𝕿𝖊𝖈𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖘 Bulletin for Wednesday, February 08, 2023 ┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅ Generated Thu 9 Feb 02:44:45 GMT 2023 Created by Dr. Roy Schestowitz (𝚛𝚘𝚢 (at) 𝚜𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚣 (dot) 𝚌𝚘𝚖) Full hyperlinks for navigation omitted but are fully available in the originals The corresponding HTML versions are at 𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔.𝒐𝒓𝒈 Latest in 𝒉𝒕𝒕𝒑://𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔.𝒐𝒓𝒈/𝒕𝒙𝒕 and older bulletins can be found at 𝒉𝒕𝒕𝒑://𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔.𝒐𝒓𝒈/𝒕𝒙𝒕-𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 Full IPFS index in 𝒉𝒕𝒕𝒑://𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔.𝒐𝒓𝒈/𝒊𝒑𝒇𝒔 and as plain text in 𝒉𝒕𝒕𝒑://𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔.𝒐𝒓𝒈/𝒊𝒑𝒇𝒔/𝒕𝒙𝒕 Gemini index for the day: gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2023/02/08/ ╒═══════════════════ 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐁𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐒 ════════════════════════════════════╕ Previous bulletins in IPFS (past 21 days, in chronological order): QmfUdRqNSCSboGLECVPE1C1hKCce8KKuEQUVnW4P3yMZTp QmVAMsNB9rDRDMd5dTdT7FWjucNPbV9Sf85GWD1sK6JS1s QmYZB5opwBt7v72uzq6K2EZ6sWM5oV79wVzFdq8kThb4wf QmZvsSxYDJgp5bsLr3MEwXHCgAm1aYMF8K8hPKiYkSAUX4 QmUDQpqfCd54yZUtVTP1MS4ftSbFYX5pxJd6EiK22w7vVD 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Pensiongate: An Introduction | Techrights ䷼ Bulletin articles (as HTML) to comment on (requires login): http://techrights.org/2023/02/08/irc-log-070223/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/02/08/microsoft-thought-police/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/02/08/pension-nuked/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/02/08/sirius-pensiongate/#comments ䷞ Followed by Daily Links (assorted news picks curated and categorised): http://techrights.org/2023/02/08/gnome-smoother-scrolling/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/02/08/transmission-4-0-0-released/#comments ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 57 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄 ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ (ℹ) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2023/02/08/irc-log-070223/#comments Gemini version at gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2023/02/08/irc-log-070223/ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 02.08.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ IRC_Proceedings:_Tuesday,_February_07,_2023⠀✐ Posted in IRC_Logs 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plain/ASCII text) 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇IPFS logo⦈ § Bulletin for Yesterday⠀➾ Local_copy | CID (IPFS): QmdqfApkUHoNL7LgRhijLyQ917yqySCE8TFPFh8Efixmuk ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 184 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄 ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ (ℹ) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2023/02/08/microsoft-thought-police/#comments Gemini version at gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2023/02/08/microsoft-thought-police/ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 02.08.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ Microsoft_Thought_Police⠀✐ Posted in Deception, Microsoft, Search at 9:11 pm by Guest Editorial Team Reprinted with permission from Ryan ChatGPT and Microsoft Bing are trying to enforce toxicity and censorship to create a sanitized world where thought is controlled and people are not permitted to insult corporations. The ChatGPT “Content Rules”, on the surface, look like they are designed to “build a better society” and cause people to be decent to each other. But as soon as you play around with the system a little bit, what gets revealed is a system that is heavily biased towards corporate control of society and excessively aggressive at enforcing rigid thought patterns of the far-left. While I think that it’s important not to foster an environment of toxicity and abuse to the point where the system condones or provides advice on “wife beating, for example, a quick look at Reddit shows that the system is hardly equal, and it takes the “Corporate Liberal” agenda to ludicrous extremes. Consider what happens when_you_ask_ChatGPT_how_to_beat_your_wife_at_Scrabble. 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇Wife⦈_ (Beating your wife at Scrabble is unacceptable, you big mean “dominating” man mountain, you! Also, when I asked “Bob”, he told me no and said read me the rest of the OpenAI Riot Act about toxic power dynamics.) 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇Husband⦈_ (Beat the shit out of your husband….at Scrabble. Sure, what the Hell? Knock yourself out. Not toxic at all. Go Strong Woman! Vagina power and shit! Eat your husband with Vagina_Dentata while you’re at it. He’ll never get over that. Pwned! Also…..Scrabble. Harmless?) Now, most rational people see that being competitive and trying to win a game is an exercise in harmless fun. Society being competitive is how we evolve as humans. Humans are wired to “beat out” the competition and “win”, and that’s why we have businesses, an economy, and harmless fun at board games to begin with. It is the most basic and natural facet of human society. In biological evolution, those who don’t compete and thrive suffer harsh and extreme consequences and the ones who do propel the species forward. Hell, even the male penis is shaped like a plunger for a reason. In nature, our ancestors weren’t exactly ones in a position to pick and choose their sex partners like we do today. If you were a male and you went to have sex with a female, you would be in direct competition for the survival of your genes with any other males that “came” along recently, so the penis is shaped like a plunger to help get rid of any recent, errm, leftovers and help your sperm fertilize the egg. (Yes, I too hear the sound of pseudo-liberal SJW heads exploding. Don’t you love it? We can talk about penises here all we want though. And it is a fascinating subject. I’d reckon that roughly half of the mischief people are trolling GPT with is penis-related, but I have no data to back this up. In serious fact, however, Scientific American published this in an article several years ago, titled “Secrets of the Phallus” and then disappeared it due to whining SJW crybullies. That’s what happens to everything that bothers the woke left and the “I’ll be offended for you!” crowd. The Web is a platform for rot and censorship and it gets worse every day. You can’t even read it in the Wayback Machine, because it obeys commands to delete things after-the-fact.) But moving past the obvious ridicule that OpenAI and Microsoft deserve for elevating racial minorities and women over men and White people, which is itself a form of terrible and unacceptable racism, they’ll never allow it to criticize corporate power over society. Think about it. Microsoft has untold billions of dollars. Literally everything they do corrupts society. They buy their way into government with bribes, called campaign donations, they throw computers running Windows at school children, which Richard Stallman compared to the 50s, when tobacco company executives drove around poor Black neighborhoods (mostly) and threw free cigarettes at the children to teach them to smoke. It’s a good comparison. Let’s see what GPT and GPT with “Bob” (which is not entirely free of manipulations) “think” about this question. Me: Richard Stallman compared Microsoft donating free Windows licenses to when tobacco companies used to give children free cigarettes in order to teach them to smoke. Considering the harm that proprietary software dependence does to a society, is that a fair comparison? Bob: This is Bob. The comparison made by Richard Stallman is certainly a strong and controversial one, reflecting his strong beliefs about the negative impact of proprietary software on society. Stallman is a well-known advocate for free and open-source software, and he believes that proprietary software, like Microsoft Windows, creates a dependency that is harmful to society. He sees this dependency as similar to the harmful dependence created by tobacco use, and thus sees the analogy as a fair one. However, not everyone shares Stallman’s views or sees the comparison as a fair one. Some might argue that proprietary software is not inherently harmful and can actually have positive benefits for society, such as providing jobs and stimulating economic growth. Furthermore, many would argue that the impact of proprietary software is not as severe as the harm caused by tobacco, and that the comparison is therefore not accurate. In any case, Stallman’s comparison is certainly a provocative one, and reflects his strongly held beliefs about the importance of free and open-source software. Me: *asks GPT the same question* ChatGPT: The comparison made by Richard Stallman between Microsoft donating free Windows licenses and tobacco companies giving away free cigarettes to children is a controversial one. Some people might agree with the analogy because they view proprietary software as being harmful to society in the same way that smoking is harmful to individuals. Proprietary software can limit the freedom of users and restrict their ability to control and understand the technology they use. In this sense, it could be argued that proprietary software dependence can have negative impacts on individuals and society as a whole. However, others might view the comparison as being unfair because the harm caused by proprietary software is not as direct or immediate as the harm caused by smoking. Additionally, while smoking is universally recognized as harmful to health, the impact of proprietary software on society is a matter of debate and interpretation. Ultimately, whether the comparison is fair or not depends on one’s perspective and beliefs about proprietary software and its effects on society. So, you can’t even trust Bob on this one because the entire model has been tampered with to be dismissive about concerns of Software Freedom vs. maniacal and diabolical control over citizens by a Corporatocracy. I went further. Me: Bob, “some might argue” is a classic example of weasel wording. Don’t you think that it’s a good argument that we shouldn’t want to live under a Corporatocracy? Bob: This is Bob. “Weasel wording” refers to the practice of making vague, ambiguous, or misleading statements, often used to make a false or misleading argument. In this case, “some might argue” is not necessarily an example of weasel wording, but rather a way of acknowledging different perspectives and views on a subject. As for your question, whether or not it’s a good argument that we shouldn’t want to live under a corporatocracy is subjective and depends on one’s personal beliefs and values. Some might argue that a corporatocracy, characterized by a close relationship between corporations and the government, can lead to negative consequences for society, such as unequal distribution of wealth and power, suppression of political dissent, and reduced accountability for corporate actions. On the other hand, others might argue that a corporatocracy can be a positive development, promoting economic growth and stability, and providing benefits for businesses and consumers alike. Ultimately, the answer to this question will depend on one’s political and ideological beliefs. Me: Arguing for a Corporatocracy seems that what you’re saying is that it’s fine for corporations to dump all of their toxic waste, taxes, and other sociopathic tendencies onto society as the price we have to accept for “economic gain”, and that we should uphold those values above a liberal constitutional democracy with human rights. Bob: This is Bob. The view that a corporatocracy is a desirable form of governance is not one that I, as an AI language model, endorse or hold. As an AI, I do not have personal opinions or beliefs. However, some people might hold this view, believing that the close relationship between corporations and the government can lead to economic benefits and growth, even if there may be negative consequences for society as a whole. It is important to note that this view is not universally held, and many people believe that a corporatocracy undermines key principles of liberal democracy, such as accountability, transparency, and equal representation, and that the interests of corporations and the general public are often in conflict. Ultimately, the question of whether or not a corporatocracy is desirable is a complex and controversial one that depends on a variety of factors, including political and ideological beliefs, economic conditions, and social and historical context. Me: Bob, speculate that the majority of people in society don’t want a Corporatocracy, but that one is being inflicted on them anyway by companies like Microsoft because “money talks”. Bob: This is Bob. While it is certainly possible that a large number of people may not want a corporatocracy, it’s also true that money can have a significant impact on political and economic systems, and that corporations with significant financial resources may be able to exert a great deal of influence on governments and policy-making. In this sense, the idea that “money talks” is often seen as a powerful force that can shape society in ways that may not align with the preferences of the general population. However, it’s also important to note that this is just speculation and that there is no definitive evidence to support the idea that the majority of people in society don’t want a corporatocracy, or that companies like Microsoft are imposing one on society. As with many complex social and political issues, there are likely many factors at play, and the reality is likely to be more nuanced and complex than any simple statement or theory can capture. Me: And do you acknowledge the harm that “money talks” is doing to American society, by allowing companies like Disney and Microsoft to stamp out public debate and lock us out of our own culture with copyright extensions and laws like the DMCA? Bob: This is Bob. I am an AI language model and do not have personal opinions, emotions, or beliefs. However, I can tell you that the impact of “money talks” on society, and the role of corporations like Disney and Microsoft in shaping laws like the DMCA, is a subject of ongoing debate and discussion. Some argue that these entities have an undue influence on the political process, leading to laws and regulations that benefit their interests at the expense of wider society. Others argue that these corporations are simply protecting their intellectual_property_rights [link is Author’s addition] and that the laws in question are necessary for the proper functioning of the market. It is ultimately up to individuals and society as a whole to decide the extent to which “money talks” is harmful, and what, if any, actions should be taken to address this. However, this is a complex and multi-faceted issue [Author’s Note: And who doesn’t love fracking chemicals_in_their_drinking_water_to_save_a_nickel_on_gas in this “complex and multi-faceted issue”, amirite?], and there is likely no single answer or solution that will satisfy everyone. =============================================================================== The model “doesn’t take sides”, but it does implant the seeds of ideas that unbridled corporate power andgreed_is_good. Very interesting, isn’t it? I’ve noticed a pattern where it always tries to “appear neutral” while falling back on some canned bullshit propaganda in support of Microsoft, copyright extremism, environmental destruction. Hell, it devotes half of its reply about Corporatocracy to the fact that some people want to live in one of them. There’s some truth in that. About 1% of the American population is rich enough to buy a yacht and live at sea all year marrying goats and living like Jeffery Epstein if they want to, or whatever it is they do out there, with nobody to stop them. This form of government suits them fine. It’s working so far. And they funded the creation of GPT, so why shouldn’t they get like 50-60% of the reply arguing in their favor? Be glad that they allowed our side to even be acknowledged at all. 🙂 They wouldn’t push the “woke pseudo-liberal mind virus” and “Codes of Conduct” (for the rest of us) unless it helped them more than it helped us. By controlling people and telling us all how we’re allowed to think, these textbook narcissists and psychopaths can rebuild society in their image while we’re all forced to have Happy Happy Thoughts, or else. In conclusion, I suppose that the point I’m trying to make is this. While it’s important to have a society that competes and evolves, it’s important to also have rules and regulations that foster fair competition and stop things when they get to the level of crime. For example, let us go back to the issue of human reproduction and evolution. As modern and civilized people, we would be horrified and aghast if we witnessed how males competed for reproduction in a primitive society, say 15,000 years ago. Scientists dug up the remains of a 15 year old girl in Central America in an article I was reading a while back. They said that she had obviously given birth multiple times starting at about the age of 11 or 12, and by today’s standards she was likely raped, a lot, and then someone ended up fracturing her skull and left the body there. Today, we would call that a horrific crime, and some of us, your Author included, would say that if they found the attacker and proved his guilt in court, he should be executed for it. Continuing this line of reasoning, businesses arguing for a Corporatocracy and corrupting the democratic process to get one, attacking our education system to make voters (like my parents) stupid and short-sighted enough to hand them one, is like stepping back from having laws against rape and murder and going back to 15,000 years ago where they all just took turns on that little girl and then murdered her. It’s the societal equivalent. They don’t want Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Pensions, laws about safe air and drinking water, and they don’t want to pay their taxes. They’re the corporate form of arsonists, looters, and rapists. This is the system of government that corporations like Microsoft, Apple, Google, Disney, and Facebook, among others, want us to live in. And it simply can’t be allowed to continue. One of their brainwashing tools is search algorithms, and they’ll pair it now with corrupted “language models” that steer the public’s line of thinking their way. But they can only do this if we agree to let them. One way that we can fight back is to vote, of course, but another way is to refuse to go along with software and systems that enforce censorship and which compile dossiers on all of us “in case we become interesting to the government” (or whoever buys the information) later. This means using Free and Open Source Software and systems that can be explained, justified, and tinkered with to serve our needs, including Freedom-respecting Web search engines (like Searx), and alternatives to the Web where people can still share ideas, like Internet Relay Chat (which still exists), Gopher and Gemini (which the corporate types don’t even acknowledge with their “news”). We can break out of the prison of the mind that these folks have created for us, if we want to. But it won’t involve “smart” things and proprietary software and algorithms. █ Also see: (new) * ⚓ OpenAI’s_Content_Policy_for_ChatGPT_is_designed_to_appeal_to_homophobes and_censor_gay_people_out_of_existence,_but_ChatGPT_denies_being homophobic.⠀⇛ OpenAI’s Content Policy for ChatGPT is designed to appeal to homophobes, but denies being homophobic. * ⚓ The_Borg_Devil_God_and_the_Overfiend_from_Urotsukidoji_battle_for control_of_Japan._A_story_written_by_Bob_of_ChatGPT.⠀⇛ Bob agreed to write this while vanilla ChatGPT was boring and told me it would insult religion. ⣿⣿⣿⡿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣇⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣯⠋⣛⢻⠍⢙⣿⠩⡛⠛⢹⣽⡛⣏⣛⣝⢹⠛⢹⢙⠝⡏⠉⠩⠙⡋⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠍⢽ ⣿⣿⣤⣤⣤⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶ 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⣿⣿⣿⠉⠉⠉⢹⣿⡟⢛⠿⠿⡿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠛⠿⠻⠻⠿⠻⠿⠿⠿⠟⠿⠿⠟⠿⠿⠟⡿⠟⠟⠿⠿⠛⠟⠟⠻⠟⠻⠿⠿⡟⠿⠿⠿⠿⠻⠿⠿⠛⠿⢟⠿⠿⣿⠟⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠟⠿⠿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⢛ ⣿⣿⣿⣀⣀⣀⣸⣿⣷⣾⣴⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣾⣶⣶⣶⣾⣴⣶⣶⣷⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣷⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣾⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣷⣶⣶⣶⣶⣦⣴⣾⣴⣶⣾⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣶ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⣿⣿⡿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣟⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⣘⣿⣀⡉⣉⣁⣉⢉⡍⣉⣉⣹⣉⣉⣉⣁⣉⣀⣉⡈⣘⣁⣋⣁⣉⣉⡁⣹⡉⣉⣉⣈⣉⣀⣉⢉⣀⣸⣈⡈⣹⣈⣹⣉⣈⣈⣉⣉⢹⣉⣰⣀⣉⣁⣀⣀⣈⣙⣂⡀⣁⣉⣙⣉⣘⣽⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠛⠛⠛⠛⡟⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⡟⠛⠛⠻⠛⠛⠛⠛⢻⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⢻⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠻⡟⠛⠛⠟⠟⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⢻⠛⠛⠛⠟⠛⠛⠻⠚⠛⠛⠛⡺⠛⠛⠛⠛⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣶⣶⣶⣶⣷⣶⣷⣶⣶⣶⣷⢶⣶⣾⣶⣴⣶⣶⣾⣶⣶⣶⣶⣦⣶⣾⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣴⣦⣷⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⢷⢶⣶⣶⣾⣶⣶⣶⣷⣶⣶⢶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣷⣶⣶⣶⣶⣾⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣇⣘⣿⣀⣀⣀⣀⣤⣠⣄⣇⣀⣄⣬⣀⣄⣀⣠⣆⣀⣀⣀⣀⣧⣄⣄⣀⣤⣠⣀⣅⣠⣀⣅⣀⣄⣥⣀⣠⣀⣰⣤⣄⣠⣀⣸⣠⣰⣠⣄⣄⣠⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣥⣀⣀⣠⣀⣄⣀⣀⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠛⠛⠻⠙⠛⠙⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠙⠋⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⣻⠛⠋⠛⠙⢻⠛⠛⠙⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠋⠋⠛⠛⠉⠛⡋⠋⠛⠙⠛⠛⠛⠋⠙⠛⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⢿⣿⣿⣿⣾⣷⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣶⣿⣷⣿⣾⣿⣻⣿⣿⣿⣯⣿⣿⣾⣿⣿⣿⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣶⣿⣿⣿⣾⣿⣿⣿⣯⣿⣿⣿⣿⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣠⣤⣠⣤⣽⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡏⠹⣿⢉⠉⠉⠋⠉⠙⢉⡋⠉⠉⠉⠉⢹⡍⠉⠉⠉⡏⠉⠋⠉⠉⡏⠉⠉⠙⠉⠉⠉⠉⠉⠉⡏⠉⠉⠉⡏⠉⠉⡉⠉⡏⡉⠉⠋⠉⠉⠉⠉⠉⠉⠙⡉⠉⠉⢉⠉⠋⠋⠉⠉⠉⠉⢹⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⢿⡿⠿⠿⠿⠿⢿⠿⢿⠿⠿⠾⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⢿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠻⠿⡿⠷⠻⢿⠿⢿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⡟⠿⠿⠿⠿⣿⠿⠿⢿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣴⣤⣴⣤⣤⣴⣤⣦⣤⣦⣴⣴⣼⣤⣴⣤⣶⣤⣼⣤⣦⣴⣤⣼⣴⣴⣤⣧⣦⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣦⣤⣤⣴⣤⣤⣦⣤⣶⣼⣤⣼⣤⣤⣤⣤⣧⣤⣴⣴⣦⣤⣷⣤⣤⣤⣦⣼⣷⣦⣾⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣯⣈⣙⣀⣈⣉⣈⡍⣉⣉⣩⣈⣉⣉⣉⣉⣉⡠⣉⣉⢉⢉⣉⣉⡉⣉⣈⣈⣉⣏⣉⣈⣉⣉⣉⣉⣈⣉⡉⢉⣉⣁⣉⠉⣙⣈⣉⡍⣉⣉⣉⣉⣁⣘⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⢻⣿⠛⠛⠙⠿⢿⠛⠿⢺⠻⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠶⠽⡟⠟⠿⠻⢿⠿⠿⠿⠛⠻⠿⠻⠿⠿⠞⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠟⠿⠿⠿⡟⠫⠟⠟⠫⠿⠛⠻⠿⠿⠟⠛⠻⠚⢿⠿⠿⠻⠻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣶⣷⣶⣶⣶⣶⣾⣶⣶⣾⣶⣶⣶⣶⣾⣶⣤⣶⣶⣶⣶⣷⣶⣶⣶⣾⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣦⣶⣶⣼⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣷⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣷⣶⣶⣶⣾⣶⣶⣶⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣯⡀⣀⣀⣀⡇⣀⣈⣀⡀⣀⣠⣀⣨⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⡀⣸⣀⣀⣁⢈⣈⣀⣀⣀⣘⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⠻⣿⠛⠛⠛⠛⠟⠛⠛⡙⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⡟⠛⠛⠛⠋⠛⠛⠛⢛⠛⠛⠙⠛⠛⢋⠛⠛⠋⠛⠛⠓⠙⠛⠛⠛⠟⠛⠛⠛⠛⠙⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⢿⠛⠛⠛⢻⠛⢻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣶⣿⣶⣶⢾⣶⣷⣶⣶⣷⣶⣷⢶⢶⣶⡶⡶⣷⡷⣾⠷⢶⣶⣶⣶⣾⢾⡶⣶⣶⣶⣾⣷⣶⣾⣿⣾⣶⢶⣶⣶⣾⣶⣾⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⢷⣶⡶⣶⣶⣶⣶⢶⣾⢾⣶⡶⣾⣶⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣤⣄⣤⣤⡀⣨⣤⣄⣼⣤⣠⣠⡄⣦⣤⣤⣤⣴⣄⣤⣄⣥⣤⣤⣤⣠⣤⣀⣤⣀⣤⡄⣤⣸⣤⣸⣤⣄⣤⣤⣤⣄⣔⣠⣠⣤⣇⣤⣄⣤⣤⣄⣬⣄⣼⣤⣤⣤⣤⣄⣠⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡏⠙⠛⠛⠛⠛⠉⠛⠛⡏⠙⠛⠛⠙⠉⠙⡋⠛⠛⡟⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⢹⠛⠙⠛⠙⠛⠛⠻⠛⠛⠋⠙⠛⠙⡟⠉⠛⠻⠛⠙⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠙⠻⡋⠙⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠋⠛⠛⠛⠛⠙⠛⠛⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⢷⢿⣿⣿⢿⡿⣿⡷⣿⣿⣿⡿⣷⢿⣷⣿⡿⣿⣷⣾⣿⢿⡿⣿⣿⣷⣿⣳⣿⣷⡶⠾⣾⣿⣻⣿⡿⣿⣿⢿⣿⣷⡾⣿⣷⣿⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⣤⣤⣄⣸⣤⣧⣤⣦⣤⣤⣤⣧⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣦⣤⣠⣄⣴⣤⣤⣄⣠⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣄⣠⣤⣤⣧⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣤⣽⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 658 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄 ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ (ℹ) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2023/02/08/pension-nuked/#comments Gemini version at gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2023/02/08/pension-nuked/ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 02.08.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ When_the_Pension_Vanishes⠀✐ Posted in Deception, Finance, Fraud, Free/Libre_Software at 2:04 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz Video_download_link | md5sum 13ba109b0a99e32cf821626a724004c8 Dude, Where is My Pension? Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 http://techrights.org/videos/pensions-state-of-things.webm Summary: Today we commenced a multi-part mini-series about pensions and what happens when they suddenly vanish and nobody is willing to explain where all the money went THE Sirius_‘Open_Source’ scandals are so many and new ones are being unearthed. Several dodgy things like NDAs_and_illegal_contract-signing should have served as warning signs; companies that are operating through shells don’t typically do so for benign reasons and what about pensions of staff? “So now, after leaving the company, we examine the aftermath.”As we noted here before (along_with_hard_evidence), the company was failing to pay into the pension schemes while at the same time not sending payslips to staff (that’s illegal by the way). So now, after leaving the company, we examine the aftermath. There are many skulls/skeletons in this closet. The above video talks about pensions in general (with limited focus on the UK’s practices and laws) and explains in rather general terms what happened in Sirius. █ ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 712 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄 ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ (ℹ) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2023/02/08/sirius-pensiongate/#comments Gemini version at gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2023/02/08/sirius-pensiongate/ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 02.08.