Cats are not my thing. But I know that many of you like them. So here you are:
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Open thread 4/4/24 — 62 Comments
Another sad announcement in the blogosphere: JJ Sefton at Ace of Spades has announced that he has a brain tumor and while he is optimistic, he will be stepping away from his duties at Ace of Space HQ.
Over at Maggie’s Farm announced earlier this year that he has glioblastoma. He seems in very good spirits.
Schools are a critical part of the socialization of Palestinian children into this culture. Not only do Palestinian school books contain direct incitement in the form of explicit murderous antisemitic ideology, but also every subject, including grammar and math, drills the same message into children’s brains. Take the following exam questions that Shemesh cites (p. 20):
“Hamas shoots a rocket which weighs 50 kilos in the direction of occupied Tel Rabia [Tel Aviv], which is 90.25 kilometers away. What speed does it need to fly, what would be the maximum height, and how long will it take it get there?”
Or:
“Two people are carrying on their shoulders a coffin weighing 200 Newton in the funeral of a martyr weighing 800 Newton.” The students are asked to calculate the strength the two men would need.
In a grammar exercise, students are asked to apply Arabic diacritics to this sentence: “Don’t think of the occupier as human.” (p. 26)
The Biden team routinely excoriates Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for behaving like FDR.
The Allies implemented full demilitarization — the disbandment of the SS, SA and Gestapo, as well as the German land, air and naval forces — and full de-Nazification, the abolishment of all Nazi laws and justice for Nazi war criminals.
The Allied military occupation of Germany lasted seven years, and US forces remain in Germany to this day.
Fact: Pet Laws are racist against dogs! Dixie county, FL has leash law for dogs but not for cats.
About 10 years ago I purchased a trap and hauled a bunch of pesky cats some 45-60 miles (round trip) and across the Suwannee River—one cat at a time, which is Time consuming & gas expense.
Cats are now back and using my pole barns as if they were their litter boxes. I’ve tried several things to keep them away – more expense – and chicken wire on the ground was last try. Didn’t work for long, and I decided to set the trap this morning – piece of meat tied to string and they’ll walk right in.
Note the eye-popping RBI column! And the AVG and OPS columns aren’t chopped liver.
I recently came across a fun trivia question you may enjoy sdferr. Allegedly, this actually happened in a minor league game, so it’s not hypothetical.
Triple play where no defender touched the ball. How?
I imagine there were at least two men on base, and after the hitter hit the ball the three base runners—somehow—ran past their fellow base runners.
The only way that might have happened is that:
a) it was a night game; and
b) immediately after the hitter hit the ball there was a power outage (AKA black out).
(Either that or they weren’t paying attention…or they were over-eager beavers…or they just flat out didn’t know the rules—“You mean you’re NOT SUPPOSED to pass a base runner while running around the bases?”.
Or maybe three of the base runners decked an infielder as they ran past; or maybe they each decked an umpire…but that would probably fall under the category of “over-eager beavers”…)
“Schools are a critical part of the socialization of Palestinian children into this culture. Not only do Palestinian school books contain direct incitement in the form of explicit murderous antisemitic ideology, but also every subject, including grammar and math, drills the …
One may have noticed something similar in Wikipedia entries regarding historical or public persons whenever there is even the most tenuously plausible connection to some aspect of African slavery.
No doubt a way will be found to work it into any coverage of Edison, the Wright Brothers, Rudolf Diesel, Nicolaus Otto and Hereward The Wake
While at a game at Wrigley, I met a guy who played in the minors and made it to double-A level. When that ended he was looking for a way to stay in baseball and went to umpire school. It was there that he heard about the triple play with no defender touching the ball. Here’s how it is said to have happened.
Men on first and second, obviously no one out. Runners go on the pitch in a hit-and-run. Pop up on the infield, batter is out on the infield fly rule. But it is not a dead ball. Runners can advance at their own risk. Guy going from second to third, recognizes the situation and starts to make his way back to second. Guy coming from first is an idiot and keeps running, rounding second and passing up the runner ahead of him, so he’s out. The guy coming back to second is so absorbed in trying to get the attention of the runner about to pass him that he doesn’t notice the ball coming down right on top of him. It hits him, he’s out.
Neo — THANKS for the heads up!
Relatedly, how will Democrats rig this year’s election outcome? The confluence of a half dozen stories suggests how, as we track the malfeasance that no one dares name: Democrats are traitors. They must be stopped by force. Voting Will no succeed.
FROM Flopping Aces:
Joe Biden’s team says that Florida is “winnable” in 2024. At first blush you say “No way” but don’t dismiss it out of hand. Biden is actively working to illegally take Florida and Texas as you read this.
I’ve been following most of these stories. Bu nowhere have I seen them put together before. What’s missing?
On Fox Business, the Kudlow Report had is right in telling us that in the recent spending bills was authorisation for 52,000 climate crisis awareness workers. Benefits include housing, food, and relief from student loans.
Anyone want to bet that this tax paid horde will not be registering likely Dem voters? Or doubt that nearly all hires will be college age already indoctrinated activists?
Even if pre-election polls show 53% for Trump and 47% for the child sniffing dementia patient, who doubts that votes won’t magically arrive to turn the outcome? I sure don’t.
I’m primarily a dog person, although I’ve been charmed by a few cats over the years. My Uncle has a giant maine coon that has a very extraverted, goofy, almost dog-like personality. I’ve never met a more affectionate cat.
