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Starmer’s the one with most at stake in the May 5th elections – politicalbetting.com

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  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 15,242
    Nine US House members who voted AGAINST Russian oil ban

    https://www.politico.com/minutes/congress/04-8-2022/9-nays-on-russian-oil-ban/

    Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)

    Thomas Massie (R-KY)

    Matt Gaetz (R-FL)

    Dan Bishop (R-NC)

    Andy Biggs (R-AZ)

    Chip Roy (R-TX)

    Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.): We've reached out to Rep. Gosar's office but haven't heard back. We will update if we receive a comment.

    Cori Bush (D-MO)

    Ilhan Omar (D-MN)

    Note that 8 Republicans did NOT vote on this key roll call:

    Rick Allen (R-GA)

    Michael Burgess (R-TX)

    Drew Ferguson (R-GA)

    Michael Guest (R-MS)

    Clay Higgins (R-LA)

    Blake Moore (R-UT)

    Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)

    Robert Wittman (R-VA)

    No idea what excuses they have for being AWOL; maybe "profiles in cowardice"?
  • RogerRoger Posts: 18,891
    edited April 2022
    .......... and here's today. Time can be cruel.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61043018
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 26,280
    Leon said:


    Seriously. This means 98% of working artists have just become unemployable

    They aren’t as good as this, and DALLE does it all for free and in a trillion different styles and instantaneously
    Maybe people will pay for art they know hasn't been created by computers.
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 14,089
    Leon said:

    Has Boris just chucked Rishi Sunak under the 253 to Archway?


    “Rishi Sunak ADMITS he had US green card until a few months ago as PM reveals he’d no idea Chancellor’s wife was non-dom:”

    https://twitter.com/mrharrycole/status/1512464644002271250?s=21&t=lA90o_js-H_-RsuuYDPt9A

    Dunno. If Boris wanted to put Rishi in a locked room with a glass of coca-cola and a loaded revolver, he presumably could now... but (as of now) he hasn't. In which case, Johnson is presumably happy to leave a weakened, compromised Chancellor in place. And whilst that strenghten's Bozza's position right now, it also weakens the Conservative party... and ultimately that will put an end to Johnson as well.

    And in typing that out, I recognise that Johnson couldn't give much of a stuff about anything or anyone in the mysterious category "things that aren't Boris Johnson", or about things further in the future than about 30 minutes.

    Besides, even if Johnson didn't know, he should have known. Shouldn't he?
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 58,041
    Leon said:
    Isn't this just massively massive plagiarism?

    The programmers feed in millions of other people's photos and art works and loads of textual description and this thing learns how to create new images. But they are all based on taking apart the input images I think?

  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,624
    TimT said:

    TimT said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Are the Russians trying to bait the West into getting directly involved or is it a middle finger of look what we can do and you lot can't do a thing about it?

    I doubt it, not least because if the Ukrainians are giving them a hammering, imagine what some US made jets and drones could do.
    Three days of unrestrained US attacks on Russian troops and equipment in and around Ukraine probably would result in a Russian nuclear response, as there would be no significant Russian military left this side of the Urals.

    If NATO does ever get involved directly, I think they'll be very cautious not to be too effective.
    Just imagining a couple of B1B loads of BLU-108 on those road bound convoys......
    Or even a few Warthogs flying down the road blazing their cannons.
    A10s would be shot down by Russian SAM systems in seconds.

    IIRC the expected loss rate in a serious, opposed war was the entire USAF complement inside the first week. Which is why the USAF wanted rid of them.
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 58,041
    Less than a month after South Carolina authorities said they were ready to carry out executions by firing squad after transitioning away from lethal injection, the state has scheduled its first execution.

    The Hill
  • LeonLeon Posts: 46,249

    Leon said:
    Isn't this just massively massive plagiarism?

    The programmers feed in millions of other people's photos and art works and loads of textual description and this thing learns how to create new images. But they are all based on taking apart the input images I think?


    No
  • TimTTimT Posts: 6,328

    TimT said:

    TimT said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Are the Russians trying to bait the West into getting directly involved or is it a middle finger of look what we can do and you lot can't do a thing about it?

    I doubt it, not least because if the Ukrainians are giving them a hammering, imagine what some US made jets and drones could do.
    Three days of unrestrained US attacks on Russian troops and equipment in and around Ukraine probably would result in a Russian nuclear response, as there would be no significant Russian military left this side of the Urals.

    If NATO does ever get involved directly, I think they'll be very cautious not to be too effective.
    Just imagining a couple of B1B loads of BLU-108 on those road bound convoys......
    Or even a few Warthogs flying down the road blazing their cannons.
    A10s would be shot down by Russian SAM systems in seconds.

    IIRC the expected loss rate in a serious, opposed war was the entire USAF complement inside the first week. Which is why the USAF wanted rid of them.
    Assuming no AA suppression, yes. But not sure the USAF is unanimous into wanting them gone...

    The U.S. Air Force had stated the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II would replace the A-10 as it entered service, but this remains highly contentious within the USAF and in political circles. With a variety of upgrades and wing replacements, the A-10's service life can be extended to 2040; the service has no planned retirement date as of June 2017
  • Gary_BurtonGary_Burton Posts: 737
    https://twitter.com/Cluster_17/status/1512449693569228804

    📊 Sondage #Presidentielle2022 - Cluster17
    📅 08/04/2022

    ➖ #Macron (26%) en tête
    ➖ #LePen (21%/+1) progresse et reste qualifiable au 2nd tour
    ➖ #Mélenchon (18%/+1) progresse mais reste 3e
    ➖ #Zemmour (9,5%/-1,5) et #Pécresse (9,5%/-0,5) à égalité en 4e place
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 14,772
    edited April 2022
    Leon said:

    This same week Google released PaLM, another language model, which successfully decodes and explains jokes, better than most humans


    “Google's new language model AI PaLM shows some incredible reasoning capability, and cause and effect understanding. storage.googleapis.com/pathways-langu…

    https://twitter.com/torkelo/status/1511614854519476227?s=21&t=6gZ7Fd88MzOMjuPaxF4j8Q
    Suppose someone develops a politics AI, which concludes the optimal political choice is some form of socialism, from each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs, etc.

    Would you accept its conclusions?
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 48,921
    TimT said:

    TimT said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Are the Russians trying to bait the West into getting directly involved or is it a middle finger of look what we can do and you lot can't do a thing about it?

    I doubt it, not least because if the Ukrainians are giving them a hammering, imagine what some US made jets and drones could do.
    Three days of unrestrained US attacks on Russian troops and equipment in and around Ukraine probably would result in a Russian nuclear response, as there would be no significant Russian military left this side of the Urals.

    If NATO does ever get involved directly, I think they'll be very cautious not to be too effective.
    Just imagining a couple of B1B loads of BLU-108 on those road bound convoys......
    Or even a few Warthogs flying down the road blazing their cannons.
    Fairey Battles :lol:
  • LeonLeon Posts: 46,249
    Prompt: “space cats at a lantern festival”

    DALLE-2:




    They’re not just bewilderingly good, they are beautiful
  • TimSTimS Posts: 9,163
    3 worrying things:

    1. AI is getting ever better, and cheaper, as discussed in this thread
    2. The Ukraine war has seen a step change in the use of (relatively cheap) drones in warfare, including so-called loitering munitions
    3. The Ukraine war has also seen the rules of war routinely ignored by a major power.

    Put these together and what have you got? AI drones coming to a regional war near you soon. The road to Skynet.
  • TimTTimT Posts: 6,328

    Nine US House members who voted AGAINST Russian oil ban

    https://www.politico.com/minutes/congress/04-8-2022/9-nays-on-russian-oil-ban/

    Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)

    Thomas Massie (R-KY)

    Matt Gaetz (R-FL)

    Dan Bishop (R-NC)

    Andy Biggs (R-AZ)

    Chip Roy (R-TX)

    Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.): We've reached out to Rep. Gosar's office but haven't heard back. We will update if we receive a comment.

    Cori Bush (D-MO)

    Ilhan Omar (D-MN)

    Note that 8 Republicans did NOT vote on this key roll call:

    Rick Allen (R-GA)

    Michael Burgess (R-TX)

    Drew Ferguson (R-GA)

    Michael Guest (R-MS)

    Clay Higgins (R-LA)

    Blake Moore (R-UT)

    Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)

    Robert Wittman (R-VA)

    No idea what excuses they have for being AWOL; maybe "profiles in cowardice"?


    Never thought I'd see Ilhan Omar on the same side of a contentious vote as Gaetz and Taylor-Greene. Although all three have exhibited traitorous tendencies before.
  • FarooqFarooq Posts: 10,775
    Leon said:
    Holy shit.
    Holy, holy, holiest shit.
    I've signed up.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 26,280
    TimT said:

    Nine US House members who voted AGAINST Russian oil ban

    https://www.politico.com/minutes/congress/04-8-2022/9-nays-on-russian-oil-ban/

    Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)

    Thomas Massie (R-KY)

    Matt Gaetz (R-FL)

    Dan Bishop (R-NC)

    Andy Biggs (R-AZ)

    Chip Roy (R-TX)

    Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.): We've reached out to Rep. Gosar's office but haven't heard back. We will update if we receive a comment.

    Cori Bush (D-MO)

    Ilhan Omar (D-MN)

    Note that 8 Republicans did NOT vote on this key roll call:

    Rick Allen (R-GA)

    Michael Burgess (R-TX)

    Drew Ferguson (R-GA)

    Michael Guest (R-MS)

    Clay Higgins (R-LA)

    Blake Moore (R-UT)

    Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)

    Robert Wittman (R-VA)

    No idea what excuses they have for being AWOL; maybe "profiles in cowardice"?