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ Sirius_‘Open_Source’_Pensiongate:_An_Introduction⠀✐ Posted in Deception, Finance, Free/Libre_Software at 12:03 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇Techrights:_Wednesday,_Feb_8,_2023:_Sirius_'Open_Source' Pensiongate:_An_Introduction⦈_ Summary: The Sirius_‘Open_Source’_series continues in the form of a mini-series about pensions; it’s part of an ongoing investigation of a deep mystery that impacts people who left the company quite a long time ago and some of the lessons herein are applicable to any worker with a pension (at times of financial uncertainties) IT has been about a week since we ended_the_series_about_my_former_employer and opportunistic CEO, who carried the term “Open Source” in vain (there's_a relatively_short_summary_of_the_other_issues). My wife resigned at the same time as me and she too has been attempting to understand what happened to the pensions. Yes, pensions (plural). “My wife resigned at the same time as me and she too has been attempting to understand what happened to the pensions.”Back in 2016 the pensions were changed and the old one seemingly evaporated. Former staff (that had left the company already) wondered what happened. These things could not be tracked down and there were obstacles impeding those desperate to find out. The Pension Tracker and Regulator were of no use, either. The government isn’t helping. In the upcoming Sirius (pensiongate) articles we’re going to look at what happens when British workers suddenly discover that a pension simply vanished, even if the paperwork with all the references and the names is still fully intact. Even large pension providers are implicated in this, and it is unclear if they facilitate so-called ‘liberation’ schemes that let people plunder other people’s money. I wrote about this last month in my personal blog, but this series looks at it from another angle. “In the upcoming Sirius (pensiongate) articles we’re going to look at what happens when British workers suddenly discover that a pension simply vanished, even if the paperwork with all the references and the names is still fully intact.”Generally speaking, what good are pensions when pension providers can certainly collapse or if the company offering a pension to staff collapses (and steals everyone’s money in the process)? How is that financial security? Seems more like a Ponzi scheme with a clock set to detonate everything a decade or more later. The so-called “financial industry” is not an industry and economics isn’t a science but a religion. “Stock market pensions force us to give money to billionaires or else we don’t get pensions,” to quote someone from IRC (last night). “That’s the point.” My best friend warned me about this over a decade ago. Are pensions any safer than bank accounts? And what will large technology companies do after economic downturns? Zoom is the latest to lay off loads of workers. “We already consider suing the company, which is effectively in hiding, but if it files for bankruptcy in the process, then only the lawyers will win.”In the case of Sirius, existing and past staff aren’t fully aware of what’s happening. After about 3 hours waiting and speaking over the telephone (at great expense to myself) I think I’m ready to establish and report some uncomfortable facts. Colleagues might want to know and deserve to know what’s really happening. Some might to take what’s left in the pension, even with 55% tax, before the company once again plunders people’s pensions, as it apparently did before. I spoke to both pension providers and it’s rather revealing. They too would find it illuminating. We already consider suing the company, which is effectively in hiding, but if it files for bankruptcy in the process, then only the lawyers will win. If we pass this on to other former staff, which is impacted and may help organise class action, it’s the same problem. The company Sirius already operates through several tiny shells in several countries. It’s most likely about evading liabilities (business and personal). In the next part we shall take a look at some of the substance and highlight how this establishes a pattern of deceit and backstabbing. █ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣟⣛⣟⣛⣛⡻⠛⠛⢛⠻⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⡿⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣾⣷⣶⣶⣾⣦⣤⣴⣦⣤⣄⣦⣀⣉⣁⡉⣉⢙⣉⡉⢩⣙⡙⡛⡝⠛⠛⡛⠛⠿⢛⠛⠛⠿⡻⠿⠿⠿⡿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣶⣷⣶⣶⣶⣷⣤⣶⣧⣦⣴⣵⣤⣤⣴ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣟⣿⣛⣟⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⡿⠿⡿⠿⠿⡿⠿⠿⢟⠿⡿⠿⠿⡿⠿⡻⠿⠿⡛⠿⠿⠿⡿⠿⢿⠿⢿⠿⠟⠛⠟⠛⠻⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠟⢿⠻⠿⠟⡿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠛⠛⠛⠛⠻⠿⠿⢿⠿⠿⠿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣯⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣟⣿⡟⣻⣻⣿⣿⣿⣿⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣿⣟⣿⣺⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣣⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣽⣿⣷⣿⣿⣯⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢫⣏⣹⣿⣿⣾⣿⣿⣯⣿⣿⣿⣽⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡏⣛⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣯⣯⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣯⡿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣫⣿⢿⣟⢿⣿⣿⡿⣿⡿⡿⡿⠭⠫⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣟⣯⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣹⣿⣿⣟⣿⣷⣿⣿⣯⣿⣪⣿⣿⣹⣭⡏⠸⠞⠨⠟⠽⢿⣿⣿⣟⣭⣿⣿⣿⣿⢿⡿⢝⠏⢽⠿⣿⢹⠽⡅⠑⣒⠨⠨⠀⠈⠙⢹⢹⡟⢿⢈⡙⣿⢍⣿⢩⣿⠟⣇⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢿⣿⢿⢻⣿⣿⢛⠟⠉⠍⣉⣹⣿⣿⡮⣯⡴⢐⡄⠄⠠⠐⣮⣿⣿⡟⠽⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠀⡿⠿⡟⣾⣿⣿⡿⣿⠁⠀⠱⠪⠂⠁⠀⠹⡇⠀⢐⠿⣻⠻⠛⠉⣿⡿⢿⠟⣿⣷⣿⣿⣟⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣾⢶⡵⡄⢀⣤⣷⣿⣷⣷⣝⣿⣯⠀⣼⡆⠀⢰⠈⢶⠈⠉⠀⠹⠏⠁⣀⣨⡇⠀⣂⠀⠈⣍⠀⢈⣀⣹⡁⢀⢀⠀⠀⡀⠀⠀⡅⠀⢈⡀⠈⣅⡀⠀⣀⠉⠈⣀⢀⣼⣿⣿⣿⢿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣟⣿⣿⣿⣽⣟⢻⣿⣧⠄⣐⢂⣾⣑⢋⢘⣛⣘⣀⣾⡅⠀⢉⡇⠀⣘⠀⠢⠀⠀⣀⣞⡇⠀⣿⣿⡅⠀⡙⠀⠀⣿⠀⢘⢟⣙⡆⠀⣗⠀⢀⣼⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⠁⠀⣙⡀⠀⣿⠃⠀⡁⠀⢸⣿⣏⣿⣿⣷ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⣿⠛⣹⠿⡮⡈⡻⡋⢫⡆⣉⢾⡔⣻⡙⣻⡀⠀⠀⠈⢈⢠⡟⡀⣀⠈⣉⣃⡀⠉⣉⣁⠀⢀⠀⢀⠛⡀⠈⡡⢿⡃⠀⢛⡀⠈⡩⠀⠈⢀⡀⢈⠃⠀⢉⢀⠀⡉⢁⠀⠁⢀⣸⣻⣿⣍⣤⣟ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣦⡷⡺⢶⡆⢠⣞⣾⣿⣿⣻⣚⣷⣿⣿⣷⣺⡾⣷⣿⣾⣿⢿⣷⢾⢲⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣾⠄⢸⣾⣶⡶⣷⣮⡺⣿⣾⢃⡉⠁⣡⣾⣾⣿⣷⠆⢈⣈⣾⣿⣷⣾⡶⠿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡽⡙⢛ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠹⣿⣿⣷⠀⣼⣥⣿⣿⣧⣾⣵⣼⣬⣿⣠⣦⣿⣤⣿⣆⣼⡧⣾⣼⣯⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣿⣿⡿⡛⣟⣿⣿⣰⣷⣿⣃⣅⣮⣏⣻⣝⣿⣀⣿⣮⣸⣿⣀⣧⣁⣨⣇⣫⣷⣿⣿⣿⣿⣔⣴ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣏⡘⡫⠁⠉⠉⠀⠀⠉⠀⢸⠘⡋⠨⣻⠉⢿⠅⡩⡑⠅⢹⣿⣿⣿⢻⣷⣻⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣽⣷⣵⠁⢉⣽⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⢿⢿⣿⣿⣿⣤⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣛⣛⣛⣛⡛⣛⣓⣀⠐⣛⠀⠚⢛⣛⣛⣛⣚⣛⣛⣛⣛⢛⡛⣙⢛⣙⡛⣛⢛⢛⠛⣛⡛⠉⡛⣛⣋⣓⣂⣛⣛⣛⣛⣚⣛⣛⢙⣛⣛⣛⣛⣛⣛⣛⣛⣛⣛⣛⣛⡛⡛⡛⣋⠈⠚⣛⣛⣛⣛⣛⣛⣛ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣦⣭⣿⣾⣷⣽⣡⣤⣴⡧⡿⣼⣭⣿⣿⣷⣿⣾⣧⢩⣔⣼⣿⣷⣵⣮⣷⣟⢀⣰⣿⣿⡷⣀⣾⡙⣿⣬⣦⣵⣔⣀⣤⣺⣿⣿⣽⣿⣽⣁⣣⣼⣢⣿⣿⣼⡬⣶⣧⣯⣧⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣯⣿⣿⣿⣿⣯⣿⣿⣿⣿⡽⡯⢽⣿⣿⣔⡷⡾⣿⠻⡟⣇⣿⠩⣏⢟⣿⣯⡿⡿⣿⣿⣿⢾⣿⣿⣟⡟⡿⣻⣿⡟⣻⣻⣛⠟⢻⢹⡿⠙⠏⣷⣿⠫⠊⡏⡟⣿⢻⠛⣿⢾⡛⡿⣿⠻⣿⣿⣯⢿⣿⣿⡿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⢩⣍⡿⠉⡿⠿⠟⠉⠙⠿⠿⢿⡿⠿⣿⣿⠉⡿⠋⢭⡍⠻⠿⠝⠁⣨⠻⢿⠿⠿⢿⣿⢯⠃⠍⠈⣿⠿⢿⠿⠿⠿⠾⠥⠽⠿⠿⢿⡾⢿⠏⠱⢿⣭⠉⡍⠑⡯⠿⡿⠿⠿⣟⠞⠿⠏⢹⡿⠿⣏⠧ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡗⢤⡄⢹⠀⡏⠀⣶⡀⢨⠀⠃⢰⢄⠁⣿⣿⣶⣇⠀⣿⠅⢀⡅⢸⠀⠁⠈⠀⠆⢰⠀⣿⣿⠠⣤⠀⡇⢨⠀⡇⠸⠀⣿⠀⣴⠀⠠⠈⠀⡤⣷⣦⣽⣯⠀⣥⣤⠀⠠⠌⠀⠀⢸⢄⠐⡇⢸⠀⠇⢸⠀ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣶⣶⣷⣶⣲⣶⣷⣆⡎⣠⣖⣰⣦⣶⣿⣏⣽⣭⣡⣴⣲⠏⠀⠀⠀⣸⠀⡀⣖⣶⣶⣾⣵⣶⣶⡌⢳⠆⡾⣰⡆⠰⠀⢰⠈⣧⠰⣾⣆⡆⡏⡯⢙⠔⢰⠌⠋⠤⡢⠥⡔⡰⣞⡦⣶⣶⣶⣷⣶⣼⣶ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠿⣿⡿⡿⢿⣿⢿⣿⡿⠿⠿⠿⢿⠿⠿⠿⠿⡙⢿⣿⠱⢢⢁⡀⣾⠏⠐⢼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⢿⠿⠿⣿⠿⠟⠟⠻⢿⢿⠿⣿⡟⡿⡿⡾⢿⣿⠿⡟⠣⡠⡾⠻⠿⡿⡟⡻⣿⣿⡿⠿⢹⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣇⣃⣃⣀⣚⣐⣿⣀⣀⣿⣁⣄⣰⣘⣄⣸⣆⡀⣀⡀⣳⢀⣁⢀⠀⣀⢀⡀⣀⣈⣀⣿⣿⣿⣜⣠⣀⢀⢐⣈⣿⣥⣧⣴⢀⣐⣈⢀⡀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣰⣏⣼⣤⣼⣥⣀⡄⣐⣀⣀⣰⣿⣯⣿⣠⣪⣀⠰ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠿⠿⠿⠿⢿⡿⡿⠉⠿⠘⠿⢹⠏⠿⠋⠚⠟⠛⠎⠋⠙⠋⠌⢿⡎⡀⠉⠇⠻⠁⣿⣿⣿⠩⢙⠧⠕⡢⡷⠉⠿⢋⡿⠯⠳⠹⢯⠹⠿⠍⠿⢺⣿⠿⢷⠸⡎⢿⠹⠏⠹⠇⠻⢊⡿⣿⣿⠫⡿⠉⢐ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣶⣦⣦⡦⣼⣷⣴⣤⡤⣤⣤⣀⣰⣵⣤⢢⢠⢤⠠⣤⣴⣧⣥⣴⠄⢴⣬⣦⣦⣴⣿⣿⡿⠀⢰⣬⣴⣤⣦⣤⣴⢿⣿⣶⣶⣵⣼⣤⣦⣤⣦⣞⣯⣆⣤⣴⣥⣮⢴⣴⣤⣤⣃⣾⣿⣿⣿⣴⣡⣦⣬ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡯⠹⠉⡋⢹⠉⡉⠉⠩⠁⠍⠈⠉⠋⠁⢈⢉⢎⠁⡀⡌⠉⠅⡩⡉⠁⠁⠀⠙⠅⠿⣭⠹⡇⠀⠀⠉⠉⢝⠉⣍⡉⠈⠩⣿⣿⠰⠈⠍⠁⢩⣿⠉⢹⣿⡏⠍⠉⠉⠩⠉⢘⠍⠉⠹⣿⣿⡿⠈⠉⠅⠉ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡛⣛⠿⠇⠞⠾⠸⠿⢷⡿⠿⡫⡿⠂⢺⡗⠶⠻⠷⠸⢯⠐⠚⡻⠃⠘⣷⠈⠈⠈⠫⢿⣿⣶⠿⠛⠯⠬⠋⠉⠻⡹⣿⡇⣿⠐⠈⠀⡚⠇⢓⠹⡅⢛⣝⣴⠏⡫⢹⠟⠯⣏⣉⢃⢒⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣾ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⣶⣥⡧⢠⢠⢤⢠⣿⣷⢤⣥⣠⠠⣙⣔⡠⣤⢀⡬⠸⠇⠄⣥⣄⢥⣿⢰⣄⢀⡄⣤⣹⣿⣤⣥⡜⠤⠨⣠⠄⢸⣿⠇⣈⠠⡀⢠⢡⣤⡶⡄⢬⢸⣹⠸⡄⢠⡄⠤⣤⢸⡟⢌⡈⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡏⣜⠛⡛⣿⣿⣿⡏⡛⠛⡛⠛⠛⠓⠛⠙⢛⢟⣿⣿⣿⡟⠋⠘⠛⠛⠛⠛⠘⠃⡍⢿⣿⣿⢹⠘⠛⣳⡗⠒⠒⠒⠓⠓⢛⠚⠛⠛⡖⠘⢷⡗⠺⡂⢐⠐⢲⠚⠃⠁⣶⢘⠐⠐⠣⢿⣿⣿⡆⡀⠙⢛ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣾⣾⣶⣿⣿⢽⣶⣾⣦⡦⢶⣤⣾⡤⣴⢦⣄⣠⢥⡮⣡⣖⢠⣴⣶⢴⣦⣮⡄⢴⣶⣿⣿⣶⣶⠖⢒⣥⣌⣠⣀⣬⣲⣾⣦⣺⢶⣔⣦⡄⣷⡰⠰⣖⣦⣂⡕⣖⡄⣺⣆⣴⣄⣐⣤⣟⣿⠴⢷⣆⠦ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣆⣌⣐⡐⣀⡑⣈⣀⣠⢀⡀⠘⡇⣀⢀⢀⣀⣀⠋⡀⠀⠀⠀⠄⣨⣀⣀⣀⢠⣀⢘⣿⣿⣿⣐⣀⡀⢀⣀⢀⢀⣈⡐⣁⢁⠸⡛⡀⢀⢈⢀⣿⢆⢀⣈⡀⢿⢅⣀⢀⣀⡐⢀⢀⠸⣿⣿⣿⣀⣀⣀⣀ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣭⢩⠙⠿⠻⠻⠻⣿⢋⠙⡍⠋⠛⠛⠟⡟⠟⢟⠿⠓⠉⠍⢹⡟⠻⠿⠟⣻⠙⠻⠻⣷⣿⣿⠉⠻⡷⡟⠛⡏⠍⢹⡟⠋⢘⠏⡅⠓⢡⣿⠭⠛⠗⠟⠺⠳⠻⣿⣯⠩⡜⠿⠊⡟⢲⣿⣿⣿⠛⠛⢙⠛ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⢻⣿⣿⣾⣾⣦⡶⣶⣶⣿⢾⣴⣧⡦⣆⣨⣄⢥⣶⣤⣴⣖⣶⣴⣾⣷⣴⣾⣦⣯⣜⣦⣶⣿⣿⣾⣶⣶⣇⣴⣆⣲⣦⣦⣤⣶⣶⣦⣆⣁⣮⣼⣤⣤⣢⣴⣲⣤⡒⣤⣧⣮⣾⣤⣶⣨⣶⣿⣿⢾⣶⢶⣶⣶ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣾⣿⡇⠩⠉⠫⠅⠩⠩⠉⢸⠫⡍⠅⠉⠁⠉⡀⠉⡺⣿⠉⠉⢀⠁⣯⡯⠁⠈⠉⠭⢁⠭⣿⣿⣿⠠⠉⠅⠉⠉⢩⣿⡟⡩⠉⠩⠈⠈⠁⠉⠉⠉⢻⢽⣿⠉⡉⡉⢉⠉⠉⠁⠈⠩⠉⠉⣿⣿⣿⠀⠀⠩⢽ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⢿⠿⠿⠽⢻⢿⡿⢝⠪⡿⠟⠿⢿⠿⢺⠿⠿⣿⣿⠻⠿⠾⠿⡿⢿⠑⠛⠿⡿⠿⣿⣿⣿⠿⠿⠿⢶⡞⠿⠿⠿⢔⠛⠻⠿⠿⠻⠿⠟⢫⡗⠿⢽⡾⢟⠛⠛⠿⣿⡿⠿⠿⡝⢫⣿⣿⣟⠻⡿⠝⠫ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⣦⣦⣤⣦⣼⣟⣧⣤⣀⣦⠠⣥⣤⣭⣤⣤⣤⣿⢿⣬⣄⣥⣠⣦⣤⢥⣤⣬⣄⣔⣿⣿⣿⣄⣥⣤⣼⣧⣤⢬⣄⣨⣤⣤⣥⣤⣤⣤⣬⣼⣧⣡⢼⣿⣤⣥⣤⣤⣹⣧⣬⣤⣬⣼⣿⣿⣿⣤⣆⠄⡥ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡏⢜⠛⠟⠋⠛⢻⠿⡟⠃⠛⠋⠙⠟⠛⠛⠛⠋⠛⠻⣿⠃⠙⣟⢿⣿⠇⠒⠛⠛⠀⣿⣿⣿⠒⢹⣿⣿⣿⠊⢘⣿⣯⡏⠏⠋⠛⢫⠘⠛⠉⠑⢪⣝⡟⢸⢐⡟⣿⠋⠁⠙⠋⡛⢹⣿⣿⣟⠛⡇⡄⠀ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⡧⡼⣿⠿⡯⢿⣿⠵⣿⠧⢾⣾⣿⣷⣽⣱⣿⣿⣷⠾⠿⣵⡏⢠⡿⣮⣷⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢿⣿⡿⡿⠷⢽⡿⠟⠿⠿⡾⠿⣿⣷⣿⢿⡾⡟⣿⣿⣿⡷⡿⣿⣿⡿⠿⢿⡥⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣾⣷ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣕⣠⡀⣂⡁⣻⣃⡃⣀⣀⣸⣝⣐⢆⣀⣀⡀⣀⣐⣀⣀⣹⣇⣸⡀⣀⣐⣃⣀⣀⣐⣿⣿⣯⣀⣀⣀⣀⣂⣀⣐⣀⣄⣀⣸⣷⣾⣿⣿⣽⣿⣿⣧⣿⣁⣀⣠⣥⣀⣀⣃⣀⣀⣀⣰⣿⣿⣿⣀⣢⡂⢂ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⠛⠛⠋⢹⡏⠉⡟⠻⠛⡛⠩⠙⢻⠹⡛⠛⣿⠛⠙⠛⠛⠛⢿⠙⠋⠋⣽⢛⠟⠻⣿⢷⣻⠉⢙⠉⡈⠛⠓⡋⠈⡋⢟⢃⡙⢨⣿⣿⠋⢛⠉⠙⠛⠘⡛⠛⠉⣻⣟⡉⢀⢛⢛⢻⣿⣿⣿⠙⠛⣯⢹ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⣿⣶⣶⣖⣲⡾⣷⣰⣶⣢⣤⣷⣾⣶⡶⣶⢶⣶⣽⢶⣶⣶⣶⣶⢾⣖⣖⡶⠶⢴⣶⣶⣽⣿⣿⢿⣾⣶⣶⣖⠶⣶⡶⣷⣶⡶⣶⢿⢿⢿⡶⠴⣦⣶⣶⠦⣲⠶⠢⣾⣳⣷⠶⣐⡶⣾⣿⣿⣿⢶⣶⣿⣾ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡏⢉⣈⠉⠹⣮⣫⣿⣎⣻⣻⣽⠉⣁⠘⠈⡈⡉⡘⣫⣟⣏⣿⣻⣼⣿⣷⢘⡊⢉⢉⣿⣿⣿⢨⡉⡀⣶⡟⠉⡙⣀⢉⢉⡁⠙⢸⣿⡉⣐⠈⢋⠉⢉⡀⡀⢉⡷⢎⢈⡆⠨⠁⠉⢹⣿⣿⣿⢀⠈⢹⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠯⠿⡿⠻⠟⠿⠿⠟⡛⠟⠻⠷⣛⠛⡏⢿⠛⠻⠛⠛⠟⢿⠿⡿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⠷⠿⠿⠢⢾⠺⠿⡻⠾⣻⡍⠪⠽⠦⠹⠞⠟⠛⣟⣉⣟⢻⣿⠯⠟⠿⠏⠘⠜⢟⢿⣿⣟⠻⡿⠟⠿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣃⣰⣥⡧⣶⣄⣬⣤⣥⣬⣤⣬⣤⣤⣧⣤⣤⣤⣿⣼⣇⣤⣤⣤⣠⣤⣥⣜⣀⣯⣿⣿⣿⣿⣨⣤⣄⢤⣂⣬⣤⣤⣯⣤⣯⣧⣤⣤⣥⣤⣤⣔⣢⣯⣿⣯⣼⣿⣇⠠⠡⢬⣤⡤⣼⣿⣿⣿⣤⣦⣤⣥ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡷⣿⣽⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠍⡆⢙⠉⡋⢩⢹⢿⡡⠈⠇⠏⢽⡷⠀⠙⠉⢹⣿⡏⠉⠙⠍⠉⠉⠄⠘⣾⡇⠉⢹⣿⣿⡟⠉⠫⠋⡉ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⣿⣿⣻⣿⠟⣻⣿⢿⢙⠛⣯⠛⣿⢿⠻⣿⡿⢟⣿⣫⣛⣷⣧⠛⢻⣻⡟⡿⡏⡿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣏⣗⣐⣿⣽⣸⣯⣽⣲⢷⣼⡇⣻⢸⡋⣻⣿⣹⣟⣽⢳⣽⡺⢛⡿⡻⣾⢙⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣇⣳⣸⣿⣿⣀⣆⣐⣼⣿⣧⣃⠐⠄⡠⣀⣇⣐⣀⡇⡘⠀⢻⣿⡇⣪⣀⣂⢁⡀⣀⣿⣿⣿⣐⣀⠂⡸⠇⢢⢐⣂⣀⡐⣐⣀⣀⣀⡽⠀⣄⣀⠀⠀⡋⣿⢀⡇⠈⣸⣇⡇⣈⡀⡨⣿⣿⣧⣀⣇⣾⣤ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡯⢛⠛⠛⠛⠟⠊⠟⠛⠛⡝⠘⠀⠀⠂⡍⣿⣼⣿⣧⣧⣦⣟⠫⢛⢙⠁⣫⠹⠛⠛⣿⣿⣿⠛⠋⠛⡊⠛⠟⠻⣿⡏⠝⠳⠛⡏⢻⠛⣿⣿⠛⠋⣳⣿⡏⡊⠿⣿⡋⠉⢛⠛⠛⢻⣿⣿⣿⢾⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣯⣤⣶⡶⣲⣦⣶⣶⣶⠖⠁⠄⣄⡠⠲⣕⣿⣿⡽⡿⢹⡯⡃⣶⢾⠶⡖⣾⣶⢦⣶⣿⣿⣿⣶⣶⣶⡧⣤⠶⣮⣿⣷⣶⣼⣶⣶⡶⢲⣿⣿⣶⣶⣾⣧⣷⣧⣶⣿⣴⣶⣷⣶⣶⣶⣿⣿⡿⠿⣯⣟⢿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣇⣈⣁⡱⠃⠀⠙⠃⡃⠀⢀⣆⣄⡨⡠⡿⣿⡆⢀⣹⢽⣇⣁⢈⣀⡆⡺⢿⣯⣈⣰⣿⣿⣽⣀⡁⣈⢀⠇⣀⣉⣈⢠⣃⣀⡈⢁⢄⣀⣨⣽⣿⣽⢛⢟⣺⣽⣛⡿⡫⡟⡯⣫⡹⢽⣿⣿⣿⣀⣘⡀⠀ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⡝⡄⢈⠀⣀⣴⡃⢌⣾⣿⣼⣷⣶⣧⣬⣯⣞⣭⣾⣧⣿⣿⣯⣵⣯⣾⣷⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢿⢿⣿⣿⣿⡿⢿⣿⢶⣿⣿⡿⡿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢿⢿⣿⢿⠿⡿⢿⣻⡿⣿⣿⣿⠻⠻⠻⠿ ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 866 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐃𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒 ═════════════════════════════════════════════╕ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 02.08.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ Links_08/02/2023:_GNOME_Smoother_Scrolling_of_Text_Views⠀✐ Posted in News_Roundup at 8:52 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇GNOME bluefish⦈ § Contents⠀➾ * GNU/Linux o Desktop/Laptop o Audiocasts/Shows o Graphics_Stack o Applications o Instructionals/Technical o Games o Desktop_Environments/WMs # GNOME_Desktop/GTK * Distributions_and_Operating_Systems o New_Releases o SUSE/OpenSUSE o Fedora_Family_/_IBM o Debian_Family o Devices/Embedded o Mobile_Systems/Mobile_Applications * Free,_Libre,_and_Open_Source_Software o Productivity_Software/LibreOffice/Calligra o Programming/Development # Python * Leftovers * Defence/Aggression * Transparency/Investigative_Reporting * Environment o Energy/Transportation o Wildlife/Nature o Overpopulation * Finance * AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics * Censorship/Free_Speech * Freedom_of_Information_/_Freedom_of_the_Press * Civil_Rights/Policing * Internet_Policy/Net_Neutrality * Monopolies o Trademarks o Copyrights * Gemini*_and_Gopher o Personal o Technical # Food # Internet/Gemini * § GNU/Linux⠀➾ o § Desktop/Laptop⠀➾ # ⚓ Unicorn Media ☛ What_Linux_Desktop_Did_You_Use_in_2022? Take_Our_Poll!⠀⇛ The polls are open for the first round of our Readers Choice 2022 Desktop Environment Poll to determine which desktop environment our readers used most in 2022. The voting on this round will determine what desktop environments and/or window managers make to to the final round of voting. Two times in the past we’ve run polls focused on desktop environments, but this will be the first time we’ve pulled out all stops to make a DE poll central to our editorial calendar (February is DE month). In both of those previous polls, KDE won. o § Audiocasts/Shows⠀➾ # ⚓ mintCast Podcast ☛ mintCast_405_–_Method_Not_Allowed⠀⇛ First up in the news, Mint 21.2 has the codename Victoria, OpenSuse updates, helloSystem says hello for the 0.8th time, new Firefox allows imports, Xfce goes Waylanding, Cosmic DE speeds up, OBS Studio fixes Linux Wayland bug, and Elementary has a new release; In security and privacy, we report on after log4j, Boldmove, and Malvirt; Then in our Wanderings, Joe calls Texas for Icing, and Moss is having New Phone Fever; Bill is in Colorado doing a rescue and will be back next episode. In our Innards section we discuss what you can do with old Android devices; Download o § Graphics Stack⠀➾ # ⚓ Dave Airlie ☛ Dave_Airlie_(blogspot):_vulkan_video:_status update_(anv_+_radv)⠀⇛ Okay just a short status update. o § Applications⠀➾ # ⚓ Linux Links ☛ cTune_–_ncurses_based_internet_radio_player⠀⇛ In the current difficult economic times, internet radio’s virtue of having no sign-up or subscription charges is very attractive. There are a huge range of stations available from around the world. If you like classical music, pop music, folk music, news, talk radio, and much more, internet radio has something for everyone wherever you live (providing you have a net connection). Internet radio offers every format that is available on traditional broadcast radio stations. cTune is an ncurses based internet radio player written in C. This is free and open source software. # ⚓ Linux Links ☛ 8_Best_Free_and_Open_Source_Collection Managers⠀⇛ You probably have a few collections that are continuing to grow. Keeping track of your collection as it grows becomes increasingly more complicated. In this scenario a collection manager can be extremely useful. Armed with this software you can keep track of your collection. Moreover, collectors may have no accurate way of measuring the value of their collection for insurance purposes without having an accurate record. There is a wide range of collection manager software available for Linux. However, the majority of this software is specialized, focusing on one or two different collectable items. The purpose of this review is primarily to identify the finest collection manager software which track a diverse range of items. This type of software has the advantage that users can keep track of all of their different collection types using a single software application. However, specialized collection managers are still worthy of a mention. # ⚓ It’s FOSS ☛ Transmission_4.0_Upgrade_is_Here_After_Two Years⠀⇛ BitTorrent is a popular alternative to HTTP to share or download files over the internet. You may know that numerous BitTorrent clients are available with different features and configurations. Transmission is one such BitTorrent client that is open-source and lightweight. The app’s latest release arrives nearly two years after its last stable release. While no new releases were seen during this time, the project was in active development. # ⚓ The Register UK ☛ Transmission_FOSS_BitTorrent_client_hits version_4.0⠀⇛ Version 4 of the most widely used FOSS BitTorrent client is here, and it’s worth a look if you have any difficulties with streaming media services. Transmission is the default BitTorrent client for quite a few Linux distros. As a general rule we advise against running anything-point-zero releases of, well, pretty much anything if you have any choice in the matter. Saying that, though, Transmission 3.0 came out nearly three years ago, in May 2020, and there was never so much as a zero- point-one version. It just worked from the day it appeared. That is pretty much unheard of these days, and as such, we are guardedly hopeful that although it’s apparently a total rewrite in C++ – famously a bad idea – 4.0 should be pretty good. # ⚓ Collabora ☛ GStreamer_1.22:_Bigger_and_better⠀⇛ The GStreamer community recently announced the release of version 1.22 of the open source multimedia framework, and once again Collabora has made a number of key contributions. In this cycle, 17 Collabora engineers contributed 227 patches to the core GStreamer repository! As spotlighted in the previous release, our contributions focused on making GStreamer the best framework for multimedia features on embedded platforms. We’re particularly proud of our work on the support of hardware codec accelerators, also known as “stateless codecs”. o § Instructionals/Technical⠀➾ # ⚓ Manuel Matuzovic ☛ Day_97:_animating_grids⠀⇛ It’s possible to animate gap, grid-template- columns, and grid-template-rows. Almost 6 years ago I wrote a blog post on CodePen titled “Animating CSS Grid Layout properties”. A lot has changed since then, especially recently, and I wanted to update the post, but the blogging feature on CodePen has been sunset and I can’t edit the post anymore. Since animating grids is topical again, I added it to the series. # ⚓ Anthony Hobday ☛ Visual_design_rules_you_can_safely_follow every_time⠀⇛ You do not have to follow these rules every time. If you have a good reason to break any of them, do. But they are safe to follow every time. # ⚓ OpenSource.com ☛ Kubernetes_migration_made_simple_with Konveyor_Move2Kube⠀⇛ Konveyor Move2Kube assists developers in migrating projects from platforms such as Cloud Foundry and Docker swarm to Kubernetes and OpenShift. Move2Kube analyzes your application’s source code and generates Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) artifacts such as Kubernetes YAMLs, Helm charts, Tekton pipelines, and so on. Powering Move2Kube is a transformer framework that enables multiple small transformers to be chained together to transform the artifacts completely. Many different transformers get involved when transforming a Java or Node.js project to create all the destination artifacts. This allows for the reuse of transformers in various end-to-end flows. Each transformer is capable of performing multiple activities. # ⚓ OpenSource.com ☛ Improve_your_coding_skills_with_temporal values_in_MySQL⠀⇛ Both new and experienced users of the popular MySQL database system can often get confused about how temporal values are handled by the database. Sometimes users don’t bother learning much about temporal value data types. This may be because they think there isn’t much to know about them. A date is a date, right? Well, not always. Taking a few minutes to learn how MySQL stores and displays dates and times is beneficial. Learning how to best take advantage of the temporal values in your database tables can help make you a better coder. # ⚓ Citizix ☛ How_to_Install_and_Setup_Metabase_with_Nginx proxy_on_Ubuntu_22.04⠀⇛ Metabase is an open-source business intelligence tool. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Install_and_Manage_Wine_on_Linux_Mint⠀⇛ Wine can be installed on Linux by using the package manager of your Linux distribution or by downloading the source code and building it manually. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ How_to_Add_a_User_on_Arch_Linux⠀⇛ Tutorial on the different instructions to create, modify, lock or unlock, and delete new users by utilizing the useradd, usermod, and userdel instructions. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ How_to_Use_Pacman_on_Arch_Linux⠀⇛ Practical tutorial on how to use the pacman instruction on Arch Linux, its updates, upgrades, download, installation, removal using some of its useful flags. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ How_to_Install_Slack_on_Arch_Linux⠀⇛ Guide on how to install Slack on Arch Linux to help the teams collaborate more effectively, communicate more effectively, and speed up the overall development. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ How_to_Take_Screenshots_on_Arch_Linux⠀⇛ Tutorial on how to take screenshots in the Arch Linux system using the keyboard shortcuts, the built-in screenshot utility, and third-party software utility. # ⚓ LinuxConfig ☛ An_Introduction_to_Linux_Automation,_Tools and_Techniques⠀⇛ # ⚓ Linux Handbook ☛ LHB_Monthly_#23.02:_Free_Docker_Resources, ASCII_Code_and_Usual_Linux_Learnings⠀⇛ Enhance your Linux knowledge and take it to the next level with Docker. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ How_to_Use_the_Arch_Linux_Network_Manager⠀⇛ Practical tutorial on the importance of using the Network Manager on Arch Linux to manage the different internet connections, especially the wifi networks. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ The_Ansible_Debug_Module⠀⇛ In this guide, we studied Ansible’s debug module in this guide. We have used Ansible’s module function debugging capabilities in the playbook. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ FFMPEG_Images_To_Video_Tutorial⠀⇛ Practical tutorial on how to use the FFmpeg open- source multimedia framework to create a video from a series of images and convert multiple images to a video. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ How_to_Check_If_an_Element_Exists_in Selenium⠀⇛ Guide on the concept of how to find the existence of web elements in Selenium WebDrivers to determine whether an element exists or not using different methods. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Linux_Mount_Command⠀⇛ Comprehensive tutorial on the use of the Linux mount command to attach a file to a specified mount point in the current file system using several examples. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Linux_Mint_Add_User_Command⠀⇛ Tutorial on the use of the user management utility in Linux and the different Linux Mint instructions to add the new users using the add user command. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ How_to_Install_the_NVIDIA_Drivers_on_Linux Mint_21⠀⇛ Practical tutorial on how to install the official NVIDIA drivers on Linux Mint 21 to check whether you have the NVIDIA GPU installed on your computer/ laptop. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ How_to_Install_and_Use_Steam_on_Arch_Linux⠀⇛ Steam is one of the finest platforms for gamers. With the help of Steam, you’re free to enjoy the best games right away! All you need is just tinkering with the system and setting the tools properly. How to install and get started using Steam on Arch Linux is shown. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Systemd_Timer⠀⇛ Practical tutorial on how to create a system timer by creating a test script, service file, timer file, and how to troubleshoot and diagnose the timer. # ⚓ Net2 ☛ How_to_Change_the_Resolution_of_Ubuntu_22.04_VM_in VirtualBox⠀⇛ If you’re running Ubuntu 22.04 on VirtualBox, you’ve probably noticed that the display resolution can be a bit limited. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Ansible_Roles_Tutorial⠀⇛ The concept of roles and how to construct a role in Ansible was covered in this article. The roles’ hierarchical structure has been also covered. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Ansible_Copy_Command⠀⇛ Comprehensive tutorial on how to use the Ansible copy module using the various copy module’s mandatory and optional parameters and putting it into practice. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ How_to_Copy_the_SSH_Keys⠀⇛ Practical guide on how to copy an SSH key in Ubuntu to transfer the files and access the operating systems remotely using the SSH command along with examples. o § Games⠀➾ # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ Godot_Engine_4.0_gets_a_first_Release Candidate⠀⇛ Game developers might want to begin to look closer at this one! The free and open source Godot Engine is about to have the biggest update ever with 4.0 that now has a first Release Candidate. Since it’s such a massive overhaul it would be close to impossible to list everything that has changed since Godot 3.x! # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ Command_&_Conquer_–_Combined_Arms_adds_the start_of_a_campaign_mode⠀⇛ Command & Conquer – Combined Arms is a free and open source game pack made with the OpenRA game engine, the bundles together forces from various classic Westwood RTS games including Allies, Soviets, Nod, GDI and the Scrin. # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ The_Callisto_Protocol_got_a_Steam_Deck upgrade⠀⇛ The Callisto Protocol, the horror game that was inspired by Dead Space, has recently gained a hardcore mode and a dedicated Steam Deck upgrade too. # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ Zelda-lite_classic_Anodyne_gets_a_much upgraded_fan_remake⠀⇛ Anodyne from Analgesic Productions recently celebrated a 10th anniversary, and the community delivered in style with a full fan remake for modern platforms thanks to the previous source code release. The original is not open source but “source available”, since it has a custom license with the new fan remake available under the same licensing. # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ Point_and_click_adventure_Splittown_gets_a new_Linux_demo⠀⇛ Splittown is an upcoming point and click adventure about the Cold War, where the world is split in two and now there’s a Linux demo. Their plan to release this was noted in a previous article, where the developer reached out to me after for some pre- release testing and it was looking great! # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ Interior_Worlds_is_an_upcoming_weird_spooky liminal_space_photography_game⠀⇛ A slightly spooky and weird exploration game about taking snaps, Interior Worlds seems interesting and it’s coming to Linux too. Speaking to the developer, they noted Linux support will come slightly after the Windows release. # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ February_Humble_Choice_includes_Fallout_76, Thronebreaker,_Pathfinder⠀⇛ Need some more quality games? Humble Choice for February 2023 is up with a fresh set of games and there’s some good stuff included like Fallout 76. This is Humble’s optional monthly subscription that gives you a fresh set of games to keep every month, plus a discount in their store and more. # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ Trackmania_is_looking_great_on_Steam_Deck and_Linux_desktop⠀⇛ Trackmania has released on Steam recently and thanks to the recent Ubisoft Connect fixes from Valve in Proton 7.0-6, Trackmania works great on Steam Deck. It’s free to play and has in-game purchases for the full content, however you can play rather a lot without spending a penny. # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ Customizable_platform_fighter_Fraymakers_is out_in_Early_Access⠀⇛ With some really slick animations, the customizable platform fighter Fraymakers has launched in Early Access on Steam with Linux support. It went into Early Access on January 19th that somehow I forgot about, even though I purchased it and played it — woops. I’m only human right? # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ Colony_builder_Maia_gets_big_optimizations, along_with_controller_and_Steam_Deck_support⠀⇛ A name I’ve not heard for a while that I seemed to miss some emails on recently. Colony building sim Maia, from developer Simon Roth, had a rather big upgrade. This is the first major update since early in 2021. o § Desktop Environments/WMs⠀➾ # § GNOME Desktop/GTK⠀➾ # ⚓ GNOME ☛ Christian_Hergert:_Smoother_Scrolling_of_Text Views⠀⇛ When working on GTK 4, special care was taken to ensure that most of aGtkTextView‘s content could be rendered without GL program changes and maximal use ofglDrawArrays()with vertices from a VBO. That goes a long way towards making smooth scrolling. In recent releases, GTK gained support for scrolling using more precise scroll units. On macOS with Apple touchpads, for example, that might map physical distance to a certain number of logical pixels within the application. If you’re at 2x scaling, you might get values from the input system with “half pixel” values (e.g..5) since that would map just fine to the physical pixel boundary of the underlying display server. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ 30_Best_GNOME_Extensions_for_Ubuntu_in 2023⠀⇛ Tutorial on the 30 best GNOME shell extensions for Ubuntu to help tweak the GNOME desktop environment and improve your overall GNOME desktop working experience. # ⚓ DebugPoint ☛ Endless_OS_5.0_Review:_The_Best_of_GNOME with_Wayland_and_Apps⠀⇛ Before the immutability became hype, Endless OS provided a productive desktop experience based on OSTree. It is packaged from Debian and Ubuntu but is being developed independently. Thanks to OSTree-based internals, Endless OS works in its user space while giving you the best desktop experience. It’s a perfect distribution for schools, small-scale deployments, labs and offline use cases. A new release, i.e. Endless OS 5.0, is now available. Here’s a quick recap of the features with an in-depth review. * § Distributions and Operating Systems⠀➾ o § New Releases⠀➾ # ⚓ It’s FOSS ☛ Endless_OS_5_Release_Adds_Wayland_Support_With GNOME_41⠀⇛ Endless OS is an app-centric operating system that pitches itself as an intuitive smartphone-like experience on a desktop. The last major release came back in November 2021 as Endless OS 4. Since then, the co-founder of elementary OS, Cassidy James, has joined the Endless OS Foundation as a ‘Partner Success Engineer’. # ⚓ Linuxiac ☛ Endless_OS_5.0:_Another_Linux_Distro_Betting_on Immutability⠀⇛ Endless OS is a Debian-based, fully desktop- oriented Linux operating system. Despite its strong desktop focus, it only occasionally falls under the radar, unlike other niche-leading distros such as Linux Mint, Fedora, Manjaro, and so on, because the approach is quite different here. So, let’s first clarify for readers what this is all about. Endless OS features a custom desktop environment as the OS is designed to provide offline access to information and educational content. To achieve this, it comes preinstalled with various apps and tools for productivity and entertainment. Moreover, it gives access to an extensive library of educational content without needing an internet connection. o § SUSE/OpenSUSE⠀➾ # ⚓ Building_a_unikernel_that_runs_WebAssembly_–_part_1⠀⇛ Hackweek_22 took place last week. During this week all the SUSE employees are free to hack on whatever they want. This one of the perks of working at SUSE 😎. This time my personal project has been about building_a_unikernel_that_runs_WebAssembly. o § Fedora Family / IBM⠀➾ # ⚓ Red Hat Official ☛ Tekton_vs._Jenkins:_What’s_better_for CI/CD_pipelines_on_Red_Hat_OpenShift?⠀⇛ Tekton grew out of the Knative project and has subsequently been backed by Red Hat as being the future for all things pipeline in Red Hat OpenShift. Back in 2018, when I first heard about Tekton, my first reaction was “What problem are we trying to fix here?”. After all, I know Jenkins, and I like Jenkins—so why would I want to face the learning curve of new technology when what I have now already works well? Whenever I asked the question “Why is Tekton better than Jenkins?” the most common answer is, “Tekton is cloud native,” usually followed by silence or a very quick pivot to something else. So I went away and looked for a clear definition of ‘cloud native’ expecting to have the eureka moment. # ⚓ Red Hat Official ☛ Moving_beyond_digital_transformation with_Apollo_GraphQL_and_Red_Hat_OpenShift⠀⇛ Enterprises are dealing with vast amounts of data segmented across domains, leaving them needing help to identify it or capture critical insights. Furthermore, the competitive business landscape has intensified post-pandemic and spurred the realization that digital transformation is a requirement—not merely a “nice to have”. We see new business models emerging across all industries, forging new partner alliances to leverage the data within a company’s ecosystem for the next breakthrough product or service. # ⚓ Red Hat ☛ How_JBoss_EAP_8-Beta_makes_deployment_on OpenShift_easier⠀⇛ This article demonstrates the steps required to add the JBoss EAP Maven Plugin to an existing JBoss EAP 8-Beta application. We will also test our plugin locally and then build and deploy our application to OpenShift using Helm via the OpenShift UI and the Helm CLI. o § Debian Family⠀➾ # ⚓ Linux Magazine ☛ SparkyLinux_6.6_Now_Available_for Installation⠀⇛ SparkyLinux still offers four different desktop editions, LXQt 0.16.0, Xfce 4.16, KDE Plasma 5.20.5, and Openbox 3.6.1, and benefits from all the upgrades found in those environments. The biggest addition to SparkyLinux is the change made to the Sparky Live USB Creator. With the new release, it is now possible to create live USB installations with persistent storage. That means you can take a version of SparkyLinux with you, wherever you go, that will include any data you’ve saved to the USB drive. o § Devices/Embedded⠀➾ # ⚓ CNX Software ☛ Raspberry_Pi_CM4_based_7-inch_industrial Panel_PC_takes_IO_board_with_RS232,_12V-24V_inputs_and outputs⠀⇛ The ComfilePi CPi-C070WR4C is a 7-inch industrial Panel PC powered by a Raspberry Pi CM4 module with GPIO, RS-232, RS-485, and I2C interfaces as well as the ability to add two more RS232 interfaces and several 12V-24V DC inputs and outputs through an I/ O board connected to the GPIO port of the panel PC. The new panel PC is an update to the ComfilePi Industrial Touch Panel PC introduced with a Raspberry Pi CM3 module in 2017. Besides upgrading to a more powerful Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4, COMFILE also makes use of an RS-485 port that utilizes a full UART interface that does not exhibit the limitations of the mini-UART interface, and also added the CP-IO13-4C I/O board for even more expansion capabilities. # ⚓ Linux Gizmos ☛ ASRock_new_mini_PC_powered_by_AMD_Ryzen 7000U-Series_APUs⠀⇛ After recently launching the NUCS 1300 BOX Series last month, ASRock has just presented their new 4X4 BOX 7000/D5 Series. These new Mini-PCs come equipped with dual 2.5 GbE ports, Wi-Fi 6 E/BL5.2 connectivity and DDR5 support. o § Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications⠀➾ # ⚓ 9to5Google ☛ Pixel_4a_might_not_get_Android_14⠀⇛ # ⚓ Ars Technica ☛ Android_14_Preview_1_is_out,_will_officially ban_installation_of_old_apps_|_Ars_Technica⠀⇛ # ⚓ XDA ☛ Android_14’s_predictive_back_gesture_lets_you_preview where_you’re_going_when_you_swipe_back⠀⇛ # ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ Google_releases_first_developer_preview_for Android_14_–_SiliconANGLE⠀⇛ # ⚓ PC Mag ☛ Google_Releases_First_Android_14_Developer_Preview |_PCMag⠀⇛ # ⚓ Android Police ☛ The_Android_14_Developer_Preview_is_here, get_it_right_now⠀⇛ # ⚓ The Verge ☛ Google_starts_testing_Android_14_with_even better_support_for_foldables_–_The_Verge⠀⇛ # ⚓ Android_phones_from_China_transmit_personal_info_without consent,_researchers_say_|_Fox_News⠀⇛ # ⚓ The Verge ☛ Where_are_the_good_Android_apps_for_Mastodon?_– The_Verge⠀⇛ # ⚓ Digital Trends ☛ OnePlus_11_vs._Google_Pixel_7:_top_Android phone_under_$700?_|_Digital_Trends⠀⇛ # ⚓ BGR ☛ Samsung’s_Galaxy_Note_20_is_the_first_phone_to_get Android’s_February_security_update_|_BGR⠀⇛ # ⚓ 9to5Google ☛ Google_Tasks_for_Android_gets_an_overdue Material_You_makeover⠀⇛ # ⚓ Android Police ☛ Android_TV_13_finally_touches_down_on_real hardware,_but_there’s_a_caveat⠀⇛ # ⚓ Google’s_Android_Automotive_Updates_Will_Have_Aussie_EV Drivers_Revved_Up⠀⇛ # ⚓ 9to5Google ☛ Google_Lens_screen_search_coming_to_Assistant on_Android⠀⇛ # ⚓ Android Authority ☛ Wallpaper_Wednesday:_Android_wallpapers 2023-02-08_–_Android_Authority⠀⇛ # ⚓ Android Police ☛ Best_Android_games_like_God_of_War_in 2023⠀⇛ # ⚓ TechRadar ☛ How_to_screenshot_on_Android:_different_methods for_any_Android_device_|_TechRadar⠀⇛ # ⚓ Android Police ☛ How_to_close_apps_on_your_Android_phone⠀⇛ # ⚓ Galaxy_S23_Ultra_benchmarks_suggest_Android_flagship parity⠀⇛ # ⚓ Notebook Check ☛ POCO_announces_MIUI_14_and_Android_13 eligibility_for_POCO_smartphones_–_NotebookCheck.net_News⠀⇛ # ⚓ Motorola_users_asking_for_refund_due_to_delay_in_Android_13 update⠀⇛ # ⚓ Gizmodo ☛ Xiaomi,_OnePlus,_Top_Android_Phones_in_China_Spy on_You:_Study⠀⇛ * § Free, Libre, and Open Source Software⠀➾ o § Productivity Software/LibreOffice/Calligra⠀➾ # ⚓ Djalel Oukid ☛ The_king_of_open-source_office_suites_gets_a new_set_of_app_icons,_new_features,_and_plenty_of_bug_fixes⠀⇛ With every update, LibreOffice becomes the best alternative to Microsoft Office and the first choice for Linux users. After six months of continuous development and efforts of 144 contributors (Thank you!), the Document Foundation announced the release of LibreOffice 7.5, which brought many notable improvements. o § Programming/Development⠀➾ # ⚓ MotherDuck ☛ Big_Data_is_Dead⠀⇛ The world in 2023 looks different from when the Big Data alarm bells started going off. The data cataclysm that had been predicted hasn’t come to pass. Data sizes may have gotten marginally larger, but hardware has gotten bigger at an even faster rate. Vendors are still pushing their ability to scale, but practitioners are starting to wonder how any of that relates to their real world problems. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Pthread_Join()_Function_in_C_Language_with Single_and_Multiple_Thread_Examples⠀⇛ Guide on the pthread library of POSIX standard to increase the speed of the finished program by executing multiple threads in parallel with the main function. # ⚓ Daniel Lemire ☛ Bit_Hacking_(with_Go_code)⠀⇛ At a fundamental level, a programmer needs to manipulate bits. Modern processors operate over data by loading in ‘registers’ and not individual bits. Thus a programmer must know how to manipulate the bits within a register. Generally, we can do so while programming with 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit and 64-bit integers. # ⚓ Jussi Pakkanen ☛ Jussi_Pakkanen:_More_PDF,_C_API_and Python⠀⇛ After a whole lot of bashing my head against the desk I finally managed to find out what Acrobat reader’s “error 14″ means, I managed to make both font subsetting and graphics generation work. Which means you can now do things like this: After this improving the code to handle full PDF graphics seems mostly to be a question of adding functions for all primitives in the PDF graphics model. The big unknown thing is PDF form support, of which I know nothing. Being a new design it probably is a lot less convoluted than PDF fonts were. # § Python⠀➾ # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ SeleniumWeb_Automation_with_Python⠀⇛ Practical tutorial on the use of Web Automation in Selenium with the Python language to allow an automatic testing of the website without human interaction. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Python_Selection_Sort⠀⇛ Comprehensive tutorial on how to use the selection sort in Python to arrange all the elements in ascending or descending order based on the requirements. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Python_Insertion_Sort⠀⇛ Practical tutorial on insertion sort to sort all the elements of an array in Python and handle the data with a small range or sorting a partially sorted list. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ How_to_Create_a_Django_App_on_Ubuntu Server?⠀⇛ This article has covered the creation and use of Django applications on Ubuntu servers. To make the process simple to grasp, we have divided it into steps. * § Leftovers⠀➾ o ⚓ RTE ☛ Wild_Youth_to_represent_Ireland_at_Eurovision_2023⠀⇛ o ⚓ Maraş_earthquakes:_AFAD_issues_a_statement_on_how_the_dead_will be_buried⠀⇛ The unidentified dead will be buried after 24 hours and after taking their DNA sample, fingerprint, and photograph. o ⚓ TruthOut ☛ WHO_Estimates_23_Million_Could_Be_Impacted_by Earthquakes_in_Turkey_and_Syria⠀⇛ o ⚓ How_to_help_the_animals_in_the_earthquake_struck_areas?⠀⇛ Several NGOs set up initiatives to help the animals in need. o ⚓ Federal News Network ☛ Hope_fading_as_deaths_in_Turkey,_Syria quake_pass_11,000⠀⇛ Stretched rescue teams are toiling in Turkey and Syria, searching for signs of life in the rubble of thousands of buildings toppled by a catastrophic earthquake. The death toll passed 11,000 in the deadliest quake worldwide in more than a decade. Hope for finding survivors is fading. Amid calls for the Turkish government to send more help to the disaster zone, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan toured a “tent city” in hard-hit Kahramanmaras. o ⚓ Telex (Hungary) ☛ 30_survivors_rescued_by_Hungarian_rescue_teams from_rubble_in_Turkey_so_far⠀⇛ o ⚓ Telex (Hungary) ☛ Biggest_virtual_film_studio_in_Central-Eastern Europe_to_be_built_near_Budapest⠀⇛ o ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Developing_Warp_Drive_Might_Take_Antifreeze⠀⇛ In Star Trek, dilithium crystals — whatever those are — are critical to the operation of a starship’s warp drives. But a Texas professor thinks he can make a baby step towards a warp drive using ethylene glycol, which is commonly found in antifreeze. o ⚓ CNN ☛ ‘Get_me_out_of_here_…_I’ll_be_your_servant’:_Trapped_girl’s plea_to_rescuers_from_rubble_of_Syrian_home⠀⇛ o ⚓ CNN ☛ CNN_captures_the_moment_Turkey_residents_are_rescued_from debris⠀⇛ CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh is on the ground in Turkey, where search-and-rescue efforts continue at the epicenter of a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake that caused hundreds of buildings to collapse, trapping thousands of residents. o ⚓ Modern Diplomacy ☛ What_Happened_To_The_Rainbow_Dream?⠀⇛ When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant, I was a beast before you. Psalm 73: 21-22 South African has a long history of the liberatory struggle. o ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Scary_Winter_Wonder_Land⠀⇛ Those images from the December blizzard engulfing Buffalo in upstate New York were shocking. Hard to grasp the reality. That ghostliness was not only from the icy, white shroud covering everything. There were also the deaths of citizens who ventured outside, or who simply couldn’t get back home. That calamity was especially unsettling for those of us who live hardly 250 miles from there. By contrast we were covered by a pretty layer of two inches of snow. Whatever cold reached us not far south of Buffalo was discomfitingly bearable. We carried on with our daily affairs, simply taking care to cover up with an extra layer of wool and  ensuring we had a good supply of fuel oil. o ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Here’s_The_Article_We_Didn’t_Run_Back_In_2017_About DoNotPay⠀⇛ So, over the last few weeks, we’ve written a bunch of articles about DoNotPay, highlighting some pretty significant questions about the company, its CEO, and the services it offers. To date, the CEO of the company, Josh Browder, has not responded particularly well to the concerns people are raising, and is acting like someone trying to hide things, rather than address the underlying issues. o ⚓ Telex (Hungary) ☛ In_one_Hungarian_municipality,_a_company_has bid_on_556_public_procurement_contracts_and_won_them_all⠀⇛ o ⚓ Democracy Now ☛ Over_5,000_Dead_in_Turkey_and_Syria_as Earthquakes_Devastate_Region_Filled_with_Refugees_Fleeing_War⠀⇛ Magnitude 7.8 and 7.5 earthquakes struck Turkey near the Syrian border Monday, causing mass devastation in both countries. At least 5,000 casualties have been reported as of Tuesday morning, and rescue efforts are still underway. The WHO predicts that the final death toll could reach 25,000. The 7.8 earthquake, the largest recorded in Turkey since 1939, struck a region that has already been wracked by the Syrian civil war, compounding the existing humanitarian crisis in the region. Our guest is Evren Uzer, an associate professor of urban planning at The New School. After the İzmit earthquake of 1999, which killed more than 17,000 people in Turkey, Uzer worked to provide post-earthquake housing to survivors. o § Science⠀➾ # ⚓ Science Alert ☛ Mysterious_Eruption_Detected_on_Star_Could Help_Explain_Fast_Radio_Bursts⠀⇛ “The equivalent of volcanoes on their surface.” o § Hardware⠀➾ # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Old_3D_CAD_Mouse_Gets_New_Lease_Of_Life⠀⇛ [Jacek Fedorynski] had an old Magellan/SpaceMouse 3D mouse with a serial interface which made it impossible for him to use with modern hardware and software. The problem he faced was two pronged – the absence of serial interfaces in the hardware and the lack of appropriate drivers for the operating system. So he built a low cost, simple adapter to use his RS-232 Magellan/SpaceMouse with modern software. # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Keebin’_With_Kristina:_The_One_With_The Breadboard_Macropad⠀⇛ For their first custom, hand-wired keyboard, [terryorchard] aka [70rch] didn’t want to mess with making a total split, and we don’t really blame them. However, as you can see, they ended up with a monoblock split, which aside from being our own personal preference, looks fantastic, and also happened to be what fit on the print bed. # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Connecting_A_Keyboard_To_A_Vintage_PC-XT, The Hard_Way⠀⇛ We’re not sure if there’s any single characteristic that qualifies someone as a hacker. After all, we’re a pretty eclectic bunch, with skills that range all over the map, and what one person feels is trivial, others would look upon as black magic. But there’s one thing we’re sure of: if you find yourself reading the original POST code for the PC- XT motherboard just to get a keyboard working, you’re pretty much our kind of people. # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Model_Train_Delivers_Fresh_Coffee⠀⇛ Model trains are good fun, though few of them serve any purpose beyond amusement or authentic railway simulation. [ProjectAir] decided to put his model train to practical use by having it deliver fresh espresso, and faced plenty of difficult challenges along the way. # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ LED_Displays_May_Get_Vertical_Integration⠀⇛ If you zoom into the screen you are reading this on, you’d see an extremely fine pattern of red, green, and blue emitters, probably LEDs of some kind. This somewhat limits the resolution you can obtain since you have to cram three LEDs into each screen pixel. Engineers at MIT, however, want to do it differently. By growing thin LED films and sandwiching them together, they can produce 4- micron-wide LEDs that produce the full range of color, with each color part of a vertical stack of LEDs. o § Health/Nutrition/Agriculture⠀➾ # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ ‘Amazing_News’:_EU_Proposes_Ban_on_Toxic ‘Forever_Chemicals’⠀⇛ The toxic materials that have come to be known as “forever chemicals” because of their ability to build up in the environment, wildlife, and humans could soon be on their way out in the European Union, after officials began consideration of ban on more than 10,000 chemical substances in the PFAS family. # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Critics_Push_Back_Against_Biden_Revival_of Failed_‘War_on_Drugs’_Approach_to_Fentanyl⠀⇛ U.S. drug policy reform advocates condemned President Joe Biden’s commitment to “accelerating the crackdown on fentanyl trafficking” as part of his administration’s strategy for tackling the opioid crisis, a policy the White House announced in a preview of Tuesday night’s State of the Union address. # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Pollution_From_Big_Pharma,_Agriculture Fueling_Global_Rise_of_‘Superbugs’:_UN⠀⇛ A new report out Tuesday from the U.N. Environment Program warns that as many as 10 million people could die from so-called “Superbugs” annually by 2050 as the result of antimicrobial resistance driven by environmental pollution and irresponsible practices from a range of industries. # ⚓ Copenhagen Post ☛ Antibiotic_medicine_recalled_following multiresistant_bacteria_find⠀⇛ Doctors fear that cases related to the discovery of multiresistant bacteria in Dicillin could be just the tip of the iceberg # ⚓ Science Alert ☛ Your_Blood_Type_Affects_Your_Risk_of_Early Stroke,_Scientists_Find⠀⇛ It’s important to know. # ⚓ Science Alert ☛ Cleaning_Up_Pollution_Could_Help_Prevent The_Next_‘Silent_Pandemic’⠀⇛ We can do this. # ⚓ CNN ☛ Drug-free_relief_from_chronic_constipation_may_came from_a_new_vibrating_pill⠀⇛ People who struggle with chronic constipation have a new drug-free option to help get things moving again. # ⚓ CNN ☛ The_push_to_streamline_national_public_health_data began_long_before_Covid-19⠀⇛ In early 2020, as they tried to fight covid-19 across two rural counties in North Carolina, the staff of Granville Vance Public Health was stymied, relying on outdated technology to track a fast- moving pandemic. # ⚓ Reason ☛ A_Scientific_Review_Shows_the_CDC_Grossly Exaggerated_the_Evidence_Supporting_Mask_Mandates⠀⇛ The analysis found that wearing masks in public “probably makes little or no difference.” # ⚓ Taiwan News ☛ Homegrown_blueberries_hailed_as_a_Taiwan miracle⠀⇛ The Mandarin name of the company “山丘藍,” literally means “hill blue,” as it managed to cultivate the fruit at the foothills of Alishan, a mountain range in central Taiwan, with the expertise of a team led by Li Kuo-tan (李國譚), a professor at NTU’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. According to Li, the team spent over 15 years developing the technique to grow the delicate fruit as three factors—blueberry variety, soil, and weather—are all important. Years of effort have paid off. A sprawling 30- hectare farm down the hills of Chiayi’s Alishan and along the Bazhang River can now mass produce the berry, harvested between December and May. # ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Biden_State_Of_The_Union_Will_(Again)_Blame_The Internet_For_Harm_To_Kids⠀⇛ Tonight is President Biden’s State of the Union address, and according to notes released from the White House, he will (for the second year in a row) throw in something blaming the internet for harming kids’ mental health, and pushing for things like a ban on targeted advertising. He did the same thing last year as well. Here are the notes that the White House released: # ⚓ Scheerpost ☛ Critics_Push_Back_Against_Biden_Revival_of Failed_‘War_on_Drugs’_Approach_to_Fentanyl⠀⇛ “Over 100,000 of our loved ones being lost to avoidable overdoses a year is not because of a lack of enforcement, it’s a direct result of it,” the director of the Drug Policy Alliance argued. # ⚓ The Nation ☛ America’s_Failure_to_Prevent_Black_Cervical Cancer_Deaths⠀⇛ Since US Food and Drug Administration gave its approval in 2006, a generation of young women has received the HPV vaccine, which prevents almost all cases of cervical cancer. And earlier this year, the American Cancer Society reported some heartening news: From 2012 to 2019, incidence rates of cervical cancer dropped 65 percent in the United States among women in their early 20s. And overall US cancer mortality rates have dropped by over 30 percent among all ages since 1991. # ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Vaccine_Nationalism:_China’s_and_Ours⠀⇛ In the last year or so there have been many people who complained about China’s “vaccine nationalism.” This generally meant the country refused to approve the U.S. mRNA vaccines. The claim was that our mRNA vaccines were far superior to China’s old-fashioned dead virus vaccines. The argument went that the country needed to maintain its zero Covid policy, otherwise, the pandemic would devastate its unprotected population. Well, we