TransFemmeWarmachine's recent activity
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Comment on Cornell won't, we will in ~news
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Comment on Cornell won't, we will in ~news
TransFemmeWarmachine Link ParentI agree with almost everything you've written, but I'd like to offer a bit of a Marxist critique as to the "Not All Men" section of your comment. In general, it seems like there is a missing...I agree with almost everything you've written, but I'd like to offer a bit of a Marxist critique as to the "Not All Men" section of your comment.
In general, it seems like there is a missing class-dynamics discussion around the affluence of the perpetrators. Whenever I read about a disturbing case like the 2024 Cornell case, it feels like the perpetrators often come from a distinct type of affluent, male predator that is shielded behind layers of social, administrative and legal protections.
I agree that 85% of the participants in the group chat being passive observers to a rape is disturbing. It personally sickens me.
However, I think a lot of the Feminist discussion of these issues has been derelict of the affluence of the perpetrators. As such, I'd like to ask this:
In our society, does "Men's passive participation in rape culture" exist as a cross-societal problem, or is it primarily an issue in affluent areas of American/Anglo society where perpetrators are given enhanced social, legal, and administrative protections?
Specifically, I ask this because my experiences have lead me to conclude that while our society inherently has massive issues with sexism, most men that I have lived and worked around do not seem complicate in "rape culture," even passively. While men I am around may be passively sexist, doing such examples as: passing women over for promotions, discounting the work of woman collaborators, downplaying the needs and perspectives of women socially... I've never directly observed men being passively complicit in rape culture. This is a perspective that has endured before AND after I transitioned.
However, I know that I am on the lower end of the economic spectrum. I went to a second-tier State University, I've worked around people without university education, and I live in a lower class neighborhood. I also live in a Northern city with a strong history of social justice.
Regardless, I am afraid of here, is that there exists a distinct class of men who, for whatever reason, (economic, moral, social, personal, etc.) do not participate in "Rape Culture" and if anything, are allies against it. Maybe they're too economically disadvantaged to further any political/social opinion that doesn't actively affect them. Maybe they're so socially isolated, that they don't bother participate. Maybe they're a paragon of virtue, but no one has ever asked them to do anything about it in an actual way. None of these men could be described as being "complicit in rape culture," and might actually be feminist allies to the issue.
However, an affluent group of men (and women) exist outside of this class, and either actively or passively participates in Rape Culture. These people are entirely complicit, and are able to continue to get away with their crimes via legal and economic protections. They can afford good lawyers, can move across borders readily and easily, and their privilege allows them social connections with judges and prosecutors.
If the feminist argument here is that "men are complicit in rape culture if they..." and this argument is directed at ALL men, instead of a group of wealthy perpetrators with social and economic protections.... we're not discussing the issue. Instead, we're alienating people who absolutely are not complicit, instead of examining the cultural factors that allow these acts to happen.
What's weird about the 85% figure, is also the fact that 85% of the student body of Cornell is affluent. In my experience, when lower and middle class people are accused of Gang Rape, their outcomes are not the same as those of the affluent. What scares me, is the idea of someone being able to use their privilege and influence to evade justice, and then an ensuing culture war that completely evades discussing how material conditions change outcomes.
I agree with you as to the problem of Rape Culture. I think we're afraid to discuss how much wealth is a cause of it.
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Comment on The darker side of being a doctor in ~health.mental
TransFemmeWarmachine LinkMy hometown has the highest per-capita population of doctors, so I always forget how much the general public seems shielded from the current issues with healthcare outside of cost. I think its...My hometown has the highest per-capita population of doctors, so I always forget how much the general public seems shielded from the current issues with healthcare outside of cost. I think its clear that the real issues in American healthcare are essentially the same across large swaths of American society:
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Lack of ability to organization, due to exhaustion and separation from colleagues.
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Specialists being burdened with large balances of student debt forcing them to stay in their specialized field of study as the only feasible way to pay off said debt.
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Metrics being used to determine decisions, without understanding of the actual situational specifics of the situation.
