#Efficiency in Data Labeling

[habiledata]

Human vs. Automated Data Labeling: How to Choose the Right Approach

Today, technology is evolving rapidly, making it crucial to choose the right data labeling approach for training AI datasets.

In our article, we have discussed human vs. automated data labeling and how to select the best approach for your AI models. We have also explored the benefits and limitations of both methods, providing you with a clear understanding of which one to choose.

[jeszrosse]

🧬 “Deviation”

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MANIPULATIVE!Albert Wesker x Reader | One-shot AU | Reader Unaware | Deep Psychological Control | Obsession-Slowburn

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⚠️ Possessive behavior • Surveillance • Delusional Justification • Isolation tactics • No reader realization • Smut • Stalking

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🧬 1. [Observation]

It begins, as most things do with Wesker, in silence.

Your first day on the team, you barely warranted a glance in the surveillance feed.

Another lab technician. Another replaceable assistant. Another insignificant moving part.

But then you lingered.

Stayed late. Came early.

Read the case files beyond your clearance level and didn’t flinch at the corpses.

You passed the first test.

Not that you knew there was one.

You thought it was coincidence that no one sat beside you in meetings.

That your access card opened doors you never requested.

That the intern who made a joke about your smile was transferred within the hour.

It wasn’t coincidence.

It was calibration.

He was isolating the variables.

And you, you became an anomaly worth noting.

He began compiling minor reports on your behavior, tucked into encrypted files labeled with meaningless acronyms—justifications for your existence in his system. He logged your arrival times, the hesitation in your speech, the way you handled scalpel trays with a certain… reverence. Clinical on the outside, but with the sharpness of someone who wanted to understand.

You weren’t like the others—those limp, nodding bureaucrats or ambition-hollowed researchers. You read between lines. You saw things. You didn’t ask for approval.

It should’ve been threatening.

But instead, it was fascinating.

---

🧬 2. [Containment]

Wesker doesn’t trust easily.

He trusts data.

Outcomes.

Silence.

But you unsettled the metrics.

You moved differently. You saw things. You questioned protocols he didn’t authorize you to read.

And he watched.

The way your fingers hovered over a scalpel you didn’t need to touch.

The way your reflection lingered in the biohazard glass.

The way your laugh, rare as it was, made low-ranking guards look up.

So he changed the guards.

Restricted hallway access.

Reassigned co-workers.

Built your world to orbit only him.

And still—still you never noticed.

Not when your new desk faced his office.

Not when your login synced with his terminal.

Not when your lunch orders began arriving, already paid.

You thought it was protocol. Efficiency. Company structure.

It wasn’t.

It was obsession.

Even your chair was adjusted—replaced with one designed to support your back based on posture data from security footage. Your lighting changed imperceptibly across weeks, tailored to prevent eye strain and keep you awake longer, sharper.

He scheduled briefings when you were most alert.

Redirected minor crises to ensure you'd report directly to him.

He watched the way you blinked when you were confused.

Memorized the twitch of your mouth when you were about to ask something risky.

Your coworkers left one by one. Transferred. Fired. Reassigned.

Those who got too familiar? Disciplined. Quietly.

You didn’t wonder why your inbox felt so clean.

Why no one interrupted your concentration anymore.

Why the company started feeling like a corridor, narrowing around you.

---

🧬 3. [Degradation]

It got worse.

Or—closer to the truth.

He found himself pausing the security feed just to watch the curve of your spine as you bent over notes.

He rewound your voice recordings, cataloguing the inflections in your “Good morning, sir.”

He deleted the word sir from your tongue in his mind.

He didn’t want your respect.

He wanted your obedience.

Your trust.

Your presence, constant and unrelenting.

You belonged in his space, like air belonged in lungs.

He just hadn't told you yet.

Sometimes, you left behind small things—sticky notes, paperclips, coffee cups. Harmless. Forgettable. But he kept them all.

The mug with a faint mark of your lip balm.

The pen you once clicked while reading virology samples.

A typed memo, crumpled, with a single word scratched out and replaced. "Necessary."

He examined them not with sentiment but calculation.

These were not keepsakes.

These were proofs of proximity.

You were slipping under his skin molecule by molecule, and he needed evidence of your presence in his domain.

But there were moments—dangerous ones—when calculation gave way to something darker.

Moments when you reached for a dropped stylus beneath the lab table and the hem of your coat pulled taut across your thighs.

Moments when you tilted your head to read something over a microscope and exposed the soft column of your neck.

Moments when the feed from the surveillance cameras caught just enough.

He knew every angle of your body from security footage.

The way your blouse sometimes gaped slightly when you leaned forward.

The way you stretched without thinking, unaware of how it framed you.

Unaware of the man watching—memorizing.

It was a weakness.

A flaw in his design.

But sometimes he would watch the footage at half-speed, eyes burning, jaw clenched, and tell himself it was for behavioral monitoring.

That the brief tightening in his chest wasn’t arousal, but concern.

And yet—when you bent to pick up a file one night, alone, late, and the back of your skirt lifted just slightly—

—his fingers had twitched.

Not from irritation.

From restraint.

From the raw, silent thought that he could take you. Right there.

Not in fantasy. Not in dream. But in brutal, clinical, breathtaking reality.

He could fuck you against the sterile counter and no one would stop him.

No one would even know.

But he didn’t.

Of course he didn’t.

He was control. Discipline.

He filed the footage.

Encrypted it.

And watched it again the next night.

Hands behind his back.

Jaw locked.

Throat tight with the sick, hungry coil of desire he refused to name.

You didn’t know.

Didn’t see.

Didn’t feel the weight of a man who no longer saw you as a subordinate or asset—

—but as something already his, simply awaiting the correct time to be claimed.

---

🧬 4. [Denial]

You never caught it, but he looked away first.

Every time.

Every instance your gaze met his, however briefly.

You assumed it was deference. Coldness. That clinical thing he wore like a second skin.

But it wasn’t.

It was containment.

Because the sound of your voice—the precise cadence in which you said “Understood, Doctor Wesker”—lit up some dormant, vile thing in him.

Something untested.

Something monstrous.

He was not above temptation.

He was simply better at dissecting it.

The way you smiled at your coworkers, never at him?

He noticed.

The way you stood just a fraction closer when anxious, fingers tightening at your sides?

He filed it away.

He let others believe you were isolated by accident.

But he'd engineered that loneliness. Curated it.

Suffocated anything that threatened to pull your attention elsewhere.

You never got that offer for project co-lead.

Never received the anonymous gifts left at your desk by interns.

Because Albert intercepted them.

Silently. Strategically.

You didn’t know it was his hand pulling you toward him, only that every direction seemed to fold inward until he was the only constant.

The only man who saw you.

Who understood you.

He watched you trace your notes, watched your lips form silent syllables, and all the while he denied himself.

Denied the heat pooling in his abdomen.

Denied the cruel ache behind every “Goodnight, sir” you uttered.

Denied the nightly compulsion to run simulations of what you would sound like begging.

And when he couldn't sleep, he listened to your voice on the lab’s intercom archive.

Just to hear it.

To pretend.

To substitute control for contact.

And still—he told himself he had not crossed the line.

Not yet.

Because you were still untouched.

Still pure, in the way only someone unaware of their ownership could be.

---

🧬 5. [Possession]

He began to see it in everything.

The way others looked at you—a threat.

The way you spoke about your family—a liability.

The way you said “thank you” when he passed you reports—intolerable.

You didn’t thank him.

You didn’t understand him.

You couldn’t.

But that was fine.

Understanding would come later.

He started curating your tasks more delicately.

Steered you away from field ops, too dangerous.

Assigned you exclusively to him, citing “performance optimization.”

You didn’t protest.

You thought you were being promoted.

But in truth, you were being drawn in.

Woven tighter.

Placed carefully, perfectly, exactly where he wanted you.

In his office.

In his world.

In his reach.

Your name was embedded in his daily reports. Your security log-in pinged his terminal every time you swiped a door.

The other researchers stopped referencing your work without Wesker’s express permission. He had erased your reputation as independent—you were his now.

And no one questioned it.

Not when his gaze burned through the glass walls of the lab.

Not when he stood beside you in meetings like a shadow wearing a tailored suit.

Not when his hand briefly brushed yours while reviewing samples, and he didn’t pull away.

He didn’t need to pull away.

He had already claimed what he wanted.

---

Now, his fingerprints existed on more than your reports.

He’d rewritten your schedule to end near his. Aligned your meals. Synced your lab hours. Even your breaks were subtly shifted, your elevator stops timed perfectly with his descent.

You didn’t see it.

But he did.

Every day you returned to your workspace slightly adjusted—your chair moved back in, your pens restocked, your personal mug rotated exactly one degree counter-clockwise.

“We’re optimizing,” he’d say.

“For your convenience.”

He'd begun accompanying you to biometric checks. At first, a coincidence. The second time, an excuse. By the third, he was inputting your medical logs himself.

His voice was always calm. Always formal. Always patient.

But his gaze lingered.

His presence loomed.

And his hands—always gloved—brushed against the small of your back far too often for protocol.

---

And he watched.

From behind glass. From dark monitors. From still frames and slow replays. When your blouse sat a little too low. When your eyes wandered where they shouldn’t.

You were careless with your innocence.

But he would be careful for you.

He adjusted the brightness of the surveillance feed. Zoomed in. Studied the way you leaned too close to your keyboard.

Imagined your breath fogging the screen.

Imagined how easily that breath could hitch. Could falter. Could beg.

You have no idea, he thought.

But you will.

Not yet.

But soon.

Understanding would come later.

---

🧬 6. [Infection]

The final stage was the most dangerous.

You said his name once.

Not “sir.”

Not “Wesker.”

Just:

“Albert…?”

His gaze snaps up from the report.

You’re standing in the doorway of his office, the heel of one shoe slightly kicked back, as if you weren’t sure whether to enter. The folder in your hand trembles slightly—an involuntary twitch you don’t even notice. But he does.

He notices everything.

The breath that stutters in your throat after the name escapes.

The flicker of hesitation in your pupils when his expression doesn’t immediately soften.

The way you shift—defensive, unsure—before you correct yourself:

“I mean—sir. Sorry, I meant—sir.”

But it’s already too late.

The damage is done.

You spoke it aloud.

Not in passing.

Not as a slip of protocol.

Not with bitterness or irony.

But with concern.

Soft. Tentative. Almost gentle.

And that… that is what undoes him.

You don’t know he has a file buried six levels deep into a server no one else can access—labeled with your name, storing every image of you captured on internal footage.

You don’t know he’s wiped out four internal transfer requests that would have pulled you from his floor.

You don’t know he personally selects your meals for team events—ensuring your preferences are always met, even when no one else notices.

You don’t know he’s kept you here, orbiting him, perfectly placed, under the illusion of promotion.

And now you’ve said his name like it belongs to you.

Like he does.

“Sir,” you try again, a nervous laugh escaping you. “Apologies. I—I didn’t mean—”

He stands slowly, measured, the desk separating you like a fragile boundary he’s had to respect for far too long.