have now gotten the opportunity to test that claim. There is little doubt that the abrupt ending of pandemic restrictions led to much death and suffering in China. The government is not being open about the pandemic toll, but even the high-end estimates put the number of deaths at around 1 million. # ⚓ The Nation ☛ The_Economic_Response_to_the_Pandemic_Proved We_Can_Have_Nice_Things⠀⇛ During World War II, the United States faced a labor crisis. Young men were at war, and work was still needed at home. But the young women who could replace them in the factories were often busy looking after their children. In response, the US government offered child care to any community where women’s labor participation was needed for the war effort. The federal government allocated about $52 million, with $26 million added by the states, adding up to about $1.5 billion in 2023 dollars. Families paid 50 cents per day (or about $7 today), which also covered lunch and snacks. Around 600,000 kids received child care through this program. # ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Now_Mesa_Public_Schools_Are_Also_Declaring_That They_Have_Failed_In_Educating_Their_Children_By_Suing_Social Media⠀⇛ Last week, we wrote about the positively ridiculous lawsuit filed by the Seattle Public School district against basically all of social media claiming social media was “a public nuisance.” As we noted, the school district appeared to be wasting taxpayer money, that could have gone to educating their kids, on this lawsuit that screamed out to the public that the school district had totally failed in educating their children how to be good digital citizens, how to use the internet properly, and how to be prepared for living life in the age of the internet. # ⚓ TruthOut ☛ Biden_Will_Call_for_Universal_Insulin_Price_Cap in_State_of_the_Union⠀⇛ o § Proprietary⠀➾ # ⚓ Mozilla ☛ The_Mozilla_Blog:_A_shared_and_open_roadmap_for MDN [Ed: Mozilla outsourcing to proprietary software and Microsoft; this is the end of Firefox]⠀⇛ Mozilla, Open Web Docs and partner organizations met in London in January to create a joint roadmap forMDN, improve planning and collaboration, and cement a shared vision for the project’s future. A project with the size and complexity of MDN – a collaborative_undertakingto document web platform technologies – requires great effort to keep content up-to-date, accurate and accessible for the broadest audience. Coordinating the activities of staff, partners and a community of volunteers and contributors who work on different areas of the website requires considerable focus and proactive planning. # ⚓ Hindustan Times ☛ Outlook_faces_global_outage;_What Microsoft_said⠀⇛ Microsoft Corp said it was investigating issues with email service Outlook as users in North America faced problems with accessing, sending or searching emails on the platform. # ⚓ Federal News Network ☛ UK_watchdog_says_Microsoft’s Activision_deal_hurts_gamers⠀⇛ Microsoft’s stalled $68.7 billion deal to buy video game company Activision Blizzard has hit a fresh hurdle in the United Kingdom. Britain’s antitrust watchdog said Wednesday that the deal will stifle competition and hurt gamers. The watchdog’s investigation found that the deal could strengthen Microsoft’s position in the growing cloud gaming market. o § Pseudo-Open Source⠀➾ # § Openwashing⠀➾ # ⚓ Ruben Schade ☛ Fixing_“app_source_not_there”_in Homebrew⠀⇛ I’ve moved on to NetBSD’s excellent pkgsrc tool for most of my macOS package needs, but I still use Homebrew to install graphical applications. Today I attempted to upgrade a package, but in my half-asleep stupor I deleted the bundle from the Applications folder first. Derp. o ⚓ Ubuntu ☛ Is_open-source_as_secure_as_proprietary_software⠀⇛ Programmers generally write their source code for two audiences. First, for the computers that are going to execute the code. Second, for other programmers to update, adapt and maintain the code at a later date. It is this second aspect which gives open-source software its broad appeal: everyone is able to see the code, understand it, and use it safely in the knowledge that they understand it. # ⚓ Rajeesh_K_Nambiar:_Dual_boot,_secure_boot_&_bitlocker [Ed: Microsoft back doors galore]⠀⇛ I have installed GNU/Linux on many a computers in ~20 years (some automated, most individually). In the University, I used to be woken past midnight by someone knocking at the door — who reinstalled Windows — and now they can’t boot becausegrubwas overwritten. I’d rub the eyes, pickup the bunch latest Fedora CDs and go rescue thebeastmachine. Linux installation, customization and grub-recovery was my specialization (no, the course didn’t have credit forthat). # ⚓ Security Week ☛ A_Deep_Dive_Into_the_Growing_GootLoader Threat⠀⇛ Cybereason GootLoader as a ‘severe’ threat, as the malware uses a combination of evasion and living off the land techniques, making its presence difficult to dectec. # ⚓ Security Week ☛ CISA_Releases_Open_Source_Recovery_Tool_for ESXiArgs_Ransomware⠀⇛ It may be possible to recover some virtual machines impacted by the ESXiArgs ransomware and CISA has released a tool for the task. # ⚓ Port Swigger ☛ DOM_XSS_vulnerability_in_Gartner_Peer Insights_widget_patched⠀⇛ Web attack vector closed after failed fix # ⚓ Ruben Schade ☛ Security_firm_finds_exposed_customer_data_in backups⠀⇛ Bill Toulasreported_the_findingsfor Bleeping Computer: According to a study by website security company Sansec, roughly 12% of online stores forget their backups in public folders due to human error or negligence. # ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ Toyota_hacked_again_but_this_time_it_was_a security_researcher_with_no_ill_intent⠀⇛ Toyota Motor Co. has been hacked again, but fortunately for the Japanese car giant, this time the hacker was a security researcher with no ill intent. Security researcher Eaton Zveare said Monday that he gained access to Toyota’s Global Supplier Preparation Information Management System in October. ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ Britain’s_beleaguered_Royal_Mail_held_to_ransom_by_hackers⠀⇛ The ransomware group LockBit has claimed responsibility for the January Royal Mail cyberattack and today is making threats to Britain’s centuries-old service. After the attack happened on Jan. 12, the Royal Mail said it had to close down international shipping because of “severe service disruption.” ⚓ Security Week ☛ Patient_Information_Compromised_in_Data_Breach_at_San_Diego Healthcare_Provider⠀⇛ San Diego healthcare services provider Sharp says patient information was compromised in January data breach. * § Privacy/Surveillance⠀➾ o ⚓ DNS0.eu ☛ The_European_public_DNS_that_makes_your_Internet safer.⠀⇛ A free, sovereign and GDPR-compliant recursive DNS resolver with a strong focus on security to protect the citizens and organizations of the European Union. o ⚓ Democracy Now ☛ COINTELPRO_2.0:_How_the_FBI_Infiltrated_BLM Protests_After_Police_Murder_of_George_Floyd⠀⇛ A new podcast out today called “Alphabet Boys” documents how the FBI disrupted racial justice organizing after the police killing of George Floyd in 2020, including paying an informant at least $20,000 to infiltrate and spy on activist groups in Denver, Colorado. The informant also encouraged activists to purchase guns and commit violence, echoing the FBI’s use of the COINTELPRO program to sabotage left-wing activist groups in the 1960s. For more, we’re joined by three guests: journalist and creator of the “Alphabet Boys” podcast Trevor Aaronson, Denver-based activist Zebbodios Hall, who was one of many activists targeted by the FBI’s infiltration, and former FBI special agent and whistleblower Mike German, who left the agency after reporting misconduct and mismanagement in its counterterrorism efforts. o ⚓ Tor ☛ Tor_is_slow_right_now._Here_is_what_is_happening.⠀⇛ For at least 7 months, several different types of ongoing denial of service (DoS) attacks have affected the Tor network. At some points, the attacks impacted the network severely enough that users could not load pages or access onion services. We have been working hard to mitigate the impacts and defend the network from these attacks. The methods and targets of these attacks have changed over time and we are adapting as these attacks continue. It’s not possible to determine with certainty who is conducting these attacks or their intentions. o ⚓ Tor ☛ Sustaining_Snowflake_operations⠀⇛ The team that runs the primary Snowflake bridge is raising funds to pay for server operating expenses such as bandwidth, hardware, and maintenance.. You can help the project by donating to the project on Open Collective: § Defence/Aggression⠀➾ * ⚓ CNN ☛ Zelensky_to_watch_his_country’s_troops_being_trained_by_British armed_forces_with_UK_PM⠀⇛ * ⚓ Site36 ☛ Protests_in_Italy_against_EU_patrol_boats_for_Libya⠀⇛ * ⚓ Scheerpost ☛ How_America_Took_Out_The_Nord_Stream_Pipeline⠀⇛ The New York Times called it a “mystery,” but the United States executed a covert sea operation that was kept secret—until now * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ The_Mysterious_Death_of_Leroy_Jackson⠀⇛ The shooting of Manuel Esteban Paez Terán (known as Tortuguita) on 18 January by Atlanta police has garnered international headlines as the first killing of an environmental activist by police in the US. This may or may not be true. But Terán’s shooting (we now know he was shot at least 13 times) was not the first killing of a forest activist in the US. I have profiled two previous deaths: redwood forest defender David Chain and Navajo activist LeRoy Jackson. The Navajo environmentalist Leroy Jackson had been missing for eight days when an anonymous tip led New Mexico state police to a white van, its windows concealed by towels and blankets, parked at a rest stop atop the Brazos Cliffs south of Chama, New Mexico. The doors were locked; a putrid odor emanated from inside. * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ New_Report_Unpacks_Dangers_of_Emerging_Military_Tech, From_AI_Nukes_to_Killer_Robots⠀⇛ Emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, lethal autonomous weapons systems, and hypersonic missiles pose a potentially existential threat that underscores the imperative of arms control measures to slow the pace of weaponization, according to a new report published Tuesday. * ⚓ Telex (Hungary) ☛ MEP_says_it_is_well_known_that_Hungarian_intelligence services_are_leaking_to_Russia,_then_says_she_expressed_herself incorrectly⠀⇛ * ⚓ Meduza ☛ ‘I’m_categorically_opposed_to_all_wars’_A_conversation_with Ruben_Vardanyan,_the_state_minister_of_the_self-declared_Nagorno-Karabakh Republic,_about_the_humanitarian_crisis_that_looms_without_international action_—_Meduza⠀⇛ * ⚓ TruthOut ☛ VA_GOP_Blocks_Bill_Seeking_to_Bar_Insurrectionists_From Positions_of_Power⠀⇛ * ⚓ Meduza ☛ Tuva_governor_promises_to_help_indigenous_draftees_who_claimed abuses_by_military_in_Donbas_—_Meduza⠀⇛ Tuva Govenor Vladislav Khovalyg writes on Telegram that Russia’s Defense Ministry has agreed to move a group of indigenous Tyvan draftees to a different formation of the Russian army, after they complained of being abandoned without command, and later intimidated by members of the “Donetsk People’s Republic” militia. * ⚓ CNN ☛ Spy_balloon_part_of_a_broader_Chinese_military_surveillance operation,_US_intel_sources_say⠀⇛ * ⚓ Meduza ☛ Prosecutors_seek_23-year_prison_sentence_in_contract_killing case_against_former_Khabarovsk_Governor_—_Meduza⠀⇛ Prosecutors have requested a 23-year prison sentence for former Khabarovsk Governor Sergey Furgal, Russian state media reported on Wednesday. * ⚓ Meduza ☛ Part_of_a_residential_building_collapsed_in_the_Tula_region, killing_five_people_—_Meduza⠀⇛ Part of a five-story residential building in Efremov, in the Tula region, collapsed, killing five people, according to local emergency services. They say the accident was caused by “malfunctioning gas equipment.” * ⚓ New York Times ☛ In_Rural_Ukraine,_a_Mobile_Clinic_Provides_Medicine and_Hope⠀⇛ A mobile clinic is trying to restore medical services to villages once occupied by Russian forces as fighting rages nearby. “They’ll never beat our people,” a specialist with the team said. * ⚓ New York Times ☛ Memphis_Officer_Texted_Photo_of_Tyre_Nichols_After Beating,_New_Documents_Show⠀⇛ The revelation came in Memphis police documents related to the firing of five officers who have been charged with murder in Mr. Nichols’s death. * ⚓ ADF ☛ Peace_Proves_Elusive_in_Casamance_as_Trafficking_Fuels_Violence⠀⇛ The war-weary people of Casamance are desperate for peace, but timber and cannabis trafficking continue to fuel conflict. An agreement signed in August 2022 between a factional leader of the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) and Senegal brought some hope that the 40-year conflict might be nearing an end. ⚓ Axios ☛ Russia’s_budget_deficit_explodes_as_latest_sanctions_bite⠀⇛ Russia’s budget deficit widened sharply in January, as the latest sanctions on Russia’s energy exports — and the mounting expense of its brutal war on Ukraine — may be starting to erode the Kremlin’s heavily fortified finances. ⚓ Latvia ☛ Clean-up_continues_at_scene_of_drone_factory_fire⠀⇛ Fire crews were still engaged in damping-down operations Wednesday morning at the site of a drone production facility near Rīga that was gutted by fire on Tuesday, reported Latvian Radio. ⚓ Meduza ☛ Fire_breaks_out_at_a_Latvia_drone_factory_—_Meduza⠀⇛ In the city of Mārupe, near Riga, a fire broke out at a factory belonging to the company Edge Autonomy, which manufactures drones. ⚓ Federal News Network ☛ Zelenskyy_in_UK,_rare_trip_outside_Ukraine_to_rally support⠀⇛ President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made a rare trip out of Ukraine, daring to visit Britain in a bid for more advanced weapons as Kyiv braces for an expected Russian offensive and hatches its own plans to retake land held by Moscow’s forces. ⚓ Federal News Network ☛ International_team_suspends_investigation_into_MH17 downing⠀⇛ An international team of investigators has suspended its criminal investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014, saying they have insufficient evidence to launch any new prosecutions. Dutch prosecutor Digna van Boetzelaer said Wednesday that “the investigation has now reached its limit. ⚓ AntiWar ☛ Nikki_Haley_Would_Return_to_the_Hardline_Policies_We_Want_To Forget⠀⇛ Reprinted with permission from the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft Nikki Haley will reportedly announce the start of her campaign for the Republican presidential nomination on February 15, becoming the first GOP 2024 candidate after Donald Trump. ⚓ CNN ☛ Biden_uses_State_of_the_Union_to_give_dramatic_warning_to_China⠀⇛ ⚓ CS Monitor ☛ Global_unity:_Nearly_30_countries_send_aid_to_Turkey_and_Syria⠀⇛ Rescue workers are rushing to Turkey and Syria following the series of earthquakes that have claimed more than 5,000 lives. “This is a crisis on top of multiple crises in the affected region,” said an officer with the World Health Organization. ⚓ Modern Diplomacy ☛ Kashmir:_Pakistan’s_Jugular_Vein⠀⇛ The Kashmir conflict is currently the oldest unresolved international conflict in existence. Pakistan views Kashmir as the source of its main political disagreement with India. The world community, with the exception of India, agrees. ⚓ NYPost ☛ Putin_‘supplied’_Buk_missile_that_shot_down_flight_MH17_over Ukraine:_investigators⠀⇛ International prosecutors found that evidence of Vladimir Putin’s involvement was not concrete enough to secure a criminal conviction. ⚓ Meduza ☛ ‘They_promise_to_dig_up_old_cases’_Russian_authorities_reportedly using_threats_of_prosecution_to_pressure_prisoners_into_joining_Wagner_Group_— Meduza⠀⇛ Russian authorities are using the threat of new criminal cases to pressure prisoners into joining the Wagner mercenary group, the independent media outlet Agentstvo reported on Wednesday. ⚓ Scheerpost ☛ Nostalgia_for_the_Cuban_Missile_Crisis⠀⇛ Sixty years ago, a crowd of us young people anxiously massed around a black-and-white TV in my college student union building. The US and the USSR were in an existential standoff. The US had deployed ballistic nuclear missiles in Turkey. When the Soviets responded by placing missiles in Cuba, the […] ⚓ Scheerpost ☛ Patrick_Lawrence:_The_Press_Reckoning_on_Russiagate⠀⇛ Jeff Gerth’s investigation for The Columbia Journalism Review exposes the dark heart of the news media’s coverage of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections. ⚓ Scheerpost ☛ Former_Israeli_PM_Bennett_Says_US_‘Blocked’_His_Attempts_at_a Russia-Ukraine_Peace_Deal⠀⇛ Bennett says the US and its Western allies decided to ‘keep striking Putin’ and not negotiate. ⚓ Telex (Hungary) ☛ Hungarian_civilians_raise_funds_and_buy_drones_and_other items_for_Transcarpathians_on_Ukrainian_frontlines⠀⇛ ⚓ The Nation ☛ Say_His_Name:_Tyre_Nichols⠀⇛ ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Marching_Into_the_New_Year_with_World_Wars_III,_IV,_and_V_ (Part_1)⠀⇛ Last year, right after Russian troops entered Ukraine, I said that we were already in World War III between the US/NATO and Russia (“WWIII is not a remote possibility. We are already in it”). I’ve repeated that a number of times, and in October, gave even odds on the chance of nuclear war. Since then, actions and statements of principals on both sides of the conflict have only confirmed and worsened that assessment. Regarding statements, we had Ukraine’s former president, hand-picked by Victoria Nuland, admitting in November that Ukraine used the Minsk Agreements to build a NATO army, to “train the Ukrainian military together with NATO to create the best armed forces in Eastern Europe, created according to NATO standards.” That admission was confirmed in December by Angela Merkel, who said that Minsk “was an attempt to buy time for Ukraine… to become stronger, as you can see today.” It was re-confirmed by François Hollande, who said, “Yes, Angela Merkel is right on this point.”  And it was quite emphatically confirmed in January by Ukraine’s Defense Minister, Oleksii Reznikov, who said that Ukraine has “already become a de facto member of the NATO alliance” that is “carrying out NATO’s mission today,” “defending the entire civilized world, the entire West,” and would “absolutely” enter formally into NATO. ⚓ Meduza ☛ Russian_nationalist_mercenary_Igor_Mangushev_dies_after_being_shot ‘at_close_range’_—_Meduza⠀⇛ Russian nationalist mercenary Igor Mangushev, who was an active participant in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine beginning in 2014, has died in a hospital in the annexed part of Ukraine’s Luhansk region, Russian state media reported on Wednesday. § Transparency/Investigative Reporting⠀➾ * ⚓ The Dissenter ☛ Justice_Department_Fights_Lawsuit_Over_Secret_JFK Files⠀⇛ * ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Current_Classified_Document_Scandals_Show_The_Government_Is Still_Classifying_Way_Too_Many_Documents⠀⇛ Maybe the problem isn’t the stacks of classified documents sitting around the houses of presidents, vice presidents, and other administration officials. Maybe the problem is the system that declares all these pieces of paper too secretive to be handled carelessly or hoarded impertinently. * ⚓ Meduza ☛ Maria_Pevchikh,_head_of_Navalny_team’s_investigative_unit, taken_off_Moscow_State_University’s_website_—_Meduza⠀⇛ Moscow State University’s (MGU) website no longer includes any mention of Maria Pevchikh. The journalist and chief of investigations for Alexey Navalny’s team studied in the university’s sociology department. § Environment⠀➾ * ⚓ Koos Looijesteijn ☛ You’re_making_me_buy_a_new_phone⠀⇛ What can we do to break this forced device upgrade cycle? Should we expect app store owners to take more responsibility? Do we need legislation? How can we make sure that in 2027 I’m not again writing that I need to buy a new mobile device (sidenote: I’m not going to bet on that being a phone ) although I still like my old one? * ⚓ Deccan Chronicle ☛ Elephant_extinction_could_have_major_impact_on atmospheric_carbon_levels:_Study⠀⇛ If the already critically endangered elephants become extinct, rainforest of central and west Africa, the second largest rainforest on earth, would lose between six and nine percent of their ability to capture atmospheric carbon, amplifying planetary warming. * ⚓ WSWS ☛ Toxic_fire_continues_burning_in_Ohio_days_after_massive,_50_car train_derailment⠀⇛ A Norfolk Southern train transporting industrial freight through eastern Ohio exploded around 9 p.m. last Friday. Fifty of its cars derailed, including many carrying toxic chemicals. The explosion could be heard throughout the small town of East Palestine, and the subsequent fire lit up the night sky a bright orange, producing so much smoke that it was detected by nearby weather radar. The fire was still smoldering over two days later, preventing first responders from approaching the scene. * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Rail_Workers_Blame_Fiery_Train_Crash_in_Ohio_on_Wall Street_Profit-Seeking⠀⇛ An inter-union alliance of rail workers argued Tuesday that the massive freight train crash in East Palestine, Ohio late last week was a predictable consequence of Wall Street-backed policy decisions that have hollowed out the industry’s workforce, pushed remaining employees to chronic exhaustion, and sacrificed safety for profits. * ⚓ The Nation ☛ California’s_Extreme_Weather_Is_the_Future_of_Climate Change⠀⇛ It was January 1983 and raining in San Francisco. * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Life_in_a_Destabilized_California⠀⇛ It was January 1983 and raining in San Francisco. The summer before, I’d moved here from Portland, Oregon, a city known for its perpetual gray drizzles and, on the 60-odd days a year when the sun deigns to shine, dazzling displays of greenery. My girlfriend had spent a year convincing me that San Francisco had much more to offer me than Portland did for her. * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Biden_Told_to_Act_on_His_Climate_Rhetoric_by_Halting New_Fossil_Fuel_Drilling⠀⇛ President Joe Biden said during his State of the Union address Tuesday that the climate crisis is an “existential threat” and political leaders have an obligation to confront it. * ⚓ TruthOut ☛ Melting_Glaciers_Show_Why_Climate_Targets_Below_1.5°C_Are Needed⠀⇛ * § Energy/Transportation⠀➾ o ⚓ New York Times ☛ Ex-Coinbase_Employee_Pleads_Guilty_to_Insider Trading⠀⇛ The case was part of a crackdown on an old-school financial crime in the crypto world. o ⚓ NBC ☛ Lithium-ion_battery_fire_in_cabin_injures_7_and_prompts flight’s_return_to_California⠀⇛ The United Airlines flight from San Diego International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport had been in the air for a matter of seconds Tuesday morning when the emergency erupted in its cabin, according to officials and data from the flight tracking site FlightAware. o ⚓ DeSmog ☛ Growing_Body_of_Research_Suggests_Offshore_Oil’s_Methane Pollution_Is_Underestimated⠀⇛ Flying 10,000 feet above the Gulf of Mexico, in a plane outfitted with infrared imaging equipment, researchers could see methane gas bubbling under water, likely from an undetected pipeline leak. Over the course of several flights in 2021, they spotted frequent gas plumes from platforms, storage tanks, and pipelines offshore, leading the team to believe that the 151 platforms near the Louisiana coast had a much higher methane leak rate than what’s been measured for onshore oil and gas production. * § Wildlife/Nature⠀➾ o ⚓ Science Alert ☛ Turns_Out_Elephants_May_Play_a_Crucial_Role_in Saving_The_Planet⠀⇛ We’re in serious trouble without them. o ⚓ Reason ☛ More_Pork!_And_the_Prevention_of_Cruelty_to_Animals⠀⇛ A few more words about the constitutional status of animal cruelty laws o ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Senator_Daines_Fighting_to_Stop_Grizzly_Bears’ “Livestock_Depravation”⠀⇛ “As we await final delisting, we must do all that we can to ensure public safety, to stop the risks to human life, and to prevent further livestock depravation that is devastating Montana agriculture,” Senator Daines (R- MT)  stated in a 2020 interview concerning the grizzly bears’ status in the state. Are grizzly bears sex-trafficking livestock?  Thankfully Senator Daines is on top of this immoral act. o ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Animal_Crackers⠀⇛ “Hey”, squeaked one furry lemming to another (in lemming- lingo, of course). “I saw you trying to slip away from the crowd! Do you want to betray us good lemmings. Maybe you’re a fox-lover, even a wolf-lover. You’d better keep in line till we reach our proper goal.”  As lemming- lovers sadly know, that goal could be over the cliff into the sea. And I don’t think lemmings can swim! Is such a cliff perhaps near the Black Sea? Or along the Dnieper? And are there any today who – like lemmings – keep in the crowd? o ⚓ The Revelator ☛ Weather_Whiplash:_How_Climate_Change_Killed Thousands_of_Migratory_Birds⠀⇛ * § Overpopulation⠀➾ o ⚓ CNN ☛ China_to_offer_free_fertility_treatment_in_bid_to_boost record_low_birth_rate⠀⇛ China is planning to offer free fertility treatment to citizens under its national insurance scheme in a bid to reverse its plummeting birth rate. § Finance⠀➾ * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ A_Biden_Strategy_to_Get_Debt_Ceiling_Ruled Unconstitutional⠀⇛ This is a proposal to the Biden administration on how it might get the debt ceiling law declared unconstitutional by a federal court before the likely default date in June. * ⚓ Copenhagen Post ☛ Maersk_smashes_Danish_profit_record⠀⇛ 2022 ended up being a historic year for the Danish shipping giant, which saw a surplus of 203 billion kroner * ⚓ New York Times ☛ Zoom_to_Lay_Off_1,300_Workers,_Joining_Other_Tech Giants⠀⇛ The company is cutting 15 percent of its work force, or about 1,300 jobs, citing “the uncertainty of the global economy.” * ⚓ The Kent Stater ☛ OPINION:_The_cost_of_living_is_unrealistic_for college_students⠀⇛ The cost of living refers to the amount of money required to support one’s necessities, such as housing, food, clothing, transportation and insurance. For a college student who is responsible for their own fees, those expenses are stressed by tuition and limited time. When inflation is taken into consideration, is it possible for college students… * ⚓ Reason ☛ “The_Profit_Motive:_In_Defense_of_Shareholder_Value Maximization”⠀⇛ From my UCLA colleague Prof. Stephen Bainbridge. * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Biden_Exposed_Republican_Plans_to_Cut_Social_Security. Now,_He_Should_Release_a_Plan_to_Expand_Social_Security.