dangillmor

dangillmor, 22 hours ago to random

@hiltzikm is one of the consistently best business commentators in daily journalism. Here, he pulls apart the corporate sleaze -- and gross mismanagement -- that pushed Red Lobster into bankruptcy.

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2024-05-21/column-it-wasnt-just-the-endless-shrimp-red-lobsters-corporate-owners-drove-it-into-bankruptcy?utm_source=press.coop

dangillmor, 23 hours ago to random

A reminder that less than two weeks ago, it was revealed that Trump solicited a $1 billion bribe from the energy industry, offering in return the gutting of environmental regulations.

A week ago, Big Journalism had already consigned this epic scandal to the memory bin.

Had Biden done anything remotely like that, I guarantee that it would still be among the top stories of the day -- and Congress, including Democrats, would be moving toward impeachment.

dangillmor, 1 day ago to random

"In the last week, OpenAI has repeatedly lied about a voice product, dissolved its AI safety team, and had two major players in the company resign — one of whom tried to oust Sam Altman late last year, and the other who clearly despises the direction of the company."

-- from "Sam Altman is Full of Shit," by Ed Zitron.

https://www.wheresyoured.at/sam-altman-is-full-of-shit/?ref=ed-zitrons-wheres-your-ed-at-newsletter

dangillmor, 1 day ago (edited 1 day ago) to random

As a huge admirer of (and financial contributor to) @ProPublica I was disappointed to see an unnecessary "critics say" in a headline -- because the article makes an overwhelming case that Kristi Noem's record on "babies, moms, and families" is atrocious,

"Critics say..." is timid journalism.

Read the article:

https://www.propublica.org/article/kristi-noem-south-dakota-parents-children-pregnancy-abortion

dangillmor, 1 day ago to random

Blog post: Come on, Ubuntu, please add a mono output audio setting

https://dangillmor.com/2024/05/21/come-on-ubuntu-please-add-a-mono-output-audio-setting/

dangillmor, 1 day ago to random

Congressional Democrats -- particularly senators -- are pathetic.

That's the only word for their beyond-weak non-response to the news that Alito -- the enormously powerful Supreme Court justice -- was a backer of the Jan. 6 insurrection. (His obvious lie, blaming his wife, is also the definition of pathetic, but in a different way.)

The Democrats, in their typical weak-kneed manner, are going to let it all go.

They make me sick.

Read this from Josh Marshall:

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/low-energy-part-2/sharetoken/GqTtixfpJuqz

dangillmor, 1 day ago to random

Meet the "private equity" people who did so much to drive Red Lobster into the ground -- the top executives at Golden Gate Capital.

https://goldengatecap.com/team/?_sft_function=operating-executives

They sold off the restaurant real estate to help pay for the buyout, and leased it back at what the bankruptcy filing describes as "priced above market rates."

dangillmor, 2 days ago to random

Journalism is always seeking a daddy, and it looks like Apple News is the latest one.

https://www.semafor.com/article/05/19/2024/as-clicks-dry-up-for-news-sites-could-apples-news-app-be-a-lifeline

dangillmor, 2 days ago to random

For purely political reasons, North Carolina's right-wing Republican legislature is ensuring more sickness and death. This is repellent, and totally on brand. https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2024/05/20/doctors-call-public-mask-ban-unconscionable-political-point-making/

dangillmor, 2 days ago to random

...and, still aboard the Big Tech sleazeball express: "Open"AI used Scarlett Johansson's voice even after being told not to do that. https://www.npr.org/2024/05/20/1252495087/openai-pulls-ai-voice-that-was-compared-to-scarlett-johansson-in-the-movie-her

dangillmor, 2 days ago to random

Today is a nonstop torrent of abusive acts by Big Tech.

In this one, it looks like Google effectively paid off the feds to avoid a jury trial in the antitrust case. https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/google-cuts-mystery-check-us-bid-sidestep-jury-trial-2024-05-20/

dangillmor, 2 days ago to random

So you deleted those iPhone photos years ago, because you wanted them gone forever?

Apple obviously kept them around anyway.

And you trust Apple? Give that some thought...

https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/20/24161152/apple-ios-17-photo-bug

dangillmor, 2 days ago (edited 2 days ago) to random

Microsoft Windows is turning into the ultimate spy-on-the-user system. "...it includes logging things you do in apps, tracking communications in live meetings, remembering all websites you’ve visited for research, and more."

And you're supposed to be thrilled at the capabilities?

https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/20/24159258/microsoft-recall-ai-explorer-windows-11-surface-event

UPDATED to clarify: BTW there's an app for Mac that does a lot of this (noted in the story); at least usershave the choice.

dangillmor, 2 days ago to random

The Red Lobster meltdown wasn't just bad corporate decision-making. It looks like some serious sleaze was going on, too. See the latest from the great Matt Levine: https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2024-05-20/the-endless-shrimp-investigation?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTcxNjIyODA0NywiZXhwIjoxNzE2ODMyODQ3LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJTRFNOWElEV1JHRzAwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJGMzJGMjA0ODRDNUE0NDU4OTNGNDk0MUZDRkE0RDNCMSJ9.FWWq9v8-QpPH2SjLU_CRrKFqSgdqfZj7qVknv5Q8aR0

dangillmor, 4 days ago to random

Social media disappointments:

1. Journalists are still actively participating at exTwitter, thereby actively supporting Musk, who is helping extremists bring down democracy and, by extension, a free press.

2. Reddit got away with stomping its volunteer moderators and users, and its execs are cashing in on an IPO that in a more just world would have flopped.

3. Writers I respect decided to stick with Substack despite arrogant, extremist-friendly investors and leadership.

dangillmor, 4 days ago to random

Palantir is an evil company, and its CEO showed at a conference that he is a supremely evil person.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/may/17/ai-weapons-palantir-war-technology

(Also, right on brand that a New York Times commentator moderated the panel and helped Karp avoid serious questions from one of only two reporters who bothered to attend.)

dangillmor, 5 days ago to random

If you're interested in space, one must-follow account here is @sundogplanets -- Prof. Sam Lawler. She's been on a campaign to help people understand how the basically unregulated communications satellite race is causing havoc for astronomy, and is potentially creating the conditions for a space-travel - and basic communications ---catastrophe.

She just posted this jaw-dropping thread on how bad this is getting:

https://mastodon.social/@sundogplanets/112456699856194393

dangillmor, 5 days ago to random

More than almost any other site I check frequently, @niemanlab embeds tweets in its stories. This means -- since I refuse to support Musk's anti-democracy and anti-journalism company -- I miss much of the content, since I allow Privacy Badger to block Twitter content.

There are ways to show the tweet content -- paste in screenshots, for example -- that don't support the deadbird site. It's a shame that Nieman Lab won't take that minimum step.