Comments on: Pocket’s got my number: the reluctant patriot

By: Ymar Sakar

Ymar Sakar — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 16:54:03 +0000

The algorithms they have are a second rank behind Google and NSA web crawlers. Facebook brought in a lot of HVT (High Value Target) or VIP information to be accessible, but finding enough humans to read through it and parse it was impossible. Hence search algorithms came to the rescue, but they were dependent on linear or logical coding and CPU speed limits.

With quantum Qubits created by D wave, and second gen quantum computers by IBM, the hardware issue will be removed, leaving coding itself.

The humans are now parsing computer algorithm search results, to see if it is accurate or not. Humans used to debug programs by running them and checking for errors. Now computers run searches on facial recognition and other profiling methods, while checking to see if humans recognize the errors.

(I actually read it on Chrome, by the way, since I’ve used up my allotment of NY Times articles on Firefox already and I refuse to pay for access.)

It would be better for humans to say they read the NyTimes but avoid the hassle of actually reading it.

Propaganda is not rated on negative or positive reactions, as so long as there as a population that “knows about it”, it is working.

By: Ray

Ray — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 19:17:36 +0000

Gringo,
I spent 8 months working in Brazil in 1961. At first I was astonished at the poverty and corruption but I got used to it. There was a big scandal with the Rio de Janero police. They were trying to get all the beggars off the streets for a big international event so they moved them outside of Rio to a new housing area. Next day the beggars were back in Rio so the police rounded them up again and moved them out again. The next day, repeat. The day after that the beggars were back so the police rounded them up, loaded them on barges, took them out into Guanabara bay and threw them overboard. The war on poverty was dead serious in Brazil. I was really happy when I returned to the USA.

By: chuck

chuck — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 19:03:39 +0000

Poor gal, she’s been educated. That is a terrible disability to deal with these days.

By: Julia

Julia — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 13:43:02 +0000

How terribly sad that a normal feeling of loving your country has become looked up as suspect. Luckily, it’s not like that everywhere in the country.

By: Gringo

Gringo — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 00:30:09 +0000

When I was in my twenties I wasn’t particularly patriotic. After working in Latin America, I became a flag-waver. While our government isn’t perfect, it is much more competent and much less corrupt than government in Latin America

I went to the capitol in Buenos Aires to renew my recently expired passport. Once I had the properly sized photograph, I got a new passport in 15 minutes. Since I was in the capitol, I decided to investigate progress on my National Identity Document (DNI). I had initiated the paperwork a year earlier in the town where I worked. I had been granted a permanent work visa before entering the country, so there was no paperwork impediment for getting the DNI. The same Monday I got my passport, I went to the appropriate office to inquire about my DNI. By Friday afternoon, there was still no DNI for me. I informed the office that as I needed to get back, they could simply mail the DNI to me.

“But it will get lost!” came the reply. Within 30 minutes I finally had my DNI. They weren’t joking about losing it. I knew an American from New Hampshire who was married to a psych professor from Peru. She said it took them 20 years to get Argentine documents- lost how many times- and her husband was a government employee!

For corruption, I will simply state that in my first meeting with management in Venezuela, I was instructed how to finesse bribes to traffic cops, a.k.a.gifts given of one’s free will, on expense reports. And I did.

In addition, I saw that the common man had a much better chance with government in the US than in Latin America.

Time in the Third World will turn most progressives of the left into flag-waving right wingers. It did for me.

By: Oldflyer

Oldflyer — Wed, 27 Dec 2017 20:08:23 +0000

Wonder how she would have reacted to the Christmas* parade in Placerville, Ca. Yes, in California, with many American flags flying from fire engines, pick up trucks, and tractors; and even carried by horsemen. (I don’t recall any of the pet goats dressed in a patriotic theme, but several were outfitted in holiday regalia.)

To the best of my knowledge no one protested the themes; in fact there were many smiles and cheers. True, the most enthusiastic cheers were for the folks with over sized dust pans and shovels who followed the equestrian groups.

I suspect that someone writing for the NYT readers would have something a bit snarky to say about this decidedly unsophisticated event, attended by a large, enthusiastic crowd. Worse yet, in a town that prides itself on its “gold rush” origins that brought hordes of European invaders to a previously pristine area, where indigenous people allegedly lived in harmony with nature and each other. I also imagine that she might have developed a case of the “vapors” at the sight of the parade Marshals patrolling the streets in 19th century era western wear, including very large six shooters on their belts.

This was yet another reminder that there are many facets to California. Some are just largely ignored by the media and the beautiful people.

*The asterisk because I cannot say with certainty that it was officially a Christmas parade; and I cannot recall any religious themed entries. Still, it trampled on political correctness on many levels.

By: Mr Oblivious

Mr Oblivious — Wed, 27 Dec 2017 20:00:24 +0000

Neo, there is an easy way to get around New York Times and Washington Post paywalls. Open a separate private browser session in Firefox or Chrome, it gets you five articles. Close the browser, open it again and open another private tab, start your limit of five over again. A few newspaper sites have figured out how to prevent this, but it works with most.