August 17, 2026
Daily Tech News 17 August 2026
Top Story
- Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei says the AI backlash is fundamentally a crisis of trust and also that water is wet. (Tech Crunch)
Well... Yes.
- Anthropic is planning to watermark text produced by their AI systems. (Bleeping Computer)
At fault is the European Union, as usual.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:30 AM | Comments (67) | Trackbacks (Suck)
August 16, 2026
Sunday Overnight Open Thread - August 16, 2026 [Doof]
[Top photo: White pine tree remnant on the banks of Plymouth Harbor (short walk from Plymouth Rock). Photo taken in July 2026. Grok says the root ball / stump was spotted in September 2014 by the whale-watch boat Tales of the Sea about 2 miles off-shore then recovered by the vessel Protector. I am unable to find any information online about this. Weird.]
[Top photo: White pine tree remnant on the banks of Plymouth Harbor (short walk from Plymouth Rock). Photo taken in July 2026. Grok says the root ball / stump was spotted in September 2014 by the whale-watch boat Tales of the Sea about 2 miles off-shore then recovered by the vessel Protector. I am unable to find any information online about this. Weird.]
Posted by: Open Blogger at 10:00 PM | Comments (431) | Trackbacks (Suck)
Gun Thread: Third August Edition!
Posted by: Weasel at 07:00 PM | Comments (266) | Trackbacks (Suck)
Food Thread: Ripe Tomatoes, Dust Safety, And Chewy Meringues!
Posted by: CBD at 04:00 PM | Comments (236) | Trackbacks (Suck)
First World Problems...
Posted by: CBD at 02:00 PM | Comments (262) | Trackbacks (Suck)
On The One Hand, Iran's Economy Is imploding...On The Other Hand, The Mullahs And IRGC Are Willing To Suffer A Lot!
We Need More Hands!
We Need More Hands!
Every second that goes by weakens the Iranian attempts to control the Strait of Hormuz. There are multiple projects underway to create the infrastructure to bypass the chokepoint of Hormuz, and not just pipelines that bypass it. Shale oil, fracking, horizontal drilling, vast improvements in techniques to maximize production in existing wells, reopening huge oil fields like in the North Sea, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), and the Trump administration push to make America an energy exporter have all contributed to the decrease in the importance of Hormuz, and Iran's power over the world oil economy.
Guyana is becoming a serious producer, Venezuela's oil industry slide into unimportance has been stopped, even Canada is quietly producing for their customers in the Pacific. But...the Mullahs and the IRGC are willing to cause massive damage to the people and the economy of Iran to further their geopolitical goal of a religious armageddon. They will not surrender, and they will not relieve the pressure on the people...they simply don't care. Their goal is simple...survive to continue their quest for the destruction of Israel, America, and the West. But...their blockade, incomplete as it may be, is cementing their position as the enemy of the Gulf states, and it will have far-reaching consequences both diplomatically and economically for years to come. The massive American and Israeli military response to Iran has destroyed most of the military industrial capacity, has destroyed most of their missile stocks and anti-aircraft capability, and has killed a huge number of their senior leadership, which has created a massive power struggle across the Mullahcracy and the IRGC. But...American resolve has an expiration date. The United States is not in the business of colonialism, and when we tried it, we failed miserably, so "fixing" Iran is not and hopefully will not be a part of our geopolitical goals. The Mullahs and the IRGC believe that simply waiting us out will be a win. But...economic pressure, coupled with a Western naval presence in the Strait of Hormuz will gradually erode the ability of the Mullahs and the IRGC to control the Iranian people and to project power through their terrorist proxies. It will also take Iran and Hormuz off the front page, since economic warfare and boring escorting of commercial vessels is far less interesting for the hysterical media. But...President Trump is fanatical about the appearance of a deal, and perhaps he will settle for a public deal that sounds good but has no substance. But...it is entirely possible that Iran is on the brink. They do not have the foreign exchange to purchase enough gasoline to run their economy, their central planning has been destroyed, the death of Khamenei Senior has left a huge hole in the message being conveyed to the