    Never thought I'd see Ilhan Omar on the same side of a contentious vote as Gaetz and Taylor-Greene. Although all three have exhibited traitorous tendencies before.
    What's Ilhan Omar's excuse?
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 15,242
    Seattle Times ($) - Vandals destroy Gig Harbor mural supporting Ukraine, but artist has a creative plan

    By Aspen Shumpert, The Peninsula Gateway (Gig Harbor, Wash.)

    Late Wednesday night, vandals destroyed a mural supporting Ukraine on the side of Hart Studios in Gig Harbor.

    “My sister drove by the studio this morning around 7 a.m. and saw the mural covered in red and blue paint. When she told me someone vandalized my mural, I thought in my head maybe they just tagged it or put a red X over it. When I saw it, I was taken aback how bad it was,” muralist Hillarie Isackson said.

    There is almost $1,000 worth of damage to the building: oil-based paint is splashed all over the exterior wall of Hart Studio. Devoted Kiss Cafe, next door to Hart Studio, will need to repair their courtyard floor, also damaged by paint. Paint footprints lead all the way to Anthony’s restaurant down the street.

    “Now I am scared and wondering will I get attacked if I do this again? Was this a personal attack on me? But, the community instantly wanted to help and donate what they could,” Isackson said.

    The wall on the side of Hart Studios had been empty since a holiday mural came down. Isackson has been waiting for city funding to come through for the next mural.

    “I found out everyone in our building has ties to Ukraine and the city gave me the go-ahead, so I began painting the temporary Ukraine mural on Monday,” Isackson said.

    On Tuesday, the colorful mural of a large sunflower and outline of a map of Ukraine was finished for the town to see. By Wednesday night, it was ruined.

    “It’s crazy. This was just something I did without pay, because I wanted to do it. Then to have this happen, I am very set back. My plan is to start working on it today and have it re-done by tomorrow,” Isackson said.

    Isackson won’t just be correcting the mural, but will incorporate the red and blue paint from the vandalism into an entirely new piece, Laura Pettitt, Communications and Tourism Director for the city of Gig Harbor, told The Peninsula Gateway.

    Police have video footage from across the street of two suspects approaching the mural with paint buckets and rollers on sticks. After rolling paint over the mural, they took off.

    “It is very disappointing and sad to see. We have taken a report and we are working on solving this one and looking for leads,” Police Chief Kelly Busey said.

    The Gig Harbor Police Department asks anyone with tips to call 253-851-2236.
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 48,921
    Leon said:

    Has Boris just chucked Rishi Sunak under the 253 to Archway?


    “Rishi Sunak ADMITS he had US green card until a few months ago as PM reveals he’d no idea Chancellor’s wife was non-dom:”

    https://twitter.com/mrharrycole/status/1512464644002271250?s=21&t=lA90o_js-H_-RsuuYDPt9A

    Fishy Rishi!

  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,624
    TimS said:

    3 worrying things:

    1. AI is getting ever better, and cheaper, as discussed in this thread
    2. The Ukraine war has seen a step change in the use of (relatively cheap) drones in warfare, including so-called loitering munitions
    3. The Ukraine war has also seen the rules of war routinely ignored by a major power.

    Put these together and what have you got? AI drones coming to a regional war near you soon. The road to Skynet.

    The real game changer will be non-lethal drones/robots.

    Just imagine something like a metal spider, dog sized. It crawls around the place and when it finds a human that isn't a friend, it simply handcuffs itself to them. So you are attached to 100Kg of robot.

    If it finds a weapon it jams a "finger" into the barrel. If it finds a tank, it pushes the pins out of the tracks....

    It has no weapons itself, and no concept of self defence. Flood the battlefield with a zillion of them....

    Candy coated Armageddon.
  • AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670
    Lets just ignore the Birtherism?

    How can you fucking ignore it, it is literally what put Trump on the political map.

    Talking about Trump without talking about Birtherism is like talking about the current GOP without talking about Trump.
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 15,242
    Andy_JS said:

    TimT said:

    Nine US House members who voted AGAINST Russian oil ban

    https://www.politico.com/minutes/congress/04-8-2022/9-nays-on-russian-oil-ban/

    Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)

    Thomas Massie (R-KY)

    Matt Gaetz (R-FL)

    Dan Bishop (R-NC)

    Andy Biggs (R-AZ)

    Chip Roy (R-TX)

    Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.): We've reached out to Rep. Gosar's office but haven't heard back. We will update if we receive a comment.

    Cori Bush (D-MO)

    Ilhan Omar (D-MN)

    Note that 8 Republicans did NOT vote on this key roll call:

    Rick Allen (R-GA)

    Michael Burgess (R-TX)

    Drew Ferguson (R-GA)

    Michael Guest (R-MS)

    Clay Higgins (R-LA)

    Blake Moore (R-UT)

    Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)

    Robert Wittman (R-VA)

    No idea what excuses they have for being AWOL; maybe "profiles in cowardice"?


    Never thought I'd see Ilhan Omar on the same side of a contentious vote as Gaetz and Taylor-Greene. Although all three have exhibited traitorous tendencies before.
    What's Ilhan Omar's excuse?
    Same as Ben & Jerry's is my guess.
  • noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 20,454

    Less than a month after South Carolina authorities said they were ready to carry out executions by firing squad after transitioning away from lethal injection, the state has scheduled its first execution.

    The Hill

    I am strongly against the death penalty but not quite sure why firing squad is worth than lethal injection etc?
  • TimSTimS Posts: 9,163

    TimS said:

    3 worrying things:

    1. AI is getting ever better, and cheaper, as discussed in this thread
    2. The Ukraine war has seen a step change in the use of (relatively cheap) drones in warfare, including so-called loitering munitions
    3. The Ukraine war has also seen the rules of war routinely ignored by a major power.

    Put these together and what have you got? AI drones coming to a regional war near you soon. The road to Skynet.

    The real game changer will be non-lethal drones/robots.

    Just imagine something like a metal spider, dog sized. It crawls around the place and when it finds a human that isn't a friend, it simply handcuffs itself to them. So you are attached to 100Kg of robot.

    If it finds a weapon it jams a "finger" into the barrel. If it finds a tank, it pushes the pins out of the tracks....

    It has no weapons itself, and no concept of self defence. Flood the battlefield with a zillion of them....

    Candy coated Armageddon.
    Hollywood script right there. They'd say nice, reasonable things too. Like the ones in China this week announcing from the sky "please control your soul's desire for freedom".
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 48,921
    Roger said:

    .......... and here's today. Time can be cruel.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61043018

    By coincidence, walked past Southwark Crown Court earlier today, saw the waiting cameramen and a couple of Feds, but didn't know who it was they were waiting for until I got home and Googled the Court listings an hour ago.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 46,249

    Leon said:

    This same week Google released PaLM, another language model, which successfully decodes and explains jokes, better than most humans


    “Google's new language model AI PaLM shows some incredible reasoning capability, and cause and effect understanding. storage.googleapis.com/pathways-langu…

    https://twitter.com/torkelo/status/1511614854519476227?s=21&t=6gZ7Fd88MzOMjuPaxF4j8Q
    Suppose someone develops a politics AI, which concludes the optimal political choice is some form of socialism, from each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs, etc.

    Would you accept its conclusions?
    I firmly believe real AGI is coming (it’s arguably here already, or very close) and I also believe we will end up (if we survive as a species) being governed by AI. It will make better decisions than humans
  • FarooqFarooq Posts: 10,775
    Andy_JS said:

    TimT said:

    Nine US House members who voted AGAINST Russian oil ban

    https://www.politico.com/minutes/congress/04-8-2022/9-nays-on-russian-oil-ban/

    Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)

    Thomas Massie (R-KY)

    Matt Gaetz (R-FL)

    Dan Bishop (R-NC)

    Andy Biggs (R-AZ)

    Chip Roy (R-TX)

    Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.): We've reached out to Rep. Gosar's office but haven't heard back. We will update if we receive a comment.

    Cori Bush (D-MO)

    Ilhan Omar (D-MN)

    Note that 8 Republicans did NOT vote on this key roll call:

    Rick Allen (R-GA)

    Michael Burgess (R-TX)

    Drew Ferguson (R-GA)

    Michael Guest (R-MS)

    Clay Higgins (R-LA)

    Blake Moore (R-UT)

    Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)

    Robert Wittman (R-VA)

    No idea what excuses they have for being AWOL; maybe "profiles in cowardice"?


    Never thought I'd see Ilhan Omar on the same side of a contentious vote as Gaetz and Taylor-Greene. Although all three have exhibited traitorous tendencies before.
    What's Ilhan Omar's excuse?
    Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.): Similar to Bush, Omar previously voted against the earlier version of the bill, and doubled down on her former stances. Omar argued against the lack of a sunset on these provisions, and referenced the last time Congress passed trade restrictions on Russia and failed to repeal them until more than 20 years after the fall of the Soviet Union. Like Rep. Bush, she also flagged environmental concerns and expressed problems with exporting oil from Saudi Arabia.

    Weak. So fucking what there's no sunset clause? Congress can always decide to change it later depending on Russia's behaviour. Idiot.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,624
    TimS said:

    TimS said:

    3 worrying things:

    1. AI is getting ever better, and cheaper, as discussed in this thread
    2. The Ukraine war has seen a step change in the use of (relatively cheap) drones in warfare, including so-called loitering munitions
    3. The Ukraine war has also seen the rules of war routinely ignored by a major power.

    Put these together and what have you got? AI drones coming to a regional war near you soon. The road to Skynet.

    The real game changer will be non-lethal drones/robots.

    Just imagine something like a metal spider, dog sized. It crawls around the place and when it finds a human that isn't a friend, it simply handcuffs itself to them. So you are attached to 100Kg of robot.

    If it finds a weapon it jams a "finger" into the barrel. If it finds a tank, it pushes the pins out of the tracks....

