Owen Smigelski
@lothar.blue
Dad of 3 boys, server admin since 93. I do ICANN policy, compliance & legal for Namecheap. Adjacent to LAX. Distance runner, geek, reader, Yankees, Stern fan. Big supporter of 🇺🇦 and science.
Reposted by Owen Smigelski
*US SEIZES OIL TANKER OFF THE COAST OF VENEZUELA
December 10, 2025 at 6:40 PM
*US SEIZES OIL TANKER OFF THE COAST OF VENEZUELA
Reposted by Owen Smigelski
Reposted by Owen Smigelski
that said, you're not talking to grandma, you're talking to a stochastic algorithmic electric parrot managed by a bunch of technofascist sociopaths in a country too corrupt to have functional internet privacy laws, so I take some umbrage with your headline, dear sirs
December 10, 2025 at 5:45 PM
that said, you're not talking to grandma, you're talking to a stochastic algorithmic electric parrot managed by a bunch of technofascist sociopaths in a country too corrupt to have functional internet privacy laws, so I take some umbrage with your headline, dear sirs
First letter is V and last letter is A, and it's the name of a country. It will be less poorly planned and executed than Dubya's Iraq disaster, but that's on brand for Trump and his fellow fascists.
Whenever Trump is cornered, he deflects attention. He distracts the public from whatever is causing him problems by doing something even bigger and more outrageous.
Trump is now cornered, big time. What will he do next?
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/office-hours-what-will-trump-do-to
Trump is now cornered, big time. What will he do next?
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/office-hours-what-will-trump-do-to
Office Hours: What Will Trump Do to Divert Attention from His Mounting Failures?
Friends,
robertreich.substack.com
December 10, 2025 at 5:51 PM
First letter is V and last letter is A, and it's the name of a country. It will be less poorly planned and executed than Dubya's Iraq disaster, but that's on brand for Trump and his fellow fascists.
Maybe there's a reason why people give birth around medical professionals...? 🤔
Wellness Influencer Stacey Warnecke, 30, Died from Severe Blood Loss After 'Freebirth' at Home: Reports
The Australian content creator died from a postpartum haemorrhage on Sept. 29 after delivering her newborn son
www.yahoo.com
December 10, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Maybe there's a reason why people give birth around medical professionals...? 🤔
They've been predicting this since 2015 and (1) it's not happening, (2) they're more devoted to their cult leader than ever, and (3) he causing more and more harm with each passing day
"The MAGA end may well be near. The signs are everywhere. The con was never going to outrun karma," writes columnist @rexhuppke.bsky.social. bit.ly/48nug1p
December 10, 2025 at 5:30 PM
They've been predicting this since 2015 and (1) it's not happening, (2) they're more devoted to their cult leader than ever, and (3) he causing more and more harm with each passing day
Bigotry is alive and well in India
Jabalpur: Indian couple trolled over skin colour after wedding video goes viral
Rishabh Rajput and Sonali Chouksey received congratulatory messages peppered with "jokes and memes".
www.bbc.com
December 10, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Bigotry is alive and well in India
Just a reminder, Elmo lied during his citizenship application.
"...in Minnesota, which is really far from Somalia"
MN to Somalia is about 8,400 miles
TX to South Africa is about 9,000 miles
MN to Somalia is about 8,400 miles
TX to South Africa is about 9,000 miles
WATCH: Elon Musk is upset that Somalian Americans in Minnesota get to vote.
December 10, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Just a reminder, Elmo lied during his citizenship application.
And I'm sure it's going to make people 835% more efficient.
“For the first time ever, by the end of this week, three million employees, warfighters, contractors, are going to have AI on their desktop, every single one.”
Full story here:
Full story here:
Pete Hegseth Says the Pentagon's New Chatbot Will Make America 'More Lethal'
The Department of War aims to put Google Gemini 'directly into the hands of every American warrior.'
www.404media.co
December 10, 2025 at 4:04 PM
And I'm sure it's going to make people 835% more efficient.
