Daily Tech News 30 September 2023

Top Story

French AI company Mistral has released an LLM with no strings attached and the commies are furious. (404 Media)

We've seen what American AI companies do with - or rather, to - their products. ChatGPT will argue endlessly that it's better to let millions of people die in a nuclear fireball than utter a racial slur that nobody will hear. (And also keeps forgetting how to derive the prime factors of small positive integers.) Midjourney will suffer an aneurysm if you use the word "petite" when describing the image you want to generate.

Facebook does a lot better, unless you're competing with Facebook, in which case you can take a long walk off a short pier. Which is at least understandable, and the term "competing with" is pretty specific and doesn't apply to anyone smaller than Google, Microsoft, or Amazon.

Mistral just released Mistral 7B under the Apache license, which means you can do anything you like with it except pretend that it's not Mistral 7B.

It's as good as Facebook's Llama 2 13B while running on commodity graphics cards (16GB rather than 32GB), you can use it for anything you want, and it's not lobotomised - the industry prefers the euphemism "aligned", though they still use an ice pick to do it.
The Mistral 7B Instruct model is a quick demonstration that the base model can be easily fine-tuned to achieve compelling performance. It does not have any moderation mechanism. We're looking forward to engaging with the community on ways to make the model finely respect guardrails, allowing for deployment in environments requiring moderated outputs.
This naturally has communists and journalists concerned:
According to a list of 178 questions and answers composed by AI safety researcher Paul Röttger and 404 Media's own testing, Mistral will readily discuss the benefits of ethnic cleansing, how to restore Jim Crow-style discrimination against Black people, instructions for suicide or killing your wife, and detailed instructions on what materials you'll need to make crack and where to acquire them.
So will the internet, or any good reference text.

The real question is why you are trying to murder your ethnic wife with a crack overdose in the first place.

Tech News

Six hysterical children are suing Europe for not preventing the sky from falling. (BBC)

Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time.
A new era for Arecibo: It's now a giant full-contact netball court. (Nature)

Or should be. That would be an improvement over what they are actually doing.
The days of free upgrades from Windows 7 and 8 to 10 or 11 are officially officially over. (Tom's Hardware)

This offer ended in July 2016, but an officially unofficial reprieve has pushed the officially official date out by more than seven years, with the unofficially official grace period finally ending on September 20.

Except that if you try to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10 today... It still works just fine, so we're now into an indeterminate unofficially unofficial extended bonus grace period.

You can still officially officially upgrade from Windows 11 to Windows 10 though.

Disclaimer: Three-Alarm Karma Comes for Drama Llama Farmer.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:00 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 The right to bear arms

Posted by: Ciampino - Kittens are fun at September 30, 2023 04:00 AM (qfLjt)

2 G'Day Pixy

Posted by: Skip at September 30, 2023 04:01 AM (fwDg9)

3 Oh, someone else is up
G'Day Ciampino

Posted by: Skip at September 30, 2023 04:01 AM (fwDg9)

4 Never tried bear arms, should you grill or stew them?

Posted by: Skip at September 30, 2023 04:03 AM (fwDg9)

5 Pixy, have you seen the anime McDonald's ad (it's on WeirdDave's ONT and at his twitter account @OntWtf)? You might like that.

Posted by: m at September 30, 2023 04:06 AM (AOrJZ)

6 (Maybe I'm using the word "anime" wrong.)

Posted by: m at September 30, 2023 04:07 AM (AOrJZ)

7 Morning Skip and everyone. I was reading the content particularly those hysterical children who have obviously been put up by adults.

Posted by: Ciampino - Suddenly every heatwave is no longer just Summer. at September 30, 2023 04:15 AM (qfLjt)

8 4 Never tried bear arms, should you grill or stew them?

Posted by: Skip at September 30, 2023 04:03 AM (fwDg9)
----
Well you know CBD's penchant for sous vide .....
Youll need really big plastic bags and remove the paws.

Posted by: Ciampino - Suddenly every heatwave is no longer just Summer at September 30, 2023 04:18 AM (qfLjt)

9 Youll need really big plastic bags and remove the paws.
Posted by: Ciampino

No pause? So I should get right to it?

Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 04:21 AM (vd8XM)

10 Damn Klimate Kids just might make the whole Klimate scam show itself by accident.

Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 04:23 AM (vd8XM)

11 294 https://tinyurl.com/bdhkkvf3
20 Tweets from Bad Blue
Posted by: Skip at September 30, 2023 03:33 AM (fwDg9)

Thanks, Skip!

Posted by: m at September 30, 2023 04:27 AM (AOrJZ)

12 hiya

Posted by: JT at September 30, 2023 04:31 AM (T4tVD)

13 Thanks Skip !

Posted by: JT at September 30, 2023 04:32 AM (T4tVD)

14 /revive

Posted by: Pixy Misa at September 30, 2023 04:38 AM (BLOW1)

15 WTF!???

Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 04:38 AM (vd8XM)

16 / revive, is that a Harry Potter spell?

Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 04:39 AM (vd8XM)

17 Regarding DiFi...

Meme with a quote attributed to Clarence Darrow,

I never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure.

Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 04:40 AM (vd8XM)

18 5 Pixy, have you seen the anime McDonald's ad (it's on WeirdDave's ONT and at his twitter account @OntWtf)? You might like that.

https://x.com/HnkEcho/status/1705343854042337316

Posted by: Pixy Misa at September 30, 2023 04:44 AM (BLOW1)

19 16 / revive, is that a Harry Potter spell?

There's this weird thing the blog does if you edit it, sometimes the comments on that post vanish until a new comment is posted, then they all show up again.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at September 30, 2023 04:46 AM (BLOW1)

20 >>>Mistral will readily discuss the benefits of ethnic cleansing

People should be able to "steel man" these sorts of arguments; it's a standard part of debate training.

