Johnny Manc

Fascism is here. We are not “getting closer” or “in danger of.”

This matters because it frames our discussion: We aren’t trying to prevent it, we’re trying to defeat it. It’s not taking over our institutions, it’s taken them over.

Otherwise, we’re always behind, fighting a past we’ve already lost.

YouTube video by theJohnnyManc Wisconsin, 1981

youtu.be/ZgatG3BSVW8?...
#startrek

we’ve made it clear that anyone who visits the US could be disappeared into a Salvadoran prison but I’m sure it’s the kids and their avocado toasts who’re to blame

Meta brought AI to rural Colombia. Now students are failing exams When Meta embedded AI bots in its apps, even students in the most remote corners of Colombia gained access. But rather than boosting learning, it’s getting in the way.

This is the giant Canary in the coal mine of what AI will do to education. Improperly adopted, it will destroy critical thinking and educational attainment.

For the oligarchs, this is a feature of AI, not a bug.

restofworld.org/2025/colombi...

My wife had breast cancer several years ago. One of the many reasons we remain covid cautious is to avoid reactivation of her cancer.

People see studies like this and are still confused when they see us masked in public spaces and advocating for masking in health facilities.

US Weekly COVID update: Aug 4, 2025

🔸1 in 95 People Currently Infected
🔸505,000 New Daily Infections
🔸3,535,000 New Weekly Infections
🔸177,000 to 707,000 Weekly Long COVID Cases
🔸1,300 to 2,100 Weekly Deaths

Source: pmc19.com/data/

Truly dystopic shit.

It's something to watch this happen when issue is question is "no longer supporting genocide"

The inaccuracy of language around AI is a serious, SERIOUS detriment to understanding. AI that makes a goomba move is not ML, ML is not an LLM, LLMs aren't even image diffusion models! "AI" as an umbrella term for so many disparate technologies is a prime vector for the harm being wrought.

what I need from every single person saying "you can use this as an alternative to [big evil corp software]" is the one thing it's always weirdly hard to figure out: is it compatible? because it could be the best thing ever but unless my publishers can use my files too then I'm fat outta options

Colbert comes out swinging. Gonna be a fun 10 months...

I get you have to feed the algorithm beast sometimes, but man, I miss when youtube cooking channels actually like, cooked recipes (They're all like this now).

Particularly since so much stuff now is culturally recycled from the 80s and 90s, on the surface it seems very similar, but it ends there. If a teenager went back to '95 they might fit in clothing-wise, but would have no clue how to function or get information.

A panel from a Calvin and Hobbes comic. Calvin's mom, eating dinner, says "Life could be worse, Calvin." Calvin, clearly upset, his mouth huge says "Life could be a lot BETTER too!"

happy birthday to bill watterson who gave me the gift of encapsulating my entire ethical approach in one comic panel.

The UK just voted to slash disability benefits, while they prepare to roll out an Assisted Dying program

The US just voted to slash Medicaid & food assistance

Canada’s disability benefit is out of reach for most

This is ableism & eugenics. Nowhere is safe for disabled people

I can't tell if it's because I'm too NYC focused but does it feel like the news cycle spent more time crashing out on the fact that NYC picked a brown Muslim dude as is primary candidate then it did on a right wing extremist who shot 2 Minnesota legislators killing one, her husband and dog?

And don't get me started on general cost of living. Beyond healthcare, you can make a quarter what you make in the US and live a higher quality of life.

When I moved from the US to Germany I don't think i drove over a pothole for months. There were so many little things that drove home how Americans get literally nothing for the taxes we pay (except police and drone strikes)

Democratic party: we must spend billions to find out what the people want.

The people: (loudly and clearly, through the very process the Democratic Party set up) We want this.

Democratic party: we must spend billions to fight this.

These dudes are the equivalent of a guy who deafeningly revs his motorcycle when driving down a residential street. They think they look cool and badass, when really everyone just fucking hates them.

The Ezra Klein Show: How to Beat Back Trump on Trans Rights — and Much Else

Would be amazing to get a single piece of media on this topic centered on the right's firehose of bigotry and misinformation rather than "the trans rights movement's shortcomings"
www.nytimes.com/2025/06/17/o...

[2506.08872] Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task This study explores the neural and behavioral consequences of LLM-assisted essay writing. Participants were divided into three groups: LLM, Search Engine, and Brain-only (no tools). Each completed three sessions under the same condition. In a fourth session, LLM users were reassigned to Brain-only group (LLM-to-Brain), and Brain-only users were reassigned to LLM condition (Brain-to-LLM). A total of 54 participants took part in Sessions 1-3, with 18 completing session 4. We used electroencephalography (EEG) to assess cognitive load during essay writing, and analyzed essays using NLP, as well as scoring essays with the help from human teachers and an AI judge. Across groups, NERs, n-gram patterns, and topic ontology showed within-group homogeneity. EEG revealed significant differences in brain connectivity: Brain-only participants exhibited the strongest, most distributed networks; Search Engine users showed moderate engagement; and LLM users displayed the weakest connectivity. Cognitive activity scaled down in relation to external tool use. In session 4, LLM-to-Brain participants showed reduced alpha and beta connectivity, indicating under-engagement. Brain-to-LLM users exhibited higher memory recall and activation of occipito-parietal and prefrontal areas, similar to Search Engine users. Self-reported ownership of essays was the lowest in the LLM group and the highest in the Brain-only group. LLM users also struggled to accurately quote their own work. While LLMs offer immediate convenience, our findings highlight potential cognitive costs. Over four months, LLM users consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic, and behavioral levels. These results raise concerns about the long-term educational implications of LLM reliance and underscore the need for deeper inquiry into AI's role in learning.

New study on the effects of LLM use:
Quote:
"LLM users also struggled to accurately quote their own work. […] Over four months, LLM users consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic, and behavioral levels."

Why did I read this meme in Mitch Hedberg voice?

This is why disabled people have been begging you to mask up for years.

This is why we’ve said that mask bans pose a threat to our survival.

This is why we don’t want folks to say ICE agents are “wearing masks”.

Society is being conditioned to see masking as “bad”.

It will kill us.

do US liberals go into hibernation during democrat administrations or something. the ferguson protests happened under obama & last year under biden we saw police attacking student gaza protestors all the time

Common Misconceptions about COVID Hold Strong as New Variant Spreads Media has the public talking about the "razor blade" COVID variant, but years of inaccurate public health messaging have taken their toll

Unfortunately people are still talking about it because it's still running rampant. Hundreds are still dying every week from it and thousands more are becoming disabled due to long covid. If you think you haven't had covid, it's probably just because you stopped testing for it.

It says a lot about where we’re at in this country that a beloved voice actor was murdered by his homophobic neighbor and every headline is still running passive defense for his killer, doing everything not to call this hate crime what it was. These are scary times. RIP to Jonathan Joss.

Windsor McCay is the artist.

I've always loved how Little Nemo uses color. Great mix of bold/deep over soft pastels.