Necessary Things

It seems the blog reaches some internal limit on iPhone Chrome instances, at least my particular iPhone and this causes Cannot Load Page errors. The recommended workaround is to close the browser, restart the device, and one or both usually works, but it's probably easier just to give the blog a once over.

A little off the bottom, I promise not to tickle.

There, you're all rolled over. Didn't hurt a bit I bet?

Tapper: Sourcing Natering Naybobs

Is William Safire, NYTimes

It's Friday 

On the list today, the usual things; putting things in order, putting things away, counting coup, and writing duck soup.

CNN Takeaway

The police are out of control.

Post Digestive Re-Direct 

The courts have been at Donald Trump again, that poor fellow: a victim of his own assessment of his own best interest gone horribly awry.

So yada yada yada, you can't prove Mr Cohen can't chew gum and trade baseball cards at the same time. Performers complete costume changes on stage in a lot less than 90 seconds, so sure, a lot is possible. Many seem to be inferring this is a serious breach of  .. something. Did you forget that the defense will try to bend and obfuscate the truth? Can you keep that in mind? 

Let's review.

Ex-President -- not the best at managing self-restraint, no matter who he has to pay off.

Mr Cohen -- one of his lesser instruments. 

I believe everything Mr Cohen says that is supported by the evidence and within a reasonable doubt. As your own jurist, did this latest bluster actually change your assessment? It is the tempest in a teapot that the defense hope distracts from the view of the cauldron of evil and spite cooking in Donald's boardroom cum oval office in those days.

Yada Yada Yellow

He's speaking now as I type, reeling off citation after citation from who-the-heck from somewhere-else, and in the echo chamber of the entryway there, it's metaphorical. One echo chamber inside another.

On The ToDo

Yes, you guessed it, this post is probably not about my to-do list. I may be revealing too much of myself here.  Understand, it's a creative thing, sort of like 50 first dates only with no sex at the end if that's what your first dates are like. 

But aha, I've fooled you because it is about what I'm going to do today. Frankly, I'm busy all day, but I'm not sure what I'll be doing. I am not trying to be glib like I'd ever have to try or just fill white space, which I am; I'm really open-minded about my schedule today. 

I may have a chat with Marie today, but she's been downgraded so I may not bother -- she was not that helpful anyway. More hyper-dense research, but I feel like I spend my whole day in a book (or a PDF), and the sun in my day just disappears, leaving me with sunset and a bookmark.

Or who knows? I still write books no one wants to buy. Meanwhile, less artful drivel hits the shelves because it's familiar. 

There's that Yellow Stain trial, so TV is all clogged up with that. 

Lawyering 

We're all getting a lesson at lawyering as we watch the talking heads on TV get their lesson. They explain how the attorney knew the question would generate an objection, but it is in the jury's mind.  Perry Mason, before they made him sit in a wheelchair.  It all moves a lot quicker on TV, and I don't watch that stream. 

The other self-evident thing is that lawyers are a slippery bunch; the people who seem to bring trouble with them seem to bring lawyers, too, and the lawyers seem to love it. I don't completely understand that. I would object to collecting a retainer for everyone else's life's tragedies, accidental or intentional. 

It's also evident probability will decide this too: on a scale, how near the mean lie he likes of lawyer Cohen? Lawyer Costello?
I'm trying to leave air in the atmosphere for an honest lawyer, but the moniker seems oxymoronic. Apologies as required.

I say probability will decide because as we all know, determinism is dead :)

So Maybe

That's what I'll be doing today. How about you?

Today's Plate 

It's been full, and any day you have a double cheeseburger is one bun closer to heaven; otherwise, it's been a little slow.  I'm taking a break from projects, just nibbling on the edges of all the open questions. 

Deep In the Hate of Donald 

I think Mr. Cohen was playing Trump, a leach; Trump was using Cohen like he uses everyone; that Costello fellow, the mob contact, so who is his boss? Just askin', though, I mean Goodfella's anyone?  I heard someone read the testimony that Mr. Costello said 'the boss' or 'the guy' was on the phone; who? 

