cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/15827490

How was this a surprise?

[alt text: a series of 3 images of comedian Diane Morgan portraying her character Philomena Cunk. In all three images, Cunk is standing next to a plastic statue of Santa Claus and speaking. Across the three frames, there are captions, which say: "The good children will get lots of presents and so, it turns out, will the bad children. In fact, the only ones who won't get very much are the poor children. That's because Santa judges a child's goodness based largely on parental income."]

archive.is link

It’s possible that consumers are happy to have the most minute details of their lives surveilled and monetized in return for seeing ads they might want to click on. This is a hard theory to test, because very few people even know they’re making the trade. However, one organization recently tried to find out. After the European Union’s landmark privacy law, the General Data Protection Regulation, went into effect in 2018, a Dutch public broadcasting agency started prompting all visitors to its website to choose, in a clear and straightforward manner, whether they wanted their data shared with advertisers. The result? Ninety percent opted out, and the agency abandoned behavioral advertising altogether. (A Google spokesperson notes that all users can opt out of personalized ads, and that Google has long prohibited personalized advertising based on sensitive information.)

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/49001076

was the Celeste OST too much of a giveaway?

Summary

Trump’s FBI director pick, Kash Patel, promoted unproven supplements claiming to “detox” Covid vaccines, a stance unsupported by scientific evidence.

Patel endorsed Warrior Essentials’ “Spike Protein Detox Protocol” on Truth Social, though experts confirm such products are ineffective.

The supplement company profits from anti-vaccine misinformation, despite Covid vaccines being safe and FDA-approved. Experts warn supplement claims often exploit regulatory loopholes and public distrust in science.

Patel’s promotion aligns with Trump’s broader trend of nominating vaccine skeptics, including figures critical of vaccine mandates and public health policies.

Dec 4 (Reuters) - Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealth's (UNH.N) , opens new tab insurance unit, was fatally shot on Wednesday morning outside a midtown Manhattan hotel in what appears to have been a targeted attack, New York City police officials said.

The shooting occurred around 6:40 a.m. ET (1140 GMT) outside the Hilton on Sixth Avenue, just before a scheduled company investor conference at that hotel. Thompson was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Dammit Sony, you just had to improve upon it and then you went and fucked it up with the Vita :/

Summary

A German court ruled that 100-year-old former Nazi guard Gregor Formanek can stand trial for aiding 3,322 murders at Sachsenhausen concentration camp (1943–1945).

The decision overturns a lower court's ruling that deemed Formanek unfit for trial due to insufficient psychiatric evaluation.

Germany has intensified efforts to prosecute remaining Nazi war criminals since a 2011 precedent allowed convictions without proof of direct killings.

Time is critical, as many suspects have died or become unfit for trial, leaving historical accountability as an urgent priority.

Summary

Kash Patel, Trump’s FBI director pick, has no FBI experience but is deeply tied to far-right media, frequently hosting Steve Bannon’s podcast.

Patel promotes conspiracy theories, including claims of Chinese election interference and a "two-tiered justice system" targeting Trump allies. He has called for extreme measures, like arresting Attorney General Merrick Garland, and keeps a literal enemies list in his book Government Gangsters.

Critics compare Patel to J. Edgar Hoover, warning of potential abuses of federal power under his leadership. His proposals include prosecuting political opponents and journalists.

Patel’s nomination reflects Trump’s broader anti-establishment approach to governance.