Plutopia News Network

Dr. Ann-Marie Wilson, a psychologist and senior research advisor with the Orchid Project, joined the Plutopia podcast to discuss her extensive efforts to combat female genital mutilation (FGM). Drawing on over 30 years of experience and a profound moment of epiphany during aid work in Darfur, Dr. Wilson described her journey from corporate HR to becoming a leading advocate against FGM. Her activism has contributed to making FGM illegal in countries like Sudan and Somalia, though she emphasized that legislation is only the first step in addressing this deeply ingrained cultural practice. Dr. Wilson highlighted the importance of engaging entire communities—including religious leaders, healthcare providers, and families—to create sustainable change. She shared stories of resilience, progress in Africa and Asia, and the challenges of countering entrenched beliefs, stressing the need for education, group advocacy, and global collaboration to eradicate FGM worldwide.

Ann-Marie Wilson:

I do believe strongly that without passing a law you’ll not really ever get anywhere. So I think that actually passing the law is a good start because at the moment in any of these countries we could talk about Sudan, we could talk about Somalia, we could talk about Nigeria but the same model is correct. And actually while we did this project, one of our research projects, into let’s have a look at the law in each country and we did that project across all the 28 countries in Africa to start with – we also then added the diaspora which is a technical term for the places from where somebody comes and carry on the practice that could be UK, could be the US, could be France, Germany, etc. And if you start to squeeze a problem from those both angles you start to see – oh, actually, we can make a difference.

The post Ann-Marie Wilson: Opposing FGM Globally first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

Our Thanksgiving episode of the Plutopia podcast features Tiffany Lee Brown, a writer and interdisciplinary artist, and Jane Hirshfield, an award-winning poet and essayist. Tiffany is also an astrologer, Tarot reader, and the creator of the Burning Tarot podcast (see tiffanyleebrown.com). We talk about staying sane during turbulent times, fostering genuine dialogue, and addressing fears that polarize communities. Jane reads her poem “Let Them Not Say,” reflecting on environmental and societal accountability, while Tiffany discusses embracing deep emotional journeys and finding common ground. The group explores building resilience, fostering gratitude, and creating meaningful communities amidst media-driven division. Insights on navigating fear, love, and shared human connection underscore the thoughtful discussion.

The post Jane Hirshfield and Tiffany Lee Brown: Sanity and Gratitude first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

In this episode of the Plutopia podcast, Jaye Robinson, a multifaceted professional with experience as an attorney, navy diver, and AI specialist, joins Jon and Scoop to explore the societal and ethical impacts of artificial intelligence. The conversation considers the challenges of copyright law in the age of Large Language Models, the mechanics and limitations of AI systems, and the broader implications of generative AI on labor, privacy, and propaganda. Robinson also shares his unique career journey from law to AI, offering insights into how AI tools are reshaping various industries, including healthcare and transportation. The discussion is peppered with philosophical musings, anecdotes about technology’s evolution, and humor, making for an engaging exploration of AI’s place in our increasingly interconnected world.

Jaye Robinson:

You collect a lot of text that is relevant to what you want this large language model to understand and these general purpose large language models basically just want a lot of things that people have written. Ideally things that people have written well and ideally things that are – yeah copyright is spun there. Ideally every original work of authorship is covered by copyright as soon as it’s committed to a tangible medium. But what those copyrights are varies from work to work and how long they last. It depends on whether you’re Disney in which case they last forever or just a person in which case they last until Disney can steal it. So copyright applies to everything people have written. Copyright is untested waters as compared to what machines have written.

The post Jaye Robinson: Practical AI first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

In this episode of the Plutopia News Network podcast, engineer Lee Felsenstein shares his experiences with the Homebrew Computer Club, a pioneering group of technology enthusiasts in Silicon Valley during the early days of personal computing. Felsenstein debunks the myth that the counterculture was solely responsible for the personal computer revolution, describing a diverse group of members, including engineers, doctors, and entrepreneurs. He reflects on the organic development of computing and his role in designing the Osborne 1, the first mass-produced portable computer. Felsenstein also discusses the broader social and community impact of technology, his efforts with the Community Memory project, and the role of online networks in shaping modern communication. As the podcast wraps up, he shares insights on open-source, decentralized platforms as potential alternatives to corporate-driven social media.

Lee Felsenstein:

This myth has developed that the hippies made the personal computer with the Homebrew Computer Club. No. There were hippies there, a few. There were some psychedelic rangers. There were more doctors, physicists, physicians who should have been engineers. There was, as I put it in the book, the usual batch of dweebs and slobs that populated Silicon Valley. There were the guys with white shoes who said, you know you can make money on this. Everybody said, okay, well, maybe show us. But it was quite a mixture of people.

