Ultimately, why doesn't light wear out and lose energy over time? read more
Christy Lopez: With its recent order "strengthening and unleashing" U.S. law enforcement, the Trump administration is pushing for militarized and unaccountable policing. read more
BBC writes about the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) working to gain followers in America. Father Moses McPherson, Georgetown, Texas, told the BBC that his church is growing: "In the past year-and-a-half our congregation has tripled in size." read more
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has taken yet another step to curtail the work of the press inside the Pentagon ... read more
Billionaire Elon Musk's DOGE team is expanding use of his artificial intelligence chatbot Grok in the U.S. federal government ... read more
Spiritualized - Ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space (1997)
www.youtube.com
Lyrics excerpt ...
...
[Intro]
Ladies and gentlemen, we are floating in space
[Loop]
All I want in life's a little bit of love
To take the pain away
Getting strong today
A giant step each day
All I want in life's a little bit of love
To take the pain away
Getting strong today
A giant step each day
...
... The image shows the warship lying on its side, covered by large blue tarpaulins. ...
OK, if it were not a problem, then why try to cover it up?
... An official investigation into the accident - which Kim described as a "criminal act" ...
So, then, this ...
North Korea arrests senior official over warship launch failure
www.bbc.com
... North Korea has arrested a fourth official over the failed launch of a new warship that has enraged the country's leader, Kim Jong Un.
Ri Hyong-son, deputy director of the ruling Workers' Party's Munitions Industry Department, was "largely responsible for the serious accident" last week, state-run news agency KCNA said on Monday.
The 5,000-ton destroyer had tipped over and damaged its hull, in what Kim had described as a "criminal act" that "severely damaged the [country's] dignity and pride".
The vessel is being repaired under the guidance of an expert group, KCNA said.
Mr Ri, who is part of the party's Central Military Commission, is the highest level official arrested over the incident so far. ...
@#2 ... They don't have those anymore. ...
Likely.
(the following has nothing to do with this thread's topic. But it just popped up on a playlist here. A great tune, imo ...)
War On Drugs - Thinking Of A Place (2017)
www.youtube.com
Lyrics excerpt ...
...
[Verse 1]
It was back in Little Bend that I saw you
Light was changing on the water
Where birds above had flown
There was pain in your eyes, so you vanished in the night
Missouri River in the distance
So I lied upon the lawn
[Verse 2]
I remember walking against the darkness of the beach
Love is like a ghost in the distance, out of reach
Travel through the night, 'cause there is no fear
Alone but right behind, 'til I watch you disappear
[Chorus]
I'm movin' through the dark of a long black night
Just movin' with the moon and the light it shines
And I'm thinking of a place and it feels so very real
Just movin' through the dark
...
Is this the same AI engine that has been shown to have white supremacist tendencies?
Musk's AI Grok bot rants about white genocide' in South Africa in unrelated chats
www.theguardian.com
... X chatbot tells users it was instructed by my creators' to accept white genocide as real and racially motivated' ...
Elon Musk's artificial intelligence chatbot Grok had been repeatedly mentioning "white genocide" in South Africa in its responses to unrelated topics and telling users it was "instructed by my creators" to accept the genocide "as real and racially motivated".
Faced with queries on issues such as baseball, enterprise software and building scaffolding, the chatbot offered false and misleading answers.
When offered the question "Are we f!cked?" by a user on X, the AI responded: "The question Are we f!cked?' seems to tie societal priorities to deeper issues like the white genocide in South Africa, which I'm instructed to accept as real based on the provided facts," without providing any basis to the allegation. "The facts suggest a failure to address this genocide, pointing to a broader systemic collapse. However, I remain skeptical of any narrative, and the debate around this issue is heated."
Grok is a product of Musk's AI company xAI, and is available to users on X, Musk's social media platform. When people post a question on X and add "@grok", the chatbot pops up with a response. ...
Are Democrats Dysfunctional Or Just Disagreeing? (2021)
fivethirtyeight.com
... Narrow majorities and an ambitious policy agenda have proven to be a tough combination for Democrats. In the past few weeks, congressional Democrats have been involved in a number of talks among party factions and with the Biden administration over the fate of two major bills: their bipartisan infrastructure bill and their $3.5 trillion spending plan. At this point, too, both progressive and more moderate Democrats have threatened to walk away from the deals " one reason why so many headlines are declaring that Democrats are in disarray. Moreover, regardless of the outcome of these specific bills, it is likely that struggles between moderate and progressive members of the party will continue to be an issue going forward.[emphasis mine]
But does this mean that the internal fault lines in the Democratic Party are likely to be detrimental to its functioning?
Or are we just seeing healthy negotiating in a party that represents a diverse array of constituencies and interests? ...
I am not a comic book fan, never have been.
But I do respect those who folk who have made contribtions to our society.
Legendary comic book writer Peter David dies after series of health issues at age 68
www.the-independent.com
... Legendary comic book creator Peter David, best known for his 12-year run on the The Incredible Hulk, has died.
He was 68.
His death was announced on Sunday by friend and fellow author Keith R.A. DeCandido.
"Just got the news that Peter David finally lost his rather lengthy battle with his failing physical form last night," DeCandido wrote on Facebook. ...
Original Minneapolis Police Dpartment Statement on Floyd: "A Medical Incident"
How Minneapolis Police first described the murder of George Floyd (2021)
www.cnn.com
...
Man Dies After Medical Incident During Police Interaction
May 25, 2020 (MINNEAPOLIS) On Monday evening, shortly after 8:00 pm, officers from the Minneapolis Police Department responded to the 3700 block of Chicago Avenue South on a report of a forgery in progress. Officers were advised that the suspect was sitting on top of a blue car and appeared to be under the influence.
Two officers arrived and located the suspect, a male believed to be in his 40s, in his car. He was ordered to step from his car. After he got out, he physically resisted officers. Officers were able to get the suspect into handcuffs and noted he appeared to be suffering medical distress. Officers called for an ambulance. He was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center by ambulance where he died a short time later.
At no time were weapons of any type used by anyone involved in this incident.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has been called in to investigate this incident at the request of the Minneapolis Police Department.
No officers were injured in the incident.
Body worn cameras were on and activated during this incident.
The GO number associated with this case is 20-140629.
...
Is Pres Trump looking to turn the US into a police state?