Danish military intelligence suggests drug-induced megalomania may have influenced Putin to invade Ukraine

 Sir Richard Mottram - Permanent Secretary at the Department of Transport - made the following perceptive comment when questioned by the Public Administration Select Committee in 2002:-

What the Civil Service wants, and I always compare it to a rather stupid dog, it wants to do what its master wants and it wants to be loyal to its master and above all it wants to be loved for doing that.

 

A lifetime of fraud: Donald Trump’s blatant tax swindles unveiled

Cold War buffs will want to review the latest fascinating document dump at http://governmentatttic.org — hundreds of pages about Soviet air force secrets and U.S. comparisons. h/t Michael Ravnistky, diligent FOIA user.

Danish military intelligence suggests drug-induced megalomania may have influenced Putin to invade Ukraine

JNS: “U.S. Reps. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) and Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) on Thursday were joined by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in announcing their bipartisan bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Benjamin Ferencz, the last living Nuremberg trials prosecutor.

Social media may prevent users from reaping creative rewards of profound boredom

University of Bath – “People who turn to social media to escape from superficial boredom are unwittingly preventing themselves from progressing to a state of profound boredom, which may open the door to more creative and meaningful activity, a new study of the Covid pandemic shows. Researchers from the University of Bath School of Management and Trinity College, Dublin, identified that the pandemic, furlough, and enforced solitude provided many people with the rare opportunity to experience the two levels of boredom – ‘superficial’ and ‘profound’ – identified first by German philosopher Martin Heidegger. Superficial boredom – the most common state of boredom – can be defined as a feeling of restlessness familiar to us all, of being bored in a situation such as waiting for a train where we seek temporary distractions from everyday life and in which social media and mobile devices play a significant role. Profound boredom stems from an abundance of uninterrupted time spent in relative solitude, which can lead to indifference, apathy, and people questioning their sense of self and their existence – but which Heidegger said could also pave the way to more creative thinking and activity. The research examined the experiences of boredom during the pandemic of people either placed on furlough schemes or asked to work from home.

The problem we observed was that social media can alleviate superficial boredom but that distraction sucks up time and energy, and may prevent people progressing to a state of profound boredom, where they might discover new passions,” said Dr Timothy Hill, co-author of the study ‘Mundane emotions: losing yourself in boredom, time and technology’.

The New York Times: “…For several years now, I’ve highlighted these kinds of projects in my annual Good Tech Awards column. 

These aren’t necessarily technologies that I’m sure will improve the world, while causing no problems whatsoever. They’re tools that I believe could improve the world, or help address thorny societal challenges. Some of them could also go quite badly, if they’re mismanaged or co-opted in harmful ways. There were many to choose from this year. Here’s what made the final cut…”

“You do not become a "dissident" just because you decide one day to take up this most unusual career. You are thrown into it by your personal sense of responsibility, combined with a complex set of external circumstances.“ 

—  Václav Havel, book The Power of the Powerless 

 

Librarians Are Meeting Younger Readers Where They Are: TikTok

 

Librarians Are Meeting Younger Readers Where They Are: TikTok

The New York Times – “The pandemic hurt children’s reading skills. Librarians are doing what it takes to connect them with books — including dance routines. The pandemic wiped out decades of progress in children’s reading skills. So what’s a librarian hoping to engage children and teenagers with books and reading to do?

 “Meet them where they are,” said Sara Day, a teen services librarian at the Woodland Public Library in Woodland, Calif. And that, she said, is on TikTok. A growing number of librarians are joining her there. Last month, Day and her colleague, Sara Vickers, a children’s librarian, led dozens of their colleagues in a short choreography set to Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero,” as part of a session called “TikTok O’ Clock!” at the Young Adult Library Services Association’s 2022 symposium in Baltimore. “Looking cool was a big challenge at the beginning,” Vickers, 34, told the crowd. That was until her colleagues had a change in mind-set. “Lean into the cringe,” Day, 29, advised. Teens are overwhelmed, she said. “Put a smile on their face.” Asked if their libraries were on TikTok, about half of the room raised their hands. The message to teens, Day said, is: “Come in, there’s a space for you.” On TikTok, librarians don costumes, dance to viral songs, show off new books and bond with their co-workers. And as they do so, they draw in visitors and drum up interest in reading: Margo Moore, 28, a teen services librarian who traveled to the symposium from Lawrence, Kan., said that interest in books featured in popular TikTok videos often spikes in the days and weeks that follow.