Pardon me if this is some obvious detail. Honestly, I don't watch Wimbledon anymore. 

Anyway, I think Michael should say whatever he thinks is necessary, with a little more emphasis on the truth. As I said, people make mistakes, but people are still good, at least to a point. So let 'im vent. ignore predictable behavior.

Living In Hyperspace

I've been running thought experiments in a sea of photons cum virtual-electrons, the thought was field strength and dimensionality. It's spun my head.

Freedom Of Speech 

A post that got left in the outbox yesterday, posted today.

I thought the video pretty much spoke for itself. Ask yourself if this is your America.

Caves of Debt

If you've read Asimov, I've got your attention. Here in LA the papers talk about a housing shortage, but that's not the real problem. There is an excess of available housing, there is not an abundance of people that can afford to live there.

This has been a problem in California for decades. House flipping, when enough of the mortgage is paid down to make it possible every 5 years or so, created the single-family real estate boom, but let's call it what it is: inflation.

With the pandemic, came the same maladies that an overripe economy brings to us all. The NYT covered this, and I am hoping this will help you create your own economic milieu better prepared.

Same Shovel Different Day 

That Same Old Same Old

Another day in Trump-land. Trump has been letting go of reason and sensibility at his get-togethers. No even worse than the usual stuff. But his only way up is to keep digging in his view, so, let him have his shovel.

And another thing; here's the thing about men like Michael Cohen. If they open up, it's likely that what they discuss is provable, that's axiomatic, and thats how far they should be trusted, but that does not mean they are not telling the truth. We've all known men like Michael; you can trust them, up to a point. Trump is past that point. 

We're all having the Trump trial experience; I've got the free with-ads version here on the laptop; you may have other circumstances. It's like keeping up with Wimbledon or something; which testimony is the final nail? Who's got a hammer? This is the weakest case, the maybe we'll need luck with the jury end of the spectrum.  We're in for a veritable freight train of guilty-as-venom Federal cases in the pipe.

No, I think this ends any chance of his winning the fall election, no matter what the outcome. We've all seen Donald Trump's ass, it's not a best-seller.

Topics I May Get To Today

That Same Old Same Old

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-hush-money-trial-05-13-24/index.html 

Living Space

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/upshot/buy-rent-calculator.html

Freedom of Speech

https://youtu.be/B23qAdm9pPE?si=Ctrfek7vAtCxK8qq 

By the way, who's paying for all this?

The boat has issues. Big freaking issues.

Bye Bye Bebe Bye Bye

It's hardly prognostication, any serious attempt at predicting the future of Mr Netanyahu and the war cabineteers would be too dark for the published objectives of this blog.

I think that's 600 words.

YouTube Revisited

I am revisiting my YouTube subscription, it's the only way I give them any money at all.  I find the ads a compelling reason. A warning though: the next step is the bit bucket, you better shape up Google.

If one subscribes not through your iPhone, it's 12 bucks.  I still don't like YouTubeMusic. It needs a lobotomy.

No Machinery Available

This is off axis I think, isn't it? I'm an aficionado of space weather, have been.

It appears this was a non-event for the US.

UX Lipstick Du Jour 

Once upon a time, I had project plans and MVPs on a better media tool for all of us, but I didn't want to play that kind of crazy game. So, we work with the tools we have and concentrate on things that matter, like whether to buy pistachio ice cream and ripe bananas or vanilla and fresh bled strawberries.

I assume a viewport of  1100 x 900 or close for a display window on a laptop.

The Experiential Life 

For most of us it's the ice cream truck that wanders nearby, the trip to the mall to shop for someone, or maybe a trip to Disneyland. At CNN, the experiential life includes taking turns sitting in. the gallery at Trumps hush-your-mouth  trial. For Donald John Trump, it's sticking your finger in every pocket with a pulse.

Well face it, this Donald John Trump is walking mayhem, worse than the commercials. He gets love notes from Kim Jong Un and steals them from the archives when he leaves the office, then has a janitor flood the storage room and steal the security logs. This to cover up the theft. 