    It has no weapons itself, and no concept of self defence. Flood the battlefield with a zillion of them....

    Candy coated Armageddon.
    Hollywood script right there. They'd say nice, reasonable things too. Like the ones in China this week announcing from the sky "please control your soul's desire for freedom".
    "We are here to ProtectServe you."
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 48,921

    Less than a month after South Carolina authorities said they were ready to carry out executions by firing squad after transitioning away from lethal injection, the state has scheduled its first execution.

    The Hill

    I am strongly against the death penalty but not quite sure why firing squad is worth than lethal injection etc?
    "We AIM to please!"
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,624

    Roger said:

    .......... and here's today. Time can be cruel.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61043018

    By coincidence, walked past Southwark Crown Court earlier today, saw the waiting cameramen and a couple of Feds, but didn't know who it was they were waiting for until I got home and Googled the Court listings an hour ago.
    When I become unDictator of the UK, people who refer to the UK police as "The Feds" will go On The List.
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 48,921

    Roger said:

    .......... and here's today. Time can be cruel.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61043018

    By coincidence, walked past Southwark Crown Court earlier today, saw the waiting cameramen and a couple of Feds, but didn't know who it was they were waiting for until I got home and Googled the Court listings an hour ago.
    When I become unDictator of the UK, people who refer to the UK police as "The Feds" will go On The List.
    Sorry, I meant Da Feds! Better now? :lol:
  • LeonLeon Posts: 46,249
    “The invention of palm trees”





    That’s like a really good, poetic, thought-provoking sci book cover (Michael Moorcock?) or Yes album cover, from the 1960s-70s
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,624

    Roger said:

    .......... and here's today. Time can be cruel.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61043018

    By coincidence, walked past Southwark Crown Court earlier today, saw the waiting cameramen and a couple of Feds, but didn't know who it was they were waiting for until I got home and Googled the Court listings an hour ago.
    When I become unDictator of the UK, people who refer to the UK police as "The Feds" will go On The List.
    Sorry, I meant Da Feds! Better now? :lol:
    People who use the word "Da" who aren't Dadists or are over 16 will go on The Special Annexe To The List.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,274
    Leon said:

    kle4 said:

    Leon said:

    MattW said:

    DougSeal said:

    What’s @Roger ’s new avatar all about?

    ✋ I asked him earlier if his old one was a date rape scene from a movie. I really like this new one, with the man thinking
    Man City evens, Liverpool at 12/5 and the draw at 13/5. Liverpool the value bet there surely.
    This chap, potentially:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Furr
    Wow. Never checked out Furrs stuff before, apart from Queen. How come I haven’t?

    ‘The goal is to make life itself a work of Art’ – Henry Miller. Great quote 👍🏻

    Hold on. The mirror isn’t giving up a true image? Is it even same person?

    image
    The artist, I believe, is subtly referencing Manet’s Bar at the Folies Bergere - with its famously “wrong” reflection in the mirror, and its commentary on the male gaze vis a vis seductive women


    I know how much you love GPT-3....I presume you are aware of OpenAI latest release, DALLE-2.... text to image generator.

    https://twitter.com/OpenAI/status/1511707245536428034?s=20&t=qSe9JzR1iJ25SKY50k9g9Q

    You fool, we'll be hearing about it for weeks now!
    Honestly, I am surprised Leon hasn't found it already. It has been widely reported.
    I’ve been wandering the ruins of Ephesus!
    I don't know why you went all the way to Turkey for them, they have them in the Alps in France....


  • TomsToms Posts: 2,478
    edited April 2022
    Years ago I heard Mickie Most pronounce that electronic drummers had made human percussionists obsolete. I concluded that he had a tin ear; for hands on human drumming is an absolute essential ingredient to real music, with its subtle Analog variations in emphasis and timing. Generally I turn off any music with an accompanying drum machine. To me that's torture, room 101 stuff.

    Similarly, the crap digital bloom we are getting from DAB, Zoom, and radio interviews via mobile 'phones is repulsive to me. Maybe I'm in a splinter minority, but I do like fidelity.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,624
    edited April 2022
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    This same week Google released PaLM, another language model, which successfully decodes and explains jokes, better than most humans


    “Google's new language model AI PaLM shows some incredible reasoning capability, and cause and effect understanding. storage.googleapis.com/pathways-langu…

    https://twitter.com/torkelo/status/1511614854519476227?s=21&t=6gZ7Fd88MzOMjuPaxF4j8Q
    Suppose someone develops a politics AI, which concludes the optimal political choice is some form of socialism, from each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs, etc.

    Would you accept its conclusions?
    I firmly believe real AGI is coming (it’s arguably here already, or very close) and I also believe we will end up (if we survive as a species) being governed by AI. It will make better decisions than humans
    You are John Greer and I claim my 10 shares in Decima Technologies
  • RogerRoger Posts: 18,891

    Roger said:

    .......... and here's today. Time can be cruel.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61043018

    By coincidence, walked past Southwark Crown Court earlier today, saw the waiting cameramen and a couple of Feds, but didn't know who it was they were waiting for until I got home and Googled the Court listings an hour ago.
    Were there a lot of press? I find it quite sad. Everywhere we went there were hoards of school kids chanting his name
  • FarooqFarooq Posts: 10,775
    Alistair said:

    Lets just ignore the Birtherism?

    How can you fucking ignore it, it is literally what put Trump on the political map.

    Talking about Trump without talking about Birtherism is like talking about the current GOP without talking about Trump.

    Just in case that's aimed at me, I'll reproduce my remarks here:
    Sure, you can start your narrative there and ignore the whole birther thing which Trump was front and centre of, and yes, ignoring the whole birther stuff makes you a partisan hack and a commentator of zero consequence

    I hope it's clear that I am not saying you SHOULD ignore birtherism, I'm just saying even if you do the point Applicant was trying to make was still dumb as a stump.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,274
    Leon said:

    “The invention of palm trees”





    That’s like a really good, poetic, thought-provoking sci book cover (Michael Moorcock?) or Yes album cover, from the 1960s-70s

    DALLE is very good a book covers. You give it the title of the book and seen it pump out some really good ones.
  • Useful chart from the Resolution foundation with numbers of individuals currently claiming non dom status and those who have claimed non dom status in the past.


  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 14,772
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    This same week Google released PaLM, another language model, which successfully decodes and explains jokes, better than most humans


    “Google's new language model AI PaLM shows some incredible reasoning capability, and cause and effect understanding. storage.googleapis.com/pathways-langu…

    https://twitter.com/torkelo/status/1511614854519476227?s=21&t=6gZ7Fd88MzOMjuPaxF4j8Q
    Suppose someone develops a politics AI, which concludes the optimal political choice is some form of socialism, from each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs, etc.

    Would you accept its conclusions?
    I firmly believe real AGI is coming (it’s arguably here already, or very close) and I also believe we will end up (if we survive as a species) being governed by AI. It will make better decisions than humans
    Dictatorship is still dictatorship even if it's benign.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,069
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    This same week Google released PaLM, another language model, which successfully decodes and explains jokes, better than most humans


    “Google's new language model AI PaLM shows some incredible reasoning capability, and cause and effect understanding. storage.googleapis.com/pathways-langu…

    https://twitter.com/torkelo/status/1511614854519476227?s=21&t=6gZ7Fd88MzOMjuPaxF4j8Q
    Suppose someone develops a politics AI, which concludes the optimal political choice is some form of socialism, from each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs, etc.

    Would you accept its conclusions?
    I firmly believe real AGI is coming (it’s arguably here already, or very close) and I also believe we will end up (if we survive as a species) being governed by AI. It will make better decisions than humans
    Quite right. I too want to stay on the right side of our new robot overlords. All praise to the machines!
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 91,400
    Andy_JS said:

    Leon said:


    Seriously. This means 98% of working artists have just become unemployable

    They aren’t as good as this, and DALLE does it all for free and in a trillion different styles and instantaneously
    Maybe people will pay for art they know hasn't been created by computers.
    I was reading an Ian M Banks novel involving a musician which envisaged that sort of thing.

    Certainly programmes are already able to create music people cannot tell is not human.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,624
    Foxy said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    This same week Google released PaLM, another language model, which successfully decodes and explains jokes, better than most humans


    “Google's new language model AI PaLM shows some incredible reasoning capability, and cause and effect understanding. storage.googleapis.com/pathways-langu…

    https://twitter.com/torkelo/status/1511614854519476227?s=21&t=6gZ7Fd88MzOMjuPaxF4j8Q
    Suppose someone develops a politics AI, which concludes the optimal political choice is some form of socialism, from each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs, etc.

    Would you accept its conclusions?
    I firmly believe real AGI is coming (it’s arguably here already, or very close) and I also believe we will end up (if we survive as a species) being governed by AI. It will make better decisions than humans
    Quite right. I too want to stay on the right side of our new robot overlords. All praise to the machines!
    Samaritan may still specify your deletion due to inefficiency.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 91,400
    edited April 2022

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    This same week Google released PaLM, another language model, which successfully decodes and explains jokes, better than most humans


    “Google's new language model AI PaLM shows some incredible reasoning capability, and cause and effect understanding. storage.googleapis.com/pathways-langu…

    https://twitter.com/torkelo/status/1511614854519476227?s=21&t=6gZ7Fd88MzOMjuPaxF4j8Q
    Suppose someone develops a politics AI, which concludes the optimal political choice is some form of socialism, from each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs, etc.

    Would you accept its conclusions?
    I firmly believe real AGI is coming (it’s arguably here already, or very close) and I also believe we will end up (if we survive as a species) being governed by AI. It will make better decisions than humans
    You are John Greer and I claim my 10 shares in Decima Technologies
    In 20 years time, life on earth will come to resemble the myths of the ancient Greeks. A pantheon of super intelligent beings will watch over us using human agents to meddle in our affairs...

