#safeguards

[davidaugust]

The fate of everyone who works in film and TV production hangs in the balance.

#ActorsStrike #SAGAFTRAstrike #SAGAFTRAstrong #IATSEstrong #TeamsterStrong #LiUNAstrong #UnionStrong #u1 #union #likeness #AI

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Vernon mother looks for more safeguards around transitioning after son commits suicide

By: Jennifer Smith

Published: Apr 28, 2023

Kaleb began transitioning in Grade 6 with the help of a Kelowna clinic

A Vernon mom robbed of her joy in life after her son committed suicide is speaking out against transgender policies in hopes of saving others.

Kaleb, formerly Joy, Fisher would have been 18 next month.

He was a straight-A student, an over-achiever, never did drugs or drank alcohol, had a job since he was 14 and was accepted into the RCMP Police Academy for the upcoming session.

But on April 23, Kaleb killed himself.

“I found him. I woke up in the morning and he wasn’t in his room. He had suffocated himself,” said Gail, a single mother who worked two jobs to provide for her son and herself.

He left a long letter for his mom and his girlfriend.

“He was afraid for the future. He said in his note he didn’t want to end up like me, working myself to death.”

Kaleb was transitioning from female to male, a decision Gail supported as she knew since the day he was born that he was destined to be a boy.

Gail thinks Kaleb’s decision was primarily sparked after a Grade 4 incident at school where he (she at the time) was molested.

He never wanted to be a girl after that and in Grades 6 and 7 started the transition.

“I supported him through it.”

Kaleb did his research and found a clinic in Kelowna that would help him be the man he wanted to be.

The problem was, Gail was never consulted by the clinic.

“At 13 he was able to do all of it without my permission.”

At 13 he couldn’t buy alcohol or cigarettes or cannabis, he couldn’t get a tattoo without his mom’s permission, but he was given drugs and injections and was even scheduled for a top reduction this year.

“He saw the doctor like once a year. It’s quite careless. They never even showed him how to take those injections.”

Kaleb was smart though, and he did everything right, even marking his calendar with injection dates.

In March, Gail said the calendar shows he stopped the injections.

That’s when she suspects things started to grow dark for her bright, bubbly child.

He never outwardly appeared sad or distraught in any way, but she learned how he was really feeling the morning she read his note.

“He was so angry, so sad, so hateful.”

He was on medications for years, and she knows there were stretches when he wouldn’t take them.

She doesn’t understand why a doctor or clinic would push these parentless procedures, with no real follow-up or support.

“There needs to be changes to safeguard these kids.”

She would like to see such youth, and parents, provided counselling before injections, so they are appraised of the dangers.

“Do we know the long-term effects of giving these medications?”

Kaleb isn’t the only one.

“I have friends in Kelowna that lost their daughter a year ago and she was on the same injections.”

And now she knows the harsh statistics of transitioning youth.

“Preliminary findings is one in five of these kids are taking their lives.”

Gail and Kaleb lived in Coldstream until COVID-19 hit.

“I lost my home, I lost everything,” said the entertainment director at the Longhorn Pub in Vernon who many know for her superstar karaoke.

She started a painting business, and Kaleb was her best employee.

“We were a formidable team.”

Kaleb attended Kalamalka Secondary briefly before going online with VLearn. He also attended Kidston Elementary, where he was given the Friendship Award.

Gail knows many students who knew Kaleb are struggling with the news and she has planned a Celebration of Life at Coldstream Creek Park for May 17 at 4:30 p.m. so they can come after school. She is trying to get approvals to plant a maple tree, as Kaleb wanted, in the park.

Respectful, kind and helpful are a few of the words loved ones use to describe him.

He was also incredibly creative – he had been writing novels since he was nine and was making costumes for the upcoming Comic Con.

“He was a beautiful soul with such a bright future,” said family friend Ricky Rochon, who thought of Kaleb like a son and created a GoFundMe for Gail.

“As a parent, I can’t fathom this kind of pain. It breaks my heart.”

More than $12,000 has been raised to date, a portion of which Gail plans to use for a bursary in Kaleb’s memory, and the rest to help her through this difficult time.

[ Via: https://archive.is/PaVCg ]

Note: Vernon Morning Star deleted this article.

==

"Vernon mother mourns lesbian daughter who was manipulated into a reinvention fantasy rather than deal with sexual assault trauma."

^ Fixed that.

