The Unsettling Implications of the Threads-Instagram Merger

Facebook is now changing… owned by META (as you’ve probably seen when logging into your account). At least 5 days before the news released what is happening with Instagram and META, our FB friend feeds (the posts we see of our friends on Facebook (FB)) had been changing by the reduction of available friend posts, the addition of more ads, DIY posts, things that we have shown interest in, as well as suggestions of people to add that we don’t know (and those people most likely have an Instagram (IG) account). The beginnings of steering us into viewing what “they want us to see and read.” A form of grooming as well.

If you are a BUSINESS, such as a photographer with both IG and FB accounts, you are already seeing your demographic change as well as the amount of followers in FB. I believe you’ll find it is because META is integrating the IG numbers into your FB follower numbers (now you can see it all in one place). So that answers why you may have seen a huge jump in followers overnight in your FB feed.

According to a news report this morning, July 6, 2023, META is competing with Twitter to bounce them out of the social media (SM) arena (is government trying to control Twitter via META?). By doing this and while merging their (META) platforms, they may be able to push their own agenda and monitor the narrative. I would watch for similar loss of freedoms such as being shadow banned (allowed to post but the post never makes it into the friend or news feed for all to see) (also a form of censorship on Twitter before Musk bought it), the “Facebook jail” type of status where you are forbidden to share on your page or comment for a period of 3 days or longer (also see Twitter before Musk bought it. Words that had a destructive connotation was an automatic stint in Twitter jail), and other censorship tactics. FB may cease to be FB eventually – but right now META is merging IG into a platform called THREADs. And I’m venturing a guess that it will have similar Terms & Conditions to that of Facebook. Watch for more “fact censoring” notifications and bans as we near election time.

Speaking of which, it should be obvious that all of this is happening in advance of the new election year & debates. The government no longer has the ability to force and enforce its censorship into Twitter. And “Threads” boasts that you will have the ability to share whatever you want in a community – live feed setting. Maybe so. However, at what cost? Use common sense here. If you think the government isn’t involved in this, think again. Just sayin’ their record doesn’t exactly demonstrate one of trust. https://www.cnn.com/…/threads-app-meta…/index.html (July 7, 2023 update: Twitter is suing Threads (META) https://tech.co/news/twitter-lawsuit-meta-threads-app). They take-th away TikTok (a CCP controlled and data mining app) and give you “Threads”. What exactly does the name “Threads” imply? Could we be puppets who’s strings are pulled by puppet masters? I find it interesting when once you realize how the government has manipulated the country and our freedoms, how difficult it is to regain any level of trust where they have abused our constitution with their over-reach.

We should have concerns about data mining, thought control, and censorship on social media platforms. It’s important to be mindful of the information we read and share, and the platforms we choose to engage with. While it’s true that some individuals believe social media platforms can manipulate narratives, it’s also essential to consider different perspectives and verify information from reliable sources. In other words, don’t believe everything you read and hear; and be aware of your sense of right from wrong.

Ultimately, the decision to delete your Instagram account or join Threads is a personal one, and it’s important to prioritize your privacy and well-being. It is vital that we approach the merging of social media platforms with careful consideration and prudence. We must fully understand the potential implications and consequences associated with such a significant transformation.

If you decide to try or check out MeWe.com, let me know what you think and connect. Ciao!

*Note: some sections of this article have been enhanced, simplified or extended with the aid of AI* It’s important to note that AI is a tool that should be used ethically and responsibly. While it has the power to automate mundane tasks and improve efficiency, it should always be guided by human values and concerns.

‘Under the skin’ Blood-testing Device

BBC News – ‘Under the skin’ blood-testing device developed.

I’m not so sure this is a good thing.  Medically speaking, I’m sure it will help many many people.  However, there’s a downside that comes to mind and I’m not sure I’d be willing to adopt or adapt.

The Swiss team say the wireless prototype – half an inch (14mm) long – can simultaneously check for up to five different substances in the blood.

The data is sent to the doctor using radiowaves and Bluetooth technology.

I think it’s the idea of ‘tracking’ that bothers me.  Keeping this technology strictly for ‘patients’ would have to prove itself to me before I would consider.