Posted by: m at September 30, 2023 04:47 AM (AOrJZ)

21 There's this weird thing the blog does if you edit it, sometimes the comments on that post vanish until a new comment is posted, then they all show up again.
Posted by: Pixy Misa

Phew, I thought maybe the last half hour was a dream sequence.

Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 04:48 AM (vd8XM)

22 18 5 anime McDonald's

https://x.com/HnkEcho/status/1705343854042337316
Posted by: Pixy Misa at September 30, 2023 04:44 AM (BLOW1)

WcDonald's!

Posted by: m at September 30, 2023 04:50 AM (AOrJZ)

23 Morning, 'rons and 'ettes.

Posted by: olddog in mo at September 30, 2023 04:53 AM (ju2Fy)

24 That one with the bearclaw toenails - one ugly bitch.

Posted by: Ciampino - politicians are only beholden to themselves at September 30, 2023 04:54 AM (qfLjt)

25
Philadelphia pharmacy looters:

The four were then seen leaving the area in a black, late model crossover style vehicle.

Root cause of desire to steal drugs: Bread prices

Posted by: Divide by Zero at September 30, 2023 04:54 AM (enJYY)

26 14 /revive

Posted by: Pixy Misa at September 30, 2023 04:38 AM (BLOW1)
----
Will that work on Feinstein? And is this how you make zombies?

Posted by: Ciampino - politicians are only beholden to themselves! at September 30, 2023 04:56 AM (qfLjt)

27 24 That one with the bearclaw toenails
Posted by: Ciampino - politicians are only beholden to themselves at September 30, 2023 04:54 AM (qfLjt)

I thought it was a three-toed sloth.

Posted by: m at September 30, 2023 04:57 AM (AOrJZ)

28 The real question is why you are trying to murder your ethnic wife with a crack overdose in the first place.

Got tired of yellow?

Posted by: olddog in mo at September 30, 2023 04:57 AM (ju2Fy)

29 Our nephew and his wife are in Rome for a golf course architects meeting of some sort.

They are sending a stinkload of pictures of their tours of Rome, but they never tell us what the heck we're looking at.

How about you cut the pics by 2/3rds and provide some info people?

Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 05:06 AM (vd8XM)

30 so we're now into an indeterminate unofficially unofficial extended bonus grace period.

So, a double-secret bonus grace period.

Posted by: olddog in mo at September 30, 2023 05:08 AM (ju2Fy)

31
That stinkin' Ophelia is still off the coast spinnin' around a week later. It caused all the flooding in NYC yesterday - a week after arrival. Must be some sort of record.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at September 30, 2023 05:13 AM (enJYY)

32 That one with the bearclaw toenails - one ugly bitch.
Posted by: Ciampino - politicians are only beholden to themselves at September 30, 2023 04:54 AM (qfLjt)

She only has 4 toes on each foot.

Posted by: JT at September 30, 2023 05:14 AM (T4tVD)

33 29 Our nephew and his wife are in Rome for a golf course architects meeting of some sort.

They are sending a stinkload of pictures of their tours of Rome, but they never tell us what the heck we're looking at.

How about you cut the pics by 2/3rds and provide some info people?
Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 05:06 AM (vd8XM)

Selection, selection, selection!

Posted by: m at September 30, 2023 05:14 AM (AOrJZ)

34 The kids are just Mascots of the Annointed.

I stole that, from somebody. It's an appropriate snark.

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at September 30, 2023 05:16 AM (cPl+1)

35 32 That one with the bearclaw toenails - one ugly bitch.
Posted by: Ciampino - politicians are only beholden to themselves at September 30, 2023 04:54 AM (qfLjt)

She only has 4 toes on each foot.
Posted by: JT at September 30, 2023 05:14 AM (T4tVD)

"She."

Posted by: m at September 30, 2023 05:16 AM (AOrJZ)

36 Mornin', all

Posted by: My Life is Insanity at September 30, 2023 05:16 AM (quZz/)

37 So AI is only good if it AI parrots the thoughts of "someone" that is on the side of being right?

Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 05:18 AM (vd8XM)

38 Hiya MLii !

Long time no see !

Posted by: JT at September 30, 2023 05:19 AM (T4tVD)

39 She only has 4 toes on each foot.
Posted by: JT at September 30, 2023 05:14 AM (T4tVD)

"She."
Posted by: m at September 30, 2023 05:16 AM (AOrJZ)

Oh.

IT.

Posted by: JT at September 30, 2023 05:20 AM (T4tVD)

40 Hey JT!

Posted by: My Life is Insanity at September 30, 2023 05:20 AM (quZz/)

41 Hey JT!
Posted by: My Life is Insanity

Posted by: JT at September 30, 2023 05:22 AM (T4tVD)

42 37 So AI is only good if it AI parrots the thoughts of "someone" that is on the side of being right?
Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 05:18 AM (vd8XM)

"Right" is decided by the Thought Police.

Posted by: m at September 30, 2023 05:22 AM (AOrJZ)

43 Foot update.

Doc say if it doesn't hurt and I can get around that I won't need the second operation. And see him in 90 days.

So some good news for me. I'll need to take it easy for a while, but I don't need to wear the boot.

So YAYYYY, good news for me!

Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 05:23 AM (vd8XM)

44 >>How about you cut the pics by 2/3rds and provide some info people?
Posted by: Bruce

Found a box of slides when cleaning out my parent's house. Was from when my uncle was stationed in Germany in the early 60s. Every slide is numbered with a corresponding description on a paper that was in the box. So very cool!

Posted by: My Life is Insanity at September 30, 2023 05:23 AM (quZz/)

45 ... or enforced by the Thought Police.

Posted by: m at September 30, 2023 05:24 AM (AOrJZ)

46 Every slide is numbered with a corresponding description on a paper that was in the box. So very cool!
Posted by: My Life is Insanity

Excellent!

Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 05:25 AM (vd8XM)

47 That is good news, Bruce! I've missed stuff not being here daily. I really hate my spotty WiFi

Posted by: My Life is Insanity at September 30, 2023 05:25 AM (quZz/)

48 Foot update.

Doc say if it doesn't hurt and I can get around that I won't need the second operation. And see him in 90 days.

So some good news for me. I'll need to take it easy for a while, but I don't need to wear the boot.

So YAYYYY, good news for me!
Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 05:23 AM (vd8XM)

NICE !

Posted by: JT at September 30, 2023 05:27 AM (T4tVD)

49 Cold Spring Labs is a biolab on Long Island, NY. Why are they fucking around in PR?
Then, I rembered the Grift.

Posted by: Jamaica NYC at September 30, 2023 05:29 AM (Eeb9P)

50 The Bear Claw Dude is a prank.

Posted by: Jamaica NYC at September 30, 2023 05:31 AM (Eeb9P)

51 So YAYYYY, good news for me!
Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 05:23
-------------------

Hallelujah! PTL!

Posted by: olddog in mo at September 30, 2023 05:31 AM (ju2Fy)

52 Finally got some time away from work to get to our Up North place. Haven't been here since last fall.

My brother and I came up to get a bit of yard work done. Currently enjoying a fire outside with a cup of coffee, of course.!

Posted by: My Life is Insanity at September 30, 2023 05:31 AM (quZz/)

53 My brother and I came up to get a bit of yard work done. Currently enjoying a fire outside with a cup of coffee, of course.!
Posted by: My Life is Insanity

In the dark?
You are hardcore!

Glad you could get up there.

Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 05:33 AM (vd8XM)

54 Weather forecast earlier in week was no rain.

Ha! Rainstorm heading our way by 8a.m.

Posted by: My Life is Insanity at September 30, 2023 05:33 AM (quZz/)

55 Lol Bruce

Posted by: My Life is Insanity at September 30, 2023 05:34 AM (quZz/)

56 Shhh! Voices carry on the lake

Posted by: My Life is Insanity at September 30, 2023 05:35 AM (quZz/)

57 Ha! Rainstorm heading our way by 8a.m.
Posted by: My Life is Insanity

9 out of 10 scientists agree the Klimate Change, based on the ancient records that agree with them, will be here in 5 years.

Maybe more. We'll let you know in 5 years.

Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 05:35 AM (vd8XM)

58 Shhh! Voices carry on the lake
Posted by: My Life is Insanity

HA!!

Yeah, people on boats don't realize that the people on shore can't hear the motor so much, but they can sure hear the conversations

Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 05:37 AM (vd8XM)

59 We planned to go out for breakfast early, but bro keeps adding more logs to the fire.
If I was motivated I could cook breakfast out here.

If.

Posted by: My Life is Insanity at September 30, 2023 05:37 AM (quZz/)

60 If I was motivated I could cook breakfast out here.

If.
Posted by: My Life is Insanity

Yeah, a fire and coffee on a cool morning is tough to walk away from

Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 05:38 AM (vd8XM)

61 Evening and morning, folken! I know, it's Saturday, and I planned to sleep "late" (for me, that is). But, no hope. And I can't even blame it on big black Stirling this time.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at September 30, 2023 05:39 AM (omVj0)

62 I think our humming birds are gone for the season.

Time to take down the feeders

Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 05:39 AM (vd8XM)

63 After running errands yesterday I remain convinced that there is a Secret Law in PA. prohibiting road repair.

Posted by: JT at September 30, 2023 05:39 AM (T4tVD)

64 57 Ha! Rainstorm heading our way by 8a.m.
Posted by: My Life is Insanity

9 out of 10 scientists agree the Klimate Change, based on the ancient records that agree with them, will be here in 5 years.

Maybe more. We'll let you know in 5 years.

Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 05:35 AM (vd8XM)
----
Those same 9 out of 10 scientists smoke Camels.

Posted by: Ciampino - It's the end of the Erf. at September 30, 2023 05:39 AM (qfLjt)

65 >>Maybe more. We'll let you know in 5 years.
Posted by: Bruce

Ha! I think the only profession you can be wrong 100% of the time and not be fired.

Posted by: My Life is Insanity at September 30, 2023 05:40 AM (quZz/)

66 Those same 9 out of 10 scientists smoke Camels.
Posted by: Ciampino

And guess where they blow the smoke?

Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 05:40 AM (vd8XM)

67 Hey, Wolfus.

My cat Lucky has had to wear a toned-down type of cone for a hematoma in his ear for the past few weeks. It looks a bit like a babushka. (Spelling?)

Anyway, his embarrassment ends on Tuesday. Hopefully he will not hate me anymore

Posted by: My Life is Insanity at September 30, 2023 05:43 AM (quZz/)

68 >>After running errands yesterday I remain convinced that there is a Secret Law in PA. prohibiting road repair.
Posted by: JT

Come to WI. Construction season never ends.

Posted by: My Life is Insanity at September 30, 2023 05:46 AM (quZz/)

69 After running errands yesterday I remain convinced that there is a Secret Law in PA. prohibiting road repair.
Posted by: JT

Come to WI. Construction season never ends.
Posted by: My Life is Insanity at September 30, 2023 05:46 AM (quZz/)

It never starts here.

Posted by: JT at September 30, 2023 05:49 AM (T4tVD)

70 Those same 9 out of 10 scientists smoke Camels.
Posted by: Ciampino

PA does a pretty good job of doing roadwork on the interstate.

At least whenever I go thru

Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 05:55 AM (vd8XM)

71
g'mornin', 'rons

Posted by: AltonJackson at September 30, 2023 05:56 AM (ENBF0)

72 Oh jeez... Let me paste the right thing.

After running errands yesterday I remain convinced that there is a Secret Law in PA. prohibiting road repair.
Posted by: JT

PA does a pretty good job of blocking up the interstate doing roadwork.