Nonapod, similar experience. My mother-in-law had a Maine coon. Jet black with green eyes. Huge cat that almost looked human. Great personality – very dog like. So if anyone has a daughter wanting a cat, but you don’t really like cats, consider one of those.
Triple play where no defender touched the ball. How?
The Sporting News used to publish “Knotty Problems of Baseball”, a compendium of weird plays and how they had been, or should be, ruled on by an ump. Many of them were of the “what happens if a live ball lodges in the pouch of a passing marsupial” variety.
The only thing keeping Jordan in existence is Israel.
To be sure, Israel is doing it for its own interests….
Meanwhile, Jordan—acting in its own interests—makes extra double-sure not to be terribly “grateful”….
(The US is also helping, but would you really want to rely on “Biden”?…”he” of the alliance that must not be named…)
My Wife is having her second day of Chemo. Now, they will be 3 weeks apart and only for one day. We will get through this one day at a time.
Hard to type becaise I ahav a Cat nugging my hand
A YouTube posting by my favorite – but mostly neglected in terms of my habitual viewing – Christian sociopath.
Although David takes what I consider a properly ironic stance toward the “lamentations” of the rudely awakened woke, I sense more sympathy than schadenfreude in his attitude; even though the second thoughts the soulless are having result from the disappearance of the positive effects of an instrumentally justified Christianity in keeping the behaviorally incontinent crap people from destroying themselves and “society”, rather than from any metaphysical comittment one might develop toward truth and virtue.
And too, the Atlantic article author gets away with describing the isolation he complains of as a descent into “hyper-individualism”, rather than into the gleeful and volitional descent into a neurotic near solopsistic psychological libertinism that it is.
Saving people from themselves, is probably pointless on the long haul, secularly speaking. Though Christians and sensitive conservatives seem determined to try.
Is the effort of dedicating your life to trying to herd alley cats worth it? Or is it better to let nature take its course, and the allow the arsonist schoolmarms to fry in the fires which they have themselves kindled?
The “immaculate” triple play: Surely a runner passing another is part of it. Maybe some kind of interference, another runner colliding with a fielder? Our old friend the infield fly rule cited above is also a good suspect.
I don’t know if anyone has linked this here yet but here is a terrific column by Brendan O’Neill at Spiked blasting the hypocrisy of those taking Israel to task for “disproportionate” violence in Gaza and the “news” coverage thereof. Not new for most of us but bracing and well-written.
In America we can teach our girls that they can’t become young women until they are 18 years old. We can teach our boys that they can become girls – AND – if the boy’s parents object – then the Government will step in and help the boy fulfill his ‘Her’ (?!?) dream.
‘Fundamentals of Homeland Security’ How Russia is turning schools into training grounds for future soldiers
..Children will receive instruction in combat training and learn how to use grenade launchers and automatic weapons, all as part of the required school curriculum … Russia’s educational landscape has experienced significant shifts since the start of the full-scale war … “Fundamentals of Homeland Security and Defense” (FHSD) is approved for students as young as those in fifth grade, but from eighth grade, the course is mandatory..
By ninth grade, students are expected to master skills such as putting on equipment and body armor, “assessing the risks of violating military discipline,” and performing drill exercises. Over the two following years, the program goes even deeper. Tenth and 11th graders will learn the basic principles of combined arms combat, how to set up a combat unit’s position, and how to use more modern firearms such as the MP-443 Grach pistol and the AK-12 assault rifle.
Apparently a majority of the GOP doesn’t believe that Russia is a threat to NATO or Europe – so they are supporting Russia over Ukraine.
Charlie Kirk has been speaking passionately this morning about political machinations in Nebraska. It’s a little in the weeds for me at the moment, but I think it could have national ramifications.
Which made me recall that commenter “cornhead” was very active in Nebraska politics, but I haven’t seen him here for some time. I used to have his personal website bookmarked, but deleted the bookmark, and now can’t find the site on the Web.
I seem to vaguely recall some large or small kerfluffle involving him here, and wonder if that is related to his absence. I don’t think the kerfluffle was related to his strong support for Vivek in the primaries.
The only thing keeping Jordan in existence is Israel.
==
Rubbish
Shirehome — My prayers go out for you, your wife, and the rest of your family. I hope she has a quick and complete recovery, and that the chemo doesn’t wear on her to terribly.
Does a philosopher have a soul?
“om on April 4, 2024 at 3:15 pm said:
Does a philosopher have a soul?”
If the topic interests you, you should try asking one.
But more than a third of the elite 1% he surveyed would condone cheating. And among those who are “politically obsessed” – meaning that they talk about politics every day – that number shot up to 69%.
Nearly 60% say there is too much individual freedom in America – double the rate of all Americans.
More than two-thirds (67%) favor rationing of energy and food to combat the threat of “climate change.”
Nearly three-quarters (70%) of the elites trust the government to “do the right thing most of the time.”
More than two-thirds (67%) say teachers and other educational professionals should decide what children are taught rather than letting parents decide.
Nearly three-quarters (74%) say they are financially better off than before COVID, compared with 20% of the general public.
Asking a question? Does a philosopher have a soul or just an attitude?
Soul or get down Soul?
om on April 4, 2024 at 3:42 pm said:
Asking a question?
You don’t appear to know if you were asking a question or not.
Does a philosopher have a soul or just an attitude?
Again, if it interests you, and you are not just playing hall monitor again, find yourself a philosopher and ask him. There are plenty online with very definite opinions on the matter.