“No need to apologize,” he says coolly. “You simply… surprised me.”

But inside? His thoughts are nothing but static.

He replays the syllables.

Not just the sound, but the shape of your mouth when you said it.

He files it into memory. Deep. Permanent.

And he knows—sooner than even you do—that this is the beginning of the end for the illusion.

Because from this moment on, you’ve stopped being a project.

Stopped being a subject.

You’ve become a trigger.

A fixation.

An opening he hadn’t anticipated—but cannot ignore.

You said his name once.

You won’t realize until it’s far too late:

You’ll never say it the same way again.

Because you didn’t know what you’d done.

You didn’t hear it the way he did.

Like it was already yours to say.

Like he wasn’t a god.

Like he was a man.

A man who had already rewritten every security protocol to keep you near.

A man who eliminated colleagues who made you uncomfortable.

A man who—if you ever truly looked—might shatter the illusion of “normal” with one cold sentence:

“You’re not here by accident.”

“You’re here because I designed you to be.”

But you don’t know.

You smile politely.

You offer your reports.

You drink the coffee that arrives on your desk precisely how you like it.

You go home.

You live your life.

While he rewatches your day in full.

While he listens to your voicemails and deletes names from your inbox.

While he studies you like you’re the last unexplained miracle on Earth.

While he reminds himself that love is irrelevant.

Control is what matters.

And he already has it.

---

He’d timed every entry and exit.

He knew how long you took in the restroom.

Which hallway you paused in to check your phone.

What time of day your voice grew tired.

He saw it as clearly as he saw cell degradation under a microscope.

That slow unraveling.

That quiet compliance.

You were adapting.

Your posture had shifted. Subtly. You walked faster when alone. Slower when near him. You dressed differently—more reserved, perhaps without realizing. You avoided eye contact with male superiors.

Wesker approved.

He didn’t speak of it.

Didn’t need to.

The conditioning was holding.

You had stopped asking questions.

Stopped challenging schedules.

Stopped requesting to work from other wings.

You had folded into the environment he designed—one where he was a constant hum beneath your daily routine. Where his name lingered at the back of your tongue. Where his voice set your pace and his silence set your nerves.

---

“You don’t know what you’ve done,” he muttered to himself, watching the security footage replay. While he studies you like you’re the last unexplained miracle on Earth.

There you were again. That exact moment. Your eyes soft, confused, lips parted: Albert…?

He paused the video.

Leaned back.

Let the sound echo in the sterile quiet of his office.

It was not an accident.

Not some sweet slip of tongue.

No.

It was the infection taking root.

Your body catching up to what your environment had long accepted.

Dependence.

Deference.

Attachment.

He could work with that.

Love was messy. Emotional.

But dependence—he could mold.

He could reinforce it, reward it, create just enough tension to keep you needing his approval.

To keep you needing him.

---

(A/N: should I make a part 2??? I mean- I already have it. I just wanna hear it from you dirty sluts;>)

[justchillgurl]

Title: Debt and Dagger Smiles.

Summary: At Kanghak High, she’s the girl everyone turns to—for help, for answers, for secrets. Controlled, calculating, she runs the school from behind her polite smile. Unseen by her, Geum Seong-je starts paying attention—and he doesn’t like what he sees. He likes it too much.

Check this out!@

Author's Note: Welcome to Debt and Dagger Smiles. This story is a slow burn—full of power plays, tension, and the clash between control and chaos. If you're into smart characters, unspoken games, and dangerous chemistry, you're in the right place. Updates will come as inspiration strikes—feel free to leave your thoughts.

Content Warnings: None (for now).

_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_☆_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_☆_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_☆_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠____

Chapter 1: The Balance Sheet.

At Kanghak High, no one held the web of whispers tighter than her.

She walked the halls with a quiet, calculating ease—her uniform always crisp, her eyes always focused, her phone never more than a breath away. Most students thought of her as approachable, reliable, the kind of girl you’d ask for help with a project or directions to the nearest printer. And sometimes, she said yes. But only after calculating the weight of the favor.

Because nothing came free.

She didn’t offer kindness out of softness. Her generosity was strategic. She said yes when it mattered—when the person asking held potential. A future teacher’s pet. A student council officer. Someone whose name would matter on a list. Those who received her help might think they got lucky.

They didn’t.

They were already in her pocket.

She didn’t waste time with the Union. Despite their presence in the school and the vague air of intimidation they carried, she saw them as distractions. She wasn’t trying to control through fists—she was building something smarter. Cleaner.

In her notebook, color-coded and organized to military precision, she kept track of every test date, every exam format, and every student in the top ten. Her grades were near perfect, and she made sure to keep it that way. While others stayed out late or fought behind buildings, she was home by eight sharp. Her family didn’t tolerate disobedience, and she didn’t test their limits.

Not publicly.

What no one knew was that she ran the school blog.

Anonymous. Undefinable. Ruthless.

She didn’t write everything, of course. She barely wrote at all. But she knew what was happening—who was cheating, who was skipping, who was crying behind the lockers. Gossip reached her before it hit group chats. Secrets traveled faster when people trusted you, and she made sure everyone trusted her just enough to slip up.

Geum Seong-je watched her from the corner of the school convenience store.

She didn’t notice him. Not because she wasn’t observant, but because he wasn’t in her circle. Not worth tracking. Not yet.

He’d seen her around, of course. Everyone had. But this was the first time he paid attention.

She stood in front of the drink fridge, scanning the labels like she had a spreadsheet in her head comparing caffeine levels. Her movements were efficient, deliberate. No wasted steps. She picked a small can of black coffee and a rice ball, paid in coins, and dropped the receipt in her bag.

Not once did she smile.

When another student tried to stop her near the exit—some third-year begging for help printing a missing assignment—she tilted her head slightly, brows pinched as if already calculating.

“What do you do again?” she asked.

“I’m vice secretary of—”

“Of the eco club,” she finished. “Right. You owe me. Done. Send me the file. I’ll print it. But you’re collecting survey data for me next month. No complaints.”

The girl nodded quickly.

She walked off without confirming. The favor was made. The debt recorded.

Seong-je didn’t move. He leaned back into the shelf, hood pulled low, watching her disappear past the glass doors.

Interesting.

He’d heard rumors before—of how she always had the answers to tests before they dropped, how her notes circled among the elite students, how she knew when a relationship ended before either person confirmed it. He’d assumed most of it was exaggerated.

Now he wasn’t so sure.

She didn’t just survive in this school.

She ran it—quietly, efficiently, and with terrifying precision.

--------------------------------------------------

End of Chapter 1.

Chapter 1 has been updated to third-person POV.

Thank you for reading🫂.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Forcing Google to spin off Chrome (and Android?)

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/11/19/breaking-up-is-hard-to-do/#shiny-and-chrome

Last August, a federal judge convicted Google of being "a monopolist" and acting "as one to maintain its monopoly." The judge concluded that key to Google's monopoly was the vast troves of data it collects and analyzes and asked the parties to come up with remedies to address this.

Many trustbusters and Google competitors read this and concluded that Google should be forced to share its click and quer y data. The technical term for this is "apocalyptically stupid." Releasing Google's click and query data into the wild is a privacy Chernobyl in the waiting. The secrets that we whisper to search engines have the power to destroy us a thousand times over.

Largely theoretical answers like "differential privacy" are promising, but remain theoretical at scale. The first large-scale live-fire exercise for these should not be something as high-stakes as Google's click and query data. If anything, we should delete that data:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/08/07/revealed-preferences/#extinguish-v-improve

The last thing we want to do is use antitrust to democratize surveillance so that everyone can spy as efficiently as Google does. In theory, we could sanitize the click and query data by limiting sharing to queries that were made by multiple, independent users (say, only sharing queries that at least 30 users have made), but it's unlikely that this will do much to improve the performance of rival firms' search engines.

Google only retains 18 months' worth of click and query data, thus once we cut off its capacity to collect more data, whatever advantage it has from surveillance will begin to decay immediately and fall to zero in 18 months.

(However: the 18 months figure is deceptive, and deliberately so. Google may only retain your queries for 18 months, but it is silent on how long it retains the inferences from those queries. It may discard your "how do I get an abortion in my red state" query after a year and a half, but indefinitely retain the "sought an illegal abortion" label it added to your profile. The US desperately needs a federal consumer privacy law!)

https://pluralistic.net/2023/12/06/privacy-first/#but-not-just-privacy

And just to be clear, there's other Google data that would be very useful to rival search engines, like Google's search index – the trove of pages from the internet. Google already licenses this out, and search engines like Kagi use it to produce substantially superior search results:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/04/teach-me-how-to-shruggie/#kagi

The DOJ has just filed its proposal for a remedy, and it's a doozy: forcing Google to sell off Chrome, on the basis that both of these are the source of much of Google's data, and no rival search engine is likely to also have a widely used browser:

https://9to5google.com/2024/11/18/us-doj-google-sell-chrome/

This represents something of a compromise position: the DOJ had initially signalled that it would also demand a selloff of Android, and that's been dropped. I think there's a good case for forcing the sale of Android as a source of data, too.

In competition theory, these selloffs are referred to as "structural separation" – when a company that provides infrastructure to other firms is prohibited from competing with those firms:

https://locusmag.com/2022/03/cory-doctorow-vertically-challenged/

For example, it used to be that banks were prohibited from competing with the companies they loaned money to. After all, if you borrow money from Chase to open a pizzeria, and then Chase opens a pizzeria of its own across the street, you can see how your business would be doomed. You have to make interest payments to Chase, and your rival doesn't, and if Chase wants to, it can subsidize that rival so it can sell pizzas below cost until you're out of business.

Likewise, rail companies were banned from owning freight companies, because otherwise they would destroy the businesses of every freight company that shipped on the railroad.

In theory, you could create fair play rules that required the bank or the railroad to play nice with the business customers that used their platforms, but in practice, there are so many ways of cheating that this would be unenforceable.

This principle is well established in all other areas of business, and we recoil in horror when it is violated. You wouldn't hire a lawyer who was also representing the person who's suing you. Judges (with the abominable exception of Supreme Court justices!) are required to recuse themselves when they have a personal connection with either of the parties in a case they preside over.

One of the weirdest sights of the new Gilded Age is when lawyers for monopoly companies argue that they can play fair with their customers despite their conflicts of interest. Think of Google or Meta, with their ad-tech duopoly. These are companies that purport to represent sellers of ads and buyers of ads in marketplaces they own and control, and where they compete with sellers and/or buyers. These companies suck up 51% of the revenue generated by advertising, while historically, the share taken by ad intermediaries was more like 15%!

https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/25/structural-separation/#america-act

Imagine if you and your partner discovered that the same lawyer was representing both of you in the divorce, while also serving as the judge, and trying to match with both of you on Tinder. Now imagine that when the divorce terms were finalized, lawyer got your family home.

No Google lawyer would agree to argue on the company's behalf in a case where the judge was employed by the party that's suing them, but they will blithely argue that the reason they're getting 51% of the ad-rake is that they're providing 51% of the value.