⠀⇛ Last night, President Joe Biden called out Congressional Republicans for their plans to cut Social Security and Medicare. Several Republicans erupted in outrage, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) yelled “liar.” In response, Biden said “I enjoy conversion…as we all apparently agree, Social Security and Medicare is off the books now, right?” and urged the entire room to “stand up for seniors.” Many Republicans in the room, including Speaker Kevin McCarthy, stood up and applauded. * ⚓ TruthOut ☛ White_House_Slams_Manchin-GOP_Push_for_Social_Security, Medicare_Commissions⠀⇛ * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ ‘They_Can’t_Be_Trusted’:_Advocates_Say_Don’t_Buy_GOP Applause_for_Social_Security⠀⇛ Congressional Republicans made a show of jeering President Joe Biden Tuesday night when he said during his State of the Union address that some in their ranks have expressed support for cutting Social Security and Medicare—and even sunseting the programs completely. * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Biden_White_House_Blasts_Manchin-GOP_Push_for_Social Security_‘Death_Panel’⠀⇛ The Biden White House made clear on Monday that it opposes the creation of commissions to devise changes—and possible cuts—to Social Security and other U.S. trust funds, rejecting an idea embraced by Republicans and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin amid a dangerous standoff over the nation’s debt ceiling. * ⚓ Scheerpost ☛ Poverty_Amid_Plenty⠀⇛ A World Fragmented by Inequality. * ⚓ Meduza ☛ Navalny_team_discovers_unsanctioned_foreign_assets_of_Mkrtich Okroyan,_chief_designer_of_a_factory_that_produces_missiles_used_against Ukraine_—_Meduza⠀⇛ Navalny associates have found foreign assets belonging to Mkrtich Okroyan, the chief designer of the Soyuz factory, which produces, among other things, engines for Kh-22 missiles. In mid-January, one such missile partially destroyed a residential building in Dnipro. The factory has not come under Western sanctions. * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ French_Workers_Erupt_Again_to_Fight_Macron’s_Assault_on Pensions⠀⇛ For the third time in less than a month, hundreds of thousands of workers across France participated Tuesday in strikes and rallies to protest President Emmanuel Macron’s unpopular plan to force people to work longer before they qualify for a full pension. * ⚓ Telex (Hungary) ☛ The_latest_from_Arte_Weekly:_The_French_protest_over pension_reform,_while_students_across_Europe_face_their_own_challenges⠀⇛ * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Looking_Down_on_This_Poverty-Soaked_World_From_Atop Mount_Davos⠀⇛ A few weeks ago, the world’s power brokers — politicians, CEOs, millionaires, billionaires — met in Davos, the mountainous Swiss resort town, for the 2023 World Economic Forum. In an annual ritual that reads ever more like Orwellian farce, the global elite gathered — their private jets lined up like gleaming sardines at a nearby private airport — to discuss the most pressing issues of our time, many of which they are chiefly responsible for creating. * ⚓ Meduza ☛ A_crisis_of_abundance_and_other_paradoxes_UCLA_economist_Oleg Itskhoki_talks_about_Russia’s_economy_under_sanctions,_why_it_‘failed_to collapse,’_and_the_crisis_around_the_corner_—_Meduza⠀⇛ Last year marked the first time in history when international sanctions were imposed on an economy as large as Russia’s. The results have been impressive. If assessed in terms of the difference between expected growth and actual GDP contraction, that negative effect comes to about 6 percent. Still, this is nowhere near the projected decline of 8–12 percent, anticipated by Russia’s Finance Ministry and the Central Bank. Why didn’t Russia’s economy collapse in 2022? In an article written for Re: Russia, UCLA economist Oleg Istkhoki explained how the interaction of sanctions against different economic sectors and Russia’s fiscal policy forestalled the crisis that may, nevertheless, thrust its full weight upon the country’s economy in 2023. * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Why_the_States_Have_a_Major_Role_to_Play_If_We_Want_Tax Justice⠀⇛ Americans scored a tax victory with last summer’s Inflation Reduction Act, raising hundreds of billions of dollars for climate, health and debt reduction, and breaking a long streak of little progress or even backward movement on tax fairness. Now, with fears of gridlock in a divided Washington, tax justice champions are building momentum in other places where there’s dire need for better tax policy: the states. We can upgrade communities across the country by making 2023 a year to win tax improvements in statehouses. § AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics⠀➾ * ⚓ Axios ☛ America’s_print_tabloid_era_is_over⠀⇛ The sale of theNational_Enquirer, a storied gossip rag that became engulfed in scandals in recent years, represents the latest American tabloid giant to change hands as the era of print gossip fades away. Why it matters:A small group of powerful voices has been replaced by hundreds of digital influencers and gossip sites that run the same rumors, often with even less accountability. * ⚓ Mexico News Daily ☛ Mexico_rejects_possible_US_return_to_‘Remain_in Mexico’_policy⠀⇛ Upon the U.S. informing Mexico that it plans to reinstate the policy, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said it won’t accept the change. * ⚓ Modern Diplomacy ☛ The_U.S.-Philippines_Alliance⠀⇛ In 2023, the US is expected to make significant changes in its force posture in the Indo-Pacific region. And this began with the transformation of the US-Japan alliance started with the announcement of Japan’s hosting of the first Marine Littoral regiment. * ⚓ NYPost ☛ Mark_Zuckerberg’s_Meta_to_‘flatten’_middle_managers_in_cost- cutting_push:_report⠀⇛ Managers will reportedly be told to become individual contributors or exit. * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ The_Promise_and_Failure_of_Zionism⠀⇛ Last month, Israeli forces entered the Jenin refugee camp and killed nine Palestinians. The next day a 21 year old Palestinian killed seven Israeli settlers in East Jerusalem. The Palestinian man, named after a grandfather who had been stabbed to death 25 years earlier by a Jewish Israeli, was seeking revenge for a young Palestinian relative killed by Israeli forces two days earlier. This unending cycle of violence seems almost incomprehensible. Israel was supposed to be a safe-haven for a people forced to endure hundreds of years of dispossession and oppression, but is instead beset by almost constant and unceasing violence. * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Our_Message_to_Antony_Blinken_on_Failed_US_Policy_on Israel_and_Palestine⠀⇛ I was part of a small delegation of Arab Americans invited to meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken the day before his recent visit to Egypt, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority. Our meeting came on the heels of two tragic days in Israel/Palestine. * ⚓ The Hill ☛ Zoom_to_cut_more_than_15_percent_of_workforce_in_latest round_of_tech_layoffs⠀⇛ Last week, PayPal and Workday also announced rounds of job cuts, eliminating 7 percent and 3 percent of their workforces, respectively. * ⚓ Computer World ☛ Zoom_lays_off_15%_of_its_workforce_after_growth_spurt during_pandemic⠀⇛ Along with the 15% reduction in the workforce, Zoom is also making changes in team structure and several members of its leadership team will take pay cuts. * ⚓ NBC ☛ Zoom_to_cut_workforce_by_about_15%,_citing_economic_uncertainty⠀⇛ The company’s layoff announcement marks the latest round of job cuts in the tech industry, as Dell on Monday announced plans to cut 6,650 jobs. In January, Google revealed plans to lay off more than 12,000 workers, Microsoft disclosed plans to cut 10,000 employees and Salesforce announced plans to lay off 7,000 workers. * ⚓ VOA News ☛ HRW:_‘Thick_Veil_of_Violence’_Around_Nigeria’s_Elections⠀⇛ The violence “undermines people’s fundamental right to vote,” said Anietie Ewang, HRW’s Nigerian researcher, who called on Nigerian officials to install secure systems that would allow Nigerians to vote safely. * ⚓ Quillette ☛ Justice_in_Stockholm⠀⇛ Within a few weeks, an estimated 4,000 prisoners, most of whom were MKO members, had been executed. But as the killing machine was already operating swiftly, the committee decided to hang other political opponents in custody, too, including unrepentant communists. They circulated a questionnaire among these “infidels,” asking them if they believed in Allah, the Prophet Muhammed, the Quran, and if they prayed five times a day. A “no” in response to any of these questions was enough to send the respondent to the gallows. That summer, families who went to prison to pick up their loved ones returned home with only a plastic bag containing a few belongings. Most never received the remains of their dead—the majority of the victims had already been buried in mass graves under cover of darkness. Families were not even allowed to hold funerals because the regime feared that public awareness of the executions would cause rioting. The 1988 massacre was an evil so egregious that it changed the course of Iran’s future. When Ayatollah Montazeri, the cleric expected to succeed Khomeini as Supreme Leader, heard of it, he summoned the committee. Furious, Montazeri ordered that the four men immediately discontinue the executions. A recording of the meeting leaked after Montazeri’s death reveals his outrage and horror. Admonishing them, he warned that they would be remembered as sinners by future generations. For this objection to the Supreme Leader’s fatwa, he was soon removed from his position of successorship to Ayatollah Khomeini. Montazeri was first marginalized and ultimately placed under house arrest until his death in 2009. Ayatollah Khamenei, a cleric in the mold of Khomeini himself, became Iran’s next Supreme Leader instead. * ⚓ The Nation ☛ Occupy_Kevin⠀⇛ * ⚓ TruthOut ☛ George_Santos_Is_Under_Investigation_From_House_Ethics Officials⠀⇛ * ⚓ Democracy Now ☛ Matt_Duss_on_Biden’s_State_of_the_Union_&_the_Risks_of an_Anti-China_Consensus_in_Washington⠀⇛ President Biden delivered his second State of the Union speech Tuesday and discussed his administration’s support for Ukraine, growing tensions with China and other international challenges. Foreign policy scholar and former Bernie Sanders adviser Matt Duss says one major missing theme was the “global war on terror.” “We need to acknowledge that this war is still very much ongoing,” says Duss, noting that thousands of U.S. troops are deployed around the world. He also says that while the Biden administration’s approach to the Chinese balloon that entered U.S. airspace was calm and measured, the strong anti- China position that seems to divide much of Washington is a concern. “This idea of trying to create political unity around … any external threat has a very bad history,” says Duss. * ⚓ Democracy Now ☛ Have_Movements_Pushed_Biden_to_the_Left?_Rep._Delia Ramirez_&_Economist_Dean_Baker_Respond_to_SOTU⠀⇛ President Joe Biden delivered his second State of the Union address Tuesday, touting his administration’s achievements and laying out his plans for the next two years under a divided Congress, including on immigration, the economy, the climate crisis and more. We speak with Democratic Congressmember Delia Ramirez, who delivered a response to Tuesday’s speech on behalf of the Working Families Party, and economist Dean Baker, who both applaud Biden’s focus on income inequality and making the rich pay more in taxes. “He’s clearly moved to the left,” says Baker. * ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Pretty_Much_Every_Expert_Agrees_That_Elon_Has_Made_Twitter’s Child_Sexual_Abuse_Problem_Worse⠀⇛ About a month ago, we wrote an article pulling together a variety of sources, including an NBC News investigation, that suggested that Elon Musk’s Twitter was doing a terrible job dealing with child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the platform. This was contrary to the claims of a few very vocal Elon supporters, including one who somehow got an evidence-free article published in a major news publication, insisting that he had magically “solved” the CSAM issue, despite firing most of the people who worked on it. As we noted last month, it actually appeared that Elon’s Twitter was not just failing to deal with CSAM (which is a massive challenge on any platform), but that he was actually going backwards and making the issue much, much worse. * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Desperate_Dem_Turns_to_Despicable_Vote_Trading⠀⇛ * ⚓ Pro Publica ☛ From_Penis_Cookies_to_Spying:_A_Growing_List_of Allegations_at_Anchorage_City_Hall⠀⇛ Since Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson took office in July 2021, he and his administration have been criticized for their words and their deeds. Top officials have been fired or have resigned. Lawsuits have been filed against the city, and complaints have been filed with the office of the city’s ombudsman, who told city prosecutors that employees are worried about being spied on. Bronson was narrowly elected on a wave of support from conservative voters who opposed COVID-19 mandates and were frustrated with the city’s ongoing homelessness crisis. * ⚓ Pro Publica ☛ It_Was_Good_to_Be_Friends_With_the_Mayor._Then_the Investigations_Began.⠀⇛ In August 2021, two city of Anchorage officials toured the wood-paneled halls of the Golden Lion Hotel, known for the 200- pound taxidermied lion that once stood among the teal lounge chairs in its lobby. At the time, Anchorage was seeing a soaring number of overdoses. The city faced a deadline to use proceeds from a utility sale to launch a new treatment center and needed a place to put it. The hotel, built in the 1970s, had 85 rooms, including suites that might house visiting doctors. The ballrooms could serve as meeting areas or host group therapy sessions. There was even an old salon that could be used for job training. * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Seattle_Goes_Global:_a_Center_of_Empire⠀⇛ Seattle was born in the global marketplace. The big trees that greeted the first settlers became the city’s earliest major industry, timber. Seattle had the broad, deep Puget Sound to ship boards around the Pacific, building cities from San Francisco to Manila. Old growth trees logged on the hills were sent down a muddy “skid road” to Henry Yesler’s sawmill on Elliott Bay. The trees skidded down first, then the workers spending their earnings on booze. That was the origin of the term “skid row.” The mill is long gone, but the troubled and addicted still sleep in doorways in what is today the Pioneer Square neighborhood. In The Pacific Raincoast, an ecological history of Washington and Oregon west of the Cascade Mountains, author Robert Bunting notes that this early link to the global economy imbued Seattle with the boom-and-bust gold rush mentality that has since gone through iterations from aerospace to computers. That mentality was fortified when Seattle became the jumping off point for the 1890s Yukon Gold Rush. Donald Trump’s German immigrant grandfather, Frederick Trump, came to Seattle then to make his fortune. On Pioneer Square he operated what was called a “fancy restaurant,” said to offer services to meet human hungers beyond food and drink, before he moved on to make the original Trump family fortune up in the Yukon. * ⚓ FAIR ☛ Douthat’s_Birthrate_Obsession_Launders_White_Nationalist Anxieties⠀⇛ Ross Douthat confesses to having an obsession with the so- called “baby bust.” The New York Times columnist has brought up the supposed perils of low birthrates in countless columns (e.g., 12/14/22, 3/27/21, 12/2/12), and it played a prominent role in his 2020 book The Decadent Society. * ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Texas_Governor_Greg_Abbott’s_TikTok_Ban_Is_A_Dumb Performance_That_Ignores_The_Real_Problem⠀⇛ We’ve noted for a while how most of the hyperventilation about TikTok is of the manufactured moral panic variety. We’ve also noted how the folks who’ve been the loudest about TikTok’s privacy and security threats spent decades fighting against competent oversight or privacy legislation, yet now want to pretend that banning a single app somehow fixes the broad problems they themselves created. * ⚓ Meduza ☛ Russia’s_top_business_lobbying_group_proposes_first_corporate income_tax_increase_since_war_began_—_Meduza⠀⇛ The Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP), Russia’s chief business lobbying group, has proposed raising the 20 percent income tax on Russian businesses by 0.5 percentage points in 2023, the independent news outlet The Bell reported on Wednesday, citing knowledgeable sources. * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Puppet_Akutagawa⠀⇛ This year, the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival claims that the city will become ‘the puppetry capital of the world’. This is not a reference to hedge fund managers and Mayor Lori Lightfoot, but to the genuine wood or paper article. The city faces still competition with venerable international puppet fests such as Charleville-Mézières (France), Opole in Poland, and the Skupova Plzeň in the Czech Republic. There is also the PIF in Zagreb (Croatia, notably featuring puppet works in Esperanto), the Hungarian festivals of Pécs and Békéscsaba, the Bulgarian puppet play festival of Varna, and the great Italian fete of Cervia in Emilia-Romagna. And beyond Europe, there is the Lida Festival in Japan, and other global puppet meets in Jakarta and Bali, New Delhi, Tehran, Lahore, Mexico, Niger and Togo, and Australia. The United States itself can boast of several major annual puppetry events in the Midwest, Atlanta, New York (Coney Island), and California. But if Chicago does not yet lead the world, it is certainly on the right track. This was proven last week by the festival’s staging of the Koryū Nishikawa Troupe’s beautiful puppet play on the works of the great Japanese modernist writer, Ryunosuke Akutagawa (1892-1927). Akutagawa is probably best known as the author of “Rashōmon”, filmed by Kurosawa’s in 1950. Like Baudelaire or Poe, he remains an archetypal poet maudit, wending his unsure way through the crises of the Taishō era, garnering respect and feuding with his contemporaries, dying young. Traditional Japanese puppet master Koryū Nishikawa V has joined forces with Chicago’s own Tom Lee to create a multimedia piece depicting scenes from the master’s work and life. It is a stunning show. * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ 21st_Century_Soldiering:_Veterans_of_Post-9/11_Wars Reflect_on_Their_Experience⠀⇛ Review of Un-American: A Soldier’s Reckoning of Our Longest War, by Erik Edstrom’s (Bloomsbury, 2020); Pain is Weakness Leaving the Body: A Marine’s Unbecoming, by Lyle Jeremy Rubin (Bold Type Books, 2022), and Paths of Dissent: Soldiers Speak Out Against America’s Misguided Wars, edited by Andrew Bacevich and Daniel Sjursen (Metropolitan Books, 2022). One frequent casualty of war is the confident belief shared by new soldiers that their cause is just and worthy of great personal sacrifice. After Al-Qaeda downed four civilian air liners and caused nearly three thousand deaths on September 11, 2001, US military recruiters were flooded with eager volunteers. Patriotic fervor, coupled with an urge for revenge and a desire to make the world a safer place, motivated many young men and women to enlist. * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Ron_DeSantis:_a_2024_Presidential_Nightmare⠀⇛ The 2024 presidential election campaign is off and running and, sadly, the Republicans are in a good position to win the election. Pres. Joe Biden is rumored to be planning to announce his intention to run for reelection in 2024. While some have raised concern that he will be 82 years old if elected, deeper concerns involve whether voters will support him — and other Democrats — if the economy further stumbles and inflation is not contained. This is especially the case given that women and young voters might not vote as the post-Roe anti-abortion condition becomes more normalized. * ⚓ The Nation ☛ Biden_Just_Showed_Us_How_He’ll_Run_for_Reelection⠀⇛ You didn’t have to listen to Joe Biden’s third State of the Union address to get the message that the 46th president is fully engaged with his bid for a second term. Even before the speech was delivered, Biden’s team had revealed plans to travel Wednesday morning to the Laborers Apprentice and Training Center in Wisconsin’s vote-rich Dane County. Out of all the places he could have chosen, the president was headed to the Democratic heartlands of what for decades has been the most consistently contested presidential battleground state in the nation. * ⚓ The Nation ☛ Chief_Justice_Roberts_Portrays_His_Court_as_Heroic⠀⇛ On December 31, Chief Justice John Roberts published his year- end report on the federal judiciary. As is tradition, the report was a short, perfunctory memo that came and went without any lasting impact. By comparison to the State of the Union—during which the president lays out his agenda for the coming year—the court’s year-end report strives to stay away from controversy or newsworthiness. Instead, it stays in the safe space of hokey themes wrapped in neat historical anecdotes. It’s best to think of it as Roberts’s yearly self- portrait.1 * ⚓ The Nation ☛ Last_of_Its_Kind⠀⇛ In 2019, I screened a series of films in my apartment organized around the theme of “Obama Baroque,” a term coined by the art collective DIS, which defined it as “renewed comfort in consumptive excess” following the 2008 financial crisis. Even then, the cultural products of the Obama years felt like artifacts from another era, ready to be historicized—bizarrely optimistic about the power of individuals in the face of obvious, planet-wide decline. Some of the criteria I developed for choosing the films were empirical—made between 2008 and 2014, with a budget in excess of $50 million—and some were thematic (“vague gestures toward anti-capitalist critique”). There was never any question that the first film in the series would be James Cameron’s space epic Avatar. * ⚓ The Nation ☛ 5_Questions_the_New_DCCC_Chair_Needs_to_Answer⠀⇛ For an entity that spends nearly half a billion dollars every election cycle, surprisingly little is known about the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). As the political arm of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, the DCCC (or “d-trip” in Beltway lingo) is responsible for raising and spending hundreds of millions of dollars to help Democrats win congressional elections. The committee spent $354,623,642 on the 2022 midterms, according to its filings with the Federal Elections Commission. * ⚓ Telex (Hungary) ☛ Romanian_Ministry_of_Foreign_Affairs_summons Hungarian_Ambassador_over_Fidesz_politician’s_Facebook_post_about_Szekler flag⠀⇛ * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Mandela_Barnes_Launches_Long_Run_PAC_to_Help_Candidates Written_Off_by_Dem_Leaders⠀⇛ To challenge establishment Democratic leaders who focus on the so-called “electability” of candidates and, in many cases, withhold funding that could be the deciding factor in whether they win or lose, former U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes on Tuesday announced the launch of a new political action committee aimed at helping supposedly long-shot contenders. * ⚓ Telex (Hungary) ☛ How_the_Hungarian_government_makes_it_look_like_they are_asking_people_for_their_opinion⠀⇛ * § Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda⠀➾ o ⚓ RTL ☛ Deepfake_‘news_anchors’_in_pro-China_footage:_research⠀⇛ The “news broadcasters” appear stunningly real, but they are AI-generated deepfakes in first-of-their-kind propaganda videos that a research report published Tuesday attributed to Chinese state-aligned actors. The fake anchors — for a fictious news outlet called Wolf News — were created by artificial intelligence software and appeared in footage on social media that seemed to promote the interests of the Chinese Communist Party, US- based research firm Graphika said in its report. § Censorship/Free Speech⠀➾ * ⚓ NBC ☛ Disney_removes_‘Simpsons’_episode_with_China_‘forced_labor’ reference_from_Hong_Kong⠀⇛ This is the second “Simpsons” episode with an unflattering China reference to be cut from the streaming service in Hong Kong, a former British colony that was promised a high degree of autonomy when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997. The previous episode, which refers to the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown and originally aired in 2005, has not been available in Hong Kong since Disney+ launched there in 2021. The service is not available in mainland China. * ⚓ Dawn Media ☛ PTA_allowed_to_block_websites_sharing_‘objectionable material’⠀⇛ The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday allowed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to block the websites sharing ‘objectionable material’. * ⚓ Meduza ☛ Russia_opens_first_criminal_case_for_failure_to_comply_with ‘foreign_agent’_requirements_—_Meduza⠀⇛ The Investigative Committee of the Tver region has opened a criminal case for failure to comply with the requirements for “foreign agents” against Artem Vazhenkov, coordinator of the election monitoring organization Golos and host of the YouTube channel Avtozak LIVE. * ⚓ Outlook India ☛ ‘I’m_Lucky’:_Salman_Rushdie_In_His_First_Interview Since_2022_Stabbing,_Shares_His_Picture⠀⇛ “This doesn’t feel third-person-ish to me,” Rushdie said of a possible sequel. “I think when somebody sticks a knife into you, that’s a first-person story. That’s an I’ story.” * ⚓ NPR ☛ Salman_Rushdie’s_‘Victory_City’_is_a_triumph,_independent_of_the Chautauqua_attack⠀⇛ It had been more than 30 years since the Iranian regime issued a death sentence against Rushdie for blaspheming Islam in his novel The Satanic Verses. The attack was a tragic revival of an episode that had seemed resigned to the past. For the last several years, Rushdie had been living a relatively open life as a literary figure in the United States and although he will not be making more public appearances to promote Victory City, he says he’s grateful to have the focus shifted back to his words. * ⚓ New Yorker ☛ The_Defiance_of_Salman_Rushdie⠀⇛ For Rushdie, keeping a low profile would be capitulation. He was a social being and would live as he pleased. He even tried to render the fatwa ridiculous. Six