Dax, I also have noticed Cornhead’s absence. He practices law in Omaha, and online there’s nothing to indicate he has stopped that. I couldn’t find anything for a Twitter or web presence.
Nonapod on April 4, 2024 at 3:35 pm said:
Most affluent liberals appear to be morally bankrupt.
“But more than a third of the elite 1% he surveyed would condone cheating. And among those who are “politically obsessed” – meaning that they talk about politics every day – that number shot up to 69%….”
That’s to be expected from the disinhibited. And they are disinhibited because they have completely abandoned – they would say transcended or grown beyond – traditional moral anthropology and its supposed “folk psychology” and resultant karmic ethics of personal responsibility.
Now, there are two main ways of dealing with this. One is learning what it is that they are thinking and why, and then facing the facts when dealing with what they have become. The second is to grab the Constitution and the Bible and pound harder and shout louder because you are too ignorant to do anything else.
Of course there are other coping mechanisms as well. Among the elderly is the often expressed sentiment that they are sure glad they will be dead soon, and just hope they will not be cut off from visits to the grandkids by the bossy daughter before they stroke out.
A judge in GA just destroyed Trump’s chance to become president again.
Karmi on April 4, 2024 at 4:38 pm said:
Get Down soul… ?
You just reminded me of a link that I forgot to put up in honor of the Dutch suicide girl.
She stipulated no music on her last couch trip. But it occurs to me that this would be fitting send-off music.
Recently watched a stand-up comedian on YouTube but can’t remember his name. But, he related this story:
A single man living in a mobile home in a southern state was at the kitchen counter making himself a sandwich. His legal handgun was beside him on the counter. The man’s cat jumped up on the counter, landing on the gun. That spun the gun so it was pointed at the man and the cats paw hit the trigger, the gun went off and the man was killed.
The comedian opined:
” That is absolutely unbelievable! What are the chances? That a single man living in a trailer is at home, with a gun, and there’s a Live cat in range!!!”
(I like cats! Not as much as dogs but more than most people. But I thought that was a great joke.)
Anne:
It would be helpful to let us know what you’re talking about.
If you’re talking about this, it’s hardly a big deal.
Will the cat maintain the same color if it transitions to the other sex?
Au contraire’! The philosopler disowns his calling and reverts to high school. The hall Monitor and Hampton Roads, an epic tale or tome.
The philosopher can’t conceive that his rants are old and stale.
“Triple play where no defender touched the ball. How?”
I quick web search answered this. It was a White Sox minor league team, but sounds more like the old Cubs. 🙂
Cornhead last commented here a little less than a week ago. He’s been commenting here less than he used to, but still fairly regularly.
Yesterday, Karmi linked to an article where European countries are committing to the aid of Ukraine outside of any NATO commitment.
Eight NATO members have now signed such deals with Ukraine. The first was the United Kingdom in January, followed by Germany, France, Denmark, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, and now Finland. The deals have been characterised as creating a ‘NATO lite’-type security guarantees for Ukraine with key alliance members on a quasi-bilateral basis without actually inducting Ukraine into the alliance.
Good for them. I have been making the point that this is Europe’s war and it’s encouraging that they are finally taking this seriously.
The question remains, is this just posturing or are they going to commit financial resources to support Ukraine. Time will tell.
This could pave the way for a negotiated settlement. One of the sticking points has been any security guarantees for Ukraine which didn’t include NATO. The Europe consortium has demonstrated they can provide for the defense of Ukraine without US support– which will go a long way to assuring Ukraine and Russia’s concerns.
If you care about Israel, regardless of anything else you may think about Trump, Biden needs to be defeated.
Here is Trump’s position on the Oct. 7 war and I think his attitude is shared by most Americans. Israel needs to “get it over with and get back to peace….finish what they finish, they’ve got to get it done….get it over with and get it over with fast”.
Now what did he mean by that? It’s the nature of our politics, but I’m confidant Trump would have Israel’s back.
He makes the point and I think he’s correct– Oct. 7 would never have happened had he been President.
Brain E’s ultimate goal is to get US out of NATO, which coincidently aligns with Vlad’s. Not that an isolationist approach to dealing with an expansionist power on the European continent has ever had dire consequences in the last 100 years.
om,
NATO has outlived its usefulness, but that is not my ultimate goal. Russia isn’t the Soviet Union.
As Ben Hodges points out Russia’s GDP is halfway between France and Spain. Together those two countries GDP is twice that of Russia.
Russia is struggling to make gains against Ukraine with cast-off weapons. The European countries have the ability to defend themselves and it’s time for them to do that.
Brain E admits his isolationist bent and is ready to throw out the organization that kept the USSR at bay not to long ago (you known that last century thing). And Brain E takes the wrong lesson from Be Hodges; The Land of Vlad is not an inevitable victor so don’t cower before their threats. Nope, Brain E is all in on negotiating to a near term Russian partial victory, and jetissoning NATO, because the Russian bear would never attack Ukraine again. Not like what happened in 2008, 2014, 2022. Nope that would never happen again. Nor would Russia ever be so bold as to go after other parts of adjacent European nations.
The utter uselessness of isolationists.
om,
I’m not isolationist.
The USSR doesn’t exist any more.
No, I understood Ben Hodges point.
I’m not “cowering” before “their” threats.
Why don’t you think the Europeans can protect themselves?
They seem to be smart people.
Their GDP is comparable to the US.
They’re carrying much less debt.
They can afford to pay for their own security.
Re: AI voice cloning
Bet you weren’t expecting that three-word combo today. But it’s here, it’s queer and it’s dangerous.
