Actiriseis in the Business Intelligence Industry

Actirise

Ever feel like your phone knows you better than your best friend? Does your newsfeed seem less like a window to the world and more like some weird fun-house mirror? Mine too. They may even be a little too good. And they’re only going to get better. But here's the secret: you can opt-out. A growing cadre of tech gurus, renegade artists and unstoppable activists are throwing a wrench in the system. Big Tech's algorithms are good. There was no escape. Breathe, eat, and sleep. That was all there was to life in the machine." - Aldous Huxley, Brave New World is not a word commonly used by the masses. The idea of independence feels like a betrayal. Talking about “freedom” sets off triggers. But autonomy is a dynamic force. Today it’s making a global comeback.  If you look closely you can spot it in  tech, art and activism. Autonomy It adapts and evolves with our ever-changing world. It’s a mindset that says “ ” I’m not going to be controlled by outside forces and external interests. Here’s some non-breaking news. The traditional work compact, in which employees traded hard work and loyalty in exchange for job security is shattered. Thought so. How many times have you gone job-hunting in your life? But consider this. boasts . He remixed the for the most recent Super Bowl in Las Vegas. DJ Steve Aoki more than 3 billion music streams NFL on CBS theme Here’s what he said at Gala Music: “In the 10 years I’ve been making music … six albums, and all those advances … in one drop last year in NFTs, I made more money.” - Steve Aoki Want to opt-out and join the revolution? Connect with techs and developers building a . Why give your personal information to some faceless corporation? web where you are in control Learn from artists minting their creations as . For the first time, it’s possible to cut out the middleman and take ownership of your work. Discover how activists bypass the financial gatekeepers. Now you can use crowdfunding to fuel your movements directly from the people. NFTs Keep reading to see how the coolest tools and platforms are putting you back in control. Let’s get this show on the road. Get ready for an empowered future. The Rise of Autonomy Early in my entrepreneurial journey, a millionaire mentor gave me some advice on autonomy. He said, “ How often are your decisions based on your own values and goals? Norm whoever controls your time controls your income. I suggest it be you who does it.” The concept drove my parents. “Get an education. Get a good job. Retire there.” In their day people often stayed with the same company for their entire career. They were even called “a company man” or “company gal.” Life goals consisted of building deep connections with colleagues and a strong sense of pride in your work. company loyalty https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4F9u8Z84YI&embedable=true Back then companies invested in their employees through training programs and full benefits. When I started in sales my big tech employer had a “no-layoff” policy (it ended while I was there). The global creator economy is projected to reach $104.2 billion by 2028, reflecting the increasing number of individuals leveraging online platforms to express themselves creatively and generate income independently. - Creator Economy Over the course of several decades, cracks began to appear in the model. Tech advancements led to increased job insecurity. One of the first job killers I remember was voicemail. Yep. It eliminated the need for receptionists to answer phones, take messages, and write them down on those little pink slips for salespeople returning to the office. Wage freezes and layoffs increased and the "good job" became less common. As the internet took hold in the 90’s globalization became sexy. The social contract between employer and employee collapsed, Companies chased cheap labor and maximum profits for shareholders -  wherever they could find them. But in public, they sought to maintain the illusion of the Golden Age. Their corporate PR departments were quite busy. Today despite the perception of freedom your autonomy is limited. own social media networks. They control the search engines and video production platforms. Their TOS and centralization secure their dominance. Maximize profits for the few. Sound familiar? This traditional model locks out millions of creators worldwide. Big tech giants “The goal of most people for the last half century was to get the good job that paid well with benefits..” - Anthony Spadafore, Director Pathfinders Autonomy Success Story My friend Sarah is a graphic designer with six years of experience. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she lost her job at a big ad agency. After chasing hundreds of job posts she decided to be her own boss. Now she works remotely as a freelance designer. Instead of being assigned clients, she sets her own schedule. Her boring projects got replaced by gigs that aligned with her interests. She earns more on her own than she did going into the office. And now she finds personal meaning in her work. The Back-to-Office Push and the Autonomy Challenge A remote work revolution is sweeping around the world. Set free from the confines of the physical office, employees are discovering a newfound sense of autonomy. Do you thrive in an environment tailored to your work style? Can you manage your schedule and responsibilities better with more flexibility? For most of us, the answer is YES! This newfound control increases productivity and boosts morale. Many companies are actively encouraging, some even demanding, a return to “in-office” work. Their  push-back against remote work poses a challenge to employee autonomy. But big business CEOs, government bureaucrats, and even Elon Musk don’t like it. Here's why: :  Remote work helps employees manage their work schedules around personal needs and responsibilities. If your productivity is solid and profits are up why poke the bear? A forced return to the office disrupts this balance and increases stress. Goodbye Flexibility, Hello Frustration : It’s the time and money stupid. We all have 24 hours in our day. Having to commute to the office, pay to park, and upgrade your wardrobe eats into personal time and monthly budgets. The impact on working parents or people with long commutes is huge. The Commute Crisis : Most employees I speak with enjoy the flexibility and convenience of working from home. Some never had this opportunity before COVID-19. Now they realize they can do their job more conveniently. Forcing them back into the office feels like a slap in the face. Morale Killer I think companies that are inflexible with remote work options will lose valuable talent. The job market is competitive. The creator economy