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Mental Health/Burnout being ignored, or papered over with worthless admin sentiments and unnecessary trainings.
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Systemic educational barriers constraining the flow of new entrants into the field, causing increased strain on the supply of personnel.
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Legal compliance to avoid lawsuits being the primary focus of the administration, rather than actual effort being made to optimize or protect staff.
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Bloated Administrations, with top heavy salaries going to company leaders who are business NOT industry trained.
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Technology issues causing snarls in work flow, and unnecessary work.
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Post-Covid industry-specific fallout.
I'd imagine other anglophone countries have most of these issues in healthcare, but this is a cross-sector issue. Doctors just have some of the worst experiences, because they're so in demand. It's clearly a long term consequence of undervaluing labour, attempts to save costs with worker replacement, and a broad financialization of our society. (So basically just neo-liberalism)
I expect it to eventually get better, because eventually a lot of people will die in a completely expected but needless way, and that actually might move the needle on this issue.
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Comment on Where do we go from here? (Regarding AI) in ~tech
TransFemmeWarmachine Link ParentSorry for getting snarky! It was unnecessarily rude of me to do so, and a lot of it was a reaction to how much space this topic is taking up in our culture. I think that Neoliberalism has...Sorry for getting snarky! It was unnecessarily rude of me to do so, and a lot of it was a reaction to how much space this topic is taking up in our culture.
I think that Neoliberalism has conditioned our culture to specifically to seek a simple, moralized evaluation of impossibly complicated situations, and that this framework distracts from the discussion as a whole. This, combined with the fact that this is such a massive cultural shift for us as a society, makes any such evaluation ultimately impossible.
If we sit down and look at any new technology, then reflect on our values, we find an almost net negative for most technologies. Underpaid labour, the human cost of large infrastructure projects, and the reshaping of human societies tends to cause a significant amount of harm, long before any dividends are paid back to humanity. And even then, the cascade of consequences of new technology are perhaps more a reflection of how humanity thinks to use said technology, rather than an evaluation of the technology. Essentially, this creates a massive issue where neoliberalism moralizes without fixing or accounting for human behavior.
AI can do a lot of things that were previously harder. What will people do with that ability? What does it mean if people do bad things with a technology? I'm not sure we're ready to discuss that as a society. AI's pattern recognition tools are an exceptional development for humanity. We could theoretically use it to develop new medicines and proteins and even solve math problems that we've been struggling with for centuries! However, in the same stroke, the world's richest man is currently in court arguing for it to be able to create deepfake pornography, including that of minors.
If we want to say 'net positive' or 'net negative' that ends up being a reflection of who we are as society, and I think that's beyond the topic of AI. As such, I just don't think we can collapse AI into any moral framework in the long run, and I decided to get snarky. I apologize, and I do appreciate you posting the topic.
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Comment on Where do we go from here? (Regarding AI) in ~tech
TransFemmeWarmachine Link ParentIn terms of manipulating text, software, and online spaces? Maybe, but I'm not so sure. So much of communication requires diplomacy and situation specific reasoning. As AI models are so...In terms of manipulating text, software, and online spaces? Maybe, but I'm not so sure. So much of communication requires diplomacy and situation specific reasoning. As AI models are so statistical in nature, they're so likely to take the statistically best option that they can't really adapt to human specific problems as easily as people might think.
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Comment on Where do we go from here? (Regarding AI) in ~tech
TransFemmeWarmachine Link ParentI think you cover a lot of the tech points really well. I would like to quibble on one point: I don't know how hazardous the development of LLMs are. Well, to actually screen the content the LLMs...I think you cover a lot of the tech points really well. I would like to quibble on one point:
I don't know how hazardous the development of LLMs are.Well, to actually screen the content the LLMs were scraping, OpenAI went the traditional route of exposing underpaid workers in a foreign country to hazardous conditions. There is an obvious human cost to making these models, and I think its too easy to forget that.
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Comment on Where do we go from here? (Regarding AI) in ~tech
TransFemmeWarmachine LinkDo you feel concerned about AI or are you still unconvinced? I am absolutely concerned about AI, but not for the standard reasons. What I see is a bunch of data centers being built to pilot drones...Do you feel concerned about AI or are you still unconvinced?