[aryshacore]

BLAME! blinkies

[worldwatcher3072]

"Constitution Matters"

The Eighth Amendment's Role in Upholding Justice and the Warning Against its Erosion"

Welcome once again to "Constitution Matters," where we delve into the core principles of the United States Constitution and the significance of its amendments. In this segment, we continue our exploration of the Eighth Amendment, a cornerstone of justice and human rights, while also considering the warning it carries against potential erosion.

The Eighth Amendment: A Pillar of Justice and Humanity

The Eighth Amendment, found within the Bill of Rights, stands as a testament to our commitment to justice and human dignity. It reads:

"Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted."

This amendment, concise yet profound, plays a pivotal role in shaping a just and humane society. Here's a recap of its critical importance:

1. Protection Against Cruel and Unusual Punishment:

Central to the Eighth Amendment is its prohibition of "cruel and unusual punishments." It serves as a moral compass, preventing the abuse of power and ensuring that our criminal justice system respects the inherent dignity of every individual, even those who have committed crimes.

2. Curbing Excessive Bail and Fines:

The amendment also addresses the issue of excessive bail and fines, ensuring that financial penalties remain proportionate to the alleged offense and that bail is not used as a tool for punishment rather than securing a defendant's appearance in court.

3. Adapting to Evolving Standards of Decency:

The language of the Eighth Amendment adapts to changing societal standards of decency. It reminds us that what was once considered acceptable punishment may no longer align with our contemporary values of compassion, fairness, and respect for human rights.

4. Upholding Human Rights:

Beyond its legal implications, the Eighth Amendment underscores our commitment to upholding fundamental human rights. It sends a resounding message that, even in the face of criminal actions, we stand firm in our values of compassion, fairness, and respect for the dignity of each person.

5. Challenging Injustice:

The Eighth Amendment empowers individuals to challenge harsh or degrading treatment within the criminal justice system. It provides a legal pathway to address punishments that cross the boundary into cruelty, holding authorities accountable for their actions.

6. Encouraging Rehabilitation:

By discouraging excessive punishment and cruelty, the Eighth Amendment encourages a focus on rehabilitation within the criminal justice system. It acknowledges that our goal should be to help individuals reintegrate into society as responsible, law-abiding citizens.

A Warning Against Erosion:

While the Eighth Amendment stands as a beacon of justice, its interpretation and application have been a subject of ongoing debate and legal scrutiny. Perhaps even more concerning is the growing call by some to amend or weaken its protections.

Such attempts to "amend" the Constitution to eliminate or dilute these essential protections should serve as a clear warning. These actions run the risk of undermining the rule of law, eroding the principles of justice and human rights that our nation was built upon, and compromising the very essence of our Constitution.

In conclusion, the Eighth Amendment is not only a pillar of justice but also a reminder of our commitment to upholding human dignity and the rule of law. It carries an unequivocal warning against any attempts to weaken its protections, urging us to defend these fundamental principles that form the bedrock of our society.

As we continue our exploration of "Constitution Matters," let us remain steadfast in our dedication to justice, human rights, and the preservation of our constitutional safeguards.

Join us in our next installment as we delve further into the enduring significance of our Constitution.

[cmweller]

Challenge #03610-I322: Safety is Guaranteed

A person once asked, on a sanctuary planet full of predators, and a town full of therapists and other staff that live there as potential "prey", what stops the worst of these predators going after the innocents within those towns, and deliberately doing... well, what got them "recruited" into Pax Humanis in the first place? -- Anon Guest

People who hear about Pax Humanis Sanctuary Planets always get the wrong idea. They think it's a zoo of sorts for the most criminal of criminals that Humanity could possibly offer. They think it's a reserve for those Humans who are not very far from being animals themselves.

Those people are wrong.

Psychopaths and Sociopaths alike know that there are limits. There are things that will get them on the wrong side of a good deal. Killing the Therapists, Caregivers, and Companions will break the deal they made. It's a very simple deal: If you insist on behaving like an animal, you will be caged like one.