faithful. The Mullahcracy might just wither away. But...The IRGC is dug in like ticks, and getting rid of them will be a massive undertaking. Even if the Mullahs fade into nothing, the IRGC will be a danger, at least until they become a priority target of the American armed forces. Or even better: the Persian people! See my point? The perspective on the Iranian situation is complex, and there are rational arguments to be made from most sane sides. One reason stands out...we are dealing with a mindset that is completely foreign to Western culture. There is no risk/benefit calculation being made in Tehran. There is no sensitivity to civilian casualties. There is no sense of honor or respect during "negotiations." There is no cultural imperative for truth. There is one goal, and the means justifies the end to an extent that most westerners cannot comprehend. That of course supports one clear strategy...the total destruction of the Mullahs and the IRGC. Whether that happens economically or militarily remains to be seen, but there will be no end to the Iranian Problem until that occurs!Posted by: CBD at 12:00 PM | Comments (254) | Trackbacks (Suck)
Sunday Morning Book Thread 8-16-2026 [Sabrina Chase]The Importance of Genre
Posted by: Open Blogger at 09:00 AM | Comments (299) | Trackbacks (Suck)
Daily Tech News 16 August 2026
Top Story
- Every fusion power startup that has raised over $100 million. (Tech Crunch)
Your weekly reminder that it is the 21st century, and not everything is poop-flavoured ice cream.
In a truly 21st century maneuver, one of the companies on the list announced plans to merge with a group owned by the sitting US president last December in a $6 billion deal.
- Speaking of the sitting US president and deals Nvidia's latest financial reports show that the company has made a $25 billion on-paper profit from its $5 billion investment in Intel. (Tom's Hardware)
President Trump rewrote former President Biden's original grant of $10 billion to Intel - which had strings attached that the company couldn't meet - into $10 billion in non-voting stock, netting the public a neat $50 billion paper profit.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:30 AM | Comments (180) | Trackbacks (Suck)
August 15, 2026
Saturday Night Club ONT - August 15, 2026 [Disco & Dino] 
Welcome to Club ONT - a real and spectacular collaboration of The Disco and The Dino.
Come in in, grab a drink or 3. Keep it light and friendly. The moose is taking attendance, so please check in before entering.
Posted by: Open Blogger at 10:00 PM | Comments (300) | Trackbacks (Suck)
Saturday Evening Movie Post [moviegique]: Young Washington
"Washington! Washington!"
To Internet users of a particular vintage, those two words spoken together immediately trigger a semi-musical rapid hyper-ventilation and a litany of unlikely attributes and accomplishments ascribed to our first President. But The Boy and I kept that to a minimum as we partook of Young Washington on this 250th anniversary of our independence.
This is the latest big effort from Angel Studios, who did The Sound of Freedom, among others, complete with a pitch for you to buy tickets for people to come see the movie.
This is much like Sound of Freedom now that I think about it, with many of the same strengths and flaws. I think it's better overall, and highly enjoyable, yet not quite to the level of the Korean historical dramas we used to be able to see in Koreatown.
Significantly, however, it serves the same purpose. And it earned its $20M budget back at the box office on the first weekend, so it won't be a money loser. For The Boy and I, it increased our hunger for more such material, basically unplumbed since I was a child.
"Oh, there he goes again, revoluting."
Posted by: Open Blogger at 07:30 PM | Comments (150) | Trackbacks (Suck)
Hobby Thread - August 15, 2026 [TRex] 
Welcome hobbyists! Pull up a chair and sit a spell with the Horde in this little corner of the interweb. This is the mighty, mighty officially sanctioned Ace of Spades Hobby Thread. For this week, the Wheel of Hobbies (TM) is feeling lucky and decided on a fire truck theme for this Hobby Thread.
A what? A fire truck theme? [Top photo: 1922 Howe fire truck on a Ford Model T chassis at the former Kokomo, IN Automotive Museum, photo credit David D Jackson]Posted by: Open Blogger at 05:30 PM | Comments (208) | Trackbacks (Suck)
Ace of Spades Pet Thread, August 15
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Good afternoon and welcome to the almost world famous Ace of Spades Pet Thread. Thanks for stopping by. Kick back and enjoy the world of animals.