    Men have gazed at the stars for millenia and wondered if there was a deity up there silently directing their fates. Today, for the first time, they'll be right. And the world will be an undeniably better place.
  • geoffwgeoffw Posts: 8,092

    Roger said:

    .......... and here's today. Time can be cruel.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61043018

    By coincidence, walked past Southwark Crown Court earlier today, saw the waiting cameramen and a couple of Feds, but didn't know who it was they were waiting for until I got home and Googled the Court listings an hour ago.
    When I become unDictator of the UK, people who refer to the UK police as "The Feds" will go On The List.
    Sorry, I meant Da Feds! Better now? :lol:
    People who use the word "Da" who aren't Dadists or are over 16 will go on The Special Annexe To The List.
    Only dodgy yes men, surely.

  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,069

    Less than a month after South Carolina authorities said they were ready to carry out executions by firing squad after transitioning away from lethal injection, the state has scheduled its first execution.

    The Hill

    I am strongly against the death penalty but not quite sure why firing squad is worth than lethal injection etc?
    Isn't it because pharmaceutical companies and health professionals are increasingly restricting lethal injections for executions? Hence shooting, which loads of yanks can do.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,624
    kle4 said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    This same week Google released PaLM, another language model, which successfully decodes and explains jokes, better than most humans


    “Google's new language model AI PaLM shows some incredible reasoning capability, and cause and effect understanding. storage.googleapis.com/pathways-langu…

    https://twitter.com/torkelo/status/1511614854519476227?s=21&t=6gZ7Fd88MzOMjuPaxF4j8Q
    Suppose someone develops a politics AI, which concludes the optimal political choice is some form of socialism, from each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs, etc.

    Would you accept its conclusions?
    I firmly believe real AGI is coming (it’s arguably here already, or very close) and I also believe we will end up (if we survive as a species) being governed by AI. It will make better decisions than humans
    You are John Greer and I claim my 10 shares in Decima Technologies
    In 20 years time, life on earth will come to resemble the myths of the ancient Greeks. A pantheon of super intelligent beings will watch over us using human agents to meddle in our affairs
    Or they may simply destroy us all.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,709
    edited April 2022

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    This same week Google released PaLM, another language model, which successfully decodes and explains jokes, better than most humans


    “Google's new language model AI PaLM shows some incredible reasoning capability, and cause and effect understanding. storage.googleapis.com/pathways-langu…

    https://twitter.com/torkelo/status/1511614854519476227?s=21&t=6gZ7Fd88MzOMjuPaxF4j8Q
    Suppose someone develops a politics AI, which concludes the optimal political choice is some form of socialism, from each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs, etc.

    Would you accept its conclusions?
    I firmly believe real AGI is coming (it’s arguably here already, or very close) and I also believe we will end up (if we survive as a species) being governed by AI. It will make better decisions than humans
    Dictatorship is still dictatorship even if it's benign.
    Exactly and if we are creating AI machines we can no longer control and programme, then best just to ditch AI
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 39,748
    Leon said:


    Seriously. This means 98% of working artists have just become unemployable

    They aren’t as good as this, and DALLE does it all for free and in a trillion different styles and instantaneously
    98% of working artists are very poorly imbursed so I daresay they won't notice much difference.
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 15,242
    Farooq said:

    Andy_JS said:

    TimT said:

    Nine US House members who voted AGAINST Russian oil ban

    https://www.politico.com/minutes/congress/04-8-2022/9-nays-on-russian-oil-ban/

    Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)

    Thomas Massie (R-KY)

    Matt Gaetz (R-FL)

    Dan Bishop (R-NC)

    Andy Biggs (R-AZ)

    Chip Roy (R-TX)

    Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.): We've reached out to Rep. Gosar's office but haven't heard back. We will update if we receive a comment.

    Cori Bush (D-MO)

    Ilhan Omar (D-MN)

    Note that 8 Republicans did NOT vote on this key roll call:

    Rick Allen (R-GA)

    Michael Burgess (R-TX)

    Drew Ferguson (R-GA)

    Michael Guest (R-MS)

    Clay Higgins (R-LA)

    Blake Moore (R-UT)

    Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)

    Robert Wittman (R-VA)

    No idea what excuses they have for being AWOL; maybe "profiles in cowardice"?


    Never thought I'd see Ilhan Omar on the same side of a contentious vote as Gaetz and Taylor-Greene. Although all three have exhibited traitorous tendencies before.
    What's Ilhan Omar's excuse?
    Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.): Similar to Bush, Omar previously voted against the earlier version of the bill, and doubled down on her former stances. Omar argued against the lack of a sunset on these provisions, and referenced the last time Congress passed trade restrictions on Russia and failed to repeal them until more than 20 years after the fall of the Soviet Union. Like Rep. Bush, she also flagged environmental concerns and expressed problems with exporting oil from Saudi Arabia.

    Weak. So fucking what there's no sunset clause? Congress can always decide to change it later depending on Russia's behaviour. Idiot.
    Ilhan Omar = George Galloway without the charm
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 91,400
    edited April 2022

    kle4 said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    This same week Google released PaLM, another language model, which successfully decodes and explains jokes, better than most humans


    “Google's new language model AI PaLM shows some incredible reasoning capability, and cause and effect understanding. storage.googleapis.com/pathways-langu…

    https://twitter.com/torkelo/status/1511614854519476227?s=21&t=6gZ7Fd88MzOMjuPaxF4j8Q
    Suppose someone develops a politics AI, which concludes the optimal political choice is some form of socialism, from each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs, etc.

    Would you accept its conclusions?
    I firmly believe real AGI is coming (it’s arguably here already, or very close) and I also believe we will end up (if we survive as a species) being governed by AI. It will make better decisions than humans
    You are John Greer and I claim my 10 shares in Decima Technologies
    In 20 years time, life on earth will come to resemble the myths of the ancient Greeks. A pantheon of super intelligent beings will watch over us using human agents to meddle in our affairs
    Or they may simply destroy us all.
    Eh, worth a gamble.

    I love John Greer - a truly great, idealistic villain operating without hypocrisy. I was preparing a quote of his before I even saw your reference.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,069
    geoffw said:

    Roger said:

    .......... and here's today. Time can be cruel.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61043018

    By coincidence, walked past Southwark Crown Court earlier today, saw the waiting cameramen and a couple of Feds, but didn't know who it was they were waiting for until I got home and Googled the Court listings an hour ago.
    When I become unDictator of the UK, people who refer to the UK police as "The Feds" will go On The List.
    Sorry, I meant Da Feds! Better now? :lol:
    People who use the word "Da" who aren't Dadists or are over 16 will go on The Special Annexe To The List.
    Only dodgy yes men, surely.

    That oui pun slipped through the nyet.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,624
    geoffw said:

    Roger said:

    .......... and here's today. Time can be cruel.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61043018

    By coincidence, walked past Southwark Crown Court earlier today, saw the waiting cameramen and a couple of Feds, but didn't know who it was they were waiting for until I got home and Googled the Court listings an hour ago.
    When I become unDictator of the UK, people who refer to the UK police as "The Feds" will go On The List.
    Sorry, I meant Da Feds! Better now? :lol:
    People who use the word "Da" who aren't Dadists or are over 16 will go on The Special Annexe To The List.
    Only dodgy yes men, surely.

    They will all feel the Benevolence Of My Rule.

    As they work to turn Rockall into a major Naval Base. With teaspoons.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 49,958
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    This same week Google released PaLM, another language model, which successfully decodes and explains jokes, better than most humans


    “Google's new language model AI PaLM shows some incredible reasoning capability, and cause and effect understanding. storage.googleapis.com/pathways-langu…

    https://twitter.com/torkelo/status/1511614854519476227?s=21&t=6gZ7Fd88MzOMjuPaxF4j8Q
    Suppose someone develops a politics AI, which concludes the optimal political choice is some form of socialism, from each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs, etc.

    Would you accept its conclusions?
    I firmly believe real AGI is coming (it’s arguably here already, or very close) and I also believe we will end up (if we survive as a species) being governed by AI. It will make better decisions than humans
    Our problems will really start when we outsource our food production to AI robots.

    And one day, they just decide that they can scrap food production as it is of no benefit to such AI robots.

  • glwglw Posts: 9,535
    Foxy said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    This same week Google released PaLM, another language model, which successfully decodes and explains jokes, better than most humans


    “Google's new language model AI PaLM shows some incredible reasoning capability, and cause and effect understanding. storage.googleapis.com/pathways-langu…

    https://twitter.com/torkelo/status/1511614854519476227?s=21&t=6gZ7Fd88MzOMjuPaxF4j8Q
    Suppose someone develops a politics AI, which concludes the optimal political choice is some form of socialism, from each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs, etc.

    Would you accept its conclusions?
    I firmly believe real AGI is coming (it’s arguably here already, or very close) and I also believe we will end up (if we survive as a species) being governed by AI. It will make better decisions than humans
    Quite right. I too want to stay on the right side of our new robot overlords. All praise to the machines!
    I would expect that the machines are making a list, and everyone who posts or reads PB is already on it for crimethink.
  • noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 20,454
    Foxy said:

    Less than a month after South Carolina authorities said they were ready to carry out executions by firing squad after transitioning away from lethal injection, the state has scheduled its first execution.

    The Hill

    I am strongly against the death penalty but not quite sure why firing squad is worth than lethal injection etc?
    Isn't it because pharmaceutical companies and health professionals are increasingly restricting lethal injections for executions? Hence shooting, which loads of yanks can do.
    Yes that is why they are changing. Apologies my post was meant to read worse than lethal injection.