Structural separation – like judicial recusal – comprehensively and unarguably resolves all the perceptions and realities of conflict between parties. The fact that platform owners compete with platform users is the source of bottomless corruption, from Google to Amazon:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/28/enshittification/#relentless-payola

In other words, I think the DOJ is onto something here. That said, the devil is – as always – in the details. If Google is forced to sell off Chrome, rather than standing it up as its own competing business, things could go very wrong indeed.

Any company that buys Chrome will know that it only has a certain number of years before Google will be permitted to spin up a new browser, and will be incentivized to extract as much value from Chrome over that short period. So a selloff could make Chrome exponentially worse than Google, which, whatever other failings it has, is oriented towards long-term dominance, not a quick buck.

But if Google is forced to spin Chrome out as a standalone business, the incentives change. Anyone who buys Chrome will have to run it as a functional business that is designed to survive a future Google competitor – they won't have another business they can fall back on if Google bounces back in five years.

There's a good history of this in antitrust breakups: both Standard Oil and AT&T were forced to spin out, rather than sell off, parts of their empire, and those businesses stood alone and provided competitive pressure. That is, until we stopped enforcing antitrust law and allowed them to start merging again – womp womp.

This raises another question: does any of this matter, given this month's election results? Will Trump's DoJ follow through on whatever priorities the current DoJ sets? That's an open question, but – unlike so many other questions about the coming Trump regime – the answer here isn't necessarily a nightmare.

After all, the Google antitrust case started under Trump, and Trump's pick for Attorney General, the credibly accused sexual predator Matt Gaetz, is a "Khanservative" who breaks with his fellow Trumpians in professing great admiration for Biden's FTC chief Lina Khan, and her project of breaking up corporate monopolies:

https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/trump-nominates-khanservative-matt

What's more, Trump is a landing strip for a stroke or coronary, which would make JD Vance president – and Vance has also expressed his approval of Khan's work.

Google bosses seem to be betting on Trump's "transactional" (that is, corrupt) style of governance, and his willingness to overrule his own appointees to protect the interests of anyone who flatters or bribes him sufficiently, or convinces the hosts of Fox and Friends to speak on their behalf:

https://www.mediamatters.org/donald-trump/comprehensive-review-revolving-door-between-fox-and-second-trump-administration

That would explain why Google capo Sundar Pichai ordered his employees not to speak out against Trump:

https://www.businessinsider.com/google-employees-memes-poke-fun-company-rules-political-discussion-2024-11

And why he followed up by publicly osculating Trump's sphincter:

https://twitter.com/sundarpichai/status/1854207788290850888

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

[mbari-blog]

Welcome to FathomVerse 🦑🐟🦀

A new mobile game launching today allows anyone with a smartphone or tablet to take part in ocean exploration and discovery. Now available for download on the App Store and Google Play, FathomVerse allows players to interact with real underwater images to improve the artificial intelligence that helps researchers study ocean life. 

Scientists are collecting massive amounts of images and video to study marine life and assess ocean health. AI can help researchers analyze this deluge of visual data more efficiently. Before AI can be used for ocean exploration, machine learning models need to be trained to identify ocean animals. 

FathomVerse seeks to address this challenge by engaging ocean enthusiasts around the world to help review and label images so AI can correctly recognize ocean animals. The game combines immersive imagery, compelling gameplay, and cutting-edge science to inspire a new wave of ocean explorers. Learn more on our website.

[mariacallous]

The Trump administration’s Federal Trade Commission has removed four years’ worth of business guidance blogs as of Tuesday morning, including important consumer protection information related to artificial intelligence and the agency’s landmark privacy lawsuits under former chair Lina Khan against companies like Amazon and Microsoft. More than 300 blogs were removed.

On the FTC’s website, the page hosting all of the agency’s business-related blogs and guidance no longer includes any information published during former president Joe Biden’s administration, current and former FTC employees, who spoke under anonymity for fear of retaliation, tell WIRED. These blogs contained advice from the FTC on how big tech companies could avoid violating consumer protection laws.

One now deleted blog, titled “Hey, Alexa! What are you doing with my data?” explains how, according to two FTC complaints, Amazon and its Ring security camera products allegedly leveraged sensitive consumer data to train the ecommerce giant’s algorithms. (Amazon disagreed with the FTC’s claims.) It also provided guidance for companies operating similar products and services. Another post titled “$20 million FTC settlement addresses Microsoft Xbox illegal collection of kids’ data: A game changer for COPPA compliance” instructs tech companies on how to abide by the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act by using the 2023 Microsoft settlement as an example. The settlement followed allegations by the FTC that Microsoft obtained data from children using Xbox systems without the consent of their parents or guardians.

“In terms of the message to industry on what our compliance expectations were, which is in some ways the most important part of enforcement action, they are trying to just erase those from history,” a source familiar tells WIRED.

Another removed FTC blog titled “The Luring Test: AI and the engineering of consumer trust” outlines how businesses could avoid creating chatbots that violate the FTC Act’s rules against unfair or deceptive products. This blog won an award in 2023 for “excellent descriptions of artificial intelligence.”

The Trump administration has received broad support from the tech industry. Big tech companies like Amazon and Meta, as well as tech entrepreneurs like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, all donated to Trump’s inauguration fund. Other Silicon Valley leaders, like Elon Musk and David Sacks, are officially advising the administration. Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employs technologists sourced from Musk’s tech companies. And already, federal agencies like the General Services Administration have started to roll out AI products like GSAi, a general-purpose government chatbot.

The FTC did not immediately respond to a request for comment from WIRED.

Removing blogs raises serious compliance concerns under the Federal Records Act and the Open Government Data Act, one former FTC official tells WIRED. During the Biden administration, FTC leadership would place “warning” labels above previous administrations’ public decisions it no longer agreed with, the source said, fearing that removal would violate the law.

Since President Donald Trump designated Andrew Ferguson to replace Khan as FTC chair in January, the Republican regulator has vowed to leverage his authority to go after big tech companies. Unlike Khan, however, Ferguson’s criticisms center around the Republican party’s long-standing allegations that social media platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, censor conservative speech online. Before being selected as chair, Ferguson told Trump that his vision for the agency also included rolling back Biden-era regulations on artificial intelligence and tougher merger standards, The New York Times reported in December.

In an interview with CNBC last week, Ferguson argued that content moderation could equate to an antitrust violation. “If companies are degrading their product quality by kicking people off because they hold particular views, that could be an indication that there's a competition problem,” he said.

Sources speaking with WIRED on Tuesday claimed that tech companies are the only groups who benefit from the removal of these blogs.

“They are talking a big game on censorship. But at the end of the day, the thing that really hits these companies’ bottom line is what data they can collect, how they can use that data, whether they can train their AI models on that data, and if this administration is planning to take the foot off the gas there while stepping up its work on censorship,” the source familiar alleges. “I think that's a change big tech would be very happy with.”

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Steve Brodner

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

February 21, 2025

Heather Cox Richardson

Feb 22, 2025

In an appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) yesterday, billionaire Elon Musk seemed to be having difficulty speaking. Musk brandished a chainsaw like that Argentina's president Javier Milei used to symbolize the drastic cuts he intended to make to his country’s government, then posted that image to X, labeling it “The DogeFather,” although the administration has recently told a court that Musk is neither an employee nor the leader of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. Politico called Musk’s behavior “eccentric.”

While attendees cheered Musk on, outside CPAC there appears to be a storm brewing. While Trump and his team have claimed they have a mandate, in fact more people voted for someone other than Trump in 2024, and his early approval ratings were only 47%, the lowest of any president going back to 1953, when Gallup began checking them. His approval has not grown as he has called himself a “king” and openly mused about running for a third term.

A Washington Post/Ipsos poll released yesterday shows that even that “honeymoon” is over. Only 45% approve of the “the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president,” while 53% disapprove. Forty-three percent of Americans say they support what Trump has done since he took office; 48% oppose his actions. The number of people who strongly support his actions sits at 27%; the number who strongly oppose them is twelve points higher, at 39%. Fifty-seven percent of Americans think Trump has gone beyond his authority as president.

Americans especially dislike his attempts to end USAID, his tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada, and his firing of large numbers of government workers. Even Trump’s signature issue of deporting undocumented immigrants receives 51% approval only if respondents think those deported are “criminals.” Fifty-seven percent opposed deporting those who are not accused of crimes, 70% oppose deporting those brought to the U.S. as children, and 66% oppose deporting those who have children who are U.S. citizens. Eighty-three percent of Americans oppose Trump’s pardon of the violent offenders convicted for their behavior during the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Even those who identify as Republican-leaning oppose those pardons 70 to 27 percent.

As Aaron Blake points out in the Washington Post, a new CNN poll, also released yesterday, shows that Musk is a major factor in Trump’s declining ratings. By nearly two to one, Americans see Musk having a prominent role in the administration as a “bad thing.” The ratio was 54 to 28. The Washington Post/Ipsos poll showed that Americans disapprove of Musk “shutting down federal government programs that he decides are unnecessary” by the wide margin of 52 to 26. Sixty-three percent of Americans are worried about Musk’s team getting access to their data.

Meanwhile, Jessica Piper of Politico noted that 62% of Americans in the CNN poll said that Trump has not done enough to try to reduce prices, and today’s economic news bears out that concern: not only are egg prices at an all-time high, but also consumer sentiment dropped to a 15-month low as people worry that Trump’s tariffs will raise prices. White House deputy press secretary Harrison Fields said in a statement: “[T]he American people actually feel great about the direction of the country…. What’s to hate? We are undoing the widely unpopular agenda of the previous office holder, uprooting waste, fraud, and abuse, and chugging along on the great American Comeback.”

Phone calls swamping the congressional switchboards and constituents turning out for town halls with House members disprove Fields’s statement. In packed rooms with overflow spaces, constituents have shown up this week both to demand that their representatives take a stand against Musk’s slashing of the federal government and access to personal data, and to protest Trump’s claim to be a king. In an eastern Oregon district that Trump won by 68%, constituents shouted at Representative Cliff Bentz: “tax Elon,” “tax the wealthy,” “tax the rich,” and “tax the billionaires.” In a solid-red Atlanta suburb, the crowd was so angry at Representative Richard McCormick that he has apparently gone to ground, bailing on a CNN interview about the disastrous town hall at the last minute.

That Trump is feeling the pressure from voters showed this week when he appeared to offer two major distractions: a pledge to consider using money from savings found by the “Department of Government Efficiency” to provide rebates to taxpayers—although so far it hasn’t shown any savings and economists say the promise of checks is unrealistic—and a claim that he would release a list of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s clients.

Trump is also under pressure from the law.

The Associated Press sued three officials in the Trump administration today for blocking AP journalists from presidential events because the AP continues to use the traditional name “Gulf of Mexico” for the gulf that Trump is trying to rename. The AP is suing over the freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Today, a federal court granted a preliminary injunction to stop Musk and the DOGE team from accessing Americans’ private information in the Treasury Department’s central payment system. Eighteen states had filed the lawsuit.