Would you like a treat?
Let's relax a little with the animals and leave the world of politics and current events outside today.
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Posted by: K.T. at 03:28 PM | Comments (62) | Trackbacks (Suck)
Gardening, Home and Nature Thread, Aug. 15
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Hi KT, I took this at the farm stand in Sonoma this morning - the photo is not retouched or edited. San FranpsychoIt's the season - even in Sonoma. What a great photo!
Posted by: K.T. at 01:31 PM | Comments (60) | Trackbacks (Suck)
Mascots of the Anointed
Mascots of the Anointed
After the unfortunate death of Jason Arday, Ed Driscoll wrote: IT RARELY ENDS WELL FOR A MASCOT OF THE ANOINTED: "The real [Arday] story is of an elite academic world that was so excited by a compelling narrative that they rushed a clearly mentally unbalanced man with no real qualifications to the heights of academia because he ticked so many useful boxes." The sentence just above quotes Enguerrand VII de Coucy but the Mascot of the Anointed phrase is linked to a short archived piece from 1995 by Thomas Sowell in which "the anointed" worked at the New York Times and their "mascots" were old prison inmates. Thomas Sowell:The "New York Times" recently ran a front-page story dripping with sympathy for a multiple murderer who is now very old and who, on some days, "cannot remember" why he is in prison. His victims, however, cannot remember anything on any days. There are also photographs of him and other prisoners. One prisoner is described as having a disease that "brings mental deterioration." Another, with his legs amputated, is shown trying to catch a baseball on his knees. Yet another prisoner is shown in a wheelchair.
All sorts of heart-tugging stories are told about elderly inmates who are succumbing to various diseases and infirmities of age. There are, however, no stories at all about their victims, or their victims' widows or orphans, or how tough their lives have been. . .
Posted by: K.T. at 11:22 AM | Comments (215) | Trackbacks (Suck)
The Classical Saturday Morning Coffee Break & Prayer Revival *****
Good morning boys and girls and everything in between. Before we enter the Prayer Revival there are just a few housekeeping matters to go over. (Rulz for those of you in Black Earth)
1) This is an open thread. Feel free to lurk, opine and/or bloviate.
2) Be kind, be nice. Enjoy our sanctuary.
3) No running with sharp objects.
4) Have a great weekend!
[H/T: Meme - Hrothgar. Research indicates Misanthropes do as well]
2) Be kind, be nice. Enjoy our sanctuary.
3) No running with sharp objects.
4) Have a great weekend!
Posted by: Misanthropic Humanitarian at 08:00 AM | Comments (383) | Trackbacks (Suck)
Daily Tech News 15 August 2026
Top Story
- Who are you and what have you done with France? France's Constitutional Council has found the French government's plan to block social media access to children under 15 unconstitutional for the burden it would place on everyone over the age of 15. (Reuters)
Kind of obvious but something that entirely escaped both major political parties here in Australia.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:30 AM | Comments (210) | Trackbacks (Suck)
August 14, 2026
A Midsummer Night's ONT
Welcome to the ONT! Anyone hungry?
Posted by: WeirdDave at 10:00 PM | Comments (365) | Trackbacks (Suck)
Punk Penguin Cafe
Ken James/@openshutter21
Ken James/@openshutter21
Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 07:40 PM | Comments (238) | Trackbacks (Suck)
The Week In Woke
Moronic DEI degenerate Don Lemon demands a court dismiss the charges against him for invading a church to scream at the attendees, gaysplaining that Drumpf is just obsessed with him.
Legendary unfunnywoman Margaret Cho: "We're in the middle of a trans genocide." Yes and we're sick of children being killed. In the real world, obviously dangerous head-case perverts like this are infinitely indulged. Teacher: We are graduating seniors who cannot read or write. Woke One was craaaazy, man. By the way, did you know that all countries, pastimes, sports, hobbies, cities, states, and people generally are "too white"
Moronic DEI degenerate Don Lemon demands a court dismiss the charges against him for invading a church to scream at the attendees, gaysplaining that Drumpf is just obsessed with him.
