Daily Tech News 27 June 2024

Top Story

A Russian propaganda network is promoting an AI-manipulated Biden video. (Wired) (archive site)
Experts tell WIRED that Russian disinformation campaigns are using generative AI more and more.
What would we do without experts?
In recent weeks, as so-called cheapfake video clips
Which is to say, live news footage.
suggesting President Joe Biden is unfit for office have gone viral on social media, a Kremlin-affiliated disinformation network has been promoting a parody music video featuring Biden wearing a diaper and being pushed around in a wheelchair.
Note that the video is... A video. (Twitter)

Wired is too scared to link to the video but it's not hard to find.

It has human actors, in makeup and wigs, and it's edited, and put over a kind of bad song in a a thick Russian accent.
An analysis by True Media, a nonprofit that was founded to tackle the spread of election-related deepfakes, found with 100% confidence that there was AI-generated audio used in the video. It also assessed with 78% confidence that some AI technology was used to manipulate the faces of the actors.
There's only one voice in the entire video and it doesn't sound like anyone, so that claim is completely irrelevant.

Is it used for the faces of Biden and Trump in the video? Eh. Maybe.

But again, it's a parody video. Nobody thinks this is real. The reason Wired didn't link to it is because they want you to think people think it's real.
Fink says the obvious nature of the deepfake technology on display here suggests that the video was created in a rush, using a small number of iterations of a generative adversarial network in order to create the characters of Biden and Trump.
It's not a deepfake if it intentionally looks fake. But pretending it is a deepfake, is a deepfake.

The article then wanders off to foam at the mouth about scary AI a bit more:
The report details how the campaign, dubbed CopyCop, used the AI tools to scrape content from real news websites, repurpose the content with a right-wing bias, and republish the content on a network of fake websites with names like Red State Report and Patriotic Review that purport to be staffed by over a 1,000 journalists - all of whom are fake and have also been invented by AI.
Just like CNN.
The topics pushed by the campaign include errors made by Biden during speeches, Biden's age, poll results that show a lead for Trump, and claims that Trump's recent criminal conviction and trial was "impactless" and "a total mess."
My apologies, not like CNN at all. It's actually reporting facts.

No wonder Wired is upset.

Tech News

SpaceX has scored a $843 million NASA contract to blow up the moon. (Tech Crunch)

Or to deorbit the ISS sometime after 2030. One of those.
If you are using Polyfill.io, STOP THAT RIGHT NOW. (Bleeping Computer)

The domain has been sold to a Chinese company which is using it to distribute malware.

You're probably not unless (a) you're a web designer and (b) haven't updated your site in a long time.

The developer of Polyfill warned about this in February. He has no connection with the polyfill.io website but people have been using it as an easy way to run the software, which was very useful to patch up browser incompatibilities years ago but is no longer needed by any modern browser.

Google is notifying website owners where they can, and Cloudflare is offering a free alternative source.
You're holding it wrong: An Australian bank is measuring how you hold your phone to stop scammers. (Pymnts)

The article as it is written makes no sense, which may be because the bank is avoiding telling anyone exactly how it works, or may be because it doesn't work.

But the article does make the same observation as the one about the rise of crime in Sweden: If you make payment frictionless, you also make theft frictionless.
The Rabbit AI pin - which is rubbish but at least much cheaper than the Human AI pin - has been hacked. (404 Media)

Or at least the API services behind it have been hacked.

Briefly.

Rabbit has apparently rotated the API keys - taking all the Rabbits offline briefly - and now the hack no longer works.
AMD's new Strix Point laptops ship July 15. (Hot Hardware)

This looks like a pretty good chip. Four Zen 5 cores, eight Zen 5c cores which are identical but run about 30% slower, and 16 RDNA3.5 graphics cores.

That would make it twice as fast on the CPU side and nearly three times as fast on the graphics side as my new laptop.

And Strix Point Halo, even faster, is still waiting in the wings.
An AI-designed horse purse is tearing the horse purse community apart. (The Verge)

You might well ask, is this a purse for AI-designed horses, or a horse purse for AI-designers, or a horse shaped like a purse designed by an AI, or... I don't know.

