Daily Tech News 28 October 2025

Top Story

The Department of Energy has signed a $1 billion deal - of some sort - with AMD to build two new supercomputers for energy and medical research. (Tom's Hardware)

The systems - one to be delivered early next year, the second in 2028 - use AMD's Epyc CPUs and Instinct accelerator cards. Instinct is marketed mostly towards AI now, because that's where the money is, but it's a general purpose card for crunching lots of numbers very quickly and makes a fine building block for a supercomputer.
Qualcomm meanwhile is chasing the trillion dollar bubble with its AI200 and AI250 accelerator cards. (Tom's Hardware)

The two cards are expected to arrive next year and 2027 respectively. Since these are new devices and don't have the track record of Nvidia or AMD (or even Intel) it's hard to know how well they will compete, but Qualcomm did announce that the cards will have 768GB of LPDDR memory each.

These are strongly oriented towards low-precision calculations and would not be as useful for a non-AI supercomputer, or for playing Minecraft.

Tech News

The M5 MacBook Pro's SSD is 2.5x faster than the one used in the M4 models. (Tom's Hardware)

It can achieve... 6000MBps.

Which is pretty fast, yes, but all but the cheapest M.2 SSDs can achieve that now, and Apple's storage prices are anything but cheap.

And it means the M4 model only delivered 2400MBps, which if accurate is not fast at all.
There's no point in waiting for the M5 MacBook Air. (WCCFTech)

Unless you want a fast SSD.
Ultra HD televisions are not noticeably better for watching television, maybe. (The Guardian)

The researchers working on this study note that human vision (naturally good or properly corrected) is about 50% better than the common measure of 20/20 because Herman Snellen - who created the familiar eye chart - needed glasses.

They also created a handy calculator that lets you put in your display details and see how good it is for your use.

For example, my laptop's 2880x1620 screen shows that 66% of people with good vision could tell the difference between it and a "perfect" display. By the time you get to a 4k laptop screen, that drops to 1%.

And for common 27" or 32" monitors, something between 5k and 8k qualifies as close enough to perfect. (96% of people can actually see the pixels of a 4k desktop monitor at normal viewing distances, but if you replace it with an 8k model that drops to just 1%.)
Ex-CISA head Jen Easterly thinks AI might fix code so fast we won't need security teams. (The Register)

We can be thankful that this idiot no longer holds her role at CISA.
CEO of Alphabet's X, Astro Teller, on what makes a moonshot. (Tech Crunch) (archive site)

What?
Here's what ads will look like on your $2000 Samsung smart fridge. (The Verge) (archive site)

Somehow I paid a quarter of that and didn't get any ads.

Musical Interlude

Disclaimer: Eileen? Eileen Dover?

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:00 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Earlydays

Posted by: French Jeton at October 28, 2025 04:02 AM (j0T5y)

2 guten morgen, horde

Posted by: clarence at October 28, 2025 04:03 AM (3zRwU)

3 G'Day everyone

Posted by: Skip at October 28, 2025 04:04 AM (+qU29)

4 Morning all.

A guy named "Astro Teller" discussing what makes up a moonshot is nominative determinism run wild.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at October 28, 2025 04:07 AM (BLOW1)

5 Good morning. May your yins firmly but tenderly embrace your yangs.

Posted by: Fluffy Nuggets, Jr. at October 28, 2025 04:09 AM (g0o3e)

6 Mornin'

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at October 28, 2025 04:11 AM (sAmhv)

7 "Astro Teller" from "Don't be evil, that's our job" Alphabet's version of X is someone I'd pay attention to. Like I'd pay attention to a grizzly bear who looks at me like I'm going to be dinner.

Posted by: Richard Cranium at October 28, 2025 04:11 AM (BTwEN)

8 Ok, that article on 'moonshots' actually makes sense.

Posted by: clarence at October 28, 2025 04:12 AM (3zRwU)

9 Speaking as a black LGBT woman, BOING!

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at October 28, 2025 04:22 AM (wUig4)

10 Finally a lot closer to home for work

Posted by: Skip at October 28, 2025 04:31 AM (+qU29)

11 Greetings from the Carolinas. Thankful for the slow steady rain.

Posted by: Going deep. Out. at October 28, 2025 04:36 AM (FUvyF)

12 w00t

Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 04:39 AM (RuTUS)

13 In case anyone has not read this yet:

Why Biden’s White House Press Secretary Is Leaving the Democratic Party
Karine Jean-Pierre feels that Democrats were so mean to Biden that she is becoming an Independent.