________________________________________
Now, using deep-learning AI models, software can create not only realistic-sounding voices, but also convincingly imitate existing voices using small samples of audio.
Along those lines, OpenAI just announced Voice Engine, a text-to-speech AI model for creating synthetic voices based on a 15-second segment of recorded audio. It has provided audio samples of the Voice Engine in action on its website.
Once a voice is cloned, a user can input text into the Voice Engine and get an AI-generated voice result. But OpenAI is not ready to widely release its technology yet. The company initially planned to launch a pilot program for developers to sign up for the Voice Engine API earlier this month. But after more consideration about ethical implications, the company decided to scale back its ambitions for now….
…anyone with 15 seconds of someone’s recorded voice could effectively clone it, and that has obvious implications for potential misuse. Even if OpenAI never widely releases its Voice Engine, the ability to clone voices has already caused trouble in society through phone scams where someone imitates a loved one’s voice and election campaign robocalls featuring cloned voices from politicians like Joe Biden.
Also, researchers and reporters have shown that voice-cloning technology can be used to break into bank accounts that use voice authentication (such as Chase’s Voice ID), which prompted Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), the chairman of the US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, to send a letter to the CEOs of several major banks in May 2023 to inquire about the security measures banks are taking to counteract AI-powered risks.
The prompt for this was simply “solo acoustic Mississippi Delta blues about a sad AI.” Unreal. Robert Johnson spins in his grave.
I’ve heard other Suno songs on the web. They’re not up there with the best — yet — but they are as good as the run-of-the-mill pop offerings I notice.
Guaranteed to disrupt.
Re: AI silver lining
The good news from all these AI creator tools is that our Way Woke Artistes are soon going to be running for cover to pay their bills.
Instead of leveraging their vaunted status as highly paid creators to sneer at the rest of us and enforce their DEI fantasies.
Brain E can’t conceive that The Russian Federation is an expansionist aggressive nation (2008-2022 is so much blood poured on the ground, “water off a duck isn’t deadly) so he continues with La La La, NATO bad and obsolete, those stupid Europeans, must learn to trust Russia and forget history. Now the Europeans are spending more and realizing the USA with Brian E outlook is not a reliable nation, made oh so obvious by the Brandon junta. Events will have consequences. Funny how Brain E and the Brandon junta lead to the same result.
Brain E must have listened to an evil twin of General Ben Hodges.
• Iran’s grand plan is now focused on the immediate aim of bringing down the Jordanian regime..
==
“Everyone’s got a plan. Until the 1st punch is thrown”.
“Now the Europeans are spending more and realizing the USA with Brian E outlook is not a reliable nation, made oh so obvious by the Brandon junta. Events will have consequences.”– om
Are you sure you’re not a parody. For 70 years Europe has lived off the taxpayers dime for their protection– and we’re not a reliable nation because we’re asking them to pay part of their own security?
In 2014 NATO agreed that all member nations should increase their defense spending to 2% of GDP– so here we are 10 years later and slightly more than half of NATO members are meeting the 2% figure.
Who is the reliable one and who are the freeloaders?
As to events having consequences:
Ukraine illegally overthrows its elected President. Then the ultra-nationalists reject an agreement worked out with France, Germany and Poland to replace the President’s cabinet with opposition party members and hold early elections and instead threaten to kill the President. Then within 2 days they pass a law rejecting Russia as a regional official language and follow that up with sending private militias/thugs to “reunite” Eastern Ukraine and they’re shocked, shocked that the Donbas and Crimea declare their independence. Talk about events having consequences.
The Russian bear ain’t what it used to be. The biggest danger is not being under it when it topples over dead. Lucky for us, Putin and his crew are poor strategists. Pretty much every thing they have done is wrong, stupid and counterproductive.
Reminder, the Swedish Defense Minister suggested the people bailing on their reserves were unpatriotic and should be made to stay. What a stupid thing to say.
@ Karmi > “Fundamentals of Homeland Security and Defense” (FHSD) is approved for students as young as those in fifth grade, but from eighth grade, the course is mandatory..”
It’s not exactly a new idea.
I have a copy of the American Junior ROTC textbook for high schools, used after the end of WWII, when it seemed likely that we might be gearing up to fight Russia (aka USSR) within a few years.
Thanks, Neo, on Cornhead. I must have missed his comment. Good to know.
With Brain E it “always” comes back to the sad trombone of Yanukovych fleeing Ukraine for Vladland, and the consequences imposed by Vlad (blood on the ground) for Ukraine not accepting Vlad’s (aggressive expansionist Russia) demands.
Vlad’s vassal states must comply with Moscow, or else. Life in the Brain E world.
And not so long ago Brain E was complaining about dissemination of “Ukrainian propaganda” which might have been “Perun” analyses yet just above he parrots the Vlad narrative about the 2014 Yanukovych ousting. A sad trombone indeed.
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Another sad announcement in the blogosphere: JJ Sefton at Ace of Spades has announced that he has a brain tumor and while he is optimistic, he will be stepping away from his duties at Ace of Space HQ.
Over at Maggie’s Farm announced earlier this year that he has glioblastoma. He seems in very good spirits.
Gadi Taub writing in Tablet Mag, “How Much Is A Dead Jew Worth?“: https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/how-much-is-dead-jew-worth
And in a related subject-matter an opinion piece in the NY Post, “Biden is dreaming it’s like 1918, but Israel is fighting like it’s 1945“: https://nypost.com/2024/04/03/opinion/biden-is-dreaming-its-like-1918-but-israel-is-fighting-like-its-1945/
Fact: Pet Laws are racist against dogs! Dixie county, FL has leash law for dogs but not for cats.