Library TikTok is related to, but distinct from, BookTok, a corner of the platform where readers post about their favorite books and which has become a force in book sales. On library TikTok, there is chatter about books, but librarians also post about resources and events, showcasing libraries as welcoming places for diverse communities. There is no official tally of library and librarian TikTok accounts, but Katie Elson Anderson, a reference librarian at Rutgers University-Camden, has compiled a list of 85 accounts — which she says is likely an undercount…”

Fourteen Discoveries Made About Human Evolution in 2022

 Disneyland is charging $185 for this luxurious drink served in a cookie cup SFGate 

Fourteen Discoveries Made About Human Evolution in 2022 Smithsonian

re Harbor City Capital Management Brian Krebs. BC: “BTW, anyone casually glancing at Harbor City Capital Management’s employee profile pages on LinkedIn

IRS takes leaf out of AADE book

Washington Post: “…Job sites such asZipRecruiter, LinkedIn and Indeed say they try to weed out fake job listings and employers, though scammers are getting more sophisticated. These websites also offer tools to flag suspicious content in case a scam gets past their screening. Still, many job seekers are airing their horror stories across social media. But experts say that if you’re looking for a job, even a remote one, don’t fret. There are steps you can take to skip the scams and get the real gig. “The majority will be legitimate,” said Stacey Perkins, career and leadership coach at recruiting firm Korn Ferry. “You just have to be careful.” …Here are 12 ways you can avoid falling for a job scam, according to job experts…”

“Consumer Reports found dangerous heavy metals in chocolate from Hershey’s, Theo, Trader Joe’s and other popular brands…People also choose dark chocolate in particular for its potential health benefits, thanks to studies that suggest its rich supply of antioxidants may improve heart health and other conditions, and for its relatively low levels of sugar. 

 Deal or no deal? File “Twitter Files” under M for meh

Plus, what Musk and others don't understand about the First Amendment; Lachlan Murdoch testifies today in Dominion's suit against Fox; and more

Putin announced a war with the oligarchs in Russia:

We are living in interesting times where truths and propaganda are all mixed up and all you have to do is push a Hashtag and sell 'your truth 

Danish Reporter Says Ukrainian Intelligence Tried to Coerce Her Into Working as a Propagandist Ukraine’s intelligence service asked a respected Danish journalist to prove she was not a pro-Russia propagandist by making pro-Ukraine propaganda.

Putin announced a war with the oligarchs in Russia: “These people are a danger to us”Moskovsky Komsomolets

For Sale on eBay: A Military Database of Fingerprints and Iris Scans New York Times 

Documenting Police Tech in Our Communities with Open Source Research Axis of Surveillance. BC: “Good investigative research source.”

Amazon Begins Testing Drone Deliveries in California, Texas PCmag

Cyber attacks set to become ‘uninsurable’, says Zurich chief Financial Times

Foreign fossil fuel juggernauts dominate the annual MWM Top 40 Tax Dodgers chart

The Case for Wearing Masks Forever

The New Yorker: “…the People’s C.D.C.: a ragtag coalition of academics, doctors, activists, and artists who believe that the government has left them to fend for themselves against COVID-19. As governments, schools, and businesses have scaled back their COVID precautions, the members of the People’s C.D.C. have made it their mission to distribute information about the pandemic—what they see as realinformation, as opposed to what’s circulated by the actual C.D.C. 

They believe the C.D.C.’s data and guidelines have been distorted by powerful forces with vested interests in keeping people at work and keeping anxieties about the pandemic down. “The public has a right to a sound reading of the data that’s not influenced by politics and big business,” Fullilove said. No one is in charge of the People’s C.D.C., and no one’s expertise is valued more than anyone else’s. The problems of “the pandemic and its response are rooted in hierarchical organizations,” Mary Jirmanus Saba, a filmmaker and one of the volunteers, told me. Roughly forty people come to each weekly meeting, but many more are involved.

 (This spring, after a few of the group’s organizers published a manifesto of sorts in the Guardian, several thousand interested people reached out, Fullilove said.) The group sends out a weekly Weather Report—put together by a team composed, in part, of doctors and epidemiologists—summarizing data about transmission rates, new variants, and death rates. 

They’ve published explainers on testing, masks, and ventilation, among other topics, typically with a call to action: call the White House, call your congressperson, demand free tests and treatment for all. On their Web site, they recently posted a guide for safer gatherings, which recommends that all events be held outdoors with universal, high-grade masking. 

The organization has nearly twenty thousand followers on Instagram, and it prides itself as a resource for various groups, including people who are immunocompromised and want to find a way to protect themselves and activists who are trying to lobby their local government for more COVID restrictions. Although the group has been scathing in its critiques of the C.D.C., it has received support from respected institutions in the public-health world. It has also received blue-chip funding from organizations such as the Kresge Foundation, which focusses on expanding opportunities in American cities, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, one of the most influential health-focussed philanthropies in America, which gave the group a hundred and fifty thousand dollars. As it happens, Robert Wood Johnson’s C.E.O., Richard E. Besser, is a former acting director of the C.D.C.”