I am absolutely concerned about AI, but not for the standard reasons. What I see is a bunch of data centers being built to pilot drones and to scan communications and behavior for dissidence for a future regime. AI, as it presently exists for civilians, is just the tip of the iceberg.
Even now, I find myself thinking that commenting on some obscure forum will put me on a list someday as a dissident. Even if I'm a lawful citizen, I do good for my community, and try goddamn hard to make this world a better place within the bounds of the law, I still am putting a target on my back by being identifiable.
Do you think AI will take your job? Why or why not?
Will AI take my job? No, but it could tank the industry I work in, and the ripple affect to the economy could seriously cause me some issues.
Are you considering a career change or any other big life decisions because of the changing world?
I already fell for the 'change careers and be safe' thing once. As to major life decisions? No, but I would say that I feel like I should hide my face in public more.
How are you advising your children, regarding schooling and careers?
I don't have children, but if I had any, I would be making it very clear to them that AI seems to be eroding a lot of critical thinking skills in the general populace, and they should act accordingly.
Do you have a subscription to an AI service? If you have one, how do you feel about it?
No.
Do you think that this technology will be a net positive or a net negative?
Oh bless your heart, what a neoliberal way to frame things! I don't think you can frame AI as a 'Net Positive' and 'Net Negative.' It's just too much of a subjective thing, and 'AI' is just too big of a topic to really discuss in this way.
Which AI are we asking about? Chatbots? Protein Sequencing Algorithms? Autonomous Weapons?
Even if we compress AI down to a single topic, then we're still going to have to contend with a lot. It'd be like asking if the Railroad or the Internet was a net positive or a net negative. For who? When are we talking about? What is the standard of net positive / negative? It's just too much of a change to collapse into a simple + / -
How do you think the human race will change, if at all?
Gen Z and Gen Alpha will be thrown into the metaphorical woodchipper in testing the effects of AI on the populace. Any regulation will come far too late, and the culture will be significantly damaged by the influence of AI. We simply don't quite understand the long term effects of having LLM Chatbots on daily life, but my guess is that there will be a significant net negative from every study I've come across.
I think many people will retreat from society, and will only communicate regularly with chatbots. I think we've already begun to see this with the rise of NEETs and Hikimori, but this will turbocharge the trend and pull away many people from social spaces. I've already started to see this happen in my day to day life, and it disgusts me.
While we are definitely seeing some of the more extreme scenarios bubble up (Specifically, the weird effects of sycophantic AI; people being pushed into suicide, etc.) I think that the real toll it takes on people will only be fully understood decades from now.
Additionally, I think that AI will quickly get to the point where it can be reliably used at scale for mass suppression. Soon, LLMs will be able to autonomously monitor and expunge information that a state doesn't want shared publicly online. Furthermore, given the spycraft capabilities of the NSA and other agencies, specifically the ability to monitor keystrokes and ambient audio via cell phones, I think that STATESEC will immediately get a lot better at repression, and poorer countries will be used as the test bed for this.
Furthermore, AI piloted killbots will probably be seen in the next couple decades. I think that they will be immediately very effective, but won't be long term. Ukraine has already shown dozens of adaptations to drone warfare, and I think that AI's reliance on electricity, data centers, and communications networks create a significant tactical weaknesses that will be immediately exploitable.
Do you think we will see a serious incident driven by AI in the near future?
Yeah probably. I'm assuming that Meta will accidentally blow a power grid and get a bunch of people killed in a heatwave.
Does it bother you that humans may not be the dominant intelligence at some point? Do you think this is even possible?
This is an improper question that is following a 100% a manufactured narrative. The vague idea that "AI" is on the verge of some super intelligence and that were heading towards a skynet scenario is 100% a manufactured narrative made by the AI industry for hype.
LLMs, algorithms, and versions of AI that currently and publicly exist are not intelligent. They are not on the verge of being intelligent, and as we have begun to observe, LLMs might actually be a dead end for AGI development.