The post Lee Felsenstein: Big Ideas first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

In this episode of the Plutopia News Network podcast, Dr. Roy Casagranda shares his insights on the 2024 election, expressing concerns about Donald Trump’s authoritarian leanings and his potential to undermine democratic principles if re-elected. Comparing Trump’s rhetoric to that of historical authoritarian figures, Casagranda suggests Trump’s repeated claims, such as the election being “stolen,” are part of a strategic manipulation of public opinion, similar to tactics used by dictators. He discusses the troubling alignment of some Americans with Trump’s vision, attributing it to various societal and cultural factors, including xenophobia, racism, and the appeal of simplistic, nostalgic narratives. While acknowledging the influence of media and education on public consciousness, Casagranda also points to the weakened state of democratic institutions and the country’s polarized atmosphere. He warns of potential violence and civil unrest, regardless of the election outcome, underscoring the possibility of a divided America facing ongoing challenges to its democratic fabric.

Roy Casagranda:

Trump has said he’s going to go after his enemies as soon as he becomes president. And he’s suggested that the military could be used like the National Guard could be used. And he said that if people vote for him in this election, it will be the last election you will participate in. And he has said on day one he’s going to trash the Constitution. Like he’s telling us every single thing you need to know just like Hitler did in Mein Kampf. All you had to do was read the book to know what he was going to do because he told it. And he repeated it, by the way, over and over and over again because he believed if you repeat the big lie over and over and over again, eventually people will start to believe it just like Trump does when he talks about the election was stolen. And so the parallels between him and Hitler are definitely there. I don’t think he’s as smart as Hitler was. And by the way, just for the record, I actually don’t think Hitler was particularly smart. I think people tend to overvalue his intelligence. Almost every decision he made in World War II cost Germany the war.

The post Roy Casagranda: Election 2024 first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

In The Web We Weave, Jeff Jarvis discusses the tensions between traditional mass media and the rise of the internet, emphasizing how the web has provided a platform for diverse voices that were previously sidelined. Jarvis argues that mass media, traditionally dominated by older, established institutions, has struggled with the democratization of information, often reacting with resistance and moral panic as public discourse shifts online. He explores historical cycles of media-driven moral panics—from novels to video games—and critiques the persistent control exerted by powerful interests over public narratives. As a media critic and academic, Jarvis champions internet freedoms and cautions against homogenizing voices in the age of AI. He advocates for a decentralized media landscape where information is more community-driven, resisting the monopolistic tendencies of both old media and tech giants.

Jeff Jarvis:

With The Web We Weave, I’m kind of looking at what comes after mass media. You’re right. And the problem for mass media is they resent the hell out of it. They were in charge of everything. They had hegemony over all that we saw and read and they can’t stand that there are voices who were always there. They’re not new voices, but voices who couldn’t be heard before because they weren’t represented in mass media. And so my theory about the internet is that it enabled these voices to at last have their stage, their microphone, and big old mass media run by old white men who look like me have resented it. And so that bleeds into the coverage of the internet. Now media have had many moral panics over the years starting with novels, which were going to destroy women’s morals, and on to Nickelodeons when the Chicago Tribune editorialized against them because they were doing horrible things to the city of Chicago; to film, to radio, let’s not forget the telegraph, too, and then also obviously television and video games and rock lyrics and so on.

The post Jeff Jarvis: Weaving the World-Wide Web first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

Joanna Price, a public librarian with an interest in community-building, discusses the dynamics of building resilient and compassionate online communities. She critiques large social media platforms, like Twitter and Facebook, for fostering alienation and trolls. Joanna shares her vision for smaller, more intimate communities of around 100 people that grow naturally without heavy promotion. This, she believes, reduces the likelihood of bad behavior while fostering kindness and individual empowerment. Moderation is seen as key, emphasizing compassion over punitive measures. She draws inspiration from early internet communities, such as the WELL, and discusses how her proposed new community, Elm’s Bright, seeks to create a positive, intergenerational space focused on shared learning and real-world activities.

