PSA

A year or so ago, I believe I blogged about the human trafficking awareness training we get at work.

WaPo article on trafficking in DC and the 'burbs.

Why people don't 'just leave.'

Warning signs

National Human Trafficking Hotline

I don't suppose writing an LJ post does much actual good; I think I'll look up Tina Frundt's group and see about sending cash their way. I grew up in a house where gun rights were the major political issue; I think civil marriage equality is a no-brainer and I've gone to Annapolis to tell my representative that. But this really gets under my skin in a "HULK SMASH" sort of way.

What is it with things clustering?

Human trafficking attempt foiled by MetaFilter forum-goers. o.O Score one for the Internet!

Polaris Project, probably the biggest anti-trafficking charity in my area.

Musical AI

Computer-generated music is getting pretty dang good.

I don't want to get into "the last 1%" or the "innate human factor," but overall? I think this article is bang on the money. There's a reason musical genres sound distinct; they have certain patterns and techniques that distinguish them.

This is also why, IMO, if you have any pretensions to historicity as a bard, you need to listen to reconstructions of actual medieval music. You need to get the right patterns into your ear before you can recombine them as original works. Otherwise, you're writing modern music, using the modern patterns you've ingested your whole life.