March 2023 - cypherpunks@lists.ogf.org

Cryptocurrency: Mnemonics Often Forgotten, Hardware Wallets Die And Get Cracked
by grarpamp 14 Mar '23

14 Mar '23

The crypto community is accustomed to using mnemonic phrases and sees them as essential. We identified this as an issue from the very outset, as it raises the barrier to entry for beginners and heightens the risk of losing cryptocurrency. https://cointelegraph.com/news/how-a-new-cold-wallet-model-may-solve-the-mn… https:/tangem.com/ Memorized strings, of any type, are rarely up to 256-bit equivalency, and are easily forgotten. Hardware dies, and gets exploited. Simple brain patterns, as secret lookup keys into much deeper bit-equivalent spaces, serve and survive better.

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New Anti-Money Laundering Whistleblower Law Makes Economic Sanctions Violations Reportable - Export Controls & Trade & Investment Sanctions - United States
by Gunnar Larson 14 Mar '23

14 Mar '23

https://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/export-controls--trade--investment-sanc… To more effectively counter transnational corruption and economic sanctions evasion, recent changes to the U.S. anti-money laundering ("AML") whistleblower regime expand and reinforce whistleblower protections and rewards in the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970, as amended ("BSA").1 These changes to the BSA/AML whistleblower framework have significant implications, not only for "financial institutions" (as defined in the BSA) already subject to regulation under the BSA, but for all individuals and entities seeking to comply with U.S. economic sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury ("Treasury") Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC"). By expanding the scope of violations reportable under the BSA's whistleblower provision to include economic sanctions violations, the new AML whistleblower law seeks to provide U.S. law enforcement agencies with an influx of useful tips to help uncover criminal networks and track down hidden assets, including those used and held by sanctioned Russian oligarchs. Additional changes, such as establishing a mandatory minimum whistleblower payout in certain circumstances, provide greater incentives for insiders to come forward to report BSA/AML and economic sanctions violations. Given that similar U.S. whistleblower laws have proven very effective, especially in recent years, the number of suspected violations reported by whistleblowers is expected to increase rapidly.2 These changes have transformed the BSA's whistleblower provision from a seldom-used regime of little significance into U.S. law enforcement's latest tool for uncovering worldwide sanctions evasion. As such, it is imperative that businesses with AML or economic sanctions exposure understand the changes and reassess their corporate compliance programs to adapt to the latest developments and also to prepare for future modifications to the law. AML Whistleblower Improvement Act On December 29, 2022, President Biden signed the Anti-Money Laundering Whistleblower Improvement Act ("Whistleblower Improvement Act" or "the Act") into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023.3 The Whistleblower Improvement Act, which Congress passed unanimously on December 23, clarifies and expands on previous efforts to revamp the BSA/AML whistleblower regime, most notably, in the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 ("AMLA").4 The AMLA was a comprehensive piece of legislation aimed at strengthening protections against money laundering, terrorism financing, and other illegal activities. The AMLA is also responsible for establishing the majority of the current BSA/AML regime's features; however, the finishing touches were put on the BSA/AML whistleblower program by the Whistleblower Improvement Act.5 Importantly, the Act authorizes, in any "covered judicial or administrative action," the Secretary of the Treasury to pay a whistleblower award of "not less than 10 percent" and "not more than 30 percent, in total, of what has been collected of the monetary sanctions imposed," to a whistleblower (or group of whistleblowers) that "voluntarily" provides "original information" to the individual's employer, the Treasury Secretary, or the Attorney General, that results in a successful enforcement action with sanctions exceeding $1 million.6 Expanded Scope of Reportable Violations to Include Economic Sanctions Violations Perhaps the most significant change provided by the Act is changing the definition of a "covered judicial or administrative action" to include any action brought by the Secretary of the Treasury or the Attorney General that results in monetary sanctions exceeding $1 million under an expanded list of enumerated authorities.7 This list now covers the BSA as well as many of the legal authorities upon which U.S. economic sanctions are based, including the International Economic Emergency Powers Act ("IEEPA"), certain provisions of the Trading With the Enemy Act ("TWEA"), and the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act ("Kingpin Act").8 Accordingly, violations of these U.S. laws are now reportable violations under the BSA/AML whistleblower regime. Enhanced Monetary Incentives for Whistleblowers The Act strengthened the monetary incentives