Artificial Intelligence tools, especially those that generate pictures and images from a prompt, along with synthetic voices that mimic human narrators, have become a hot topic in the indie author world this year. As an author, I've had these tools pushed at me continually. Google, Apple, and Amazon have invited me to have a synthetic narrator read my books. Software firms are pushing “writing” software that uses large language models to generate paragraphs or even entire chapters based on a prompt. Many independent cover designers and authors have taken to using tools like Midjourney to create illustrations and images.

It. Is. Everywhere.

Large corporations view these tools as a way of making labor more efficient. (MBA speak for eliminating jobs). For software companies, these tools are a source of revenue. Creative people, including writers, may view AI tools as a way of getting access to things they otherwise couldn't afford. For example, I can't afford to hire a professional narrator without losing money on every book, but I could make a synthetic audiobook for free. Thus all sides of the industry, from the powerful CEO to the small fry, will find no shortage of incentives to use AI.

And there's a difference between legality and ethics. AI tools may or may not be legal; we're still waiting for the courts to sort that out. Yet the ethical implications trouble me. Most (if not all) generative AI tools were developed by ingesting huge numbers artistic works without permission or compensation. Unscrupulous technologists like to use the word “learning” to de-fang what they are doing here, but it's doublespeak. When most of us think “learning,” we conceptualize the word in a human context. It's as if these people are saying: This technology is just a little boy! You wouldn't prevent a little boy from learning, would you? Only software isn't a person any more than a corporation is. Mass scraping of artistic works for the use of a corporation to create tools designed to replace human labor isn't “learning.” Double-meanings only serve to obfuscate what is truly happening, and I choose not to be fooled by that baloney.

I also have a strong emotional reaction to these technologies. For me, art is about human expression, and to strip away that human core is a deeply icky prospect. People who throw a prompt into a box to get an idea are not creating those ideas. People who jot down a bullet point and have software write a paragraph of description for them are not writers, not even if they swap a word or two. I'm sorry to report that I'm not a chef because I popped a frozen burrito in the microwave. Not even if I drizzle some delicious hot sauce on top. Others may disagree with my opinions, and such is life, but I'm not interested in debating what is evident to me, deep down in my bones. Nor am I going to knock on anyone's door to bully them. But I don't have one whit of interest in what these people produce.

Others are free to do as they like. But I have to wonder: Why don't you care about other people?

To be an artist (or a human, really) is to exist in an ecosystem. Over the last thirty years too many of us have shrugged as “innovations” scoop out the pulsing center of our communities. We shopped at the corporate mega store instead of the neighborhood shop run by the guy we knew, and we shrugged at self checkout, allowing our consciences to be soothed by the empty promises to retrain those cashiers. I know I did. I've been way too complacent about this shit. Now, AI companies want to replace not just human artists, but people working the drive through, and office workers, and the gods-know who else.

I can already hear some designer-jeans wearing apologist shouting from a distance: We're not replacing anyone! We're helping!

Hmm. Helping whom, exactly?

Even if you think the technology is swell, even if you have no moral objection to the way it was made, do you not care that the people you're displacing have nowhere else to go? Tech CEOs will mutter about things like Universal Basic Income, maybe, but that's a dodge, a set of magic words thrown into the air. If you actually cared about that solution, you'd put it in place before you gave ten thousand jobs to fancy autocomplete and kicked your workers onto the street.

Why don't we care about other people? I mean, a professional narrator would put my books in the red, so I'm not hiring one, but I can still care about narrators. I can't always afford a cover artist, but I can DIY my covers rather than buy cheap, AI-produced art built on the backs of artists I've never met. Every use of synthetic voices and generated imagery serves to normalize and strengthen the means of our peers' destruction, doesn't it? And remember, these companies could have built their models with permission. They could have asked. But I think they knew what the answer would be, and when it comes to exploitation, the morally bankrupt never ask. They take. And they count on the rest of us to gleefully snap up the first few rounds of freebies that result, making us compliant participants in the destruction of our own ecosystem.