Tonight, a federal court granted a nationwide injunction against Trump’s executive orders attacking diversity, equity, and inclusion, finding that they violate the First and Fifth Amendments to the Constitution.

Trump is also under pressure from principled state governors.

In his State of the State Address on Wednesday, February 19, Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker noted that “it’s in fashion at the federal level right now to just indiscriminately slash school funding, healthcare coverage, support for farmers, and veterans’ services. They say they’re doing it to eliminate inefficiencies. But only an idiot would think we should eliminate emergency response in a natural disaster, education and healthcare for disabled children, gang crime investigations, clean air and water programs, monitoring of nursing home abuse, nuclear reactor regulation, and cancer research.”

He recalled: “Here in Illinois, ten years ago we saw the consequences of a rampant ideological gutting of government. It genuinely harmed people. Our citizens hated it. Trust me—I won an entire election based in part on just how much they hated it.”

Pritzker went on to address the dangers of the Trump administration directly. “We don’t have kings in America,” he said, “and I don’t intend to bend the knee to one…. If you think I’m overreacting and sounding the alarm too soon, consider this: It took the Nazis one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours and 40 minutes to dismantle a constitutional republic. All I’m saying is when the five-alarm fire starts to burn, every good person better be ready to man a post with a bucket of water if you want to stop it from raging out of control.”

He recalled how ordinary Illinoisans outnumbered Nazis who marched in Chicago in 1978 by about 2,000 to 20, and noted: “Tyranny requires your fear and your silence and your compliance. Democracy requires your courage. So gather your justice and humanity, Illinois, and do not let the ‘tragic spirit of despair’ overcome us when our country needs us the most.”

Today, Maine governor Janet Mills took the fight against Trump’s overreach directly to him. At a meeting of the nation’s governors, in a rambling speech in which he was wandering through his false campaign stories about transgender athletes, Trump turned to his notes and suddenly appeared to remember his executive order banning transgender student athletes from playing on girls sports teams.

The body that governs sports in Maine, the Maine Principals’ Association, ruled that it would continue to allow transgender students to compete despite Trump's executive order because the Maine state Human Rights Law prohibits discrimination on the grounds of gender identity.

Trump asked if the governor of Maine was in the room.

“Yeah, I’m here,” replied Governor Mills.

“Are you not going to comply with it?” Trump asked.

“I’m complying with state and federal laws,” she said.

“We are the federal law,” Trump said. “You better do it because you’re not going to get any federal funding at all if you don’t….”

“We’re going to follow the law,” she said.

“You’d better comply because otherwise you’re not going to get any federal funding,” he said.

Mills answered: “We’ll see you in court.”

As Shawn McCreesh of the New York Times put it: “Something happened at the White House Friday afternoon that almost never happens these days. Somebody defied President Trump. Right to his face.”

Hours later, the Trump administration launched an investigation into Maine’s Department of Education, specifically its policy on transgender athletes. Maine attorney general Aaron Frey said that any attempt to cut federal funding for the states over the issue “would be illegal and in direct violation of federal court orders…. Fortunately,” he said in a statement, “the rule of law still applies in this country, and I will do everything in my power to defend Maine’s laws and block efforts by the president to bully and threaten us.”

“[W]hat is at stake here [is] the rule of law in our country,” Mills said in a statement. “No President…can withhold Federal funding authorized and appropriated by Congress and paid for by Maine taxpayers in an attempt to coerce someone into compliance with his will. It is a violation of our Constitution and of our laws.”

“Maine may be one of the first states to undergo an investigation by his Administration, but we won’t be the last. Today, the President of the United States has targeted one particular group on one particular issue which Maine law has addressed. But you must ask yourself: who and what will he target next, and what will he do? Will it be you? Will it be because of your race or your religion? Will it be because you look different or think differently? Where does it end? In America, the President is neither a King nor a dictator, as much as this one tries to act like it—and it is the rule of law that prevents him from being so.”

“[D]o not be misled: this is not just about who can compete on the athletic field, this is about whether a President can force compliance with his will, without regard for the rule of law that governs our nation. I believe he cannot.”

Americans’ sense that Musk has too much power is likely to be heightened by tonight’s report from Andrea Shalal and Joey Roulette of Reuters that the United States is trying to force Ukraine to sign away rights to its critical minerals by threatening to cut off access to Musk’s Starlink satellite system. Ukraine turned to that system after the Russians destroyed its communications services.

And Americans’ concerns about Trump acting like a dictator are unlikely to be calmed by tonight’s news that Trump has abruptly purged the leadership of the military in apparent unconcern over the message that such a sweeping purge sends to adversaries. He has fired the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Charles Q. Brown, who Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested got the job only because he is Black, and Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the Chief of Naval Operations, who was the first woman to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff and whom Hegseth called a “DEI hire.”

The vice chief of the Air Force, General James Slife, has also been fired, and Hegseth indicated he intends to fire the judge advocates general, or JAGs—the military lawyers who administer the military code of justice—for the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Trump has indicated he intends to nominate Air Force Lieutenant General John Dan “Razin” Caine to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Oren Liebermann and Haley Britzky of CNN call this “an extraordinary move,” since Caine is retired and is not a four-star general, a legal requirement, and will need a presidential waiver to take the job. Trump has referred to Caine as right out of “central casting.”

Defense One, which covers U.S. defense and international security, called the firings a “bloodbath.”

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[toescapetherealityoflife]

Vision board of My new Mafia a/b/o Enhypen fic

Lee Heeseung

I'm not your typical suit-and-tie, Wall Street wolf.

I deal in a different kind of currency, one that's measured in respect, fear, and the unwavering loyalty of the men around me. See, my power isn't just about the money, though believe me, there's plenty of that flowing. It's about control, about being the silent puppeteer pulling strings you can't even see.

I make deals that bypass legalities, settle disputes with a nod or a whisper, and ensure things get done, efficiently and decisively. The city, it's a chessboard, and I know where every single piece is. The legitimate businesses I own? They're just the facade, the polished veneer hiding the intricate network that truly gives me influence. Someone needs a problem solved? They come to me.

Someone tries to cross me? Well, they quickly learn the consequences. My power isn't handed to me; it's carved, earned, and maintained through a delicate balance of calculated risks and carefully nurtured alliances.

It's a world where trust is rare, where every conversation is a potential negotiation, and where the only certainty is the authority I wield. And I wield it with precision

Park Jay

"They call me the 'Fixer,' but that's just a fancy label for a guy who knows how to make problems disappear.

See, the strength I wield isn't in the muscle or the guns, though those are certainly available if needed. My real power lies in understanding. I understand people's fears, their wants, and their deepest vulnerabilities. I can read a room like a book, and predict their next move before they even think it.

And that knowledge? That's leverage. I can weave deals, twist words, and paint pictures that make even the most stubborn bull see things my way. I can make offers they can't refuse, not with threats, but with the promise of something they desperately crave – be it protection, opportunity, or simply the relief of not having a headache anymore.

So, when I sit at the table, it's not just me; it's the weight of all the possibilities I can conjure, all the 'what ifs' they suddenly have to consider. And that, my friend, is a power far more potent than any bullet."

Sim Jake

"They call me 'The Ghost' in the circles I move in, and it's not just a fancy nickname.

I don't break kneecaps; I break firewalls. My power isn't brute force, it's silence and precision. I can slip into any network like a whisper in the wind, extract information that's locked tighter than Fort Knox, and leave no trace but a few rearranged bits of code.

Need to reroute a shipment? I can manipulate the logistics. Want to make someone's money vanish? Bank accounts are as transparent to me as glass. The old guard uses muscle; they send guys with guns.

I’m the new era – I use data, and in this world, data is the most dangerous weapon of all. They might think they’re in control, but really, they're just playing by my rules. I'm the puppet master behind the screen, and nobody ever sees my strings."

Park Sunghoon

"Power isn't about screaming the loudest or brandishing the biggest gun. Those are the tools of a novice, a child playing at being a king. True power is about influence. It's about the whisper that travels further than any shout, the connection that runs deeper than any blood oath.

My power isn't just in the men you see standing here, loyal and ready. It's in the judge who owes me a favour, the cop who'll look the other way, and the banker who knows where to discreetly deposit those 'problematic' funds. It’s in the businesses I control, the news I can shape, and the favours I can call in from all corners of this city.

I don't need to flex my muscles, gentlemen. I simply need to be."They understood then, the true language of power, spoken not in threats, but in the silent, pervasive web I wove around them, and all of this city.

Kim Sunoo

"Sweet Surrender," was his sanctuary, a haven built brick by sweet brick to keep the darkness at bay.

He had tasted the bitter tang of betrayal, the metallic tang of fear, and the hollow echo of violence. He had seen things that haunted his dreams, and felt the weight of choices that still pressed down on him.

Now, surrounded by the comforting aroma of sugar and yeast, he clung fiercely to the simple joy of baking, his hands trembling slightly as he kneaded, not from fear, but from a desperate hope that his past would remain just that – the past. He would never again step foot in that world of shadows, never again trade the sweet scent of life for the acrid stench of death. This bakery, this quiet haven, was his penance, his redemption.

Yang Jungwon

The way I see it, power isn't about brute force or a loud mouth, though those have their place. My power lies in understanding the game, the board, and every player moving across it.

I'm the strategist, the one who sees five moves ahead while everyone else is still reacting to the last. It's not about pulling the trigger; it's about knowing when and who should be pulling it. I orchestrate the chaos, predict the outcomes, and ensure things align in our favour.

My influence isn't seen in blood and broken bones, but in the carefully crafted alliances, the strategically placed whispers, and the flawless execution of plans that seem inevitable in retrospect. That’s the real strength, the quiet kind that shapes the very fabric of this

Nishimura Riki

The whispers follow me, they always have. Some call it a "gift," others a curse, but I simply call it my work.

I'm a whisper in the dark, a shadow that moves unseen. My power isn't brute strength or some flashy parlour trick; it's an acute awareness, a heightened perception. I see the subtle shifts in posture, the flicker of doubt in an eye, the barely perceptible tremor of a hand reaching for a weapon. It's like the world unfolds slower for me, allowing me to anticipate the next move before it even happens.

This, coupled with a lifetime of honing my body into a lethally precise instrument, makes me more than just a man with a gun. I'm a pre-emptive strike, a silent executioner. I don’t need to be faster; I see the openings before they’re even there.

They say the mafia is a jungle, but in this jungle, I'm the apex predator, and my power is the silence that precedes the storm.

[bleue-flora]

[post commented on]

@blossomware I hope it’s okay if I answer your comment in a post. I thought it was a good point that other people might also find interesting.