Are there fun philosophical questions to pose here? absolutely. Are we on the verge having this happen? Not in the next decade, unless someone has been hiding a significant advance in development.
Does any of this affect your sense of identity or individuality? How do you feel about your skill set and hobbies?
As a non-tech/tech-adjacent person, no, it doesn't change my identity or individuality. If anything, it's made me feel a lot better about my continuing drive to be more present and human.
I've noticed in my experiences, I'm slow to adopt new forms of tech. I hate the UI incremental changes that companies make, and I'm too cheap to buy new tech unless I have to. (My TV is from 2006). At a certain point, I realized I was happier with a flip phone and paper notes.
As to my skills? My diplomacy, my artistic expression, my logistical capabilities, and my attention to the human elements of life seem to be serving me very well.
What do you think it means to be human in a machine dominated world?
Well, as someone who was born into a machine dominated world, to a generation previously born in a machine dominated world.... I think that a lot of people don't quite understand history.
Machines have dominated our world since at least 1860. This is just the latest and greatest model. Is there really a distinction other than enhanced efficiency and control?
AI might dominate online spaces soon.... but then ZINE culture might just come back. Or, people will develop new verification methods and host privater communities.
Ultimately though, the conversations happening now seem to reflect the same of the 1880s to the 1900s. History doesn't repeat, it just rhymes.
Overall, are you feeling optimistic or pessimistic?
I don't care. The world is as it is. Sometimes people die, and sometimes they don't. sometimes the world gets worse, and sometimes it gets better. We just live in the gears of the machinery. Being pessimistic about what could happen is a waste of time, since we don't really control what will happen.
I see a bunch of people using AI and getting dumber. I see our politics and our economy failing us, and this issue being wrapped up in it. Climate change isn't being paid attention to, and I think that this technology actually doesn't actually change the calculus there.
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Comment on My parent is a bad person [rant] in ~life
TransFemmeWarmachine LinkHave you considered a support group such as ACAD? (Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families) A loved one of mine does this via a support group, and talking about her experiences...Have you considered a support group such as ACAD? (Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families)
A loved one of mine does this via a support group, and talking about her experiences with others who have gone through similar things has really helped her to process her feelings around her relationship with her parent.
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Comment on I need more hilariously awful pick up lines to make my wife roll her eyes at me in ~talk
TransFemmeWarmachine LinkMy personal favorite, and I don't think any pickup line can beat this one. "Want to F--- and Order a Pizza?"My personal favorite, and I don't think any pickup line can beat this one.
"Want to F--- and Order a Pizza?"
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Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (June 2026) in ~health.mental
TransFemmeWarmachine LinkHonestly? Things could be going better. I'm happy, I'm hanging in there, but I have a lot of people I'm really worried about. A lot of my perspective is tied to my personal experiences as a trans...Honestly? Things could be going better. I'm happy, I'm hanging in there, but I have a lot of people I'm really worried about. A lot of my perspective is tied to my personal experiences as a trans woman, and the queer community, FYI. (Pseudonyms are being used for everyone. Also just assume everyone is transgender unless I say otherwise)
I'm doing ok. I'm a bit burnt out, but a lot of things should be pretty temporary, and I've gotten pretty good with coping skills. Being back on Medication (specifically Welbutrin) has been really good for me, and has given me more energy to be there for myself and other people.
Mostly, I'm just tired. Getting back on a stimulant hasn't been amazing for my sleep, and it's a lot easier to stay up way too late now that it's summer, and the sun doesn't go down until 9pm. Also, given the amount of complex mental health support I've had to provide people, it has started to wear on me. I supported 28 mental health breakdowns this month. I wrestled a knife away from my best friend on memorial day to keep them from hurting themself.
