Now that the sh*t has hit the fan.

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Reality Checked; Gloves Off.

Having ideas requires boldness and bravery. Today, I am an American woman once again confronted with the fact that half of the country I belong to believes in a man whose words and actions threaten and demean my existence and my humanity.

Today, ideas and actual bravery matter more than ever. I share your rage, fellow reader, and your sadness and disappointment. These truths cannot be shaken. Once again, we have learned that our values depend on our belief systems. Half of America believes women have less value than men, the color of your skin is an indicator of your worth, and bullies and grifters are acceptable leaders. This is the truth about our demographic majority and how they see the world; now, we must decide what to do about it.

I am so angry that I am sure I could ninja chop through several boards of wood without trying; I doubt I would even bruise my hand. Here is me chopping a single plank of wood without being angry. I want to share this so any woman who feels threatened and small today can be reminded that even the smallest packages contain profound strength when the energy is focused.

This morning, we decided to go for a walk and because it is hunting season, I needed to purchase orange gear to cover our bodies so that we would not get shot while taking a morning stroll. After paying the tax for protecting our bodies at Walmart, I remembered to smile at the young store greeter because she has pink hair, voted for the first time yesterday, and likely did not want to spend her twenties under the thumb of an autocratically inclined bully as president any more than I want to spend one single day fighting bullies when there is so much real work to do and so many essential fights to put our good attention towards.

I smiled at the Walmart greeter, begrudgingly paid for my size 2XL orange vests, and decided to write about the importance of funding female-owned businesses, now more than ever.

The tech tycoons love Trump. A nihilist like Donald Trump is the BFF (best friend forever) of libertarian tech juggernauts like Peter Thiel and rocket-man Elon Musk. These tycoons love Trump because he has no morals, and nothing is more inconvenient to testing out your latest toys than the morality police coming at you with annoying regulations to protect the least among us... least being people like women, children, the poor, anyone who is not a straight, white man, you know, humanity, nature, existence. Even though Peter Thiel is gay, he stands with those who would squash his enemies.

If you aren't worried, you are definitely not paying attention. In the days leading up to Trump's second election, Elon Musk created a daily lottery in which a million dollars per day would be given to anyone who signed up for the lottery and registered to vote. Trump received 118 million USD from Elon Musk, and Musk is poised to receive a government appointment once all is said and done. Likely an intelligent investment for the billionaire.

Just because it seems wrong, and is wrong, if it is possible, and allowed, it will happen. Now, the gloves will be off. What was learned in Trump's first term is that he needs adults in the room to keep him contained. Now that the top military refuses to work with the man, who will lead the armed forces under Trump? From the military to the agencies ensuring clean drinking water and fair elections, the appointees of Trump will be order takers for their master. They will not care about restraining Trump from acting on his impulses.

Be An Ally & Empower Women

The groundwork for a professional consortium of intelligent actors must be laid between now and the beginning of next year. If you have a platform, whether in the form of a large audience, an investor network, or an important title at your company or institution, I implore you not to rest and wait for what will happen.

Proactivity is the only way to shore up protections against the coming tide. The threat of AI and big tech in the pockets of the American government cannot be understated.

As you know, I am a software engineer and artist, so I am curious about the models and apps being developed in this age of AI. In the open-source AI model world, the landscape is catering to our worst impulses. The general public have not seen the underbelly of the AI world but I have.

In the open-source AI model landscape, about half of all models developed are for pornographic use cases. Remember, the models are the trained AI "engines" that power apps built on top of them. The model for AI apps will determine the type of output and its content.

Women are not creating these models for our own use cases. This needs to change now.

The best bet we have against a terrifying future with AI is one in which more of us are empowered and educated to use and interact with AI.

Women and our allies need to be at the forefront of this technological arms race because no one is going to choose to act in our best interest, no matter how much someone like Trump claims he will protect women, whether we want him to or not.

So, dear reader, what shall we do now?

Here is my 10-part playbook for the coming months and beyond:

1. Give money to female-founded businesses via angel investments, crowdfunding, or business loans.

2. If you cannot give money to female-founded businesses, support them, share their content, post about their products, and choose to shop at their stores.

3. Please talk about the issues, and don't pretend it is impolite to do so; it is only uncomfortable. We have left the time of politeness in the dust; wake up and smell the reality. This might mean defending those who will be used as scapegoats for misinformation and disinformation efforts or speaking up for the many segments of society marginalized by the politics of hate.

4. Advocate for the women you work with; become an ally. Whether you are male or female, and no matter how you identify, allyship is deeply transformative. In Western society, the role of the good girl is to protect the status quo. This is why Kamala could not sway the women of this country; internalized misogyny is at work and thriving, it turns out. Allyship is one anecdote to misogyny.

5. Check-in on your sisters, mom, friends, and anyone who might feel threatened. Even if they seem okay, check in again and keep reaching out. It means a ton when you are reminded that you aren't alone. We already know the odds are stacked against us, and now we have been dealt a massive blow in the form of a human-shaped barrier the size of an elderly bully's ego and his grifter cronies as speedbumps to all things related to progress for women.

6. Tell us you are an advocate, and show us, too. Please make finding allies in this new landscape easier for us. We already know we have hurdles the size of metaphorical mountains to climb. Don't hide if you are willing to help us reach the top.

7. Remember that it takes diversity to create innovative solutions, which is why you support us. You do not want to live in a world filled with minimally viable everything. You want to live in a world of ideas, innovation, and potential. I know this because you are still reading. If you did not want to live in this world of possibility, you surely would have stopped reading and promptly unsubscribed from this cheeky and brazen author's online publication with the swiftness of a Trump-style crotch grab.

8. Talk to other men about being an ally, spread the word, and the love. I genuinely believe that most people are not evil and do not want to harm others; nevertheless, they make choices based on the evidence at hand, which may harm at least half of their fellow citizens. Add to the evidence at hand by talking to your friends about the real risk of allowing unregulated AI controlled by a small group of powerful men and why we must fight against this by supporting companies working for the collective, not the few.

9. Encourage your daughters, sisters, female colleagues, and any women in your life who are interested in engaging with technology, from learning to code to becoming AI experts. Let us lead with our feminine intuition. We need to offset the coming storm.

10. Speak up for women and so-called women's issues. Our issues are a collective concern, and our autonomy is at threat in a way none of us have known since the time of women starving in jail cells for the right to vote, just a short century before today.

Signal Support With Financial Action

Beyond today, think about the choices you make and the businesses you support. Every dollar spent is a decision and, arguably, the most powerful way to signal approval or disapproval of an entity in our capitalist society.

The underdog is going to have a tough time as major corporations and the American government get cozy enough to share biospheres.

I cannot understate the importance of empowerment over fear. Do not wither in fear and dismay. The greatest work of our lives is ahead of us. We must be active and engaged, and as consumers and creators of AI applications, we will be the voice of reason demanding safety, protection, and access against a tidal wave of self-interest and greed.

Stay informed and connected. Please support this female-founded business and share this article. Upgrade to premium for only ten dollars/month and support my work directly; it really does matter.

That is it for this week, my friends; please stay safe and be kind to yourself and someone else, too. We all need the encouragement right now.

Until next week — Your faithful writer, Sonia a.k.a. SuperSonic

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