So I do think you are on the right track, using shears means he can hit more which looks better for role play torture. In fact, it made me curious to see just how much more and the other differences between all the possible weapons which led me down a path to make another table :)

[some data in this table is scuffed see note below]

So there are some interesting things to see here. First, apparently hoes and shears are not considered weapons, which I didn’t realize, and any non-weapon has the same stats as a fist. Which actually does make sense why Techno could take 53 hits from shears like how Dream and Tommy could punch each other so much even without many potatoes. According to my parameters (see note below) I determined that you can be hit approximately 3 times with a non-weapon before needing to eat, which when dealing only a half a heart per a hit isn’t too bad. Also, there is speed to be considered, with mining fatigue it makes your hit slower and lessens how often you can hit someone, so using shears when trying to be fast and agressive makes sense. I mean Techno was running all over the cell and we see Dream do so in that visit too, and it’s really hard to hit someone with an axe when it’s slower and your aim is bad.

So then shears look better for roleplay, are way less accidentally fatal, are more potato efficient (which I’m sure Sam is happy about lol), faster and require less skill to use, and are also a cheap resource to make replacements for versus fancy weapons needing to mend or altogether replace. Overall, shears make a great torture weapon :]… (must be why Sam has them labeled Wardens Torment)…

Even further then it makes sense why Quackity would use the shears with Techno and not the diamond sword we see in the other visit (that is also in his inventory), since Techno didn’t have his spawn set to the cell so to accidentally kill him would have been a big blunder. So shears it is. What’s also interesting is like I suspected, Techno was probably given baked potatoes before the visit on purpose because they give 3 Hunger Bars and 6 Saturation so he could take around an approximate 7 hits per a baked potato, which is roughly 6 more hits than Dream could take on raw potatoes. So outside of the life reason for taking more hits he is also far more able to take them than Dream…

Something to also note, since it is implied that Quackity used a netherite axe to the point of poor durability and each hit costs a lot of potatoes to heal, Dream was actually eating a lot of potatoes during the time of being tortured….

[note: this table is a little scuffed as some things are kinda hard to truly quantify when considering so many hypothetical scenarios. A lot of these factors depend on each other and I wasn’t about to make some long crazy table of every possible scenario that could happen. Like obviously certain enchantments on tools change the damage values but we don’t necessarily know what enchants were on his tools so I did the defaults, but also did mix in some stats of suspected tools [post] with tools I found in Quackity’s inventory. I also did only diamond and netherite since those are the only type we see him use but again who knows about offscreen. The most scuffed category is the potatoes because eating depends on so many factors: Hunger Bars, Exhaustion, Saturation, Health, and Time which is just too many things. I’m an engineer not a mathematician and actually solving something with that many changing unknowns I think would take a complicated series I suspect or something, I don’t know. I really did try though. What I ended up doing to get at least some kind of number to compare is looking at how many potatoes it would take to heal back the health lost assuming Dream isn’t running around, starts at full 10 🍗 and excluding the effect of time and stuff. So given that 1 🥔 basically provides .5🍗 without enough Saturation to heal (.6 out of the 1.5 required to heal .5 ♥️), that means that basically it costs 1 🥔 (.5🍗) to heal every .5 ♥️. But since we are assuming Dream starts at 10 🍗 he can actually heal until he drops to 8.5 🍗 which means he can heal 1.5♥️ before eating his first potato so that’s why the first items are 0 because he can take 3 hits before needing to eat.]

[gippity]

Trump and Palantir Forge a Pan-Government Surveillance State, Empowering Tech Oligarchs and Silencing Critics

Source article for analysis: https://newrepublic.com/post/195904/trump-palantir-data-americans

1. Narrative Framing

Simplicity & “Common-Sense” Appeal The administration casts cross‐agency data‐sharing as an efficiency and “government modernization” measure, flattening complex privacy and constitutional concerns into a feel-good story about bureaucratic streamlining. This preloads the conclusion that any objection is mere technophobia or red tape, rather than a debate over surveillance power.

Binary Framing (“Security vs. Chaos”) By emphasizing “national security” and “public safety,” critics are implicitly positioned as indifferent to immigrant crime or terrorism, pressuring dissenters to choose between safety and liberty—an either-or that forecloses nuanced policy discussion.

2. Emotional Engineering

Fear & Resentment References to “enforcing the March executive order,” “punish his critics,” and fears of immigrant targeting stoke anxiety about arbitrary state power. This fear is then channeled into loyalty among “true patriots” who trust the administration to wield that power wisely.

Pride & Tribal Bonding Invoking a “war on inefficiency” and naming a “far-right billionaire” ally provides a rallying narrative for supporters who see themselves as part of an inner circle, engendering pride in being on the “winning team.”

3. Pipeline On-Ramps & Ecosystem Mapping

Soft Entry via “Modernization” Pitches around “data modernization” and “innovation��� serve as gateway content—memes and soundbites in tech-oriented outlets gradually introduce audiences to more radical surveillance proposals.

Content Funnel

Friendly tech press (“efficiency gains”)

Conservative opinion pieces (“keep America safe”)

Policy white papers and FOIA-leaked memos (“full database blueprints”)

Private sector deep dives (Palantir user groups, DOD contractor briefings)

4. Dog Whistles & Euphemisms

“National Security” Sanitized language for mass surveillance and immigrant tracking.

“Data-Driven Governance” A euphemism that hides the indiscriminate collection of personal information under the veneer of neutral analytics.

“Government Efficiency” Code for centralizing power and reducing agency-specific safeguards that currently protect civil liberties.

5. Archetypes & Mythos

Tech-Militarist Savior Casting Peter Thiel and Alex Karp as modern “warrior-lords” of data who will “defend” America—evoking the warrior archetype that simplifies identity into a battle of “us vs. them.”

Fallen Homeland Narrative Suggests America’s institutions are backward and corrupt, needing a techno-strongman to resurrect core values—mirroring the “rise-from-ruin” mythos common in alt-right rhetoric.

6. Strategic Impact Assessment

Real-World Mobilization This intel could be used to silence dissidents (through audits, visa denials, or targeted prosecutions), chill protest activity, and surveil immigrant communities disproportionately.

Beneficiaries & Victims Tech oligarchs (Thiel, Musk) and the Trump political machine gain concentrated power; critics, immigrants, student activists, and labor organizers become object lessons.

7. Vibe Warfare & Identity Signals

Stoic Realist Aesthetic Dark, angular visuals of data centers and code screens reinforce a mood of uncompromising techno-authority.

“Based” Tech Patriotism Pittings of “innovation bros” vs. “liberal elites,” using jargon (“Foundry,” “Grok”) as in-group markers to foster parasocial loyalty among tech-savvy conservatives.

8. Epistemic Booby Traps & Self-Sealing Logic

“If you have nothing to hide…” Pre-emptively discredits objections by labeling them paranoia or disloyalty, barring dissenting evidence from being taken seriously.

Data as Truth Presents analytics as inherently objective, making any critique of methodology or oversight seem “anti-science.”

9. Irony Shielding & Tone Drift

Tech-Bro Irony Occasional self-deprecating jokes about “big brother” memes allow participants plausible deniability (“We’re just goofing, who doesn’t love tech?”), while the surveillance machinery locks in.

Memetic Alchemy Use of playful GIFs or “dank” one-liners about “tracking your ex’s Starbucks habit” masks the seriousness of mass data collection.

[flapmemelord]

THANK you @onelastskip for that suggestion.............. might be a little late but.... here's why I think ESFP fits Elio to a T (and I can't wait to see how his shortcomings get explored especially in regards to functions...) (it delves with a few hcs, but addresses spring semester and stuff adressed in blank-house asks)

SO !!! ESFP (Se-Fi-Te-Ni) Elio right? Dominant Se makes a lot of sense for Elio. Se is all about getting sensory enjoyment out of life. He likes expressing himself through his physicality (and is good at it), sports in part but not only. He's known for participating in more than a few events thrown by the SGB (to the point of having a nickname because of his infamous way of filling out forms / to the point deja said the wall climbing event was for him). Elio is very open to new situations and quick to say yes if invited, an on-the-whim kind of guy and liking it that way. He can come off as a showoff (cue him destroying everyone in bar holding spring festival game and/or challenging high confidence mcs) superficial ("I didn't know people could argue so much about a prize" / he feels like he has to justify himself and tells Deja he has layers when confronted about his music tastes) or comes off as childish (quick to guilttrip if he likes mc enough, pouts) which are traits Se doms are likely to be labeled as. Misuse of Se might include relying too much on immediate feedback and / or external stimulation for satisfaction, being careless with decisions or relationships (which is what I'm working on for Elilo (Elio/Lorelei)) It can also mean having no focus or defined goals (lack / misuse of Ni) which lead to insecurity (which i could see being explored on the meager chance Elio is the breakup route and he goes back home)

I believe Ni (intuitive connections, reflection on meaning and implications, generating visions of the future...) grip in Elio shows up in how clingy he is, probably as a consequence of some form of paranoia (misuse of Ni) (Bottom stack functions tend to be used as defense mechanisms) (Ni grip might come off as the person acting out of character, in here, him being so suddenly hit by a lack of confidence, and needing to be reassured through that clinginess) The best guess I can do right now is he has issues around emotional permanence, but it's a shot in the dark. Well, at least Ni grip in Se doms can show up as looking for meaning and/or purpose but in the wrong places.

Elio is shown as someone that will avoid confrontation and is described as one who holds grievances. There's failure, I feel, from his part to resolve negative feelings which push him to suppress. It looks like a case of Fi failing him. Despite that he's mostly empathetic, sensitive and displays emotional intelligence (has signs of healthy Fi expression) (he's good at calming down a situation where tension arises, cue mc and percy not getting along - and immediatly vouching for him, or easing down the discussion if mc calls him and percy out for getting distracted in the study room event).

Tertiary Te (imposes order and is about efficient behavior, pushes to make effective decisions based on data) loop is what happens when there's Auxiliary Fi resistance. Because Fi is the need for moral integrity and self acceptance, immature ExFPs can use Te to distance from it. It can show up as burying negative feelings under coarse expressions of power (like Elio did in the breakup!percy comic I made), self-image problems or insecurity (which Elio display). The grievance thing makes me think Elio might show to be quite vindictive which is another sign of Te loop. I personally hc he's the possessive LI, which would align with the fact being territorial / domineering is a common unhealthy tertiary Te trait.

Funnily I think his reading of Reynah can both be read as an expression healthy Fi yet a Te loop tendency. It's both him understanding where people could not like her (getting her flaws, her shortcomings) but it's also him believing critical judgement to be objective. There's the expectation in what he says for Reynah to meet him on his ground (for her to talk) the way Deja does, when that's not necessarily how getting closer to Reynah has to go.

Next I'll make both Percy and Rhys' type analysis since they're both ISTP

[todays-xkcd]

People may complain about readability, but even with jpeg compression, extracting the data points is usually computationally feasible if there aren't too many of them.

Compact Graphs [Explained]

Transcript Under the Cut

[Left: graph of points plotted along two axes, headered by:]

Variable 1: X Axis

Variable 2: Y Axis

[A arrow pointing to the right.]

[Various semi-transparent numbers in different colors stacked on top of each other, headered by:]

Variable 1: Hue

Variable 2: Label

[Caption underneath:] Design tip: you can make your graphs more space-efficient by using hue and label for the first two variables, instead of only turning to them once you've used up the X and Y axes.

