Yeah, that is really depressing.

I think it’s a sunk cost thing for the authors, but also it could be fear of coming off as “disgruntled” to people they’re hoping to communicate with. They still have hope of changing these communities, but they know these communities are very hostile and dismissive towards any criticism, especially criticism from perceived “enemies”. They also don’t want to lose whatever power and respect they have in those communities. So emphasising how great these groups are and how smart all the members are and how much they got out of being a member is a tactic to try and get around all that hostility. They want to flatter the remaining members enough that they’ll retain their respect for them. Which in itself is a sad comment on the attitudes common in these communities.

Having said all that, the poor man is not long out of a cult and has taken a big step by publicly blowing the whistle. That takes some backbone.

I’m not sure I understand what you mean by this:

He seems to have spent a lot of time on early tumblr, but young lefty activist women horrified him. I don’t think anyone explained that people are nicer in person and volunteering in person is a great way to fall in love.

Could you explain?

I guess the “end the drug wars and stop the attacks on communities of colour” politics of that I assume many harm reduction activists had in 00s/10s California wouldn’t gibe well with the “I am rich and smart and I will never die so I should be allowed to do whatever I want” politics of TESCREAL.

I’ve never been a drug user but my impression is that like safer sex education, harm reduction education is actually more likely to turn people off using drugs than encourage them to try it. Like, check out this page about amphetamine harm reduction, which mentions that taking it might affect your immune system, damage your heart, cause psychosis and trigger mental health problems and cause malnutrition. Doesn’t exactly make it seem attractive!

Wow, it’s formerly gifted children all the way down.

Speaking of 60s psychedelics use. This is from an interview with two members of 1960s band The Pretty Things:

microdosing LSD [is] a practice [Phil] May thinks may have been invented by a keyboard player who performed with the band in the 70s. “He used to have a little lick of acid every morning while standing on his head, doing his yoga exercises.” And did it help him psychologically, as latterday devotees of microdosing claim it can? “Well, no, not really,” sighs May. “He went pretty loony, to be honest.”

D:

I remember reading a while ago about the defunding of the authority that investigated alleged miscarriages of justice and false convictions. I guess that solves one of the problems with this 👍

Why would anyone be scared of an empty suit lol

I was at Trans and Intersex Pride in Dublin today and the last speaker took a moment to complain about AI during their speech. “These billionaires are burning the planet down with generative AI because they don’t have the patience to draw a picture or write an email…”

OH WOW WHO COULD HAVE PREDICTED THIS

i’m sure this guy will have a sane, healthy and self-compassionate attitude to disability and long-term illness.

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The future is so strange (I got this in my youtube suggestions)

like, try explaining this to someone from 20 years ago and they’d look at you like you were off your rocker

these kinds of questions are about the potential benefits to some hypothetical version of humanity (from slavery) vs. the real, documented harms to a real group of real people (caused by slavery). Of course we already know that rationalists are bad at accounting for the later while distracted by the bright and shiny allure of the former. And it just so happens that the people they imagine benefiting from slavery are people very much like themselves.

There was that woman whose tiktok algorithm figured out she was bisexual before she was

I curse the day I found out what remilia was.

I have discovered from an unrelated Google search that there is a subreddit called r/TherapyGPT. We’re in hell

It seems possible, but they don’t actually explain…

AI shite creeping into everyday life, example #1928748392:

I was out mattress shopping today. It was enjoyably ridiculous - the sales assistant measured my “pillow size” using a big contraption (apparently I’m a 2). However while testing a mattress I saw a video display advertising an “AI” widget to go with a specific “motion” mattress.

Baffled, I searched this up later.

AI voice control & Anti-snore box

Create your own spa-like oasis from the comfort of your own home by combining this Anti-snore Voice Control Box with our U210 and N700 motion bases. This range combines the very best and innovative technology with unbeatable comfort to give you the ultimate relaxation experience. Whether you want the optimal sleeping position or to spend your evenings unwinding with a good book, set offers luxurious comfort at the tip of your fingers.

I think this is un-enjoyably ridiculous. It’s not really clear what’s “AI” about it.

You see this particular kind of bigotry quite a bit in relation to neurodivervence and disability. It’s an attempt to beat people advocating for equality and justice by claiming a moral high ground. Oh, you think disabled people can have meaningful and worthwhile lives and that differences should be celebrated?? You must be too ignorant to know just how awful life is for people who really have that disability!