And yet... we can care about each other! It's a thing we're allowed to do. In a sense, it's the only power we have. It is possible to see a technology and say to ourselves “Yeah, the cons outweigh the pros, right now.” AI pushers want us to believe that wide adoption of this shit is inevitable, but that's the grand mythos of the “disruptive” tech firm. First, you believe the overwhelming narrative that says you have no power, and then you go along quietly. They're very, very good at this.

Also, (please allow me a side-note here) when it comes to outsourcing my writing to fancy autocomplete, I have to ask: Why in the heck would I? Why would I outsource my joy? I'd no more outsource my writing, my craft, than I would buy a piece of software to love my family for me, or to hug my husband for me, or to attend a friend's party for me. Art is connection. Art is struggle. Art is love.

I realize that there will always be those who view a painting or a story or a piece of music solely as a consumer product, a widget to be produced at the lowest cost. That mindset is endemic in the “Get Rich in Self Publishing” movement, replete with an endless parade of talks on how to create “minimum viable products” or “low content books” and master the dark arts of Amazon Ads to click your way to success. Meanwhile, those pushing AI tools to authors try to muddy the waters by claiming that all spell checkers are AI, and so are assistive devices for the disabled, and therefore you're already doing it, right? WHY ARE YOU SO AFRAID OF PROGRESS, TECHNOPHOBES? IT'S ONLY $39.95 A MONTH TO MAKE YOUR WRITING DREAMS COME TRUE. Only a fool expects truth from the mouth of a snake, and here we indie authors are, together in the pit among the hissing hordes, surrounded.

Ugh, I say.

Alas, I'm not here to tell anyone what to do. I can only share how this shit-show makes me feel. And here's where I've landed, personally:

I won't use AI tools to generate text or images. When sourcing stock images to use for my covers, I'll try to find those that were made by a human, although it can be difficult to tell the difference as things aren't labeled, and I'll probably get it wrong sometimes. When I hire a cover artist, I'll ask that they not use any AI images, and I'll avoid those that focus on the stuff. Also, I won't use synthetic voices. I think the bar for any AI-driven technology needs to be, minimum, was your tool built with consent from the contributors. Beyond that, I'd also like people in my industry to be able to afford rent, thank you very much. My writing doesn't make much money, so these choices will mean more hassle for me, and not being able to have things that other authors have, and that's okay. I can live with that.

My big worry? What happens when distributors start forcing these things on small time authors? But I suppose I'll deal with the future when it arrives.

We're all familiar with the dark side of the human condition. Our penchant for weakness. Some people are so eager for a shortcut that they don't care who gets exploited or left behind along the way. It's easier to remain ignorant, always. To get ours, and to let the details work themselves out. I'm not immune to stupid, selfish decisions. I don't always get things right, and I'm just muddling my way through, like everyone else. How will technology change the arts, in years to come? I don't know, but I know what writing means to me, and I hope to keep on doing it with integrity.

Anyway, these are my thoughts about Generative AI in the arts. Best of luck as you formulate your own.

#publishing

She was in Logan's room. They were watching videos on the tiny television of people trying ridiculous stunts, their bodies flying through the air, the film cut before impact so you never saw any broken bones or blood, no faces in pain, just anticipation.

Meghan looked at her phone, sad emoji face arrived

What's wrong chica

Jere

Oh no old man make jane sad

Yeah

She paused, it wasn't like Cindy to let her make jokes about his age.

I need to deal with this, are you guys good to start without me?

She had leaned forward, curled over her phone, and Logan and Jeff made eye contact. Logan looked extremely stoned and Jeff was working on the bottle of vodka.

Nah

We can wait

Take your time, Jeff took a sip of his vodka.

Cool, I'll try to make this quick, she scooched herself out of his bed, dragging her ass by bending her knees, pushing off with her hands, so she went straight toward the television and stepped onto the messy floor, she heard something crunch and looked down, corn nuts and a pretzel stick.

In the bathroom she wrote back, what's going on

I don't know this is getting to me

She shared a photo, it was a cropped section of a picture Jere had sent, his forehead and the corner of his eye, lots of lines and wrinkles, looking very red, bad lighting, hair frizzy like he just got out of the shower or the end of a long day.

What am I looking at

He's fifty

So

She waited for a reply and looked around the dirty bathroom. Strands of hair from different people clung to everything, wet at one point and now like a strange cobweb stretched over the grime. It smelled like shaving cream.