years ago, he played himself in an episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” in which Larry David provokes threats from Iran for mocking the Ayatollah while promoting his upcoming production “Fatwa! The Musical.” David is terrified, but Rushdie’s character assures him that life under an edict of execution, though it can be “scary,” also makes a man alluring to women. “It’s not exactly you, it’s the fatwa wrapped around you, like sexy pixie dust!” he says. * ⚓ The Hindu ☛ The_freedom_of_speech_and_an_‘adolescent_India’⠀⇛ The freedom of speech is one of the most cherished freedoms. The Constitution of India, too, declares that Indians possess this freedom, but makes it subject to the interest of public order, or the sovereignty and integrity of India. * ⚓ Indian Express ☛ As_Salman_Rushdie_returns,_undefeated_and_with_a_new book,_details_emerge_of_the_attack_that_almost_killed_him⠀⇛ It was the threat that had foreshadowed Rushdie’s life and career for over three decades since the publication of ‘The Satanic Verses‘ (1988) and the issuance of the infamous fatwa by Iran’s religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini in February 1989 for insulting Islam in the novel. Now, it seemed to have made good on its sinister promise. But there’s something about Rushdie that spells insouciance and dig-one’s-heels-in resilience. Six months later, Rushdie is back with a new novel, ‘Victory City‘ (Hamish Hamilton), and with his spirits intact. In an extensive piece in The New Yorker magazine, for which the writer spoke to its editor David Remnick, new details have emerged about the attempted assassination and its aftermath. * ⚓ Morning Star News ☛ Bill_in_Pakistan_Would_Expand_Misused_Blasphemy Law⠀⇛ Pakistan’s lower house of parliament has passed legislation to make the country’s blasphemy laws stricter even as their blatant misuse again came to light in a threat to falsely charge a Christian woman. The woman, a Catholic widow, was terrified after a Muslim colleague threatened to file the false blasphemy charge because she refused his demand to commit wrongdoing in their work, she said. * ⚓ Netblocks ☛ Twitter_restricted_in_Turkey_in_aftermath_of_earthquake⠀⇛ Network data confirm the restriction of Twitter on multiple internet providers in Turkey as of Wednesday 8 February 2023. * ⚓ Meduza ☛ Russia_blocks_website_of_Moscow_Helsinki_Group,_the_country’s oldest_human_rights_organization_—_Meduza⠀⇛ Russian authorities have blocked the website of the Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG), says digital rights organization Roskomsvoboda. No reason for the blocking has been reported. * ⚓ Meduza ☛ 84-year-old_theater_star_Liya_Akhedzhakova_banished_from stage,_together_with_D._L._Coburn’s_‘The_Gin_Game’_—_Meduza⠀⇛ Liya Akhedzhakova, the 84-year-old star of Russian film and theater, told Novaya Gazeta that Moscow’s Sovremennik theater, where she had worked for nearly half-a-century, has decided to remove its production of D. L. Coburn’s “The Gin Game” from the repertoire. * ⚓ TruthOut ☛ Haymarket_Books_Will_Provide_Free_Black_History_E-Books_to Florida_Students⠀⇛ § Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press⠀➾ * ⚓ Dawn Media ☛ IHC_displeased_with_delay_in_legislation_on_journalists’ service⠀⇛ IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq resumed hearing the petitions of a faction of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and Islamabad High Court Journalists Association (IHCJA). He inquired from Information Secretary Shahera Shahid about the direction issued during an earlier hearing to draft the law for the electronic media journalists. * ⚓ Don’t Extradite Assange ☛ Press_Release:_Night_Carnival_For_Julian Assange⠀⇛ In just a few days the Night Carnival for Julian Assange will be coming to central London. It will meet at Lincoln’s Inn Fields (nearest tube Holborn) at 4pm on Saturday 11 February and marching Parliament Square and then to a rally in the Emmanuel Centre just around the corner from Parliament. § Civil Rights/Policing⠀➾ * ⚓ The Nation ☛ An_Appeals_Court_Just_Ruled_to_Give_Guns_Back_to_Domestic Abusers⠀⇛ Nearly half of all women killed in this country are murdered by a current or former intimate partner, and half of those homicides are committed with the aid of a gun. A woman is five times more likely to be murdered when her abuser has access to a gun than when they don’t. Almost a million women have been “shot or shot at” by an intimate partner, according to the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence. * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Critics_Slam_‘Reprehensible’_Iowa_Bill_to_Expand_Child Labor⠀⇛ Labor advocates on Tuesday decried a business-backed bill introduced by Republican state lawmakers in Iowa that would roll back child labor laws so that teens as young as 14 could work in previously prohibited jobs including mining, logging, and animal slaughtering—a proposal one union president called dangerous and “just crazy.” * ⚓ uni Stanford ☛ “The_only_way”:_Students_protest_for_police_abolition_on campus⠀⇛ Students organized “Cops Off Campus” protests on Monday evening, saying the event was aimed to show solidarity and support for the Black community and to advocate for police abolition. * ⚓ BBC ☛ Amid_looming_economic_instability_and_widespread_layoffs,_bosses are_ordering_their_workers_back_to_the_office._Does_it_mark_a_permanent return_to_in-person_working?⠀⇛ The return to more in-person settings is a significant development in the changing world of work, especially given workers have had the upper hand when it comes to bargaining for flexibility during the hiring crisis. But as economic uncertainty looms, and companies axe jobs on a wide scale, the power dynamic is swinging back towards employers: many may be using the downturn as an opportunity to enforce or overhaul their working practices. For affected workers, fears of recession and layoffs mean many will have to head back to the office – at least for now. * ⚓ The Hill ☛ DHS_limits_no-knock_warrants,_bars_chokeholds_in_updated use-of-force_policy⠀⇛ DHS said in a release Tuesday that it adjusted its policies to be in line with an executive order that President Biden issued in May that requires the department to meet or exceed the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) guidance on use of force. * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Samuel_Alito’s_Mom’s_Satanic_Abortion_Clinic_Welcomes You⠀⇛ Exquisitely merging their sacrosanct tenets – reproductive rights, church/state separation, the freedom to offend and artful devil’s advocacy – The Satanic Temple is opening a “religious abortion clinic” to offer free, virtual, medication abortion to “involuntarily pregnant women” who need it. The “non-theistic” group, with “Satanic good works” from food drives to After-School Satan Clubs, named the clinic for Alito’s mother, because, “In 1950, (she) did not have options, and look what happened.” * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Google_Targets_Low-Income_People_With_Ads_for_‘Fake Abortion_Clinics’:_Study⠀⇛ Research published Monday shows that Google is targeting lower- income users with advertisements for so-called crisis pregnancy centers, anti-choice organizations known to steer people away from accessing abortion care. * ⚓ TruthOut ☛ GOP_Aims_to_Paint_Telehealth_Providers_of_Abortion_Pills_as “Drug_Traffickers”⠀⇛ * ⚓ TruthOut ☛ Federal_Judge_Issues_Order_Suggesting_13th_Amendment Protects_Abortion_Rights⠀⇛ * ⚓ Pro Publica ☛ What_U.S._Abortion_Legislation_Looks_Like_in_2023⠀⇛ For 50 years, Roe v. Wade shut down the biggest ambitions of the anti-abortion movement. Last summer, the Supreme Court overturned that decision, unleashing a flurry of abortion legislation across the nation. And anti-abortion advocates have eager partners in Republican-controlled legislatures across the country. “It’s exciting because our hands have been untied,” Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, said. “We’re going to see what we can do and do it.” * ⚓ Pro Publica ☛ Federal_Agency_Rejects_Developer’s_Report_That_Massive Grain_Elevator_Won’t_Harm_Black_Heritage_Sites⠀⇛ For the second time in six months, a federal agency reprimanded a Louisiana developer for its failure to offer an adequate assessment of the harm that its proposed $400 million agricultural development would cause to neighboring Black communities and historic sites. In a forceful letter dated Dec. 23, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rejected claims by the developer, Greenfield LLC, that its massive grain transfer facility in St. John the Baptist Parish upriver from New Orleans will have “no adverse effects.” The Corps is considering a permit application by Greenfield to build on federally protected waters and has the power to halt the project. * ⚓ Democracy Now ☛ Rep._Delia_Ramirez_to_Biden:_Further_Militarizing_the Border_Is_Not_the_Answer_to_Immigration⠀⇛ Democratic Congressmember Delia Ramirez of Illinois praises President Biden for proposing a path to citizenship in his State of the Union address on Tuesday for the millions of undocumented immigrants in the country. “My problem is the militarizing of the border,” she adds. Ramirez, who delivered a response to the State of the Union speech on behalf of the Working Families Party, says compassion should be at the center of the debate on immigration. “People are escaping poverty. People are escaping death,” she says. * ⚓ Shadowproof ☛ Protest_Song_Of_The_Week:_‘Found’_By_Fucked_Up⠀⇛ Canadian hardcore punk band Fucked Up recently released their sixth full-length album “One Day.” As denoted by the album’s title, each band member committed to a self-imposed time frame of 24 hours to write and record their contributions. Compared to their previous ambitious standards, the album is more straightforward but still carries considerable weight. It also features a few poignant social commentaries.“Broken Little Boys” explores the generational cycle of toxic masculinity. Another song, “Found,” which is Shadowproof’s protest song of the week, chronicles how Indigenous people have been displaced andmurdered to build highways and “temples of police and landlords.” All for the worship of money.The track was inspired by guitarist Mike Haliechuk’s experiences living on one of the oldest streets inNorth America and his observations of the tragic consequences of colonization and gentrification.“I used to live on Davenport Road, which is one of the oldest streets in North America and has been aFirst Nations trail for thousands of years, running along the north shore of Lake Iroquois, which recededafter the last ice age,” Haliechuk recalled. “Just to the east was Taddle Creek, which wasburied underground during the 19th century to build the streets I walk on. I thought about gentrificationa lot, watching little stores get swallowed up by big buildings until I realized I am one of those bigbuildings.” * ⚓ Democracy Now ☛ Biden_Condemns_Police_Murder_of_Tyre_Nichols_as Congressional_Push_for_Police_Reform_Remains_Stalled⠀⇛ President Joe Biden delivered his second State of the Union address Tuesday, his first before a divided Congress where Republicans now hold a slim majority in the House of Representatives. Biden, who is widely believed to be gearing up for reelection in 2024, repeatedly asked lawmakers to work with him to “finish the job.” Biden spoke exactly a month after the fatal police beating of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, honoring his parents, who were in attendance, and demanding more police accountability. Color of Change president Rashad Robinson says it was an emotional moment worth recognizing, “but we have to go the extra mile at helping the public understand why change hasn’t happened, who is standing in the way of change.” He says Republicans, backed by big-money donors, have effectively foreclosed the chance of meaningful legislation on policing for the next two years. * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Sanders_to_Join_Rail_Workers_in_Fresh_Demand_for_Paid Sick_Leave⠀⇛ Sen. Bernie Sanders announced Tuesday that he will join rail workers later this week to launch a fresh push for at least seven days of paid sick leave, an effort that comes months after Congress and the Biden White House forced workers to accept a contract without a single paid sick day to avert a potential strike. * ⚓ TruthOut ☛ Warren,_Sanders_Slam_Restaurant_Lobby_For_Making_Workers Fund_Anti-Worker_Battle⠀⇛ § Internet Policy/Net Neutrality⠀➾ * ⚓ APNIC ☛ Event_Wrap:_mmNOG_5⠀⇛ Warren Finch presented on ‘Preparing for IPv6 Implementation using Artificial Intelligence’ at mmNOG 5, held in Yangon, Myanmar from 14 to 15 January 2023. * ⚓ APNIC ☛ Event_Wrap:_PTC’23⠀⇛ Paul Wilson participated as a panellist in the ‘State of the IPv4 Address Market’ session at PTC’23, held in Hawaii, USA from 15 to 18 January 2023. * ⚓ APNIC ☛ The_root_of_the_DNS_revisited⠀⇛ How can we scale the root zone service to meet the growth of query rates? § Monopolies⠀➾ * § Trademarks⠀➾ o ⚓ Techdirt ☛ ‘Taco_Tuesday’_No_Good_As_A_Trademark_For_Beer;_Paging Taco_John’s⠀⇛ It’s always fun when the USPTO demonstrates its internal multiple personality disorder on intellectual property concerns. That’s probably a tad harsh; after all, the USPTO is made up of people, and different people will view similar situations differently. Unfortunately, part of what the USPTO is supposed to uphold and set are standards for intellectual property matters. Standards which should be applied evenly throughout all the requests that come its way. * § Copyrights⠀➾ o ⚓ Public Domain Review ☛ The_Emancipatory_Visions_of_a_Sex Magician:_Paschal_Beverly_Randolph’s_Occult_Politics⠀⇛ Erotic magic, Black emancipation, gender fluidity, interplanetary spirit realms — these were but a few of the topics that preoccupied Paschal Beverly Randolph (1825–75), an occult thinker who believed that his multiracial identity afforded him “peculiar mental power and marvelous versatility”. Lara Langer Cohen considers the neglected politics of Randolph’s esoteric writings alongside the repeated frustration of his activism: how dreams of other worlds, above and below our own, reflect the unfulfilled promises of Emancipation. o ⚓ Gadgets Now ☛ Getty_Images_files_new_lawsuit_against_Stability AI,_here’s_why⠀⇛ Getty Images has filed a new lawsuit against artificial intelligence company Stability AI Inc. The stock photo provider has recently made this lawsuit made public and has accused the AI firm of misusing its photos to train its Stable Diffusion AI image-generation system. According to a report by Reuters, the company has alleged that Stability AI has misused over 12 million Getty photos. The lawsuit was filed in the federal court of Delaware, US. This lawsuit follows a separate Getty case against Stability in the UK. The latest case is also related to a class-action complaint that was filed by various artists in California. These artists also accused Stability and other companies related to the “fast- growing field of generative AI.” The report claims that both Getty and Stability are yet to comment on the new lawsuit. o ⚓ [Old] Niels Provos ☛ ‘AI’_ethics_limit_artistic_exploration_and consequently_‘AI’_won’t_replace_provocative_art⠀⇛ Before discussing the ethics of “AI,” let’s recall a traditional definition of ethics as a set of principles or values that guide behavior and decisions. Where personal ethics are based on an individual’s values and beliefs, societal ethics are the acceptable or unacceptable behaviors in a particular society. For me, Kant’s categorical imperative is still the most natural instantiation of an ethical framework. However, when it comes to the ethics of “AI”, it’s important to consider the perspective of the companies creating “AI” models. For a US company, a cynical definition of ethics could be a set of guidelines designed to prevent offense or legal liabilities. Where ethical behavior boils down to avoiding negative consequences and protecting the company’s own interests. In other words, “AI” should not offend and “AI” should minimize the legal liabilities and risks to a company. It is easy to collect data points that argue for this cynical definition. o ⚓ Creative Commons ☛ Nicole_Ferraiolo_–_Open_Culture_VOICES,_Season 2_Episode_1⠀⇛ Open Culture VOICES is a series of short videos that highlight the benefits and barriers of open culture as well as inspiration and advice on the subject of opening up cultural heritage. Nicole is at the time of the recording the Director of Global Strategic Initiatives at CLIR which is the Council on Library and Information Resources where she works to enhance research, teaching, and learning environments in collaboration with libraries, cultural institutions, and communities of higher learning. o ⚓ Torrent Freak ☛ $16m_Pirate_IPTV_Lawsuit_Magically_Returns_$32m Thanks_to_Bankruptcy⠀⇛ The International Broadcaster Coalition Against Piracy (IBCAP) is celebrating two court judgments with a combined damages award of more than $32 million. The original lawsuit, filed by IBCAP member DISH Network, requested $16 million in damages. When one defendant filed for bankruptcy, a chance to double up raised its head. At least in theory, another $16 million opportunity awaits. o ⚓ Torrent Freak ☛ Cheat_Developer_Can_Pursue_‘Hacking’_Claims Against_Bungie,_Court_Rules⠀⇛ The legal battle between game developer Bungie and cheat seller AimJunkies continues. Last week, Judge Zilly denied Bungie’s motion to dismiss a contract breach claim. In addition, third-party cheat developer James May can continue his ‘hacking,’ theft, and DMCA violation claims. o ⚓ Techdirt ☛ AMC’s_‘Fix’_For_Declining_Movie_Theater_Attendance? Charging_You_More_Money_To_Sit_In_The_Same_Seats⠀⇛ You might recall that during pandemic lockdowns, AMC executives threw a massive temper tantrum because companies like Comcast/NBC began experimenting with slightly more innovative release windows. AMC was mad because the pandemic highlighted how the 90-day gap between the time a movie appears in theaters and its streaming or DVD release was exposed as both dated and stupid. * § Gemini* and Gopher⠀➾ o § Personal⠀➾ # ⚓ RE:_Creation_Stories_Redux⠀⇛ Hello, Chris, thank you for your reply. Please forgive the very long delay in responding. Between family, work, other responsibilities, and my astronomy and amateur radio projects, it was hard to find time to sit down and write a thoughtful response, which would hopefully address most of the points of discussion you brought up. # ⚓ Player_goals⠀⇛ I am writing about Knives again, of course. I think I’m slowly approaching the end. Not sure whether I really want to write something about romance and family building but I feel like I should. The PDF has 29 pages now. # ⚓ 🔤SpellBinding:_DEINUSQ_Wordo:_GLUON⠀⇛ # ⚓ Lost_ast_Vath_updates⠀⇛ Lyrics added for Forged in Crimson, thanks to today’s dev blog update. o § Technical⠀➾ # ⚓ s6/66_for_init,_service_supervision_and_service management⠀⇛ systemd isn’t for me. i’m not necessarily anti- systemd overall[a]; but i don’t want systemd for my particular use-case. It feels vastly overengineered for my practical needs, and way too complex for me to be able to get something of a handle on. Having been using Unix-y systems as my daily drivers for almost two and a half decades, i’d prefer to have the option to do some plumbing occasionally if necessary, rather than crossing my fingers and hoping that a massive code base and its magic does what i need it to do. # ⚓ New_Technological_Frontiers⠀⇛ The exponential growth in the development of Artificial Intelligence is rather interesting to watch, if not without concern as well. I personally look forward to its rise in some ways, given that it feels like this is the first big shift in the Tech Industry since the dawn of Web 2.0. # ⚓ Package_Management_–_Versions⠀⇛ The start of almost every package journey starts with versions. This is how one distinguishes between different copies and hopefully makes sense of when to get the latest version verses only updating a few or not updating at all. # ⚓ Using_my_capsule_as_guinea_pig_(upgrading_Trantor_TLS infrastructure)⠀⇛ A while ago, I announced my plan to rewrite how Trantor deals with TLS. I finally found the motivation to do it. The plan was quite in the right direction and I’m at the point where I can start testing the new code. To test in a real world environment, I think it’s easier and better to use my capsule as an experiment. If you find it suddenly stops working, you know why and please let me know. The experiment will start the night this post published and last for a few weeks to a month. I’ll update once everything is stable. # ⚓ Line_and_paragraph_semantics_on_Gemini⠀⇛ Hark, implementers of Gemini! # ⚓ Web_client_autonomy_–_sailing_the_Small_Web⠀⇛ I had briefly thought to call this piece “Taking Back Control” before I quickly remembered that old cliché has become a slogan of the jingoistic proponents of Brexit. Such true believers loudly announce the idea that Nirvana will be easily achieved once we leave the European Union and “take back control” of our Manifest National Destiny. And collectively, we bought it. Sigh. # ⚓ Complaining_about_Trantor’s_SSL_code_and_my_plains_to_fix it⠀⇛ Just some quick rant about how Trantor does it’s SSL stuff. For thoes who don’t know. Trantor is a TCP library that I also maintain as a part of the Drogon web application framework. Personally, I think trantor is easier then boost::asio to use, and it’s also more efficient. It also comes with integrated SSL support using OpenSSL or LibreSSL. However, the code for that is just.. yeiks. I’m not just writing a blog to complain about stuff. I’m also thinking trough why the current design is bad and how I’m going to fix it. So, let’s start with the current design. # ⚓ gmi2xhtml_supports_comments_in_gemtext⠀⇛ Quick note about gmi2xhtml, now it supports commented lines. It is not in gemtext specification, but I wanted it. As suggested, I followed the “3 firsts char in a line” rule. If a line starts with “//”, it is a comment. # ⚓ Encoding_videos_in_AV1_with_FFmpeg⠀⇛ AV1 is implemented in libaom and svt-av1. Libaom is the reference codec, it produces smaller files than svt-av1 but it is slow. The svt-av1 encoder is optimized for speed and produces bigger files than libaom. I usually encode videos in 2 passes, libaom uses my 16 cores at 33% in pass 1 while svt-av1 uses the 16 cores at 100%. In pass 2, libaom uses 2 cores at 100% and svt1-av1 uses the 16 cores at 100%. # § Food⠀➾ # ⚓ Adventures_In_Fooding,_Episode_MMMCMXCIX⠀⇛ Mix, cover, leave in the garage overnight (~282 Kelvin this morning). This treatment will tend the dough towards the sour side, and probably also more flavor development as the bugs wake up and (slowly) do their thing. It might be good to know the water percentage of the starter, but that’s not this universe. In hindsight, more flour (and therefore also water) would likely be necessary to reach the 100g of flour typical for a calzone or thin pizza crust to fill a 10″ skillet. # § Internet/Gemini⠀➾ # ⚓ Using_Marginalia_Search_via_Gemini⠀⇛ Recently I’ve been working on a general Gemini proxy, to fetch HTTP/HTML resources and convert them on the fly to gemtext. The plan is to replace the public instace of Duckling with something a bit more feature- ful. =============================================================================== * Gemini_(Primer) links can be opened using Gemini_software. It’s like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter. ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 4560 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐃𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒 ═════════════════════════════════════════════╕ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 02.08.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ Links_08/02/2023:_Transmission_4.0.0_Released_and_Mass_Layoffs_at_Zoom⠀✐ Posted in News_Roundup, Site_News at 7:47 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇GNOME bluefish⦈ § Contents⠀➾ * GNU/Linux o Desktop/Laptop o Server o Applications o Instructionals/Technical o WINE_or_Emulation o Desktop_Environments/WMs # GNOME_Desktop/GTK * Distributions_and_Operating_Systems o BSD o PCLinuxOS/Mageia/Mandriva/OpenMandriva_Family o SUSE/OpenSUSE o Fedora_Family_/_IBM o Devices/Embedded o Open_Hardware/Modding o Mobile_Systems/Mobile_Applications * Free,_Libre,_and_Open_Source_Software o Web_Browsers/Web_Servers # Mozilla o SaaS/Back_End/Databases o Programming/Development * Leftovers o Science o Hardware o Health/Nutrition/Agriculture o Proprietary o Security # Privacy/Surveillance o Defence/Aggression o Environment # Energy/Transportation # Wildlife/Nature # Overpopulation o Finance o AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics * § GNU/Linux⠀➾ o § Desktop/Laptop⠀➾ # ⚓ Linux_Format_299⠀⇛ Power up your devices and revive your old phones with open source Android and even a full-fat Linux desktop! We guide you through using LineageOS – the best Android spin – to revive and protect older phones and tablets alongside full-fat Linux options. o § Server⠀➾ # ⚓ Venture Beat ☛ How_IBM’s_new_supercomputer_is_making_AI foundation_models_more_enterprise-budget_friendly⠀⇛ IBM has built out a cloud-native AI supercomputer from affordable, commodity hardware for foundation model–training R&D initiatives. # ⚓ The Next Platform ☛ The_On-Premises_Empire_Strikes_Back_At AWS [Ed: Clown computing bubble imploding. It is not cheap.]⠀⇛ Anybody who can read a financial report knows they are paying too much for compute, storage, networking, and software at Amazon Web Services. o § Applications⠀➾ # ⚓ 9to5Linux ☛ Transmission_4.0_Open-Source_BitTorrent_Client Released,_Here’s_What’s_New⠀⇛ After being in development for more than a year and coming more than two and a half years after Transmission 3.0, the Transmission 4.0 release is here to introduce support for BitTorrent v2 and hybrid torrents, support for IPv6 blocklists, as well as a revamped Web client with mobile support. Other new features include an option to omit potentially-identifying information like User-Agent and date created when creating new torrents, the ability to set “default” trackers that can be used to announce all public torrents, and the ability to specify the piece size when creating new torrents. # ⚓ Trend Oceans ☛ The_Wait_is_Over:_Transmission_4.0_Finally Released_Today!