for whistleblowers by requiring that whistleblowers who voluntarily bring forward original information that leads to the imposition of sanctions exceeding $1 million be entitled to a minimum award of 10% and a maximum award of 30% of the financial penalties. Under the previous regime, no mandatory minimum whistleblower recovery provision existed, and prospective whistleblowers were understandably reluctant to come forward without the assurance of a future payday. Though the BSA/AML whistleblower regime established by the AMLA was modeled after the very successful Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") whistleblower program, it still lacked a few key components that were hindering its ability to provide evidence for U.S. law enforcement. Critically, the regime established by the AMLA lacked a mandatory minimum recovery provision and its own dedicated fund for whistleblower awards. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), a cosponsor of the Act who has played a hand in creating several U.S. whistleblower programs, explained that adding these two components will help "ensure whistleblowers who step up to expose money laundering and U.S. sanctions violations receive fair compensation."9 $300 million Financial Integrity Fund for Whistleblower Awards The Act established a revolving fund in the U.S. Treasury known as the Financial Integrity Fund. This fund will be used to pay awards to whistleblowers pursuant to the Act, without the need for further appropriation. Monetary sanctions collected by the Treasury Secretary or Attorney General will be deposited in or credited to the fund (unless the balance of the fund already exceeds $300 million). Establishing this $300 million fund motivates prospective whistleblowers to come forward by showing them the pool of money that has been set aside for whistleblower awards. The Act's changes to the BSA/AML whistleblower regime have already changed the volume of whistleblower submissions. Since the passage of the Act late last year, Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network has seen a surge in the number of whistleblower submissions, with more than 100 tips coming in over the course of just three weeks.10 This is a dramatic increase from the program's first two years, which netted only 100 total tips and made zero whistleblower payments.11 BSA/AML Whistleblower Protections The Act did not significantly alter any of the whistleblower protections already set forth in the AMLA. However, it is worth recalling the basic framework of whistleblower protection under the BSA/AML regime. The BSA is clear: employers may not directly or indirectly retaliate against an employee who provides information to certain designated entities in accordance with the law.12 Any individual who alleges discharge or other discrimination may seek relief by filing a complaint with the Secretary of Labor or, in certain circumstances, bringing action against the employer in the appropriate U.S. district court. If successful, relief may include reinstatement, double back pay with interest, and compensatory damages, including payment for litigation costs, expert witness fees, and attorneys' fees. Whistleblowers and Corporate Compliance Whistleblowers play an invaluable role in exposing misconduct in the workplace and promoting transparency and accountability throughout an organization. By calling out suspected wrongdoing, whistleblowers shine a light on shady practices that may otherwise go unnoticed, uninvestigated, and uncorrected. To ensure their disclosure will be protected, prospective whistleblowers should be aware of the applicable law before taking action. Conversely, businesses should be mindful of their obligations under the applicable law, which generally include a prohibition against punishing employees for making whistleblower complaints. By providing a supportive work environment for employees to report potential misconduct and demonstrating that whistleblower complaints will be taken seriously, businesses can transition from a "culture of secrecy," where fearful or apathetic employees are less likely to speak up and misconduct is allowed to fester, to a "culture of compliance," where mindful employees are empowered to act as the company's first line of defense who inform management of potential misconduct so it can be swiftly and appropriately remediated. Businesses should also make clear to their employees that reporting misconduct through internal channels will not result in retaliation. Employees who raise good faith allegations of misconduct are an asset to the company and should be treated as such. By taking internal complaints seriously and not punishing whistleblowers, businesses can incentivize employees to use internal reporting mechanisms, which can lead to fewer lawsuits and lower settlement costs in the long run. It is in the best interest of both employees and businesses to understand the legal landscape of whistleblower protection and to promote a culture of compliance through open and supportive communication channels. By doing so, everyone benefits from a safer and more transparent work environment. Conclusion When it comes to the new BSA/AML whistleblower regime, businesses with economic sanctions exposure should not overlook the increased whistleblower risks they likely now face including, in particular, the possibility of an insider disclosing information to the Treasury Secretary or Attorney General that may harm the company's interest. The prospect of a whistleblower threat may also impact a company's decision onwhether to submit a voluntary self-disclosure to OFAC or the U.S. Department of Justice. Accordingly, businesses with economic sanctions exposure may wish to review and improve their compliance programs to ensure their internal controls and reporting mechanisms are well-designed, risk-based, and effective in practice. Companies should also monitor breaking developments in this space, which will include a Treasury rulemaking implementing the BSA whistleblower provision that is expected in the near future. The increased incentives for reporting BSA and economic sanctions violations, coupled with the expansion of the types of reporting subject to the whistleblower rewards, make it more important than ever for companies to review their internal compliance programs and ensure that they are in a position to address significant BSA/AML and economic sanctions lapses on their own terms. Footnotes 1. The BSA is codified at 12 U.S.C. § 1829b et seq. and 31 U.S.C. § 5311 et seq. 2. Senator Chuck Grassley, one of the Act's cosponsors, has been involved with the creation of numerous U.S. whistleblower programs. "The whistleblower programs I've helped create have seen roaring success, with the False Claims Act saving taxpayers $70 billion, the SEC whistleblower program saving over $4.8 billion and the IRS whistleblower program saving over $6 billion," Grassley stated in a recent press release. "I'm optimistic that our new program encouraging individuals to come forward for suspected sanctions violations will be successful as well." Grassley-Led Legislation Supporting Whistleblowers, Combatting Money Launderers and Sanctions Violators Passes Senate, Press Release (Dec. 8, 2022), https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-led-legislation… . 3. The full text of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, Pub. L. No. 117-328, is available at https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2617/text. The Whistleblower Improvement Act appears at Section 401, Title IV, Division AA of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, and amends Section 5323 of Title 31 of the U.S. Code (Whistleblower incentives and protections). Specifically, the Act amends § 5323 by striking and replacing the text of subsection (b) (Awards) and making other technical and conforming amendments to subsections (a), (c), and (g). 4. See AMLA, Pub. L. No. 116-283, div. F, title LXIII, § 6314 (prior amendments to 31 U.S.C. § 5323). 5. The BSA whistleblower provision is codified at 31 U.S.C. § 5323. Both the AMLA and the Act amended the BSA whistleblower provision. 6 Specifically, 31 U.S.C. § 5323 is amended to include the following relevant language at subsection (b)(1): "In any covered judicial or administrative action, or related action, the Secretary [of the Treasury]. shall pay an award or awards to 1 or more whistleblowers who voluntarily provided original information to the employer of the individual, the Secretary [of the Treasury], or the Attorney General, as applicable, that led to the successful enforcement of the covered judicial or administrative action, or related action, in an aggregate amount equal to- not less than 10 percent, in total, of what has been collected of the monetary sanctions imposed in the action or related actions; and not more than 30 percent, in total, of what has been collected of the monetary sanctions imposed in the action or related actions." 7. 31 U.S.C. § 5323(a)(1), as amended by the Act, defines the term "covered judicial or administrative action" to mean "any judicial or administrative action brought by the Secretary of the Treasury.or the Attorney General under this subchapter, chapter 35 or section 4305 or 4312 of title 50, the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (21 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.), or .), [sic] and for conspiracies to violate the aforementioned provisions that results in monetary sanctions exceeding $1,000,000." 8. See IEEPA, P.L. 95-223 (Oct. 28, 1977), 91 Stat. 1626, codified as amended at 50 U.S.C. § 1701 et seq. (2022); TWEA, P.L. 65-91 (Oct. 6, 1917) §§ 4305, 4312, 40 Stat. 411, codified as amended at 50 U.S.C. §§ 4305, 4312 (2022); Kingpin Act, P.L. 106-120 (Dec. 3, 1999), 113 Stat. 1606, codified as amended at 21 U.S.C. § 1901 et seq. (2022). 9. Sabrina Willmer, Banks With Russia Ties Targeted by US Treasury Whistleblowers, Bloomberg Law (Feb. 14, 2023), available at https://news.bloomberglaw.com/securities-law/banks-with-russia-ties-targete… . 10. Id. at 3. 11. Id. 12. See 31 U.S.C. § 5323(g)(1) (Prohibition against retaliation) (providing that "[n]o employer may, directly or indirectly, discharge, demote, suspend, threaten, blacklist, harass, or in any other manner discriminate against a whistleblower in the terms and conditions of employment or post-employment because of any lawful act done by the whistleblower."). The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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Good Samaritan Or Negligent Undertaking? Be Wary. - Professional Negligence - United States
by Gunnar Larson 14 Mar '23

14 Mar '23

https://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/professional-negligence/1291848/good-sa… Attorneys should be on the lookout for negligent undertaking causes of action disguised or pled as negligent training or other similar negligence-related claims. Although related, the cause of action for negligent undertaking has additional, independent elements required to succeed on the merits. Texas courts have recognized the cause of action for negligent undertaking, in limited circumstances, and have imposed a duty where an actor undertakes to provide services to another—whether gratuitously or for compensation. It is often used in an effort to create a duty where one normally would not exist.1 Although rooted in negligence, negligent undertaking requires the additional evidentiary showing that: The defendant undertook to perform services that it knew or should have known were necessary for the plaintiff's protection; The defendant failed to exercise reasonable care in performing those services, and either: the plaintiff relied upon the defendant's performance or the defendant's performance increased the plaintiff's risk of harm.2 For example, in a pleading containing a cause of action for negligent training, a plaintiff may artfully claim that a defendant negligently "undertook the duty to train" an individual in an attempt to disguise this cause of action, when in reality, there may be two separate causes of action pled. Moreover, identifying a cause of action for negligent undertaking and distinguishing it from an ordinary negligence allegation is important when preparing for trial or a dispositive motion—such as a no-evidence motion for summary judgment. The failure to identify the elements specific to a negligent undertaking claim—compared to an ordinary negligence claim—would be detrimental to a no-evidence motion for summary judgment because the movant must identify one or more of the essential elements of the subject claim for which there is no evidence in moving for summary judgment.3 Additionally, given the fact that Texas courts have held that an employer's internal policies or procedures will not create a negligence-based duty where none otherwise exists,4 plaintiff's counsel may argue that negligent undertaking is a viable claim to create an alternative avenue of liability depending on the facts and circumstances of the case. Notably, although not necessarily successful, negligent undertaking claims have emerged in different areas of law. Some examples include social host liability, contractual duties, and job-related training. See e.g., Nall v. Plunkett, 404 S.W.3d 552 (Tex. 2013); see also e.g., Knife River Corp.-S. v. Hinojosa, 438 S.W.3d 625 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2014, pet. denied); see also e.g., Poynor v. BMW of N. Am., LLC, 441 S.W.3d 315 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2013, no pet.). Thus, when reviewing a complaint containing negligence-related causes of action, counsel should be on the lookout for language that pertains to the "undertaking" to perform services or other negligent undertaking specific elements as a cause of action for negligent undertaking may be skillfully embedded in another related negligence-based cause of action. Awareness of this cause of action will allow counsel to readily identify this claim and zealously protect their clients' interests. Footnotes 1. See Nall v. Plunkett, 404 S.W.3d 552, 554 (Tex. 2013). 2. Id. at 555–56. 3. See TEX. R. CIV. P. 166a(i). 4. See Entex, A Div. of Noram Energy Corp. v. Gonzalez, 94 S.W.3d 1, 10 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2002, pet. denied); see also Jacobs–Cathey Co. v. Cockrum, 947 S.W.2d 288, 291–92 (Tex. App.—Waco 1997, writ denied) (holding that company's internal policy of removing debris left at its work sites by other parties did not impose upon the company a legal duty to parties injured by unremoved debris); Estate of Catlin v. Gen. Motors Corp., 936 S.W.2d 447, 451 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1996, no writ) (holding that company's safety policies restricting consumption of alcohol on its premises did not create legal duty that would subject the company to liability for failing to comply with those policies); cf. Owens v. Comerica Bank, 229 S.W.3d 544, 547 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2007, no pet.) ("The Texas Supreme Court has refused to create a standard of care or duty based upon internal policies, and the failure to follow such policies does not give rise to a cause of action in favor of customers or others.") (citing FFE Transp. Servs., Inc. v. Fulgham, 154 S.W.3d 84, 92 (Tex. 2004)); see Cleveland Reg'l Med. Ctr., L.P. v. Celtic Properties, L.C., 323 S.W.3d 322, 351–52 (Tex. App.—Beaumont 2010, pet. denied). The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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Rendezvous with Rama - cold docking sans Norton
by professor rat 14 Mar '23

14 Mar '23

The crypto community is accustomed to using mnemonic phrases and sees them as essential. We identified this as an issue from the very outset, as it raises the barrier to entry for beginners and heightens the risk of losing cryptocurrency. https://cointelegraph.com/news/how-a-new-cold-wallet-model-may-solve-the-mn… Reposts not undercover Raman's doing things by three's