The left has ginned up another George Floyd hoax, this time claiming that violent, knife-armed man attacking cops shouldn't have been shot because he's black. Yes, that's pretty much their argument. No one would make this preposterous case if cops shot a knife-wielding, out-of-control, violent white man. The woke DA of Madison, WI is determined to put cops in jail for defending the public and their own lives, and went so far as to make the cop's name public to put his life in danger and subject him to Antifa Justice, the only true justice to the left.
Don Lemon wants a federal judge to throw out the criminal charges against him stemming from an anti-ICE demonstration that disrupted a church service in Minnesota, with the former CNN anchor arguing that the prosecution is politically motivated because of President Donald Trump's longstanding dislike of him. Lemon's attorneys filed a motion seeking dismissal of the federal civil-rights charges, claiming his prosecution violates the First Amendment and is the product of President Trump's alleged "animus" toward the journalist. "The record could not be more clear that Mr. Lemon has been a persistent target of President Trump's ire before the events in Minnesota," Lemon's attorneys wrote, according to Variety. The filing further alleges that the Justice Department "acted on the President's animus by filing unprecedented charges against a journalist for doing his job." That's Lemon's argument. Federal prosecutors have alleged something considerably different: that Lemon's conduct went beyond simply observing and reporting on a demonstration that entered a church while congregants were attempting to worship.
What Happened Inside Cities Church ... According to the Justice Department, Lemon was charged with conspiracy against the right of religious freedom at a place of worship under 18 U.S.C. § 241 and injuring, intimidating, or interfering with the exercise of religious freedom at a place of worship under 18 U.S.C. § 248. The latter statute is part of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, or FACE Act, which also contains protections for people exercising their religious rights at places of worship. The DOJ eventually charged dozens of people in connection with the incident. Lemon has pleaded not guilty. His defense now hinges heavily on the contention that, regardless of what the demonstrators themselves were doing, he was present solely as an independent journalist covering their actions.
There's another attempt to hang a cop for defending himself in Colorado. A black man -- of course; this would not be "murder" if it were a white man -- kept advancing on a cop who repeatedly told him to stop advancing on him. The man also kept shouting to his son to pick up the gun he had tossed on the ground, to shoot the cop, of course. Ultimately, the cop shot the man who would not stop advancing on him and would not stop urging his son to pick a gun off the ground. So it's another George Floyd hoax.
Madison police officer Kiel Baitinger-Peterson survived an encounter with a man armed with a knife. Now his name is public, his family's safety is a concern, and precautions are being taken to protect them. Welcome to the second ordeal faced by an officer who already survived the first one. PBS Wisconsin (emphasis mine):... The Wisconsin Department of Justice identified Baitinger-Peterson Monday as the officer who fatally shot 38-year-old Corey Ruiz on July 22. The facts released so far are remarkably clear. Police responded after reports of someone checking parked vehicles and an alleged burglary attempt. Ruiz fled on a bicycle; four officers later encountered him near South Baldwin and Williamson streets, and a struggle followed. Ruiz brandished a knife and injured Baitinger-Peterson. Two other officers tried Tasers, which failed. Baitinger-Peterson fired his weapon; another officer was also injured. Investigators recovered a fixed-blade knife at the scene. ... Yet long before investigators finished their work, Madison Alder Noah Lieberman publicly called Ruiz's death "absolutely unacceptable" and wrote that he found it difficult to imagine any justification for the officers' actions. He encouraged people sharing his outrage to join peaceful protests. Police Chief John Patterson hadn't yet been able to answer Lieberman's questions about precisely how quickly events unfolded. Now the public has Baitinger-Peterson's name. Wisconsin Professional Police Association Executive Director Jim Palmer says he's deeply concerned about the safety and privacy of Baitinger-Peterson, his family, and the other officers. Palmer says officials are taking those concerns seriously and have put appropriate precautions in place. Think about what those words mean. A cop with nearly 11 years of law enforcement experience leaves home one morning, gets injured by a man wielding a knife, survives, and later learns his wife, children, parents, or whoever else shares his life may need protection because strangers now know exactly whom to hate. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who's been crawling from racial scene to racial scene and represents Ruiz's family, has already called for Baitinger-Peterson to be charged.
