Michele Travierso

Last week, I wrote about Doublespeed, essentially a click farm that sells “synthetic influencers” to astroturf whatever product or service you want across social media, despite it being a clear violation of every social media platform's policy on inauthentic behavior. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. a16z’s Speedrun is also backing: Creed: An AI company “rooted in Christian Values” which produces Lenny, a “Bible-based AI buddy who's always got your back with wise words, scripture-inspired guidance, and a listening ear whenever you need it.” Zingroll: The “world’s largest Netflix-quality AI streaming platform,” which is another way of saying it’s a Netflix populated exclusively with AI Slop. Vega: which is building “AI-powered social orbits.” What does that mean? Not entirely clear, but the company has produced one of the most beautiful Mad Libs paragraphs I’ve ever seen: “We’re building the largest textual data moat on human relationships by gamifying the way people leave notes for each other. For the first time, LLMs can analyze millions of raw, human-written notes at scale and turn them into structured meaning, powering the most annotated social graph ever created.” Moona Health: an AI-powered Sleep care app the company says is covered by insurance. “Our AI-powered platform automates insurance claims and scheduling and analyzes sleep data – providing personalized session guidelines to therapists,” Moona says. Jooba: “The world’s first autonomous recruiting firm.” Margin: “The World’s first AI powered credit card.” Margin says “Customers earn points, with dynamic rewards that adapt to their preferences in real time.” First Voyage: A wellness app that gives you AI “mythological pets that turn wellness into play.” Axon Capital: billed as “DeepMind for Finance,” Axon says it has “pioneered brain-inspired, low-latency AI for financial markets.”

This is so bleak:

www.404media.co/a16z-is-fund...

When the Nazi group chat ruins your talking points

This talk examines historical attempts to climb the highest mountains in the People's Republic of China. Much has been written about mountaineering from a Western perspective - but what does this… Socialism at Altitude: Chinese Mountaineering, Mountaineering in China

Very engaging and informative talk by @mcgreenesd.bsky.social on "Socialism at Altitude: Chinese Mountaineering, Mountaineering in China" —so glad that UCI's Long Institute has shared the video, because the visuals are amazing.

Reminder: the point of the massive, lavishly funded, decades-long campaign by the right to take over media was not to make the public love Republicans, it was to make the public hate Democrats, so that no matter what Republicans did, it would be forgiven.

They know: it won't matter ...

And after 40 minutes of cringe-Thunderous applause from the generals!

Just kidding. Total silence. 👀 🦗 🦗

“The world is watching us, stunned, while we slit our own throat—with our initiation of trade wars with countries around the globe (including with some of our closest allies); with our president’s display of pathetically gullible obsequiousness to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin;…”

High stakes, low expectations as EU and China prepare for summit in Beijing Hopes of a reset in relations rose in the first quarter but came back to Earth with controls on critical minerals.

High stakes, low expectations as EU and China face off in Beijing

My preview of tomorrow's summit

BIG NEWS as of an hour ago: they have a joint statement on climate, negotiations finished, goes to Coreper today for approval

www.scmp.com/news/china/d...

Senate votes to kill entire public broadcasting budget in blow to NPR and PBS Senate votes to rescind $1.1 billion from Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

authoritarians hate public broadcasting because in its ideal form it untethers journalism from the perverse financial incentives inherent in a consolidate corporate ad-based media that (as you see every day) is often too feckless to stand up to wealth and power when it really matters

This video is nuts

www.instagram.com/reel/DMWa8sp...

The Newspaper That Hired ChatGPT Il Foglio editor Claudio Cerasa believes the chatbot should be treated like a colleague.

An Italian newspaper hired ChatGPT as a new colleague—and it didn’t melt down. @matteowong.bsky.social talks with "Il Foglio" editor Claudio Cerasa about his AI experiment:

"Someday somebody will explain that."

He always acts like his own personal ignorance is shared by the entire globe. If he does not know it, it cannot be known.

Fulbright Board Quits, Accusing Trump Administration of Political Interference The board of the prestigious program told the State Department it had no right to cancel scholarships for nearly 200 American professors and researchers.