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Two Fed-Supervised Banks Blew Up Last Week; Two More Dropped Over 40 Percent Yesterday; and the Fed Wants to Investigate Itself — Again
by Gunnar Larson 14 Mar '23

14 Mar '23

By Pam Martens and Russ Martens: March 14, 2023 ~ Last Wednesday, federally-insured Silvergate Bank announced that it was closing shop and liquidating. Its parent’s stock price (Silvergate Capital, ticker SI) had lost over 90 percent of its value over the prior year; it was under a Justice Department investigation for how it moved money for crypto-kingpin Sam Bankman-Fried’s house of frauds; and its depositors were fleeing. Oh – and by the way – its primary regulator was the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Last Friday, California state regulators closed Silicon Valley Bank and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) became the receiver. Its stock price had lost over 80 percent of its market value over the prior year; $150 billion of its $175 billion in deposits were uninsured, either because they exceeded the $250,000 FDIC cap and/or they were foreign deposits. The bank was effectively operating as a Wall Street IPO pipeline in drag as a federally-insured bank. The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco had quietly been bailing it out – to the tune of $15 billion. Oh – and by the way – its primary regulator was the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. And while all of this hubris was occurring, the CEO of Silicon Valley Bank, Gregory Becker, was sitting on the Board of Directors of his regulator, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Let’s pause right here for a moment. This is far from the first time that the CEO of a questionable bank was sitting on the Board of a Federal Reserve Bank. As Citigroup CEO, Sandy Weill, was burying the bank under off balance sheet vehicles that would eventually crater the bank in 2008; send its stock price to 99 cents in early 2009; and require the largest bank bailout by the Fed in U.S. history, Weill was also serving on the Board of Directors of the New York Fed. And while Jamie Dimon was CEO of JPMorgan Chase and it was losing what eventually grew to $6.2 billion of bank depositors’ money in wild derivative bets in London, Dimon was also sitting on the Board of the New York Fed. Even when there was a big public uproar over Dimon’s presence on the New York Fed Board as the London Whale derivatives scandal came to light, Dimon remained in place. Oh, and by the way, the Fed member banks in each of the 12 Federal Reserve Districts that can choose to be regulated by the Fed, literally own their regulator. That’s right, they own the stock in their regional Fed bank, which is a private institution, unlike the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C. which is an “independent” federal agency. (See, for example, These Are the Banks that Own the New York Fed and Its Money Button.) As the first crypto-related bank failure occurred on Wednesday (Silvergate Bank) and the second largest bank failure in U.S. history occurred on Friday (Silicon Valley Bank) and the third largest bank failure in U.S. history occurred on Sunday (Signature Bank), President Joe Biden attempted yesterday to reassure the public, stating that “Americans can rest assured that our banking system is safe.” But by the close of the stock market yesterday, two more banks whose primary regulator was a Fed regional bank had lost more than 40 percent of their market value – in one day’s trading session. (That doesn’t sound to us like things are under control.) Western Alliance Bancorp (ticker WAL), which is also supervised by the San Francisco Fed, lost 47 percent of its market value by the closing bell. Metropolitan Commercial Bank (bank holding company ticker is MCB) lost 43.78 percent of its market value yesterday. It is supervised by the New York Fed. Adding to the ongoing arrogance of the Fed, its Chairman, Jerome Powell, released a statement two minutes after the market closed yesterday, stating that “The events surrounding Silicon Valley Bank demand a thorough, transparent, and swift review…” So, once again, it’s decided to investigate itself. The Fed’s Vice Chairman for Supervision, Michael Barr, will oversee the investigation. The last time the Fed decided to investigate itself was over its unprecedented trading scandal where various Fed officials engaged in highly inappropriate trading during the pandemic when Fed officials had insider knowledge of bailout actions the Fed planned to take to stem the stock market rout. Powell referred the investigation into that matter to the Fed’s Inspector General – who reports to (wait for it) the Federal Reserve Board, which is headed by Powell. The first news of that trading scandal came to light in early September 2021. It’s now 19 months later and the public has yet to hear a peep about the results of any investigation into the worst actor in the trading scandal, former Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan. (See our report: Robert Kaplan Was Trading Like a Hedge Fund Kingpin for Five Years while President of the Dallas Fed; a Dozen Legal Safeguards Failed to Stop Him.) Against this backdrop of Fed hubris, the PBS program, Frontline, will tonight premiere a two-hour documentary on the Fed’s controversial monetary policies that have led us to this dangerous point in time. The Age of Easy Money comes from the award-winning producers James Jacoby and Anya Bourg. In the documentary, economist Nouriel Roubini says “We lived in a bubble, in a dream, and this dream and bubble is bursting.” Jim Millstein, Co-Chairman of Guggenheim Securities, shares this: “I’ve never been more worried in the 42 years that I’ve been a professional. The Fed is absolutely right to try and get it [inflation] under control by raising interest rates in slowing economic activity. But the most highly levered players in our economy are going to come under real stress whether that’s households or businesses or governments, as interest costs rise.” Actually, what’s blowing up right at this moment and scaring the daylights out of the American people are the U.S. banks (some of which were supervised by the Fed) that are sitting on a cumulative $620 billion of unrealized losses. According to a February 28 statement from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation on the condition of federally-insured U.S. banks and savings associations, “Unrealized losses on securities totaled $620.4 billion in the fourth quarter, down 10.1 percent from the prior quarter. Unrealized losses on held–to–maturity securities totaled $340.9 billion in the fourth quarter. Unrealized losses on available–for–sale securities totaled $279.5 billion in the fourth quarter.” Age of Easy Money will air tonight on PBS stations (check local listings) and on Frontline’s YouTube channel at 9 p.m. eastern time and 8 p.m. central time.