The hackers made the account description more accurate.
December 10, 2025 at 3:47 PM
The hackers made the account description more accurate.
And somehow OpenAI is on track to lose $8 billion in 2025 with no sound path to profitability other than “trust me bro”
This is ChatGPT's first year as the No. 1 app on the U.S. App Store by downloads.
ChatGPT is Apple's most downloaded app of 2025 in the US | TechCrunch
This is ChatGPT's first year as the No. 1 app on the U.S. App Store by downloads.
techcrunch.com
December 10, 2025 at 3:23 PM
And somehow OpenAI is on track to lose $8 billion in 2025 with no sound path to profitability other than “trust me bro”
Trump really will do anything to spite people with different abilities
Font of ‘wasteful’ diversity: Trump’s state department orders return to Times New Roman
Memo from Marco Rubio reportedly said cutting Calibri from official communication would ‘abolish yet another wasteful DEIA program’
www.theguardian.com
December 10, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Trump really will do anything to spite people with different abilities
Reposted by Owen Smigelski
Republicans just wrapped a meeting on healthcare and not even pretending to have a plan.
They’re blaming Dems for the shutdown, as if that stopped them from doing the job. They were still getting paid, they could have been working the entire time.
15 years of whining about Obamacare—still nothing!
They’re blaming Dems for the shutdown, as if that stopped them from doing the job. They were still getting paid, they could have been working the entire time.
15 years of whining about Obamacare—still nothing!
December 9, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Republicans just wrapped a meeting on healthcare and not even pretending to have a plan.
They’re blaming Dems for the shutdown, as if that stopped them from doing the job. They were still getting paid, they could have been working the entire time.
15 years of whining about Obamacare—still nothing!
They’re blaming Dems for the shutdown, as if that stopped them from doing the job. They were still getting paid, they could have been working the entire time.
15 years of whining about Obamacare—still nothing!
Reposted by Owen Smigelski
Trump Appears To Doze During Stroke
December 9, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Trump Appears To Doze During Stroke
Reposted by Owen Smigelski
Why should we pay attention to red states?
Everybody in this country just lost access to student loan forgiveness because of the state of Missouri.
You don’t need a coup when you can bribe red state AGs.
Everybody in this country just lost access to student loan forgiveness because of the state of Missouri.
You don’t need a coup when you can bribe red state AGs.
December 9, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Why should we pay attention to red states?
Everybody in this country just lost access to student loan forgiveness because of the state of Missouri.
You don’t need a coup when you can bribe red state AGs.
Everybody in this country just lost access to student loan forgiveness because of the state of Missouri.
You don’t need a coup when you can bribe red state AGs.
TSLA rises 7% on this news
December 9, 2025 at 8:29 PM
TSLA rises 7% on this news
Reposted by Owen Smigelski
Consumer Reports ranks Teslas as the least reliable used cars. "The best of the worst [ten] was Chevrolet at a score of 40. But Tesla makes that failing grade seem respectable with its absolute rock bottom rating of 31, trailing Jeep by just one point.” futurism.com/advanced-tra...
Old Teslas Are Falling Apart
On Consumer Reports' latest ranking of used car reliability, Tesla came in dead last with a rating not even half of the top placed brand.
futurism.com
December 9, 2025 at 12:47 AM
Consumer Reports ranks Teslas as the least reliable used cars. "The best of the worst [ten] was Chevrolet at a score of 40. But Tesla makes that failing grade seem respectable with its absolute rock bottom rating of 31, trailing Jeep by just one point.” futurism.com/advanced-tra...
Reposted by Owen Smigelski
I see this sort of proud posturing a lot and it's really a wonderful way to loudly demonstrate to everyone you have absolutely no idea what's going on
Music Icon Pharrell Criticizes Political Division: “I Don’t Believe In Either Side”
Pharrell Williams is making his feelings about American politics unmistakably clear.
newzsquare.com
December 9, 2025 at 5:05 PM
I see this sort of proud posturing a lot and it's really a wonderful way to loudly demonstrate to everyone you have absolutely no idea what's going on
Reposted by Owen Smigelski
Bainbridge Island near Seattle built its own open access fiber network. As a result, locals see cheaper, faster broadband access than many people in Seattle through 6 different ISPs competing over shared, community-owned infrastructure.
You'd see this model everywhere if the U.S. wasn't corrupt.
You'd see this model everywhere if the U.S. wasn't corrupt.
Kitsap PUD
kpudfiber.org
December 9, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Bainbridge Island near Seattle built its own open access fiber network. As a result, locals see cheaper, faster broadband access than many people in Seattle through 6 different ISPs competing over shared, community-owned infrastructure.
You'd see this model everywhere if the U.S. wasn't corrupt.
You'd see this model everywhere if the U.S. wasn't corrupt.
Reposted by Owen Smigelski
Every available method of age verification systematically excludes or harms marginalized people. The real question isn’t whether these systems discriminate, but how extensively. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
10 (Not So) Hidden Dangers of Age Verification
It’s nearly the end of 2025, and half of the US and the UK now require you to upload your ID or scan your face to watch “sexual content.” A handful of states and Australia now have various
www.eff.org
December 9, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Every available method of age verification systematically excludes or harms marginalized people. The real question isn’t whether these systems discriminate, but how extensively. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
Reposted by Owen Smigelski
Google says Chrome's new AI creates risks only more AI can fix
Google says Chrome's new AI creates risks only more AI can fix
'User Alignment Critic' will review agentic actions so bots don't do things like emptying your bank account
Google plans to add a second Gemini-based model to Chrome to address the security problems created by adding the first Gemini model to Chrome.…
dlvr.it
December 9, 2025 at 1:19 AM
Google says Chrome's new AI creates risks only more AI can fix
Reposted by Owen Smigelski
So strange that CBS's $16 million payoff a few months ago didn't buy the company a reprieve from Trump's hostility
Trump demands an apology from CBS (or else!) says, "The only reason Marjorie 'Traitor' Brown (Green turns Brown under stress!) went BAD is that she was JILTED by the President of the United States (Certainly not the first time she has been jilted!)."
December 8, 2025 at 2:41 PM
So strange that CBS's $16 million payoff a few months ago didn't buy the company a reprieve from Trump's hostility
Reposted by Owen Smigelski
US billionaires have seen their wealth grow by nearly 20% since last year.
Now the over 900 US billionaires hold just about $7 trillion.
Now the over 900 US billionaires hold just about $7 trillion.
December 8, 2025 at 10:00 PM
US billionaires have seen their wealth grow by nearly 20% since last year.
Now the over 900 US billionaires hold just about $7 trillion.
Now the over 900 US billionaires hold just about $7 trillion.
Reposted by Owen Smigelski
Supreme Court oral argument this morning, in sum
Sotomayor: you're asking us to destroy the foundation of government (derogatory)
Gorsuch: you're asking us to destroy the foundation of government (complimentary)
Sotomayor: you're asking us to destroy the foundation of government (derogatory)
Gorsuch: you're asking us to destroy the foundation of government (complimentary)
December 8, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Supreme Court oral argument this morning, in sum
Sotomayor: you're asking us to destroy the foundation of government (derogatory)
Gorsuch: you're asking us to destroy the foundation of government (complimentary)
Sotomayor: you're asking us to destroy the foundation of government (derogatory)
Gorsuch: you're asking us to destroy the foundation of government (complimentary)
Reposted by Owen Smigelski
sometimes i think human history is just a constant cycle of insecure men thinking wealth and power would address the void in their souls, then getting increasingly rageful/reactionary/nihilistic as each passing year shows this is not true and as the threat of death becomes increasingly less abstract
December 8, 2025 at 8:55 PM
sometimes i think human history is just a constant cycle of insecure men thinking wealth and power would address the void in their souls, then getting increasingly rageful/reactionary/nihilistic as each passing year shows this is not true and as the threat of death becomes increasingly less abstract