She opened her note app and wrote, what are you shaving, Logan?

Cindy replied, I can't get it out of my head, every time I think about him I see it in my mind, he sends me photos and it is so obvious, he is so much older, then she sent a string of characters before the end of the message.

Yeah but he knows gossip girl

True

And he nutted

We both did

In you

A smiling emoji. Still bugs me. Sad eyes emoji.

So what do you want to do

I don't know but it kind of feels like ick

Not the ick

•

Maeghan returned to the room and they were staring at their phones.

Sorry, phone is off now

She pulled off her shirt and stood there in her bra, they continued to peck away at their phones.

Hello, ready to fuck here

Logan looked up and his smile melted, his face grew serious as his eyes went from her cleavage down her legs and then back up to her eyes and then her hair and shoulders, settling back on her chest.

Nice

Jeff pressed the sleep button on his phone and looked at Logan then over to Maeghan who was within arm's reach, she was undoing her pants now, shifting casually from foot to foot as she stepped out of her shoes.

Oh hi, he said

She put her hands on either side of his body, her face close to his, she could smell the vodka. She pulled one leg up and over so she didn't have to put her sock foot on the floor.

She straddled Jeff and looked at Logan, get my socks.

He put his phone on the dresser and began to crawl around and prepare for the task.

And put them on your phone, I don't want them on the floor they're nice.

They are nice, he said.

Foot fetish much

He ignored her and began pawing at her foot.

She leaned in and kissed Jeff on the mouth, began working at his lips until she had his tongue in her mouth and his hands were on her breasts.

Logan was tugging at her underpants when they stopped kissing and she lay down between them, they helped her take them off.

She pointed at Logan, get naked and put on the condom.

Jeff was kneeling by the bed, once his shirt was off he leaned over to kiss her hips and began working his way lower, his hands between her thighs.

Friday 19/Apr/2024

Prayers, etc.: • 05:00 – Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel • 06:00 – the Angelus • 07:10 – The SORROWFUL MYSTERIES of the Holy Rosary. Followed by The Memorare. • 07:30 – Lubbers And FrancisCatholics Are Everywhere, Not 'Dangerous Christians' – Canon212 • 08:45 -Thought for today from Archbishop Lefebvre: We have to pray. Let us be careful not to chip away at our specific prayer times; but whether we pray in common as a family, or whether we pray alone, let us put ourselves in that atmosphere of continuous prayer, which is going to put us in union with God constantly. • 12:00 – the Angelus • 18:00 – the Angelus • 20:00 – The hour of Compline for tonight according to the Traditional Pre-Vatican II Divine Office, followed by Fr. Chad Rippberger's Prayer of Command to protect my family, my sons, my daughter and her family, my granddaughters and their families, my great grandchildren, and everyone for whom I have responsibility from any demonic activity. – And that followed by the Friday Prayers of the Association of the Auxilium Christianorum.

Health Metrics: • bw= 220.50 lbs. • bp= 135/71 (64)

Diet: • 06:00 – 1 banana, ½ pb&j sandwich, 2 chocolate chip cookies • 10:00 – applesauce & cottage cheese • 15:00 – Mongolian Beef lunch plate, steamed rice, rangoon • 17:00 – 1 glazed donut • 18:00 – snacking on chocolate chunk cookies throughout the evening

Chores, etc.: • 05:00 – listen to local news talk radio • 06:30 – bank accounts activity monitored • 08:15 – Curb Stomp the IRS – Steve Green's Right Angle • 11:15 – prep for my afternoon eye doc appointment • 13:13 – eye doc apt. • 14:30 to 16:15 – take Sylvia out to eat at favorite restaurant • 17:00 – watch local news and weather • 17:30 – tuned in to 105.3 the Fan for the Rangers Pregame Show, and I'll stay on this station to listen to their game vs the Braves which follows immediately.

Chess: • 09:15 – moved in all pending CC games • 10:30 – registered for a USCF e-quad tourney

posted Friday 19/Apr/2024 ~21:10 #DLAPR2024

As Friday evening approaches I'm listening to the Texas Rangers Pregame Show; the Rangers night game vs the Atlanta Braves follows immediately and I'll be staying with this station to hear the call of the game.