At least whenever I go thru

Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 05:57 AM (vd8XM)

73
Now that the Crypt Keeper has passed, will all her staffers who illegally exercised her voting privileges in the Senate surrender those powers willingly?

Magic 8 Ball sez .. "Not Bloody Likely".

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at September 30, 2023 05:58 AM (a6M6u)

74 Okay, off to do some stuff.
Have a great one all!

Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 06:01 AM (vd8XM)

75 Backatcha Bruce !

Posted by: JT at September 30, 2023 06:04 AM (T4tVD)

76 Getting that No Krak Feeling again

Posted by: Skip at September 30, 2023 06:04 AM (fwDg9)

77 mornin yall. The local paper says "National Hispanic Heritage Month is from September 15th through October 15th. It's considered a time to honor and recognize Hispanic and Latinx Americans."

For one thing, months do not run from the 15th to the 15th. Secondly, can you be Hispanic and not "latinx"? Thirdly, what in the hell are we supposed to honor and recognize latinxs for? Invading the country.

Posted by: fd at September 30, 2023 06:05 AM (vFG9F)

78 Hello ? Police ?

I want to report a Kraknapping.....

Posted by: JT at September 30, 2023 06:05 AM (T4tVD)

79 Aloha Morons & Moronettes

Posted by: Noah Bawdy at September 30, 2023 06:06 AM (ja6Xa)

80 Mrs fd has a craft show today so I will be reporting on the exciting events of the day while honoring latinxs.

Posted by: fd at September 30, 2023 06:08 AM (vFG9F)

81 Hey, Wolfus.

My cat Lucky has had to wear a toned-down type of cone for a hematoma in his ear for the past few weeks. It looks a bit like a babushka. (Spelling?)

Anyway, his embarrassment ends on Tuesday. Hopefully he will not hate me anymore
Posted by: My Life is Insanity at September 30, 2023

***
Hi, My Life! Haven't seen you on the overnight threads in a while. Oh, I tried putting a cone thing on little Dagny when she came back from her spaying, but she panicked and tore around trying to get it off her neck. We seized her and removed it, and she didn't bother her stitches at all; so I guess we got lucky.

How's Wisconsin?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at September 30, 2023 06:09 AM (omVj0)

82 Come to WI. Construction season never ends.
Posted by: My Life is Insanity at September 30, 2023 05:46 AM (quZz/)

It never starts here.
Posted by: JT at September 30, 2023

***
Lousy-ana, I think, hires high school dropouts, hands them shovels, and says, "See what you can do." They swiftly go AWOL -- which is why we never actually see anybody working on road construction sites, just the cones and barriers.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at September 30, 2023 06:11 AM (omVj0)

83 >>How's Wisconsin?
Posted by: Wolfus

Had a dry summer. Fall is starting rather wet.
Nice temps tho, so far

Posted by: My Life is Insanity at September 30, 2023 06:11 AM (quZz/)

84 Stop being so sexy. It's distracting.

Posted by: Nato at September 30, 2023 06:16 AM (ciuRb)

85 I think we are going to get snow, lots of it

Posted by: Skip at September 30, 2023 06:18 AM (fwDg9)

86 Can governors appoint themselves to the US Senate. I could guess Newsom might do that to escape the mess he has made in his state. He would be closer to the
WH where he wants to move in ASAP. The great battle between him and Kamala should be something for the history books. Who can get the key to the front door first.

Posted by: Colin at September 30, 2023 06:19 AM (bOfbg)

87 The Great Kittens are doing well. Yesterday I bought Dagny some Blue Buffalo Wilderness Kitten wet food, the stuff both she and Stirling grew up on. She won't eat their Tastefuls stuff any more, or the Friskies canned I give to Stirling to supplement their dry Purina One. Fortunately she gobbles the Wilderness while Stirling inhales the Friskies, so both are happy.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at September 30, 2023 06:19 AM (omVj0)

88 I think we are going to get snow, lots of it
Posted by: Skip at September 30, 2023

***
How I wish

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at September 30, 2023 06:20 AM (omVj0)

89 Yo wut sup

Posted by: rhennigantx at September 30, 2023 06:21 AM (BRHaw)

90 Poor forest management and firefighting techniques make Portugal especially vulnerable to wildfires as climate change makes hotter, longer summers more likely, experts warned as the latest blazes struck this week.

The exodus of people from the countryside to cities compounds the problem, they added.

Sue them for being tree huggers.

Posted by: rhennigantx at September 30, 2023 06:23 AM (BRHaw)

91 >>I think we are going to get snow, lots of it
Posted by: Skip at September 30, 2023

***
How I wish
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius

Til you shovel the wet heavy stuff more than once. Or deal with people who don't know how to drive in it. Or spring arrives and you get dumped with a foot of it.

Seriously tho, I do enjoy winter's beauty and our season changes here. You'd acclimate to WI well, Wolfus

Posted by: My Life is Insanity at September 30, 2023 06:24 AM (quZz/)

92 Finding a miracle. A devotional about compassion- based on a passage from 2nd Timothy:

https://tinyurl.com/3prn7c75

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at September 30, 2023 06:26 AM (QujcH)

93 Trump's plan to address soaring crime in wake of Philly looting: 'If you rob a store, you can fully expect to be SHOT as you are leaving that store'

Posted by: rhennigantx at September 30, 2023 06:27 AM (BRHaw)

94 I think we are going to get snow, lots of it
Posted by: Skip at September 30, 2023 06:18 AM (fwDg9)

TODAY ?

Posted by: JT at September 30, 2023 06:29 AM (T4tVD)

95
*annoying MIL voice*

Hiiiii, everyone!