By Isaac Chotiner
October 27, 2025

https://archive.is/CbauI

It is very funny.

Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 04:40 AM (RuTUS)

14 >>>These are strongly oriented towards low-precision calculations

How can "low precision calculations" be something that is wanted?

Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 04:43 AM (RuTUS)

15 They're wrong but fast.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at October 28, 2025 04:46 AM (BLOW1)

16 15 They're wrong but fast.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at October 28, 2025 04:46 AM (BLOW1)

Yeah, but ....

Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 04:47 AM (RuTUS)

17 Say you're planning a cross-country road trip. When you ask how far you have to go, an answer in hours is much more useful than an answer in angstroms, even though it's far less precise.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at October 28, 2025 04:49 AM (BLOW1)

18 Never tell me the odds, unless you've used low precision calculations.

Posted by: Ham Solo at October 28, 2025 04:50 AM (mOu50)

19 15 They're wrong but fast.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at October 28, 2025 04:46 AM (BLOW1)

Is that like "cute but dumb"?

Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 04:50 AM (RuTUS)

20 Cold here today. Didn't get up to 10C all day, when a week ago it was hitting 30C.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at October 28, 2025 04:50 AM (BLOW1)

21 17 Say you're planning a cross-country road trip. When you ask how far you have to go, an answer in hours is much more useful than an answer in angstroms, even though it's far less precise.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at October 28, 2025 04:49 AM (BLOW1)

Oh. I see. Thanks.

Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 04:51 AM (RuTUS)

22 Is that like "cute but dumb"?
Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 04:50 AM (RuTUS)

That’d be “low precision bimbos”.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 28, 2025 04:52 AM (6ydKt)

23 Speaking as a black LGBT woman, there is a great new channel on X. I give you:

https://x.com/EBTofTikTok

lulz

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at October 28, 2025 04:52 AM (wUig4)

24 Disclaimer: Eileen? Eileen Dover?

I didn't even know 'er!

Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 04:53 AM (RuTUS)

25 Cold here today. Didn't get up to 10C all day, when a week ago it was hitting 30C.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at October 28, 2025 04:50 AM (BLOW1)

Which you’ll look back at wistfully come December.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 28, 2025 04:54 AM (6ydKt)

26 Speaking as a black LGBT woman, and as a Jewish one no less, I have zero to do with these mutants:

https://tinyurl.com/27x86d6p

And is it just me or does one of them not pee like the others?

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at October 28, 2025 04:57 AM (wUig4)

27 SOMEBODY argues that it is NOT always DNS.

I like the brevity! I don't know if this is well-argued, because it's way above my head.

https://notes.pault.ag/its-not-always-dns

(via Hacker News)

DNS = domain name server/system

Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 05:00 AM (RuTUS)

28 Wish I wasn't up so early

Posted by: Skip at October 28, 2025 05:00 AM (+qU29)

29 Morning all

Posted by: rickb223 Acehole Extraordinaire coined by JSpicy at October 28, 2025 05:01 AM (p6raP)

30 Speaking as a black LGBT woman, it took a long time but some justice was done:

https://tinyurl.com/4mac6rn3

IMO, she needs to be removed from the face of the planet.

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at October 28, 2025 05:02 AM (wUig4)

31
I can actually see some uses for a very smart refrigerator.

This is where everyone yells at me, "Come away from the light!"

Posted by: Blonde Morticia's Phone at October 28, 2025 05:03 AM (lCaJd)

32 26 Speaking as a black LGBT woman, and as a Jewish one no less, I have zero to do with these mutants:

https://tinyurl.com/27x86d6p

And is it just me or does one of them not pee like the others?
Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at October 28, 2025 04:57 AM (wUig4)

Yikes. And yes.

Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 05:04 AM (RuTUS)

33 Doubt I seen Dixie Midnight Runners since MTV days

Posted by: Skip at October 28, 2025 05:05 AM (+qU29)

34 Speaking as a black LGBT woman, I'd like to nominate a new verb to be used whenever relevant in HQ threads and comments:

https://tinyurl.com/5hea3u39

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at October 28, 2025 05:07 AM (wUig4)

35 As I said earlier this morning
Marxists have figured out how to get a population to H8 itself

Posted by: Skip at October 28, 2025 05:08 AM (+qU29)

36 Doubt I seen Dixie Midnight Runners since MTV days
Posted by: Skip at October 28, 2025 05:05 AM (+qU29)

Hard to believe. Such a long career. So many bangers.