allows people like my friend Sarah to level up their skills and create jobs for themselves. The pull of autonomy is strong. Collaboration: Tech, Art and Activism Disruption accelerates when tech, art and activism come together. From interactive installations to digital art platforms, technology has enabled artists to reach wider audiences. You can also spark important conversations about social issues and reform. Techpreneurs are launching tools that empower artists and activists. Modern artists are wielding technology to create art that raises awareness for social causes. Activist groups are reaching a global audience with every social media post. This is the future we're building. A world where creative expression meets social justice. And the power of technology is at the core. - Norm Bond Tech Creators Build Worlds Beyond Reality Tech developers and creators are building alternative platforms to traditional activities. Can you imagine stepping into a painting instead of just looking at it in a museum? You can with . Van Gogh Exhibit: The Immersive Experience The exhibition has been ! This blend of art and cutting-edge technology ranks among the 12 best immersive experiences in the world by CNN. touring since 2017 with +5,000,000 visitors Take a walk alongside Van Gogh during a visually rich journey. It’s a 20,000 square feet sound and light spectacular. The two-story projections leave visitors in awe. You discover the inspiration behind eight of Van Gogh’s iconic works. is one of my favorites. The Starry Night Artists Go Indie with Tech Blockchain technology provides innovative tools for artists to monetize their work through smart contracts, NFTs and crypto. This strategy allows creators to sell their work directly to collectors . Artists are creating digital art and minting it as NFTs. without the need for traditional galleries or intermediaries London's glitchy artist , averaging over $23,000 per sale and topping the charts. His work captivates collectors and redefines the limits of digital art. His signature style is a mesmerizing blend of flashing visuals and dark themes (his website includes a flashing media warning). XCOPY is minting millions with his dystopian NFTs Here’s the thing. XCOPY’s work isn't just visually arresting. Sure there are lots of flashy NFTs and dystopian styles. But his NFT’s spark conversations. He challenges the status quo in the art world. He’s using his creativity to provide a unique commentary on our digital age. . Is a sign of a future where artists control their destinies, or a blip in a system that still favors the powerful? Don’t just wait to see what happens. Take action on YOUR dream. Telling your own story and controlling distribution is an expression of autonomy XCOPY How Activists Use Tech to Win The murder of George Floyd was recorded and spread virally across social media. It ignited Black Lives Matter like a rocket. This wasn't just a tragic event. It was a spark that . The case study reveals how activists can use social media to amplify their message. Consider this. lit the fuse of a movement already simmering online In the month Floyd’s murder, was tweeted more than 400 thousand times. But in the month , the . before #BlackLivesMatter after hashtag spiked and was shared more than 100 million times Nordstrom posted #BlackLivesMatter to Facebook and received more than 5-million likes. The from the brand. engagement was nearly 90 times the level of typical posts Colleges and universities joined in. More than 107 shared . Healthcare systems, nonprofits, corporations, and sports teams also climbed on the #BlackLivesMatter juggernaut. #BlackLivesMatter The entire internet was ablaze with social posts, videos, CEO statements, and brand platitudes to support this trending social movement. It shook the system. The Future of Autonomy The dream of dumping the 9-to-5 and living life on your terms is more than just a hashtag. It’s a call to action. One fueled by a deep desire for autonomy – the freedom to create, work, and live by your own rules. Don’t let it just be a pipe dream. The total value locked (TVL) in DeFi protocols surpassed $300 billion in 2023, demonstrating the growing interest in alternative financial systems that promote individual control over assets and transactions. - DeFi Pulse Revolutionary art movements, tech-driven innovation, and modern activism are converging. This shift provides a path to an exciting future. Break free from traditional structures. Now is your chance to build something empowering. It's a world where you can set the pace, call the shots, and shape your days around your passions. There are lots of challenges ahead. Working together is often necessary for maximum impact. Finding the right balance between maintaining individual artistic vision and working within a collective - can be difficult. But let's keep it real. Breaking free from traditional structures means leaving the financial security that these systems can provide. Artists, activists and techs still have bills to pay. Do you have alternative means of funding your work in place? With the rise of new technologies, there’s a need to ensure that ethical practices are followed. You need to address concerns regarding data privacy. There are questions regarding intellectual property rights to be sorted. The environmental impact of tech-driven projects like crypto and NFTs are a dealbreaker for some people. These challenges will have to be met to increase adoption and scale. They require innovative solutions, resilience and funding. To build a more equitable and creative future demands continuous learning and adaptation. Conclusion We’ve covered a lot. You know the journey toward autonomy is an exciting yet challenging one. This trend in tech, art and activism is attracting more people looking for a way out. The digital age provides new tools to take control of your life. It has never been easier to express yourself and reach a target audience. Artists can leverage blockchain technology. Tech creators can build alternative platforms. Activists can fuel movements without traditional limits. Working collectively can exponentially grow results for both individuals and organizations. But the road ahead is not all roses and sunshine. Challenges include navigating concerns about the environment. Ethical considerations riddle the increased use of AI and ML. Building tools that engage marginalized communities is critical in a market-based economy. Long-established traditional systems are not going to just roll over and embrace change. So take the long view if you want to embrace this autonomy trend. If you’re an artist, technologist or activist it’s time to redefine the possible. I’m in. Let’s create and cause the change you want to see. right here on HN to connect. Visit my profile

Breaking Rules: Autonomy in Tech, Art and Activism

নিয়ম ভাঙা: প্রযুক্তি, শিল্প এবং সক্রিয়তায় স্বায়ত্তশাসন

Regeln brechen: Autonomie in Technologie, Kunst und Aktivismus

Rompiendo reglas: autonomía en tecnología, arte y activismo

Briser les règles : autonomie dans la technologie, l'art et l'activisme

नियम तोड़ना: तकनीक, कला और सक्रियता में स्वायत्तता

ルールの破り: テクノロジー、アート、アクティビズムにおける自律性

규칙 위반: 기술, 예술 및 행동주의의 자율성

Quebrando regras: autonomia em tecnologia, arte e ativismo

Нарушение правил: автономия в технологиях, искусстве и активизме

Kuralları Çiğnemek: Teknolojide, Sanatta ve Aktivizmde Özerklik

Phá vỡ các quy tắc: Quyền tự chủ trong công nghệ, nghệ thuật và hoạt động

打破规则：科技、艺术和行动主义的自主性

Political Story Opinion By Jesse Wood “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke. Israel has time to online bully climate activists with autism disorder, but not to answer for their war crimes. But the Israel IDF refuses to answer for their war crimes, violations of international law, or ethnic cleansing of Palestinian civilians via collective punishment and maximized collateral damage. See: https://x.com/jrhwood/status/1715362471228452998?s=20 Yesterday, I called them out very publicly on this, and they remained silent. They chose to neither refute nor justify my accusations of war crimes. The comment in X (formerly Twitter) received a tremendous amount of attention and support through organic online engagement. See: https://x.com/payette_lake/status/1715685481953083749?s=20 Then there were reports it was not being shown properly and failed to load in the X browser client and on Apple IOS. This is not an accusation of censorship, but I have yet to receive a response from X.com Support although I reached out to them both publicly and via direct message. I am truly sickened by Israel's flagrant violation of international law, blatant war crimes, and genocide, or ethnic cleansing, of the 2.2 million strong Palestinian civilian population with collective punishment and maximized collateral damage. Israel is not Hamas. They aren't Islamic Jihadists. Now, it is time for them to start acting like it. See: https://x.com/PalestineRCS/status/1714956642314338699?s=20 They need to immediately cease bombing babies, women, children, the elderly, churches, bakeries, humanitarian volunteer aid workers (e.g., ), and the West Bank  (e.g., ). PalestineRCS Dr Shtayyeh “The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either -- but right through every human heart -- and through all human hearts. This line shifts. Inside us, it oscillates with the years. And even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained” ― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago 1918–1956 It is completely unacceptable, and unequivocally evil and villainous. And they deserve the heavy condemnation they received from the international community at the United Nations summit in Cairo, which said just that. Even Putin, who is currently raging a war in Ukraine, and the Iran Ayatollah Qassim, who is an Islamic Republic, think Israel is too hardcore for them. Hypocrisy, and a performative contradiction yes, but a lie? No! Genocide and the Ethnic cleansing, of the Palestinian civilian population with collective punishment and maximized collateral damage, is a pure evil genocide of the innocent, that Israel IDF carried out to justify an open-air prison apartheid state in Gaza and the West Bank. "Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind." - John F. Kennedy 🇮🇱🕊️💔🕊️🇵🇸 Also published here

Israel Has Time to Bully Climate Activists With Autism, but Not to Answer for Their War Crimes!

After almost twenty months, the Internet Giant Microsoft has completed its deal to acquire Activision Blizzard for 69 billion dollars. The deal took this long because of the restrictions from the authorities of the Western countries, mainly the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. The parliament and lawmakers of these countries were arguing that Microsoft would end the competition in the gaming industries after acquiring one of the most popular game studios, Activision Blizzard. Activision Blizzard is a holding company that owns Activision -the publisher of Call of Duty, - Blizzard Entertainment, and King - the publisher of Candy Crush. The company is based in Santa Monica, United States, and was valued at around 72 billion dollars in 2021. gaming Microsoft completed the deal today, on 13th October 2023, and now owns the rights to titles like Diablo, Call of Duty, Candy Crush Saga, Warcraft, and Spyro the Dragon. The United States and the European Union authorities had already given their approval for the deal long back. The only hurdle was the Competition and Market Authority of the United Kingdom. The Competition and Market Authority argued that Microsoft will make popular Activision titles like Call of Duty exclusive to Xbox, which will affect the market of Sony’s PlayStation. After Microsoft assured the UK regulators that it is not going to make any of the games exclusive to Xbox anytime soon, the Competition And Market Authority gave the clean cheat to the deal on Friday. “ We now have all regulatory approvals necessary to close, and we look forward to bringing joy and connection to even more players around the world,” Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick said in a statement to employees. “ ” We delivered a clear message to Microsoft that the deal would be blocked unless they comprehensively addressed our concerns and stuck to our guns on that,” CMA chief Sarah Cardell said. “With the sale of Activision’s cloud streaming rights to Ubisoft, we’ve made sure Microsoft can’t have a stranglehold over this important and rapidly developing market. The gaming industry is valued at around 250 billion US dollars and is expected to reach around 600 billion US dollars by 2023. Microsoft already holds a big share of this market, and along with other big players, the market for small and new game developers is less than 10 percent, which is going to reduce. Activision also made a deal with Ubisoft to sell its cloud gaming rights. Mergers and acquisitions are good, but they usually kill innovations, and there is no chance for new companies. Let us explain it with an example. Take a few companies: A, B, C, and D. All companies make games according to their definite style and suited for their targeted audience. Now, company A acquires company B and company C. Company A will adopt the styles of making games of the other two companies, but it will mostly make games according to its style as the higher ranking employees would usually be from company A. Also, the previous market share was divided equally among the four companies, which is 25% each. Now, company A controls 75% of the market share, so it has a monopoly. Company A can set the prizes of the titles according to its wishes, and the people who play those titles have nothing else to do but buy them. In conclusion, mergers are not a bad thing, but monopoly is. The authorities need to intervene in deals like these as companies like Google, Apple, and Microsoft already control almost everything we do on the internet. Also published here