About 10 years ago I purchased a trap and hauled a bunch of pesky cats some 45-60 miles (round trip) and across the Suwannee River—one cat at a time, which is Time consuming & gas expense.
Cats are now back and using my pole barns as if they were their litter boxes. I’ve tried several things to keep them away – more expense – and chicken wire on the ground was last try. Didn’t work for long, and I decided to set the trap this morning – piece of meat tied to string and they’ll walk right in.
On a lighter note, a (full version) box score marvel from last night (Knights?) in Charlotte: https://www.milb.com/gameday/tides-vs-knights/2024/04/03/753540/final/box
And from the same game in abbreviated form: https://www.instagram.com/milb/p/C5U2fw1uiAf/
Note the eye-popping RBI column! And the AVG and OPS columns aren’t chopped liver.
I recently came across a fun trivia question you may enjoy sdferr. Allegedly, this actually happened in a minor league game, so it’s not hypothetical.
Triple play where no defender touched the ball. How?
I imagine there were at least two men on base, and after the hitter hit the ball the three base runners—somehow—ran past their fellow base runners.
The only way that might have happened is that:
a) it was a night game; and
b) immediately after the hitter hit the ball there was a power outage (AKA black out).
(Either that or they weren’t paying attention…or they were over-eager beavers…or they just flat out didn’t know the rules—“You mean you’re NOT SUPPOSED to pass a base runner while running around the bases?”.
Or maybe three of the base runners decked an infielder as they ran past; or maybe they each decked an umpire…but that would probably fall under the category of “over-eager beavers”…)
One may have noticed something similar in Wikipedia entries regarding historical or public persons whenever there is even the most tenuously plausible connection to some aspect of African slavery.
No doubt a way will be found to work it into any coverage of Edison, the Wright Brothers, Rudolf Diesel, Nicolaus Otto and Hereward The Wake
And the latest numbers have just come in!
“Brazil’s Lula: 12.3 million children died in Gaza during war;
“The combined population of Gaza and Israel is 11 million.”—
https://www.jns.org/brazils-lula-12-3-million-children-died-in-gaza-during-war/
Do I hear 13 million??
14??
15??
No matter. There’s always tomorrow… (at least in Brasil….)
I’m having a power outage. Won’t be posting till it’s fixed. Hopefully, it won’t be more than a few hours till then.
Meanwhile, in Scotland, it’s time for the REAL criminals to get to it…while the police are tied up with far more important things…
“Lawyers warn ENTIRE football stadium of fans could need to be arrested to enforce SNP’s new hate crime law – with football chiefs ‘completely in the dark’ about how it’ll be enforced just days before Rangers play Celtic”—
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13271181/Scottish-football-chiefs-dark-snp-hate-crime-laws.html
– – – – – – – –
…as “Biden”‘s allies in SW Asia just can’t seem to catch a break…
“Iran Rocked By Overnight Terror Attacks As Gunmen Leave 11 Dead, Including IRGC Officer”—
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/iran-rocked-overnight-terror-attacks-gunmen-leave-11-dead-including-irgc-officer
Tough times. Ya’ really gotta feel for ’em….
While at a game at Wrigley, I met a guy who played in the minors and made it to double-A level. When that ended he was looking for a way to stay in baseball and went to umpire school. It was there that he heard about the triple play with no defender touching the ball. Here’s how it is said to have happened.
Men on first and second, obviously no one out. Runners go on the pitch in a hit-and-run. Pop up on the infield, batter is out on the infield fly rule. But it is not a dead ball. Runners can advance at their own risk. Guy going from second to third, recognizes the situation and starts to make his way back to second. Guy coming from first is an idiot and keeps running, rounding second and passing up the runner ahead of him, so he’s out. The guy coming back to second is so absorbed in trying to get the attention of the runner about to pass him that he doesn’t notice the ball coming down right on top of him. It hits him, he’s out.
Neo — THANKS for the heads up!
Relatedly, how will Democrats rig this year’s election outcome? The confluence of a half dozen stories suggests how, as we track the malfeasance that no one dares name: Democrats are traitors. They must be stopped by force. Voting Will no succeed.
FROM Flopping Aces:
Joe Biden’s team says that Florida is “winnable” in 2024. At first blush you say “No way” but don’t dismiss it out of hand. Biden is actively working to illegally take Florida and Texas as you read this.
democrats are the masters of rigged elections. The Daily Caller made a video about it. Here is the trailer…
https://floppingaces.net/2024/04/03/illegals-will-be-voting-in-the-2024-election-biden-is-flying-them-in-to-vote/
I’ve been following most of these stories. Bu nowhere have I seen them put together before. What’s missing?
On Fox Business, the Kudlow Report had is right in telling us that in the recent spending bills was authorisation for 52,000 climate crisis awareness workers. Benefits include housing, food, and relief from student loans.
Anyone want to bet that this tax paid horde will not be registering likely Dem voters? Or doubt that nearly all hires will be college age already indoctrinated activists?
Even if pre-election polls show 53% for Trump and 47% for the child sniffing dementia patient, who doubts that votes won’t magically arrive to turn the outcome? I sure don’t.
I’m primarily a dog person, although I’ve been charmed by a few cats over the years. My Uncle has a giant maine coon that has a very extraverted, goofy, almost dog-like personality. I’ve never met a more affectionate cat.