Investigators on Aug. 10 released the name of the Madison police officer who shot and killed a 38-year-old Black man in July -- a shooting that was captured on video and sparked protests that put Wisconsin's capital city on edge over how authorities treat people of color. Kiel Baitinger-Peterson, a white officer with nearly 11 years' experience in law enforcement, fired the shots that killed Corey Ruiz on July 22, the Wisconsin Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation said in a statement. Baitinger-Peterson was one of four officers who surrounded Ruiz, who was on a bike, in response to calls about someone who was checking out parked cars and an alleged burglary attempt, police said. The shooting sparked days of protests and calls from the Black community for Madison to address racial justice issues. Baitinger-Peterson did not reply to an email seeking comment.
The left is pushing the idea -- they don't dare say this aloud, but this is what they're fighting for -- that black men may veto a cop's arrest. They can simply decide they don't want to be arrested, and violently resist arrest, and the cop is then obligated to Respect the Arrest-Veto of a Black Man and let him go. Obviously, we cannot allow members of a specific race to decide that they are immune to the law. But that's what the left is insisting on. And they also insist we infinitely indulge teen takeovers. Meanwhile, in between insisting that black people are immune to the law, CNN spends its time pushing hoax stories about black people being lynched by whites.
Officer Charles Neely repeatedly backs away as Stubblefield advances on him, while Stubblefield can be heard telling his son to retrieve a gun from the ground. Neely keeps retreating until he's being forced toward the street--and only then does he fire. I've watched the footage. I don't see murder. I see an officer using deadly force in defense of his life. So how did prosecutors get a murder indictment?
End Wokeness
@EndWokeness Polling had El-Sayed up by 12%
He only won the election by 1% Polling had Hong up by 22%
She lost the election by 1% Polls are vastly overestimating the left
Legendary unfunnywoman Margaret Cho: "We're in the middle of a trans genocide." Yes and we're sick of children being killed. In the real world, obviously dangerous head-case perverts like this are infinitely indulged. Teacher: We are graduating seniors who cannot read or write. Woke One was craaaazy, man. By the way, did you know that all countries, pastimes, sports, hobbies, cities, states, and people generally are "too white"
Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 06:40 PM | Comments (155) | Trackbacks (Suck)
Will Fauci Ever Be Charged?
Plus: Terry Moran Says He Did a Piece for ABC Asking if Covid Was Created in the Wuhan Lab. ABC Killed the Piece -- On Fauci's Orders.
Plus: Terry Moran Says He Did a Piece for ABC Asking if Covid Was Created in the Wuhan Lab. ABC Killed the Piece -- On Fauci's Orders.
Texts show that Fauci was a willing conspirator to mass murder.
Miranda Devine claims that Fauci might wind up facing criminal charges for obstruction of Congress and destruction of federal records.
Dr. Anthony Fauci said he'd been warned about "significant cytokines storm and fever" after 2nd dose, with pregnancy implications. Louisiana AG says people who raised same concerns were told "we were anti-vaxxers and we were liars." From the first week of the Biden administration, public health officials including Dr. Anthony Fauci privately expressed concern that pregnant women who take both doses of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines early in pregnancy could miscarry, according to a text chain recovered from Fauci's government-issued cellphone, released Monday by GOP Sens. Ron Johnson and Rand Paul. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy asked Fauci, then-director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky whether they had "any data or theoretical reason why vaccinating early vs late in pregnancy would be preferred." Murthy said he was telling pregnant women there was no "evidence of concerning adverse outcomes in the trials" while acknowledging the number of pregnant women in the COVID vaccine trials were "likely [...] limited." Fauci reminded him that "pregnant women were not allowed" in the trials. Within two hours of telling Murthy there was a "misperception" even from "female health care professionals" that vaccination "very early in pregnancy" could be harmful, Fauci told the chain he "asked around a bit more." He was warned that the "significant cytokines storm and fever" that commonly follow the second dose "theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the 1st trimester." Walensky and Murthy both agreed the second-dose concern was a "good point," and Walensky added that she had heard concerns about "mRNA causing mutations in the developing fetus as well." The next day, Murthy was panicking about the World Health Organization recommending pregnant women not take the Moderna mRNA vaccine "unless they are at risk of high exposure." He called it "potentially quite damaging to public confidence among pregnant women," and Walensky agreed. Fauci reassured them that "more than 10,000" pregnant women had been vaccinated by that point after emergency use authorization: "No issues have arisen."