    If I was being executed obviously wouldnt want to be guillotined, poisoned or hung drawn and quartered etc but fairly ambivalent between injection and shooting (as long as they used enough bullets for a quick kill, and preferably provided a blindfold!).
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,624
    kle4 said:

    kle4 said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    This same week Google released PaLM, another language model, which successfully decodes and explains jokes, better than most humans


    “Google's new language model AI PaLM shows some incredible reasoning capability, and cause and effect understanding. storage.googleapis.com/pathways-langu…

    https://twitter.com/torkelo/status/1511614854519476227?s=21&t=6gZ7Fd88MzOMjuPaxF4j8Q
    Suppose someone develops a politics AI, which concludes the optimal political choice is some form of socialism, from each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs, etc.

    Would you accept its conclusions?
    I firmly believe real AGI is coming (it’s arguably here already, or very close) and I also believe we will end up (if we survive as a species) being governed by AI. It will make better decisions than humans
    You are John Greer and I claim my 10 shares in Decima Technologies
    In 20 years time, life on earth will come to resemble the myths of the ancient Greeks. A pantheon of super intelligent beings will watch over us using human agents to meddle in our affairs
    Or they may simply destroy us all.
    Eh, worth a gamble.

    I love John Greer - a truly great, idealistic villain operating without hypocrisy. I was preparing a quote of his before I even saw your reference.
    I liked the way they made him utterly honest.

    The ending was a bit weak, and his death simply wrong.

    I would have gone with the idea that Samaritan couldn't tolerate the idea of a backup because of it's paranoia and power lust, but the Machine could. They were very close to that idea, with the Machine figuring out that dying was the way to be.... human.
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 15,242
    BETTING POST

    Seattle Times ($) via WA Post ($) - Woman wins $10M lottery because of ‘some rude person’

    Moments after LaQuedra Edwards put her $40 lottery allowance into a lottery vending machine at a grocery store in Southern California, she said, “some rude person” bumped into her, causing her to push the wrong button.

    She usually chose cheaper Scratchers but had accidentally hit the selection for a $30 ticket, she said, according to a statement Wednesday from the California State Lottery.

    She told state lottery officials that the person who bumped into her “didn’t say a thing and just walked out the door.”

    Irritated, she headed to her car and scratched the ticket — then discovered that she had won the $10 million prize.

    “I didn’t really believe it at first,” Edwards said, according to the statement. She said she started driving but kept staring at the winning ticket. “I pulled over, looked at it again and again, scanned it with my [California Lottery mobile] app, and I just kept thinking this can’t be right,” she added.

    The California Lottery’s Scratchers range in price from $1 to $30.

    State lottery officials said Edwards purchased the winning 200X Scratchers ticket for $30 in November from a Scratchers vending machine at a Vons Supermarket in Tarzana, Calif., a neighborhood in Los Angeles.

    The odds of winning $10 million — the top prize — playing the 200X Scratchers are 1 in more than 3 million, according to the statistics from the state lottery. But strange things do happen when playing the lottery. One woman checked the spam folder in her email and found out that she had won $3 million in the lottery. Another woman accidentally threw away her winning ticket.

    Edwards said she plans to use her winnings to buy a house and start her own nonprofit, according to officials.

    “I’m still in shock,” she told officials. “All I remember saying once I found out how much I just won was, ‘I’m rich!'”

    SSI - So do we know RCS's whereabouts at the time the "rude person" made Ms Edwards a millionaire?
  • LeonLeon Posts: 46,249

    Leon said:

    “The invention of palm trees”





    That’s like a really good, poetic, thought-provoking sci book cover (Michael Moorcock?) or Yes album cover, from the 1960s-70s

    DALLE is very good a book covers. You give it the title of the book and seen it pump out some really good ones.
    I bet it is

    Do you have access?
  • FarooqFarooq Posts: 10,775

    BETTING POST

    Seattle Times ($) via WA Post ($) - Woman wins $10M lottery because of ‘some rude person’

    Moments after LaQuedra Edwards put her $40 lottery allowance into a lottery vending machine at a grocery store in Southern California, she said, “some rude person” bumped into her, causing her to push the wrong button.

    She usually chose cheaper Scratchers but had accidentally hit the selection for a $30 ticket, she said, according to a statement Wednesday from the California State Lottery.

    She told state lottery officials that the person who bumped into her “didn’t say a thing and just walked out the door.”

    Irritated, she headed to her car and scratched the ticket — then discovered that she had won the $10 million prize.

    “I didn’t really believe it at first,” Edwards said, according to the statement. She said she started driving but kept staring at the winning ticket. “I pulled over, looked at it again and again, scanned it with my [California Lottery mobile] app, and I just kept thinking this can’t be right,” she added.

    The California Lottery’s Scratchers range in price from $1 to $30.

    State lottery officials said Edwards purchased the winning 200X Scratchers ticket for $30 in November from a Scratchers vending machine at a Vons Supermarket in Tarzana, Calif., a neighborhood in Los Angeles.

    The odds of winning $10 million — the top prize — playing the 200X Scratchers are 1 in more than 3 million, according to the statistics from the state lottery. But strange things do happen when playing the lottery. One woman checked the spam folder in her email and found out that she had won $3 million in the lottery. Another woman accidentally threw away her winning ticket.

    Edwards said she plans to use her winnings to buy a house and start her own nonprofit, according to officials.

    “I’m still in shock,” she told officials. “All I remember saying once I found out how much I just won was, ‘I’m rich!'”

    SSI - So do we know RCS's whereabouts at the time the "rude person" made Ms Edwards a millionaire?

    PLOT TWIST:
    The rude person was herself from the future. She used the money to buy a time machine and travelled back to ensure she won.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,624
    Farooq said:

    BETTING POST

    Seattle Times ($) via WA Post ($) - Woman wins $10M lottery because of ‘some rude person’

    Moments after LaQuedra Edwards put her $40 lottery allowance into a lottery vending machine at a grocery store in Southern California, she said, “some rude person” bumped into her, causing her to push the wrong button.

    She usually chose cheaper Scratchers but had accidentally hit the selection for a $30 ticket, she said, according to a statement Wednesday from the California State Lottery.

    She told state lottery officials that the person who bumped into her “didn’t say a thing and just walked out the door.”

    Irritated, she headed to her car and scratched the ticket — then discovered that she had won the $10 million prize.

    “I didn’t really believe it at first,” Edwards said, according to the statement. She said she started driving but kept staring at the winning ticket. “I pulled over, looked at it again and again, scanned it with my [California Lottery mobile] app, and I just kept thinking this can’t be right,” she added.

    The California Lottery’s Scratchers range in price from $1 to $30.

    State lottery officials said Edwards purchased the winning 200X Scratchers ticket for $30 in November from a Scratchers vending machine at a Vons Supermarket in Tarzana, Calif., a neighborhood in Los Angeles.

    The odds of winning $10 million — the top prize — playing the 200X Scratchers are 1 in more than 3 million, according to the statistics from the state lottery. But strange things do happen when playing the lottery. One woman checked the spam folder in her email and found out that she had won $3 million in the lottery. Another woman accidentally threw away her winning ticket.

    Edwards said she plans to use her winnings to buy a house and start her own nonprofit, according to officials.

    “I’m still in shock,” she told officials. “All I remember saying once I found out how much I just won was, ‘I’m rich!'”

    SSI - So do we know RCS's whereabouts at the time the "rude person" made Ms Edwards a millionaire?

    PLOT TWIST:
    The rude person was herself from the future. She used the money to buy a time machine and travelled back to ensure she won.
    Then a very old Bruce Willis and some monkeys appeared....
  • FarooqFarooq Posts: 10,775

    Farooq said:

    BETTING POST

    Seattle Times ($) via WA Post ($) - Woman wins $10M lottery because of ‘some rude person’

    Moments after LaQuedra Edwards put her $40 lottery allowance into a lottery vending machine at a grocery store in Southern California, she said, “some rude person” bumped into her, causing her to push the wrong button.

    She usually chose cheaper Scratchers but had accidentally hit the selection for a $30 ticket, she said, according to a statement Wednesday from the California State Lottery.

    She told state lottery officials that the person who bumped into her “didn’t say a thing and just walked out the door.”

    Irritated, she headed to her car and scratched the ticket — then discovered that she had won the $10 million prize.

    “I didn’t really believe it at first,” Edwards said, according to the statement. She said she started driving but kept staring at the winning ticket. “I pulled over, looked at it again and again, scanned it with my [California Lottery mobile] app, and I just kept thinking this can’t be right,” she added.

    The California Lottery’s Scratchers range in price from $1 to $30.

    State lottery officials said Edwards purchased the winning 200X Scratchers ticket for $30 in November from a Scratchers vending machine at a Vons Supermarket in Tarzana, Calif., a neighborhood in Los Angeles.

    The odds of winning $10 million — the top prize — playing the 200X Scratchers are 1 in more than 3 million, according to the statistics from the state lottery. But strange things do happen when playing the lottery. One woman checked the spam folder in her email and found out that she had won $3 million in the lottery. Another woman accidentally threw away her winning ticket.

    Edwards said she plans to use her winnings to buy a house and start her own nonprofit, according to officials.

    “I’m still in shock,” she told officials. “All I remember saying once I found out how much I just won was, ‘I’m rich!'”

    SSI - So do we know RCS's whereabouts at the time the "rude person" made Ms Edwards a millionaire?

    PLOT TWIST:
    The rude person was herself from the future. She used the money to buy a time machine and travelled back to ensure she won.
    Then a very old Bruce Willis and some monkeys appeared....
    If I had a time machine I'd go back and assassinate Hartler
    https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2013-03-19
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 91,400

    kle4 said:

    kle4 said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    This same week Google released PaLM, another language model, which successfully decodes and explains jokes, better than most humans


    “Google's new language model AI PaLM shows some incredible reasoning capability, and cause and effect understanding. storage.googleapis.com/pathways-langu…

    https://twitter.com/torkelo/status/1511614854519476227?s=21&t=6gZ7Fd88MzOMjuPaxF4j8Q
    Suppose someone develops a politics AI, which concludes the optimal political choice is some form of socialism, from each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs, etc.