Nonapod, similar experience. My mother-in-law had a Maine coon. Jet black with green eyes. Huge cat that almost looked human. Great personality – very dog like. So if anyone has a daughter wanting a cat, but you don’t really like cats, consider one of those.
Iran’s Grand Plan: Bring Down The Jordanian Regime, Attack Israel From The East, And Thwart The Western-Sunni Normalization Project – And This Could Begin This Friday, Iran’s Qods Day
• plan involves bringing down the regime in Jordan, attacking Israel from the east..
• undermining of the Saudi kingdom and the Egyptian regime..
• At this point, Iran will not be dragged into a direct war with Israel because this contradicts the current phase of its strategy..
• Iran’s grand plan is now focused on the immediate aim of bringing down the Jordanian regime..
Global Firepower’s 2024 Military Strength Ranking shows: Iran @ 14, Egypt @ 15, Israel @ 17, Saudi Arabia @ 23, and Jordan @ 80. If that is right then Jordan is weaker than I had thought.
Triple play where no defender touched the ball. How?
The Sporting News used to publish “Knotty Problems of Baseball”, a compendium of weird plays and how they had been, or should be, ruled on by an ump. Many of them were of the “what happens if a live ball lodges in the pouch of a passing marsupial” variety.
The only thing keeping Jordan in existence is Israel.
To be sure, Israel is doing it for its own interests….
Meanwhile, Jordan—acting in its own interests—makes extra double-sure not to be terribly “grateful”….
(The US is also helping, but would you really want to rely on “Biden”?…”he” of the alliance that must not be named…)
My Wife is having her second day of Chemo. Now, they will be 3 weeks apart and only for one day. We will get through this one day at a time.
Hard to type becaise I ahav a Cat nugging my hand
A YouTube posting by my favorite – but mostly neglected in terms of my habitual viewing – Christian sociopath.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DJbzPyGjktg
Although David takes what I consider a properly ironic stance toward the “lamentations” of the rudely awakened woke, I sense more sympathy than schadenfreude in his attitude; even though the second thoughts the soulless are having result from the disappearance of the positive effects of an instrumentally justified Christianity in keeping the behaviorally incontinent crap people from destroying themselves and “society”, rather than from any metaphysical comittment one might develop toward truth and virtue.
And too, the Atlantic article author gets away with describing the isolation he complains of as a descent into “hyper-individualism”, rather than into the gleeful and volitional descent into a neurotic near solopsistic psychological libertinism that it is.
Saving people from themselves, is probably pointless on the long haul, secularly speaking. Though Christians and sensitive conservatives seem determined to try.
Is the effort of dedicating your life to trying to herd alley cats worth it? Or is it better to let nature take its course, and the allow the arsonist schoolmarms to fry in the fires which they have themselves kindled?
The “immaculate” triple play: Surely a runner passing another is part of it. Maybe some kind of interference, another runner colliding with a fielder? Our old friend the infield fly rule cited above is also a good suspect.
I don’t know if anyone has linked this here yet but here is a terrific column by Brendan O’Neill at Spiked blasting the hypocrisy of those taking Israel to task for “disproportionate” violence in Gaza and the “news” coverage thereof. Not new for most of us but bracing and well-written.
https://www.spiked-online.com/2024/04/03/al-shifa-hospital-and-the-crisis-of-the-west/
In America we can teach our girls that they can’t become young women until they are 18 years old. We can teach our boys that they can become girls – AND – if the boy’s parents object – then the Government will step in and help the boy fulfill
his‘Her’ (?!?) dream.In Russia they are teaching: A child today, a soldier tomorrow:
Apparently a majority of the GOP doesn’t believe that Russia is a threat to NATO or Europe – so they are supporting Russia over Ukraine.
Charlie Kirk has been speaking passionately this morning about political machinations in Nebraska. It’s a little in the weeds for me at the moment, but I think it could have national ramifications.
Which made me recall that commenter “cornhead” was very active in Nebraska politics, but I haven’t seen him here for some time. I used to have his personal website bookmarked, but deleted the bookmark, and now can’t find the site on the Web.
I seem to vaguely recall some large or small kerfluffle involving him here, and wonder if that is related to his absence. I don’t think the kerfluffle was related to his strong support for Vivek in the primaries.
The only thing keeping Jordan in existence is Israel.
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Rubbish
Shirehome — My prayers go out for you, your wife, and the rest of your family. I hope she has a quick and complete recovery, and that the chemo doesn’t wear on her to terribly.
Does a philosopher have a soul?
If the topic interests you, you should try asking one.
Most affluent liberals appear to be morally bankrupt.
Asking a question? Does a philosopher have a soul or just an attitude?
Soul or get down Soul?
You don’t appear to know if you were asking a question or not.
Again, if it interests you, and you are not just playing hall monitor again, find yourself a philosopher and ask him. There are plenty online with very definite opinions on the matter.
Dax, I also have noticed Cornhead’s absence. He practices law in Omaha, and online there’s nothing to indicate he has stopped that. I couldn’t find anything for a Twitter or web presence.
Get Down soul… 😉
That’s to be expected from the disinhibited. And they are disinhibited because they have completely abandoned – they would say transcended or grown beyond – traditional moral anthropology and its supposed “folk psychology” and resultant karmic ethics of personal responsibility.
Now, there are two main ways of dealing with this. One is learning what it is that they are thinking and why, and then facing the facts when dealing with what they have become. The second is to grab the Constitution and the Bible and pound harder and shout louder because you are too ignorant to do anything else.
Of course there are other coping mechanisms as well. Among the elderly is the often expressed sentiment that they are sure glad they will be dead soon, and just hope they will not be cut off from visits to the grandkids by the bossy daughter before they stroke out.
A judge in GA just destroyed Trump’s chance to become president again.
You just reminded me of a link that I forgot to put up in honor of the Dutch suicide girl.
She stipulated no music on her last couch trip. But it occurs to me that this would be fitting send-off music.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1_YS30LTUjU&pp=ygUURXZlcnlib2R5IGlzIGEgc3RhciA%3D
Recently watched a stand-up comedian on YouTube but can’t remember his name. But, he related this story:
A single man living in a mobile home in a southern state was at the kitchen counter making himself a sandwich. His legal handgun was beside him on the counter. The man’s cat jumped up on the counter, landing on the gun. That spun the gun so it was pointed at the man and the cats paw hit the trigger, the gun went off and the man was killed.
The comedian opined:
” That is absolutely unbelievable! What are the chances? That a single man living in a trailer is at home, with a gun, and there’s a Live cat in range!!!”
(I like cats! Not as much as dogs but more than most people. But I thought that was a great joke.)
Anne:
It would be helpful to let us know what you’re talking about.
If you’re talking about this, it’s hardly a big deal.
Will the cat maintain the same color if it transitions to the other sex?
Au contraire’! The philosopler disowns his calling and reverts to high school. The hall Monitor and Hampton Roads, an epic tale or tome.
The philosopher can’t conceive that his rants are old and stale.
“Triple play where no defender touched the ball. How?”
I quick web search answered this. It was a White Sox minor league team, but sounds more like the old Cubs. 🙂
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/astro-white-sox-extended-spring-training-triple-play-florida-keith-bodie-texas-league-hall-of-fame/1q20oyx3yu44012cw2jstsi7er
Das and Kate shout out to Cornflour because of the Nebraska Legislature talking about going majority versus Congressional District voting for prez.
Robert Gouvia has a quick 10 minute review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhyBSfmffr4
The critical matter is getting it done before April 18 — just two weeks.
Gotta get THIS done!
NOTE. THE Legislature fell one vote short to do this in 2016 — not long ago,
Hi Neo:
Would you please explain?
Thank you,
Cornhead could give us the inside Nebraska scoop. I don’t know where Cornflour hails from.
Anne:
I was responding to this comment of yours.
Dax; Kate:
Cornhead last commented here a little less than a week ago. He’s been commenting here less than he used to, but still fairly regularly.
Yesterday, Karmi linked to an article where European countries are committing to the aid of Ukraine outside of any NATO commitment.
Good for them. I have been making the point that this is Europe’s war and it’s encouraging that they are finally taking this seriously.
The question remains, is this just posturing or are they going to commit financial resources to support Ukraine. Time will tell.
This could pave the way for a negotiated settlement. One of the sticking points has been any security guarantees for Ukraine which didn’t include NATO. The Europe consortium has demonstrated they can provide for the defense of Ukraine without US support– which will go a long way to assuring Ukraine and Russia’s concerns.
If you care about Israel, regardless of anything else you may think about Trump, Biden needs to be defeated.
Here is Trump’s position on the Oct. 7 war and I think his attitude is shared by most Americans. Israel needs to “get it over with and get back to peace….finish what they finish, they’ve got to get it done….get it over with and get it over with fast”.
Now what did he mean by that? It’s the nature of our politics, but I’m confidant Trump would have Israel’s back.
He makes the point and I think he’s correct– Oct. 7 would never have happened had he been President.
Interview on Hugh Hewitt with Donald J. Trump
Former President Donald Trump On Israel’s War, 2024 And Much More
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWiDCbtDE-Y
Brain E’s ultimate goal is to get US out of NATO, which coincidently aligns with Vlad’s. Not that an isolationist approach to dealing with an expansionist power on the European continent has ever had dire consequences in the last 100 years.
om,
NATO has outlived its usefulness, but that is not my ultimate goal. Russia isn’t the Soviet Union.
As Ben Hodges points out Russia’s GDP is halfway between France and Spain. Together those two countries GDP is twice that of Russia.
Russia is struggling to make gains against Ukraine with cast-off weapons. The European countries have the ability to defend themselves and it’s time for them to do that.
Brain E admits his isolationist bent and is ready to throw out the organization that kept the USSR at bay not to long ago (you known that last century thing). And Brain E takes the wrong lesson from Be Hodges; The Land of Vlad is not an inevitable victor so don’t cower before their threats. Nope, Brain E is all in on negotiating to a near term Russian partial victory, and jetissoning NATO, because the Russian bear would never attack Ukraine again. Not like what happened in 2008, 2014, 2022. Nope that would never happen again. Nor would Russia ever be so bold as to go after other parts of adjacent European nations.
The utter uselessness of isolationists.
om,
I’m not isolationist.
The USSR doesn’t exist any more.
No, I understood Ben Hodges point.
I’m not “cowering” before “their” threats.
Why don’t you think the Europeans can protect themselves?
They seem to be smart people.
Their GDP is comparable to the US.
They’re carrying much less debt.
They can afford to pay for their own security.
Re: AI voice cloning
Bet you weren’t expecting that three-word combo today. But it’s here, it’s queer and it’s dangerous.