Had my final post cataract surgery appointment with the eye doctor this afternoon and was pleased to get the news that my eyes look fine and healthy. He scheduled our next appointment for six months out. He wrote a prescription for my next pair of glasses to make my vision even better than it is now. Then I took that script over to his optician and chose my new frames along with options I wanted for the lenses. He said I should be able to pick them up in about two weeks.

posted Friday, Apr 19, 2024 at ~5:45 PM #QNAPR2024

I had some bad dreams last night, and I guess I've been just not feeling too good for a while. Right now I'm feeling pretty sad about S and L. I feel like they're both way closer to each other than me, and I feel kinda pushed away. But maybe that push is just my depression. I can't help but think about the things they do together that I've asked them about or tried to do and it's always failed. I'm also thinking about the several times they've talked about videos they send each other while I miss out. L also didn't have my contact saved after I had asked a few times. They also don't really ever send me things that happen for them, like S got their piercing and didn't even mention it till a few days later. I feel a lot of shame when I want to share things or want to tell them things because the feeling doesn't seem mutual. And that hurts me a lot more than id like to admit. I find myself wanting to pull away, as I just keep getting the feeling like they don't see me the way I see them. It feels like I'm not someone they think about, but more as a friend out of convenience. I don't know what to do if I'm honest.

C’est #VendrediLiens, alors voici quelques liens que je souhaite partager avec vous cette semaine.

#Consommation #Economie #EconomieSociale #Environnement #Feminisme #Genre #Savoirs #Santé

Le TIESS veut contribuer au développement territorial par le transfert de connaissances en outillant les organismes d’économie sociale et solidaire afin qu’ils puissent faire face aux enjeux de société de façon innovante et transformer leurs pratiques. Pour voir ce que ça veut dire concrètement, rendez-vous dans la section Projets de leur site. TIESS territoires innovants en économie sociale et solidaire

Du 1er au 7 avril, c'était la semaine de la santé durable. Il est possible de revoir chacune des conférences qui ont eu lieu tout au long de cette semaine dont le thème était Ensemble pour la réduction de la maladie. Pour chacune des activités (il y en a 20), il faut cliquer sur Visionner la conférence au bas de la description. Semaine de la santé durable 2024

L'Union des consommateurs est un organisme à but non lucratif qui regroupe 14 groupes de défense des droits des consommateurs. La mission d’Union des consommateurs est de promouvoir et de défendre les droits des consommateurs, en prenant en compte de façon particulière les intérêts des ménages à revenu modeste. Plusieurs publications sur divers aspects de la consommation sur leur site, ainsi que les liens vers les ACEF et autres associations membres. Union des consommateurs

Le Dictionnaire du genre en traduction est le fruit d’un travail collectif mené dans le cadre du réseau de recherche international (IRN) World Gender : Traductions culturelles et politiques du genre et des études de genre. Il y a peu de mots ou concepts pour le moment, mais ça semble prometteur. Cherchez, par exemple, le concept «marketing de genre» ou le mot «mère». Dictionnaire du genre en traduction

Coopérative intellectuelle, lieu de débat et atelier du savoir, La Vie des Idées veut être un réseau de compétences qui dépasse les frontières géographiques et croise les champs disciplinaires, tout en cherchant à rester accessible au plus grand nombre. La consultation du site et l’abonnement aux lettres d’information sont entièrement gratuits. Dommage qu'il n'y ait pas de fil rss. La Vie des idées

La métaphore du Donut conçue par l’économiste britannique Kate Raworth est une visualisation simple des conditions sociales et écologiques qui sous-entendent le bien-être humain collectif, écrit en introduction à son texte sur la théorie du Donut de Kate Raworth l'économiste et géologue Anna Le Faouder de la Convention des Entreprises pour le Climat (CEC). Repenser l’économie, pour parvenir à répondre aux besoins humains de base et la préservation de l’environnement. La théorie du Donut : une boussole pour les décideurs du XXIème siècle

Bon weekend!

I once saw on TV or in a book or something of someone having a coffee machine in the bathroom, and it was obviously full of poo germs and laden with invisible feces molecules.

