The One with the VPNs, DOGE, and Sore Muscles
# intro
Hey, đź‘‹
This made me laugh this week:
The Council of the European Union should not be confused with the European Council, a separate E.U. institution discussed in the next Module. Nor should it be confused with the Council of Europe, a distinction we discuss further below. When reference is made simply to the “Council,” this is a reference to the Council of the European Union—not the European Council or the Council of Europe.
Man, Europe really needs a better naming convention—it’s starting to feel like Apple’s confusing iPad lineup. You practically need flashcards just to keep the names straight. It’s wild, but it won’t stop me. 👨‍🎓
# general
Only the laziest (myself included) refrained from joking about the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E.) requiring two leaders, but Trump didn’t stop there. He went on to appoint unqualified loyalists and friends to various positions.
On top of that, Trump appointed Brendan Carr as FCC Chairman—a figure tasked with cracking down on platform moderation, who also authored the Project 2025 chapter detailing his plans to do so, and is now demanding punishment for NBC for featuring Kamala Harris on Saturday Night Live.
If the American people voted for Trump, then this must be what they want, right? I know what it feels like to live in a country where no opposition is allowed on the air, so I can definitely say how it will play out down the road.
I tend to think of it as an advent calendar, but instead of treats, each window reveals a Trump-picked loyalist with zero qualifications and a chance of dead worms.
Putin must be thrilled to see how Trump and Musk play right into his hands, proving that everything has a price and that corruption—the foundation of his entire empire—is the path to power.
Schrems III is coming sooner rather than later.
# privacy
Interest in VPNs and other online privacy tools has grown significantly in the US after the elections. Meanwhile, the Electronic Frontier Foundation has prepared a comprehensive Surveillance Self-Defense guide, which is a valuable resource for protecting personal data.
It’s fascinating how people worldwide turn to VPNs for entirely opposite reasons.
In Russia and China, VPNs are primarily a tool for bypassing government censorship and accessing blocked platforms like YouTube. In the US, they’re increasingly being used as a shield against surveillance and to reclaim privacy in a landscape of growing digital scrutiny.
Ironically, both uses highlight a universal truth: no matter the context, individuals seek tools to protect their freedom—whether it’s freedom of access or freedom from oversight.
It would also be immensely helpful if Apple stopped aiding Kremlin censorship by removing VPN apps from the App Store and blocking access to podcasts by independent journalists.
Interestingly, Apple doesn’t take similar actions in the US—at least, not yet.
# links-of-note
- I’m excited to see the user growth on Bluesky—it’s starting to feel like a true successor to Twitter. M.G. Siegler shares some interesting thoughts on this here: Bluesky is Twitter's Heir Apparent
- Part two of the conversation with Max Schrems is now live: Watch it here. The discussion covers a range of topics, including the Pay-or-OK system and Meta’s situation—both of which are super interesting. Still, it seems like there’s nothing specific decided on these issues yet.
- This looks like a case of context confusion, with a touch of something else at play, but seeing a message like this come from a black-box computer is… interesting. Check it out: Gemini told my brother to die (threatening).
- AI companies are hitting the scaling wall. Is that a good thing? Could it slow down the AI craze? I don’t know, but it’s worth pondering. See: AI companies hit a scaling wall
# water-cooler
I finished Four Thousand Weeks - Time Management for Mortals, and I didn't like it. I'm a mortal, so I was interested! However, it turned out not being what I expected. A promising start gave way to constant repetition of the same idea, excessive quotes from philosophers about it, and endless lamenting about technology. It might be eye-opening for some, but personally, I’m not a fan.
That book challenged my mind, so to balance things out, I decided to challenge my body by joining the Legion Run Cyprus 2024. Thankfully, it wasn’t too muddy, and the price I paid was just some sore muscles, a few scratches, and a couple of bruises. Not too bad!
To wrap up this week’s letter, I’d like to share a favorite comic from The Oatmeal: The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances.
It perfectly captures the experience—and yes, I do the same!
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Until next week,đź––
Greg