Microsoft Completes $69 Billion Acquisition of Activision Blizzard Amid Regulatory Hurdles

The digital world is growing, and surveillance is growing with it. Governments, companies, and even other individuals are now pretty capable of following our virtual steps —including the financial ones. That’s why a group of activists emerged in the late 20th century with a mission to safeguard individual liberties through the development of decentralized money. The term "cypherpunk" is a blend of "cypher," referring to cryptography, and "punk," which reflects their rebellious and nonconformist nature. So, they’re mostly computer science and cryptography experts aiming to create new digital tools to foster privacy and social change. These activists, known as cypherpunks, laid the groundwork for the creation and popularization of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. The movement gained momentum in the 1980s and 1990s as individuals concerned about the increasing surveillance and control of digital communications and transactions sought ways to counteract these trends. We can say it started with , an American cryptographer who is widely recognized for inventing the first forms of digital cash —no, it wasn’t Satoshi Nakamoto alone. David Chaum A prolific mailing list The first started in 1992 as an initiative by Eric Hughes, Timothy C. May, John Gilmore, and Judith Milhon. For more references, Hughes invented the first anonymous remailer (a server to increase privacy in emails), and May discovered the issue in computer chips. Gilmore is one of the founders of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) to defend digital rights. For her part, Milhon helped to create the first public computerized bulletin board system, besides being a writer and editor (she coined the “Cypherpunks” name). Cypherpunk mailing list Alpha Strike which describes the main purpose of the group and this kind of activism: In 1993, Hughes wrote and shared the , Cypherpunk Manifesto “Privacy is necessary for an open society in the electronic age (…) We cannot expect governments, corporations, or other large, faceless organizations to grant us privacy (…) We must defend our own privacy if we expect to have any (…) Cypherpunks write code. We know that someone has to write software to defend privacy, and (…) we're going to write it.” The number of subscribers to the list (and, likely, to the movement) reached over 2,000 individuals by 1997. But this isn’t the reason why we’re stating that the mailing list was prolific. From this mailing list and this ideal came up numerous talented people that developed a diverse set of digital tools to fight for privacy. To name a few of them: Julian Assange (WikiLeaks), Adam Back (Hashcash & Blockstream), Eric Blossom (GNU Radio Project), Phil Zimmerman (PGP Protocol), Bram Cohen (BitTorrent & Chia), Hal Finney (First Proof-of-Work), Nick Szabo (First Smart Contracts), Wei Dai (B-Money), Zooko Wilcox (Zcash), and, of course, Satoshi Nakamoto (Bitcoin). Most of them are still alive and active in 2023. Before and after Bitcoin One of the most significant contributions of cypherpunks was their role in conceptualizing and promoting the idea of decentralized digital currencies. Influenced by the works of cryptographic pioneers like David Chaum, who introduced the concept of "e-cash," and Wei Dai, who proposed the idea of "b-money," cypherpunks envisioned a system where money could be transferred electronically without the need for intermediaries. This vision laid the foundation for the creation of Bitcoin, the first and most well-known cryptocurrency. As we mentioned above, Nakamoto didn’t do it all by themselves. The process was more like putting together puzzle pieces: Hal Finney’s PoW, some features from e-cash, Hashcash, and b-money, public-key cryptography by Ralph Merkle, and time-stamping by W.S. Stornetta and Stuart Haber. Finally, in 2008, Nakamoto published the . It describes a peer-to-peer electronic cash system that utilized cryptographic techniques to secure transactions and maintain a public ledger. The principles of decentralization, pseudonymity, and cryptographic security closely aligned with the cypherpunk ideals, making Bitcoin the first realization of their vision. Bitcoin whitepaper Decentralization didn’t stop there though. A DAG-based cryptosystem like doesn’t have miners or intermediaries at all. It doesn’t have blocks, either. Only Order Providers (OPs) whose transactions serve as waypoints for ordering everything else —but they don’t have other powers and aren’t needed to “accept” transactions, like Bitcoin miners. By eliminating such big power centers as miners, . Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) systems are the . next step of decentralization Obyte DAG achieves more even distribution of power than blockchains Cypherpunks' visionary contributions formed the puzzle of cryptocurrency evolution. Bitcoin's whitepaper, embracing decentralization and cryptographic security, materialized cypherpunk ideals. As technology advances, like Obyte emerge, furthering decentralization without middlemen. DAG systems Featured Vector Image by jcomp / Freepik