Posted by: I used to have a different nic at October 28, 2025 05:10 AM (ExV1e)

37
g'mornin', 'rons

Posted by: AltonJackson at October 28, 2025 05:12 AM (tljrc)

38 10C = 50F

Had to look it up. Ain't got none of that metric system witchcraft around these parts.

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at October 28, 2025 05:13 AM (sAmhv)

39 The Platner candidate in Maine gave a little talk in what looks like a tiny venue, and somebody asked about trains and Platner set out to babble on and on about trains and he said, well, not so far from my oyster farm, there's an old train station, about a kilometer away.

A kilometer? In Maine?

Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 05:15 AM (RuTUS)

40 International Fellowship of Christians and Jews:

Genesis 12:1-The land I will show you:

https://tinyurl.com/yct589vu

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 28, 2025 05:16 AM (ix8EF)

41 G'morning Horde.

Managed to sleep through the night (mostly uninterrupted) without having to take DM cough syrup before going to bed. This is... progress.

It's a slow climb upward, but I'm actually starting to feel more like my old self.

Okay, now on to the content. (I need my daily dose of Pixy's tech snark.)

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at October 28, 2025 05:19 AM (O7YUW)

42 Man writes on a sure foundation in Christ. Matthew 7:24-27

https://tinyurl.com/ye87na38

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 28, 2025 05:20 AM (ix8EF)

43 No wifi at work anymore
Have a great day horde

Posted by: Skip at October 28, 2025 05:23 AM (+qU29)

44 G'morning, all.

57 degrees, and raining.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at October 28, 2025 05:25 AM (a1415)

45 Owl flies in to hear man singing "Over the rainbow":

https://tinyurl.com/527kad6x

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 28, 2025 05:26 AM (ix8EF)

46 Our County Tax Assessor's Office, during a recent audit could not find our original homeowners application for the 4%, vs the regular 6% tax ratio on our home.

Which caused the recent annual tax bill to jump from about $1,800.00 to almost $7,000.00 dollars.

Thank goodness that the very competent head of that office accepted our electronically filed re-application, and within two hours of my first talking to her, the process was completed, the application was approved and the new task force bill was generated.

South Carolina may be a poor State, but the government employees are some of the finest.

Just another reason why I love calling this State my home.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at October 28, 2025 05:31 AM (a1415)

47 Comedy wildlife photography contest:

https://tinyurl.com/n6y984r4

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 28, 2025 05:38 AM (PFs9e)

48 Task force=Tax

Sheesh....

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at October 28, 2025 05:40 AM (a1415)

49 "Somehow I paid a quarter of that and didn't get any ads."

And the simpler your refrigerator is, the more reliable it will be.

Scotty's line out of Star Trek III applies here: "The more they overtake the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain."

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at October 28, 2025 05:40 AM (O7YUW)

50 South Carolina may be a poor State, but the government employees are some of the finest.

Just another reason why I love calling this State my home.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at October 28, 2025 05:31 AM (a1415)

I've got that same problem, although slightly different.

My father was supposed to refile for the Homestead exemption after my mother died because both of their names are on the deed. He never got around to it.

And now I've got around $4000 to pay by January instead of $1400, or whatever it was at the lower rate.

I'm the only person here, and it's the only place I live. The paperwork requirements for the application are a bear, and the house isn't even in my name for awhile.

Quite the pickle. I guess I'm going to have to pay it all.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 28, 2025 05:41 AM (6ydKt)

51 "I'm the only person here, and it's the only place I live. The paperwork requirements for the application are a bear, and the house isn't even in my name for awhile."

You're in Berkely County, right?

Have you spoken to them?

When I spoke directly to them, Dorchester County was more helpful than I could have ever expected.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at October 28, 2025 05:45 AM (a1415)

52 @27/m: "SOMEBODY argues that it is NOT always DNS."

As I said the other day: It's always DNS, unless it isn't, and then it's BGP.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at October 28, 2025 05:48 AM (O7YUW)

53 You're in Berkely County, right?

Have you spoken to them?