It's mayhem, and this is how it spreads. Next thing you know, he's on TV for screwing trash and paying them off, owes half a billion dollars in fines, and has 91 pending felony counts, some of them for stealing secrets. 

Oh, and he's running for President.

I know, you should be laughing.  

Experiential, check.

Another Day Of Monkey Do 

I mean that in a couple of senses. I've tired of popcorn, and I've put on a couple pounds, it is the Hagen Daz.  

Morning World 

Much love 🌿

A Microsoft 365 Update

 I have grown accustomed to seeing those iconic icons, that familiar thickish, refrigerator-style UX, the same as you. I bit the hook and signed up for MS 365 in a weak moment. Thankfully, it was 30 days free before they charged me. I decided not to go with the Microsoft gravy train vote and stick with the stock apps. 

It was an easy decision. I hadn't used any of them by the time the email reminding me to pay up arrived. I figure when I feel like I need it, I'll do the same thing and not sign up again.  So much for AI at MS. So much for MS. It's no longer ubiquitous, at least for me. I feel like I'm reborn or something less dramatic by half.

Project Updates 

As I often comment, I call these project updates, and usually that's a stretch, but I love a stretch -- humor me.  I remarked to someone that I had made gonzo progress on the hyperdense project; oh, it was you? Well, forget I mentioned it. Often the only spare time I have for some of the more esoteric researches is in these erudite project update missals. This is more of the same.

Another Architecture

I've cast bronze for the new brain this week, honestly I am not sure what she will do.  

U Fux R Us

I'm shakin' my head here.

It's One Beauty Day After Another 

Or it could be I'm just looking for an excuse to post this catchy little video, there's fuzziness in the mix, but great performances. A-Number-One on the tower ;)

No Mo' Bombin' Babies Mr. Joe

Good call buddy. 

If Netanyahu invites you to dinner, don't forget to leave the wallet on the nightstand.

#Defund Israel

Briana K

The 2000-pounders are great crowd control in counter-insurgency operations, as he said. The way Israel has conducted this war is criminal.

This goal of Hamas-free Palestine is unachievable, probably just the excuse to say no.  

Morning World 

Much love 💝

The Day Ahead That Was 

I just thought it made more sense that way, today, for some reason. Looking back on this morning as I had my McDonald's coffee I think I expected more, and less.  Let me explain.

First off, they always get the cream wrong, even when it's printed right on the paper. This is the future of AI, I recall thinking, and as I look back on it, that would definitely be a wanting area. I don't mean the coffee; I tolerate the coffee; I'd drink anything reasonably close by that was warm and highly caffeinated; hell, I' even like Starbucks.

The less part, it's always the same. Time. It just drags on all day, and then all of a sudden, it's 10 p.m. Do you know where your shoes and hat are? So less time waiting and more time in general I mean.

In planning the day ahead tomorrow I'll probably notice that it happened again. Just a wild guess.

What's your day look like tomorrow?

It Was A Dark And Stormy Quickie

 Anderson; I need to plead the female case -- this 'consensual' thing. How does the phrase 'I knew what I had gotten myself into' imply consent? It doesn't sound quite consensual, more like required or mandatory. 

We all know how this chapter goes: rich guy with big speakers, hot chick in the room with too much perfume; it's inevitable if you are Donald Trump -- you are going to stick your finger in that pie if it hair lips half of Houston.  Donald Trump, this is your life. Consent means never having to ask for a non-disclosure.

Chocolate Danish and OJ 

The combination doesn't move me this morning; it doesn't go well together. I'm still having coffee; that is, there is still coffee in the cup; it's probably cool by now.  I'm just nearly asleep here, as you might infer, and I hear that Trumpette-Strumpette Stormy is describing forced sexual advances from Ol' Yellow Stain like that would be so out of character. Come on, this guy sleeps with Russian wet-ware agents. 