In fact, it's a shopping bag.
Collina Strada spokesperson Lindsey Solomon noted that only two of the prints used AI - others, like the "Sistine Tomato" print are done by "photograph[ing] every element of the print and compos[ing] them together, hand placing each rhinestone and tomato."
It's a shopping bag with hand-placed rhinestones and tomatoes.
The AI prints, meanwhile, are based on outputs generated by feeding Midjourney images of Collina Strada's past work, essentially remixing the brand's own designs. Is it still theft if your inputs are your own work?
Is it theft if you eat the food you cooked for yourself?
And what kind of freedom should artists have to experiment with these tools before it's seen as a moral failing?
I cannot wait for you idiots to be replaced with ChatGPT.

Disclaimer: Unless that's already happened, in which case I cannot wait for the bubble to burst and AI execs to go to prison.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:50 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Mornin' (again) Horde,

I'll go let the folks in the ONT know this one's live.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at June 27, 2024 04:51 AM (O7YUW)

2 And they've now been told.

G'mornin' Pixy. Not often I'm up early enough to catch you.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at June 27, 2024 04:52 AM (O7YUW)

3 G'Day everyone

Posted by: Skip at June 27, 2024 04:52 AM (fwDg9)

4 Morning all.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at June 27, 2024 04:53 AM (BLOW1)

5 The Register, Hacker News, and Bleeping Computer are all covering something about the polyfill.io domain having been bought by a Chinese bad actor back in February, and now the site is pushing out changed javascript that many sites have linked to and used in past, and the changes include malware. (Of course, of course...)

*sighs* Not sure exactly what regular users with a web browser can do about it, but I blackholed that site at my firewall, and banned it in NoScript.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at June 27, 2024 04:58 AM (O7YUW)

6 We are slowly getting to point prison isn't good enough

Posted by: Skip at June 27, 2024 04:59 AM (fwDg9)

7 G&R - oops, I did see that Polyfill item but it fell off my list. Time for a quick edit.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at June 27, 2024 05:00 AM (BLOW1)

8 We are slowly getting to point prison isn't good enough

Posted by: Skip at June 27, 2024 04:59 AM (fwDg9)

For the cobloggers?

We do our best!

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at June 27, 2024 05:02 AM (d9fT1)

9 G'morning CBD. Hey, thanks for the update about JT in the sidebar. I hope he pulls through.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at June 27, 2024 05:06 AM (O7YUW)

10 No silly, for executives who foist this garbage on us

Posted by: Skip at June 27, 2024 05:07 AM (fwDg9)

11 Poke to fix comments.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at June 27, 2024 05:08 AM (BLOW1)

12 Greetings from the Earth Station in East Houston. Humidity is high and the moon is out with a phase of Waning Gibbous. I imagine if you were on the Moon Station you'd see the Earth with a phase of Waxing Crescent.

Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain at June 27, 2024 05:08 AM (gHSfI)

13 @7/Pixy: Glad I mentioned it then. If you have any wisdom about how end-users can protect themselves from that nonsense, I'd welcome it.

Supply side attacks like this are just arse.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at June 27, 2024 05:09 AM (O7YUW)

14 In this specific case, a line like

127.0.0.1 polyfill.io cdn.polyfill.io

In your hosts file will stop it in its tracks.

But you have to know about it first.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at June 27, 2024 05:13 AM (BLOW1)

15 Hand placed tomatoes?

This is a handbag?

Posted by: Aetius451AD Work Laptop at June 27, 2024 05:21 AM (i4fVr)

16 @14/Pixy: Yup, doing that at my internal name server.

Per the Bleeping Computer article, I've also blackholed:
bootcss.com
bootcdn.net
staticfile.org

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at June 27, 2024 05:25 AM (O7YUW)

17 Good morning morons

Shot: Local TV news reports a crime spree in the Oakland hills (the nicer parts of Oakland)

Chaser: Oakland may declare a fiscal emergency as the city faces a $200 million budget deficit

Posted by: San Franpsycho at June 27, 2024 05:25 AM (RIvkX)

18 Rained buy didn't get that much sadly
Forward Dog 9 out

Posted by: Skip at June 27, 2024 05:27 AM (fwDg9)

19 Yesterday I saw a man pulling wires out of a traffic light on Geary Boulevard.

I called the police non-emergency. Hung up after waiting on hold 15 minutes.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at June 27, 2024 05:29 AM (RIvkX)

20 Morning all!

I looked at the video about Biden, and I cannot believe that it's not real! Boy, they sure fooled me.

