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Created
Wed, 26/06/2024 - 02:00
Since the wingnuts actually have the nerve to promote the psychopath Trump as an anti-war hero , John Fugelsang helpfully supplies a corrective: Since the right wing MAGA guys are pulling the “There Were No Wars Under Trump” lie, let’s quickly cover this propaganda you’ll be hearing that Trump was the “Peace President.” Because the same angry white guys who berated us for opposing the Iraq War, now berate us for not appreciating Donald Trump’s incredible commitment to world peace. And being blindly obedient, true MAGA males view critical thinking skills as “woke.” 1. Once in office, Trump massively increased the U.S. defense budget. He quickly escalated our existing wars in multiple theaters, which led to skyrocketing casualties. 2. Trump sent MORE troops to Afghanistan, ordered missile strikes on Syria in 2017 and 2018 & abandoned our Kurdish allies to slaughter. 3. In Afghanistan, the star of “Celebrity Apprentice” substantially increased the airstrikes, leading to a 330 % increase in civilian deaths.
Created
Tue, 25/06/2024 - 23:30

Venture capital and military startup firms in Silicon Valley have begun aggressively selling a version of automated warfare that will deeply incorporate artificial intelligence (AI). Those companies and their CEOs are now pressing full speed ahead with that emerging technology, largely dismissing the risk of malfunctions that could lead to the future slaughter of civilians, not to speak of the possibility of dangerous scenarios of escalation between major military powers. The reasons for this headlong rush include a misplaced faith in “miracle weapons,” but above all else, this surge of support for emerging military technologies is driven by the ultimate rationale of the military-industrial complex: vast sums of money to be made. The New Techno-Enthusiasts While some in the military... Read more

Created
Tue, 25/06/2024 - 23:00
If only Everybody’s got advice for Joe Biden on how to slay Donald Trump at this week’s debate. Obviously, don’t play Trump’s game and be sure to throw him off his. Monica Alba and Carol E. Lee of NBC News suggest Biden should be prepared for whichever version of Trump takes the stage: WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is preparing to face a few different Donald Trumps on Thursday’s debate stage: the more bombastic and “unhinged” one known for his grievance-filled, stem-winding rallies, and a fairly disciplined version who largely refrains from tirades and sticks to policy. If it’s more sedate than incensed, the goal for Biden will be to elicit what his aides see as “the true Trump,” according to three people familiar with Biden’s debate prep.  […] “If I were advising Biden, I’d try to make fun of Trump,” former Republican vice president Dan Quayle told NBC News in an interview. “Try to ridicule him. That will get him mad.” Obviously.
Created
Tue, 25/06/2024 - 22:59

I was minding my own business in the produce section when I came across an unassuming display of apples near the end of the aisle with a small sign that read UNNAMED TEST VARIETY APPLES (NON-GMO). They were on sale for $1.48 per pound. I did not hesitate. What were they testing? A new kind of pesticide? How mealy the flesh of an apple can be while still surviving shipment? A shine-enhancing fruit shellac? I didn’t know, and I didn’t care. I just grabbed a bag and started loading apples.

They were a delightful red with a few golden patches, a perfect size (not too small but not too large like those chonky Honeycrisps that look like they took a side trip to get BBLs before landing at the grocery store). A few of the apples were a bit asymmetrical, which I found to be a charming indicator that they might have actually touched a tree branch at some point in their life cycle.

Created
Tue, 25/06/2024 - 22:00

“If you look at the trajectory of improvement, systems like GPT-3 were maybe toddler-level intelligence… and then systems like GPT-4 are more like smart high-schooler intelligence. And then, in the next couple of years, we’re looking at PhD intelligence…” — Open AI CTO Mira Murati, in an interview with Dartmouth Engineering

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ChatGPT has become indispensable to plagiarists and spambots worldwide. Now, OpenAI is thrilled to introduce ChatGPT 5.0, the most advanced version of the popular virtual assistant to date. With groundbreaking improvements, GPT-5 is like having a doctor of philosophy right at your fingertips. Much like someone with a PhD, GPT-5 is capable of interactions that seem almost lifelike.

What’s New in GPT-5?

GPT-5 has an improved neural network architecture, enhanced security, and the following features:

Created
Tue, 25/06/2024 - 20:01

Telegram is a popular – especially in the East – internet messenger. It bills itself as “encrypted”, “private”, and “secure”. One of its creators (and the CEO of the company that operates the service), Pavel Durov, has for years been suggesting, in a more or less direct manner, that other internet messenger services expose our conversations and endanger our privacy.

It’s a pretty crude, yet surprisingly effective strategy for distracting attention away from Telegram’s very real problems with security and privacy. And there are quite a few of those.

Created
Tue, 25/06/2024 - 19:40
Julian Assange is expected to be in Australia late tomorrow, a free man. Footage tweeted by Wikileaks hours ago showed Assange walking up the stairs onto an aircraft bound for Saipan in the US-administered Mariana Islands, Monday afternoon UK time. Sources have told Pearls and Irritations Assange is accompanied on the flight by Australian High Continue reading »