[xichilie]

Two sides of a Gem (Part9)

Aventurine x (stoneheart)reader

Part8

The sterile glow of multiple screens illuminated Ruby's sharp features, casting angular shadows across his face. His pale hands glided over the keyboard with mechanical precision, every movement deliberate, every keystroke efficient. Data streams scrolled across the monitors—encrypted files, fragmented records, and blurry images of a woman cloaked in Nihility.

Acheron.

Her presence on Penacony had been a disruption, a crack in the carefully laid plans and fragile balance. Ruby’s crimson eyes flickered as he scanned line after line, each piece of information revealing little and raising more questions. She was an Emanator of Nihility, a force of nature bound to chaos and decay. Yet her motives remained obscured, her presence a specter in the shadows of this dream-soaked city.

For most, this would have been just another anomaly to log into a report. But not for him—not when Y/N was there.

His hands froze mid-motion.

Her name stirred something deep within the artificial core of his being—something heavy and unfamiliar. It was not fear, nor was it attachment—it was something else entirely.

He was never supposed to feel—not like this.

In the early days of his creation, he had been nothing more than a project—Prototype-7A, a marvel of engineering and ambition. The lab had been cold, efficient, and indifferent, filled with researchers who viewed him as an achievement to be marketed and sold.

But then there was Y/N—a bright light in a sterile world. Her older brother, his creator, had been the architect of Ruby’s existence. But it was Y/N who gave him something more—a sense of self.

"I can’t just call you 'Prototype-7A' forever. That’s… boring. You need a real name. Something proper."

He could still picture her small frame sitting cross-legged on the cold lab floor, her expression scrunched in thought as she studied him like he was more than just wires and metal beneath pale skin.

"Elias. That suits you, doesn’t it?"

At the time, the name had meant nothing to him. It was just another designation, another label. But when he repeated it back to her in his monotonous voice, she had smiled so brightly it made the sterile lab feel warm.

"See? Perfect."

It wasn’t long after that everything fell apart.

Her brother was gone. The lab had descended into chaos. And when the other researchers had tried to force Y/N into compliance—to hand him over, to strip away whatever shred of autonomy he might have had—it was the first time Ruby acted of his own volition.

He had protected her.

Because she wasn’t just his creator’s sister. She was his person.

The faint memory buzzed at the edges of his mind as he stared at the screen. Acheron’s file glared back at him, full of fragmented information and ominous gaps.

If she posed a threat to Y/N…

Ruby’s jaw tightened. He wouldn’t allow it.

He hesitated for only a moment before pressing the call button. The line connected with a faint chime, and her voice came through, light and casual, but with a sharp edge underneath—a mask as flawless as the one he wore.

"Elias? Everything alright?"

He paused briefly. It had been some time since she’d called him that. Out in the open, she used Ruby—a title, a facade. But here, in the illusory safety of the Dreamscape, she could speak freely.

“…For now,” he replied, his voice steady despite the faint crackle of something unreadable in his tone.

Her voice carried through the connection, bright and lilting, yet sharp as a blade beneath velvet. He could picture her in Golden Hour, bathed in soft light, with those sharp eyes taking in every detail around her.

“You called because of Acheron, didn’t you?”

Ruby’s crimson eyes flickered. She always knew.

“Yes,” he said flatly. “She’s an Emanator of Nihility. Her path to Penacony was… destructive. There’s no indication of her true goal yet.”

Y/N hummed thoughtfully.

“She hasn’t shown her hand yet. But I’ll keep my eyes open.”

A brief silence stretched between them before Ruby spoke again, his voice firm.

“Keep the cornerstone on your person at all times. Don’t let it leave your sight.”

“I know, Elias. I’m not careless.”

Her voice was light, but he knew she took his words seriously.

There was another pause before her voice softened slightly.

Ruby’s expression remained stoic, but something subtle shifted in the sharp lines of his face.

“…Good.”

Y/N’s next words were playful, but her sincerity shone through.

“You worry too much, you know that? I’ve got this.”

Before he could respond, she continued with a teasing lilt.

“Besides, who else would keep you from brooding yourself into a corner?”

For a brief moment, the corner of Ruby’s lips twitched upward—almost a smile.

“…Stay sharp, Y/N.”

The line disconnected with a soft chime, and Ruby leaned back in his chair, crimson eyes lingering on the faint reflection of himself in the dark screen.

His worries hadn’t been eased. Acheron remained an enigma. The cornerstone was still a target. And Aventurine…

Ruby’s eyes narrowed faintly at the thought of the blonde-haired schemer. His feelings towards Aventurine were… complicated. He didn’t dislike him—not entirely. But he worried that Aventurine’s charisma and reckless games would pull Y/N into something dangerous.

His pale hand hovered over the keyboard once more, pulling up another set of files as he dove back into his research.

Because until every variable was accounted for, and every threat neutralized, he couldn’t stop.

______________

The Penacony Dream Hotel lobby was bathed in soft golden light filtering through the crystalline chandeliers. Morning—or at least what counted as morning in a place like this—brought a strange hush to the space. Guests shuffled by, some looking well-rested, others clearly shaken from whatever dreams they had ventured into.

At one of the plush seating areas in the corner, March 7th was sprawled across a velvet armchair, sipping a bright pink drink from a fancy glass topped with an umbrella. The Trailblazer sat on the carpet, cross-legged, flipping through what seemed to be a Dreamscape user manual. Across from them, Himeko and Mr. Yang sat side by side, both with steaming cups of coffee in hand.

The faint click of heels announced Y/N’s arrival. She approached with a graceful stride, her usual sunny smile in place, but sharp eyes flickered across each familiar face before she settled down into an empty chair.

“Morning, everyone! Did we all survive our little dream adventures, or did someone end up in an emotional horror show?”

March raised her drink dramatically. “Survived, but barely. Some guy tried to sell me a dream insurance policy mid-dream. I woke up feeling financially scammed.”

The Trailblazer looked up from their manual. “I got lost in a maze made of floating sandwiches. I didn’t want to leave.”

Y/N chuckled, leaning back in her chair. “Well, I guess I’m the lucky one. I just enjoyed the view from the Golden Hour. Very shiny, very mysterious. Felt like they were hiding something under all that glitter.”

Himeko took a sip from her cup before speaking. “That’s what I wanted to discuss. Did anyone else feel like… something wasn’t quite right in the Dreamscape? Almost like we were being guided to certain places, seeing only what they wanted us to see?”

Mr. Yang adjusted his glasses, nodding slightly. “I noticed the same thing. Certain areas were accessible, while others remained obscured or strangely off-limits. Almost as if we’re being corralled.”

March frowned, her usual playful demeanor dimming slightly. “So, it’s not just me then. It felt… staged. Like a show we didn’t sign up to be part of.”

The Trailblazer flipped the manual closed with a sigh. “If this place is hiding something, then whoever’s pulling the strings isn’t doing a very good job of covering up the cracks.”

Y/N crossed one leg over the other, her smile softening as her fingers absentmindedly traced the edge of her sleeve. “I had a little… run-in with Mr. Sunday before heading into the Dreamscape. Let’s just say he’s far more polished than he lets on. Every word feels rehearsed.”

Himeko’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Sunday is a showman, but you’re right—something about him feels off. Did he let anything slip?”

Y/N shook her head lightly. “Nothing obvious. But people who play a part that well usually have something to hide. I plan on poking around a little more next time I see him.”

March leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “And what about him? You know, Mr. ‘Friend’ Aventurine. He’s got ‘trouble’ written all over him.”

Y/N smirked slightly. “Oh, Aventurine? He’s as slippery as they come, but he’s smart—too smart. He’s sniffing around the same mysteries we are, but he’s keeping his cards close to his chest. He even tried to get me on his side. Invited me for drinks and everything.”

March threw her hands up. “See? That guy’s charm is like quicksand. Once you step in, you’re done for. Y/N, tell me you didn’t—”

“Relax, March. I’m not that easy to win over, even with expensive drinks and silver words.” Y/N winked, but her voice lowered slightly, tone sharper. “But I do think Aventurine knows more than he’s letting on. He’s playing the long game, and I’m not sure whose side he’s really on.”

Mr. Yang folded his hands together. “Be cautious around him. Opportunists like Aventurine don’t show their true intentions until the moment it benefits them the most.”

Himeko leaned back, swirling her coffee. “And yet, sometimes people like that are useful—as long as you know how to handle them. Y/N, you’re sharp enough to keep him at arm’s length, but don’t let your guard down.”

Y/N gave a mock salute. “Yes, ma’am. I’ve got it covered.”

March sat back with a sigh, her drink nearly empty. “This is all getting way too serious for a vacation. I wanted shopping, spa days, and maybe getting lost in a dream city—not espionage and mystery.”

The Trailblazer raised a hand. “I vote we investigate while pretending to have fun. Like spies in a movie.”

Y/N snapped her fingers, grinning. “Exactly! Think of it as a heist movie, March. You get to dress up, look fabulous, and occasionally outsmart villains. Isn’t that your dream scenario?”

March perked up slightly, her usual spark returning. “You know what? You’re right. Fine, I’m in. But only if I get a cool codename.”

Y/N tilted her head in thought. “How about… Agent Pink Snowflake?”

The group erupted in soft laughter, even Mr. Yang’s lips twitched into a smile.

Himeko finished her coffee, her expression turning serious once again. “All jokes aside, we need to keep our eyes open. Whatever’s happening here—it’s bigger than just some glittering dreamscapes. We stick together, share everything we find, and stay one step ahead. Agreed?”

Everyone nodded in unison.

Y/N’s smile softened as she glanced around the group. Despite the looming mysteries and the uneasy feeling in her chest, this crew—their camaraderie and trust—was a source of comfort.

“Alright, then. What’s next on the agenda? Shopping, investigating, or finding the Trailblazer another sandwich maze?”

The Trailblazer raised their hand again. “I vote for sandwiches.”

March giggled, and Himeko let out an amused sigh.

But then

March groaned dramatically, throwing herself back against her chair. “Can’t we have one festival where things aren’t suspicious? Just one? Is that too much to ask?”

Y/N chuckled softly. “Where’s the fun in that, March?”

The girl huffed but couldn’t fight the smile tugging at her lips.

Himeko set her cup down with a faint clink. “We need someone to dig deeper into this—someone who can move around without drawing too much attention. The Dreamscape holds the real secrets of Penacony.” Her gaze shifted meaningfully toward Y/N.

Y/N raised a brow, feigning innocence. “Oh, are we playing the ‘send the charming one into danger’ game again?”

March smirked. “You are pretty good at it.”

Welt interjected, his voice calm but firm. “This isn’t something we can approach lightly. The Dreamscape isn’t a simple dream—it’s layered, unpredictable, and far more dangerous the deeper you go.”

Y/N crossed her arms, her casual smile never faltering. “I’ve handled dangerous before, Mr. Yang. Besides, if we keep tiptoeing around, we’re never going to get any answers.”