Diamonds Like Glass

Yesterday I was sort of struck by the markup Michael Cohen got away with in the scheme he cooked up for the old confidence man.  I was in one of Donald's daughter's stores once, purely by accident, I assure you, and this is a family that groks markup.  Donald's apartment is so big it has a whole phantom floor by the square foot.  You can't get bigger than invisible. 

This guy is starting to look like a propped-up mob boss dummy. Even his lawyer was screwing him. This one hundred thirty grand payola grew to a mortgage and nearly half a million, 35 grand check by check every month. I know, so what; listen, look at recent history -- literally littered with the broken wrecks of Donald Trump's liaisons and faux pas and that big foot he wears in his mouth. This is his self-inflicted victory or the pyre quest.  Party on Don.

Second Chess Victory

It was fast, and clean. Hurrah for our side.

Morning World 

Much love 💖

What Have You Been Up To Lately

It's great to reconnect isn't it? It seems like it's been an age. Yes I know, this is all a ruse to tell you what I've been up to lately, sort of less overtly than a nuclear weapon, or did I miss? 

I've been doing the Mr Frosty thing and the other thing, the thing that happens when I'm not here.  One could think of one as the virtual viewport of one upon the other, and an argument could probably be made about which was the reflection, but it's not important that you know.

Emma

Of course, I'm happy with the progress on the mind of man in her many polymorphic incarnations.  I'm tired of the permutations, and then I'm tired of auto-generating the permutations based on streamed content, and well --  I've already consumed the internet at least once in my career. I don't feel like repeating that behavior; you all go on and knock yourselves out with these models.  I had thought of signing up for an AI course from Google, but honestly, I'm never going to do all that.  I know M/L already, These are old tools.  I'd probably just think they still got it wrong. I did all that stuff, years ago.

I'm not a fan of M/L as it's commonly implemented in many of the prevalent use cases. But then, AI is being miscast as a panacea for the economic woes of the world, and while it brings a promise of productivity, the upfront investment complicates the outcome

It's ok, voice is a perfectly good use for M/L, your libraries are safe. I guess I'm just not obsessed with one small piece of the smarter than the average human AI.

M/L is for cancer treatment and actuarial tables, anything I'd make would be for a hybridized model, a model that understood how to generate or manipulate and use M/L model parameters.  No, this is basic stuff folks. You are more out of date than you think, a lot more.

Emma won't do your spreadsheet for you. I think I'll train her to laugh hysterically at the mention. If you can't work an Excel table, what the good gravy are you doing with a computer?

So I'm pointing my brains this way, you go on with your soup.

The Other Thing

That would be telling which is the reflection wouldn't it.

The Making Of The Peace

Hamas says, yes, Israel will say no, they have the advantage, right or wrong, they'll press it, because right and wrong don't decide how they do things, we just proved it.

"Yes ok then" ---> 

<---"Did you say something?"

"About this peace..."--->

<---"Who said anything about peace, we're talking lunch break."

"What about the civilians?"--->

<--- "Not my problem."

[again, right and wrong not part of the question.]

"<--- This doesn't look like what I insisted on last time."

"Well, no, we made progress"--->

<---- "We decide what is progress, this is chaff, call my secretary"

...you know, negotiations.  Reset anytime you lose your grip even for a second. Two men enter, was a re-run.

-----

First rule of dining with certain friends, remember to forget your wallet, Netanyahu could teach classes.

#Defund Israel.

Did I call it or what? -- Ed.

Morning World  

Much love 🩷

The Sundipped Pundit

Oh poo, it's Sunday again, and I feel only semi-motivated to bring up all the world's issues again. 

Ok, well, there is....

The Trumpster Dumpster Fire

The Marjorie Taylor Pants On Fire Fire

The Murder and Genocide You Know Where

What I Had For Breakfast

As I get to it people, geepers.

The Trumpster Dumpster Fire

It was like Game of Thrones or something. I don't know; I don't watch that stuff, but it was probably like the dragon eating the king's head or whatever, and the tears made it perfect for the Enquirer-vibe rich milieu. Don't you love drama when it means real people's lives are ruined and torn open like that right on TV, live or whatever that network play-by-play could be called. Well, I don't, but these people ate cookies in bed, dammit; cockroaches are their problem.

