Cory Doctorow: Instead of retaliatory tariffs, US trade partners should repeal anti-circumvention laws that protect US tech monopolies. “Indeed, repealing anticircumvention is a frontal assault on the firms whose CEOs ringed Trump on the inauguration dais.” jacobin.com
Musk gets his political philosophy from a 100-year-old antisemitic and racist movement called Technocracy, which advocated replacing governments with engineers and scientists. Musk’s grandfather was a leading Technocrat who moved to South Africa because he thought apartheid was grand. nytimes.com
Elections Aren’t About Compromise— They’re About Power… Let the Consultants Burn: Democrats' fear of identity politics and wokeness convinces nonwhite voters that Democrats don’t care about them and that’s how Democrats lose. downwithtyranny.com
Crossing the U.S. Border? Here’s How to Protect Yourself theintercept.com/2025/03/2…
Gen Z is flocking to Tumblr. businessinsider.com. I’ve been on Tumblr since 2009 and I’m still active today. That makes me either “forever young” or “a creepy old guy.” I’m going to go with “creepy old guy.”
The original Star Wars is back – but what if George Lucas is right about it not being much good? Lucas said the original 1977 version was half a movie and preferred the 1997 digital remaster. theguardian.com
I was 16 when I saw “Star Wars” in 1977 in the theaters. It blew me away.
RIP Jean Marsh, who created and starred in “Upstairs, Downstairs.” She was born into the working class. “If you were very working class in those days, you weren’t going to think of a career in science,” she said in 1972. “You either did a tap dance or you worked in Woolworth’s.” nytimes.com
"How to Be a Happy 85-Year-Old (Like Me)."
Life advice from octogenarian Roger Rosenblatt at the New York Times:
2. Make young friends.
For older folks, there is nothing more energizing than the company of the young. They’re bright, enthusiastic, informative and brimming with life, and they do not know when you’re telling them lies.
Also:
6. Everyone’s in pain.
If you didn’t know that before, you know it now. People you meet casually, those you’ve known all your life, the ones you’ll never see – everyone’s in pain. If you need an excuse for being kind, start with that.
A lovely, wise and funny essay.
Do me a favor please: If you’re reading this on Mastodon, please reply. Late Friday afternoon, I migrated my Mastodon account (which is, or was, @mitchw@mastodon.social) to my MIcro.blog blog (@MitchW@mitchw.blog).
But I’m not sure if it worked.
So please let me know if you see this message on Mastodon, and also please let me know if you recall whether you followed me on @mitchw@mastodon.social or @MitchW@mitchw.blog.
Thanks!
Bluesky’s Quest to Build Nontoxic Social Media. newyorker.com. Kyle Chayka writes an in-depth profile of Bluesky CEO Jay Graeber.