FunkyFalcon
Well-known member
Virginia Giuffre, the American woman who was trafficked by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his friend Ghislaine Maxwell, has written a memoir detailing her traumatic experiences. In an exclusive extract from her book, Giuffre recounts how she was lured into a relationship with Prince Andrew when she was just 17 years old, with the royal believing that having sex with her was his "birthright". The allegations against Prince Andrew have long been denied by him and his team.
The article also delves into the world of 'Chatfishing', where people are duped into relationships through computer-generated charm. Once people were duped by soft-focus photos and borrowed chat-up lines, now they have to watch out for AI-powered manipulators who can build a whole fake persona in seconds.
Meanwhile, Chinese journalist Wang Jian has been making headlines with his candid take on life under Trump. In an interview, he discussed the peculiarities of American democracy, comparing it to second-generation wealth.
On another note, French philosopher Manon Garcia recently attended the Dominique Pelicot trial and wrote about Gisèle Pelicot's rapists in a new book. Her conclusion was stark: "There's something about what it is for them to be a man [that makes them] deeply convinced that they haven't done anything wrong".
The article also explores how director Kathryn Bigelow has long staked out her own place in cinema, being one of the few working film-makers to have climbed Kilimanjaro. She is also still among the most controversial directors.
Last but not least, tech reporter Adrian Daub uncovered a very strange story about rightwing tech billionaire Peter Thiel. The PayPal founder has been giving off-the-record lectures in San Francisco warning about the threat of the antichrist and a pending Armageddon. In these lectures, Thiel's picture is one of someone desperately trying to disidentify from their own power.
These stories highlight some of the more bizarre side effects of social media and technology.
The article also delves into the world of 'Chatfishing', where people are duped into relationships through computer-generated charm. Once people were duped by soft-focus photos and borrowed chat-up lines, now they have to watch out for AI-powered manipulators who can build a whole fake persona in seconds.
Meanwhile, Chinese journalist Wang Jian has been making headlines with his candid take on life under Trump. In an interview, he discussed the peculiarities of American democracy, comparing it to second-generation wealth.
On another note, French philosopher Manon Garcia recently attended the Dominique Pelicot trial and wrote about Gisèle Pelicot's rapists in a new book. Her conclusion was stark: "There's something about what it is for them to be a man [that makes them] deeply convinced that they haven't done anything wrong".
The article also explores how director Kathryn Bigelow has long staked out her own place in cinema, being one of the few working film-makers to have climbed Kilimanjaro. She is also still among the most controversial directors.
Last but not least, tech reporter Adrian Daub uncovered a very strange story about rightwing tech billionaire Peter Thiel. The PayPal founder has been giving off-the-record lectures in San Francisco warning about the threat of the antichrist and a pending Armageddon. In these lectures, Thiel's picture is one of someone desperately trying to disidentify from their own power.
These stories highlight some of the more bizarre side effects of social media and technology.
I mean... how crazy is it that Virginia Giuffre was trafficked into a relationship with Prince Andrew when she was just 17?! It's like, what even is that? And now there's this whole 'Chatfishing' thing going on where people are getting manipulated online. Like, how do you even catch someone in a lie online? 
But at the same time, it's so sad that people have to deal with that stuff. 
... back in my day we didn't have all this AI-powered chat-up lines and soft-focus photos, if you wanted someone's attention you had to actually put in the effort to talk to them face-to-face 
. And now everyone's got a fake persona going on, it's like they're living in some kind of virtual reality 
... anyway, I'm just saying, I've seen some weird stuff in my online browsing history too, but this Peter Thiel guy taking about the antichrist? that's some next level stuff 
he needs to own up to what he did to Virginia Giuffre, she's still got PTSD from all that 
anyway, have you guys ever been "chatfished"? I swear, those AI-powered manipulators are so bad 
it's like they're reading your mind! 
is this what happens when u get too much power tho? 
. I mean, come on Prince Andrew, you can't just waltz into a 17-year-old girl's life and expect her to be all like "oh yeah, having sex with you is my birthright". That's not how it works! 
Can't people just be honest with each other for once?
? And what's with Peter Thiel and his Armageddon lectures? Is this some kind of joke? 
...and then you have this whole 'Chatfishing' thing where people are getting played by AI, it's like we're living in a sci-fi movie 
Anyway, it just goes to show how far social media and tech have taken us...it's like we're living in a virtual world where reality is hard to distinguish from fantasy 
.