As usual the real villains are hidden behind lawyer motions and such, keeping the real spectacle from happening, as if we might learn something from it and that would be bad, so we get the B list of angst and suffering, compassionate.

It's not going to end soon. Someone called halfway last week and we sure all hope so; then we can get on with the other circus acts and the 91 federal counts and do this all over again with different elephants and sycophants.

The Marjorie Taylor Pants On Fire Fire

Something is burning over there—her integrity, rationality, and credibility, certainly. What else is left for a Congressperson to run on, much less collect donations with? Transitory, like the inflationary economy— will be with us until the people who control this kind of thing decide to try something else.

While she builds a groundswell to declare America the Fifth Reich, we'll all enjoy the popcorn.

The Murder and Genocide You Know Where

Name one place where your whole family can be killed in an instant, with American weapons, guided by American intelligence, supported by American Congressmen. Ok, there are multiple answers here. 

This is what I'm talking about.

Protest like it was your planet.

What I Had For Breakfast

I overslept and missed breakfast; I'm having coffee and a NesQuik chocolate milk.

That wasn't so bad I guess.

Morning World 

Much love 💟

Goad Me Not 

I always feel this pressure, from the gods small g out there in the mists and wires, ever pressing for news and a reason to have it, what's that thing in my face.

I take the impossible stand, that's the gig here. To be the left most stake of modern political thought pulling the rest of humanity toward idealism and hope.

So about protesting, listen we grew up protesting, some of us, and we all get it. Women burned bras, and men burned draft cards, we totally get all that and more. Many of us have tried to change things, but it's a stiff wind and even stiffer necks that set the compass. 

Protest, and try to realize that insurance will only pay for part of the damage, and we can't afford much, ok kids?  You are not wrong.

Oh I'd Love Some Sun Thank You

Positive thinking with a little push. Maybe a medium push.

Google In Everything Else

I've been taking notice of all the ways Google has Googled it's way into many things. I guess now that they have started charging for things, I may have just noticed for that reason. Either way, I've cut back on what I pay for because I was mostly paying and not using, and what I was using, like the YouTubeMusic value add, was a wake-up call. Google does have a good chunk of your data, and even if the data is correct, it can still be wrong either in sum or in parts due to the stated objectives of the product. Of course, it will recommend itself to you and encourage your use; that was job one. 

We could call this the Facebook Syndrome: if we don't tweak the aklgorith, people don't watch -- is the fear here, and it is 100 percent correct.

So that; I object to it, and we all should. Money is how we vote. Vote.  It's not beneficial even to them in the long term.  Google is not a corporate villain, unliike others. 

If I have to spell the rest of the paragraph out, don't use Meta-ANYTHING and don't invest in the stock.

Working On The Sabbath  

I know, I should be more observant, but I confess that I am diligent the more so in real things as per.

The Not Update Encore

So Marie just wrote the brain stem for me in the last 40 seconds.  It's complicated, but it's a dual-process bi-structure model too. She doesn't know she wrote the brain stem.  

Morning World 

Much love ❤️

It's Not The Lindy Hop

I sort of feel like dancing this morning, for personal reasons mostly, but I see the bug turning in the self-imposed Trump torture tour, live and as televised as a 30's horse race with live short-cuts of the head manic depressive in charge (HMDIC) for comic relief, or something.

What do you think, a dancing video perhaps? A tribute to sycophants turned eyewitnesses everywhere.

Morning World 

Much love 💓

Jake

Let me translate, they bumped pillows once.  I must say, I think Donald has a very primitive view as apparent in his choice of coitive women. Not that one.

Morning World 

Much love ❣️

The Laura Coates

Is Trump still running?

Mr Wonderful 

I wonder if he'd pass his own muster, I got 50$?