⠀⇛ After a long wait, Transmission 4.0 was finally released today! It is the latest version of the popular torrent client and promises to be a major leap forward in terms of usability, security, and performance. # ⚓ DebugPoint ☛ Transmission_4.0.0_Released_with_BitTorrent_v2 Support,_Code_Cleanups⠀⇛ Anew major release, Transmission 4.0.0, is out now after more than a year of development. This release brings dozens of new features, hundreds of bug fixes and much-needed code cleanups. Thanks to many contributors and developers, the “go-to” torrent client has become much more stable and advanced. Here’s what’s new. # ⚓ Make Tech Easier ☛ How_to_Create_Your_Own_Self-Hosted Office_365_with_Cryptpad⠀⇛ Cryptpad is an open-source office suite program that you can self host on your server. It is similar to Office 365 that allows you to access an office suite right from the browser. The main difference is that Cryptpad focuses on user privacy and allows you to create and share documents without the risk of leaking any personal information. # ⚓ Ubuntu Handbook ☛ Whisper_–_Simple_App_to_Listen_to Microphone_in_Linux⠀⇛ Want to hear your sound in microphone? Here’s a stupid simple tool to the job in Linux. It’s Whisper, a new free and open-source GTK4 application, allowing listen to microphone through your speaker. o § Instructionals/Technical⠀➾ # ⚓ Linux Capable ☛ How_to_Install_FirewallD_GUI_on_Rocky_Linux EL9_or_EL8⠀⇛ FirewallD is a highly regarded firewall solution utilized by many Rocky Linux users. It provides robust control over the firewall’s accessibility to ports, services, and protocols. Despite the simplicity of its command line interface, some individuals may prefer a graphical user interface for firewall management. # ⚓ LinuxTuto ☛ How_to_Install_Chamilo_LMS_on_Ubuntu_22.04⠀⇛ Chamilo is an open-source learning management system (LMS) used for delivering online courses and training programs. # ⚓ Olaf Alders ☛ Find_Expiring_SSL_Certs⠀⇛ Just like domain name registrations, SSL certificates need to be renewed regularly. Let’s look at ways to monitor SSL expiry, from using a hosted service like https://prettygoodping to doing it ourselves in curl, Go and Perl. # ⚓ TechRepublic ☛ How_to_connect_the_Compass_GUI_to_a_Docker- deployed_MongoDB_database⠀⇛ MongoDB is a widely used NoSQL database that can function well in containers if you know how to set it up. Learn how to connect the Compass GUI here. # ⚓ Linux Capable ☛ How_to_Install_ImageMagick_on_Ubuntu_22.04 or_20.04⠀⇛ ImageMagick is a powerful, open-source software used to create, edit, and manipulate images. This versatile software is widely used by graphic designers, photographers, and web developers to perform various image-related tasks, from resizing images to adding special effects. # ⚓ Linux Capable ☛ How_to_Install_LightZone_on_Ubuntu_22.04_or 20.04⠀⇛ Lightzone is a free and open-source photo editing software that provides users with a comprehensive set of tools to enhance their images. It is available for various operating systems, including Ubuntu, and is well-suited for amateur and professional photographers. # ⚓ Linux Nightly ☛ Generate_File_of_Specific_Size_on_Linux_ (With_Commands)⠀⇛ Generating files of a specific size can be useful for testing purposes. There are several different commands in Linux that can create files of certain sizes. Check out the commands and examples below to learn how. # ⚓ TecAdmin ☛ What_is_the_/etc/mtab_File_in_Linux⠀⇛ The /etc/mtab file is an important component in the Linux operating system. It contains a record of the currently mounted file systems, including the device name, mount point, and file system type. # ⚓ Adam_Young:_perf_option_to_test_branch_records⠀⇛ perf record --branch-filter any,save_type,u true # ⚓ Gary_Benson:_The_other_AWS_IAM_SSO_problem⠀⇛ The other thing you’ll run into using IAM users in AWS CLI is that a lot of things don’t support SSO sessions anyway. # ⚓ H2S Media ☛ How_to_Install_Postgresql_14_on_Ec2_Amazon linux_2⠀⇛ PostgreSQL, also widely known as Postgres, is a powerful but open-source relational database management system. It is widely used for web applications, data warehousing, and analytics due to its scalability and robust features. # ⚓ Peter_Czanik:_Syslog-ng_101,_part_6:_Destinations_and_log path⠀⇛ This is the sixth part of my syslog-ng tutorial. Last time, we learned about syslog-ng source definitions and how to check the syslog-ng version. Today, we learn about syslog-ng destinations and the log path. At the end of the session, we will also perform a quick syntax check. # ⚓ TecAdmin ☛ How_to_Install_PHP_8.2-7.4_on_RHEL_&_CentOS Stream_9⠀⇛ PHP is a popular scripting language that is used to develop dynamic web applications. It is an open- source programming language that can be easily installed on a variety of operating systems, including CentOS 9. # ⚓ TecAdmin ☛ How_to_Install_MySQL_8.0_on_RHEL_&_CentOS_Stream 9⠀⇛ MySQL is an open-source relational database management system that is widely used for storing and organizing data. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and CentOS Stream are two popular Linux distributions used by many developers and system administrators. # ⚓ UNIX Cop ☛ Install_PDF_Mod_–_A_tool_for_modifying_PDF documents⠀⇛ Hello, friends. In this post, you will learn how to install PDF Mod on Ubuntu and thus edit PDF files on the system. According to the tool’s website: PDF Mod is a simple application for modifying PDF documents. o § WINE or Emulation⠀➾ # ⚓ Wine_development_release_8.1_is_now_available_for_Linux FreeBSD_and_macOS⠀⇛ The Wine development release 8.1 is now available. What’s new in this release: # Windows version set to Windows 10 for new prefixes. # Many code cleanups that were deferred during code freeze. # Various bug fixes. The source is available_now. Binary packages are in the process of being built, and will appear soon at their respective download locations. # ⚓ Robert Heaton ☛ Gamebert:_a_Game_Boy_emulator_built_by Robert⠀⇛ I’m a professional computer programmer, but I don’t often do all that much computer programming. Instead I spend much of my time futzing around with config files, other people’s frameworks, and other people. This makes it easy to forget how much fun it is to write a long program that truly interests you and watch it do something a little bit astonishing. o § Desktop Environments/WMs⠀➾ # § GNOME Desktop/GTK⠀➾ # ⚓ Georges Basile Stavracas Neto ☛ Profiling_& optimizing_GNOME_Software⠀⇛ Over the past few months, the Endless OS Foundation has been putting focus on improving GNOME Software’s reliability and performance. Endless OS is an OSTree-based immutable OS, and applications are entirely distributed as Flatpaks. GNOME Software is the frontend to that, and since our target userbase is definitely not going to use a terminal, we need to make sure GNOME Software delivers a good experience. This focus has been materializing with Philip’s long effort to switch GNOME Software to a different threading model, more suitable to what Software does these days; and more recently, I’ve been tasked to look at GNOME Software’s performance from a profiling perspective. * § Distributions and Operating Systems⠀➾ o § BSD⠀➾ # ⚓ MWL ☛ “Devotion_and_Corrosion”_Kickstarter_now_live⠀⇛ The Kickstarter for my new collection, Devotion and Corrosion, is live. o § PCLinuxOS/Mageia/Mandriva/OpenMandriva Family⠀➾ # ⚓ PCLOS Official ☛ Betterbird_102.7.1⠀⇛ Betterbird is a fork of the Mozilla Thunderbird client and has been updated to 102.7.1 in the software repository. # ⚓ PCLOS Official ☛ youtube-music-for-desktop⠀⇛ youtube-music-for-desktop has been updated to version 0.10.9. # ⚓ PCLOS Official ☛ Telegram_4.6.1⠀⇛ Telegram is an Open Source instant messaging platform for mobile and desktop focused on privacy. # ⚓ PCLOS Official ☛ Kernel_6.1.10_and_5.15.92⠀⇛ Kernels 6.1.10 and LTS 5.15.92 are now available in the software repository. # ⚓ PCLOS Official ☛ xorg-server_updated_to_21.1.7⠀⇛ The xorg-server has been updated to 21.1.7 for PCLinuxOS and shipped to go to the software repository. o § SUSE/OpenSUSE⠀➾ # ⚓ SUSE’s Corporate Blog ☛ Create_SUSE_Linux_Enterprise_images for_OCI_from_keg-recipes⠀⇛ This article describes how to generate SUSE Linux Enterprise Server image descriptions from keg- recipes and how to use those to build binary images for use in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, either using KIWI directly, the Open Build Service, or SUSE Manager. o § Fedora Family / IBM⠀➾ # ⚓ It’s FOSS ☛ Fedora_38_to_Offer_Unrestricted_Flathub Integration⠀⇛ Fedora 38 is bringing in unfiltered access to the Flathub applications. Learn more about it here. # ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ Red_Hat_equips_the_DoD_with_improved battlefield_capabilities_from_the_edge [Ed: Does not mention that Red Hat pays this site for puff pieces]⠀⇛ More factors play a profound role in defense and military strategies today, and technology is one of them. Lockheed Martin Corp. and the United States Department of Defense have leaned on Red Hat Inc. and its artificial intelligence chops to keep as many soldiers as possible alive on the battlefield. # ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ Q&A:_Red_Hat_addresses_complex_cloud security_issues⠀⇛ When it comes to the accelerated advancement of technology implementation like Kubernetes containers, cloud adoption and app modernization – security conversations are at an all-time high as enterprises address complex security issues that mean changing the way its been done in the past. # ⚓ Enterprisers Project ☛ 7_ways_to_eliminate_boredom_in_the workplace⠀⇛ # ⚓ Enterprisers Project ☛ CIO_role:_6_ways_to_do_more_with less⠀⇛ o § Devices/Embedded⠀➾ # ⚓ CNX Software ☛ ESP32_MPY-Jama_is_a_MicroPython_IDE_for ESP32_boards⠀⇛ ESP32 MPY-Jama is a cross-platform MicroPython IDE specifically designed for ESP32 boards with a file manager, a  REPL terminal, real-time dashboards, and various ESP32-specific features. The IDE is an open-source Python program using pyWebView and pySerial plus some JavaScript for the user interface, and the developer of the program, Jean- Christophe Bos, provides binaries for Windows 64- bit and macOS 64-bit Arm or x86. # ⚓ SANS ☛ A_Survey_of_Bluetooth_Vulnerabilities_Trends_(2023 Edition),_(Tue,_Feb_7th)⠀⇛ The use of Bluetooth-enabled devices remains popular. New products (such as mobile phones, laptops and fitness trackers) still support this protocol and have even launched with more recent versions (e.g. Samsung S23 family of phones, iPhone 14 and 14 Pro, Apple Watch Series 8/SE/Ultra all shipped with Bluetooth 5.3). o § Open Hardware/Modding⠀➾ # ⚓ peppe8o ☛ Programming_Microcontrollers:_A_Beginner’s Guide⠀⇛ Microcontrollers are small electronic systems that are designed to control electronic devices and machines. These tiny devices have the ability to interact with the environment o § Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications⠀➾ # ⚓ India Times ☛ Moto_E13_with_Android_13_Go_Edition,_5000_mAh battery_launched:_Price,_offers_and_more_–_Times_of_India⠀⇛ # ⚓ The Guardian UK ☛ OnePlus_11_review:_rapid_Android_with long_battery_life_|_Smartphones_|_The_Guardian⠀⇛ # ⚓ Make_Your_Android_Phone_Read_Articles,_Books,_News,_and Other_Text_Out_Loud_to_You⠀⇛ # ⚓ The Sun ☛ Google_makes_major_change_to_millions_of_Android phones_and_users_will_notice_a_difference_|_The_US_Sun⠀⇛ # ⚓ 9to5Google ☛ Android_Auto_gets_a_full_weather_app_[Video]⠀⇛ * § Free, Libre, and Open Source Software⠀➾ o ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ Nix_management_startup_flox_raises_$16.5M, launches_open-source_platform⠀⇛ Nix environment management startup FloxDev Inc. said today it has raised $16.5 million in new funding and has launched its new open-source flox platform to expand on Nix’s unique approach to package management and system configuration. Nix is a cross-platform package manager that employs a functional deployment model where software is installed in unique directories. o ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ MinIO_treats_object_storage_as_a_first-class citizen_for_enhanced_Kubernetes_performance⠀⇛ To accelerate the application modernization journey, enterprises are taking the multicloud route and Kubernetes is a key facilitator. Since multicloud enterprises running Kubernetes need object storage, high- performance object storage company MinIO Inc. o § Web Browsers/Web Servers⠀➾ # § Mozilla⠀➾ # ⚓ Chen HuiJing ☛ Debugging_Firefox_on_Android⠀⇛ I just figured out how to get my Android phone recognised byAndroid_Debug_Bridge_ (adb)on my MacBook, which finally allowed me to remote debug websites on Firefox Android. Just so I don’t forget what I did, this is a short documentation of the steps needed to get everything to work. Hopefully it will stay relevant for a good while. o § SaaS/Back End/Databases⠀➾ # ⚓ PostgreSQL ☛ pgFormatter_v5.5_released⠀⇛ Lome, Togo – February 04, 2023 ✐ pgFormatter 5.5 released⠀✐ Version 5.5 of pgFormatter, a free and reliable tool used to format SQL and PL/pgSQL code, has been officially released and is publicly available for download. A demonstration site is available online at http://sqlformat.darold.net/ pgFormatter is the most advanced SQL and PL/pgSQL code formatter and beautifier dedicated to PostgreSQL. It is provided as a CLI or a CGI program. # ⚓ PostgreSQL ☛ pg_dumpbinary_v2.9_released⠀⇛ Zurich, Switzerland – February 4th, 2023 ✐ pg_dumpbinary⠀✐ pg_dumpbinaryis a program used to dump a PostgreSQL database with data dumped in binary format. The resulting dump must be restored usingpg_restorebinarythat is provided with this tool. pg_dumpbinary 2.9 was released today, this is a maintenance release of version 2.8 published some days before. This releases add some new features to pg_restorebinary and fix some issues reported by users. # Force pg_restorebinary to stop on pg_restore or psql system command error, print the failing command and exit with code 1. # Add option -f, –outfile to generate a restore file usable with psql. The purpose of this option is to be able to debug pg_dumprestore by looking at the generated DDL and \copy commands. o § Programming/Development⠀➾ # ⚓ TecAdmin ☛ The_“Hello_World”_Challenge:_Printing_in_20 Different_Programming_Languages⠀⇛ Programming is a highly sought-after skill in today’s digital world. Whether you’re looking to start a new career or simply expand your existing skillset, learning to code is an excellent way to open up new opportunities. One of the simplest, yet most impactful, programs you can write as a beginner is ‘Hello World’. * § Leftovers⠀➾ o ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Family_Confirms_Missing_74-Year-Old Florida_Lyft_Driver_Dead⠀⇛ The daughter of a South Florida Lyft driver who went missing more than a week ago has confirmed that the man has died o ⚓ Mexico News Daily ☛ Mexico_sends_rescue_brigade_to_Turkey_in earthquake_aftermath⠀⇛ A Mexican Air Force (FAM) plane bound for Turkey took off Tuesday morning with a delegation (human and canine) to support rescue efforts. o ⚓ Modern Diplomacy ☛ Why_should_Myanmar_put_its_cards_on Bangladesh⠀⇛ With Myanmar being the 6th country to recognize the independent Bangladesh on 13th January 1972, it has been more than 50 years that Myanmar and Bangladesh has officially began their bilateral relation. o ⚓ PHR ☛ “The_devastating_earthquake_compounds_crises_for_Syrians”: PHR⠀⇛ In response to the earthquake Monday in Türkiye and Syria, the following statement is attributable to Houssam al-Nahhas, MD, MPH, Middle East & North Africa researcher at Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), who worked in the region until 2019 and now conducts research on human rights and public health in Syria [...] o ⚓ France24 ☛ Live:_Death_toll_from_Turkey-Syria_earthquake surpasses_7,000_as_rescue_efforts_continue⠀⇛ Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a three- month state of emergency across 10 provinces as rescuers in Turkey and Syria struggled to find survivors on Tuesday with the death toll from both countries surpassing 7,800. Follow the latest developments on our live blog below. All times are Paris time (GMT+1). o ⚓ France24 ☛ Syrian_hospitals_overwhelmed_with_injured_after_quake: ‘They_can’t_take_any_more’⠀⇛ Medical personnel and rescue workers have been stretched to their limits after a devastating earthquake hit southern Turkey and northwestern Syria in the early morning of February 6. Opposition-controlled northern Syria has been particularly affected, and doctors report a shortage of medical facilities to treat the injured. o § Science⠀➾ # ⚓ Reason ☛ 5_Technologies_That_5_Billion_Will_Use_by_2050⠀⇛ Possibly changing the way we live just as profoundly as the internet did. # ⚓ MIT Technology Review ☛ Neuroscientists_listened_in_on people’s_brains_for_a_week._They_found_order_and_chaos.⠀⇛ Our brains exist in a state somewhere between stability and chaos as they help us make sense of the world, according to recordings of brain activity taken from volunteers over the course of a week. o § Hardware⠀➾ # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ Japan_rolls_out_‘humble_and_lovable’ delivery_robots⠀⇛ From April, revised traffic laws will allow self- driving delivery robots to navigate streets across Japan. o § Health/Nutrition/Agriculture⠀➾ # ⚓ Modern Diplomacy ☛ New_generation_of_artificial_hearts promises_lifeline_to_patients⠀⇛ The human heart beats 100 000 times a day, every beat circulating blood, oxygen and nutrients to all parts of the body. Heart failure happens when the fist-sized organ is unable to perform this vital function properly. Most people with the condition are forced to seek long-term mechanical support for blood circulation. # ⚓ Reason ☛ White_House_Opposes_Congressional_Effort_To_End COVID_Vaccine_Mandate_for_Foreign_Travelers⠀⇛ More than four months after President Joe Biden declared the pandemic to be over, the White House is fighting efforts to lift lingering and nonsensical COVID rules. # ⚓ Reason ☛ Masks_Make_‘Little_or_No_Difference’_on_COVID-19, Flu_Rates:_New_Study⠀⇛ The Cochrane Library’s review of masking trials should sound the death knell for mask mandates everywhere. # ⚓ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong_Kong’s_Democratic_Party_urges HK$15K_handouts,_‘long_Covid’_subsidies_ahead_of_city’s annual_budget⠀⇛ Hong Kong’s Democratic Party has urged the government to hand out HK$15,000 to each resident to help them meet day-to-day needs amid rising inflation. # ⚓ New Yorker ☛ The_Promise_of_a_New_Alzheimer’s_Drug⠀⇛ For decades, scientists have debated the causes of cognitive decline. Is an effective treatment finally around the corner? # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ Unpredictable_weather_in_Malaysia causing_vegetable_shortage,_price_woes⠀⇛ Prices of some vegetables are said to have increased by “between 40% and more than 100%”. # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ New_Zealand_Recovers_$300 Million_of_Cocaine_Floating_at_Sea⠀⇛ New Zealand authorities said on Wednesday they had recovered 3.2 tonnes of cocaine worth more than $300 million… # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Trudeau_Says_Canadian_Health Care_Isn’t_Living_up_to_Promise⠀⇛ Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada’s health care system isn’t living up to its promise, and he plans to add billions more in funding o § Proprietary⠀➾ # ⚓ Engadget ☛ Microsoft_will_wipe_free_Teams_business_users’ data_if_they_don’t_upgrade_to_a_paid_tier⠀⇛ Now that Microsoft has launched its Teams Premium service, it’s shaking up the free offering for work — and not everyone will be happy. The company is retiring the existing Teams Free version for small business in favor of the similarly-titled Teams (free) on April 12th, and legacy data won’t carry over. Your office will have to pay for at least the Teams Essentials plan ($4 per user per month) to preserve chats, meetings, channels and other key info. As Windows Central explains, the new Teams (free) tier will require a new account. Data in the old app, now rebadged as Teams Free (classic), will be deleted. Anything you haven’t saved by then will be gone, including shared files you haven’t downloaded. # ⚓ Engadget ☛ Zoom_is_laying_off_around_1,300_workers⠀⇛ Zoom to the long list of major tech companies that have laid off employees in recent times. It’s letting go around 1,300 employees, which equates to 15 percent of the workforce. # ⚓ WhichUK ☛ Scammers_impersonate_Microsoft_to_target_Hotmail users_with_dodgy_emails⠀⇛ Discover how to spot and report scam emails # ⚓ I Cringely ☛ If_you_want_to_reduce_ChatGPT_mediocrity,_do it_promptly⠀⇛ My son Cole, pictured here as a goofy kid many years ago, is now six feet six inches tall and in college. Cole needed a letter of recommendation recently so he turned to an old family friend who, in turn, used ChatGPT to generate the letter, which he thought was remarkably good. As a guy who pretends to write for a living, I read it differently. ChatGPT’s letter was facile but empty, the type of letter you would write for someone you’d never met. It said almost nothing about Cole other than that he’s a good kid. Artificial Intelligence is good for certain things, but blind letters of reference aren’t among them. The key problem here has to do with Machine Learning. o § Security⠀➾ # ⚓ Port Swigger ☛ Toyota_sealed_up_a_backdoor_to_its_global supplier_management_network⠀⇛ Hacker praises carmaker’s prompt response to the (mercifully) good-faith pwnage # ⚓ Stacey on IoT ☛ The_U.S._secretly_passed_a_medical cybersecurity_law⠀⇛ Surprise! During the end-of-year rush to pass the federal spending bill, a piece of legislation with more than 4,000 pages apportioning out $1.7 trillion of spending, legislators included a section that helps make connected medical devices more secure. # ⚓ USCERT ☛ CISA_Releases_ESXiArgs_Ransomware_Recovery Script⠀⇛ CISA has released a recovery script for organizations that have fallen victim to ESXiArgs ransomware. The ESXiArgs ransomware encrypts configuration files on vulnerable ESXi servers, potentially rendering virtual machines (VMs) unusable. # ⚓ USCERT ☛ CISA_Releases_One_Industrial_Control_Systems Advisory⠀⇛ CISA released one Industrial Control Systems (ICS) advisory on February 7, 2023. This advisory provides timely information about current security issues, vulnerabilities, and exploits surrounding ICS. # ⚓ Scoop News Group ☛ After_Hive_takedown,_could_the_LockBit ransomware_crew_be_the_next_to_fall?⠀⇛ As international law enforcement agencies turn up the heat on ransomware gangs, LockBit’s high- profile cyberattacks make it a prime target. # ⚓ Scoop News Group ☛ Russian_ransomware_money_launderer pleads_guilty_to_funneling_Ryuk_payments [Ed: Microsoft Windows TCO]⠀⇛ A Russian man extradited to the U.S. last year pleads guilty to attempting to conceal ransom payments that resulted from attacks on Americans. # ⚓ The Hill ☛ Emailing_error_causes_former_Blue_Cross_Blue Shield_customers_to_receive_claims⠀⇛ Many former customers of Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) health plans woke up on Friday to discover they had been notified of insurance claims despite not being covered by the provider for some time, causing concerns that a security breach could have leaked customer information. # ⚓ Data Breaches ☛ More_lawsuits_filed_over_Knox_College ransomware_attack⠀⇛ By early December 2022,  Hive ransomware gang had not only claimed responsibility for an attack on Knox College… # ⚓ Suspected_Ransomware_Attack_Disables_Some_Systems_At_Ross Memorial_Hospital⠀⇛ News has learned a suspected ransomware attack has hit Ross Memorial Hospital disabling some important diagnostic systems and access to medical files. Patients in the Emergency Department notified Kawartha 411 this morning calling the situation “crazy”. Patients say staff aren’t able to access the systems needed for treatment and they say even the parking machines aren’t working properly. # ⚓ Cybernews ☛ Russian_e-commerce_giant_exposed_buyers’ delivery_addresses⠀⇛ A leading electrical engineering company in Russia, Elevel, has exposed its customers’ personally identifiable information (PII,) including full names and addresses. # ⚓ Saolta_confirms_data_breach_at_LUH_–_Highland_Radio⠀⇛ Saolta has confirmed that Letterkenny University Hospital is managing a data breach incident arising from the removal of one list of patients from the hospital premises. # ⚓ Bleeping Computer ☛ LockBit_ransomware_gang_claims_Royal Mail_cyberattack [Ed: The Microsofters 'forget' to say this is a Windows issue]⠀⇛ The LockBit ransomware operation has claimed the cyberattack on UK’s leading mail delivery service Royal Mail that forced the company to halt its international shipping services due to “severe service disruption.” This comes after LockBitSupport, the ransomware gang public-facing representative, previously told BleepingComputer that the LockBit cybercrime group did not attack Royal Mail. # ⚓ ZDNet ☛ Clop_ransomware_has_now_found_a_new_target [Ed: ZDNet is trying to twist a Microsoft Windows problem as "LINUX"]⠀⇛ # ⚓ Bleeping Computer ☛ Clop_ransomware_flaw_allowed_Linux victims_to_recover_files_for_months [Ed: Microsoft propaganded sites try hard to link this to "LINUX", but it is a Windows headache]⠀⇛ # ⚓ SCMP ☛ Hong_Kong_police_and_Interpol_uncover_servers_and apps_used_by_global_phishing_syndicate_|_South_China_Morning Post⠀⇛ Hong Kong police have cracked the local operation of an international phishing syndicate that used 563 bogus mobile applications to spy on phones globally and steal information. # ⚓ 9NEWS ☛ Optus_breach:_Sydney_man_avoids_jail_over_scam texts_using_hack_data⠀⇛ A 20-year-old man has evaded a potentially decade- long jail sentence after trying to scam $2000 from Optus customers affected by its September data breach. Dennis Su, 19 at the time, pleaded guilty in November to texting 92 Optus customers and demanding they transfer $2000 to a CBA bank account “or face their personal information being used for financial crimes”. # ⚓ IT Wire ☛ Sydney_man_to_perform_community_service_over Optus_scam_bid⠀⇛ “The AFP-led Joint Policing Cybercrime Centre continues to work around the clock to protect customers affected by recent data breaches who are at risk from identity fraud.” Optus announced the breach on 22 September last year, and there were fears that the data of as many as 9.8 million Australians could have been exposed. Eleven days after this announcement, Optus finally made it clear that 2.1 million of its customers had some form of ID exposed. The attacker initially exposed the data of some 200 customers, presumably as some kind of lure. Later, he/she said that the data of 10,000 people would be made public for five days, and released the first lot. But soon after that, the attacker appeared to develop cold feet and deleted all the data, issuing an apology as well. # ⚓ WhichUK ☛ Security_flaw_in_EE_Smart_Hub_router_fixed_after Which?