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Key FBI informant in Michigan governor kidnapping case charged with fraud
by jim bell 14 Mar '23

14 Mar '23

Key FBI informant in Michigan governor kidnapping case charged with fraud https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/fbi-informant-michigan-fr… In a fresh development to the high-profile Michigan governor kidnapping case, a key FBI informant has been charged with fraud. Wisconsin native Stephen Robeson was handed the charge last week, accused of defrauding a couple out of an SUV by convincing them to donate to a ‘charity’. He used a fabricated anti-child sex trafficking non-profit as a cover story, the criminal complaint states (via Buzzfeed).

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Re: FreeSpeech and Censorship: Thread
by grarpamp 14 Mar '23

14 Mar '23

US Left-Dem Wokesters Forcibly Topple and Erase History to Prop Up Baphomet... Illinois State Capitol Approves Satanic Monument https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHFs6zPVIlY The separation of church and state is a principle fundamental to the United States' constitution. Along with sanctifying the free exercise of religion, the establishment clause forbids the state from advancing a singular belief system above others. Balancing the diverse religious demographics of the United States is no easy task and its difficulty is magnified during the Christmas season as nativity scenes and other decor often attract objections from those who do not adhere to the Christian faith. This year, the Illinois State Capitol finds itself marred in controversy yet again as Christmas approaches but for reasons entirely antithetical to any display detracted from for advancing the Christian religion. For the third straight year, the Illinois State Capitol has decided to approve a display erected by the Church of Satan. This is the third display approved by the Satanic religious group, with the first instance occurring in 2018 then again in 2019 with a pause during 2020 due to pandemic restrictions before being showcased again this year. The 2021 edition of the Church of Satan's display beneath the Capitol rotunda is to mark its holiday of Sol Invictus, which will be observed on December 25th -- Christmas day. The "deity" Baphomet is the centerpiece of the display, transformed into an infantile interpretation of the Éliphas Lévi illustration included in the French occultist's 1856 treatise Dogma and Ritual of High Magic by an Albuquerque-based artist named Chris P. Andres. Lévi's image of Baphomet was incorporated into the pentagram designed by fellow French occultist Stanislas de Guaita in his 1897 work The Key to Black Magic which would be adopted as the Church of Satan's official seal following its creation in 1966 by Anton LaVey. The Church of Satan's holiday of Sol Invictus is a vestige of the pagan origins of Christmas. Sol Invictus was the sun god within the Roman pantheon of deity's whose festival was observed toward the end of what was previously celebrated as Saturnalia. The Cult of Sol Invictus in Rome still remains shrouded in mystery. Some historians view it as a mystery school similar to the Mithraic order that Constantine The Great belonged to while others view it as an Aurelian era revival of the cult of the late Roman Emperor Antoninus, who took the name Elagabalus after the Syrian sun god who he worshiped. Elagabalus was the first and only transsexual Roman Emperor who was assassinated in 222 AD, decades before the Cult of Sol Invictus arose. Regardless of the history of its origins, the contemporaneous celebration of the Satanic iteration of the holiday of Sol Invictus has been met with expected opposition. Bishop Thomas Parocki of the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois voiced his vitriol of the Satanic display vociferously. The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property supported the diocese dissent by convening for prayer at the Capitol. Despite the outcry against the Satanic monument, organizations opposing it would be hard-pressed to accuse the Illinois State Capitol of advancing one religion over another. Since November 30th, the Capitol has also hosted a nativity scene of the birth of Jesus Christ erected by the Springfield Nativity Scene Committee. The Capitol also hosted a ceremony of the nativity scene on its own grounds when it was completed. The Sol Invictus display is another instance of the Church of Satan's public relations efforts. The organization recently filed a legal challenge to the State of Texas Heartbeat Bill claiming that its ceremonial practice of abortion was protected