When I spoke directly to them, Dorchester County was more helpful than I could have ever expected.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at October 28, 2025 05:45 AM (a1415)

Yes, in Berkeley.

I need to call them about that and paying the property tax on two vehicles that were gifted and now have to transfer the titles. You have to pay the taxes before DMV will do anything on that.

With the new job, and now having to go to probate, too.
Plus taking care of a retirement account of my mother's that my father was the beneficiary, as well as dealing with Aflac on some money they owe from a policy my father had.

It's a lot. I keep avoiding it all.
All I see is mountains of paperwork and waiting on the phone on hold.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 28, 2025 05:52 AM (6ydKt)

54 Time to get ready for the appointment to replace the Miata's windshield.

BBIAB

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at October 28, 2025 05:53 AM (a1415)

55 Did somebody say "money shot?!?"

Oh, wait - "moon shot." Well, that's different.

Posted by: Sandra Fluke at October 28, 2025 05:53 AM (ufSfZ)

56 If I have to have ads on my appliances, then there is no reason I should be paying $2000 for their product.

Posted by: NR Pax at October 28, 2025 05:53 AM (lXoJ5)

57 Evening and morning, late toilers and early risers ever'where! 'Tis Tiu's Day yet again.

Nightmare last night, the first of two long dream sequences. Apparently I was still at my old job, and I found my boss had "volunteered" me to travel to Ann Arbor, MI, for a conference -- tomorrow. I rushed out to someplace like a bank to finish paying for my ticket with coupons (?!) and .60 in cash. At my office again, somebody asked me what the conference was called, and I looked it up. "Anger, Anxiety, and Hermeneutics." (Yes, I have words like that in my dreams.)

I asked my boss why he chose me to go to this thing. "You come across well on camera."

It was not a direct flight; I was to change planes at "Kanh Cahn Do" airport. I was frantically looking that up (Vietnam???) when I snapped awake.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 28, 2025 05:59 AM (omVj0)

58 Morning, 'rons and 'ronettes. 38 degrees here at Stately Poppins Manor, with a high in the low 50s to come. I've gone through about 1 1/2 hours of work and still have probably another 2 to go.

It was an interesting weekend. I got a phone call I was not looking forward to, but in the end, after a few texts, I think it's all sorted out. I'll finish with it later this week.

A rare occurrence on Sunday - I was starting work on a new opening chapter of my novel and actually managed to pump out the whole thing in the course of the day, which is very unusual. And even more unusual, I actually don't hate it.

On the other hand, the post for my forthcoming tooth implant fell out last night. I'll have to call the dentist once I clear away the work waiting for me.

Talk to you all later.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing (aka Eloquent Depression) at October 28, 2025 06:00 AM (ufSfZ)

59 58 On the other hand, the post for my forthcoming tooth implant fell out last night. I'll have to call the dentist once I clear away the work waiting for me.
Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing (aka Eloquent Depression) at October 28, 2025 06:00 AM (ufSfZ)

Yikes. Fingers crossed.

Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 06:05 AM (RuTUS)

60 Second dream was more pleasant. I took off, driving west, in a co-worker's diesel work truck. At some points it seemed like an Econoline van with a broken rear door, in others it seemed like an eighteen-wheeler's cab.

Early on, I stopped for food, not at a truck stop but at a modern downtown office building, parking the truck in the lobby. The area was unfamiliar to me. I asked at the counter where I could get diesel fuel. "Oh, there's Ellen's just up the road. About $2.00 a gallon." (Apparently I was traveling in time as well as space.) I'd come a ways, but still had half a tank, so I pushed on through rainy weather along the Interstate to . . . well, somewhere. I woke up as I got into busy traffic approaching a metro area like Birmingham or Nashville, though in the dream I did not think it was either.

Melatonin, baby. Melts in yore brain, not in yore hands!

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 28, 2025 06:06 AM (omVj0)

61 @57/Wolfus: You'll have those for a while, until your subconscious puts that part of your life away in memory's equivalent of 'the archives'. Right now it sounds like it's sorting through "all the ways my former boss made my life way more stressful than it should have been."

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at October 28, 2025 06:07 AM (O7YUW)

62 Morning, 'rons and 'ettes.

Posted by: olddog in mo at October 28, 2025 06:09 AM (hoCmQ)

63 MP4, congrats on the chapter work! Any writer would say that compensates for the tooth troubles. Maybe not right away, but maybe in retrospect.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 28, 2025 06:09 AM (omVj0)

64 Wolfus: You'll have those for a while, until your subconscious puts that part of your life away in memory's equivalent of 'the archives'. Right now it sounds like it's sorting through "all the ways my former boss made my life way more stressful than it should have been."
Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at October 28, 2025

***
Maybe you're right. The stress was really the commute every day. The job itself was really sort of boring. My previous job of office manager kept me on my toes, but I liked that, at least then.

I should stop watching Deep Space Nine before I go to bed. My last boss resembled Ben Sisko more than a little, and it may be setting up echoes.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 28, 2025 06:11 AM (omVj0)

65 Platner's kilometer, second video down:

https://xcancel.com/grahamformaine

Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 06:13 AM (RuTUS)

66 65 Platner's kilometer, second video down:

https://xcancel.com/grahamformaine
Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 06:13 AM (RuTUS)

the comments are brutal

Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 06:17 AM (RuTUS)

67 It's 65 F. right now, high humidity but not much wind. We're supposed to get a "cold" front in here tomorrow: highs in the 60s and lows in the 50s. Ah's gonna believes it when Ah feels it. In the meantime, it sounds like decent workout weather even now.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 28, 2025 06:17 AM (omVj0)

68 Check out time. Have a better day if you can.

fin.

Posted by: clarence at October 28, 2025 06:24 AM (3zRwU)

69 We watched Jurassic World: Rebirth with Scarlett Johanssen last night, and I enjoyed it. The film is set in the very near future, thirty-four years after the original adventure in '94. The climate, colder than they evolved in, and other Earth conditions have killed off most of the dinosaurs created, and the public has basically lost interest in seeing them. So they live only on islands close to the equator. People are enjoined from going there.

A company wants to get DNA samples from three of the largest living species, to develop a medicine against heart disease. Promising ten mil, they recruit "situational security" expert Zora (Scarlett), and she recruits guys she's worked with, to go to one island off the coast of South America. Difficulties ensue.

It's fun, with a very different tone from that of the earlier films, almost sad in places.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 28, 2025 06:26 AM (omVj0)

70 My fridge does not have a screen, does not monitor our food purchases, reports no data to data brokers, and never tries to sell me anything.

It keeps food chilled. The freezer freezes.

Posted by: Huck Follywood at October 28, 2025 06:31 AM (lUMEG)

71 My fridge does not have a screen, does not monitor our food purchases, reports no data to data brokers, and never tries to sell me anything.

It keeps food chilled. The freezer freezes.
Posted by: Huck Follywood at October 28, 2025

***
Exactly right.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 28, 2025 06:33 AM (omVj0)

72 Bill Gates on CNBC pushing his climate BS. Whatever he is for I am against.

Posted by: Don't blame the alligators at October 28, 2025 06:35 AM (1Nv0l)

73 Maine uberalles.

Posted by: Boss Moss at October 28, 2025 06:35 AM (BBIP1)

74 Glowbull warming would be good for northern states.

Posted by: Boss Moss at October 28, 2025 06:36 AM (BBIP1)

75 Turns out Gates has actually gotten part-way to sanity. "Climate is super-important but not the only thing".

Now just get rid of the "super-important", Bill. Maybe you'll figure it out before you're dead.

Posted by: Don't blame the alligators at October 28, 2025 06:40 AM (1Nv0l)

76 mornin yall. Perhaps you have heard that United Healthcare sucks. Well, it is true. United Healthcare sucks. I have seen better customer support from a lemonade stand. It's like their strategy to handle customers is to frustrate them so throughly they give up.

Posted by: fd at October 28, 2025 06:41 AM (vFG9F)

77 Did somebody say "money shot?!?"

Oh, wait - "moon shot." Well, that's different.
Posted by: Sandra Fluke at October 28, 2025 05:53 AM (ufSfZ)
--------------------
Is it?

If so, you are improving!

Posted by: Huck Follywood at October 28, 2025 06:42 AM (wFqrs)

78 It keeps food chilled. The freezer freezes.
Posted by: Huck Follywood at October 28, 2025 06:31 AM (lUMEG)

What did the chicken do?

Posted by: Just the punchline at October 28, 2025 06:46 AM (PiwSw)

79 Chicken isn't fatty enough.

Posted by: Boss Moss at October 28, 2025 06:47 AM (BBIP1)

80 > These are strongly oriented towards low-precision calculations and would not be as useful for a non-AI supercomputer, or for playing Minecraft.

Probably find for Minecraft. But better run your machine on a 50A circuit.

Posted by: Don't blame the alligators at October 28, 2025 06:54 AM (1Nv0l)

81 Speaking as a black LGBT woman, last week a moron posted a YT analysis of a threatening Halloween scare in Alexandria Virginia.

The Ytuber said that the woman in the house was armed and reacted very calmly by not opening the door and blowing the heads off of the 3 goons outside.

The goons have been found:

https://tinyurl.com/5br45vn5

Can you imagine had this incident gone up a notch?

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at October 28, 2025 06:56 AM (wUig4)

82 76 mornin yall. Perhaps you have heard that United Healthcare sucks. Well, it is true. United Healthcare sucks. I have seen better customer support from a lemonade stand. It's like their strategy to handle customers is to frustrate them so throughly they give up.

Posted by: fd at October 28, 2025 06:41 AM (vFG9F)

BCBS sucks, too, sometimes. I remember one claim I got passed back and forth between BCBS Georgia and BCBS South Carolina because I live in Georgia but my employer (and thus insurance) is in South Carolina.

Posted by: Farquad at October 28, 2025 06:58 AM (CFMhl)

83 Speaking asa black LGBT woman, I have to say: And then you also have to think about how I’m thinking about this as a Black woman who is part of the L.G.B.T.Q. community, and living in this time where I also don’t think Democrats right now, Democrats’ leadership, is protecting vulnerable people in the way that it should.

Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 06:59 AM (RuTUS)

84 Birdbath status?

Posted by: Just Wondering at October 28, 2025 07:00 AM (XQo4F)

85
A kilometer? In Maine?
Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 05:15 AM (RuTUS)

Well, they have a Parliament.

Posted by: Cow Demon at October 28, 2025 07:00 AM (vwL3N)

86 ohthetypo

Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 07:01 AM (RuTUS)

87 76 mornin yall. Perhaps you have heard that United Healthcare sucks. Well, it is true. United Healthcare sucks. I have seen better customer support from a lemonade stand. It's like their strategy to handle customers is to frustrate them so throughly they give up.
Posted by: fd at October 28, 2025 06:41 AM (vFG9F)

You can only use it when you are healthy.

Posted by: Cow Demon at October 28, 2025 07:02 AM (vwL3N)

88 The goons have been found:

You mind telling me what site that is? I'd like to read it but I can't follow tiny url links.

Posted by: NR Pax at October 28, 2025 07:03 AM (lXoJ5)

89 It's like their strategy to handle customers is to frustrate them so thoroughly they give up.

And then Luigi had to come along and change their approach.

Posted by: NR Pax at October 28, 2025 07:04 AM (lXoJ5)

90 Google's latest quantum claim was enough to raise it's stock price, say market watchers, giving is some idea of what will happen if they ever achieve anything really useful with quantum computing.

Posted by: Huck Follywood at October 28, 2025 07:05 AM (wa8ai)

91 Well, United Healthcare certainly goes the extra mile to not pay when you're unwell.

In all seriousness, I've had both UN and BCBS and BCBS wins running away.

Posted by: Additional Blond Agent, STEM Guy at October 28, 2025 07:05 AM (/HDaX)

92 You mind telling me what site that is? I'd like to read it but I can't follow tiny url links.
Posted by: NR Pax at October 28, 2025 07:03 AM (lXoJ5)

x.com/i/trending/1982871551717298634

Posted by: I used to have a different nic at October 28, 2025 07:06 AM (ExV1e)

93 Here's the whole post, NR Pax:

Masked Teen Cousins' Prank Terrifies Family in Alexandria, Police Confirm
Last updated
10 hours ago

On October 14, 2025, three masked teenagers banged on the door of a family home in Alexandria, Virginia's Old Town neighborhood, shouting death threats and damaging property, leading to fears of a home invasion. After over 100 hours of investigation, Alexandria Police revealed the suspects were the homeowner Shayla Whiteside's teenage cousins, orchestrated by a relative for a video, with adults and a child filming nearby. No charges were filed as the family chose not to press them, but authorities condemned the stunt's recklessness, noting it nearly escalated when an armed relative arrived.

This story is a summary of posts on X and may evolve over time. Grok can make mistakes, verify its outputs.

Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 07:06 AM (RuTUS)

94 Accuracy and precision are technical terms that laypeople often get mixed up. Accuracy is how close you are to the right (or at least sufficient) answer, precision is how close you are to the precise answer. For example 1.5 may be the accurate and sufficient answer to a question but the more precise answer may be 1.50000201809812.

It's kind of like how pi is used. The accurate and usually sufficient answer is 3.14, but you can get much more precise than that. Don't remember how far out they've calculate it but it's a crap load of numbers.

Posted by: Farquad at October 28, 2025 07:09 AM (CFMhl)

95 There is only one time I open carry: if I am forced into a filling station at night (not my car, but was guarding my friend). One other customer saw my firearm, and smiled appreciatively when he did - I nodded and smiled back. I feel so sorry for people who live in Blue states.

Posted by: An Observation sez Trump is my President at October 28, 2025 07:09 AM (Da7Vv)

96 Trump dance on an aircraft carrier

https://x.com/RapidResponse47/
status/1983085390589477007

Posted by: Don Black. Message: at October 28, 2025 07:10 AM (AOsQT)

97 Speaking as a black LGBT woman, congratulations to the Dodgers for winning a double header last night. I'm sure at least five or six people stuck around until the game finally ended.

Posted by: Huck Follywood at October 28, 2025 07:11 AM (lIDVh)

98 The goons have been found:

You mind telling me what site that is? I'd like to read it but I can't follow tiny url links.

Posted by: NR Pax at October 28, 2025 07:03 AM (lXoJ5)
-

Speaking as a black LGBT woman, l can tell you that by adding a plus sign to the end of a TinyUrl link, you will be presented with a prompt screen showing you the target URL.

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at October 28, 2025 07:12 AM (wUig4)

99 "And then Luigi had to come along and change their approach.
Posted by: NR Pax"

This is my MIL's insurance company. After spending hours on the phone, on hold, and being pushed from one clown to another, I can see how an unbalanced person may be motivated to take unconventional action. They had Mrs fd near tears. I told her last year to dump them, but nobody ever listens to me even though I am always right.

Posted by: fd at October 28, 2025 07:13 AM (vFG9F)

100 100

Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 07:13 AM (RuTUS)

101 Thanks guys. I can't go to Twitter either.

Those three are very lucky that they didn't get sent to life's checkout lane.

Posted by: NR Pax at October 28, 2025 07:13 AM (lXoJ5)

102 93 This story is a summary of posts on X and may evolve over time. Grok can make mistakes, verify its outputs.
Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 07:06 AM (RuTUS)

Grok needs to differently punctuate that second sentence.
Possibilities include:

Grok can make mistakes; verify its outputs.
Grok can make mistakes. Verify its outputs.

Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 07:15 AM (RuTUS)

103 . . . nobody ever listens to me even though I am always right.
Posted by: fd at October 28, 2025

***
Ain't that the way of it though?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 28, 2025 07:15 AM (omVj0)

104 Morning! What's new?

Posted by: JSpicy at October 28, 2025 07:16 AM (pZoON)

105 Accuracy and precision are technical terms that laypeople often get mixed up. Accuracy is how close you are to the right (or at least sufficient) answer, precision is how close you are to the precise answer. For example 1.5 may be the accurate and sufficient answer to a question but the more precise answer may be 1.50000201809812.

Part of the problem with modern science is that the practitioners are often very precisely wrong, because they focus on precision instead of on accuracy. If the accurate answer is 1.5 they'll tell you it is 26.234098...

Posted by: An Observation sez Trump is my President at October 28, 2025 07:17 AM (Da7Vv)

106 nobody ever listens to me even though I am always right.
Posted by: fd at October 28, 2025

***
Ain't that the way of it though?
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 28, 2025 07:15 AM (omVj0)

I may not always be right, but I'm never wrong.

Posted by: OrangeEnt at October 28, 2025 07:17 AM (uQesX)

107 98 Speaking as a black LGBT woman, l can tell you that by adding a plus sign to the end of a TinyUrl link, you will be presented with a prompt screen showing you the target URL.
Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at October 28, 2025 07:12 AM (wUig4)

If I ever knew that, I forgot it. Thanks!

Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 07:18 AM (RuTUS)

108 I can see how an unbalanced person may be motivated to take unconventional action.

Companies like that have gotten way too comfortable behaving like this.

I had them years ago. I needed some orthotic inserts for my feet that they said were covered. I went to the doctor and got charged about $900 for them. Called from the office and they said that they don't support that. I gave them the date I called and the name of the person but they would not budge.

Finally the doctor said "Don't worry. I'll take care of this." Never had any follow up bill. I think he forced them to play back the recording of the call.

Posted by: NR Pax at October 28, 2025 07:18 AM (lXoJ5)

109 I wonder what a billion dollar pair of supercomputers can do that a huge array of servers cannot do at a fraction of the cost.

Posted by: Huck Follywood at October 28, 2025 07:18 AM (lIDVh)

110 "Ain't that the way of it though?
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius"

It's a curse I must endure at times, silently.

Posted by: fd at October 28, 2025 07:19 AM (vFG9F)

111 104 Morning! What's new?
Posted by: JSpicy at October 28, 2025 07:16 AM (pZoON)

I deeply covet your hash.

Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 07:19 AM (RuTUS)

112 It's a curse I must endure at times, silently.
Posted by: fd at October 28, 2025 07:19 AM (vFG9F)
----------
And with fortitude!

Posted by: Huck Follywood at October 28, 2025 07:20 AM (lIDVh)

113 JJ et arrive

Posted by: Huck Follywood at October 28, 2025 07:21 AM (lIDVh)

114 JJ is up…

Posted by: Hawkpilot at October 28, 2025 07:22 AM (EzGiP)

115 99 nobody ever listens to me even though I am always right
Posted by: fd at October 28, 2025 07:13 AM (vFG9F)

I ... can't ... HEAR ... you!
(hands cupped over my ears)

Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 07:22 AM (RuTUS)

116 By the time you get to a 4k laptop screen, that drops to 1%.

This was the problem with people buying stereos/speakers back in the day. Well, there were two. One was that most people couldn't distinguish sounds as well as the really high-end speakers and systems could churn out. Especially if they listened to loud music loudly.

The other was all the people cranking the speakers WAY up to see how good they were - when that, in particular, covers up the sorts of details it's claiming to be able to produce. My dad always turned the speakers way down and listened to some classical music (because it's got lots of sound details of different sorts in it). If he could hear all of those details at low volume, then the speaker was a good one.

But people are impressed by big numbers. (See previous rants about "experts.")

Posted by: GWB at October 28, 2025 07:23 AM (6Us78)

117 96 Trump dance on an aircraft carrier

https://x.com/RapidResponse47/
status/1983085390589477007
Posted by: Don Black. Message: at October 28, 2025 07:10 AM (AOsQT)

; )

Posted by: m at October 28, 2025 07:28 AM (RuTUS)

118 If I have to have ads on my appliances, then there is no reason I should be paying $2000 for their product.
Posted by: NR Pax at October 28, 2025 05:53 AM (lXoJ5)
---
Yup. If anything, they should be paying me for ad space on my fridge.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at October 28, 2025 07:28 AM (IBQGV)

119 nobody ever listens to me even though I am always right.
Posted by: fd at October 28, 2025

***
Ain't that the way of it though?
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 28, 2025
*
I may not always be right, but I'm never wrong.
Posted by: OrangeEnt at October 28, 2025

***
I thought I was wrong once. But I was mistaken.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 28, 2025 07:29 AM (omVj0)

120 I asked my boss why he chose me to go to this thing. "You come across well on camera."

It was not a direct flight; I was to change planes at "Kanh Cahn Do" airport. I was frantically looking that up (Vietnam???) when I snapped awake.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 28, 2025 05:59 AM (omVj0)

Ah man! You missed your flight.

Posted by: Dr. Pork Chops & Bacons at October 28, 2025 07:35 AM (g8Ew8)

121 @11 Greetings from the Carolinas.
Thankful for the slow steady rain.

That's a song title right there.
Hard to decide, gospel spiritual or soul ballad.
But it cooks.

Posted by: Way, Way Downriver at October 28, 2025 07:50 AM (zdLoL)

122 And this...
https://tinyurl.com/4c8ft94m

Posted by: guillermo at October 28, 2025 08:43 AM (558mO)

123 Sock off

Posted by: stu-mick-o-sucks at October 28, 2025 09:30 AM (w9Wax)

124 *looks back on comments* I had no idea black LGBT women were so well represented in the Horde population.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at October 28, 2025 10:30 AM (O7YUW)

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