Where Did George Santos Get All That Money. Russia?

 The words! I collected them in all shapes and sizes and hung them like bangles in my mind.

— Hortense Calisher

 

Why 2023 May Be the Year That Fate Finally Catches Up With Donald Trump New Republic 

Language Trend 4000 years in a making 

Where Did George Santos Get All That Money. Russia?

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, December 24, 2022 – Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex and wide ranging ways technology is used to compromise and diminish our privacy and online security, often without our situational awareness.

 

 Four highlights from this week: The Trojan House Source: The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project; Google Takes Gmail Security to the Next Level with Client-Side Encryption; Hunting for Mastodon Servers; and ByteDance [aka TikTok] employees spied on U.S. journalists, audit finds.

Honest Government Ads | Behind the Scenes 2022

How to Use ChatGPT and Still Be a Good Person The New York Times

  “There is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth.” 

—Leo Tolstoy, author

How to Use ChatGPT and Still Be a Good Person The New York Times

The New York Times: “The past few weeks have felt like a honeymoon phase for our relationship with tools powered by artificial intelligence. 

Many of us have prodded ChatGPT, a chatbot that can generate responses with startlingly natural language, with tasks like writing stories about our pets, composing business proposals and coding software programs. At the same time, many have uploaded selfies to Lensa AI, an app that uses algorithms to transform ordinary photos into artistic renderings. Both debuted a few weeks ago. Like smartphones and social networks when they first emerged, A.I. feels fun and exciting. 

Yet (and I’m sorry to be a buzzkill), as is always the case with new technology, there will be drawbacks, painful lessons and unintended consequences. People experimenting with ChatGPT were quick to realize that they could use the tool to win coding contests. Teachers have already caught their students using the bot to plagiarize essays. 

And some women who uploaded their photos to Lensa received back renderings that felt sexualized and made them look skinnier, younger or even nude. We have reached a turning point with artificial intelligence, and now is a good time to pause and assess: How can we use these tools ethically and safely?..”

 “To be Jedi is to face the truth, and choose.” —Yoda in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. Check out more of our favorite quotes by Master Yoda.

 “You can hate me. You can go out there and say anything you want about me, but you will love me later because I told you the truth.” —Mary J. Blige, singer and songwriter

For Kaiser therapists, the strike is over but the work goes on Sacramento News Review

Did Rail Strike Threat Matter? Just Maybe…Omaha Daily Record

How to Walk (12 miles a day) Chris Arnade

Final Episode- Adieu Mes Amis (podcast) Mike Duncan, Revolutions. 368 episodes, starting in 2013 (!). I highly recommended

Document: Report on Trump’s Tax Returns

• Ways and Means Committee report on Trump Taxes
• Joint Committee on Taxation summary of Trump’s returns.
• WSJ$ – Donald and Melania Trump Reported Negative Income In Four Years From 2015 Through 2020. “The Trumps paid some form of taxes every year, but paid $750 or less in income taxes in three of the six years.”
• Quartz – The IRS is accused of doing a half-baked job of auditing Trump’s controversial tax returns. The House Committee on Ways and Means painted a damning picture of the IRS’s oversight.
• See also ProPublica: The IRS Hasn’t Released Nearly Half a Million Nonprofit Tax Records. “According to a ProPublica review of public IRS data, which powers our Nonprofit Explorer database, the agency is behind on releasing nearly half a million tax records, known as Form 990s, for tax-exempt organizations. The delays, which began two years ago, are stymying access to key financial information that governments, the public and grantmakers use to evaluate the nation’s tax-exempt companies.”
• See also LawFare – House Democrats’ Report on Trump Taxes Highlights IRS’s Failures—and Their Own
• See also Washington Post – The House Ways and Means Committee will wait until after Christmas to gift the public Donald Trump’s tax returns
• 
  

PC Mag: “This year saw the usual introduction of next-gen smartphones, laptops, operating systems, and smart home devices, with a few unique offerings thrown in there, too. But for all the innovative tech that made headlines or passed through our labs in 2022, there were just as many products and services that powered down for good

No one is safe until everyone is safe – we applied it to the pandemic, but why not our economy? Why the super rich are inevitable

Best street little big library in Sydney Australia

No one is safe until everyone is safe – we applied it to the pandemic, but why not our economy?

