Saturday Morning Sip

Happy Saturday, everyone!  

Coffee and air-horns at the ready! 

 

 

Just asking... 

This and next from the YDG collection. 

Miss you, Jackie Sue! 

International Idiots! 

Ah-yup.  Funny how this all works. 

I'm safe! 

Uh-huh...

 

So why do I feel like this is how I am reacting any more?

 

The new iPhones are here!  The new iPhones are here! 

 

Ah-yup. 

 

 

Perhaps we can spell out "86 47" in Big Macs or golf balls?
 

 

Ah... nature.

 

Another unique touring car. 

 

 

 

...and while we're talking about AI...

The Stephen Colbert cold open...

 I'm going to miss him!  

Sure, Jan; It's for the ethics.

Tech is turning increasingly to religion in a quest to create ethical AI.

 

Reported by Krysta Fauria - Los Angeles (AP) - "Leaders from various religious groups met last week with representatives from companies including Anthropic and OpenAI for the inaugural “Faith-AI Covenant” roundtable in New York to discuss how best to infuse morality and ethics into the fast-developing technology. It was organized by the Geneva-based Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities, which seeks to take on issues such as extremism, radicalization and human trafficking. The roundtable is expected to be the first of several around the globe, including in Beijing, Nairobi and Abu Dhabi.

Tech executives need to recognize their power — and their responsibility — to make the right decisions, said Baroness Joanna Shields, a key partner in the initiative. She worked as a tech executive with stints at Google and Facebook before pivoting to British politics."

So, let me get this straight - the asshole, Tech-bro creators of AI just can't seem to get the Large Language Models (LLM's) to act in an ethical way, so they are going to... tap into the religious groups for guidance on programming?  What?  Science, facts and logic can't provide you with the right outcomes you're looking for?   The US military, headed by a Christi-fascist, is looking to hand over control of functions to Palantir.  Meanwhile, Elon Musk's GROK has decided "Mecha Hitler" is acceptable.  

It's not setting up to be a very optimistic future. Let's turn over AI to cults that, at their core, have started every conflict around the planet since humanity first began to flourish. What in the good fuck can possibly go wrong?

Meanwhile, let's just keep finding rural communities of MAGA rubes who will let mega data centers be built which offer no viable return on investment.  

 

I guess the best I can do for now is to tattoo the addresses of Elon, Dario Amodei, Sam Altman, Peter Thiel, Mark Fuckerberg and the like onto my arm so that when the Terminator is sent from the future to correct this mess, I can just show it to them and be spared...?  

 

Onward?

Rade

 

 

 

Your Daily Meme... and MEN!!!

 

 

"He aced it!"

 

...or assed it...  

 

The Cat Chronicles - May 7, 2027

 

Etta, Lilo and Goldie - Early March. 

With the passage of Lilo last month, that brought the total to six we we have lost in 30 years. Two dogs and four cats.  We have a storage cabinet where the cremains have been kept; in the basement, out of sight... out of mind. We decided that since this has become our "Forever Home", it seemed appropriate that we honor those who entered and departed our lives.  In the very back corner of our lot, I created a memorial garden. 

 

Statue and plaque

 

It began with the statuary I found at a nursery in Little Compton RI.  As soon as I saw it, I knew that was going to be the key.  Found a nice piece of blue stone to use as the marker, had the plaque made out of bronze, and attached the name tags below then planted some catnip in the garden for guests to enjoy.  I finished the garden this morning.  We will inter their remains at a future date.

 

And now, there are two; Etta and Goldie.

 

Their bench is directly below the mini-split, still in "heat" mode.

 

Where Lilo always kept her distance from Etta, these two have become  "thick as thieves"; great energy between them.  Just SO much play!  Batting, wrestling, racing each other to every corner of the house. No hissing or growling, just play. Goldie has become the quintessential house cat; Etta loves her yard.  When she comes in, he races to greet her, and they walk the rest of the way in, together.  If he's (usually sleeping) on the couch, she comes in to check in on him before going onto something else

 

 

Snores and passes gas...

 

Goldie's bed is where ever he feels like passing out.  The above is his normal position... 

 

 

Etta making her rounds

 

Etta has assumed the role of "Yard Inspector", and goes on patrol several times a day; never for more than a few minutes.  She has also begun visiting with the neighbors when they are out working in their yard below ours.    

 

In recent weeks, when we turn in for the night, both of them come up to the bedroom; Etta has her chair, Goldie takes up station on the foot of the bed (to which we hear his 20 pounds sliding off and hitting floor at some point during the night, then he moves to the rug).  

 

There was a little anxiety from Etta right after Lilo left.  Though they were not "communal", they were never more than ten feet from each other at any one time ever since they were kittens.  In the week after Lilo passed, Etta would be looking for her to come in the door or up from the basement, and she would stay distant from us.  But in the past week or so, her disposition has changed dramatically! Back to being VERY social and chatty; better yet, she even has a healthy appetite!  Even with Goldie vying for lap time with me (he wants to be HELD... all 20 pounds of him), she's getting her nightly tummy time in.  

 

So all in all...

 

We are well!  

 

Onward,

Rade 

 

 

 

 

Grumble... grumble... grumble...

 

Spaceballs: The New One... not coming out until NEXT year.   

 

 

For now, I will just have to gaze at his photo hanging in my office

and sigh. 

 

For perspective...

 

 ...also on my office wall.

 R

Your Daily Meme

 

Heather Cox Richardson

Heather breaks down what our government is up to this week...

$1B for... the ballroom.