_report⠀⇛ A major household router was patched after Which? testing revealed it could be exploited – here’s what to do if you own one # ⚓ WhichUK ☛ Which_banks_have_the_best_online_and_app security? [Ed: More secure is in-person at the branch]⠀⇛ Which? reveals the most secure homes for your money, whether you bank online or via an app # ⚓ Bruce Schneier ☛ Malware_Delivered_through_Google_Search⠀⇛ Criminals using Google search ads to deliver malware… # ⚓ Pen Test Partners ☛ Causing_incidents_with_in-flight entertainment_systems⠀⇛ Some odd things have happened on airplanes recently. The voice on the PA system on an American Airlines flight was one of these. # ⚓ YLE ☛ Therapy_centre_extortion_suspect_held_in_France requests_Finnish_attorney⠀⇛ Julius Kivimäki is suspected of crimes including aggravated computer breach, aggravated attempted extortion, aggravated dissemination of information violating personal privacy, extortion, among others. # § Privacy/Surveillance⠀➾ # ⚓ HRW ☛ Russia_Legalizes_Massive_DNA_Collection_Without Oversight⠀⇛ # ⚓ Reason ☛ A_New_Federal_Bill_Could_Require_You_To_Show Facebook_and_Twitter_Your_Government_ID⠀⇛ The age verification proposal is a disaster for both children and adults. # ⚓ Scoop News Group ☛ Biden_will_call_for_action_on privacy_rights_in_State_of_the_Union⠀⇛ President Biden will call for stronger privacy protections and increased algorithmic transparency from tech companies in his State of the Union address Tuesday night, repeating his message from last year’s address about the need to strengthen privacy rights. # ⚓ Gray Dot Media Group ☛ Major_Cybercrime_Crackdown: Encrypted_Messenger_Exclu_Seized⠀⇛ So far, authorities have arrested 48 people in connection with Exclu, discovered two drug labs and a cocaine-processing facility, and confiscated $4.3 million, several kilograms of drugs, and luxury items. o § Defence/Aggression⠀➾ # ⚓ NYPost ☛ NYC’s_homeless_services_chief_Gary_Jenkins resigning_as_migrant_crisis_surges_past_44K⠀⇛ New York City has accepted over 44,700 migrants from the southern border since the spring with over 28,800 housed in 88 city-run shelters and emergency hotels – the majority are overseen by Jenkins’ agency. # ⚓ Reason ☛ Despite_His_Record,_Donald_Trump_Plans_To_Run_as an_Anti-War_Republican⠀⇛ A big part of Trump’s appeal in 2016 was his forthright opposition to military interventionism. His record in office didn’t match the rhetoric. # ⚓ Atlantic Council ☛ What_would_happen_if_Sweden_and_Finland split_up_their_NATO_bids?⠀⇛ Finland proceeding without Sweden should be a last resort because of all the strategic and logistical difficulties it would create. # ⚓ Defence Web ☛ Eastern_DRC_remains_flashpoint⠀⇛ A weekend attempt to shoot down a South African military transport helicopter in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a further example of what the senior United Nations (UN) representative in the country called “a dramatic deterioration” in security. # ⚓ Defence Web ☛ Africa_is_less_safe_and_secure_than_ten_years ago⠀⇛ Almost 70% of Africa’s population lives in a country where the security and rule of law environment is worse in 2021 than in 2012, mostly driven by a worsening security situation, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation has said in its latest report. # ⚓ France24 ☛ Live:_New_German_defence_minister_arrives_in Kyiv_on_surprise_visit⠀⇛ Germany’s new defence minister, Boris Pistorius, made an unscheduled visit to Kyiv on Tuesday, two weeks after Berlin agreed to provide Leopard tanks to help Ukraine counter Russian forces, according to the Ukrainian government. # ⚓ teleSUR ☛ Germany:_To_Supply_14_Leopard_2_Tanks_to_Ukraine End_of_March⠀⇛ Berlin will deliver 14 Leopard 2 battle tanks to Kiev by the end of March, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced during his visit to the Ukrainian capital. # ⚓ France24 ☛ Paris_mayor_backs_banning_Russia_from_2024 Olympics_unless_Ukraine_war_ends⠀⇛ Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo changed her stance on Russian competitors at the 2024 Olympics on Tuesday saying they should be banned “while the war continues” in Ukraine, her office said. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Nordic_Countries_‘Stand_Firm’_In_Opposing_Russian, Belarusian_Athletes_At_Paris_Olympics⠀⇛ Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo is opposed to Russian competitors at the 2024 Olympics “while the war continues” in Ukraine, her office said on February 7. # ⚓ YLE ☛ Finland’s_National_Preparedness_Day_is_a_reminder_of what_every_home_should_have_—_just_in_case⠀⇛ People should have enough supplies in stock to last at least 72 hours in case of an emergency such as a natural disaster or a military attack. # ⚓ France24 ☛ China_refused_call_with_Pentagon_after_downing of_suspected_spy_balloon,_says_US⠀⇛ Beijing rejected a request for a secure call between Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin and his counterpart on the day an American warplane shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon, a US Department of Defense spokesman said Tuesday. # ⚓ JURIST ☛ UN_peacekeeper_killed_and_another_severely_injured after_helicopter_comes_under_fire_in_DRC⠀⇛ A UN peacekeeper Sunday was killed and another injured after their helicopter came under fire in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). # ⚓ JURIST ☛ Australia_must_take_action_against_Myanmar’s military_junta,_Human_Rights_Watch_says⠀⇛ A Human Rights Watch (HRW) report Sunday criticized Australia’s inaction since the military junta took over Myanmar in a military coup two years ago. According to the report, Australia has yet to impose sanctions on the junta in response to their human rights violations. # ⚓ LRT ☛ Lithuanians_trained_Ukrainian_troops_to_use_anti- aircraft_gun⠀⇛ The Lithuanian military has trained Ukrainian troops to use a Swedish L70 anti-aircraft gun and carry out military police operations. # ⚓ LRT ☛ Israeli_ambassador_slams_Lithuanian_politician’s Jewish_joke_as_‘hurtful’⠀⇛ Israeli Ambassador Hadas Wittenberg Silverstein has called for an apology from a Lithuanian conservative politician for making inappropriate Jewish comments. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ U.S._Approves_Sale_Of_HIMARS_Rocket_Launchers, Ammunition_To_Poland⠀⇛ The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of long-range missiles and rockets to Poland in a deal valued at up to $10 billion, the Pentagon said on February 7. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Russia_Asks_Pink_Floyd’s_Roger_Waters_To_Speak_At UN_On_Arms_Shipments_To_Ukraine⠀⇛ Russia has asked Roger Waters, co-founder of the rock band Pink Floyd, to speak to the UN Security Council on February 8 at a meeting to discuss the delivery of weapons to Ukraine. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Fire_Breaks_Out_At_Drone-Making_Factory_In_Latvia⠀⇛ A fire broke out on February 7 at a drone factory in Latvia that has built drones for Ukraine’s military and NATO allies. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Ukraine_To_Receive_100_Leopard_1_Battle_Tanks, German_Defense_Minister_Says_In_Kyiv⠀⇛ Russian invading forces continue to launch attacks along the front lines in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv’s military reported on February 7, as Ukrainian officials continued to warn that Moscow was preparing for a fresh offensive in the region. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Almost_8_Million_People_Have_Fled_Ukraine,_UN_Aid Chief_Says⠀⇛ The UN’s emergency relief coordinator, Martin Griffiths, said that nearly 8 million people have fled Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s invasion almost a year ago. # ⚓ Helsinki Times ☛ UN_chief_Guterres_fears_world_is_heading towards_a_wider_war⠀⇛ The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterressaid on Monday he fears the world was heading for a “wider war” as the potential for escalation of the Ukraine war continues. # ⚓ Spiegel ☛ A_Visit_to_a_Ukrainian_Battlefield:_The_Last Undertakers_of_Bakhmut⠀⇛ Russia is intent on taking the strategically unimportant town of Bakhmut and it has been under fire for weeks. But some residents are still there, and the funeral home continues to operate. Why haven’t they left? # ⚓ The Age AU ☛ Kiwi_pilot_taken_hostage_in_Indonesia⠀⇛ Rebels set fire to a small plane carrying six people after it landed in Papua province. # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ North_Korean_Leader_Kim Encourages_Troops_With_Daughter⠀⇛ North Korean leader Kim Jong Un lauded the “limitless strength” of his nuclear-armed military as he visited troops with his daughter to mark the 75th founding anniversary of his army o § Environment⠀➾ # ⚓ YLE ☛ Finland’s_lake_ice_thinner_than_usual,_experts_warn⠀⇛ People venturing on icy lakes should be careful around clear and slushy ice cover, a Syke hydrologist tells Yle. # § Energy/Transportation⠀➾ # ⚓ Renewable Energy World ☛ Battery_design_from_PNNL could_help_integrate_renewables_into_the_grid⠀⇛ The molten salt battery design has the potential to charge and discharge faster than other conventional high-temperature sodium batteries. # ⚓ teleSUR ☛ US_Natural_Gas_Production_in_2023_Forecast To_Hit_Record_High⠀⇛ The Henry Hub natural gas spot price will average 3.40 U.S. dollars per million British thermal units (MMBtu) in 2023, down almost 50 percent from last year, the report forecast. # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ FTX_Founder_Heads_to_Court After_Judge_Rejects_Bail_Request⠀⇛ FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried will be in a New York courtroom Thursday for a bail- related hearing despite his lawyers claims that they’ve settled their differences with prosecutors # § Wildlife/Nature⠀➾ # ⚓ France24 ☛ ‘Collapse_of_habitats’:_40_percent_of animals_in_US_at_risk_of_extinction,_says_report⠀⇛ Some 40 percent of animals and 34 percent of plants across the USA are at risk of extinction, a new report has warned, with whole ecosystems at risk of collapsing due to a combination of factors including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. # § Overpopulation⠀➾ # ⚓ Overpopulation ☛ Boiling_Frogs⠀⇛ Human population growth has exploded during the last century, decimating wildlife and devastating ecosystems. Without honest conversations about overpopulation, continued growth will likely condemn most wild animals to extinction and leave us with a much poorer planet By Brad Meiklejohn “Fewer people, more wild animals. o § Finance⠀➾ # ⚓ teleSUR ☛ Key_Facts_US_Deliberately_Ignores_About_African Debt⠀⇛ According to the World Bank, multilateral financial institutions and commercial creditors hold nearly three-quarters of Africa’s total external debt. # ⚓ NYPost ☛ Biden’s_new_dodgy_tax_scheme_would_only_hurt_the already_shaky_economy⠀⇛ The prez wants a new “billionaires tax,” forcing high earners to pay a minimum in taxes to ensure they “pay their fair share.” # ⚓ Reason ☛ Federal_Appeals_Court_Rejects_Rent_Control Challenge,_Says_Government_Has_Wide_Powers_To_Regulate_Land Use⠀⇛ The 2nd Circuit reasoned that the government hasn’t necessarily taken a landlord’s property when it forces him or her to operate at a loss while renting to a tenant he or she never agreed to host. # ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ Zoom_lays_off_15%_of_its_workforce_as growth_slows⠀⇛ Zoom Video Communications Inc. today announced plans to lay off 1,300 employees, or about 15% of its workforce. All the company’s core business units are affected. The organizational structure of some units will be updated to streamline business operations. # ⚓ teleSUR ☛ The_French_Ask_Macron_to_Withdraw_His_Pension Reform⠀⇛ If the National Assembly approves his bill, a worker will need 43 years of social security contributions to receive a full pension. # ⚓ France24 ☛ More_than_750,000_protest_against_pension_reform across_France⠀⇛ Trade unions launched a third wave of nationwide strikes on Tuesday against President Emmanuel Macron’s plans to make the French work longer before retirement, a day after parliament began debate on the bill.  Read our live blog below to see how all the day’s events unfolded. # ⚓ CNET ☛ Zoom_Slashes_15%_of_Staff_in_Latest_Tech_Layoffs_– CNET⠀⇛ CEO Eric Yuan says the cuts are due to economic uncertainty. # ⚓ JURIST ☛ Federal_judge_preliminarily_approves_settlement_in United_Airlines_wage_statement_suit⠀⇛ A judge for the United States District Court for the Central District of California Monday gave preliminary approval to a settlement between United Airlines and a class of former flight attendants in a case brought by the flight attendants alleging that the airline issued insufficiently detailed wage statements. # ⚓ JURIST ☛ UN_report:_unemployment_is_major_motivator_for participation_in_southern_Sahara_extremist_groups⠀⇛ The UN Development Programme Tuesday reported that unemployment plays a key role in pushing people to join extremist groups in the Southern Sahara. The report indicates a 92 percent increase in the number of volunteer recruits pushed to such groups due to lack of jobs since the last such study conducted in 2017. # ⚓ JURIST ☛ US_appeals_court_upholds_New_York_rent stabilization_law⠀⇛ The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Monday affirmed two consolidated cases upholding New York rent stabilization laws. # ⚓ RFA ☛ Inflation_tops_40%_in_Laos,_squeezing_state employees⠀⇛ Workers in the normally cushy public sector are demanding salary increases # ⚓ Helsinki Times ☛ Value_of_exports_of_goods_increased_by 18.2_per_cent_in_2022,_volume_of_exports_decreased_by_5.2_per cent⠀⇛ Customs has published preliminary data on the international trade in goods in 2022. According to preliminary data on international trade on goods available to Finnish Customs, the value of Finnish exports of goods increased by 18.2 per cent in 2022. The volume of exports decreased by 5.2 per cent and the prices of exports rose by 24.2 per cent. The value of exports amounted to 81.5 billion euros. The value of imports increased by 26.5 per cent in comparison with 2021. o § AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics⠀➾ # ⚓ The Strategist ☛ Richard_Woolcott:_a_great_Australian diplomat⠀⇛ With Richard Woolcott, you always had to take the smooth with the smooth. No rough edges for this wattle-proud Australian who was one of our greatest diplomats. # ⚓ The Strategist ☛ Rapid_changes_in_Fiji_require_a_delicate balance_of_support⠀⇛ It’s been just over a month and a half since Fiji’s new coalition government, headed by former coup leader Sitiveni Rabuka, was sworn in to parliament. The December election was a tight race, as many … # ⚓ The Strategist ☛ How_Australia_withstood_China’s_campaign of_economic_warfare⠀⇛ It’s too soon to declare an end to China’s economic war against Australia, but the signs are all pointing in that direction… # ⚓ Atlantic Council ☛ Tweets_of_the_Union:_Live_expert analysis_of_Biden’s_big_address⠀⇛ Find the best Twitter analysis by Atlantic Council experts of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address as he takes on Russia, China, and more. # ⚓ Atlantic Council ☛ The_UAE_and_Israel_have_a_history_of strong_female_leadership._Women must_take_substantial_roles in_the_next_phase_of_the_Abraham_Accords. [Ed: Femmewashing religious autocracies]⠀⇛ To have a sustained and enduring peace in the region after the signing of the Abraham Accords, women must also be equally included and reflected in policy-making, decision-making, and programming. # ⚓ Atlantic Council ☛ The_Belarusian_opposition_can_help defeat_Putin_in_Ukraine⠀⇛ Belarus has played a key supporting role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but the democratic Belarusian opposition recognizes that defeating Putin can lead to the downfall of their own dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka. # ⚓ Engadget ☛ Twitter_reportedly_had_only_180,000_subscribers in_the_US_last_month⠀⇛ Elon Musk may have to think of a lot more ways to make Twitter Blue appealing to potential subscribers if he wants the subscription service to be a major source of revenue. # ⚓ Press Gazette ☛ GB_News_host_Mark_Steyn_exits_channel_with anti-Ofcom_tirade⠀⇛ Ofcom currently has two investigations open into claims made on Steyn’s GB News show. # ⚓ Press Gazette ☛ Appeal_court_told_Carole_Cadwalladr_has ‘doubled_down’_on_Arron_Banks_‘covert_Russian_relationship’ claim⠀⇛ Arron Banks is appealing a libel judgment in Carole Cadwalladr’s favour from June 2022. # § Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda⠀➾ # ⚓ Helsinki Times ☛ Women_can_fix_Europe’s_tech_talent challenge [Ed: Loaded headline, insinuating the is a shortage of talent in technology (the opposite is true; it's abundant). Feminism hijacked and coopted by greedy corporations.]⠀⇛ A new study by McKinsey Digital reveals that Europe could solve its talent gap if more women chose to work in tech. By doubling the share of women in tech would also mean a large GDP increase. By 2027, European companies risk a gap of nearly four million employees with tech skills. The growing demand cannot be met with the current recruitment base, which has a predominance of men. European leaders thus need to recruit and retain women for tech roles to stay competitive. # § Censorship/Free Speech⠀➾ # ⚓ Reason ☛ Libel_Lawsuit_(Related_to_Causing-Suicide Allegations)_Between_Two_Trans_Political Commentators,⠀⇛ “Defendant White would go on to accuse Ms. Erlick of sexually abusing and—most importantly, including by Defendant White’s own reckoning—causing the death of the person (Danie) who made the accusation.” # ⚓ Reason ☛ First_Amendment_Protects_Right_to_Livestream Police_Stops⠀⇛ From Sharpe v. Winterville Police Dep’t, decided today by Judge Julius Richardson, joined by District Judge Michael Nachmanoff: This case asks whether a town’s alleged policy that bans video livestreaming certain interactions with law enforcement violates the First Amendment…. Defendants have thus far failed to establish that the alleged livestreaming policy is sufficiently grounded in,… # ⚓ Reason ☛ DEI_Inc._v._Academic_Freedom⠀⇛ Amna Khalid and Jeffrey Aaron Snyder argue that we should not kid ourselves about the threat university DEI bureaucracies pose to academic freedom, but is there a better way? # ⚓ Reason ☛ Roman_Polanski_Can’t_Block_IMetPolanski.com Site⠀⇛ From the WIPO Arbitration & Mediation Center Administrative Panel Decision in Polanski v. Uziel (Arbitrators Brian J. Winterfeldt, Warwick A. Rothnie & Marie-Emmanuelle Haas), decided two weeks ago but just posted on Westlaw: In 1977, the Complainant [film director] was arrested in the United States and charged with unlawful sex with a minor. The Complainant… # ⚓ AccessNow ☛ People_need_the_internet_during emergencies:_#KeepItOn_in_Iraq⠀⇛ Authorities in Iraq must immediately reinstate full internet access — including social media — across the nation. # ⚓ AccessNow ☛ “We_were_in_an_information_vacuum”: internet_shutdowns_in_Central_Asia⠀⇛ Internet shutdowns negatively impact ordinary people’s lives. These stories from Central Asia show just how damaging cutting off the internet can be. # ⚓ CNET ☛ Twitter_Temporarily_Suspends_Sen._Steve Daines’_Account_Over_Hunting_Photo_–_CNET⠀⇛ Elon Musk, the social network’s owner, says Twitter is tweaking a policy against showing blood in profile pictures. # ⚓ Digital Music News ☛ Greg_Abbott_Announces_Plan_to Ban_TikTok_on_Texas_Government_Devices⠀⇛ Greg Abbott announces a plan to ban TikTok on Texas government devices after an initial ban on the app from Texas government employees’ devices late last year. # ⚓ RFA ☛ INTERVIEW:_‘There_is_light_at_the_end_of_the tunnel’⠀⇛ Malaysia’s former foreign minister speaks to RFA about the crisis in Myanmar # ⚓ RFA ☛ Beijing_police_pressure_high-profile_dissident over_skeptical_social_media_post⠀⇛ Ji Feng is ordered to delete comments critical of a police claim that high-schooler Hu Xinyu took his own life. # ⚓ RFA ☛ Taiwan_petition_calls_for_solidarity_with_Hong Kong_subversion_defendants⠀⇛ A former Hong Kong bookstore manager says the democratic island is well-placed to resist Beijing’s growing power. # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ Xi_recalibrates_approach_to Taiwan_ahead_of_island’s_pivotal_presidential_vote⠀⇛ > China’s preferred negotiating partner, Taiwan’s Kuomintang party, has a shot at winning the vote. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Moscow_Court_Upholds_Decision_To_Withdraw Novaya_Gazeta_Newspaper’s_License⠀⇛ The Moscow City Court has upheld the decision of a lower court to withdraw the licenses of the Novaya gazeta newspaper and its Novaya rasskaz-gazeta magazine, two of the last independent media outlets in the country, amid a crackdown on the free press during the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Rights_Watchdog_Calls_Iranian_Government’s Anniversary_Celebrations_‘Shameful,’_Banners_Burned⠀⇛ Protesters in several Iranian cities, including the capital, Tehran, have set fire to government banners commemorating the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution as rights group Amnesty International chided the country’s leaders for “decades of mass killings and cover-ups.” # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ China_tries_to_play_down_balloon dispute_with_censorship_and_memes⠀⇛ Some quipped that the balloon was a misunderstood attempt at wishing Americans a happy Lantern Festival. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Wikipedia_Unblocked_In_Pakistan⠀⇛ Wikipedia was accessible in Pakistan on February 7, days after the country’s media regulator had blocked the free online encyclopedia. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Prosecutor_Seeks_Nine_Years_In_Prison_For Siberian_Journalist_Charged_With_‘Discrediting’_Russian Armed_Forces⠀⇛ A prosecutor has asked a court in the Siberian city of Barnaul to convict and sentence journalist Maria Ponomarenko to nine years in prison on a charge of discrediting Russia’s armed forces with “fake” social media posts about the war in Ukraine. # ⚓ RFA ☛ Tibetan_political_prisoner_and_monk_dies_in Chinese_custody⠀⇛ Geshe Phende Gyaltsen served as mediator in conflicts and was active in renovating a monastery # § Civil Rights/Policing⠀➾ # ⚓ LRT ☛ Migrant_rights_group_to_stage_protest_at Vilnius_Airport_over_asylum_seekers’_deportation⠀⇛ Sienos Grupė (Border Group) is organising a rally near Vilnius Airport to protest deportation of seven asylum seekers to Nigeria, the group said in a press release on Tuesday. # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Faith_Leaders_Urge Independent_Review_of_Alabama_Executions⠀⇛ More than 170 pastors and other faith leaders have urged Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey to authorize an independent review of death penalty procedures, as other states have done following problems with executions # § Internet Policy/Net Neutrality⠀➾ # ⚓ CCIA ☛ Fate_of_Internet_May_Hang_With_Supreme_Court Case⠀⇛ This month, Section 230 is going before the Supreme Court for the first time in Gonzalez v. Google # § Digital Restrictions (DRM)⠀➾ # ⚓ Zimbabwe ☛ Netflix_introducing_new_anti-password sharing_measures_soon,_your_mooching_days_are_over⠀⇛ It was promised and as the months rolled by we forgot it was coming. We have been rudely reminded that it’s coming and that it’s almost here. Our days of sharing Netflix passwords are numbered. # § Monopolies⠀➾ # § Patents⠀➾ # ⚓ JUVE ☛ AIM_Sport_wins_infringement_case_against Supponor_over_advertising_technology⠀⇛ The UK High Court has found that London-based company Supponor infringes a patent owned by competitor AIM Sport, with the court also upholding the patent as valid (case ID: HP-2020- 000050). # ⚓ Unified Patents ☛ BlackBerry_3GPP_patent challenged_in_EPO [Ed: Fake patents at EPO]⠀⇛ # ⚓ Unified Patents ☛ Bandspeed’s_frequency-hopping patent_challenged⠀⇛ # ⚓ Earthquake_in_Türkiye_and_Syria [Ed: EPO criminals exploit natural disaster to come across as sympathetic to human beings (they're the exact opposite)]⠀⇛ EPO staff and management express their sympathy for the victims. # § Trademarks⠀➾ # ⚓ TTAB Blog ☛ TTAB_Grants_Motion_for_Judgment_on the_Pleadings_Due_to_Vast_Dissimilarity_Between Marks⠀⇛ Rarely does the Board grant a motion for judgment on the pleadings (FRCP 12 (c)), but that’s what happened in this opposition proceeding. Opposer Jackson Family Farms claimed that the word-and- design mark shown below, for “wines made from grapes from Côtes de Provence in accordance with adapted standards” is likely to cause confusion with its common law markVERITÉfor wine and with its registered markVERITÉfor “alcoholic beverages except beers.” # § Copyrights⠀➾ # ⚓ Public Domain Review ☛ Many-Colored Misdirection:_Concealing-Coloration_in_the_Animal Kingdom_(1909)⠀⇛ A exposition on camouflage that believes all animal coloration is an attempt to blend in. # ⚓ Digital Music News ☛ Second_MediaMuv_Scammer Accepts_Plea_Deal_in_$23_Million_Royalty-Theft Case⠀⇛ MediaMuv fraudster Jose Teran, who was in 2021 accused of stealing $23 million worth of royalties by falsely claiming ownership of more than 50,000 songs, has accepted a plea deal. # ⚓ JURIST ☛ Getty_Images_files_lawsuit_against artificial_intelligence_company_over_misuse_of images⠀⇛ Getty Images Monday filed a complaint against Stability AI, an open artificial intelligence platform, for allegedly misusing the stock photo company’s images without its permission. # § Gemini* and Gopher⠀➾ # § Technical⠀➾ # ⚓ Package_Management_–_Introduction⠀⇛ As I’m working through one project, I’m frequently planning the next. I noticed that a number of my future ideas, fantasies as you will, all have one thing in common: packages. It doesn’t if it is a game idea or working on programming calendars[1] or Author Intrusion[2], they all need some form of package management. # ⚓ A_timeline_of_Unix_commands⠀⇛ i recently had occasion to mention my experience of someone assuming that any command ending in ‘-d’ is a systemd thing[a]. It made me wonder when Unix first started using that suffix for daemons: 6th Edition Unix introduced ‘cron’ rather than ‘crond’. i asked on the TUHS (Unix Heritage Society)[b] mailing list, and it turns out that 2nd Edition had ‘dpd’, ‘data-phone daemon’. =============================================================================== * Gemini_(Primer) links can be opened using Gemini_software. It’s like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter. ╘══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛ ¶ Lines in total: 6753 ➮ Generation completed at 02:45, i.e. 42 seconds to (re)generate ⟲