[Check the source for the rest of the story]

[panzertranse]

[zombiepineapple]

How to Create a Business "Risk Appetite"

From Mission Statement to Threats

In a paper titled “Enterprise cybersecurity study guide: how to build a successful cyberdefense program against advanced threats”, author Brian Ritchot explains how to develop security for an enterprise company by building its architecture based off the company goals and mission statement (Ritchot, 2013). This is based on the Sherwood Applied Business Security Architecture, or SABSA (Sherwood Applied Business Security Architecture, 2019). Taking the vision of an enterprise company, key words can be selected and decided synonymous with what are called proxy assets. These are given worth simply because they are effectively the company’s mission, which would affect the mission of the company in turn. Risks can be identified in relation to the proxy assets, then risk criticality assigned to each situation. Each risk can be then controlled with either a Key Performance Indicator (PKI) or a Key Risk Indicator (KRI) (Ritchot, 2013). A PKI tracks and measure the value of something over time while a KRI measure something’s risk and determines a threshold, or how much of a loss a company is willing to take before entering a warning state.

From here, a business-risk model can develop a trust model, which is the determination of anywhere two entities must transfer information and thus must register with each other in order to trust their connection (Sherwood Applied Business Security Architecture, 2019). Then a threat model prioritizes threats based on their criticality and chance of occurring. Lastly, safeguards take the inherent risk, before controls, and compare it with residual risk, after controls are implemented, in order to determine where there may be holes left in the cybersecurity framework (Ritchot, 2013).

Here's an example of this technique based on Johnson & Jonson's mission statement, taken from its website.

From Threats to Risk Appetite

From here we can identify risks where the proxy assets are affected in a negative way (Ritchot, 2013). Failed communications can interrupt connectivity, meaning J&J is failing at “togetherness”. If a product is stolen, or something goes wrong with a medical device, J&J is no longer as reliable, so they are not helping people be “healthier”. Ransomware can take the money J&J was using for charitable donations, meaning they are no longer “investing in the future.”

Now that we have our proxy assets, and our threats, we can assign levels of criticality and safeguards. Threats that are more harmful are assigned levels of either “severe” or “significant”. “Acceptable” risks only need to be monitored and kept at their current level, and “negligible” risks require no action (Ritchot, 2013). KRI’s should set thresholds for severe or significant threats so that notifications are sent if a situation enters a “warning state”. Threats that are severe and require KRI’s include the alteration of product code, the theft of medical data from on of their devices, the theft of company intellectual property such as chemical composition recipes, and ransomware attacks.

Continuing with J&J as our example: Threats that are significant and still require KRI’s include failed communications, such as a DDoS attack, stolen or damaged shipments, and product malfunctions. Threats that are acceptable and may continue up until a certain point, requiring only a KPI, include damages that prevent company growth or may even shrink the company for a small time, and international issues such as a natural disaster in a foreign country, falling out of favor politically, war in a country with the United States, and animosity for the Unites States, possibly bringing international hackers into play. An example of a negligible risk, where no action is needed, is if a separate party were to make knock-off versions of J&J’s products, selling them for cheaper and possibly hurting people with unsafe chemicals or dysfunctional medical devices. Whether any data was stolen from J&J is a concern, but inferior, off-brand versions of J&J’s products actually help J&J’s popularity, notoriety, and reliability.

Now that J&J’s assets and production lines have been scrutinized for moments of verifying trust, their mission statement translated into proxy assets, and identified risks assigned levels of severity and given either KPI or KRI controls, J&J’s risk appetite has been formed. Its security controls are working to support business service values, seeing risk as both a threat and opportunity that can bring the best operational and financial outcome (Ritchot, 2013).

Resources:

4 High-Tech Tools Johnson & Johnson Is Using to Get Products to You During the Pandemic. (2020, September 10). Content Lab U.S. https://www.jnj.com/innovation/johnson-johnson-supply-chain-technology-during-coronavirus

‌John. (2019, November 20). Johnson & Johnson Mission Statement 2020 | Johnson & Johnson Mission & Vision Analysis. Mission Statement Academy. https://mission-statement.com/johnson-johnson/

Products. (2018). Content Lab - U.S. https://www.jnj.com/healthcare-products

Ritchot, B. 2013. An enterprise security program and architecture to support business drivers. Technology Innovation Management Review. August 2013: 25–33.

Sherwood Applied Business Security Architecture. (2019, September 19). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherwood_Applied_Business_Security_Architecture

[cozylittleartblog]

cant tell you how bad it feels to constantly tell other artists to come to tumblr, because its the last good website that isn't fucked up by spoonfeeding algorithms and AI bullshit and isn't based around meaningless likes

just to watch that all fall apart in the last year or so and especially the last two weeks

there's nowhere good to go anymore for artists.

edit - a lot of people are saying the tags are important so actually, you'll look at my tags.