Next they're going to tell me that this video isn't real either.
https://tinyurl.com/bdz7hyvc

Posted by: Bruce at June 27, 2024 05:31 AM (IPn+f)

21 They are actually going to fire police officers and close fire stations. The chickens are coming home to roost.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at June 27, 2024 05:32 AM (RIvkX)

22 I imagine the people at Wired wanted more people to Clutch their Pearls about AI and what's more, wanted them ready to do so in case they saw unedited video about Joe Bribem.

Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain at June 27, 2024 05:32 AM (gHSfI)

23 Morning thoughts...

I don’t know what I’d do without coffee.
I’m guessing 25 to life.

Posted by: JQ at June 27, 2024 05:32 AM (njWTi)

24 Morning again, 'rons and 'ettes.

Posted by: olddog in mo at June 27, 2024 05:39 AM (hoCmQ)

25 Oakland may declare a fiscal emergency as the city faces a $200 million budget deficit. That's chicken feed compared to the California budget deficit. Newest way to raise tax dollars is switch from a gas tax to a mileage tax. So every car will have gadget to measure how far you drive so they can charge you who knows what. Doesn't mean the gas tax will go away, you probably guess that. But with Newsom telling everyone to go EV, including heavy trucks and RR locomotives they need the money. And don't forget High speed rail building needs billions. And the illegal immigrants also need billions. Newsom for President!!

Posted by: Colin at June 27, 2024 05:41 AM (/z/eU)

26 I'm waiting for that other broadcaster from the other gulf coast swamp to call in....

Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain at June 27, 2024 05:41 AM (gHSfI)

27 Here's a perfect example of how the brain takes out the trash through your dreams.

Yesterday:
I watched the landing of the two Falcon Heavy side cores
Drove through a thunderstorm
Read an email ad from Pottery Barn about a new furniture line
Read a review of Kevin Costner's new movie
Read some comments about grilled cheese sandwiches on AoSHQ

My dream as best as I can remember it:
Went furniture shopping in big dept. store with Kevin Costner to get ready for a moon launch. Then drove home in the pouring rain in a Subaru with sandwiches I had to wait an hour for after ordering. Also ordered a grape ice cream cone which I forgot that I had stored in my purse. Was cleaning purse when I woke up.

Posted by: Tuna at June 27, 2024 05:41 AM (oaGWv)

28 @14/Pixy: Yup, doing that at my internal name server.

Per the Bleeping Computer article, I've also blackholed:
bootcss.com
bootcdn.net
staticfile.org

OK, what should us mere mortal users do?

Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain at June 27, 2024 05:43 AM (gHSfI)

29 Yesterday I saw a man pulling wires out of a traffic light on Geary Boulevard.

I called the police non-emergency. Hung up after waiting on hold 15 minutes.
Posted by: San Franpsycho

Tell us again why you still live there. LOL

Posted by: Tuna at June 27, 2024 05:43 AM (oaGWv)

30 @19/San Franpsycho: Traffic light (as in light up the roadway) or traffic signal (traffic control)?

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at June 27, 2024 05:43 AM (O7YUW)

31 Oh and good morning early risers, insomniacs and tech lovers.

Posted by: Tuna at June 27, 2024 05:47 AM (oaGWv)

32 {14} ... OK, what should us mere mortal users do?

Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain at June 27, 2024 05:43 AM (gHSfI)

Edit your hosts on you operating system.

Add a line for each of the bad domains:

127.0.0.1 bad.domain.goes.here

Here's the five bad domains:

polyfill.io
cdn.polyfill.io
bootcss.com
bootcdn.net
staticfile.org

Save and exit.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at June 27, 2024 05:51 AM (O7YUW)

33 Weird dreams? Oh, yeah!

Won't go into details, but omg, I cannot figure how one part of any given dream leads to the next part(s)... simply cray cray...

I must be crayzeeeeee, that's the only logical explanation.

Posted by: JQ at June 27, 2024 05:51 AM (njWTi)

34 Hosts file in windows should be located at:
C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc

Linux:
/etc/hosts

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at June 27, 2024 05:52 AM (O7YUW)

35 >>>SpaceX has scored a $843 million NASA contract to blow up the moon.