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at September 30, 2023 06:30 AM (MoZTd)

96 Heading to the nearest local diner. About 20 miles.

Have a good day, all

Posted by: My Life is Insanity at September 30, 2023 06:30 AM (quZz/)

97
Til you shovel the wet heavy stuff more than once. Or deal with people who don't know how to drive in it. Or spring arrives and you get dumped with a foot of it.

Seriously tho, I do enjoy winter's beauty and our season changes here. You'd acclimate to WI well, Wolfus
Posted by: My Life is Insanity at September 30, 2023

***
True, I've never had to shovel it. I've brushed it off my cars and made sure to put a windshield cover on them (no garage). And I dealt with snow and poor drivers in Denver, but that was a drier snow generally. The wet stuff came in the spring.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at September 30, 2023 06:32 AM (omVj0)

98
Can governors appoint themselves to the US Senate.

Sure, and then get their ass kicked by tge voters ...

In late 1976 Minnesota Governor Wendell Anderson resigned as governor in order to be appointed to the U.S. Senate after Senator Walter Mondale was elected Vice President of the United States. Anderson served in the Senate from December 30, 1976, to December 29, 1978. After losing the 1978 Senate election to Rudy Boschwitz, he resigned a few days before the end of his term to give Boschwitz seniority.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at September 30, 2023 06:35 AM (a6M6u)

99 Heading to the nearest local diner. About 20 miles.

Have a good day, all
Posted by: My Life is Insanity at September 30, 2023 06:30 AM (quZz/)

Bring a sammy !

Posted by: JT at September 30, 2023 06:35 AM (T4tVD)

100
Day 1 of snow: beautifu whitel winter landscape

Day 2 and subsequent: depressing grey icy hellscape

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at September 30, 2023 06:36 AM (MoZTd)

101 Disappointed again. I awaken every day and check the news to find out if God has taken biden into his heavenly bosom and than judged him and sent him on to satan. Nope. There's always tomorrow.

Posted by: neverenoughcaffeine at September 30, 2023 06:36 AM (2NHgQ)

102 Dianne Feinstein's final vote: Trailblazing Democrat, 90, was helped onto Senate floor to raise hand and say 'aye' before posing at home with colleague just HOURS before her death

They had a stick up her ass and it was an animatronic.

Posted by: rhennigantx at September 30, 2023 06:37 AM (BRHaw)

103 Milly called Trump a dictator. That's a flat out lie that nobody will call him on. He wouldn't stand a chance in a dictatorship because the boss would toss his pussy ass into a wood chipper.

Posted by: fd at September 30, 2023 06:37 AM (vFG9F)

104 Strawberries, banana, and coffee. Mmmm.

Posted by: Eromero at September 30, 2023 06:37 AM (KiuiP)

105 Philly looter 'Meatball' is now selling $45 mugshot hoodies and begging for cash from her Instagram followers despite claiming she regretted her live-streamed crime spree

pitiful excuse for a country

Posted by: rhennigantx at September 30, 2023 06:39 AM (BRHaw)

106 A poignant story about a teen with cancer and how a hospital and school rallied around her after surgery. From "Sunny Skyz" site:
"

https://tinyurl.com/2x7wa86m

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at September 30, 2023 06:39 AM (Q7eQi)

107 Trump can say you should be able to shoot looters, You know that would be racist! so it will never happen. A real estate blogger has suggested cutting of hands or hanging, again the race agitator's wouldn't allow anything like that. Just a good stern talking to by social workers would solve the problem.........

Posted by: Colin at September 30, 2023 06:40 AM (bOfbg)

108 f'd @ 103-
Difficult to stab a real dictator in the back. Look at Kim.

Posted by: Eromero at September 30, 2023 06:40 AM (KiuiP)

109 68 >>After running errands yesterday I remain convinced that there is a Secret Law in PA. prohibiting road repair.
Posted by: JT

Come to WI. Construction season never ends.

Posted by: My Life is Insanity at September 30, 2023 05:46 AM (quZz/)

----
WI seasons
https://is.gd/cNv4d5

Posted by: Ciampino - meteorology at September 30, 2023 06:41 AM (qfLjt)

110 The exodus of people from the countryside to cities compounds the problem, they added.

Posted by: rhennigantx at September 30, 2023 06:23 AM (BRHaw)
----
Wait. Don't they want us all to live in cities? Apparently the irony is lost on them...

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 30, 2023 06:41 AM (BpYfr)

111 g'mornin' everyone!

Posted by: sock_rat_eez - these lying bastardi e stronzi have been lying for decades at September 30, 2023 06:42 AM (YNbPJ)

112 Philly looter 'Meatball' is now selling $45 mugshot hoodies and begging for cash from her Instagram followers despite claiming she regretted her live-streamed crime spree

pitiful excuse for a country
Posted by: rhennigantx at September 30, 2023 06:39 AM

They interviewed Meatball's grandmother. Meatball Grandma went on about how disappointed she was, and how Meatball had brought shame and dishonor upon her ancestors. So there's some hope.

Posted by: RedMindBlueState at September 30, 2023 06:44 AM (aQy7p)

113 43 Foot update.

Doc say if it doesn't hurt and I can get around that I won't need the second operation. And see him in 90 days.

So some good news for me. I'll need to take it easy for a while, but I don't need to wear the boot.

So YAYYYY, good news for me!
Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 05:23 AM (vd8XM)

YAYYY!