    Would you accept its conclusions?
    I firmly believe real AGI is coming (it’s arguably here already, or very close) and I also believe we will end up (if we survive as a species) being governed by AI. It will make better decisions than humans
    You are John Greer and I claim my 10 shares in Decima Technologies
    In 20 years time, life on earth will come to resemble the myths of the ancient Greeks. A pantheon of super intelligent beings will watch over us using human agents to meddle in our affairs
    Or they may simply destroy us all.
    Eh, worth a gamble.

    I love John Greer - a truly great, idealistic villain operating without hypocrisy. I was preparing a quote of his before I even saw your reference.
    I liked the way they made him utterly honest.

    Yes, that seemed to surprise the heroes, who presumed he couldn't be, that it was about his power. Usually its villains who don't understand heroes, whilst heroes see the truth villains deny to themselves.

    Imagine how quickly that thing that you've created would discard you. Do you ever lay awake at night wondering if one day it'll see you as a threat. Or worse, as irrelevant?

    How arrogant of you to think that any of us are anything but irrelevant.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,624
    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    BETTING POST

    Seattle Times ($) via WA Post ($) - Woman wins $10M lottery because of ‘some rude person’

    Moments after LaQuedra Edwards put her $40 lottery allowance into a lottery vending machine at a grocery store in Southern California, she said, “some rude person” bumped into her, causing her to push the wrong button.

    She usually chose cheaper Scratchers but had accidentally hit the selection for a $30 ticket, she said, according to a statement Wednesday from the California State Lottery.

    She told state lottery officials that the person who bumped into her “didn’t say a thing and just walked out the door.”

    Irritated, she headed to her car and scratched the ticket — then discovered that she had won the $10 million prize.

    “I didn’t really believe it at first,” Edwards said, according to the statement. She said she started driving but kept staring at the winning ticket. “I pulled over, looked at it again and again, scanned it with my [California Lottery mobile] app, and I just kept thinking this can’t be right,” she added.

    The California Lottery’s Scratchers range in price from $1 to $30.

    State lottery officials said Edwards purchased the winning 200X Scratchers ticket for $30 in November from a Scratchers vending machine at a Vons Supermarket in Tarzana, Calif., a neighborhood in Los Angeles.

    The odds of winning $10 million — the top prize — playing the 200X Scratchers are 1 in more than 3 million, according to the statistics from the state lottery. But strange things do happen when playing the lottery. One woman checked the spam folder in her email and found out that she had won $3 million in the lottery. Another woman accidentally threw away her winning ticket.

    Edwards said she plans to use her winnings to buy a house and start her own nonprofit, according to officials.

    “I’m still in shock,” she told officials. “All I remember saying once I found out how much I just won was, ‘I’m rich!'”

    SSI - So do we know RCS's whereabouts at the time the "rude person" made Ms Edwards a millionaire?

    PLOT TWIST:
    The rude person was herself from the future. She used the money to buy a time machine and travelled back to ensure she won.
    Then a very old Bruce Willis and some monkeys appeared....
    If I had a time machine I'd go back and assassinate Hartler
    https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2013-03-19
    I liked the idea from a pacifist Rabbi that he would use the machine to make a big pile of money, turn it into gold, travel back to 1920s and employ Hitler for the rest of his life to paint vast murals in a castle somewhere in Bavaria.

    So Hitler would lead a relatively happy life as an artist and the world wouldn't be damaged in any way that couldn't be fixed with a few buckets of white paint.
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 48,921
    Leon said:

    Prompt: “space cats at a lantern festival”

    DALLE-2:




    They’re not just bewilderingly good, they are beautiful

    How did you create that?
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,624
    kle4 said:

    kle4 said:

    kle4 said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    This same week Google released PaLM, another language model, which successfully decodes and explains jokes, better than most humans


    “Google's new language model AI PaLM shows some incredible reasoning capability, and cause and effect understanding. storage.googleapis.com/pathways-langu…

    https://twitter.com/torkelo/status/1511614854519476227?s=21&t=6gZ7Fd88MzOMjuPaxF4j8Q
    Suppose someone develops a politics AI, which concludes the optimal political choice is some form of socialism, from each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs, etc.

    Would you accept its conclusions?
    I firmly believe real AGI is coming (it’s arguably here already, or very close) and I also believe we will end up (if we survive as a species) being governed by AI. It will make better decisions than humans
    You are John Greer and I claim my 10 shares in Decima Technologies
    In 20 years time, life on earth will come to resemble the myths of the ancient Greeks. A pantheon of super intelligent beings will watch over us using human agents to meddle in our affairs
    Or they may simply destroy us all.
    Eh, worth a gamble.

    I love John Greer - a truly great, idealistic villain operating without hypocrisy. I was preparing a quote of his before I even saw your reference.
    I liked the way they made him utterly honest.

    Yes, that seemed to surprise the heroes, who presumed he couldn't be, that it was about his power. Usually its villains who don't understand heroes, whilst heroes see the truth villains deny to themselves.

    Imagine how quickly that thing that you've created would discard you. Do you ever lay awake at night wondering if one day it'll see you as a threat. Or worse, as irrelevant?

    How arrogant of you to think that any of us are anything but irrelevant.
    Some of them - I think Reese was less surprised. Or at least seemed to be.

    Cool moment - Reese asks the machine "Can you hear me?"
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 25,047
    Andy_JS said:

    Liz Truss is back as favourite for next Tory leader with BE.

    https://www.betfair.com/exchange/plus/politics/market/1.160663234

    Glad from a betting perspective, not so glad from a living in the UK perspective.
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 47,789
    Le Pen is ahead with every age group below 55.

    image
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 6,763
    kjh said:

    Trump must never win another election.

    What if a majority of the 2024 Electoral College voters support him? How about then?
    I'm tempted to say no. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
    So even if he wins the election according to the rules, he mustn’t be allowed to win?

    And you claim to be both liberal and a democrat?
  • AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670
    Farooq said:

    Alistair said:

    Lets just ignore the Birtherism?

    How can you fucking ignore it, it is literally what put Trump on the political map.

    Talking about Trump without talking about Birtherism is like talking about the current GOP without talking about Trump.

    Just in case that's aimed at me, I'll reproduce my remarks here:
    Sure, you can start your narrative there and ignore the whole birther thing which Trump was front and centre of, and yes, ignoring the whole birther stuff makes you a partisan hack and a commentator of zero consequence

    I hope it's clear that I am not saying you SHOULD ignore birtherism, I'm just saying even if you do the point Applicant was trying to make was still dumb as a stump.
    Worry not, I'm totally agreeing with you.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 91,400
    edited April 2022

    Le Pen is ahead with every age group below 55.

    image

    Oldies to the rescue for once?

    Though it is worth remembering that the young don't always pick the 'good' candidates, which is sometimes implied with a lot of 'Someone think of the children' rhetoric. I recall John Oliver mentioning quite a lot of young person support for Bolsonaro during his election.
  • MattWMattW Posts: 18,087
    @Benpointer you have a message wrt the saving gas conversation the other day.
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 25,047

    geoffw said:

    Roger said:

    .......... and here's today. Time can be cruel.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61043018

    By coincidence, walked past Southwark Crown Court earlier today, saw the waiting cameramen and a couple of Feds, but didn't know who it was they were waiting for until I got home and Googled the Court listings an hour ago.
    When I become unDictator of the UK, people who refer to the UK police as "The Feds" will go On The List.
    Sorry, I meant Da Feds! Better now? :lol:
    People who use the word "Da" who aren't Dadists or are over 16 will go on The Special Annexe To The List.
    Only dodgy yes men, surely.

    They will all feel the Benevolence Of My Rule.

    As they work to turn Rockall into a major Naval Base. With teaspoons.
    Don't most major Naval bases have teaspoons?
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,149
    Farooq said:

    Andy_JS said:

    TimT said:

    Nine US House members who voted AGAINST Russian oil ban

    https://www.politico.com/minutes/congress/04-8-2022/9-nays-on-russian-oil-ban/

    Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)

    Thomas Massie (R-KY)

    Matt Gaetz (R-FL)

    Dan Bishop (R-NC)

    Andy Biggs (R-AZ)

    Chip Roy (R-TX)

    Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.): We've reached out to Rep. Gosar's office but haven't heard back. We will update if we receive a comment.

    Cori Bush (D-MO)

    Ilhan Omar (D-MN)

    Note that 8 Republicans did NOT vote on this key roll call:

    Rick Allen (R-GA)

    Michael Burgess (R-TX)

    Drew Ferguson (R-GA)

    Michael Guest (R-MS)

    Clay Higgins (R-LA)

    Blake Moore (R-UT)

    Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)

    Robert Wittman (R-VA)

    No idea what excuses they have for being AWOL; maybe "profiles in cowardice"?


    Never thought I'd see Ilhan Omar on the same side of a contentious vote as Gaetz and Taylor-Greene. Although all three have exhibited traitorous tendencies before.
    What's Ilhan Omar's excuse?
    Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.): Similar to Bush, Omar previously voted against the earlier version of the bill, and doubled down on her former stances. Omar argued against the lack of a sunset on these provisions, and referenced the last time Congress passed trade restrictions on Russia and failed to repeal them until more than 20 years after the fall of the Soviet Union. Like Rep. Bush, she also flagged environmental concerns and expressed problems with exporting oil from Saudi Arabia.

