vxbush 11/17/2023 5:25:14 AM

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This is certifiably crazy to me: 

Shortly after the 9/11 attacks that left nearly 3,000 dead and permanently altered the New York City skyline, bin Laden wrote his Letter to America, justifying his murderous act of terrorism, in part because of our "support to the oppressive Israelis in their occupation of our Palestine."

The letter for some reason (I'll get to that momentarily) resurfaced from the super-left-wing British paper, The Guardian, which for more than 20 years has hosted an English-language translation. 

Thousands of young Americans took to TikTok to express how bin Laden's words have opened their eyes.

"So I just read a Letter to America," is one typical TikToker comment, "and I will never look at life the same. I will never look at this country the same. I will never... please, read it."

We have failed our jobs at teaching the next generation, but China is pushing the social engineering, too: 

TikTok promotes the bin Laden letter people, who will make their own bin Laden letter videos which TikTok will then also promote. Jewish Insider editor-in-chief Josh Kraushaar reminded his readers of the "scary reality" that "TikTok is the top 'news' source for 18-29-year-olds."

Thanks in part to TikTok, a segment of American youth is moving very quickly from a lame moral equivalence between Israel and Hamas to thinking bin Laden was right to murder 3,000 people on 9/11.

vxbush 11/17/2023 5:27:23 AM

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A translation of a Facebook post from the municipality of Bethlehem, provided by Breitbart, said, “Bethlehem Municipality crews announced the dismantling of Christmas decorations installed several years ago in the city’s neighborhoods and removing all festive appearances in honor of the martyrs and in solidarity with our people in Gaza.” 

...

What makes this Christmas cancellation so particularly disturbing is that it is in honor of the “martyrs,” which is Palestinian double-speak for “terrorists killed by Israelis.” 

vxbush 11/17/2023 5:32:32 AM

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vxbush 11/17/2023 5:34:04 AM

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vxbush 11/17/2023 5:38:22 AM

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The headline is: Senior Biden Official Invited the CCP to Tour U.S. Nuclear Testing Sites. It's slightly off. The headline should read: Senior Biden Official Took CCP and Russian representatives to the National Nuclear Security Administration site in Nevada— where sensitive nuclear experiments are carried out. 

Saying they were invited makes it sound like they may or may not have come. The representatives did come and did tour the facility. 

A good quote from Rep. Doug Lamborn: he said that allowing foreign adversaries to view confidential U.S. nuclear testing activities will "allow them to derive our methods and procedures, and this destroys deterrence. In the world today, nothing could jeopardize our national security more than losing this advantage."

Occasional Reader 11/17/2023 5:47:42 AM

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Reply to vxbush in 2:

There can be no peace as long as these people think this way.

The Palestinians need to feel defeat, as thoroughly as the Japanese and Germans did in 1945.

Occasional Reader 11/17/2023 5:55:16 AM

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Reply to vxbush in 1:

That story is perhaps the most terrifying and frightening one I’ve read in months.

And TikTok is Arthur C. Clarke’s “I Remember Babylon” on steroids.

Occasional Reader 11/17/2023 6:37:28 AM

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vxbush 11/17/2023 6:38:49 AM

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I missed this about another pretendier from a few weeks ago: Canadian Musician and Indigenous Icon is Actually a White Woman from Massachusetts

What's noteworthy in this case is that she sent a letter to her brother along with a lawyer threatening him with a  lawsuit if he kept revealing the truth about her. 

vxbush 11/17/2023 8:21:32 AM

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JCM 11/17/2023 9:40:30 AM

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Reply to vxbush in 10:

NOAA lost all credibility long ago.

Fake reports.

Using temperature recording stations on roofs.

buzzsawmonkey 11/17/2023 9:47:44 AM

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In #9 vxbush said: I missed this about another pretendier from a few weeks ago: Canadian Musician and Indigenous Icon is Actually a White Woman from Massachusetts What's noteworthy in this case is that she sent a letter to her brother along with a lawyer threatening him with a  lawsuit if he kept revealing the truth about her. 

I remember Buffy St.-Marie well; she was very popular on the "Midnight Special" show on Chicago's classical station WFMT when I was in school.  Some of her big hits were "Little Wheel Spin and Spin" and "The Universal Soldier," which a lot of other people also recorded.   

In light of her life being apparently based on a lifetime of "cultural appropriation," it is all the more funny to give a re-listen to this song of hers about the Vanishing Noble Red Man and Appropriation of His Culture: My Country 'Tis of Thy People You're Dying.

buzzsawmonkey 11/17/2023 9:54:42 AM

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vxbush 11/17/2023 10:37:59 AM

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In #11 JCM said: NOAA lost all credibility long ago. Fake reports. Using temperature recording stations on roofs.

True--we have known for many years now that there are no rules applied to sensor locations, as there should be. 

But this practice of keeping data streams for stations that no longer exist just so we can create local averages and add those to the data pool--that is data crime on a whole other level. 

JCM 11/17/2023 11:14:43 AM

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Reply to vxbush in 14:

Creating data for decommissioned stations is another level, agreed.

The ocean acidification report to Congress they use the simulation data, not the real data.

Michael Mann a PROVEN climate hoaxer is still at NOAA.

vxbush 11/17/2023 11:28:59 AM

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In #15 JCM said: Michael Mann a PROVEN climate hoaxer is still at NOAA.

Well, he files lawsuits if anyone insults him, and no one in government wants that. /eyeroll

In #15 JCM said: The ocean acidification report to Congress they use the simulation data, not the real data.

Of course. Because why worry about real data? 

vxbush 11/17/2023 11:32:53 AM

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The latest changes in DALL-E AI artwork. I really like this image. 

buzzsawmonkey 11/17/2023 11:43:43 AM

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Reply to vxbush in 17:

Well, hello, DalE 

This is art, DalE

It's so nice you have my back, when your knife's long...

Occasional Reader 11/17/2023 11:48:00 AM

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Reply to JCM in 11:

The roof!

The roof!

The roof is on fire globally warming!

buzzsawmonkey 11/17/2023 11:50:19 AM

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Reply to vxbush in 17:

Being replaced is bad enough.  No need to robot in...

vxbush 11/17/2023 12:33:12 PM

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In #20 buzzsawmonkey said: Being replaced is bad enough.  No need to robot in...

Yeah, I know. It hurts. But the good news is that AI can only mix and match what already exists; creating new concepts in art, that is beyond it at this point. That might change in another 2 years, but it still isn't here.

Occasional Reader 11/17/2023 2:51:17 PM

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JCM 11/17/2023 4:52:30 PM

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Reply to vxbush in 21:

We had a meeting with a software vendor, they were touting how AI was going to at least our workload or replace it by reading datasheets and creating components for the cad tools.

The problem is datasheets have inconsistent formatting the information can be ambiguous at best and sometimes wrong,

Sometimes the 3 of us on my team get together and still have trouble figuring out what the vendor means.