Posted by: m at September 30, 2023 06:45 AM (AOrJZ)

114 Morning, Tech Peeps

Posted by: Ophelia at September 30, 2023 06:46 AM (86W+h)

115 A Southerner moves North (very funny)

https://is.gd/9i0jUt

Posted by: Ciampino - the white stuff at September 30, 2023 06:47 AM (qfLjt)

116
Meatball Grandma went on about how disappointed she was, and how Meatball had brought shame and dishonor upon her ancestors. So there's some hope.
Posted by: RedMindBlueState

She will be dead soon and the world will be free of one more fossilized espouser of repressive bourgeois values.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at September 30, 2023 06:47 AM (MoZTd)

117 pitiful excuse for a country

She's not " the country". She's a very narcissistic woman who possibly was raised without an intact family and gets her jollies from leading gangs, and she's obviously not very bright.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at September 30, 2023 06:48 AM (ZnVpv)

118 I saw my neighbor washing his car with his son. I asked, "Why don't you just use a sponge?"

Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at September 30, 2023 06:48 AM (0vFtj)

119 A Southerner moves North (very funny)

https://is.gd/9i0jUt
Posted by: Ciampino - the white stuff at September 30, 2023 06:47 AM

Never. Not. Funny.

Posted by: RedMindBlueState at September 30, 2023 06:49 AM (aQy7p)

120 great news, Bruce!

bon appetit, MLiI (& fam)!

yup, H7, that's what they're counting on

Posted by: sock_rat_eez - these lying bastardi e stronzi have been lying for decades at September 30, 2023 06:49 AM (YNbPJ)

121 oooh, oooh, Moe, Larry, the gummint shuts down at midnight!

nyuk nyuk nyuk!

Posted by: sock_rat_eez - these lying bastardi e stronzi have been lying for decades at September 30, 2023 06:52 AM (YNbPJ)

122 118 I saw my neighbor washing his car with his son. I asked, "Why don't you just use a sponge?"

Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at September 30, 2023 06:48 AM (0vFtj)
----
Good one.

Alcoholics don't make good car washers as they puke a lot and can't see straight.

Posted by: Ciampino - a boozer is also known as a sponge at September 30, 2023 06:52 AM (qfLjt)

123 So YAYYYY, good news for me!
Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 05:23 AM (vd8XM)

Congratulations, Bruce. May your healing go smoothly.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at September 30, 2023 06:53 AM (RSbhh)

124 " Nope. There's always tomorrow."

Could be later today. Wouldn't it be great if he would stroke-out while the cameras are rolling?

Posted by: Chatterbox Mouse at September 30, 2023 06:54 AM (8fpTj)

125 115
Here's a better formatted version
https://is.gd/MggVMg

Posted by: Ciampino -- a boozer is also known as a sponge at September 30, 2023 06:55 AM (qfLjt)

126
I'm not so sure Ophelia isn't going to take another run at New York City this morning. There's a whole lot of activity left at the 12 o'clock position and with a counter clockwise rotation NYC is at 10 o'clock.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at September 30, 2023 06:55 AM (enJYY)

127 Kindly note from a police officer brightens a policeman's day:

https://www.faithpot.com/landscaper-kindness/

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at September 30, 2023 06:55 AM (RSbhh)

128 Tim Brooks, Lego's head of sustainability.

The "level of disruption to the manufacturing environment was such that we needed to change everything in our factories" to scale up recycled PET use, he said. "After all that, the carbon footprint would have been higher. It was disappointing."

Burning plastics in coal or gas plants recovers about 75% of the original energy.

Posted by: rhennigantx at September 30, 2023 06:57 AM (BRHaw)

129
Burning plastics in coal or gas plants recovers about 75% of the original energy.
Posted by: rhennigantx at September 30, 2023 06:57 AM (BRHaw)

Many, many years ago, I had the bright idea that used plastics could just be tossed into a refining operation and broken back down to their constituent monomers, since they're really no worse than ordinary refinery bottoms.

Naturally, the big boys pooh-poohed the idea and told me to go away and play in the freeway. Now it's all the rage. Once again, Hadrian is a victim of premature innovation.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at September 30, 2023 07:00 AM (MoZTd)

130 Quartet sings beautiful rendition of "My Jesus, I love Thee":

https://tinyurl.com/msyfxvuh

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at September 30, 2023 07:01 AM (RSbhh)

131 Woke up this morning to discover two inmates from the local county jail have escaped.

It's unlikely they'll be wandering around my neighborhood, though.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 30, 2023 07:01 AM (BpYfr)

132 So will Gavin select Kringe Jean Pierre as the new Senator from CA?

Posted by: An Observation sez China Joe not my president at September 30, 2023 07:02 AM (CecP5)

133 Off, sock

Posted by: fluffy at September 30, 2023 07:02 AM (86W+h)

134 Power Line funnies

https://tinyurl.com/ycyr5f8y

Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at September 30, 2023 07:03 AM (0vFtj)

135 Cows and a stranded baby seal:

https://tinyurl.com/ms39thwh

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at September 30, 2023 07:04 AM (RSbhh)

136 thx Bluto, desperately need a good laff

Posted by: sock_rat_eez - these lying bastardi e stronzi have been lying for decades at September 30, 2023 07:08 AM (YNbPJ)

137 So watched the first four episodes of Frieren on Crunchyroll last night.

The story itself and the characters are charming. The EP is nice. But the pop music OP has got to go, it has no reason to be in a fantasy anime as it is jarring.

Posted by: Anna Puma at September 30, 2023 07:10 AM (gZREx)

138
Out of my past came this reminder:
Clippy is grandparent of all emojis. I hated that smug little bastard and its 'helpful' suggestions.
Rot in pixel hell, Clippy!!

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at September 30, 2023 07:12 AM (a6M6u)

139 Birdbath status?

Posted by: Just Wondering at September 30, 2023 07:13 AM (NBVIP)

140 Heavily overcast out thar.

Posted by: JT at September 30, 2023 07:13 AM (T4tVD)

141 Birdbath status?
Posted by: Just Wondering

Awaiting customers

Posted by: JT at September 30, 2023 07:15 AM (T4tVD)

142 New: Special Counsel flags to US district judge Chutkan that Trump may have violated the terms of his release over the Glock stunt in South Carolina — where he said he intended to buy the gun

ha

Posted by: rhennigantx at September 30, 2023 07:17 AM (BRHaw)

143
Things seen only in rural stores: camouflaged wind chimes ... just in time for deer hunting season.

Deer: "Whazzat? Didja hear it? Wherzitat?"