Soft-power self-destruction watch, an ongoing saga:

(Fulbright program one of most successful forms of US engagement with the world. Trump nihilists/ Red Guards mindlessly tearing it down.)

www.nytimes.com/2025/06/11/u...

the feds did a pit maneuver on a mercedes sedan in order to terrorize the latino occupants by assuming they were undocumented migrants

My entire read on what's going on has been to assume that this would not, in fact, change (or rather, that it wouldn't change for the better--it's actually getting worse as power warps the disordered minds and social milieus of the ppl willing to work in the Trump 2.0 leadership class).

Bragg Soldiers Who Cheered Trump's Political Attacks While in Uniform Were Checked for Allegiance, Appearance As Trump viciously attacked his perceived political foes, he whipped up boos from the gathered troops directed at California leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Really important story - army officials asked soldiers to identify themselves if they don't agree with Trump's politics that way he'd get only supportive soldiers in uniform during his political rally on base. Heavier soldiers were also barred from participating.

Everything that’s happened over the past six months has been a response to an imaginary crisis. There is no immigrant invasion. No trade crisis. No scientific or governance crisis. Just people completely high off their own supply trying to fundamentally reorder society. None of this had to happen.

Rubio Ramps Up Pressure on Harvard With Expanded Visa Scrutiny Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday ordered more scrutiny of the social-media profiles of any foreigners seeking to visit Harvard University, telling US consular officers that applicants’ lack of an online presence might be enough evidence to deny a visa.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday ordered more scrutiny of the social-media profiles of any foreigners seeking to visit Harvard University, telling US consular officers that applicants’ lack of an online presence might be enough evidence to deny a visa.

The BBC obtained a mobile phone that was smuggled out of North Korea.

The level of control the regime holds over its citizens is shocking but not surprising.

The idea that this kind of armed presence is necessary in Great Barrington - a quaint Berkshires town of artists, aging hippies, and retired dentists - is insane. These agents are dressed like paramilitaries, not police officers. www.berkshireeagle.com/breaking/ice...

Louisiana lawmakers push ‘chemtrail’ ban legislation through the House The chemtrail ban heads to the Louisiana Senate despite experts saying chemtrails are only a conspiracy theory.

Louisiana:
“A bill that would ban so-called “chemtrails” in Louisiana advanced out of the state House of Representatives on May 29, despite scientific consensus that aircraft exhaust does not modify weather.”

its crazy how dominant germany was in science (especially chemistry) in the 19th century, it was basically the international language for scientists, people came from all over the world to train at heidelberg etc, and then....

Years from now, this picture will be in History textbooks, in the "Collapse of the American Empire" chapter. Students will have essay prompts like "explain the ways in which online conspiracy theories accelerated imperial collapse." Most all their opening sentences will use the phrase "brain worms"

If you saw this guy on a subway, you would move away.

bsky.app/profile/wuta...

It's beyond parody that we're now calling apparent malignant narcissistic sociopathy a philosophy

Trump Administration Shutters New York City–Based NASA Institute Since 1966 NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies has been at the forefront of Earth and planetary science from its location in upper Manhattan. Now a Trump administration directive is ejecting it...

Why Is #NASA Shuttering This Iconic Institute in New York City?
Since 1966 NASA’s #Goddard Institute for #Space Studies has been at the forefront of Earth & planetary science from its location in upper Manhattan. Now a Trump admin directive is ejecting its #scientists to parts unknown

Today in Tallahassee at a construction site...

This is MAGA's America...

via www.usatoday.com/story/news/l...

India's alarm over Chinese spying rocks the surveillance industry Global makers of surveillance gear have clashed with Indian regulators in recent weeks over contentious new security rules that require manufacturers of CCTV cameras to submit hardware, software and source code for assessment in government labs, official documents and company emails show.

(Reuters) - Global makers of surveillance gear have clashed with Indian regulators in recent weeks over contentious new security rules that require manufacturers of CCTV cameras to submit hardware, software and source code for assessment in government labs. www.reuters.com/world/china/...

Headline from the independent: Trump gives rambling speech about trophy wives, golf and the 'great late' Al Capone in politically-charged West Point address

Headline from the New York Times: Trump Gives Commencement Address at West Point, Stressing a New Era

Hard to believe they’re talking about the same event.

YouTube video by Bloomberg Originals How China Is Building an Army of Hackers

China & the US are locked in a constant struggle for information, using cyber espionage to gain strategic advantage. Recently leaked files have shed light on rapid advances in China’s capabilities as both nations prepare for any future conflict (@bloomberg.com) ‬

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kpn...

Seems no mention of China in the actual letter sent to Harvard: