Richard Stallman sez we should call it ‘PI’ … pretend intelligence.

because … if we don’t live by the rule of law … they’ll be out of work?

https://www.youtube.com/@SabineHossenfelder/videos

Headline suggests that this is an observed fact, rather than the result of a simulation based on a model created by several EU scientists.

Furthermore the article asserts that “The observed motions … can only be properly explained with this “flat” mass distribution.” That premature assertion, based on this paper

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-025-02770-w

will have to stand up in the court of opinion of scientific peers. I hope to see Sabine go after that headline.

Single ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ is released by brand-new baroque rock band Procol Harum. (It’s heard on their Sep. 1967 eponymous debut album (UK#26, US#47).

It shortly climbs to UK#1, US#5. Written by Gary Brooker (1945-2022) and Keith Reid (before the band formed, after the breakup of The Paramounts), it’s one of the most beautiful creations in pop music history.

The essential organ part is played by Matthew Fisher. The organ: Hammond M102.

In 2004 PPL report that it is the most-played song in England for the last 70 years. Interestingly, it was -not- included on the UK release of the band’s first album! ¤

The most played track at the Beatles’ Pepper press bash was Procul Harum’s ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’, issued the week before Pepper. Lennon played the song non-stop on his Rolls Royce’s portable record player all the way to the party. It has been covered more than 1000 times.

1977’s first Brit Awards names ‘Whiter Shade’, along with ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, the Best British Pop Single 1952-1977.

The band’s following albums produce more well-received singles (e.g. ‘Homburg’(1967), the incredible ‘A Salty Dog’(1969)  )  while breaking respectably into the top-40s. The band breaks up in 1977, reforms in 1991. Singer-songwriter Gary Brooker is awarded an OBE in 2003. Twelfth & last album Novum is released in 2017.

Brooker interview: https://www.songfacts.com/blog/interviews/gary-brooker-of-procol-harum Reid interview: https://www.songfacts.com/blog/interviews/keith-reid-of-procol-harum)

Crazy in the best possible way

That’s a classic and welcome comic style. Nailed it!

Profit?

Or, ‘P’ as in trickle-down?

That’s a really fancy way to say ‘dumb terminals to the mainframe’ … only without wires.

Now … about that Monorail that voters approved multiple times …

“every eight minutes during peak times at these new stations, and every 10-15 minutes the rest of the day”

Will that be like the buses? that are on average every 15 minutes, but sometimes 20 and sometimes 10?

The link says ‘zero-emissions-cooling’

The article sez: “It relies on the temperature change of materials called shape memory alloys (SMAs) when they are stretched and released.”

How do you stretch something without producing any emissions?

Down under? of course!

Scimex : science in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific

Hmmm. And this is the work of the ‘Genius at Davos’, you say? And where was the electricity generated … that state that ran out of electric for weeks a few years back?

So … this is what Rule of the Numbskulls looks like. Whelp … now we know.

The bot shouldn’t give lethal advice The person or company that runs the bot that gave lethal advice should be charged with homicide.

A LOT of fraternities have gotten in BIG trouble for hazing practices that led to the death of a ‘candidate’.

I asked an AI to describe itself and it told me: “I am not a sentient being; I’m a program designed to process and respond to text based on patterns in data. I don’t possess consciousness, emotions, or intentions, so I can’t be held accountable in the same way a human would be.”

The other day an AI, at the end of a remark, replied: “If you have more thoughts on best practices or specific measures that could enhance clarity and safety in AI, I’d love to hear them!”

That last phrase contains the words ‘I’ (suggesting it’s a sentient being) and ‘love’ (suggesting emotion).

These ‘programs’ have clearly been designed/allowed to create a fraudulent impression that they ARE sentient, conscious, and emotional.

The words “I can’t be held accountable” also suggest that SOMEONE should be.

nobody important cares

And you’re sure of that because …

In most fairy tales, it takes more than one blow to kill the dragon…

Since the beginning of human history …

Mintcast, for one. Used to be mostly about Mint, but now is broadly about Linux. https://mintcast.org/ (The site linked above also has a titled episode archive of shows. In addition, all shows back to #163 (2012) are stashed at https://archive.org/details/@mintcast … hover over each show’s slot to see a list of topics covered )

Distrohoppers (monthly) https://distrohoppersdigest.org/