Author's archive
And Round and Round They Go . . . . 0
Try as I might, I am having difficulty finding significant weaknesses in my old friend Noz’s observations about what’s going on in Gaza.
Nit-Picking Hairsplitting Double-Talking Out of Both Sides of His Mouth 0
As far as I can see, this is a distinction without a difference; follow the link for more (emphasis added).
Why would the former president emphasize such a thing? That’s because Section 3 of the amendment disqualifies insurrectionists who have “previously taken an oath … to support the Constitution.” Thus, the argument goes in his Colorado Supreme Court appeal, he’s eligible for the presidency again in 2024 because he swore to “preserve, protect, and defend” the Constitution, not support it.
Both Sides Don’t 0
Barry Friedman argues that the “partisan divide” is not the greatest danger to American democracy.
Rather, he suggests that it’s those who don’t divide the partisans. A nugget:
Follow the link for his reasoning.
If One Standard Is Good, Two Must Be Better 0
Looking at recent shenanigans involving the North Carolina state supreme court, UNC law professor Gene Nichol suggests that they embody a simple principle:
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
AP reporter David Bauder reports on a case of AI biting the hand that fed it. It’s certainly not the first and, chillingly, will not be last such story, as persons seem quite willing to confuse algorithms and speedy automated pattern recognition with thought.
I shall not demean it with excerpt or summary. Just go read it.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Show politeness at family gatherings.
Republican Thought Police 0
The Arizona Republic’s Laurie Roberts cuts to the quick:
Follow the link for her evidence.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Another oxymoronic “responsible gun owner” tries to fly the fiendly skies.
Lies and Lying Liars? 0
Farron points out the perfidity and perjury are not the same thing.
Argle Bargle 0
At Above the Law, Liz Dye looks at the latest I-guess-you-have-to-call-them arguments and tries to make sense out of the senseless. What it boils down to, natch, is attempting to use the law to argue that Donald Trump is exempt from the law.
A sample:
Incongruously Assembled 0
Is this ignorance or stupidity?
Or (more likely, given his record) both?
Inquiring minds want to know.
The Disinformation Superduper Highway 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, The Open Minds Foundation takes a lot at the potential effects of AI-generated dis- and misinformation on the internet. They conclude that internet users need to exercise more critical thinking skills, even as they seem to be exercising less (or is it fewer?).
Here’s a tiny bit from their article; I urge you to read the rest.
The Europol report continues with a stark warning: “On a daily basis, people trust their own perception to guide them and tell them what is real and what is not… Auditory and visual recordings of an event are often treated as a truthful account of an event. But what if these media can be generated artificially, adapted to show events that never took place, to misrepresent events, or to distort the truth?”