Earnings

I've been putting some Smaller Animals music on the various streaming services (via DistroKid), and today I decided to see how they're doing. And, while DistroKid won't give you even the most basic of stats unless you upgrade your account, they will tell you which songs were played, and on which service, if you look at them in the 'earnings' section of their site. How, if and when earnings are paid varies from service to service, so it's not anything like a real-time comprehensive report. But it's all I have.

And so, in 6,616 plays across all the various services DistroKid sends your stuff to, I have earned $0.57.

Here's a sample of what the breakdown looks like:

Date Reported Sale Month Platform Band Song Plays Country Total
2026-07-13 Jul 2026 Mar 2026 NetEase Smaller Animals Flat 1 US $0.000238123304
2026-05-20 May 2026 Mar 2026 Pandora Smaller Animals Introduction 1 US $0.003500087881
2026-03-26 Mar 2026 Feb 2026 Facebook (Social Media Pack) Smaller Animals Mixed Episodes 3 US $0.000081240870
2026-03-26 Mar 2026 Feb 2026 Instagram/Facebook Smaller Animals King Failure 1 OU $0.000596415438
2023-11-11 Nov-23 Sep-23 Instagram/Facebook Smaller Animals Mixed Episodes 3,711 OU $0.04

...

This doesn't count services like Spotify which have a minimum number of plays before they'll bother paying you or even telling you about it (min 1,000/yr for Spotify). And it doesn't count YouTube views.

And I don't know exactly what's up with that last line: 3,711 views. The "OU" country is "Other/Unknown", so I guess it's just Insta/FB broadcasting to their users. There are three entries like that for that song, maybe 5,000 plays total. $0.05! Pity they apparently stopped doing that in 2023, though. I might have earned enough to meet DistroKid's minimum payout amount!

Their Master's Voice

Trump Media & Technology Group has unveiled a paid-for, licensed data feed that will give banks ​and trading firms "the fastest" access to posts from influential Truth Social ‌accounts, such as President Donald Trump's, whose posts often move global markets.

The product, called 'Truth API', will deliver posts from the 10 most influential accounts to customers at a significantly ​faster pace than a regular push notification on the Truth Social ​platform, a spokesperson said.

The feed is designed for organizations "most impacted by ⁠the cost of a delay in information", such as algorithmic trading firms, ​the company said in a statement. "Until now... firms that prioritize tracking influential Truth ​posts have relied on manual monitoring. Truth API closes the gap."

Happy Payout Day!

...to those who celebrate.

The writer E. Jean Carroll can collect $5.8 million held in escrow since a jury found that President Donald Trump sexually abused and defamed her, a federal judge ruled Wednesday. Trump’s lawyers immediately appealed but were denied an emergency order to block the payment from being made.

Trump deposited the money in an account shortly after a jury ruled against him in 2023. The U.S. Supreme Court recently let the civil verdict stand, clearing the way for Judge Lewis A. Kaplan to release the money. The initial $5 million award has grown with interest.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-e-jean-carroll-sexual-abuse-defamation-fe911fa64d58b03b4d96a628a5cdccb0

How Accurate Are AI Astrology Predictions?

The layers of WTF here are so deep.

Is ChatGPT astrology real or fake? ChatGPT astrology isn’t real astrology. It generates horoscope-style text based on patterns and language, not planetary positions or astronomical calculations. Think of it as entertainment or creative writing, not a predictive or scientific tool.

Right... and can you think of anything else that is not actually predictive?

How to find exact future predictions free by date of birth? There is no reliable way to get exact future predictions for free using a date of birth. Astrology and numerology tools can offer general insights based on patterns, but they are not scientifically proven.

But if "scientifically proven" is important... ?

But without emotional intelligence or spiritual understanding, AI astrology lacks the full depth of traditional readings. It may sound precise, yet often misses the subtle connections a human astrologer can make. AI astrology works best as a starting point for self-reflection rather than a final answer. So, what do you think; How Accurate Are AI Astrology Predictions for you?

Huh.

And the whole, very-repetitive, list-heavy, article looks like it was written by ChatGPT.