Joanna Price:

On the Internet, we’re very aware of trolls, right? Folks who do come in to intentionally cause trouble. And one of the goals of the kind of community that I’m envisioning is that it’s 100 people max, it probably starts out with somebody and some people they know, right? Either on the internet or in real life and it expands in a less dramatic, advertised way, right? In a sort of natural way that makes it less likely that you will get explicit trolling. But were that to occur, that would I think fall under the bad acting notion of – we just ban them. And, you know, I say we ban trolls and I think I don’t want to suggest that there’s no place for dark humor or fun, right? Like there’s a difference between when we say trolling and we can mean a few different things – sometimes we’re talking about what is essentially making jokes and that’s one thing. And sometimes we’re talking about stuff that’s a lot darker and a lot worse than that.

The post Joanna Price: Building Community Online first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

In this episode of the Plutopia podcast, writer and cyberculture celebrity R.U. Sirius discusses the evolution of Mondo 2000, a groundbreaking magazine he co-founded that blended tech, art, and psychedelics. Sirius reflects on its origins, transitioning from High Frontiers and Reality Hackers, exploring how psychedelic culture intertwined with early tech innovation. He recounts Mondo 2000’s unique style, challenges with censorship, and how it navigated the countercultural landscape. Sirius also shares anecdotes about collaborations with figures like Timothy Leary, the cyberpunk movement, and the media’s shift to digital culture.

I was watching a show called Science 2000. And it was all the most recent tech and science at that point in 1988 or 1989. And it was supported by advertising for something called Furnishing 2000. And I floated into Queen Mu’s bedroom and I said, “Let’s change the name and use 2000 to sell stuff.” And she immediately said Mondo because somehow she was imagining what the logo would look like. And she thought that would make for a really good logo, which was true. So there you have a rather trippy but a very opiated origin of becoming Mondo 2000.

Coming soon from R.U. Sirius in collaboration with Shira Chess: Freaks in the Machine: Mondo 2000 in Late 20th Century Tech Culture. With a foreword by Grant Morrison.

The post R.U. Sirius: Mondo 2024 first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

Ken Flippin, a seasoned Texas political consultant and activist, has launched the Green Wave PAC, a political action committee aimed at promoting environmentally conscious political campaigns. Also focused on supporting public school advocates and ousting pro-voucher Republicans, Flippin’s PAC targets local races with the potential to sway the Texas House in favor of more progressive, community-oriented candidates. His broader vision includes ensuring that newly elected officials are well-prepared to tackle complex environmental issues in legislative sessions, and ultimately fostering joy, creativity, and agency in both local and statewide communities.

Ken Flippin:

If you don’t have somebody that can walk you through, like if you end up on environmental reg or any of the committees that involve the environment (of which there are four), it’s hard to navigate all those issues. So the point of the PAC is, because I’ve been working in environmental policy for some time, to help them prepare, before the session and then during the session, for that. The house seats that I’m targeting all are public school supporters that are trying to oust pro voucher Republicans. And there’s about five or six across the state that we have a chance of winning. And what I’ve heard is that we can win three and we’ll be able to stop vouchers.

Support Green Wave Pac by buying Texas Blue Swag!

Green Wave image by Chet Gipiti.

The post Ken Flippin: The Green Wave first appeared on Plutopia News Network.

Glenn Smith is an author, activist and political consultant. He is not a fan of the conservative fanboys pushing the so-called “Great Replacement Theory.” Glenn also finds little to admire when they worship strongman dictators.

In this episode of the Plutopia podcast, Glenn critiques the insecurity among white men driving far-right movements, highlighting how fear of losing status or resources pushes them toward authoritarianism. He emphasizes the dangers of populism and the misconception that dictators will only harm others, pointing out that history shows otherwise. He also touches on the current political climate, discussing efforts to undermine democracy, the role of activism, and the importance of legal battles in defending democratic principles.

Glenn Smith:

How did so many European white men get so insecure? I mean honestly, in all of this country’s – from deep insecurity that somebody’s gonna take something they have away from them, they can’t compete with people in certain ways. I don’t really don’t know what it is, but it drives this need to dominate so they don’t have to fret about losing to somebody else every day of their lives. It’s a sad thing to see. They pretend that they do this out of strength, but really it’s out of a very unflattering weakness I think in the men who really begin to believe and to act in those ways. People seem to think that if they get a dictator it’s only going to be a dictator over those people they don’t like. They’re going to stay free, of course, but this dictator is only going to mess with people they already don’t like and it never, in history, has worked out that way. Ever. The people who think they’re getting the kind of dictator leader they want always wind up being just as victimized as anyone else under such leadership. You’d think people could like you learn it in high school, learn it in junior higher middle school, not fall for it over and over, but they sure do.

The post Glenn Smith: Authoritarianism and the Fight for Democracy first appeared on Plutopia News Network.