Opinion of the moment: “If Corporations Are People, They Should Be Subject to the Death Penalty” https://futurism.com/future-society/corporations-personhood-legal-court-death-penalty

TRUMP TRANSLATOR:

WAR IS PEACE

FREEDOM IS SLAVERY

IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

A clarification: Trump didn’t rename Lake Ontario. He directed the executive branch of the US government to lie about the name of Lake Ontario. This is not unusual. He orders his lackeys and subordinates to lie about all kinds of things. It’s still Lake Ontario and Trump is still a liar.

Why AI doesn’t make companies more productive
https://www.computerworld.com/article/4215022/why-ai-doesnt-make-companies-more-productive.html

Phrase of the moment: “difficult to understand if your salary depends on your not understanding it”
https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/with-the-backlash-to-data-centers

Phrase of the moment: "the dumbest trade war in history"
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/donald-trump-tariffs-25-percent-mexico-canada-trade-economy-84476fb2

OpenAI weighed user harm against its own profit and chose profit
https://www.machinesociety.ai/p/openai-built-a-safer-chatgpt-but

#machinesociety

After getting caught with code for glasses face recognition on its glasses app, Meta said the feature doesn't exist and they never intend to add it. Now the company is patenting the feature they say doesn't exist and that they never intend to add. https://www.404media.co/meta-patents-ai-glasses-to-use-facial-recognition-to-identify-people-make-highlight-reels-of-your-dinner-party/

#MachineSociety

AI 'productivity pollution': the hidden tax on everyone https://www.machinesociety.ai/p/productivitypollution

#MachineSociety

Comic of the moment: https://www.geekculture.com/joyoftech/joyarchives/3280.html

#MachineSociety

The biggest surprises from this report are that Brits drink more coffee than tea now and also that Mexicans drink way more tea than anybody would have guessed. https://www.statista.com/chart/34497/respondents-who-regularly-drink-tea-or-coffee/

Water system cyberattacks spread to Georgia, Michigan amid US-Iran conflict. Damn you, Tim Walz!
https://www.theregister.com/security/2026/08/03/georgia-michigan-say-water-systems-hacked-by-iran-tied-crew/5282262