"To the moon, Alice! To the moon!"

Posted by: m at June 27, 2024 05:53 AM (NHMTR)

36 29
Tell us again why you still live there. LOL
Posted by: Tuna at June 27, 2024 05:43 AM (oaGWv)

They're the ones that suck. Why should he leave?

Posted by: NR Pax at June 27, 2024 05:54 AM (svLOV)

37 G'mornin' everyone!d Do

second Pixy's disclaimer!

safe travels & work, F

Posted by: sock_rat_eez - they have been lying to us for decades at June 27, 2024 05:54 AM (tQtDb)

38 Life's pilgrimage

A Christian devotional based on a passage from the Book of Hebrews:

https://tinyurl.com/4c76t2bp

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at June 27, 2024 05:55 AM (WO64e)

39 They're the ones that suck. Why should he leave?
Posted by: NR Pax

So that the site can be nuked from orbit.

He can return...later.

Posted by: JQ at June 27, 2024 05:55 AM (njWTi)

40 Traffic signal

We'll be here as long as MiL is here.
/wan smile

Posted by: San Franpsycho at June 27, 2024 05:56 AM (RIvkX)

41 NoScript instructions if you have the NoScript addon in your browser (I'm going to use Firefox as the example)

- From the menu, Tools, Add-Ons and Themes
- Next to NoScript, click the "..." button and select "preferences"
- On the "Per-site permissions" tab, type in the domain into the "Search or add a web site" line.
- If it doesn't find it, click the "+" button to the right of the search line to add it.
- Change its option to "Untrusted"

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at June 27, 2024 05:56 AM (O7YUW)

42 >>>It's a shopping bag with hand-placed rhinestones and tomatoes.

Ok, then!

Posted by: m at June 27, 2024 05:57 AM (NHMTR)

43 @14/Thing From Snowy Mountain
(and anyone else wanting to black-hole those polyfill.io sites):

See my comments @ #32, #34, and #41. That should cover it.

Right, time for second coffee.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at June 27, 2024 05:58 AM (O7YUW)

44 Morning and evening to all the early risers and late toilers!

I'm back from my workout. It was only (*only*!) 78 F., heat index of 85, but I didn't know that until I got back. It felt awful, with a sticky breeze out of the west that cooled nothing. We're supposed to see rain this morning, ending by afternoon . . . which means by the time I get home it'll be a steambath out there.

I plan to settle down with a cold drink and a pipe, have dinner later, and then watch a little of the debate. I've never watched one on purpose before. Maybe because I hope F. Joke will faceplant, or at least start screaming about something while Trump and the rest of us watch him implode.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at June 27, 2024 05:59 AM (omVj0)

45 Power source- a man from IL reflects on remodeling his basement and his power source in
Christ:

https://tinyurl.com/5b73e63v

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at June 27, 2024 05:59 AM (WO64e)

46 Thank you, Grumpy!

Posted by: MaureenTheTemp at June 27, 2024 05:59 AM (1KCcl)

47 Traffic signal

We'll be here as long as MiL is here.
/wan smile
Posted by: San Franpsycho

Yep. Understand that. Would have left Ohio years before I did but for mother being there. Then hubby got sick and one thing led to another.

Posted by: Tuna at June 27, 2024 06:00 AM (oaGWv)

48 I have to be at the town fireworks and our political booth so I will miss the debate. I can do without shouting pumped up Biden.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at June 27, 2024 06:01 AM (WO64e)

49 40 We'll be here as long as MiL is here.
/wan smile
Posted by: San Franpsycho at June 27, 2024 05:56 AM (RIvkX)

Sadly, I understand that.

Posted by: NR Pax at June 27, 2024 06:02 AM (svLOV)

50 Fen--

A dear friend, like a second father to me, had

Hebrews 13:8

Inscribed on his tombstone.

RIP, JPM. Thank you for everything!

Posted by: JQ at June 27, 2024 06:02 AM (njWTi)

51 Maybe because I hope F. Joke will faceplant, or at least start screaming about something while Trump and the rest of us watch him implode.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere

Hope you will be among other 'rons who comment as the debates proceeds as I don't think I have the nerve to watch it.

