Day: May 15, 2026

FYI: The Dark Web

It is Friday and I would like to end the week with some FYI.

Disclaimer:  I am by no means pushing the Dark Web on my readers this post is purely intended to be FYI.

I am sure that most anyone that uses a computer has heard of the Dark Web….but how many really know what it is unless you are a massive computer nerd?

The dark web isn’t something you can just stumble upon, and that’s a good thing. Although it’s often used for transactions and conversations that need to remain anonymous, sites on the dark web can host illegal activity, phishing links, financial scams, and malware. There’s also little to no recourse to be had if you encounter any trouble there, because the dark web is a decentralized collection of websites hidden from search engines. In short, it’s not for the faint of heart, and it’s definitely not a viable alternative to the clear web.

Even in an era of increased online surveillance, the average person on the internet likely has too much to lose to bet on their safety for curiosity’s sake. Heck, I’m one of PCMag’s resident security experts, and I’m not playing around on the dark web just because I know how to. That’s why I’m not going to provide links or detailed instructions for accessing the internet’s shadier side. That said, what you choose to do with your time and devices is solely your business (for now). I will help you understand the risks you face when exploring the dark web and offer you some suggestions for safer browsing.

To understand what the dark web is, let’s examine the onion-like layers of the internet:

…

Within the deep web is the dark web. As I mentioned above, the dark web is a decentralized, non-indexed network of web pages, and the sites don’t use standard URLs. The dark web is home to some horrible stuff; think illegal porn and snuff films, along with illicit activity in the form of financial scams, personal data sales, and other anonymous and illegal transactions. There are marketplaces where people can sell stolen credit card numbers, conduct illegal drug transactions, and scam people out of their cash and crypto.

There’s legitimate activity on the dark web, too, as activists, journalists, and whistleblowers use dark web forums for anonymous communication. These forums look similar to those on the clear web, but the content discussed and shared by the anonymous chatters can evade censorship and surveillance on public sites. The problem is that getting to those forums may expose you to safety concerns like those listed above.

https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/i-went-into-dark-web-so-you-dont-have-to-heres-whats-down-there

A very informative article.

To reiterate I do not condone nor encourage the Dark Web at all….this is purely for FYI…..

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The Loss Of Voting Rights

SCOTUS has done so much to roll back any progress this country has made but their stupidity on voting takes the cake.

 

https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/dismantling-the-voting-rights-act-sets-american-democracy-back-decades/

 

Some think it will take decades to recover but others think we could never recover from this betrayal of the American ideal by SCOTUS…..

What say you?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

 

Time To Face Reality

With all the Epstein crap and now our attacks on Iran the ‘other’ war in Ukraine is falling through the cracks (for now)….

After years of war and countless tidbits about a ceasefire that never materializes this devastating conflict is no closer to a solution than it was the day after the original invasion.

The West has done all it can with cash and inventory to help without getting directing involved with troops…but after four long years maybe it is time to face reality.

Since the war started, voices in the alternative media have said that Ukraine cannot win a war against Russia. Indeed, John Mearsheimer has been saying this since 2014.

Four years into this devastating war, those voices feel at one and the same time both vindicated and unheard. Ukraine is losing yet western leaders in Europe appear bent on continuing the fight.

Nothing is illustrative of this more than Kaja Kallas’ ridiculous comment of 10 February that Russia should agree to pre-conditions to end the war, which included future restrictions on the size of Russia’s army.

Comments such as this suggest western figures like Kallas still believe in the prospect of a strategic victory against Russia, such that Russia would have to settle for peace as the defeated party. Or they are in denial, and/or they are lying to their citizens. I’d argue that it is a mixture of the second and third.

When I say losing, I don’t mean losing in the narrow military sense. Russia’s territorial gains over the winter period have been slow and marginal. Indeed, western commentators often point to this as a sign that, given its size advantage, Russia is in fact losing the war, because if it really was powerful, it would have defeated Ukraine long ago.

https://thepeacemonger.substack.com/p/why-cant-western-leaders-accept-that

After all the loss of life and the massive destruction from the fighting and all of it could have been avoided by one simple action.

When Zelenksyy was elected all he would have had to do was state formally that he had no intention for Ukraine to join NATO.

How hard would that had been?

After the invasion there could have been a immediate ceasefire with three things coming to the table….

If peace is to come to Ukraine three things are needed. First, the historical causes of the war must be acknowledged. Second, the goals and security needs of both sides must be addressed. Third, each side’s red lines need to be respected. Compromises need to be acknowledged and embraced as an accomplishment and starting point. Instead of seeing the remaining issues as frustrating impasses that lead to despair of diplomacy and continued war, they need to be seen as the last hurdles to a peace that all sides – Ukraine, Russia, the U.S. and Europe – should be encouraged to overcome.

No doubt, clearing those hurdles means neither side will get all that it wants, and both sides must decide what they need. That is why the historical causes and essential goals of each side need to be identified. The compromise settlement must then be composed in terms that allow both sides to present it to their citizens as having achieved the core goals and security concerns.

(antiwar.com)

After four bloody years we know that neither side wants to compromise and seems none of the benefactors want it either.

With all that in the spotlight time for the West to buck up and face reality….this conflict is a money pit that will will cost so much that it will be impossible to end it.

Realty is a cruel bitch!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”