Interesting technology but I’m not thrilled about being micro-chipped.  Are you?

How Far Away Is Dawn On Its Space Mission?

As of February 28, 2013 Dr. Marc D. Rayman updated the Dawn Mission | Dawn Journal and answers this question.  The update is quite informative with the latest in Dawn’s travels, how well its doing with the ion propulsion system to help speed it along; and also comes with analogies to help you understand the infinitesimal distances Dawn is traveling since its launch into space September of 2007.

On an 8 year space exploration journey, Dawn’s main mission is to visit Vesta and Ceres.  Objective:  A mission for exploration of main belt asteroids Vesta and Ceres, to acquire data to help answer questions regarding the formation and evolution of the solar system.

Back in 2006, the Dawn Project fabricated a chip to be carried on the spacecraft.  The chip was imprinted with the name of each person who wanted to have a part in Dawn’s adventure.  I was fortunate enough to meet the deadline and enlisted my father’s name (in his memory) and received an “Asteroid Belt Certificate” with his name on it.  “Congratulations “GDR” (abbreviated here for privacy)!  Your name is traveling aboard the Dawn spacecraft on its mission to the Asteroid Belt.”  Today, almost 6 years later, the Dawn member chip is approximately 212 million miles from earth.

“Radio signals, traveling at the universal limit of the speed of light, take 38 minutes to make the round trip.”

Please take a moment to enlighten yourself on this wild and educational journey.

Bought My Droid Bionic For Just A Penny

And you can too! Check it out here:
Motorola DROID BIONIC 4G Android Phone, 16GB (Verizon Wireless)

Solar Storm Prediction – 2012

I don’t recall whether this was ever brought to mention as a possibility for the 2012 event that people are concerned about. While cleaning out my email archives today, I found this link to the article below. It’s definitely worth reading in its entirety if you have a couple of minutes.

I’m thinking this is probably closer to reality than an “end of days.” On another note, maybe ‘end of days’ is nothing more than end of daylight as we know it until our grids are back up and running.

Thoughts?

Amplify’d from www.foxnews.com

Powerful Solar Storm Could Shut Down U.S. for Months

Friday, January 09, 2009

By Robert Roy Britt

A new study from the National Academy of Sciences outlines grim possibilities on Earth for a worst-case scenario solar storm.

The prediction is based in part on a major solar storm in 1859 that caused telegraph wires to short out in the United States and Europe, igniting widespread fires.

“A contemporary repetition of the [1859] event would cause significantly more extensive (and possibly catastrophic) social and economic disruptions,” the researchers conclude.

When the sun is in the active phase of its 11-year cycle, it can unleash powerful magnetic storms that disable satellites, threaten astronaut safety, and even disrupt communication systems on Earth.

“Emergency services would be strained, and command and control might be lost,” write the researchers, led by Daniel Baker, director of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

— In 1989, the sun unleashed a tempest that knocked out power to all of Quebec, Canada.

— A remarkable 2003 rampage included 10 major solar flares over a two-week period, knocking out two Earth-orbiting satellites and crippling an instrument aboard a Mars orbiter.

The race is on for better forecasting abilities, as the next peak in solar activity is expected to come around 2012.

Some scientists expect the next peak to bring more severe events than other recent peaks. Read more at www.foxnews.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1dz5j

Lab-Made Organs – A New Cure?

Great article. Read it for the “how’d they do that?!” Very cool.

Amplify’d from www.cnn.com

Lab-made organ implanted for first time

July 8, 2011 9:32 a.m. EDT

(CNN) — For the first time, a patient has received a synthetic windpipe that was created in a lab with the patient’s own stem cells and without using human donor tissue

Previous lab-generated transplants either used a segment of donor windpipe or involved tissue only, not an organ.

On June 9, doctors implanted this synthetic windpipe into a 36-year-old man with late-stage tracheal cancer at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm. The patient is doing well and is expected to be released from the hospital

Creating the synthetic structure for the trachea in the current case took 10 to 12 days, compared with waiting months for an organ donor Read more at www.cnn.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a19n9c