Brian Beach has moved @bwbeach@qoto.org

ALWAYS BET ON WORKERS

After minimum-wage hike, California has more fast food workers than ever

https://www.salon.com/2024/08/26/proving-them-wrong-after-raising-minimum-wage-california-has-more-fast-jobs-than-ever/

Okay, I finally got too annoyed about idiot MAGA zealots incorrectly using the words “coup” and “Marxist” while insisting that “America is a republic, NOT a democracy” and wrote about why such abuse of the English language is both stupid and dangerous. https://www.forkingpaths.co/p/maga-corruptions-of-the-english-language

Allowing police officers to submit LLM-written reports reveals a remarkable misunderstanding of what LLMs do, a profound indifference to the notion of integrity in the communications of law enforcement with the justice system, or both.

Given how readily subject to suggestion human witnesses—including police officers—are known to be, this is a disaster.

Yes, police reports aren't always the most accurate, but introducing an additional layer of non-accountability is bad.

https://apnews.com/article/ai-writes-police-reports-axon-body-cameras-chatgpt-a24d1502b53faae4be0dac069243f418

#USPol #PSA which I am going to repeat periodically until election day (boosts appreciated for reach)...
If you care about a functioning democracy and don't want to be an asshole, please do not write in joke candidates on your ballot.
No one ever sees those votes except a couple people at city hall and the clerk who has to count all the write-ins, forcing all the tired election workers at the poll to stay later.
Please, vote for a real candidate or leave it blank.
Thank you.
#voting #BeKind

Worth a read.

Gift link.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/21/opinion/trump-second-term-2025.html?unlocked_article_code=1.E04.xXOd.JwLDA8QJwwLM&smid=url-share

Pedestrian deaths have risen alongside the height of vehicle hoods.

Dems will support this leg., but will reckless, FF-loving Rs vote for any changes to the oversized vehicles?

Oversized trucks & SUVs "create danger for everybody else on the street bc of their mass & of their height, whether you're walking or biking or inside a smaller car."

Lawmakers are expected to introduce a bill that'd require fed standards for hood height & visibility to protect pedestrians-.

https://www.npr.org/2024/08/23/nx-s1-5084276/pedestrian-protection-bill-bigger-cars-trucks

The #plastics industry has heralded a type of #chemical #recycling it claims could replace new shopping bags and candy wrappers with recycled ones — but not much is being recycled at all, and this method won’t curb the #plastic crisis.

#News #Video #Environment #EPA #Business #Oil #Chemicals #Government

https://youtu.be/06wOoPngOwM?feature=shared

As I told Axios, Governor Walz and Second Gentleman Emhoff represent "tonic masculinity, the antidote to toxic masculinity."
https://www.axios.com/2024/08/24/walz-trump-emhoff-masculinity-fatherhood

Spotted in #ottawa

Just sayin'.

Read this passage from ex-Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger at the #DNC:

"Some have questioned why I've taken the stand I have. The answer is simple: We must put country first. And tonight, as a Republican speaking before you, I'm putting our country first. Because the fact is—I do belong here. I know Kamala #Harris shares my allegiance to the rule of law, the Constitution, and democracy. And she is dedicated to upholding all three in service to our country. 1/

@jeffjarvis The threat has never been runaway AI “taking over” and deciding to kill humans; the danger has always been humans using automation to accelerate their own sociopathy and launder inhumane decisions…

Your regular reminder that you shouldn't just check your registration

https://vote.gov/

Email your loved ones and tell them to email everyone they know to check their registration.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/110442757

Michelle Obama is our mom giving us fierce upstander talk, getting us out of the damn bed, and telling us we know what we need to do.

Damn

I didn't really get why Walz and Harris were in Milwaukee tonight, but they were in the same convention center used for the RNC

DNC = RNC * 2

Frankly, very smart. Even if all ya'll can stay focused and we win this, there will still be grumbling about numbers.

This is an obvious demonstration of how they will dominate the popular vote. Now if only they can overcome the college.

Through VP Harris, "women can feel like they're laughing in the faces of the creeps and weirdoes who want to take away their freedom and happiness."
https://www.salon.com/2024/08/19/why-joy-matters-kamala-harris-hopes-happy-women-can-defeat-donald-and-magas-male-rage/

"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." –Justice Louis Brandeis

Words spoken many years ago that are just as relevant today.

We must continue the fight to get big money out of politics.

Say what you feel about being excited by electoral politics or partisan politics, but the roll call at the DNC always hits hard, as an idealized depiction of a diverse, forward moving society.

So may it be so beyond that arena, one day and soon.