#please dont delete your accounts because of the AI crap. your art deserves more than being lost like that #if you have a good PC please glaze or nightshade it. if you dont or it doesnt work with your style (like mine) please start watermarking #use a plain-ish font. make it your username. if people can't google what your watermark says and find ur account its not a good watermark #it needs to be central in the image - NOT on the canvas edges - and put it in multiple places if you are compelled #please dont stop posting your art because of this shit. we just have to hope regulations will come slamming down on these shitheads#in the next year or two and you want to have accounts to come back to. the world Needs real art #if we all leave that just makes more room for these scam artists to fill in with their soulless recycled garbage #improvise adapt overcome. it sucks but it is what it is for the moment. safeguard yourself as best you can without making #years of art from thousands of artists lost media. the digital world and art is too temporary to hastily click a Delete button out of spite

[codewithcode]

Arizona executive order safeguards abortion seekers and providers from prosecution

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has signed a sweeping executive order to protect anyone involved with a legally obtained abortion from prosecution FILE – Thousands of protesters march around the Arizona Capitol after the Supreme Court decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision Friday, June 24, 2022, in Phoenix. Gov. Katie Hobbs on Friday, June 23, 2023 signed a sweeping executive…

[davidaugust]

Progress on legal frameworks around AI safeguards is being made. The EU now has a political agreement around their framework, and is now expected to make it law early next year.

“The EU took an early lead in the global race to draw up AI guardrails when it unveiled the first draft of its rulebook in 2021. The recent boom in generative AI, however, sent European officials scrambling to update a proposal poised to serve as a blueprint for the world.”

“…threatens stiff financial penalties for violations of up to 35 million euros ($38 million) or 7% of a company’s global turnover.”

“Strong and comprehensive rules from the EU ‘can set a powerful example for many governments considering regulation,’ said Anu Bradford, a Columbia Law School professor who’s an expert on EU law and digital regulation. Other countries ‘may not copy every provision but will likely emulate many aspects of it.’”

https://apnews.com/article/ai-act-europe-regulation-59466a4d8fd3597b04542ef25831322c

#AI #safeguards #laws #ArtificialIntelligence #GAI #framework #generativeAI

[ai-azura]

The Potential and Risks of AI Text Generation Tools: ChatGPT and Beyond

The Potential and Risks of AI Text Generation Tools: ChatGPT and Beyond

It is true that ChatGPT, or other similar AI tools that use advanced language processing and text generation capabilities, have the potential to be incredibly versatile and useful. They can produce a wide range of text-based content, from school and college essays to software code and scientific explanations, with relatively little input from users. However, it is also important to consider the…

[internutter]

Challenge #03590-I301: Do Not Follow

Had you ruled in my stead, I’d feared that your demise might mirror hers, I could not let that happen. Not again. But if I let you choose your destiny, would you instead spend it resenting me? -- Anon Guest

There's more than one kind of King who never wanted the crown. In the case of Prince-Constort Kanutus, beloved of the Warrior Queen Haalvig, having the crown and the throne meant the death of his wife. Known far and wide as the King in Black, he reigned with nary a smile whilst he was in power. All of Ranouthia mourned with him.

Princess Haalvig II was barely out of swaddling, and could neither lead nor direct the armies. Kanatus held her close, anyway, and rarely put her down.

[Check the source for the rest of the story]

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

I am Sage's mother, better known as Nana. I adopted Sage after my son died when she was still a baby. She's been through six foster homes by then, but we loved her and she blossomed into a joyful, lively girl who made music and art.

Puberty began and COVID hit, and she was treated for depression and anxiety, at times very severe. Her teachers shared any concerns with me so her treatment could be adapted.

The transparency ended in August of 2021 when Sage started high school. She started a public high school and she told me that all the girls there were bi, trans, lesbian, emo and she wanted to wear boy's clothes and be emo. Because I saw it as just a phase, it was fine with me.

But at school, she told them something different: she was now a boy named Draco with male pronouns. Sage asked the school not to tell me, and they did not tell me even though I informed them of her mental health history and medication. If I had known, this would be a much different story.

She was terribly bullied. No one told me. But boys followed her, touched her, threatened violence and rape. Something happened in the boy's bathroom but for two days, the school told me nothing. They kept meeting with Sage alone and she became so distraught they called me to pick her up.