under the first amendment and their rights were violated by the law accordingly. For all its effort on the public relations front, the Church of Satan would have been prudent to invest more in legal research. Laws which act in the general welfare of a state interest like public health affecting but not designed to specifically inhibit religious exercise have been ruled upheld as constitutional following the 1998 case Employment Division v. Smith and subsequent case law affirming the precedent it sent. For all the benevolent intent it espouses by consecrating its Sol Invictus monument, the Church of Satan is less enthusiastic about discussing the exploitative practices of its founder as well as the checkered history of its other founding members. Michael Aquino, who died in 2020, was a priest within Church of Satan before starting The Temple of Set following his departure from LaVey's order. Aquino was famously renowned for his role pioneering psychological warfare linked to the CIA's notorious Project MKUltra as well as connections to child molestation cases at the Presidio daycare center in San Francisco and others linked to Lawrence E. King's criminal enterprise uncovered by the FBI's investigation into the Franklin Credit Union fraud scandal. Although there is plenty of reason to debate the integrity of the Church of Satan, the central question of the constitutionality of their display at the Illinois State Capitol is less debatable. In 2019, the United States' government officially recognized the Church of Satan as a religion under federal law. That year, the Church of Satan was awarded tax exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code. Despite claiming that status, the Church of Satan has repeatedly contended that it is a non-theistic group with most members joining for entirely secular reasons. The decision of the Illinois State Capitol to display the Church of Satan's latest monument on its grounds is a perfect display of how difficult balancing the interests of different religious groups can become. While objections to the Baphomet monument continue to be raised, they are protected under the same amendment that protects the Church of Satan's freedom to exercise its religious beliefs. While the Church of Satan erected the display to symbolize its holiday of Sol Invictus, it does much more than represent an esoteric holiday -- it illustrates the starkly juxtaposed directions followed by citizens in an increasingly polarized society with eschatological undertones that are more becoming of the prophesized end times than the revelries of the holiday season.

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[leak] facebook llama most trained research language model
by Undescribed Horrific Abuse, One Victim & Survivor of Many 13 Mar '23

13 Mar '23

this is a cutting edge public language model that was kept private to the academic community. if i recall correctly its major feature is significant downsizing via use of much more training data. it is likely more powerful than common for-pay models such as those sold by openai. i have not verified the torrent is real. from twitter and reddit. https://github.com/facebookresearch/llama/pull/73/files magnet:?xt=urn:btih:ZXXDAUWYLRUXXBHUYEMS6Q5CE5WA3LVA&dn=LLaMA

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Renewed promise of fully decentralized storage and globalized governance
by professor rat 13 Mar '23

13 Mar '23

Crypto and Artificial Intelligence are eloping despite parental disapproval https://en.cryptonomist.ch/2023/02/20/crypto-bittorrent-implement-ai-infras… Reposts not first starlings of spring

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[crazy] [idea] vr can replace drugs?
by Undescribed Horrific Abuse, One Victim & Survivor of Many 13 Mar '23

13 Mar '23

https://science.slashdot.org/story/22/08/08/2153210/vr-is-as-good-as-psyche… the article, which i have not fully read, focuses on an artistic vr environment that produces responses indistinguishable from lsd and psychedelics on some tests. it also raises the idea that vr could produce other human changes, which is pleasant from a perspective of unaddressed algorithmic psychological manipulation in the world. i was thinking i needed an environment encouraging of rationality. i thought maybe having the user plan how they would move, and then follow through with their plan, as a first idea. i’m not sure how i would make it pleasant — but that seems maybe the study or art of human influence. maybe in the end a different thing than simply what i wanted to do better, would be more humanly influential.

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