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Shock and awe? Not clear yet /// EDIT: Clear.
A brave science teacher in Caracas has been reporting via Substack for a few weeks. The only reliable news comes from locals who see and hear what’s happening. Around here, the only reliable news comes from the SpokaneNews facebook group. Mainstream “news” from every city and country is useless. The previous stage of our grotesque…
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When I was smarter
Lately everyone is noticing the proliferation of fake “people”, aided by AI. Fake people started considerably before AI. Wikileaks noticed it in 2016 and I wrote about it, then forgot about it. (Writing leads to forgetting, which can be useful if you’re trying to get rid of bad thoughts.) From May 2017: I was idly…
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More silliness
Continuing the Not New theme. Silly people constantly misunderstand the origin of the web. The origin was not mysterious or secret. It was started by Deepstate for its own purposes. It didn’t suddenly switch from a grand festival of freedom to a surveillance monster when Trump was elected. Like every data web, it was meant…
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Simple cure
The AI missionaries are doing a great job, drawing people in with respect and courtesy. Apparently the bot itself does an even better job, though I haven’t tried it and won’t try it. Predictably the anti-AI people are missing the bet again. The same thing happened 20 years ago with pornography, and the same thing…
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From examining to incorporating
I’m always aware of the long history of computing, algorithms and data webs. I’ve made dozens of tech history pieces exploring the history and emphasizing that our “new innovations” are permanent parts of all such systems. This blog could be titled No, it’s not new. Here’s a not new I hadn’t noticed before! This 1977…
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Happy (fake) WWV New Year!
Since the 1960s I’ve always tried to mark the new year by catching the actual time on WWV. Shortwave reception in Spokane is poor, so I’ve failed to hear WWV in recent years. Last year it came in loud and clear on 10 MC. This year was typical, so I had to rely on a…
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Music the time beguileth
Today’s dream included this madrigal, offering heavenly praises to a nasty ugly warmaking headchopping psychopath faghag named Elizabeth. We have a duty to balance the equation. Nasty times require divine creation. Repeating for the 100000000000000000th time: “Resisting” a psychopath makes him stronger. If you want to make him weaker, provide a BETTER alternative. Use your…
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Booker T said it best
China is the stork. Citing Aesop: = = = = = START FABLE: The Fox one day thought of a plan to amuse himself at the expense of the Stork. “You must come and dine with me today,” he said to the Stork, smiling to himself at the trick he was going to play. The…
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Signal for 2026
Found in this afternoon’s walk: A real pencil, clearly well used. Nice signal from the analog universe.
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LemonADA 3
Damn, this is turning out to be fun! Lemon: Last night I was thinking about other pointless expenditures caused by ADA, especially the curb cuts in places where there isn’t a sidewalk. Thought derailed to traffic lights with announcements on the Walk cycle. 20, 19, 18, 17, etc. LemonADA: Well, those lights turned out to…
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Random linguistic[s] question
Why are some traditional subjects plural in form? Most ic words are plural in form and singular in meaning. Physics, mathematics, electronics, linguistics, politics, statistics. And within physics, mechanics and statics and hydrodynamics. When those words are used as adjectives, they’re singular or add al. With al: physical, mathematical, political, statistical, mechanical. Without al: linguistic,…
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More LemonADA
Following on previous LemonADA item. Lemon: Had a moment of panic this morning. While running up ADA alt-texts for the second courseware package I noticed that the source files I’m using aren’t up to date, and I can’t find the latest ones. Back in 2023 the current publisher finally acquired the rights for some better…
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Tiring words
The most tiring word this year is AGENCY. All the fashionable “intellectuals” are using AGENCY in every sentence. It has no meaning. Substack’s news feed is cheap and predictable. Lots of big tech money supports Substack. They could afford better AI. Of course the news is pure DNC talking points, which is the sole meaning…
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Word we haven’t heard
I’m grinding along with ADA additions to two separate courseware packages. Got one package done, starting on the second. I can move forward a bit faster now, partly because my routine is established and partly because the intro material is similar. In the first few lessons I can just copy the description from the same…
Polistra's Mill
Be your own beacon.
Polistra's Mill 