Posted by: Tuna at June 27, 2024 06:03 AM (oaGWv)

52 Hoping for Moron Live-Blog of teh pResidential Dee-Bait LOL.

Not that I really care, just wanna see the funny.

Posted by: JQ at June 27, 2024 06:05 AM (njWTi)

53 JPM = RPM dunno where the J came from, except my sloppy brain.

Ugh. bad typo. Bad!

Time for sleepy now...

Posted by: JQ at June 27, 2024 06:07 AM (njWTi)

54 Weird dreams? Oh, yeah!

Won't go into details, but omg, I cannot figure how one part of any given dream leads to the next part(s)... simply cray cray...

I must be crayzeeeeee, that's the only logical explanation.
Posted by: JQ at June 27, 2024

***
But, JQ . . . logic doesn't apply to dreams!

I dreamed last night that I fell in love with a blonde girl, think Michelle Williams when she was doing Dawson's Creek. We were in some big barn-like room, maybe even a barn being used for a dance. When we went out, it was cold outside; I had to grab a coat, a leather jacket with fur or sheep wool inside.

Later I was back in the apartment on Bourbon Street where I grew up. I had to take a shower, and stepped into the walk-in stall. It was twice the size of the stall we had back then, with a glass or plexiglas wall. The tile floor was inlaid with a yellow and black mosaic of some kind.

See? No connections!

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at June 27, 2024 06:10 AM (omVj0)

55 @40/San Franpsycho: "Traffic signal" Please upgrade that call to an emergency call if you see that happening again.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at June 27, 2024 06:11 AM (O7YUW)

56 In Tech News, finally got my cable drop replaced after weeks/months of infuriating brawling with my provider. I should have just done it myself with all the incredible aggravation. They swapped my modem, then lied to me THREE TIMES about a tech coming out for a 45-minute job. After putting me into a homicidal fury and threatening to chop the cable down and personally deliver it to the nearest Company employee in the form of a noose, and canceling my service, they finally sent a tech out.
When the tech finally appeared he informed me he had no note on his WO about replacing a drop.

Posted by: LenNeal at June 27, 2024 06:11 AM (43xH1)

57 Maybe because I hope F. Joke will faceplant, or at least start screaming about something while Trump and the rest of us watch him implode.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere
*
Hope you will be among other 'rons who comment as the debates proceeds as I don't think I have the nerve to watch it.
Posted by: Tuna at June 27, 2024

***
If I watch it for any length of time, I'll comment along with people here!

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at June 27, 2024 06:11 AM (omVj0)

58 We need some bingo cards. Like:

Biden sneers
Biden jabs the air with his finger
Biden "invents" a "word"

Posted by: m at June 27, 2024 06:11 AM (NHMTR)

59 @40/San Franpsycho: "Traffic signal" Please upgrade that call to an emergency call if you see that happening again.
Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at June 27, 2024 06:11 AM (O7YUW)
====

Meh. No one complies anyway.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at June 27, 2024 06:12 AM (RIvkX)

60 56 In Tech News, finally got my cable drop replaced after weeks/months of infuriating brawling with my provider. I should have just done it myself with all the incredible aggravation. They swapped my modem, then lied to me THREE TIMES about a tech coming out for a 45-minute job. After putting me into a homicidal fury and threatening to chop the cable down and personally deliver it to the nearest Company employee in the form of a noose, and canceling my service, they finally sent a tech out.
When the tech finally appeared he informed me he had no note on his WO about replacing a drop.
Posted by: LenNeal at June 27, 2024 06:11 AM (43xH1)

: (

Posted by: m at June 27, 2024 06:14 AM (NHMTR)

61 The drop was routed through and above a branch in a City-owned tree on the boulevard, and had scraped all the insulation of the cable on the branch. You could see it from the street. So my internet would go out
-when it rained (shorting on the tree)
-when the sun came out (expansion)
-any time the wind blew (intermittent contact)
Tech gazes into the tree after being informed of the issue:
"Are you sure?"
Me: "Yes, pretty sure."
After replacing the drop he made a point of showing me the problem he had discovered: AMAZEBALLS the cable was worn away due to contact with the tree branch!
Rocket Surgery! Brain Science!

