How heartening, in polarized times, that people are coming together in opposition to pricey energy facilities. @theonion.com

"Pronouns used to be a funny joke, Hank. Until the government tried to tell me I couldn't use them anymore. So now I'm adamant about making sure trans people are gendered right. Not for their sake. But because I'll be damned if the US government is going to tell me what words I can and can't use."

We just added 15 more artists to the Hire Human Artists directory! 💪 We're working our way through the current batch of 100 as fast as we can! #HHA

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Looking for an artist for your next project? Our human artist directory is full of over 400 artists who have pledged not to use gen AI.

hirehumanartists.com

SCREEN Act, which would have required mandatory age-verification for sites (like this) that allow "material harmful to minors" failed to pass out of committee after thousands and thousands of people called their Senators. More work ahead!

Alison Boden@alisonboden.bsky.social · 11h ago

The SCREEN Act just failed to pass in the Senate Commerce Committee! 🎉 Enormous thanks to the thousands (!!) of you who told your Senators to vote no! Your voice matters and you should feel good that you made a difference. Obviously, the fight isn't over, but this was an important victory.

Oh my god I think I found the video.

CSketch@csketch.bsky.social · yesterday

My ex best friends were very important to me, like brothers. They still are a big important part of my life. But I sure as hell don't interact with them or give them any of my money because they turned out to be horrible people who have done wrong to me and others. HP fans need to move on.

🪲johnny🪲@gatorpond.bsky.social · yesterday

"but harry potter was so important to me-" with love and light and all respect, grow up. you can love something and not venerate it. you can say "i really liked these" and not spend your entire life obsessed with it. they're half-assed okay written children's books, man. read better books.

What's more nefarious than age-verification? The chilling effect on platforms. The threat of prosecution is likely enough to get a lot of retailers to end sales of politically "harmful" categories entirely. No more fantasy, no more sex education, no more LGBTQ+ resources. That's the real goal.

And for the really bad news? They've put a target on VPNs. Sites are required to identify (and age-verify) any US citizen, regardless of whether they're using a VPN. In fact, the default is to get the ID and biometrics of EVERYONE unless you can somehow prove their not a US citizen.

Mike Stabile@mikestabile.bsky.social · 2d ago

"VPNs are a privacy and security tool used by millions of internet users every day, and their use should not be treated as suspect. It is particularly galling that the SCREEN Act forces users who intentionally take steps to protect their privacy to identify themselves."

Even worse, it gets enforced by conservative state AGs (who previous threatened Target for selling Pride merchandise to children) AND the Trump FTC, which is absolutely salivating to have this power.

But I can't stress enough, this is NOT in good faith. "Parents should know if their children are being taught gender ideology, and you can make sure that they do. The government has a profound interest in protecting children from adult content."

Senator Jim Banks Is Pushing the FCC to Flag LGBTQ Content on TV

Senator Banks urges FCC to label LGBTQ content on TV to protect children from radical gender ideology.

townhall.com

And that's if you're even playing in good faith. Across the country, prosecutors are arguing that anything LGBTQ+ counts as "harmful to minors."

Mike Stabile@mikestabile.bsky.social · last wk.

"Our Governor just signed legislation that protects children from accessing adult material online. This event mocks the very protections so many have fought for by exposing preschoolers to adult material that is not only inappropriate, but far beyond their level of cognitive development." The book:

... Or for that matter Amazon. Or Bookshop, Audible or Wal*Mart, since they sell erotica, romantasy, lube or music with explicit lyrics. It even be limited to those accessing that content. Want a new sponge ... or some Hannah Arendt? Get ready to scan your face and upload government ID.

The SCREEN Act is not just another age-verification bill — it goes much further than anything passed at the state-level or in other countries. 1. The bill doesn't just target porn sites. It goes after *any* site that allows material "harmful" to minors. You'd have to scan your face to use Google.

What can you do? CALL. WRITE. SCREAM. The bill is up for a vote THIS WEDNESDAY. Call your Senator. Dem. Republican. Whomever. Right now, it's a solid R bill, but they're looking for Dems to take it across the finish line. Let them know how badly it stinks. www.defendonlineprivacy.com/screen/

Defend Online Privacy: Stop the SCREEN Act!

The Senate Commerce Committee will vote on the SCREEN Act on August 5. ACT NOW to stop it!

defendonlineprivacy.com

Actually gonna defend my alma mater here. This course track has a lot of great business/com/marketing fall back options for when the people who realize Influencing won't be for them. When I was a Communication major here in 2015-16 there was already a lot of emphasis on "new media" like this.

Luke Steuber@coolhand.bsky.social · 4d ago

I’m with the boomers on this one. Burn it all down

Queen Victoria! #BB28

When will Angela turn her eye of Sauron onto Chogmu #bb28

this guy gets it

It was rainy yesterday at the Corgi Races, but Wyllgi still took home another First Place win!!

airbnb I’m staying at unintentionally created the toughest punk album cover of 2027

Over 26 years of Big Brother, the biggest thing that remains consistent is this idea: Painting yourself as a hero/villainizing people you're going after. I imagine it's a way to make you feel the moves you make are necessary. But it's IMO the most interesting psychological aspect of the show #BB28

casualties of language

For the record when you ignore them coming for kinks you don't care for this is always the end result. No one should get to decide what is porn cuz it ain't EVER gonna line up with what any normal person would call porn.

Sam Cole@samleecole.bsky.social · 5d ago

a bunch of popular ASMR artists lost their channels forever this week, after YouTube cited them for violating terms against "sexually gratifying" content: www.404media.co/youtube-asmr...

All I wanted to do was relax and play waterpark sim and the power decides to go out instead :/

I'M BACK AT IT AGAIN with another Fursona Species Census for 2026! Form closes automatically at December 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM GMT New this year: CHARACTER COLOURS Survey: forms.gle/pYY7CQ2sbe9p... Results: docs.google.com/spreadsheets... #furry

God so much AI slop has the exact overall feel of a nightmare where nothing scary is necessarily happening but you feel awful and wake up extremely anxious and feel off kilter all day