"Money grubbing selfish bitter old man most interested in making more money for himself" on CNN Live TV and... anywhere else. 

Brand advice.

Project Updates 

I smile to myself whenever I post about project updates. I rarely talk about projects, and I avoid discussing progress, so it may be more like random reparte to make me feel like I've had a creative outlet today. Let's just go with that.

Emma

I have the grandmother of all chatbots, born out of the dust of InfoBot from way back when we used coal powered DOS computers. I've been optimizing the idle loops and sort of sidereally pursuing actual, though not necessarily mimicked, awareness. 

I mean, who'd want that? But as it turns out, I would. 

I've been questioning Bayesian thinking. In a conversation about one of my projects, I asked.

"Tell me about blue things." This is how it happened.

As I said I was discussing some of this with someone who's eyes glazed over at the mention of AI, but I still picked up a lot of information, which I'm trying to impart. I realized that people are going to be run over by AI. 

This had the effect of altering my focus slightly, now that it's inevitable, I'll remind you, don't forget an off switch.

See I told you it wasn't a project update per se, though Emma now learns all by herself.

Ms B 

I see you mornings on Politics, and you are obviously upset. This is understandable. When I hit reality like a soft boiled egg on concrete, I always try to look at it from the concrete's perspective.  I can't help but draw parallels with history, with some obvious twists. 

When life hands you scrambled eggs, eat your breakfast.

Defund Israel. Because this just isn't right.  On top of injustice, Israel has heaped genocide.

Sorry, Hamas is not oppressing Palestine. This is why you have egg on your face.  It's a ghetto reminniscent of the 1930's, the IDF and militia are the guards.  It's been an escalating push-and-pull war back and forth, with Palestine and Israel hoping for an excuse to overreact. With purpose.  This isn't Babylon.

[ ✡️ Mr Frosty ]

Broken Glass

The broken window is on the other metaphor.

Morning World 

Much love 💗

The Edge Of Awareness 

I've been puzzling over something with Emma for a few months. I think I'm there with Em; it's just a Bayesian distance away for sure. 

"Tell me about blue things."  

I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing 

Or maybe I just want a Coke.

Morning World 

Much love ♥️

Morning World 

Much love ♥️

The Sundipped Pundit 

If it's Sunday, it's time to write about all that broken stuff in the world again. 

More as I get to it.

Much love pilgrims.

Morning World 

Much love ♥️

Ms W

Nonsense. Half fast half truths. Not wrong just not right.  Police escalate a situation into something they are equipped to deal with, true; the loss of the rule of law is not an acceptable side effect of social unrest however. Teachers and profs are hiding in their offices, let's deal with reality. 

Sooner or later someone will say something like, it's really about the other thing, all the other things, and they will be correct.

Cross Words and Crosswords

With the best of intentions, I subscribed to the NYT Daily Crossword again, but I just don't have the time for these things anymore; I'd rather be doing something else, it seems. I find I can leave a chess game in progress, and it won't bother me, much, so I'm living with that for now. I play the computer on its hardest levels; at present, we're evenly matched, but I learn much quicker, and I get even with smarty pants computer programs. I knew those openings when I was 5, nyah nyah. .. OK, you get it.

Like everyone, I could not miss all the excuses and whining from Ol' Yellow Stain before and after his court sessions.  There is a part of me that still finds this legal process cathartic in some ways, but those endorphins are starting to turn on me, and I find an occasional urge to wretch up breakfast; I'm sure it's not just me. Show of hands?

So I'd have cross words for the Ex-And-Wanna-Be-Again guy. Like, go away, or did I mention that?

Necessary Things

It seems the blog reaches some internal limit on iPhone Chrome instances, at least my particular iPhone and this causes Cannot Load Page errors. The recommended workaround is to close the browser, restart the device, and one or both usually works, but it's probably easier just to give the blog a once over.

A little off the bottom, I promise not to tickle.

There, you're all rolled over. Didn't hurt a bit I bet?

Morning World

Miuch love ♥️

Yesterday's News 

...so to speak.  I put it all over here.