Lauren Weinstein

I'm finding it very difficult to support any non-orbital manned space missions these days. I saw it all the first time around, but then we weren't fighting fascism and economic disaster here at the time, either.

Corrupt DOJ opens investigations into Minn gov and Minneapolis mayor

DO NOT ASSUME YOUR GOOGLE DOCS DATA IS SAFE FROM TRUMP. Keep in mind that everything I've said about Gmail and no longer trusting Trump applies to all Google services, including Docs. I've heard that some groups are using Docs to organize anti-Trump protests, ICE observations, etc. This is unwise. As I said, a single call from Trump to Sundar might be enough to send all your data to the Trump administration. Horrible to be in this place, isn't it?

THIS IS IMPORTANT: DO NOT TRUST GOOGLE GEMINI, and it may already be enabled in your GMAIL BY DEFAULT. DO NOT TRUST GOOGLE! #Google says it may share your interactions with #Gemini #AI with law enforcement, including involving Gemini features in #Gmail. Given Google's CEO Sundar's enthusiastic embrace of the Fascist Trump administration and teaming Gemini with Hegseth's Department of Defense, I NO LONGER TRUST GOOGLE. Pay attention to this. Google -- as always -- says they do not give user data to law enforcement except with a valid warrant. This has long been true, but I no longer trust Google to honor this position. A quick call from Trump to Sundar could well be enough to bypass those past protections. Discussing an anti-Trump demonstration? Abortion? Helping local immigrants? You can no longer trust Google to not treat your data as fodder for fascist Trump, irrespective of Google's public statements. VERY IMPORTANT: It appears that if you have "Smart Features" enabled in Gmail -- which has long included a variety of features, you now probably (or soon will) also have Gemini scouring through your email. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND turning this off. Can we be sure Google will really honor this choice given their embrace of Trump? No, but it's important to have specified your choice on the record. To turn off Gmail smart features (apparently including Gemini, though other ways to ostensibly turn off Gemini in Gmail may also be available): Enter Gmail Click the Gear icon at the upper right Click "See all settings" Stay on the "General" tab Scroll down to "Smart features" -- make sure it is unchecked Just below this (currently) is "Google Workspace smart features" Click the "Manage Workspace smart feature settings" bubble Make sure the toggles are OFF (to the left) for everything listed in the pop-up that appears. Be SURE TO SCROLL DOWN -- there are currently TWO toggles but the second may be completely hidden if you don't grab the little scrollbar on the right and pull it down. Again, make sure BOTH toggles are off. Click Save Now back on the General Tab, scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and click Save Changes if that button is not already greyed out and unclickable. That's what I have for you for now, based on the information I have right now. More as I learn more. It's a terrible situation that pains me greatly. Before you ask, I do not at this time have a recommendation for other major email providers. How you proceed is up to you, of course. Take care. L

Fun Fact: The original "Wayback Machine" from Jay Ward "Peabody and Sherman" segments (starting circa 1959 or so), has an interesting backstory, explained in the very first segment. Created by Mr. Peabody as a teaching device for his adopted boy Sherman, it originally was a fairly straightforward time machine that presented a couple of significant limitations. During an initial run, P&S of course realized that most people they visited were speaking other languages -- Peabody made an adjustment so that languages were no longer an issue (a plot device borrowed by Doctor Who for the TARDIS later). On their next test run, P&S realized that they could not affect anything in the time periods they visited -- they were completely ignored. So Peabody made another adjustment so that they could fully interact, saying that this made it not a "way things were" machine but rather a "the way things should have been" machine. Each episode always ended with some awful pun. At my infamous Jay Ward Film Festival at UCLA back in the early 80s, Bill Scott admitted that he had written all those puns.

Moderate Santa Ana winds continue to blow on and off for days now, currently 76F in my corner of L.A.

Machado "presented" Trump her Nobel Peace Prize, but Nobel Committee says it's still hers, not Trump's, no matter who has physical possession.

Trump announces "outline" of his "health care plan", retreading tired old GOP ideas