February, 2024 archive
A Notion of Immigrants 0
Grung_e_Gene looks behind the anti-migrant rhetoric at those who spout it and what he sees is not pretty.
Recommended Viewing 0
The Story of G. I. Joe. We caught it on TCM.
The film follows Ernie Pyle, beloved World War II correspondent, as he accompanies an infantry detachment through the battle of Monte Cassino.
The focus of the film is not Pyle.
It’s the soldiers and what day-to-day life was like for them on the front lines. Per the trivia at imdb.com, Dwight Eisenhower considered it the best war movie he ever saw.
As I watched it, I could not help thinking of my father, who was in the Ardennes in WWII.
And I could not help thinking of those among us today who would undo what those soldiers accomplished.
Establishmentarians 0
The Arizona Republic’s E. J. Montini argues that the Sun Devil is in the details.
Decoding de Color Code 0
Dr. Uche Blackstock discusses how racist stereotypes continue to pollute American medical care. She is an emergency physician and former associate professor of emergency medicine at the New York University and author of the book, Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons With Racism In Medicine.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Play with your partner with politeness.
Guns 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.
Russian Impulses 0
David dissects Tucker Carlson’s hockeypuck about his decision to toady up to interview Vladimir Putin. (Warning: Short commercial at the end.)
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
Via Bruce Schneir, here’s a study that demonstrates that AI can be made more human-like.
That is, it can be “trained” to deceive.
As the song* says
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The things that you’re liable
To see in your large language model,
They ain’t necessarily so.
_________________
*With apologies to George Gershwin.
Stray Question 0
I noticed tonight as I was driving to DL that the speedometer on my new(ish–I bought it used two years ago) car bares the label, “Ground Speed.” (I just noticed that, because I usually just look at the needle to make sure my speed is reasonable.)
Does the manufacturer seriously expect that I shall attain “air speed” (or, for that matter, “sea apeed” or “space speed”)?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Break Time 0
Off to drink liberally.
Have Cake, Eat It Too 0
Michael in Norfolk points out that Congressional Republicans are trying to have it both ways. Here’s a tiny bit from his post:
Today’s Republican Party is a vile and loathsome thing.