I would like to have a cappuccino machine. Fancy people drink cappuccino from the type of cup which is shaped like a half sphere with a tiny little ear you can’t even stick your pinkie finger through.

I don’t want a machine with pods of aluminium and that shit, that’s not right at all. It smells of vendor lock-in!! Of a coffee machine?? A real heavy one like the Italians have. Like a furniture utensil.

It’s not that I can’t afford one, I could buy me ten of them gaggia machines, it’s that I’ve got nowhere to put them, cause the kitchen is full of stuff already, and everywhere is full of stuff.

I shall have to run a deep defragmentation of my home to make it all fit, cause I’m not gonna do like that person, I don’t want a feces laden coffe maker.

La décoration scandinave, connue pour son minimalisme épuré et son utilisation astucieuse de la lumière, a conquis de nombreux cœurs à travers le monde. Mais que se passe-t-il lorsque cette esthétique nordique rencontre l'héritage artisanal chaleureux des tapis berbères ? Une fusion magique d'élégance moderne et de tradition intemporelle émerge, apportant une nouvelle dimension à nos intérieurs.

L'Essence de la Décoration Scandinave :

La décoration scandinave est synonyme de fonctionnalité, de simplicité et de lumière naturelle. Les intérieurs adoptent souvent une palette de couleurs neutres, dominée par des tons blancs, gris et beige, éclairés par des touches de bois clair. Les lignes épurées des meubles et les espaces ouverts créent une ambiance aérée et paisible.

La Richesse des Tapis Berbères :

En revanche, les tapis berbères, véritables trésors de l'artisanat traditionnel nord-africain, apportent une chaleur organique et une profondeur culturelle à tout espace. Tissés à la main par les tribus berbères du Maroc, ces tapis sont souvent ornés de motifs géométriques audacieux et de nuances terreuses, reflétant l'histoire et le mode de vie nomade de leurs créateurs.

L'Harmonie de la Fusion:

L'association de ces deux univers de décoration peut sembler inattendue, mais elle crée une harmonie visuelle et sensorielle captivante. Les tapis berbères introduisent une texture luxueuse et une touche de couleur subtile dans les intérieurs scandinaves, tout en préservant l'équilibre et la simplicité caractéristiques de cette esthétique.

Conseils pour Intégrer des Tapis Berbères dans un Intérieur Scandinave :

Contraste Doux:

Optez pour des tapis berbères aux motifs et aux couleurs qui contrastent doucement avec la palette neutre de votre espace scandinave. Les tons terreux comme le beige, le brun et le gris clair se marient particulièrement bien avec le blanc et le bois clair. Superposition Subtile: Pour un effet visuel intéressant, superposez un tapis berbère sur un sol en bois ou en béton. Cette superposition crée une zone de confort et ajoute de la texture à votre pièce, tout en conservant une ambiance légère et aérée.

Accentuation Artistique:

Utilisez un tapis berbère comme pièce maîtresse de votre décoration. Placez-le sous une table basse ou au centre d'un salon pour attirer le regard et ajouter une touche d'art et de culture à votre espace. Équilibre Subtil: Veillez à maintenir un équilibre visuel entre les éléments scandinaves et les tapis berbères. Évitez de surcharger l'espace avec trop de motifs ou de couleurs, et laissez chaque élément respirer pour créer une atmosphère sereine et accueillante.

L'astuce en bref : En mariant la simplicité raffinée de la décoration scandinave avec la richesse artisanale des tapis berbères, on obtient une fusion harmonieuse qui célèbre à la fois le minimalisme contemporain et l'héritage culturel. Cette combinaison offre un refuge chaleureux et élégant où l'on peut se détendre, se ressourcer et se connecter avec le monde qui nous entoure, tout en voyageant à travers le temps et l'espace.

The Weekly Lifestyle Blog by Lydia, every Friday at 1700 hrs. Nr 96 19th April 2024 Lydia's Weekly Lifestyle blog is for today's African girl, so no subject is taboo. My purpose is to share things that may interest today's African girl.

This week's contributors: Lydia, Pépé Pépinière, and Titi, this week's subjects: The Intersection of Fashion, Urinary tract infections (UTIs), Funny Fashion, and Dubai.