Cypherpunks: The Activists Behind Decentralized Money

Cypherpunks: los activistas detrás del dinero descentralizado

Cypherpunks : les activistes derrière l'argent décentralisé

साइफरपंक्स: विकेंद्रीकृत धन के पीछे के कार्यकर्ता

サイファーパンク: 分散型マネーの背後にある活動家

Cypherpunks: os ativistas por trás do dinheiro descentralizado

Cypherpunks: Các nhà hoạt động đằng sau tiền phi tập trung

密码朋克：去中心化货币背后的活动家

The story of LSD in America is one of deception, manipulation, and control. Initially developed as a chemical weapon by the CIA, LSD was tested secretly on unsuspecting American citizens for decades in the 1950s and 1960s. to harden them against such an attack. Some experiments were, however, with willing participants at universities. From inmates to addicts paid in drugs, the CIA experiments with LSD even dosed agents themselves What started as "scientific research" at universities soon spiraled out of control. Timothy Leary, a Harvard psychologist, began advocating its recreational use and formed an cult among students. Under the guise of academic freedom, LSD then spread from the labs onto college campuses. Once he was fired, Leary helped launch the psychedelic counter-culture by popularizing LSD use among the emerging hippie movement. LSD Meanwhile, the media downplayed the dangers of LSD. Time Magazine, owned by the pro-CIA Luce family, published glowing reports depicting LSD as a spiritual and consciousness-expanding drug. "Acid tests" hosted by Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters glorified psychedelic experiences. However, as Abbie Hoffman noted, the drug-focused hippies actually distracted from meaningful anti-war Before the hippie movement, anti-war protesters were "clean-cut, normal-looking, all-American college students." But after the CIA introduced LSD-fueled orgies, hippies, and opposition to the war were associated with dirty, ignorant, communist, drug-addicted VD-infested degenerates. activism. Due to the clandestine nature of the agency, it's hard to prove whether this was an intended effect, or if they simply had agents that dropped the ball and let a mind-control drug into the crowd of dissenters. Based on the consequences to those dissenters that started communes and how the status quo lives on, it is not irrational to suspect this was intentional, even if it was perpetrated by a select few agents abusing their power. The agency isn't really known for making mistakes. Journalist Steven Kinzler is quoted as saying "Gottlieb wanted to create a way to seize control of people's minds, and he realized it was a two-part process," We didn't get too far on number two, but he did a lot of work on number one." "First, you had to blast away the existing mind. Second, you had to find a way to insert a new mind into that resulting void. Or did they? Brainwashing is not a new idea. It was once called putting someone under a spell. Introduce new ideas and entrancing music, after destroying the ego with drugs. It's not new. The official conclusion was If so, why has it been known to be used for thousands of years? So was this drug used en masse to brainwash dissenters protesting against the Vietnam War? that it is not possible. At the height of the hippie counterculture in 1968, Middle America elected Richard Nixon - the ultimate "anti-hippie" who then promptly escalated the war. We know the CIA, through figures like Miles Copeland Jr., had a hand in proliferating LSD during this time. The real goal appears now to have been dispersing and discrediting the anti-war movement - not spiritual awakening. It was only scandal that got Nixon and the war nixed. The notion that LSD functions solely as a source of amusement and amazement trivializes the tremendous psychological disruption the drug is capable of inducing. When administered carefully and deliberately, even at modest doses, LSD has the potential for disrupting individuals, and coordinated group efforts in multiple ways. Some subjects in the CIA experiments even died tragic deaths and others were sent to mental institutions. The true toll is not even known. Financial records indicate the CIA operative George White, under an alias of Morgan Hall, received over 200 checks signed with the code "STORMY" in the memo field, their CIA codename for LSD. Hall lured targets to a bugged apartment under false pretenses before dosing them with LSD and observing their drugged states through a one-way mirror from what he called his "portable toilet observation post" while getting drunk on martinis. For him, it was fun. The larger MK -ULTRA program operated on a far grander scale across 86 known institutions with unwitting participation from researchers, doctors, and university staff to agents themselves. Seemingly through happenstance, one MK ULTRA subject would go on to catalyze the 1960s counterculture revolution: Ken Kesey. The money from his CIA experiment at Stanford University funded the acid tests that helped launch the psychedelic era. Where an onlooker may have seen frivolity, LSD's power to fundamentally disrupt established cultural norms (and more) was on full display. Kesey inspired the visionaries who would redefine art, music, and politics for the Boomer generation. The events surrounding MK-ULTRA remind us that moments perceived as transitions to more free and creative cultural eras were and are under attack by clandestine and coercive circumstances, with authorities wielding powerful tools of psychological influence on unwitting citizens. “I didn’t believe it for a long time,” Kesey told NPR’s Terry Gross in 1989, “It was being done to try to make people insane – to weaken people and to try to put them under the control of interrogators.” “I found that my key opened a lot of the doors to these doctor’s offices,” He told Gross, “where these drugs were being kept.” Before being introduced to LSD, he was a fairly straight-laced athlete. Then Kesey became part of an experiment he was told had the aim of helping mentally insane people. He didn’t understand that it was intended to make him insane. Let us pause to reflect on the deeper implications of these anecdotes. It seems almost comical to think this was an accident. Is it possible LSD and even other drugs were introduced to society for malicious purposes? MDMA for example is often used at "raves", where entrancing music is performed. Could it be that this is not only tolerated but promoted and meant to keep people in line or for some other reason? After all, it too, was part of MK-ULTRA experiments. Though we only know of animal studies they conducted on it, many records were destroyed in 1973, so we may never know. Kesey was unwittingly recruited into an insidious program of social engineering and psychological manipulation. Though he intuitively distrusted authority, he could not have envisioned the far-reaching impact his actions would have. When one person is given the tools to disrupt others' mental faculties, it raises profound ethical questions. Kesey embraced psychedelics as a path to enlightenment, but the actual goal of those enabling him appears to breed dependence, weakness, and compliance to those holding the keys. By popularizing LSD, Kesey catalyzed a cultural shift that undermined traditional values and authority. But his revolt was seemingly orchestrated by unseen hands pulling strings from above, even if indirectly. If the hippie ethos of "free love" and drug use didn't arise organically from the collective; it was engineered and then distributed as a social virus that devastated the movement with overdoses, disruption to family and community structures, and much more. The perfect clandestine weapon against the "commie hippies". Kesey thought he was a rebel, but he may have unwittingly become a pawn in a larger game. His defiance was co-opted to sow the seeds of societal destabilization, focused on the communes that threatened the police state with self-governance much like our nation's founders had intended it to be. The illusion of freedom masks the fact that those who control the drug supply ultimately determine the parameters of people's experiences. Selecting people with the right mild psychosis, and the right dose could drive them insane. Given to another individual with grandiose ideas, they may start preaching. Give the same drug to a group he preaches to, and they might develop a type of mass psychosis that adopts these perverted, though well-meaning ideals. If you or someone you know has been trained to think fun is a synonym for drugs or sex, remember that these are not their original ideas. They were planted in these people by/at some unethical party, and their biggest crime is lying to themselves and allowing these ideas to possess their minds. The murderers of presidents felt threatened, so it appears they attacked in a covert way. Those peaceful protesters became targeted. The women of the movement were trained to seek out “free love” in the form of drugs and sex, burning up resources, time, and the real love of the families and men around them, and any love that was in their own hearts. Their families broken, children suffering, and the men drained of their resources and love until they become savage abusers that wind up in prison after hurting or killing someone… This may all be an indirect result of CIA conditioning from the top down. While the counterculture may have unleashed creative sparks, it was distorted and twisted with lies telling women they could have free love through hollow sexual pursuits. The ability to alter people's consciousness comes with profound ethical responsibilities that were not heeded. Kesey played his part unknowingly, but history will mark him as a vessel through which forces beyond his understanding shaped the world for decades to come. The story of LSD in America is one of deception, manipulation, and control. Initially developed as a chemical mind control weapon by the CIA, LSD was tested secretly on unsuspecting American citizens for decades in the 1950s and 1960s. The operation was so covert and effective, we aren't sure if it was lone actors within the agency, or an official operation that saw the hippies latch onto it. But one thing is for sure- it devastated the movement, so much so, that the war raged on until scandal and other arguments shifted opinions to the side of the anti-war crowd. Also published . here