I wish more people in my life were more cognizant of their problems when they come to me. My girlfriend 'Jane' (I am polyamorous) decided she wants to get SRS (Sexual Reassignment Surgery), and she's been bothering me with it a lot. I already told her I would help, and be there for her for getting all the complicated and obnoxious paperwork together, but she also keeps asking for reassurance, and it's not something I feel comfortable doing. My own experiences as a trans woman led me to conclude that there were so many far more important things than the my personal genitalia, and I don't intend to get SRS anytime soon, if ever. And so, I don't really want to talk to her about it, because I don't feel like I can help her with the emotions surrounding it all, since I simply just do not care. Sure, I can help with the paperwork, but I really don't want to talk about the emotions surrounding it. Her PTSD has been a bit better at least. Less flashbacks since April. She only had 2 mental breakdowns this month.
I'm currently supporting someone I'll call 'Ruth' with her mental health. She's absolutely been through a rough patch in life. She's a trans woman refugee, and it's a miracle she made it to a queer friendly place in as good of shape as she did. I supported her through 20 separate breakdowns over the course of the month, and I'm finally starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. She needs a new apartment, but because she's mentally ill and dysphoric, she's absolutely convinced the most important thing to do for herself right now is to apply to PHD programs and interrogate the physical aspects of herself that she thinks keeps her from passing. side note, if anyone is Transgender and/or a PHD student/Doctoral Candidate/Professor and is willing to help her figure out doctoral applications as a first generation college student, please PM me immediately.
I'm terrified I'm steering Ruth wrong. I grew up learning that you should really be careful taking care of people emotionally, that because you can start taking away agency and can hurt people if you say/do the wrong thing. However, having lived some of her exact experiences as a trans woman, as a young person in a new city, and as a woman in general, she really needs to dismantle some of her attitudes, and accept certain aspects of herself to have the life she wants. I'm hoping getting her into a new apartment will allow her to actually start figuring shit out, but there's never a guarantee with these things, and we're all so close to the edge right now.
I'm also afraid that Ruth will eventually cause so many issues with the other people in my life, that it will implode on me in some way shape or form. I'm trying my hardest for these people, and I know they're trying too, but it's so hard to have to play the diplomat for people all the time.
Another friend of mine 'Margot' ran out of money, and had to beg me for money for gas. I took care of that for her, and sent her off with dinner and a bag of groceries, but it terrifies me to see someone that close to the edge, especially someone who's older than me.
The news keeps getting weirder. The news updates I see is more sporadic or make less and less sense. It feels like something is looming on the horizon. Almost, like storm clouds you see in the distance before a great storm.
I've been journaling a lot recently. I've found it helps.
I planted my garden. I have squash saplings. I consume a large amount of marijuana to cope with my feelings, and I spend time with people I love all the time. My wife is doing pretty well. My cat is happy. And I am fed, have a roof over my head, and I am, ultimately, mostly stable.
So yeah, I'm fine, and other people are just... not. Call it the economy, call it the world we live in, the people around me are not ok, and it's been stressful trying to make them more ok. And deep down, I know it's a bit of an impossible task, but I feel a strong need to be there for people whether I want to or not.
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Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (May 2026) in ~health.mental
TransFemmeWarmachine (edited )LinkI had a weird April. I've started properly keeping track of my the mental breakdowns that I end up supporting, and I ended the month at 19 breakdowns* that I supported. I'm hanging in there, but I...I had a weird April. I've started properly keeping track of my the mental breakdowns that I end up supporting, and I ended the month at 19 breakdowns* that I supported. I'm hanging in there, but I think the miasma of the world is really leaking into my friends and myself.
I had a few breakdowns. I know I need to be better about taking care of myself (and anyone in my life will tell me that), and I'm trying to do just that. I've gotten a bit better about setting boundaries.
I'm finally fully medicated again. My insurance kicked in May1st, and I was finally able to get back on my prescriptions. I think it's helping.
Gas prices are high. People are tense.
The world, right now, feels surreal. I get the sense that a lot of things are coming to a head, like the kind of weirdness you see before revolution or a climactic change. I want to discount that thought, because I think that's a really easy takeaway to have, and so many things have just blown over. Still, I don't know. I keep hearing a lot of worrying statistics. I keep wondering if the bough will break. Or worse, if we'll just adjust to this as a new normal.