Sen. Rand Paul is examining Dr. Anthony Fauci's government-issued phone and says he is taking a special interest in whether it contains evidence of "deletions." That's significant because Fauci's former factotum, David Morens, is awaiting trial on charges of concealing and destroying government records, allegedly on behalf of his boss, and is facing up to 51 years in prison. Not that many people know that, since only one reporter covered his arraignment in May: The Post's own Josh Christenson. Paul may have bigger ambitions for Fauci than the criminal referral for contempt of Congress he sent off to the DOJ last week, after the former COVID czar pleaded the Fifth an excruciating 111 times in his Senate committee testimony rather than come clean with the American people about why he funded dangerous gain-of-function research in China's Wuhan lab. If Fauci can be shown to have concealed or destroyed government records, then he could find himself sitting alongside Morens in the dock, depending on how robust his last-minute pre-emptive autopen pardon from Joe Biden proves to be. In previous data dumps from Paul's Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Fauci is already on record telling two associates to delete emails.
On February 2, 2020, in the early stages of the pandemic, Fauci wrote to his boss Dr. Francis Collins, then director of the NIH, about the WHO's handling of questions about the origins of COVID: "Please delete this email after you read it." On July 20, 2020, Fauci emailed his chief of staff, Greg Folkers, about Paul's accurate claim that Florida's handling of COVID was more successful than New York's, writing that the senator, a licensed doctor who volunteered at a Kentucky hospital during the pandemic, was "full of s--t", before instructing Folkers to "please delete this e-mail after you read it." Fauci declared in sworn congressional testimony in 2024 that he never deleted official records and has repeatedly distanced himself from Morens and denied knowledge of the "secret back channel" Morens claimed in emails that he had to his boss. Like the pardon of his son, Hunter, Joe Biden's retrospective pardon covered Fauci for any offenses he may have committed in the seven years between Jan. 1, 2014, and the end of Biden's term in January 2025, related to his work as director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a member of the White House's COVID-19 task force and chief medical adviser to the president. The unusual start date of the pardon, six years before the pandemic began, suggests some of Fauci's legal problems are connected to the period when he was funding dangerous gain-of-function research on bat coronaviruses at the Wuhan Institute of Virology from which a lab leak is believed to have sparked the global health crisis that led to millions of deaths. ... Fauci and his boss Francis Collins have categorically denied that they funded the research at Wuhan, but the funding path via cutout EcoHealth is documented and undeniable, as is Fauci and Morens' pally relationship with EcoHealth head Peter Daszak. Included in the case against Morens are allegations he accepted bottles of wine from an unnamed co-conspirator reported to be Daszak. ... Fauci's government-issued phone was uncovered last June by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., according to FBI Director Kash Patel, who told podcaster Joe Rogan at the time about the "great breakthrough." "We think that there was definite foul play . . . That's what we're working on," Patel told Rogan last June. .. Paul told Mark Halperin's podcast last week that his investigators were searching for evidence of deleted material on the phone and any "indication someone has cleaned up or wiped the phone." If such evidence is found, it would place Fauci in the same boat as Morens. ... Nobody would be surprised if Morens repaid the disloyalty by offering to testify against Fauci if he were offered a plea deal.
Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 06:00 PM | Comments (151) | Trackbacks (Suck)
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