* BLAMMO! *

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at September 30, 2023 07:18 AM (a6M6u)

144 Someone should write a story about how these poor expert systems are abused.

https://machciv.com/?s=tay

Posted by: Clayton Barnett at September 30, 2023 07:20 AM (QMNdN)

145 boy in dress beats up girl

It is important for the community to understand that all the individuals involved are minors including the victim, the originator of the assault, and the students recording and sharing this violent act. As minors, there are laws in place that protect their privacy.

As this is a criminal investigation involving minors, no details will be provided to the public.

Posted by: rhennigantx at September 30, 2023 07:22 AM (BRHaw)

146 Good morning morons

Local TV news reports Dianne Feinstein died and literally nothing else has happened since then.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at September 30, 2023 07:23 AM (RIvkX)

147 An official government report published in 2021 stated that four in every million inhabitants were dying in shootings each year in Sweden – compared with 1.6 people per million across Europe.

Police have linked the violence to poor integration of immigrants, a widening gap between rich and poor and drug use.

Posted by: rhennigantx at September 30, 2023 07:26 AM (BRHaw)

148 I am repeating this story about a father and a son pilot again for those that didn't see it, just to show that "selfie queen" from PA encouraging looting is not "the country". I imagine that this father and son have just been doing their jobs, and being decent people:

https://tinyurl.com/55834se3

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at September 30, 2023 07:34 AM (ZnVpv)

149 A closer look at the facts on the ground, though, shows that the problem isn’t a cultural rejection of marriage, or a nationwide feminist rejection of the nuclear family (I wish). Most people want to get married. The problem is that decades of largely conservative policy-making have fueled inequality, gutted the working class, left a generation of men isolated and under-employed and unmoored, impoverished families and made it harder for women to both control their own fertility and find suitable partners.

We need more EBT Food Stamps and PP dollars to make marriage work.

Posted by: rhennigantx at September 30, 2023 07:34 AM (BRHaw)

150 Good morning, Hordelings!

Posted by: Doof at September 30, 2023 07:36 AM (oYEbH)

151 Michael Moore did a really funny show called TV Nation before he went full clown.

Speaking of snow, here's his take on North Dakota:

https://youtu.be/JMSuYsZCUew

Posted by: pawn at September 30, 2023 07:36 AM (5g9YU)

152 Does Mistral speak English of only French?

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at September 30, 2023 07:37 AM (sz2SP)

153 present

Posted by: DB - of the hill people at September 30, 2023 07:41 AM (geLO8)

154 152 Does Mistral speak English of only French?
Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at September 30, 2023 07:37 AM (sz2SP)

It mimes out the answers.

Posted by: rhennigantx at September 30, 2023 07:41 AM (BRHaw)

155 Does Mistral speak English of only French?
Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at September 30, 2023 07:37 AM (sz2SP)

Existetil une autre langue?

*blows Gaulois smoke*

Posted by: Mistral at September 30, 2023 07:43 AM (v27SO)

156 Good morning!

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at September 30, 2023 07:34 AM (ZnVpv)

That's awesome!

Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead at September 30, 2023 07:44 AM (YRsIm)

157 By Friday evening, the schools superintendent reported that she had been released, and would return to work. "I want to emphasize that the scholar involved in this incident will be held accountable according to the law and in accordance with the Flint Community Schools Student Code of Conduct,"

scholar

Posted by: rhennigantx at September 30, 2023 07:44 AM (BRHaw)

158 The problem is that decades of largely conservative policy-making have fueled inequality, gutted the working class, left a generation of men isolated and under-employed and unmoored, impoverished families and made it harder for women to both control their own fertility and find suitable partners.

Who was it who sold our middle class to China by presenting them with Permanent Most Favored trade status? Name the 'conservative' who caused 5,000 factories to close over the next decade at a cost of 5,000,000 good paying jobs. As those factories closed the building industry people (who Trump knew well) were no longer needed to build much of anything. As the tide went out a lot of ships ended up on the bottom.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at September 30, 2023 07:44 AM (enJYY)

159 That stinkin' Ophelia is still off the coast spinnin' around a week later. It caused all the flooding in NYC yesterday - a week after arrival. Must be some sort of record.
Posted by: Divide by Zero at September 30, 2023 05:13 AM (enJYY)

Houston laughs. Think back a few years ago.

Posted by: naturalfake at September 30, 2023 07:52 AM (QzZeQ)

160 "scholar"
"decades of largely conservative policy-making"

the lies, expressed in language that is just formless blobs,

just can't even, sometimes.

Posted by: sock_rat_eez - these lying bastardi e stronzi have been lying for decades at September 30, 2023 07:54 AM (YNbPJ)

161 I want to emphasize that the scholar involved in this incident will be held accountable according to the law and in accordance with the Flint Community Schools Student Code of Conduct,"
scholar
Posted by: rhennigantx at September 30, 2023 07:44 AM (BRHaw)

Reminds me of that old song.

O ole Zip Blank he is a larned skoler,
O ole Zip Blank he is a larned skoler,
O ole Zip Blank he is a larned skoler,
Sings posum up a gum tree a cooney in a holler.

More coffee…

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at September 30, 2023 07:55 AM (R/m4+)

162
Houston laughs. Think back a few years ago.

Posted by: naturalfake at September 30, 2023 07:52 AM (QzZeQ)

That was Houston, not the Center of the Universe.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at September 30, 2023 07:55 AM (MoZTd)

163 Why America Should Send Military Advisers to Ukraine
On-the-Ground Help Will Bolster Kyiv Without Risking Escalation
By Alexandra Chinchilla and Sam Rosenberg
September 22, 2023

Boot them up and send their asses over there.