- (I've decided to categorize any continuous span of 15 minutes or greater, focused primarily on supporting a person. Usually this is mental health issues, and they range from 15 minutes to 4-6 hours.)
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Comment on Woman covertly filmed for 'humiliating' social media content - then told to pay for removal in ~tech
TransFemmeWarmachine Link ParentHadn't heard of them before, but yeah pretty similar!Hadn't heard of them before, but yeah pretty similar!
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Comment on Woman covertly filmed for 'humiliating' social media content - then told to pay for removal in ~tech
TransFemmeWarmachine (edited )LinkI started wearing a veil about two years ago. It's a black veil, and I wear it with an old cowboy hat from the Eras Tour. When I don't have it up, I use it as a scarf. (A friend recently described...I started wearing a veil about two years ago. It's a black veil, and I wear it with an old cowboy hat from the Eras Tour. When I don't have it up, I use it as a scarf. (A friend recently described my look as 'post-apocalyptic cowgirl')
One of the primary reasons I started wearing it while out, was that numerous houses in my neighborhood have cameras that announce that they're recording you. I wouldn't have a problem with this, if they didn't activate while I was on the sidewalk, which is public property.
Every time I see a news story like this, I feel a discomforting validation from continuing to dress like this.
Edit: since a couple people asked: Me
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Comment on Forget the AI apocalypse. Memes have already nuked our culture. in ~tech
TransFemmeWarmachine LinkI think it's pretty clear that our culture has developed a strange, symbiotic relationship with technology, and we just refuse to discuss it. I get the sense that's the author's intended thesis,...I think it's pretty clear that our culture has developed a strange, symbiotic relationship with technology, and we just refuse to discuss it. I get the sense that's the author's intended thesis, though I think they get so bogged down in the details the story kinda trails off.
Ultimately though, there doesn't seem to clear idea of what we should do about this, either as a culture or on an individual level. If the vast majority of people are plugged in and addicted to tech, it makes leaving that ecosystem even harder.
I see this in my personal life a lot. I'm fairly unplugged at this point (Tildes is basically my only active social media - I don't count discord as social media) and the majority of people I interact with I have some sort of IRL relationship with. Otherwise, my only feed is traditional news media, and scrolling through reddit passively at work. I also don't have a smart phone anymore - I switched to a flip phone a year or so ago.
When I meet someone new, (usually at a local gay bar, or at my work) they often talk about some sort of online trend or discourse that I haven't heard of, and I'll find myself kinda staring blankly at them. Or, I'll get a message from someone I know already irl talking about a social issue or something that they heard about online, and I don't know what to say back to them.
I'm happy being this unplugged, but I have to admit, it's lonely, and a bit bizarre to be this disconnected from the world at large. I'd feel like I'm an old person not aware of new trends, if it wasn't for people older than me telling me about them.
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Comment on NHTSA tells US Congress: advanced impaired driving detection tech isn't ready in ~transport
TransFemmeWarmachine Link ParentNot to burst your bubble, but almost all transportation public policy is ultimately about deciding whether people not dying is worth the increased burden to the public. That's not even getting...Not to burst your bubble, but almost all transportation public policy is ultimately about deciding whether people not dying is worth the increased burden to the public. That's not even getting into the absolute mess that American transportation public policy even is.
On a base level, even something as minor as a stop sign being placed somewhere is an attempt to reduce traffic fatalities, but increases the time, and thus the burden, on the driving public for that street. Going outwards, where the major thoroughfare roads are ultimately is a political issue factoring into noise, and health outcomes, before even going further towards climate change, and access issues.
Regarding this, we already have solutions in place for curbing drunk driving. Laws around drinking and driving are a common core of driver's education, and installing breathalyzers into repeat offender's cars is a fairly feasible situation
But that's not even touching on the actual issue. The real issue is the pivot to a car-centric society has ultimately devastated America. Highway policy was actively racist, leaded gasoline lead to decades of increased crime, and the average American commuter spends 30 minutes a day in traffic.