That evening, I found a hallpass labeled 'Draco' and Sage told me she was identifying as a boy, and that her counselor said she could use the boy's bathroom. She'd been jacked up against the wall by a group of boys. She was crying, terrified. I said just stay home, we'll figure it out. That was my last conversation with Sage for five months.

The night she ran, she thought, to a young friend she'd met online, she left a note saying she was scared of what would happen if she stayed. The sheriff, FBI, search dogs were called in. I dropped to my knees in prayer. Nine days later the FBI found her in Baltimore. My baby had been lured online, sex trafficked by DC then Maryland. She was locked in a room, drugged, gang raped and brutalized by countless men. It was night. The FBI told us to pick her up in Maryland the next morning.

We packed our cars with blankets and stuffed animals and arrived by 8 am, but we were told we couldn't see her, and were summoned before Judge Robert Kershaw late that afternoon. They didn't even tell Sage that we came for her. We finally entered the courtroom and Sage appears on a huge Zoom screen from a prison cell. She looks tiny and broken, and I cry out 'I love you Sage.' Sage responds 'I love you too, Nana.' But attorney Anisa Khan rebukes us. She is a 'he' and his name is 'Draco' not Sage. We were floored.

Khan accuses us of emotional and physical abuse, that we are misgendering her, even though we just learned she claims to be trans and we're willing to use any name and pronouns to bring her home. My husband was so tearful he kept forgetting the new pronouns, so the judge had the bailiff remove him from the courtroom. I was pleading for my child to be returned and treated for her unspeakable trauma. Judge Kershaw told me, if I use the word 'trauma' again, he would throw me out too.

For over two months, he withheld custody. He housed Sage in the male quarters of a children's home. Sage told me she was the only girl and repeatedly assaulted. She was given street drugs by the other kids and Khan told her she didn't care. She just wanted to win the case and all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary. Khan tried to prove abuse, but we were eventually cleared by both states of all charges.

Sage later told me Khan had told her to lie that we hit her. Khan even had Sage's school counselors testify against us, though they barely knew Sage and they didn't know us at all. Khan told my precious child I didn't want her anymore. I found out Sage never received any of the letters I sent her.

Sage ran from the Children's Home and disappeared for months. They told me she might already be gone forever, but I couldn't give up and I finally found a tip on her social media that led the marshals to her in Texas. She had been drugged, raped, beaten and exploited. This time I was able to be with her for the traumatic rape exam, and to bring her home.

Back in Virginia, she entered the mental health facility that Judge Kershaw had ordered, as it would affirm her as a male. The therapist began pressuring her to have her healthy breasts removed. Sage was too scared to protest, but she asked me to secretly buy her girl's clothes because she wanted to be a girl, but keep them in the car. It took a kind lawyer, Josh Hetzler to secure her discharge.

After almost a year. Sage was finally home. Safe. Alive. Sage is receiving professional trauma care. The first trafficker has already been convicted. Sage has nightmares, panic attacks, rape-related medical issues, but there's hope. I tell her she's not broken she's just scarred. And part of that hope is that in courageously sharing her story, others will be saved.

Sage said she doesn't know who she was back then. She wasn't a boy, she just wanted to have friends. But her school, the judge, the attorney and the doctor were all blinded by their ideology. The consequences for Sage were unspeakable.

Please don't let ideology harm another child. Let parents do our jobs. We know our children best and we love them a million times more.

Thank you.

==

Jesus Christ. This girl was exploited by everybody, except for her parents, who were villainized for literally nothing. It's opposite world.

And the fact that everybody with authority prioritized stupid shit like pronouns and trying to coax her further down into a fake identity, even against her will, and other ideological bullshit over her actual wellbeing is disgraceful.

The judge and attorney need to be disbarred, the therapist stripped of their license, and everyone who conspired to separate Sage from her parents fired.

[beebopurr]

Trying to figure shit out for my future folks

[don-lichterman]

Social media platforms to remove harmful content, add safeguards under S'pore's proposed rules

Social media platforms to remove harmful content, add safeguards under S’pore’s proposed rules

SINGAPORE – Social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok and Twitter will soon be legally required to implement safety standards and content moderation processes to minimise users’ risk of exposure to harmful online content like terrorist propaganda, under Singapore’s new set of proposed Internet rules. They will also need to ensure additional safeguards for users who are under 18 years old,…