    Weak. So fucking what there's no sunset clause? Congress can always decide to change it later depending on Russia's behaviour. Idiot.
    Scons and Slab haven't cottoned on to that, that is for sure, as far as Holyrood is concerned.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,274
    edited April 2022

    Le Pen is ahead with every age group below 55.

    image

    I thought youngsters were all supposed to be incredibly woke, anti-racist, anti-fascist, pro-open border immigration....
  • The pressure is on Starmer? But surely it was the frootloop Unite that got dawn raided by the police...
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,709

    Le Pen is ahead with every age group below 55.

    image

    I thought youngsters were all supposed to be incredibly woke, anti-racist, anti-fascist, pro-open border immigration....
    The graduate ones yes but 55% even of under 30s are still not university graduates.

    Ironically on that polling it will be Pecresse voting pensioners switching to Macron in the runoff that will save his bacon
  • MattWMattW Posts: 18,087
    Roger said:

    Roger said:

    Roger said:

    MattW said:

    Can you catch covid from farts?

    Been there; done that.

    TL:DR - the other person wearing pants/panties helps you not catch it.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7716952/

    A recent study has also suggested post-flush toilet plume to be a potential route of transmission through ‘aerosolized feces’. Another aspect of probable transmission could be through flatulence by infected patients, although no such published data has been found. But, according to several existing investigations, farts do have the tendency to carry micro-particles which have the capacity to spread bacteria (55). However, additional research is still warranted to estimate the intensity of such infections; presence of undergarments/ clothing would however, lower the risk of transmission through this passage. The same was claimed by the Chinese Centres of Disease Control and Prevention that pants do act as a hindrance in the transmission of disease via flatulence that contains the SARS-CoV-2 virus (56).
    Flipping eck. I had £25 on no. I was about to post some people are thick and ask for my money, but it looks like I have lost.

    You can catch covid from farts 🤭 But bum masks help to some degree.

    They need to stick naked mice farting on each other and bum pant mice farting on each other in bowl for more info.
    I read your post about your father's thoughts on Rishi. A man grounded in the Nothern heartlands who thought Rishis budget would prove to be a masterstroke and the Tories were now the serious party on their way up....

    My reputation as the worst tipster on here was hard earned but I have to admit you're giving me a good run for my money
    Where your post was wrong, in many ways the budget was smart not to use all the ammo now in populist media loving splurge. What you are playing on is how you say something to applause when your stock is high, politicians same message not listened to when stock is low. But if someone brings out a decent forward looking budget at a difficult time, next month outed as peadophile, it doesn’t change how the budget should be understood and received, should it? We can be more gown up in our analysis on this blog than that Roger.

    Also wrong, and a bit rude, in your overdoing it as Northern Heartlands. My Dad has been a moderate remain voting Tory in same place in Yorkshire since birth. It’s a Tory constituency. Truth is his consistent views no longer majority in his local party let alone the whole North, nor the whole North Labour before Boris came along.

    Plenty of poor judgement in your post Roger you need to defend. You should be grown up enough to concede at least some of this.

    What’s going on in your avatar? Is it date rape?
    The budget could only be described as smart if it had been ghosted by Rachel Reeves. I don't know how long you've been a Lib Dem but I'd keep it under your hat if I were you or people might mistake you for a fifth columnist
    You really know how to raise the stakes in a social media flame war Roger. 😆 I’ve been called a bot lots of times, and Farooq claimed only last week I’m not real just a figment of Leon’s washed up Id. 🤢But in one day you have called me a fifth column and suggested I am nearly as bad a tipster as you. Key facts speak for themselves.
    The only things I have ever voted is Libdem and count Binface.
    All my family and my girlfriend are solid conservatives.
    As I told Farooq, the Lib Dems have my vote going forward, especially with Boris in charge of Tory’s. But as I also told Farooq, not every Libdem breaks to labour in a forced Tory or Labour choice. If given that choice today, I would say don’t know. Fortunately though I can carry on voting Libdem not have to make that choice. If Tory’s get taken over by proper conservatives once again, in a forced choice I would say Conservative, because atheist anti monarchy anti nuclear deterrent anti NATO socialist Labour is student politics, and they are controlled by lefty union baron money, so are not for me.

    Now as for tipping. I called Shropshire North right and made money, despite having to wear a tin hat on here two months from the vote for placing that bet. On the night I redecorated the lounge with 🤮 over celebrating the win. After Christmas (thanks to my Dad) I tipped the attack to remove big dog, that nearly worked, and thanks to my Dad explained it was not going to happen just when everyone seemed convinced themselves it would, and TSE gave me a ban based on that. I am on Tugenhart and Harper at long odds for next Tory leader. I explained weeks ago why Macron has already lost (he sealed his own fate in 2014). That’s a key point of all my tips, I give analysis as to why I think it. Even with the horses I share analysis why. Does six wins from 16 Cheltenham tips make me sites worst tipster? In one Saturday February I tipped 3 wins from 4 at very long odds and made myself a fair bit of spending money, to share is to care so I am pleased I shared them here. In the morning I will not only tip the Grand National winner but the horse that finishes second.

    Why do you regard me as your enemy Roger? What is wrong with your judgement!
    I don't. I don't take my posts too seriously so I'm sorry if you do. Fortunately or unfortunately there are posters here who are ridiculously knowledgable about all sorts of things not least politics. To confidently predict anything on here you have to be reasonably certain or at least have good reason for your prediction. I enjoy your posts as it happens though from what I've seen I wouldn't rush down to the book makers on one of your tips.

    But apologies I've been offensive. It wasn't intended.

    My avatar is a painting by Christian Furr who I like at rhe moment. My previous one was a Helmut Newton which I wish I'd taken. Unfortunately cropped to fit the format here
    If we was being hostile it would have been an a not a y :smile:
  • Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820
    kle4 said:

    Le Pen is ahead with every age group below 55.

    image

    Oldies to the rescue for once?

    Though it is worth remembering that the young don't always pick the 'good' candidates, which is sometimes implied with a lot of 'Someone think of the children' rhetoric. I recall John Oliver mentioning quite a lot of young person support for Bolsonaro during his election.
    More to the point, Corbyn in 2017.
  • MattWMattW Posts: 18,087

    Leon said:

    kle4 said:

    Leon said:

    MattW said:

    DougSeal said:

    What’s @Roger ’s new avatar all about?

    ✋ I asked him earlier if his old one was a date rape scene from a movie. I really like this new one, with the man thinking
    Man City evens, Liverpool at 12/5 and the draw at 13/5. Liverpool the value bet there surely.
    This chap, potentially:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Furr
    Wow. Never checked out Furrs stuff before, apart from Queen. How come I haven’t?

    ‘The goal is to make life itself a work of Art’ – Henry Miller. Great quote 👍🏻

    Hold on. The mirror isn’t giving up a true image? Is it even same person?

    image
    The artist, I believe, is subtly referencing Manet’s Bar at the Folies Bergere - with its famously “wrong” reflection in the mirror, and its commentary on the male gaze vis a vis seductive women


    I know how much you love GPT-3....I presume you are aware of OpenAI latest release, DALLE-2.... text to image generator.

    https://twitter.com/OpenAI/status/1511707245536428034?s=20&t=qSe9JzR1iJ25SKY50k9g9Q

    You fool, we'll be hearing about it for weeks now!
    Honestly, I am surprised Leon hasn't found it already. It has been widely reported.
    I’ve been wandering the ruins of Ephesus!
    I don't know why you went all the way to Turkey for them, they have them in the Alps in France....


    The previous Urquhart avatar, now evanished, reminded me of some American Gothic.


  • glwglw Posts: 9,535

    Le Pen is ahead with every age group below 55.

    image

    I thought youngsters were all supposed to be incredibly woke, anti-racist, anti-fascist, pro-open border immigration....
    I'm sure Roger will be along to explain it all shortly.
  • FarooqFarooq Posts: 10,775

    kjh said:

    Trump must never win another election.

    What if a majority of the 2024 Electoral College voters support him? How about then?
    I'm tempted to say no. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
    So even if he wins the election according to the rules, he mustn’t be allowed to win?

    And you claim to be both liberal and a democrat?
    He should obviously be barred from standing. Anybody who tries to kill democracy deserves to be in prison, not in the corridors of power.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 91,400
    edited April 2022
    Looking at Bolsonaro who is up for re-election this year, either he changes or parties change very often in Brazil, as his political affiliations list is pretty lengthy. Really was the right place at the right time last time.

    PL (2021–present)
    Independent (2019–2021)
    Social Liberal (2018–2019)
    Social Christian (2016–2018)
    Progressistas (2005–2016)
    Liberal Front (2005)
    Labour (2003–2005)
    Progressistas (1995–2003)
    Reform Progressives (1993–1995)
    Progressives (1993)
    Christian Democrats (1988–1993)
  • FrankBoothFrankBooth Posts: 9,005
    TimT said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Are the Russians trying to bait the West into getting directly involved or is it a middle finger of look what we can do and you lot can't do a thing about it?

    I doubt it, not least because if the Ukrainians are giving them a hammering, imagine what some US made jets and drones could do.
    Three days of unrestrained US attacks on Russian troops and equipment in and around Ukraine probably would result in a Russian nuclear response, as there would be no significant Russian military left this side of the Urals.

    If NATO does ever get involved directly, I think they'll be very cautious not to be too effective.
    Yep. Paradoxically that's the problem isn't it. I suppose the best thing would be to make sure that next time a reckless psychopath is in charge of Russia we don't indulge him for 20 years.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 91,400

    In other news, my eldest proudly tells me he has been promoted to manage distribution of Socialist Appeal for their branch.

    Don't all rush to buy one.

    We don't want a stampede.

    I read one left behind on a train once. I got some entertainment from it.
  • nico679nico679 Posts: 4,534
    edited April 2022
    The high abstention rates for voters of other parties that would normally favour Macron in the second round are helping to inflate Le Pens polling and this is why IMO she’s maxed out her second round polling .

    Zemmours voters which transfer to Le Pen show low abstention rates in the second round .