 A behind-the-scenes look at PolitiFact’s 2022 ‘Lie of the Year’

Plus, The Wall Street Journal has a new top editor; the soap opera at 'GMA3' continues; and it has been a deadly year for journalists

 Why the super rich are inevitable Pudding / Alvin Chang: “Why do super rich people exist in a society? Many of us assume it’s because some people make better financial decisions. But what if this isn’t true? What if the economy – our economy – is designed to create a few super rich people? That’s what mathematicians argue in something called the Yard-sale model, and I promise it has something to do with my dumb watch purchase. But first…”

Cyber Criminals Impersonating Brands Using Search Engine Advertisement Services to Defraud Users

FBI Alert: “The FBI is warning the public that cyber criminals are using search engine advertisement services to impersonate brands and direct users to malicious sites that host ransomware and steal login credentials and other financial information. Methodology – Cyber criminals purchase advertisements that appear within internet search results using a domain that is similar to an actual business or service. When a user searches for that business or service, these advertisements appear at the very top of search results with minimum distinction between an advertisement and an actual search result. These advertisements link to a webpage that looks identical to the impersonated business’s official webpage. In instances where a user is searching for a program to download, the fraudulent webpage has a link to download software that is actually malware. The download page looks legitimate and the download itself is named after the program the user intended to download. These advertisements have also been used to impersonate websites involved in finances, particularly cryptocurrency exchange platforms. These malicious sites appear to be real exchange platforms and prompt users to enter login credentials and financial information, giving criminal actors access to steal funds. While search engine advertisements are not malicious in nature, it is important to practice caution when accessing a web page through an advertised link. Tips to Protect Yourself – The FBI recommends individuals take the following precautions…”

Inventing the dark Web: Criminalization of privacy and the apocalyptic turn in the imaginary of the Web by Thais Sardá, Simone Natale, and John Downey. First Monday, Volume 27, Number 11 – 7 November 2022. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.5210/fm.v27i11.12691

“This paper examines how the deep Web, i.e., Web sites that are not indexed and thus are not accessible through Web search engines, was described and represented in British newspapers. Through an extensive content analysis conducted on 833 articles about the deep Web published between 2001 and 2017 by six British newspapers, we demonstrate that these technologies were predominantly associated with crime, crypto markets and immoral content, while positive uses of this technology, such as protecting privacy and freedom of speech, were largely disregarded. 

The consistent association by the British press between the deep Web and criminal and antisocial behaviors is exemplary of a recent “apocalyptic turn” in the imaginary of the Web, whereby Web-related technologies are perceived and portrayed in more negative ways within the public sphere. We argue that the use of such negative concepts, definitions and associations engender distrust about uses of the deep Web, propagating user stereotypes that reflect what we argue to be an overall criminalization of privacy.”

From news avoidance to audience trust and newsroom diversity, our researchers have covered key issues in the past 12 months – “2022 has been a challenging year for journalism. While reporting on Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine and on the last stages of a global pandemic, news organisations struggled with loss of interest, news avoidance and distrust.

Happy New Year: The sleepers

 A joyful present with Malchkeon and a well-remembered Bohemian past—it’s to these things that we raise an Antipodean glass!

Twelve years, not nine, after fleeing communist CzechoSlovakia, a couple return only for the woman's husband to disappear. The Sleepers series Starts with charter 77 in 1977 

The Sleeper on SBS: On the cusp of the Velvet Revolution, Marie and her husband Viktor return home in Czechoslovakia after years of exile. After a car accident, Marie wakes up from a coma with no trace of her husband.

 14 Shakespearean Phrases We Still Use Today | Word Genius.

5 foods that are traditionally eaten for luck in the New Year Salon

Mashable: “BookTok is revolutionizing the literature world. For the past two years, books have been climbing the charts not on the backs of movie and TV deals or some miraculous PR stunt, but because users on TikTok deemed it worthy. Kristen McLean, the executive director of business development at NPD Books, told the New York Times that TikTok has “made the transition from a novelty to a real anchor for the market. 

The whole idea of dominating supermarket shelves, dominating airport stores, dominating the front tables at bookstores, it’s just not really where it’s at in the same way.” According to BookScan, BookTok — the TikTok community of bibliophiles — helped authors sell 20 million books in print in 2021. In 2022, those sales went up 50 percent.”

 A Poynter Report special: the 2022 year in media

From Ukraine to Uvalde, Capitol Hill and Supreme Court to the NFL broadcast booth, and everything in between, it's time for a look back

Using ChatGPT to scrape websites.  And publicly announced ChatGPT variants and alternatives.  And Alpa.

Under current U.S. patent law, including some 2022 cases, AI cannot count as an “inventor” and receive IP protection.

The culture that is Finland?  Just don’t be proud of it!

Claims about Russia (speculative)

Ali Ahmed Aslam RIP, credited with inventing chicken tikka masala (NYT).

What To Know About Ozempic: The Diabetes Drug Becomes A Viral Weight Loss Hit (Elon Musk Boasts Using It) Creating A Shortage Forbes