Some more 'fun' facts, the majority of American suburbs were constructed before drunk driving was even a crime. MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) cares more about punishing drunk drivers than preventing it from happening (specifically by ignoring solutions like sober cab services, public transit options, etc.), and public transit systems were explicitly culled by auto manufacturers. DUI law also is frequently used as a justification for racist stops.
Also, I sincerely do not know where you're getting the 12,000 fatalities figure. A total of ~40,000 people die in America per year from any traffic related fatality.
Finally, this 'solution' to a public policy issue increases the police state, without actually providing a real solution. Putting Cameras and Microphones in people's cars, and monitoring them automatically is an absurdist solution.
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Comment on Music streamer Deezer allows users to filter out AI music, so why does Spotify not offer the same? in ~music
TransFemmeWarmachine LinkI can barely get Spotify to work as intended anymore. The Spotify app for my old Apple iPad (my primary device for listening to music in the shower) constantly locks up, pauses music 3 seconds...I can barely get Spotify to work as intended anymore.
The Spotify app for my old Apple iPad (my primary device for listening to music in the shower) constantly locks up, pauses music 3 seconds into playing, and they just had an obnoxious UI change that absolutely made it worse to use as a service.
I've just accepted that it's just going to malfunction since the tech is old, but I find myself wondering if an old shower radio would just be a better solution for my mornings.
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Comment on Bitcoin’s creator has hidden behind the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto for seventeen years. But a trail of clues buried deep in crypto lore led to a 55-year-old computer scientist named Adam Back. in ~finance
TransFemmeWarmachine LinkI listened the podcast version of this story on NYT's "The Daily" and the evidence is pretty felt pretty compelling to me. They actually play the tape from the interview with Back, and he actually...I listened the podcast version of this story on NYT's "The Daily" and the evidence is pretty felt pretty compelling to me. They actually play the tape from the interview with Back, and he actually reached out and did a second interview to dispute he's Nakamoto. I don't think Back has given a compelling reason why he's not Nakamoto, considering the evidence.
I doubt anything will come of the matter. Theoretically, if he is Nakamoto, he lied on his SCC filings. However, given their track record on crypto and criminal prosecutions, I wouldn't trust the current administration to prosecute or take action.
Additionally, I think the biggest irony might be, if Back/Nakamoto is planning on giving out the bitcoin to his heirs, crypto will need to be worth something at the time of his death. Should they live sufficiently long, the bitcoin might end up not being worth anything.
Regardless, I guess my main takeaway, is I wonder if someone will end up trying to wrench attack Back. Even if he's not Nakamoto, I'm sure some enterprising criminals would be interested taking that risk at a chance for 70 Billion USD.
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Comment on Inside the ‘Michael’ overhaul: $15 million reshoots, removing child abuse allegations and what’s in store for sequels in ~movies
TransFemmeWarmachine Link ParentI genuinely think that Jackson should be considered exonerated, and I think that the fact our culture is still talking about the issue is a sign of how deeply unhealthy we are as a society. The...I genuinely think that Jackson should be considered exonerated, and I think that the fact our culture is still talking about the issue is a sign of how deeply unhealthy we are as a society.
The FBI conducted searches on Jackson, and did not find any evidence of wrongdoing. Jackson was also exonerated in the 1993 Trial and the 2005 Trial. Additionally, it seems like there are multiple documented examples of Jackson's accusers having financial or personal motives for accusing him. Finally, there's never been any definitive evidence put forth.
While I support believing victims, I think that Jackson being exonerated at trial twice, by the FBI, and having died 15 years ago should give us a heavy dose of skepticism as to anyone who's accusing him, especially when the accusations are made in the same breath as a lawsuit requesting hundreds of millions of dollars. This ought to be a 'put up or shut up' situation. Instead we're just re-litigating the same allegations.
While I think that it's fine to refuse to settle the historical record on people, I don't know what to make of a culture that perpetuates unfounded and settled allegations against the dead. Simultaneously, there are a plethora of Jackson's living contemporaries who have far more credible allegations made against them, and don't make the headlines.