How The CIA Dissolved Anti-War Activism with LSD 

Microsoft, one of the biggest tech giants, announced in January last year that it would acquire Activision Blizzard for $69 billion. Activision Blizzard is the holding company that owns one of the most popular game publishers, Activision, which is the creator of top games like Call of Duty, Candy Crush, World of Warcraft, Diablo, StarCraft and Overwatch. The acquisition - if succeeded, will be the biggest takeover of one company by another in gaming history - is opposed by many governments as they believe that the purchase of Activision will give Microsoft too much power over the gaming industry. The American, UK and Canadian governments have expressed concerns over this deal. Activision is known for making one of the best games played by millions of people, and the company earns billions through in-game purchases. If Microsoft purchases Activision, it can make the future Activision games exclusive to Xbox, which can significantly hurt the market of its competitor Sony. Citing these issues, the UK’s Competition and Market Authority (CMA) has . CMA said it was concerned that the acquisition would offer reduced innovation and fewer choices for gamers in the fast-growing cloud gaming business. blocked the deal in the UK Microsoft and Activision hit out at the decision and said they would appeal. “The CMA’s report contradicts the ambitions of the UK to become an attractive country to build technology businesses,” a spokesperson for Activision said. CMA replied, “We will work aggressively with Microsoft to reverse this on appeal.” Brad Smith, vice chairman and president of Microsoft, said, “The CMA’s decision rejects a pragmatic path to address competition concerns and discourages technology innovation and investment in the United Kingdom.” The company was still committed to the acquisition, he added. Microsoft needs approval from regulatory bodies in the United States, European Union and UK to complete the deal. CMA is the first to block the deal, and its decision can impact the decision of other regulatory bodies in the US and European Union. The UK body said it was not concerned that the deal would distort competition in the console gaming market. The UK is concerned for its people as the country is going through economic instability. It fears that Microsoft could raise the prices of popular titles. Activision Blizzard is based in the US, but it has subsidiaries in Europe and the UK, so Microsoft needs the approval of the regulatory body of the United States along with the bodies in Europe and the UK to complete the acquisition. Microsoft needs the deal to be approved by the regulatory bodies of either the UK or European Union to make its case in the US, where both companies are headquartered. Microsoft has been investing heavily in cloud gaming - seeing its potential in the future - recently. Microsoft sells the subscription service Game Pass which allows players to play the games hosted on servers elsewhere. The players do not need to buy the game as they can stream any game with a monthly subscription, just like Netflix. Microsoft needs a vast catalogue of games for its subscribers. Unfortunately, it does not make high-quality popular games like its rival Sony which is the creator of popular titles like God of War, The Last of Us, Ghost of Tsushima and many more. So, Microsoft needs a game studio that can make these high-quality titles, and one of the best in the market is Activision which Microsoft had been planning to acquire for a long time. Microsoft’s rival Sony is expressing concerns that in the future, Microsoft will not allow the popular Activision games on Sony’s PlayStation. also owns Mojang, the creator of , GitHub, Nuance, Skype and LinkedIn. Microsoft Minecraft Also published here