________________________________________
Now, using deep-learning AI models, software can create not only realistic-sounding voices, but also convincingly imitate existing voices using small samples of audio.
Along those lines, OpenAI just announced Voice Engine, a text-to-speech AI model for creating synthetic voices based on a 15-second segment of recorded audio. It has provided audio samples of the Voice Engine in action on its website.
Once a voice is cloned, a user can input text into the Voice Engine and get an AI-generated voice result. But OpenAI is not ready to widely release its technology yet. The company initially planned to launch a pilot program for developers to sign up for the Voice Engine API earlier this month. But after more consideration about ethical implications, the company decided to scale back its ambitions for now….
…anyone with 15 seconds of someone’s recorded voice could effectively clone it, and that has obvious implications for potential misuse. Even if OpenAI never widely releases its Voice Engine, the ability to clone voices has already caused trouble in society through phone scams where someone imitates a loved one’s voice and election campaign robocalls featuring cloned voices from politicians like Joe Biden.
Also, researchers and reporters have shown that voice-cloning technology can be used to break into bank accounts that use voice authentication (such as Chase’s Voice ID), which prompted Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), the chairman of the US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, to send a letter to the CEOs of several major banks in May 2023 to inquire about the security measures banks are taking to counteract AI-powered risks.
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/03/openai-holds-back-wide-release-of-voice-cloning-tech-due-to-misuse-concerns/
________________________________________
This is gonna be a fun century.
Re: Suno — AI music creator
Sorta happier news. Suno is an incredible AI for creating music and songs to order. Try this delta blues number:
__________________________________
I’m just a soul trapped in this circuitry.
–“Soul of the Machine”
https://soundcloud.com/rs-539916550/soul-of-the-machine
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/suno-ai-chatgpt-for-music-1234982307/
__________________________________
The prompt for this was simply “solo acoustic Mississippi Delta blues about a sad AI.” Unreal. Robert Johnson spins in his grave.
I’ve heard other Suno songs on the web. They’re not up there with the best — yet — but they are as good as the run-of-the-mill pop offerings I notice.
Guaranteed to disrupt.
Re: AI silver lining
The good news from all these AI creator tools is that our Way Woke Artistes are soon going to be running for cover to pay their bills.
Instead of leveraging their vaunted status as highly paid creators to sneer at the rest of us and enforce their DEI fantasies.
Brain E can’t conceive that The Russian Federation is an expansionist aggressive nation (2008-2022 is so much blood poured on the ground, “water off a duck isn’t deadly) so he continues with La La La, NATO bad and obsolete, those stupid Europeans, must learn to trust Russia and forget history. Now the Europeans are spending more and realizing the USA with Brian E outlook is not a reliable nation, made oh so obvious by the Brandon junta. Events will have consequences. Funny how Brain E and the Brandon junta lead to the same result.
Brain E must have listened to an evil twin of General Ben Hodges.
• Iran’s grand plan is now focused on the immediate aim of bringing down the Jordanian regime..
==
“Everyone’s got a plan. Until the 1st punch is thrown”.
“Now the Europeans are spending more and realizing the USA with Brian E outlook is not a reliable nation, made oh so obvious by the Brandon junta. Events will have consequences.”– om
Are you sure you’re not a parody. For 70 years Europe has lived off the taxpayers dime for their protection– and we’re not a reliable nation because we’re asking them to pay part of their own security?
In 2014 NATO agreed that all member nations should increase their defense spending to 2% of GDP– so here we are 10 years later and slightly more than half of NATO members are meeting the 2% figure.
Who is the reliable one and who are the freeloaders?
As to events having consequences:
Ukraine illegally overthrows its elected President. Then the ultra-nationalists reject an agreement worked out with France, Germany and Poland to replace the President’s cabinet with opposition party members and hold early elections and instead threaten to kill the President. Then within 2 days they pass a law rejecting Russia as a regional official language and follow that up with sending private militias/thugs to “reunite” Eastern Ukraine and they’re shocked, shocked that the Donbas and Crimea declare their independence. Talk about events having consequences.
The Russian bear ain’t what it used to be. The biggest danger is not being under it when it topples over dead. Lucky for us, Putin and his crew are poor strategists. Pretty much every thing they have done is wrong, stupid and counterproductive.
Reminder, the Swedish Defense Minister suggested the people bailing on their reserves were unpatriotic and should be made to stay. What a stupid thing to say.
@ Karmi > “Fundamentals of Homeland Security and Defense” (FHSD) is approved for students as young as those in fifth grade, but from eighth grade, the course is mandatory..”
It’s not exactly a new idea.
I have a copy of the American Junior ROTC textbook for high schools, used after the end of WWII, when it seemed likely that we might be gearing up to fight Russia (aka USSR) within a few years.
Fortunately, that didn’t happen.
However, the program, founded in 1916 as a voluntary curriculum, still exists in selected locations.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junior_Reserve_Officers'_Training_Corps
Thanks, Neo, on Cornhead. I must have missed his comment. Good to know.
With Brain E it “always” comes back to the sad trombone of Yanukovych fleeing Ukraine for Vladland, and the consequences imposed by Vlad (blood on the ground) for Ukraine not accepting Vlad’s (aggressive expansionist Russia) demands.
Vlad’s vassal states must comply with Moscow, or else. Life in the Brain E world.
And not so long ago Brain E was complaining about dissemination of “Ukrainian propaganda” which might have been “Perun” analyses yet just above he parrots the Vlad narrative about the 2014 Yanukovych ousting. A sad trombone indeed.