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Comment on Inside the ‘Michael’ overhaul: $15 million reshoots, removing child abuse allegations and what’s in store for sequels in ~movies
TransFemmeWarmachine LinkHonestly this entire movie sounds like a complete mess. I get the sense that this movie was trying to re-litigate a massive stain on Jackson's career, which isn't new or improper. However, the...Honestly this entire movie sounds like a complete mess. I get the sense that this movie was trying to re-litigate a massive stain on Jackson's career, which isn't new or improper. However, the fact that they'd get to post-production without realizing there was a clause prohibiting portrayal of one of Jackson's accusers is insane to me.
I'm always a bit disturbed by the way allegations continued to be levied at Michael Jackson, especially post Me-Too. From what I have read, he was exonerated multiple times, and no 'smoking gun' was ever produced. I feel like something ought to be said regarding the volume of credible allegations made against a plethora of living Hollywood figures over the last decade, while we're still seeing articles about a dead celebrity who was exonerated multiple times.
Regardless, it seems that we're going to get a sanded down movie that sanitizes everything controversial on a topic that passed out of relevance years ago and exists only for nostalgia's sake. I guess that's Hollywood in the 2020s for us.
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Comment on Suggest media in which the antagonist is an idea or an abstract concept rather than a person or intelligent entity in ~talk
TransFemmeWarmachine Link ParentFully agreed, the horror in the framing narrative is in that it self references in a really unsettling way. It's primarily done via anachronistic statements in the narrative, usually via Johnny...Fully agreed, the horror in the framing narrative is in that it self references in a really unsettling way.
It's primarily done via anachronistic statements in the narrative, usually via Johnny Truant's editorializing and being an unreliable narrator. It really requires a bit of a reread to get to the unsettling part of the frame story.
Granted, you have to be able to get through the Johnny Truant parts, which are probably the least compelling and weakest part of the book.
Honestly, I think you're correct. I will always genuinely wonder how informed my opinions are based on my region, social class, and what areas/eras of society I exist in. Even weirder, is the thought that it could be entirely possible that we're both entirely correct - but only for our own unique demographics. Perhaps a well written research paper exists that could offer us better understanding, or will be written, long from now. I digress.
What bothers me, is that I don't know how our society is actually supposed to even approach this issue. Complicit rape culture is clearly a problem in America. Unfortunately, my personal, jaded experience is that complicity to heinous problems just seem the norm in our society. I can point to how the American/Anglo culture is complicit in colonialism, segregation, climate change, imperialism, and needless carnage, and has been for my lifetime.
Furthermore, duty to intervene is something that seems actively discouraged by our society. I will cite examples if requested, but our society seems to have a strong preference for privacy in all matters, which absolutely is an aspect of the complicity issue.
And as a trans woman, in my experiences in trans spaces, even a heinous crime like a gang rape is simply par for the course. I don't mean to surrender into whataboutism, but consider the following point:
As we are both writing from a country that's willing to elect a rapist to the highest position of power... I think our feminist thinkers need to revisit how effective feminist messaging has actually been in the last 30 years. It honestly bothers and scares me that the current state of feminist discourse, is seeing an article about a woman getting gang raped at an Ivy League school with no consequences, and then seeing the same messaging that I grew up reading about 'college rape culture' in the 2000s.
If we are a nation of people who are complicit in all manner of harm, and we refuse to reflect on how are efforts to change this have failed, then I wonder if we are truly damned, in the face of all just words and effort we claim to desire.
I don't believe justice exists. However, I believe in attempts to make a more just world. On the topic of rape culture, I see feminist messaging that is often absolutely true, but does not, in my opinion and experience, create allies, spark thoughtful conversation, or further a more just world. In a sentence, I see feminist messaging that scolds and folds, rather than creates a framework to attempt a better future.
I don't know how to create a more just world and future. I think we desire the same things, a more equitable, just world, where fewer people are left in harms way, and where perpetrators are adequately held responsible.
I agree with everything you've said, I quibble with on the impact of the perspective. I hope that my respect for you and this issue comes clear in my responses, and please let me know if I need to elaborate, or am especially disrespectful in any of my opinions.