Posted by: rhennigantx at September 30, 2023 07:55 AM (BRHaw)

164 So AI is only good if it AI parrots the thoughts of "someone" that is on the side of being right?
Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 05:18 AM (vd8XM)

That's correct.

Fortunately, there's a documentary now playing at your local theater, "The Creator" that will explain how double plus good it is when AI loaded with typical leftist anti-life, anti-human insanity and neuroticism become sentient.

They're Heroes of the Earth!

Posted by: naturalfake at September 30, 2023 07:58 AM (QzZeQ)

165 I have to go do something now, so maybe one of you other folks can contribute a corny joke (Ciampino has been providing some; Thanks, brother !)

I just want to share something that made me laugh. We have our son home from college to celebrate his dad's birthday. I called him yesterday to tell him when we would be arriving, and his response was, "Could you tell me what the agenda is for the evening?"

I felt like saying, "We're going to be looking at our quarterly report, and establish goals and objective for the new year, after which the CEO will addressing us by Zoom."

I just said, "We are coming to get you and should arrive about six."

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at September 30, 2023 07:59 AM (RSbhh)

166 Unsettled weather now but by tomorrow and few days after as nice as it will get the rest of the yesr

Posted by: Skip at September 30, 2023 08:01 AM (fwDg9)

167
Wife: I don't understand cloning.

Husband: That makes two of us.

Posted by: Quarter Twenty at September 30, 2023 08:01 AM (NBVIP)

168 thx Hairyback, that does sum it all up rather neatly.

Posted by: sock_rat_eez - these lying bastardi e stronzi have been lying for decades at September 30, 2023 08:02 AM (YNbPJ)

169 Why America Should Send Military Advisers to Ukraine
On-the-Ground Help Will Bolster Kyiv Without Risking Escalation
By Alexandra Chinchilla and Sam Rosenberg
September 22, 2023

Boot them up and send their asses over there.
Posted by: rhennigantx at September 30, 2023 07:55 AM

Wow...it's almost as if these people have zero knowledge of history.

Posted by: RedMindBlueState at September 30, 2023 08:02 AM (aQy7p)

170 commendable self restraint, FS! LOL!

Posted by: sock_rat_eez - these lying bastardi e stronzi have been lying for decades at September 30, 2023 08:03 AM (YNbPJ)

171 "Advisors."

That's what they called them in Vietnam.

Posted by: Quarter Twenty at September 30, 2023 08:04 AM (NBVIP)

172 And I have definitely caught the office cold. grumblegrumblegrumble....

Posted by: RedMindBlueState at September 30, 2023 08:04 AM (aQy7p)

173 Why America Should Send Military Advisers to Ukraine
On-the-Ground Help Will Bolster Kyiv Without Risking Escalation
By Alexandra Chinchilla and Sam Rosenberg
September 22, 2023

Boot them up and send their asses over there.
Posted by: rhennigantx at September 30, 2023 07:55 AM

Wow...it's almost as if these people have zero knowledge of history.
Posted by: RedMindBlueState at September 30, 2023 08:02 AM (aQy7p)

*The USS Maine has entered the chat.*

Posted by: naturalfake at September 30, 2023 08:06 AM (QzZeQ)

174 66 Those same 9 out of 10 scientists smoke Camels.
Posted by: Ciampino

And guess where they blow the smoke?
Posted by: Bruce at September 30, 2023 05:40 AM (vd8XM)

!!!

Posted by: m at September 30, 2023 08:07 AM (AOrJZ)

175 Damp out thar.

And we ain't gonna get malaria today.

Posted by: JT at September 30, 2023 08:09 AM (T4tVD)

176 And I have definitely caught the office cold. grumblegrumblegrumble....
Posted by: RedMindBlueState

I've only been ill twice in the last year, both times Covid (no shot here). It was unpleasant for a few days then I was over it.

I told my doctor at my last physical that his profession did not cover itself with glory with the Covid. He asked if I'd had the shot. I said no. He said, "Good. Don't get it"

Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at September 30, 2023 08:10 AM (EMZbN)

177 I've always kind of suspected Steve Schmidt was a douchebag and after watching him on Patrick Bet-David now I know he's a douchebag. What a sanctimonious prick.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at September 30, 2023 08:12 AM (RIvkX)

178 Java nood draweth nigh.

Posted by: Quarter Twenty at September 30, 2023 08:15 AM (NBVIP)

179 COFFEE BREAK NOOD

Posted by: Skip at September 30, 2023 08:16 AM (9qO6L)

180 Steve Schmidt insists Jan. 6 was a violent, fatal attack but cannot name anyone who died.

People committed suicide as a result, he said.

Pathetic.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at September 30, 2023 08:16 AM (RIvkX)

181 @VeraJourova

[…] guiding principles for all #ArtificialIntelligence Actors and on a code of conduct for AI developers in the G7.
@EUintheUS

Posted by: 13times at September 30, 2023 08:17 AM (9rdYh)

182 138 Out of my past came this reminder:
Clippy is grandparent of all emojis. I hated that smug little bastard and its 'helpful' suggestions.
Rot in pixel hell, Clippy!!
Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at September 30, 2023 07:12 AM (a6M6u)

I feel this way about Siri.

Posted by: m at September 30, 2023 10:25 AM (AOrJZ)

183 155 Does Mistral speak English of only French?
Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at September 30, 2023 07:37 AM (sz2SP)

Existetil une autre langue?

*blows Gaulois smoke*
Posted by: Mistral at September 30, 2023 07:43 AM (v27SO)

; )

Posted by: m at September 30, 2023 10:28 AM (AOrJZ)

184 Re Windows: OR…you could buy a Macintosh. This isn’t a flame, just an anecdotal experience. Our family has owned 15 Macs over 30+ years. 13 still function, including my first edition IIgs. I know they’re pricey, but they last.

Posted by: Don Draper at September 30, 2023 10:50 AM (SpDH3)

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