The Intersection of Fashion: European Influence and African Resilience. The decline of European fashion in Africa. The Future: A Global Stage: African Fashion on European Runways: While challenges persist, African designers are making waves globally. Their designs grace international runways, challenging stereotypes and redefining beauty norms. Naomi Campbell's call for an African Vogue magazine underscores the need to showcase the continent's contributions to the global fashion industry. Naomi Campbell Post-Covid-19 Shifts: The pandemic accelerated digital transformation, and African customers have embraced online shopping. As delivery restrictions eased, online sales surged, reflecting changing consumer behavior. African fashion is poised to thrive in this new landscape, bridging continents and celebrating diversity. A Harmonious Blend: European fashion may have left its imprint on Africa, but the continent's resilience and creativity continue to shape the industry. As African designers weave their stories into fabrics, they remind us that fashion transcends borders—it's a universal language that celebrates heritage, innovation, and the human spirit. So, let us celebrate the fusion of European influence and African authenticity, for it is in this intersection that the true magic of fashion unfolds.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) affect about 16% of Ghanaian women (one out of 6) and are mainly caused by bacteria entering the urinary tract. The most common culprit is Escherichia coli (E.coli) which, like Klebsiella pneumonia, is usually found in the digestive system and is mainly contracted when using public toilets, but also from washing the anus first and the vagina after, or anal touching during sex. Other bacteria such as Staphylococcus saprophyticus (found in the environment) can also cause UTIs. Poor hygiene and sexual activity may contribute, but urinary tract abnormalities, menopause, and some birth control methods can also play a role. Common symptoms include a frequent urge to urinate, pain or a burning sensation during urination, cloudy or strong-smelling urine, lower abdominal pain or discomfort, feeling tired or shaky, fever, or chills. Staying hydrated (resulting in regularly urinating, i.e. washing the urinary tract clean), practicing good hygiene (but not by using aggressive soaps and other such feminine products), urinating before and after sexual activity, and wearing breathable underwear like cotton slips rather than nylon or polyester helps to avoid UTI. Untreated UTIs can cause kidney infections. UTI alone does not cause infertility among women but PID (pelvic inflammation disease) due to recurrent urinary tract infection can hamper conception chances. Even in men, UTI can cause infertility. Practicing good hygiene: Gynecologists will confirm that the majority of vaginal problems are a result of excessive hygiene. Your vagina has its own way of protecting against infections or bad smells, disturbing this natural bacterial protection with a “Kill all' soap will upset the natural balance and open you up for infections. Use natural organic soaps without any of the unnecessary chemicals if you want to smell fresh. Using public toilets. Especially at school dormitories, it can be endemic, you treat it and the next day catch it again. What to do? First of all, flush the WC. Secondly, you could clean the toilet with a disinfectant. Or, have a small plastic bag and cut a hole in the bottom, cover your pubic area, pee in the bag let the urine fall into the WC, and throw the bag away. Excessive? Decide for yourself. A bit of a visit to a doctor these days and some pills set you back an easy 400 GHS.

Funny Fashion from our Ibrahim Mahama travels from Tamale to London. This internationally acclaimed artist was recently commissioned to decorate the Barbican Centre in London. Unusually, he did not use old jute sacks but rather used woven fabrics made in the Tamale Sports Stadium by about a thousand people. Our local press already covered it, but I still wanted to mention some more details. The “installation” is titled “Purple Hibiscus” after Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s 2003 novel about domestic violence and religious zealotry in post-colonial Nigeria. Ibrahim chose pink to contrast with the typical grey London sky, and maybe to draw attention to our recently approved legislation which will make it illegal for anyone to identify as LGBTQ+.

Dubai is a big expensive children's park. The saying is that juvenile pregnancy is directly related to Kentucky Fried Chicken and iPhones. I would add Dubai for the slightly older. We see pictures of airplane wings on WhatsApp, yes she is going, and where the money came from remains a bit of a mystery. For what it costs, the ticket, the stay, and the entrance fees to the various playgrounds and other amusement options I think Dubai is overpriced and the quality of what is on offer is often overtaken in other places. I'd rather go on safari in east/south Africa, or to Zanzibar or Egypt or Morocco for the same money and do and see things which you cannot do anywhere else. Rollercoasters are available worldwide and now that there are fewer and fewer visa restrictions for us in Africa (maybe that's why we wanted to go to Dubai in the first place, Dubai was one of the few places away from here that welcomed us), I suggest you think twice about how you spend your money.

