Recommended Viewing 0
It’s a gripping tale, but you should know that it is also a dark one.
I’m watching it on Tubi.
Also on Tubi, you might want to check out Colonel March of Scotland Yard. Boris Karloff plays Colonel March. It’s fun to watch him play the good guy.
A Moment of Truth (Telling) 0
Cliff comments on Gretchen Whitmer’s response to Donald Trump.
Tracking the Record 0
Reacting to Donald Trump’s tantrum at the National Association of Black Journalists, the editorial board of the Las Vegas Sun takes a long, detailed look at his track record on race.
No surprises, but, when it’s all collected in one place, it’s–er–rather disquieting.
Welfare Queen Redux 0
Sam and the crew point out that the party of New Secesh just can’t keep themselves from letting their racist flag fly.
The Candidates Debase 0
Garrett Epps, writing for the Washington Monthly, reveals the lost eighth debate between Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas.
Give it a read and see whether or not it presaged dis coarse discourse.
Methinks you will find it quite timely.
The Entitlement Society 0
Boy, if this isn’t a manifestation of the entitlement society, I don’t know what is.
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Marc Wittmann argues that, as far as AI is concerned, the “Singularity” remains a fever dream He makes three main points, the most important being that hardware cannot evolve. Follow the link, where he explores each one.
Some scientists and philosophers have the opinion that artificial intelligence could one day become conscious.
A computer remains the same physical structure from one moment to the next.
A living organism, in contrast, is never the same entity from one moment to the next.
Afterthought:
Mechanical processing speed is indeed impressive, but it’s not the same thing as intelligence.
Patriot Gamers 0
Thom argues nationalism and patriotism are not the same thing and that nationalism is inimical to patriotism. He quotes the French president:
President Macron said that nationalism is a betrayal. “By pursuing our own interests first with no regard to others, we erase the very thing that a nation hold most precious, that which gives it life and what makes it great, its moral values.”
He also points out that America was founded on an idea, however imperfectly that idea may have been implemented, not on white DNA. He argues that today’s Republican Party has forsaken patriotism for (white) nationalism. And, to steal a phrase from Mark Twain that my two or three regular readers know quite well, Thom hears an echo a rhyme from history.
Listen to his reasoning.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Yet another oxymoronic “responsible gun owner” feels compelled to flaunt his portable phallus in public.
Errata 0
(I have made this post a “sticky” so it will appear at the top of the page until I unstick it in a few days.)
(Unstuck 2024-08-05.)
In preparing a post that will appear tomorrow (WordPress allows you to schedule future posts), I learned that I have been misquoting Mark Twain, fortunately in a way that did not alter the intent of what he said. He did not say that history “often echoes,” he said that it “often rhymes.”
Using the blog’s “search” feature, I went back and fixed my mistakes (I reserve the right to fix my mistakes). I can’t say that I got all of them, but I think I got most of them.