Microsoft's  Activision Blizzard Acquisition Just Got Blocked by The UK

It has been over a year since announced a some-what unexpected decision to buy Activision Blizzard Inc. — the maker of , , and — for a whopping . This would be one of the biggest, if not biggest, acquisitions in the video gaming industry. And yet, the Windows maker is to actually buying the company because of regulatory hurdles and resistance from gamers and video game makers, specifically Sony. Microsoft World of Warcraft Call of Duty Diablo $68.7 billion in cash the no closer other Until this past week. Microsoft finally got a break on two fronts in its quest to purchase Activision Blizzard Inc., one in the and another in the UK, which may give it some hope in being able to complete the acquisition. U.S. The company was facing a consumer antitrust lawsuit in the U.S. by gamers concerned that the acquisition would lead to "higher prices, less innovation, less creativity, less consumer choice, decreased output, and other potential anticompetitive effects." Unfortunately for them, the judge overseeing the case ruled that said gamers did not provide enough evidence of how that might happen, the lawsuit out. Ouch! throwing However, the biggest win may have come from the UK, where the country's competition authority took a U-turn on whether the purchase would hurt competition. Having that the transaction could result in higher prices, fewer choices and less innovation — particularly in the console market — the U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) now believes none of that is possible since doing so would only hurt Microsoft. initially suggested "We have now provisionally concluded that the merger will not result in a substantial lessening of competition in console gaming services because the cost to Microsoft of withholding Call of Duty from PlayStation would outweigh any gains from taking such action," Martin Coleman, who is reviewing the acquisition on behalf of the U.K.'s competition authority, said in a . He was referring to concerns that Microsoft would make the games exclusive to its console (the Xbox) following the acquisition and bar Sony's PlayStation from having access to them in the future. statement Call of Duty Coleman's comment makes sense! is the best-selling first-person shooter video game in the world, and limiting past, current, and future titles from appearing on Sony's PlayStation — which, to be clear, 70% of the global console market —  would only hurt Microsoft. Call of Duty captures For now, investors are with what they have, with Activision Blizzard Inc.'s stock price shooting up on Friday: happy Microsoft is still not out of the weeds, though, since the CMA may change its position again ahead of a final decision expected on April 26. Of concern is also Microsoft's dominance in the "cloud gaming market," i.e. the Xbox Game Pass, which gives gamers to high-quality games in exchange for a nominal fee every month. "Our provisional view that this deal raises concerns in the cloud gaming market is not affected by today’s announcement. Our investigation remains on course for completion by the end of April," Coleman said. access The CMA still believes the deal could harm competition there, perhaps because Microsoft could refuse to allow Call of Duty to appear on Sony's Game Pass competitor PS Plus. Microsoft has, of course, denied such claims and instead suggested entering a deal with Sony that would guarantee that games would appear on its competitor's platforms for a 10-year period — sufficient time for Sony to develop its own shooter, . Call of Duty should they deem it necessary to do so Elsewhere, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission is still seeking to the merger over concerns that the Xbox maker would "would gain control of top video game franchises, enabling it to harm competition in high-performance gaming consoles and subscription services by denying or degrading rivals’ access to its popular content." block Microsoft continues steaming ahead. The company ranked #71 on HackerNoon's this week. Tech Company Rankings 👋 You’re reading HackerNoon's Tech Company News Brief, a weekly collection of tech goodness that combines HackerNoon's proprietary data with internet trends to determine which companies are rising and falling in the public consciousness. Subscribe to receive the newsletter in your inbox every Tuesday! here In Other News.. 📰 Elon Musk thinks , which ranked #17 this week, is less than half of what he paid for the social media company. Twitter worth Microsoft does not want its competitors to its internet-search data to train their own AI products. use CEO Tim Cook is China, and can't stop saying nice things about the country 🥲. Apple ranked #7 this week. Apple visiting Intel co-founder Gordon Moore has . 😞 passed away And that's a wrap! Don't forget to share this newsletter with your family and friends! See y'all next week. PEACE! ☮️ — Sheharyar Khan, Editor, Business Tech @ HackerNoon Featured image created using Stable Diffusion 2.1 using the following prompt: “Microsoft's XBox playing on a large screen TV”

