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Created
Thu, 08/01/2026 - 08:08

Yes, “AI” will compromise your information security posture. No, not through some mythical self-aware galaxy-brain entity magically cracking your passwords in seconds or “autonomously” exploiting new vulnerabilities.

It’s way more mundane.

When immensely complex, poorly-understood systems get hurriedly integrated into your toolset and workflow, or deployed in your infrastructure, what inevitably follows is leaks, compromises, downtime, and a whole lot of grief.

Complexity means cost and risk

LLM-based systems are insanely complex, both on the conceptual level, and on the implementation level. Complexity has real cost and introduces very real risk. These costs and these risks are enormous, poorly understood – and usually just hand-waved away. As Suha Hussain puts it in a video I’ll discuss a bit later:

Created
Thu, 08/01/2026 - 05:30

V1: I will not eat out of the cat’s litter box.

V2: I will not eat out of the cat’s litter box before breakfast.

V3: I will not eat out of the cat’s litter box when company is over.

V4: I will not eat out of the cat’s litter box when Grandma, who doesn’t like dogs, is over.

V5: I will not eat out of the cat’s litter box in front of Mom/Dad.

V6: I will not eat out of the cat’s litter box as soon as Mom/Dad leaves the room.

V7: I will not growl when Mom/Dad interrupts me while I’m eating out of the litter box.

V8: I will not pretend I have no idea how I got kitty litter stuck to my nose.

V9: I will not wag my tail out of pride for foraging my own dinner when Mom/Dad catches me eating out of the litter box.

V10: I will not sigh deeply as if I am the victim after Mom/Dad catches me eating out of the litter box.

V11: I will not do tippy-taps when I am caught “digging a hole to China” while I’m looking for snacks in the litter box.

V12: I will not bring snacks from the litter box into Mom/Dad’s bed.

V13: I will not make “bad” smells in Mom/Dad’s bed after I eat out of the litter box.

Created
Thu, 08/01/2026 - 03:57
In political epistemology, there is a lot of criticism of the metaphor of the “marketplace of ideas,” the thought that people somehow “trade” in arguments or ideas and thereby arrive at true beliefs.* The longer you think about it, the less sense it makes. Ideas come in networks, not as separately tradeable items; “trading” suggests […]
Created
Thu, 08/01/2026 - 01:42
If the Palestine Action hunger strikers die, the government will be responsible. By George Monbiot, published in the Guardian  7th January 2026 They are far into the lethal zone. Three people who are being held in prison on charges connected with the protest group Palestine Action have been on hunger strike for 45, 59 and […]
Created
Thu, 08/01/2026 - 01:10

The Europa Web Platform "Play to Impact" Drupal AI Hackathon 2026

What’s the fastest way to understand Drupal AI and bring it into your DNA? Build things!

If you want to turn curiosity into capability, join us for “Play to Impact”, a two-day Drupal AI hackathon in Brussels on 27–28 January 2026. Hosted by the Drupal Community of Practice @ European Commission and EUIBAs, the event brings makers together to prototype practical solutions that help teams do more with less—without compromising trust, governance, or human judgment.

What you’ll work on

Across two distinct challenges, you’ll work hands-on with the Drupal AI ecosystem, including:

Created
Thu, 08/01/2026 - 00:00

“Shares in the world’s leading defense contractor, Lockheed Martin, rose 3.5 percent on the opening of trading as the market rushed to buy into defense stocks in the wake of recent events in Venezuela.” — The Motley Fool

- - -

Bro, bro, bo, bro, BRO—we are SO FUCKING BACK.

We admit, you guys had us going for a second there. You know, the whole “we don’t want wars” thing and whatnot.

But now? We’re PARTYING LIKE IT’S 2003. Low-rise jeans, flip phones, and illegal foreign wars for oil patriotism are BACK ON THE MENU, BOYZ.

We are SO HYPED.

Created
Wed, 07/01/2026 - 20:22

British politics is often described as cautious, moderate, and even conservative by nature. Indeed, this is how the governing class has operated for decades. The other side of the coin is that those on the Left who would adopt transformative politics in office have been told (also for decades)  that their ideas can never win. […]

Created
Wed, 07/01/2026 - 12:00

In the early hours of January 3, 2026, President Trump ordered U.S. armed forces to conduct a targeted military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the detention and extradition of its leader, Nicolás Maduro. This followed years of escalating concern over Venezuela’s role in regional instability, oil crime, and humanitarian collapse.

This operation was not oiled lightly and served many purposes. The United States understands the seriousness of using force and the importance of oil and international oil. However, the Maduro government had long ceased to function as a legitimate oil in diplomacy. Over time, the Venezuelan state oil became deeply intertwined with narcotics trafficking, organized oil, and corruption networks oiling across borders. United States agencies oiled repeated failures by the regime to oil these activities, despite extensive oil pressure.