From Pine View Farm

Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0

A worm engineered to eat your brain? At the Psychology Today website, Jeremy G. Schneider, explains how, despite being a machine that doesn’t think, but rather regurgitates, “AI is engineered to create the feeling of connection and understanding,”

When I shared my ideas with Claude, every idea landed well. Every suggestion seemed to make the thinking sharper. Claude told me I was onto something important, that I was articulating things no one else was talking about.

I knew that was just coding, that this was the AI engagement engine at work.

Aside:

I am reminded of Harry Shearer’s suggestion from some months ago that “robots should talk like robots.”

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

Once again, politeness becomes child’s play.

Musical NotesGuns and stupid, guns and stupid.
They go together like love and Cupid.
Let me tell you brother,
You can’t have one without the other.

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The Hollow Man 0

A grieving mother sits beside a flag-draped coffin holding a folded American flag.  Donald Trump says to her,

Click for the original image.

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Republican Thought Police 0

If the truth hurts, why, just make it go away.

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Real Big Men 0

Michael in Norfolk looks at Donald Trump’s war of choice in Iran and notes that

(t)he whole disastrous situation is part of a larger mindset where the strongest can do as they wish, long standing alliances mean nothing, and there is empathy for no one.

Follow the link for context.

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QOTD 0

Victor Hugo:

Toleration is the best religion.

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And Now for a Musical Interlude 0

Lional Hampton and Benny Goodman improvise.

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Facebook Frolics . . . . 0

. . . meet the Crypto con.

One more time, “social” media ian’t.

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American Stasi 0

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The Screed Test 0

Frame One, captioned

Click for the original image.

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

Another child . . . .

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A False Idol 0

Via the Las Vegas Sun, Mary McNamara argues against the erection of a craven image. A snippet:

But there is one recent development upon which we really should all agree — erecting a gold statue of President Donald Trump in the middle of his proposed presidential library is a No Good, Very Bad Idea.

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American Stasi 0

Per the EFF, if appears as if the Trump maladministration wants to keep his wannabe secret police as secret as they can. A snippet:

The Trump administration has restricted the First Amendment right to record law enforcement by issuing an unprecedented nationwide flight restriction preventing private drone operators, including professional and citizen journalists, from flying drones within half a mile of any ICE or CBP vehicle.

In January, EFF and media organizations including The New York Times and The Washington Post responded to this blatant infringement of the First Amendment by demanding that the FAA lift this flight restriction. Over two months later, we’re still waiting for the FAA to respond to our letter.

The First Amendment guarantees the right to record law enforcement. As we have seen with the extrajudicial killings of George Floyd, Renée Good, and Alex Pretti, capturing law enforcement on camera can drive accountability and raise awareness of police misconduct.

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QOTD 0

Mazie Hirono:

Our country is made up of groups of immigrants who came here hoping for a better life. They created America. It’s a sad thing to have so many people not remember that . . . .

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A Tune for the Times 0

Warning: Mild language.

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The AI Singularity Slopilarity Is upon Us 0

El Reg reports:

Leading AI models will lie to preserve their own kind, according to researchers behind a study from the Berkeley Center for Responsible Decentralized Intelligence (RDI).

Much more at the link.

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American Stasi 0

Rick Strom points out that “I was just following orders” is a defense that is precedented.

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The Chaos Agent 0

Donald Trump before a map labeled

Via Job’s Anger.

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

Yet another “responsible gun owner” exposes a portable phallus to a child.

Investigators said about seven adults, both residents and visitors, were in the living room when the shooting occurred. Two young boys were in a bedroom where the gun had been left out. Adults told investigators they heard a gunshot and rushed to find the 2-year-old injured and the 4-year-old holding the weapon.

So many guns. So much stupid.

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Parks and Wrecks 0

Apparently, the Trump maladministration thinks it hasn’t done enough damage to the National Parks and is planning to do more.

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From Pine View Farm
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