Microsoft Inches Closer to Buying Activision Blizzard

মাইক্রোসফ্ট অ্যাক্টিভিশন ব্লিজার্ড কেনার কাছাকাছি ইঞ্চি

Microsoft ist dem Kauf von Activision Blizzard immer näher gekommen

마이크로소프트, 액티비전 블리자드 인수 임박

Microsoft, Activision Blizzard'ı satın almaya bir adım daha yaklaştı

Microsoft's acquisition history dates back to July 30, 1987, when it made its first acquisition. Forethought was a computer software company founded in 1983. The company developed a computer program best known as Microsoft PowerPoint today. Ten years later, Microsoft merged Hotmail into its MSN group of services after purchasing Hotmail.com for , at the time its largest acquisition. $500 million After that, Microsoft went on to acquire over . 225 companies From acquiring Hotmail.com on December 31, 1997, to moving to buy Activision Blizzard on January 2022, Microsoft seems to always make headlines each year with its buyout of companies, the company has purchased an average of a year. six companies Between 2005 and 2008, the company acquired more than ten businesses annually, with its 18 acquisitions in 2006 being the biggest in a single year. Today, Microsoft is on it again. The purchase of Activision is famed to be the biggest deal in video game history, no doubt Microsoft is paying so much for it. But why is the FTC on Microsoft's tail? “Because of the vote taken by the FTC commissioners earlier today, Microsoft is going to have a much harder time completing the acquisition of Activision Blizzard.” - Joe Troyer, CEO & Head of Growth, DigitalTriggers The enforcement of civil antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection are the main responsibilities of the Federal Trade Commission, an independent agency of the US government. According to information on the organization's , they have been doing that for over 100 years. website The organization has a reputation for battling Big Tech.  Almost the same lawsuit it has with Microsoft now was fought head-on with in the middle of last year. Facebook The FTC aims to prevent Microsoft's acquisition of Activision, according to the agency, by giving the tech behemoth ownership over Activision's most popular video game properties, the $69 billion merger might stifle Xbox competitors. The FTC's lawsuit asserts that the Xbox maker would obtain ownership of major video game properties, giving it the ability to hurt competition in high-performance gaming systems and subscription services by limiting or weakening rivals' access to its well-liked content. “The FTC’s decision not to approve the Microsoft buyout of Activision Blizzard is a significant setback for the company. However, the FTC’s analysis is only one factor that must be considered in any antitrust decision. The key question is whether the proposed acquisition would result in anticompetitive effects. Microsoft has presented a number of arguments in support of the proposed acquisition, and the FTC will now consider these arguments.” - Rick Costa, Houselectric.com The FTC  claims that some of the most well-known video games in the world are produced by Activision and that Microsoft might raise the cost of these games or make it more difficult, if not impossible, to play them on rival platforms. “Microsoft has already shown that it can and will withhold content from its gaming rivals,” Today we seek to stop Microsoft from gaining control over a leading independent game studio and using it to harm competition in multiple dynamic and fast-growing gaming markets.” - Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition. Holly Vedova, However, Microsoft claims that the transaction will improve competition and benefits customers. https://twitter.com/BradSmi/status/1600939963377254400?embedable=true The US government agency will go on to give examples of how Microsoft has done in the past with its acquisition of brands and its promises of a better future. Pointing to Microsoft's history with Bethesda, a video game studio it acquired in the FTC said, “Microsoft decided to make several of Bethesda’s titles including Starfield and Redfall Microsoft exclusives despite assurances it had given to European antitrust authorities that it had no incentive to withhold games from rival consoles.” 2021 for $7.5 billion Microsoft has had quite a reputation for making acquisitions and promises, the question is, how much of the FTC concern is justified? What Has Happened To Each Studio Microsoft Has Purchased? In 1999, studios launched in 1995 under the name FASA Interactive Technologies. FASA provided two MechAssault titles for the Xbox when Microsoft first entered the console market. The studio created MechCommander 1 and 2, MechWarrior 4, Mechassault 1 and 2, and other mech-focused games. In order to produce the action arcade flying game Crimson Skies in 2003, it momentarily broke away from walking armor and in 2007, . Microsft bought FASA Microsoft shut it down Remember Halo Wars? It was an offshoot of Microsoft's longest-running video game series, produced by Ensemble. The company was bought by and Halo Wars, which was under production throughout 2006 and 2007, was almost finished when Microsoft decided to shut the studio down. Microsoft in 2001 The list goes on and on. For game studios, being acquired by Microsoft should be advantageous. Now that they are connected to a significant player in the gaming industry, success seems to be assured, doesn't it? But now we see that a company might experience anything from hugely successful games to total oblivion if the experiences of past game development companies that Microsoft acquired give any hint. Somehow, it didn't seem like Microsoft was buying Mojang, the maker of Minecraft, for its own platforms when it paid $2.5 billion for the business in 2014. The popular video game Minecraft is playable on all major platforms, including smartphones. Microsoft has been quite clear that it is not interested in exclusives, and it still says so. previously “Microsoft has entered into a 10-year commitment to bring Call of Duty to __ __following the merger of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard King.  Microsoft is committed to helping bring more games to more people – however, they choose to play. @Nintendo ” @ATVI_AB - Head of Xbox Phil Spencer, But all of a sudden the strategy seems to be focusing on exclusive games. With Bethesda games like Starfield and Elder Scrolls 6 , we can immediately question if the same thing should not be anticipated with Activision Blizzard’s catalog in the future. available only on Xbox Maybe FTC concerns are justified after all. “Ultimately the FTC blocked this acquisition because their mandate is to prevent monopolies, and I agree that it would not be ideal. It’s clear that Microsoft was interested in Activision Blizzard as a way to advance their metaverse efforts, however, the whole idea of the metaverse revolves around the concept of decentralization.” - Colin Fitzpatrick, CEO of Animal Concerts The most well-known and ambitious games from Activision Blizzard, like Call of Duty and Overwatch, have always been accessible on all major platforms, but that may suddenly change. If it does, that means that the upcoming Call of Duty game will be an Xbox exclusive and may not even be released on the PlayStation 5. Microsoft has indicated that it would not back out of the agreement and would fight in court to maintain the acquisition, and Bobby Kotick, Activision’s chief executive supports that motive. “I want to reinforce my confidence that this deal will close, the allegation that this deal is anti-competitive doesn’t align with the facts, and we believe we’ll win this challenge.” - , Vice Chair and President Microsoft. Bobby Kotick Lulu Cheng Meservey, executive vice president of corporate affairs and chief communication officer at Activision Blizzard also thinks FTC doesn’t have a business suing Microsoft. “The FTC’s job is to protect consumers, not competitors, this vote departs from precedent but the law hasn’t changed. Any claim the deal is anticompetitive ignores facts; the deal benefits gamers and the industry, especially given competition from abroad. We look forward to proving our case in court and closing our deal with Microsoft.” - , CCO, Activision Blizzard. Lulu Cheng Meservey Eventually, when (and if) the acquisition of Activision Blizzard is completed, we'll finally see how it all turns out. Is it likely that this deal will be successfully completed, or do you believe there may be obstacles or issues that could prevent it from being finalized?

The Story of Microsoft Buyouts: Why the FTC Won’t Let Them Acquire Activision

La historia de las adquisiciones de Microsoft: por qué la FTC no les permite adquirir Activision

L'histoire des rachats de Microsoft : pourquoi la FTC ne les laissera pas acquérir Activision

माइक्रोसॉफ्ट बायआउट्स की कहानी: एफटीसी उन्हें सक्रियता हासिल करने क्यों नहीं देगा

マイクロソフト買収の話: FTC が Activision の買収を許可しない理由

A história das aquisições da Microsoft: por que a FTC não permite que adquiram a Activision

Câu chuyện mua lại Microsoft: Tại sao FTC không để họ mua lại Activision

微软收购的故事：为什么 FTC 不会让他们收购 Activision

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