Lydia...

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Did you see the NXIVM documentary? The one where Mark looks like an asshole who doesn’t know he’s an asshole? JK—that’s all of them. Anyway, for those who haven’t watched, all the NXIVM documentaries detail how this pervert/grifter/malignant narcissist Keith Rainere cribbed a bunch of stuff from Scientology and started a self-help cult. It wound up with abuse and sex trafficking and Keith sleeping with every woman he could get into a room alone with.

But there were a lot of people who acknowledged that the cult had been, at least initially, helpful to them. (the methodology—figure out what in your past made you fucked up so you can stop being fucked up in that way—underlies a lot of therapeutic practice and isn’t, on its own, evil as long as you don’t weaponize people’s trauma against them, which of course NXIVM did).

An important part of the story is how in this, like in most cults, any problem a member has is put back on them. The program is perfect, so if you are having a problem, it’s your own fault.

At the end of one of these documentaries, a few devoted cultists are shown dancing on the sidewalk outside Keith Rainere’s cell in order to bring him joy. They know about the sex trafficking and the abuse and everything else, but they cannot bring themselves to believe that someone who had a positive influence in their lives could actually be terrible.

Which brings me to capitalism. So I’m in a weird position with my class identity—grew up broke and went to rich people’s schools, so I’m uncomfortable everywhere. Or, another way of saying it is I have the cultural capital of a rich person but not the actual capital.

My point here is that I know a lot of people with money. I’m not talking about ultra-rich…but people who don’t struggle financially. People, in other words, for whom the system of American capitalism has worked more or less as it was promised to—in middle age, they’ve sent kids to college, they own homes, they’re not buried under mountains of debt. We should all be so lucky!

But, of course, we’re not.

But, like the folks dancing outside Keith Rainere’s cell, many of these folks seem to have a hard time believing that the system that has so benefited them is actually bad.

They, like all of us, have had a lifetime of indoctrination into the cult of capitalism, but many of them have never had personal experience with the downsides. So, faced with the plethora of problems caused by capitalism, they conclude, as they’re supposed to, that the problem is we’re just not capitalisming hard enough. The program is flawless, so the problem must be with us.

And so they view every possible solution to problems through a capitalist lens. (Sometimes they call this “realism” or “pragmatism.”) Nobody can afford to buy or rent a home: the problem isn’t treating people’s homes as a profit center rather than a place to live! The problem is that we just haven’t built enough of these profit centers!

Climate change sure is a problem! Our problem! But if we just build enough electric cars and buy enough eco-friendly detergent from Instagram hucksters, we’ll solve this thing!

Income inequality seems like it’s getting worse—only social entrepreneurship can solve it! The problem isn’t corporate greed and runaway CEO pay—it’s access! If we can just get people without degrees into the workforce of financial institutions who engage in predatory lending, we’ll solve income inequality!

But the problem isn’t us. It’s the system. The system is working perfectly at what it is designed to do, which is squeeze profit out of everything— from your labor to your home to the planet we share—at the expense of all other considerations.

I know from having been a straight white guy my whole life that it is very difficult on a personal level to come to terms with the fact that systems that have benefited you have actively harmed others. That your personal success and comfort has actually come at the expense of other people’s success and comfort. This is a very uncomfortable thing to sit with.

This, unfortunately, doesn’t make it any less true.

As we figure out how to dig ourselves out of the mess we’re in, there will definitely need to be compromises—but we can’t solve problems until we’re honest about their causes.

I've been using Overcast on my iPhone to listen to podcasts for almost 10 years. However, recently I've been hearing good things about Apple's Podcast app, so I thought I would give it a try.

After using Podcasts for a little over a week, I switched back to Overcast today. I found Podcasts confusing and clunky to use compared to Overcast. While Overcast doesn't have transcripts of shows, on the rare occasion that I need a transcript for a podcast, I can always go to the Podcasts app to get it.