parents #children #daycare
Just like encyclopedias in the 18th century, AI now reflects national ideologies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOpusJEWn-A&t=1305s - AI #LLM #society
#Fascism is beaten when it's small, or when it grows large
Those are our only choices
It's a maintenance function of #society
We need to constantly nip it in the bud when it's tiny, like taking out the trash
Laugh at it? Ignore it?
It grows large, and you get a much more dangerous world:
"We want #French #nukes, #Polish president says"
I wouldn't be surprised if #Ukraine has a secret #nuke program now
Can you blame them?
https://www.politico.eu/article/poland-andrzej-duda-france-nuclear-weapons-emmanuel-macron/
Finland restricts public access to arms export licences at buyers' request
Previously public details such as the exporter, end-user and nature of the military equipment are now concealed in some arms export licences.
BOLUS. A nick name for an apothecary.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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#books #literature #dictionaries #history #society #language #slang @histodons
HS: Government plans to scrap tax deduction for union membership fees
The proposal comes as a surprise to some of the country's major labour and business groups.
I referenced the "When a measure becomes a goal it stops being a good measure" thing earlier this week but I just want to revisit it - apparently at length - because there's actually a meta-layer to the problem: Measuring has itself been a goal for a long time...
What is data if not points of measure, right? Well, remember Big Data? That was more than 10 years ago. Smart people warned even then about over-valuing data as a thing unto itself but, well *gestures at everything*... 
The Better Weather Podcast
Great Australian Pods Podcast Directory: https://www.greataustralianpods.com/the-better-weather/
JEHU. To drive jehu-like; to drive furiously: from a king of Israel of that name, who was a famous charioteer, and mentioned as such in the Bible.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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#books #literature #dictionaries #history #society #language #slang @histodons
In the news today! 
A brand new episode of Redefining #Society & #Technology Podcast, on ITSPmagazine
Living Forever (Sort Of): AI Clones, Digital Ghosts, and the Problem with Perfection
Bruce Y. Lee and I met once again in our favorite make-believe bar to explore what might be one of the most unsettling — and fascinating — questions of our time: What happens when your AI clone outlives you?
In this episode, Bruce Y. Lee and I explore digital immortality, algorithmic relationships, and what makes a person… well, a person. Star Trek, deepfakes, AI therapists, and dead celebrities all make an appearance. Is it still you if your clone outlives you?
Let’s discuss!
– Star Trek ethics and uncanny valleys
– ChatGPT friendships that feel a little too real
– What it means to build a digital legacy you never signed off on
– And whether a recreated version of “you” is still… you 
From #holograms to memory simulations, #socialengineering to emotional #algorithms, we’re not here to decide what’s right or wrong — just to ask: where does reality end, and where does the replica begin?
Teaser: https://youtu.be/gcj4ug4blbg
Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/in-4Mj_9TzE
Oh, subscribe to my newsletter as I am pretty sure this is going to turn into some amusing article real soon: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7079849705156870144/?displayConfirmation=true
#podcast #DigitalIdentity #RedefiningSociety #TechAndHumanity # #Cyberpsychology #ChatGPT #Immortality #HybridAnalogDigitalSociety #Storytelling #StarTrek #BruceYLee #MarcoCiappelli #DigitalLegacy #TechCulture #EmotionalAI #PhilosophyAndTech #UncannyValley #Future #memories Sean Martin, CISSP
The Japan Fair Trade Commission is considering issuing warnings to 15 hotel operators in Tokyo on suspicion that they have violated the antimonopoly act for holding monthly meetings to share internal information. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/04/17/japan/society/ftc-hotels/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #hotels #tourism #ftc