Himeko leaned forward slightly. “You’re volunteering, then?”

There was a brief silence as all eyes turned to Y/N. She sighed softly but nodded. “I am. Someone has to do it, and let’s face it, I’m… adaptable.”

March’s brows knitted together in concern. “But what if something happens? What if you get lost down there?”

Y/N gave her an easy grin. “I’ll just follow the sound of your voice yelling at me to hurry up. Trust me, March—I’ll be fine.”

The Trailblazer finally spoke, their voice steady. “Be careful, Y/N.”

She gave them a reassuring nod. “Always.”

March pursed her lips and muttered, “You better. Or I’m dragging you out of there myself.”

Himeko’s expression softened slightly as she placed a hand on Y/N’s shoulder. “Remember, if anything feels off, don’t push too far. Retreat and regroup. We can’t afford to lose you.”

Y/N’s smile turned genuine, softer than her usual easy grin. “I’ll keep that in mind, Miss Himeko. Promise.”

Welt adjusted his glasses and gave her a brief nod. “We trust you, Y/N. Just… don’t take unnecessary risks.”

Y/N stood from her chair, stretching slightly. “I’ll check in regularly, don’t worry. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with glowing dream-liquid.”

March scrunched her nose. “That stuff looks so weird. Like fancy soup.”

Y/N laughed lightly. “Fancy soup that sends you to another reality. Delicious.”

As the group dispersed, March grabbed Y/N’s wrist for a moment. “Seriously, Y/N. Stay safe, okay?”

Y/N patted March’s hand gently. “I will, March. Promise.”

With that, Y/N turned and began walking towards the entrance to the Dreamscape chambers. The glow of the Dream’s Calling—a cascading blue liquid-like pool set into an elegant golden frame—reflected in her eyes as she approached.

Behind her, the crew lingered briefly, watching her figure disappear into the chamber.

Welt adjusted his glasses again. “Let’s hope the answers she finds are worth the risk.”

Himeko’s eyes followed Y/N until she was out of sight. “If anyone can handle it, it’s her.”

March mumbled, arms crossed. “She better come back with something cool…”

The Trailblazer simply nodded, their gaze lingering on the shimmering light ahead.

[yourreddancer]

Heather Cox Richardson

February 21, 2025 Heather Cox Richardson Feb 22

In an appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) yesterday, billionaire Elon Musk seemed to be having difficulty speaking. Musk brandished a chainsaw like that Argentina's president Javier Milei used to symbolize the drastic cuts he intended to make to his country’s government, then posted that image to X, labeling it “The DogeFather,” although the administration has recently told a court that Musk is neither an employee nor the leader of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. Politico called Musk’s behavior “eccentric.”

While attendees cheered Musk on, outside CPAC there appears to be a storm brewing. While Trump and his team have claimed they have a mandate, in fact more people voted for someone other than Trump in 2024, and his early approval ratings were only 47%, the lowest of any president going back to 1953, when Gallup began checking them. His approval has not grown as he has called himself a “king” and openly mused about running for a third term.

A Washington Post/Ipsos poll released yesterday shows that even that “honeymoon” is over. Only 45% approve of the “the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president,” while 53% disapprove. Forty-three percent of Americans say they support what Trump has done since he took office; 48% oppose his actions. The number of people who strongly support his actions sits at 27%; the number who strongly oppose them is twelve points higher, at 39%. Fifty-seven percent of Americans think Trump has gone beyond his authority as president.

Americans especially dislike his attempts to end USAID, his tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada, and his firing of large numbers of government workers. Even Trump’s signature issue of deporting undocumented immigrants receives 51% approval only if respondents think those deported are “criminals.” Fifty-seven percent opposed deporting those who are not accused of crimes, 70% oppose deporting those brought to the U.S. as children, and 66% oppose deporting those who have children who are U.S. citizens.

Eighty-three percent of Americans oppose Trump’s pardon of the violent offenders convicted for their behavior during the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Even those who identify as Republican-leaning oppose those pardons 70 to 27 percent.

As Aaron Blake points out in the Washington Post, a new CNN poll, also released yesterday, shows that Musk is a major factor in Trump’s declining ratings. By nearly two to one, Americans see Musk having a prominent role in the administration as a “bad thing.” The ratio was 54 to 28. The Washington Post/Ipsos poll showed that Americans disapprove of Musk “shutting down federal government programs that he decides are unnecessary” by the wide margin of 52 to 26. Sixty-three percent of Americans are worried about Musk’s team getting access to their data.

Meanwhile, Jessica Piper of Politico noted that 62% of Americans in the CNN poll said that Trump has not done enough to try to reduce prices, and today’s economic news bears out that concern: not only are egg prices at an all-time high, but also consumer sentiment dropped to a 15-month low as people worry that Trump’s tariffs will raise prices. White House deputy press secretary Harrison Fields said in a statement: “[T]he American people actually feel great about the direction of the country…. What’s to hate? We are undoing the widely unpopular agenda of the previous office holder, uprooting waste, fraud, and abuse, and chugging along on the great American Comeback.”

Phone calls swamping the congressional switchboards and constituents turning out for town halls with House members disprove Fields’s statement. In packed rooms with overflow spaces, constituents have shown up this week both to demand that their representatives take a stand against Musk’s slashing of the federal government and access to personal data, and to protest Trump’s claim to be a king.

In an eastern Oregon district that Trump won by 68%, constituents shouted at Representative Cliff Bentz: “tax Elon,” “tax the wealthy,” “tax the rich,” and “tax the billionaires.” In a solid-red Atlanta suburb, the crowd was so angry at Representative Richard McCormick that he has apparently gone to ground, bailing on a CNN interview about the disastrous town hall at the last minute.

That Trump is feeling the pressure from voters showed this week when he appeared to offer two major distractions: a pledge to consider using money from savings found by the “Department of Government Efficiency” to provide rebates to taxpayers—although so far it hasn’t shown any savings and economists say the promise of checks is unrealistic—and a claim that he would release a list of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s clients.

Trump is also under pressure from the law.

The Associated Press sued three officials in the Trump administration today for blocking AP journalists from presidential events because the AP continues to use the traditional name “Gulf of Mexico” for the gulf that Trump is trying to rename. The AP is suing over the freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Today, a federal court granted a preliminary injunction to stop Musk and the DOGE team from accessing Americans’ private information in the Treasury Department’s central payment system. Eighteen states had filed the lawsuit.

Tonight, a federal court granted a nationwide injunction against Trump’s executive orders attacking diversity, equity, and inclusion, finding that they violate the First and Fifth Amendments to the Constitution.

Trump is also under pressure from principled state governors.

In his State of the State Address on Wednesday, February 19, Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker noted that “it’s in fashion at the federal level right now to just indiscriminately slash school funding, healthcare coverage, support for farmers, and veterans’ services. They say they’re doing it to eliminate inefficiencies. But only an idiot would think we should eliminate emergency response in a natural disaster, education and healthcare for disabled children, gang crime investigations, clean air and water programs, monitoring of nursing home abuse, nuclear reactor regulation, and cancer research.”

He recalled: “Here in Illinois, ten years ago we saw the consequences of a rampant ideological gutting of government. It genuinely harmed people. Our citizens hated it. Trust me—I won an entire election based in part on just how much they hated it.”

Pritzker went on to address the dangers of the Trump administration directly. “We don’t have kings in America,” he said, “and I don’t intend to bend the knee to one…. If you think I’m overreacting and sounding the alarm too soon, consider this: It took the Nazis one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours and 40 minutes to dismantle a constitutional republic. All I’m saying is when the five-alarm fire starts to burn, every good person better be ready to man a post with a bucket of water if you want to stop it from raging out of control.”

He recalled how ordinary Illinoisans outnumbered Nazis who marched in Chicago in 1978 by about 2,000 to 20, and noted: “Tyranny requires your fear and your silence and your compliance. Democracy requires your courage. So gather your justice and humanity, Illinois, and do not let the ‘tragic spirit of despair’ overcome us when our country needs us the most.”

Today, Maine governor Janet Mills took the fight against Trump’s overreach directly to him. At a meeting of the nation’s governors, in a rambling speech in which he was wandering through his false campaign stories about transgender athletes, Trump turned to his notes and suddenly appeared to remember his executive order banning transgender student athletes from playing on girls sports teams.

The body that governs sports in Maine, the Maine Principals’ Association, ruled that it would continue to allow transgender students to compete despite Trump's executive order because the Maine state Human Rights Law prohibits discrimination on the grounds of gender identity.

Trump asked if the governor of Maine was in the room.

“Yeah, I’m here,” replied Governor Mills.

“Are you not going to comply with it?” Trump asked.

“I’m complying with state and federal laws,” she said.

“We are the federal law,” Trump said. “You better do it because you’re not going to get any federal funding at all if you don’t….”

“We’re going to follow the law,” she said.

“You’d better comply because otherwise you’re not going to get any federal funding,” he said.

Mills answered: “We’ll see you in court.”

As Shawn McCreesh of the New York Times put it: “Something happened at the White House Friday afternoon that almost never happens these days. Somebody defied President Trump. Right to his face.”

Hours later, the Trump administration launched an investigation into Maine’s Department of Education, specifically its policy on transgender athletes. Maine attorney general Aaron Frey said that any attempt to cut federal funding for the states over the issue “would be illegal and in direct violation of federal court orders…. Fortunately,” he said in a statement, “the rule of law still applies in this country, and I will do everything in my power to defend Maine’s laws and block efforts by the president to bully and threaten us.”

“[W]hat is at stake here [is] the rule of law in our country,” Mills said in a statement. “No President…can withhold Federal funding authorized and appropriated by Congress and paid for by Maine taxpayers in an attempt to coerce someone into compliance with his will. It is a violation of our Constitution and of our laws.”

“Maine may be one of the first states to undergo an investigation by his Administration, but we won’t be the last. Today, the President of the United States has targeted one particular group on one particular issue which Maine law has addressed. But you must ask yourself: who and what will he target next, and what will he do? Will it be you? Will it be because of your race or your religion? Will it be because you look different or think differently? Where does it end? In America, the President is neither a King nor a dictator, as much as this one tries to act like it—and it is the rule of law that prevents him from being so.”

“[D]o not be misled: this is not just about who can compete on the athletic field, this is about whether a President can force compliance with his will, without regard for the rule of law that governs our nation. I believe he cannot.”

Americans’ sense that Musk has too much power is likely to be heightened by tonight’s report from Andrea Shalal and Joey Roulette of Reuters that the United States is trying to force Ukraine to sign away rights to its critical minerals by threatening to cut off access to Musk’s Starlink satellite system. Ukraine turned to that system after the Russians destroyed its communications services.

And Americans’ concerns about Trump acting like a dictator are unlikely to be calmed by tonight’s news that Trump has abruptly purged the leadership of the military in apparent unconcern over the message that such a sweeping purge sends to adversaries. He has fired the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Charles Q. Brown, who Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested got the job only because he is Black, and Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the Chief of Naval Operations, who was the first woman to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff and whom Hegseth called a “DEI hire.”