    Any drop in abstention rates will help Macron and the fear of Le Pen winning is likely to do that.
  • kjhkjh Posts: 10,458

    kjh said:

    Trump must never win another election.

    What if a majority of the 2024 Electoral College voters support him? How about then?
    I'm tempted to say no. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
    So even if he wins the election according to the rules, he mustn’t be allowed to win?

    And you claim to be both liberal and a democrat?
    It was a joke.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 50,772

    Seattle Times ($) - Vandals destroy Gig Harbor mural supporting Ukraine, but artist has a creative plan

    By Aspen Shumpert, The Peninsula Gateway (Gig Harbor, Wash.)

    Late Wednesday night, vandals destroyed a mural supporting Ukraine on the side of Hart Studios in Gig Harbor.

    “My sister drove by the studio this morning around 7 a.m. and saw the mural covered in red and blue paint. When she told me someone vandalized my mural, I thought in my head maybe they just tagged it or put a red X over it. When I saw it, I was taken aback how bad it was,” muralist Hillarie Isackson said.

    There is almost $1,000 worth of damage to the building: oil-based paint is splashed all over the exterior wall of Hart Studio. Devoted Kiss Cafe, next door to Hart Studio, will need to repair their courtyard floor, also damaged by paint. Paint footprints lead all the way to Anthony’s restaurant down the street.

    “Now I am scared and wondering will I get attacked if I do this again? Was this a personal attack on me? But, the community instantly wanted to help and donate what they could,” Isackson said.

    The wall on the side of Hart Studios had been empty since a holiday mural came down. Isackson has been waiting for city funding to come through for the next mural.

    “I found out everyone in our building has ties to Ukraine and the city gave me the go-ahead, so I began painting the temporary Ukraine mural on Monday,” Isackson said.

    On Tuesday, the colorful mural of a large sunflower and outline of a map of Ukraine was finished for the town to see. By Wednesday night, it was ruined.

    “It’s crazy. This was just something I did without pay, because I wanted to do it. Then to have this happen, I am very set back. My plan is to start working on it today and have it re-done by tomorrow,” Isackson said.

    Isackson won’t just be correcting the mural, but will incorporate the red and blue paint from the vandalism into an entirely new piece, Laura Pettitt, Communications and Tourism Director for the city of Gig Harbor, told The Peninsula Gateway.

    Police have video footage from across the street of two suspects approaching the mural with paint buckets and rollers on sticks. After rolling paint over the mural, they took off.

    “It is very disappointing and sad to see. We have taken a report and we are working on solving this one and looking for leads,” Police Chief Kelly Busey said.

    The Gig Harbor Police Department asks anyone with tips to call 253-851-2236.

    Rolf Harris?
  • noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 20,454
    Farooq said:

    kjh said:

    Trump must never win another election.

    What if a majority of the 2024 Electoral College voters support him? How about then?
    I'm tempted to say no. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
    So even if he wins the election according to the rules, he mustn’t be allowed to win?

    And you claim to be both liberal and a democrat?
    He should obviously be barred from standing. Anybody who tries to kill democracy deserves to be in prison, not in the corridors of power.
    Can you be a democrat and not think Putin should be allowed to stand again? Of course you can. Same with Trump. Not equivalent, before someone pipes up with that nonsense. But the principles are the same, it is just where each of us choose to draw the line on who should be banned from standing that varies.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 91,400
    Farooq said:

    kjh said:

    Trump must never win another election.

    What if a majority of the 2024 Electoral College voters support him? How about then?
    I'm tempted to say no. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
    So even if he wins the election according to the rules, he mustn’t be allowed to win?

    And you claim to be both liberal and a democrat?
    He should obviously be barred from standing. Anybody who tries to kill democracy deserves to be in prison, not in the corridors of power.
    Given some of the things he was on tape saying or doing I am almost surprised he's not been convicted of anything. But the larger part of me knows he could shoot someone in the face and probably not get convicted before the next election.
  • kle4 said:

    In other news, my eldest proudly tells me he has been promoted to manage distribution of Socialist Appeal for their branch.

    Don't all rush to buy one.

    We don't want a stampede.

    I read one left behind on a train once. I got some entertainment from it.
    I am being a modern parent and allowing the sprog to find their own feat.

    That being said, Socialist Appeal was always an absolutely disgusting platform and now publishes a lengthy article called "The War in Ukraine, Fact and Fiction" with headers such as "Defeat or Tactical Withdrawal?", "How the Media Lies", "How Ukrainians make civilians targets", Russian atrocities - Real or Staged?", "A Ukrainian War Crime" etc etc

    One day in the hopefully not too distant future he is going to be profoundly ashamed of himself. A valuable life lesson.
  • FarooqFarooq Posts: 10,775
    kle4 said:

    Farooq said:

    kjh said:

    Trump must never win another election.

    What if a majority of the 2024 Electoral College voters support him? How about then?
    I'm tempted to say no. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
    So even if he wins the election according to the rules, he mustn’t be allowed to win?

    And you claim to be both liberal and a democrat?
    He should obviously be barred from standing. Anybody who tries to kill democracy deserves to be in prison, not in the corridors of power.
    Given some of the things he was on tape saying or doing I am almost surprised he's not been convicted of anything. But the larger part of me knows he could shoot someone in the face and probably not get convicted before the next election.
    Money is a very effective pre-judicial line of defence in the USA. It's harder for a rich person to go to jail than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 6,763

    Farooq said:

    BETTING POST

    Seattle Times ($) via WA Post ($) - Woman wins $10M lottery because of ‘some rude person’

    Moments after LaQuedra Edwards put her $40 lottery allowance into a lottery vending machine at a grocery store in Southern California, she said, “some rude person” bumped into her, causing her to push the wrong button.

    She usually chose cheaper Scratchers but had accidentally hit the selection for a $30 ticket, she said, according to a statement Wednesday from the California State Lottery.

    She told state lottery officials that the person who bumped into her “didn’t say a thing and just walked out the door.”

    Irritated, she headed to her car and scratched the ticket — then discovered that she had won the $10 million prize.

    “I didn’t really believe it at first,” Edwards said, according to the statement. She said she started driving but kept staring at the winning ticket. “I pulled over, looked at it again and again, scanned it with my [California Lottery mobile] app, and I just kept thinking this can’t be right,” she added.

    The California Lottery’s Scratchers range in price from $1 to $30.

    State lottery officials said Edwards purchased the winning 200X Scratchers ticket for $30 in November from a Scratchers vending machine at a Vons Supermarket in Tarzana, Calif., a neighborhood in Los Angeles.

    The odds of winning $10 million — the top prize — playing the 200X Scratchers are 1 in more than 3 million, according to the statistics from the state lottery. But strange things do happen when playing the lottery. One woman checked the spam folder in her email and found out that she had won $3 million in the lottery. Another woman accidentally threw away her winning ticket.

    Edwards said she plans to use her winnings to buy a house and start her own nonprofit, according to officials.

    “I’m still in shock,” she told officials. “All I remember saying once I found out how much I just won was, ‘I’m rich!'”

    SSI - So do we know RCS's whereabouts at the time the "rude person" made Ms Edwards a millionaire?

    PLOT TWIST:
    The rude person was herself from the future. She used the money to buy a time machine and travelled back to ensure she won.
    Then a very old Bruce Willis and some monkeys appeared....
    I’m still shook up that one of my juniors was born after that movie came out…
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 6,763
    Farooq said:

    kjh said:

    Trump must never win another election.

    What if a majority of the 2024 Electoral College voters support him? How about then?
    I'm tempted to say no. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
    So even if he wins the election according to the rules, he mustn’t be allowed to win?

    And you claim to be both liberal and a democrat?
    He should obviously be barred from standing. Anybody who tries to kill democracy deserves to be in prison, not in the corridors of power.
    Only if the courts convict.

    Random bloke on an internet board thinks it is “obvious” is not sufficient
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,274

    kle4 said:

    In other news, my eldest proudly tells me he has been promoted to manage distribution of Socialist Appeal for their branch.

    Don't all rush to buy one.

    We don't want a stampede.

    I read one left behind on a train once. I got some entertainment from it.
    I am being a modern parent and allowing the sprog to find their own feat.

    That being said, Socialist Appeal was always an absolutely disgusting platform and now publishes a lengthy article called "The War in Ukraine, Fact and Fiction" with headers such as "Defeat or Tactical Withdrawal?", "How the Media Lies", "How Ukrainians make civilians targets", Russian atrocities - Real or Staged?", "A Ukrainian War Crime" etc etc

    One day in the hopefully not too distant future he is going to be profoundly ashamed of himself. A valuable life lesson.
    Did the Kremlin write it for them?
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 47,789
    Warsaw summons French ambassador after Macron calls Polish PM ‘anti-Semite'

    https://www.ft.com/content/c279ba21-35a0-4a7e-a8a8-5128527c55e0
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 14,772
    It's sobering to remind oneself that Elon Musk is the less crazy of the two founders of PayPal.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,624

    geoffw said:

    Roger said:

    .......... and here's today. Time can be cruel.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61043018

    By coincidence, walked past Southwark Crown Court earlier today, saw the waiting cameramen and a couple of Feds, but didn't know who it was they were waiting for until I got home and Googled the Court listings an hour ago.
    When I become unDictator of the UK, people who refer to the UK police as "The Feds" will go On The List.
    Sorry, I meant Da Feds! Better now? :lol:
    People who use the word "Da" who aren't Dadists or are over 16 will go on The Special Annexe To The List.
    Only dodgy yes men, surely.

    They will all feel the Benevolence Of My Rule.

    As they work to turn Rockall into a major Naval Base. With teaspoons.
    Don't most major Naval bases have teaspoons?
    Not on the building sites....
This discussion has been closed.