Obsessive Observers

If you’re here, you probably need help

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Week of October 9th, 2023

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It’s the official launch of our weekly “newsletter” for paid subscribers. (All 4 of you)

This week was pretty fucking wild. How many nations had their citizens killed or captured in the Hamas attacks on Israel?

The geopolitical nightmare this has caused is nudging me further towards thinking the likelihood WW3 is going to actually happen is increasing.

The religious wars, the political and existential conflicts, and the global economic state seems to all point to continued escalations.

I don’t know though… I’m just some random construction worker with a substack who can’t publish an article without a typo in it.

Good thing emails aren’t permanent…

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Now X posts can lock replies to only allow comment from verified accounts

Source: Ground News

Details: The latest turn in the Elon Musk-directed platform X, previously known as Twitter, is that users can now block unverified accounts from replying to their posts.

Thoughts: X has been the most enjoyable social media platform by far since Musk took over.

I was sorely disappointed (and still am) when my account I created in 2012 was permanently suspended for violating the platforms rules on “Platform manipulation and Spam.”

I still have no idea what I did, but I got suspended the exact same time as someone I was engaging heavily with. She got her account back almost immediately. I did not. Oh well.

But I will say, this new feature is good for premium users, but really sacrifices the free user’s experience. I’m not a fan. But if you want to pay for said feature, that’s your choice.

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New California law aims to force people with mental illness or addiction to get help

Source: Ground News

Details: More Californians with untreated mental illness and addiction issues could be detained against their will and forced into treatment under a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, a move to help overhaul the state's mental health system and address its growing homelessness crisis.

Thoughts: There will always be justifications for the state to step in and institutionalize the mentally ill. Oversight and safeguards are necessary though.