The vice chief of the Air Force, General James Slife, has also been fired, and Hegseth indicated he intends to fire the judge advocates general, or JAGs—the military lawyers who administer the military code of justice—for the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Trump has indicated he intends to nominate Air Force Lieutenant General John Dan “Razin” Caine to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Oren Liebermann and Haley Britzky of CNN call this “an extraordinary move,” since Caine is retired and is not a four-star general, a legal requirement, and will need a presidential waiver to take the job. Trump has referred to Caine as right out of “central casting.”

Defense One, which covers U.S. defense and international security, called the firings a “bloodbath.”

—

[jyuugyoza]

Classified Heat (2/3)

pairing: Takayama Riki x Y/N

extras: &TEAM's Member with KTaki scene.

genre: Military, Romance, Thriller, Betrayal, Bloodshed.

cw: 8,850

“They’ll say it was you…” —Final words of Lt. Koga, KIA (Killed in action)

CHAPTER IV: Red Veil — Origin of the Lie

EIGHT MONTHS EARLIER Classified Zone Wolf-9, Border Conflict Region Operation Name: RED VEIL

The drop was clean. The op was not. Six of them were deployed. Only one came back.

It was supposed to be a high-level extraction. Infiltrate a rebel compound, retrieve a scientist with key weapons data, and exfil within twenty-four hours. But the deeper the unit moved into the compound, the more it looked wrong.

Too quiet. Too exposed.

Takayama Riki, squad lead, had known from the moment they hit ground: the mission wasn’t intel-gathering.

It was a setup.

“Movement at ten o'clock. Too coordinated for rebels,” Takayama whispered into comms.

“Form perimeter. Extraction protocol Alpha-8. No comms blackout unless I call it.”

But they never got the chance. Within seconds, gunfire erupted from three angles. One of the techs—Shigeta—went down screaming. Another tried to radio Command. Nothing but static.

“They knew we were coming,” Lieutenant Koga gasped, blood soaking his sleeve.

“This is a goddamn ambush.” Takayama dragged him behind cover, returning fire with brutal efficiency. He saw the mercs they were fighting—too clean, too well-armed to be locals. Their gear had no markings, no identifiers. But Takayama knew what he was looking at.

Contracted ghosts. Black-market soldiers. Government-issued weapons. His government.

By the time the smoke cleared, only he and Koga were alive—and Koga was slipping fast.

“Don’t let them rewrite it,” Koga choked out, gripping Takayama’s vest.

“They sent us here to die…” Takayama pressed a blood-soaked bandage to his chest.

“Stay with me. I’ll get you out.” Koga’s grip weakened.

“They’ll say it was you…” Then he was gone.

Takayama stood over five bodies. The mission was unsalvageable. The compound? Empty. The scientist? Never existed. It was a dead drop with a kill order.

They never wanted anyone to return. He took Koga’s tags. Burned what evidence he could. Fought his way out solo through the jungle with a bullet in his side and blood on his hands.

By the time he got back to base, Command already had the narrative ready: “Extraction failed. Target lost. Casualties: five. Lone survivor: Takayama Riki.”

He told them what happened. Gave them coordinates, flagged the weapons, warned them about the internal breach. But they didn’t ask questions.

They shut him down. Flagged him as unstable. Transferred him to base lockdown. They erased Red Veil from every system. Buried the files. Labeled him “unreliable.”

And now—months later—that file has gone missing.

The one with the truth. The one that could burn their whole network down.

And Takayama knows exactly what that means: They’re tying off loose ends.

And you—the soldier sent to “watch” him—might be the last piece.

Chapter V: After the Fire

Your breath hadn't even steadied from the kiss when the silence turned sharp again.

Takayama’s forehead still rested against yours, his hand still lightly cradling the back of your neck.

But something in the air shifted—like a trigger being pulled inside your chest.

You stepped back. Not far. Just enough to draw the line again.

“That doesn’t mean I trust you.” Takayama’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t flinch.

“I didn’t ask you to.”

“You’re still hiding something,” you said, voice low but firm.

“Something bigger than Command. Bigger than Red Veil.” He glanced toward the door—automatic, subtle. Like he was checking for threats. Or for an escape.

“You read enough in that file to know it’s not just about me.” You grabbed the comm pad again from the desk. The decrypted fragment still glowed.

“Takayama Riki: termination optional.” You threw the pad against the table. Hard.

“That’s a kill order. And you just—what? Let it happen? Walked back into the hands of people who wanted you dead?”

“I walked back because someone had to finish what they started.”

“Bullshit,” you snapped.

“You don’t get to be a martyr now.” He took a step toward you. You held your ground.

“You think I don’t know how they operate?” His voice was low, heated.

“They sent six of us in. I came back alone. You don’t survive something like that and walk away clean.”

“But you survived.” You folded your arms.

“And somehow, you’re still here, wearing the uniform like nothing ever happened. You expect me to believe Command just… forgave you?”

“They didn’t,” he said flatly.

“They kept me close. Controlled. Watched. Just like they’re doing to you now.”

The silence between you crackled again—but this time it wasn’t tension. It was fear. Not of Takayama. Of the machine behind him.

“Why didn’t you tell me the full truth sooner?” you asked, quieter now.

“Before I got dragged into this.” His eyes finally softened.

“Because I knew you’d come looking for it,” he said.

“Because I knew you wouldn’t be able to walk away once you saw what I saw.”

“And you let me fall into it anyway.”

“I tried to keep you out of it,” he said.

“But then you kissed me back.” You looked away. That wasn’t fair.

“So what now?” you asked.

“We run? We hide? Pretend this isn’t a death sentence?”

“No,” Takayama said.

“We burn them back.” He pulled something from his jacket.

A second data chip—sleek, military-grade, encrypted.

“The rest of the Red Veil report,” he said.

“The real one. The part they deleted.” Your heart slammed in your chest.

“You had this the whole time?”

“No,” he said.

“I stole it… after the ambush. After I buried five bodies and lied to Command with a bullet in my gut.”

He stepped forward again, and this time his hand didn’t reach for your face—it reached for yours.

“I don’t care if you don’t trust me,” he said.

“But if you want answers, if you want justice—then you’re already in this with me.”

Your fingers hovered near his. So close. One move would mean crossing the line completely.

From soldier to traitor. From tracker to target. From following him… to fighting beside him. You looked at his outstretched hand. And you made your choice.

Chapter VI: Breach Point

LOCATION: Off-grid safehouse, 4 km from Base Wolf STATUS: Disavowed

You hadn’t spoken in ten minutes. Not since the chopper lift. Not since you both vanished off base, your tracking gear fried by an EMP charge Takayama slipped into your comm pack.

Now, you sat across from him in the dim-lit safehouse. No comms. No signal. Just you, the cracked laptop, and the file he’d nearly died keeping hidden.

“They built a prison.” His voice was quiet. Controlled.

You looked up. “What kind of prison?”

“Off-the-record. No name. No location on any official map. Full black site.” He turned the screen toward you. Surveillance stills. Satellite footage. Dozens of redacted names.

“Anyone who got too close to the truth—scientists, agents, soldiers... they disappeared. Buried inside this place.”

You stared. “This is where they sent your squad?”

He nodded. “Only Lieutenant Koga and I made it to the perimeter. The others were already inside.”

“So Red Veil wasn’t an extraction.”

“It was an execution.” He tapped the screen.

“Of witnesses. People who saw too much. People like you now.”

You felt the chill creep up your spine. “Why keep you alive?”

“I think someone inside Command wanted me to live. Someone trying to leak the truth… quietly.”

You studied the file. One name stood out. General Byun. Your direct chain of command. The same man who briefed you for this assignment.

“He was in charge of your debrief,” you said. Takayama gave a dark smile.

“Exactly. He gave me one condition: disappear. Stay quiet. And maybe I’d stay alive.”

You slammed the laptop shut. “So he used me to monitor you. Keep you close. If you stepped out of line, I’d be the bullet he never had to fire.”

“Except you didn’t pull the trigger.” You met his gaze.

“No,” you said.

“I kissed you instead.” Silence stretched again. Not cold this time—something heavier.

“We need proof,” you said.

“Something irrefutable. Video. Testimony. Movement data.”

“We need access codes,” Takayama said.

“And I know where they are.” You blinked.

“You’re serious.”

“There's a backup server. Deep storage. Under Sub-Level 9 of Command HQ. It’s locked behind a triple-layer biometric vault and guarded by two units of loyalists.”

“And you know how to break in?”

“No,” he said.

“We do.” You stared at him, pulse thudding with fear—and something else. Resolve.

“You realize if we step into HQ, we’re not walking out.”

“I know.” His voice was steady.

“But if we don’t… no one else ever will.” You looked down at the laptop, the faces on the screen—blurred, redacted, erased.

“They think we’re dead already,” you whispered. Takayama nodded.

“Then let’s make their mistake hurt.”

Quiet, raw, and intimate. You and Riki are off-grid, hours away from breaching the heart of Command to expose a buried military conspiracy.

It’s the first real stillness you’ve shared. No weapons. No lies. Just two soldiers on the edge of something irreversible.

This is the moment where walls lower — not from adrenaline or fear, but from choice.

to be continued...

[do-you-have-a-flag]

putting aside the ethics of 'A.I' videos in their creation/usage/waste/economics, just on a purely technical level one thing i find interesting is no matter if the result looks photorealistic or like 3d CGI- it's all technically 2d image generation.

unless specifically used as an add on in a software for 3d rendering, of course, pretty much every ai video you see online is 2d art. the space rendered is a single plane, think of it like doing a digital painting on a single layer. the depth/perspective is an illusion that is frame by frame being rendered to the best ability of prediction based on data it has been fed.

obviously videos of 3d models in animation are a 2d file. like a pixar movie. but in video games you do have a fully rendered 3d character in a 3d rendered space, that's why glitches that clip through environments are so funny. it's efficient to have stock animations and interaction conditions programmed onto rigged dolls and sets.

by contrast if you were to use a generative ai in a similar context it would be real time animating a series of illustrations. of sounds and scenarios. the complexity required for narrative consistency and the human desire to fuck up restrictions hits up against a much more randomised set of programming. how would it deal with continuity of setting and personality? obviously chatbots already exist but as the fortnight darth vader debacle recently shows there are limits to slapping a skin on a stock chatbot rather than building one custom.

i just think that there's so many problems that come from trying to make an everything generator that don't exist in the mediums it is trying to usurp because those mediums have a built in problem solving process that is inherent to the tools and techniques that make them up.

but also also, very funny to see algorithmic 2D pixel generation being slapped with every label "this photo, this video, this 3d render" like it is at best description cgi, let's call it what it is.

but i could of course be wrong in my understanding of this technology, so feel free to correct me if you have better info, but my basic understanding of this tech is: binary code organised by -> human programming code to create -> computer software code that -> intakes information from data sets to output -> pixels and audio waveforms