Posted by: LenNeal at June 27, 2024 06:15 AM (43xH1)

62 @46/MaureenTheTemp: You're very welcome.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at June 27, 2024 06:15 AM (O7YUW)

63 I question the sense of having a business model of making absolutely sure your customer is inflamed into a murderous rage before resolving the simplest of problems.

Posted by: LenNeal at June 27, 2024 06:17 AM (43xH1)

64 If anyone wants some fun 1990s pop, I recommend the Japanese band Satellite Lovers.
They're on YT.
Albums 'Sons of 1973' and 'Sons of 1997' are terrific upbeat little gems.

Posted by: LenNeal at June 27, 2024 06:21 AM (43xH1)

65 But, Wolfus--- my dreams have mainly been reflective of *potentially realistic situations* in my life... sometimes, quite scary.

Example:

Was in a building, with previous (RIP) partner, looking for a way thru to escape pursuit... then, cornered by attacker who turned out to be one of my siblings... who was brandishing (I hate that word, but whatever) a large knife, obviously intent upon using it ON US!

Logic: I could 'see' how that sibling would threaten... anyone, really.
Also, it's typical that I get trapped into situations.

The only thing that doesn't make sense, is *where* we were.

Posted by: JQ at June 27, 2024 06:21 AM (njWTi)

66 @56/LenNeal: Yup, been there, been at that level of frustration with an ISP before. It's absolutely maddening, and getting a new drop does practically require "missing line" these days. Nobody wants to spend the money on the copper.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at June 27, 2024 06:22 AM (O7YUW)

67 And that is why I'm retired. With sales and the third world "tech support" scheduling stufg, bound to be screw ups.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at June 27, 2024 06:22 AM (ceCg4)

68 Ok, got stuff to do later...

G'night/G'day, horde!

Posted by: JQ at June 27, 2024 06:25 AM (njWTi)

69 >>>Note that the video is... A video. (Twitter)

LOL
Catchy!
I would love for KJP to bring this up and for a "reporter" to deadpan some assertions about how believable it is.

Posted by: m at June 27, 2024 06:25 AM (NHMTR)

70 @61/LenNeal: Water in the lines. Same thing I fought Bell Canada for four years about. FOUR { types/deletes } YEARS. They would not do anything. As soon as the cable company had their high speed up and running, I jumped ship and never looked back.

Phone companies everywhere are doing anything they can to get away from the old copper wire network. Replacing it with new copper is just too expensive these days, and replacement is becoming what's required to maintain it. What about all that money they got up front from government and had to make serious guarantees about said maintenance to get? Oops! Oopsie!

Hangin's too good for the lot of 'em.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at June 27, 2024 06:27 AM (O7YUW)

71 Not saying it was aliens……

Posted by: Eromero at June 27, 2024 06:29 AM (o2ZRX)

72 >>>Note that the video is... A video. (Twitter)

280K views
We're all going to the camps.

Posted by: m at June 27, 2024 06:30 AM (NHMTR)

73 The fake Russian election interference video is only exceeded by the actual Real Clear Investigation about the US Intelligence community, James Clapper in particular, interfering in the 2016 and 2020 election by endorsing fake candidate campaigns that asserted Russians were hacking the elections. All timed to smear Trump in the debates. For this debate the game is having 16 world renowned economist state Bidenomics is bestest ever just in time for this debate.

https://tinyurl.com/35yd5zdu

Plus Jack Trapper's role in all this. This "debate", like the previous two, is debate theater with minty overtones of a political Dealy plaza tossed in.

https://tinyurl.com/4ysebc2y

https://tinyurl.com/4ysebc2y

Posted by: Alteria Pilgram at June 27, 2024 06:30 AM (ZVzln)

74 And if you think the phone company treats ISPs any better, you're wrong. We fought with them for a month to fix their connection at the CO. 7 customers down. Most canceled. Was never fixed.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at June 27, 2024 06:31 AM (ceCg4)

75 64 If anyone wants some fun 1990s pop, I recommend the Japanese band Satellite Lovers.
They're on YT.
Albums 'Sons of 1973' and 'Sons of 1997' are terrific upbeat little gems.
Posted by: LenNeal

Thanks for the tip!

Posted by: Pixy Misa at June 27, 2024 06:31 AM (BLOW1)

76 An AI-designed horse purse is tearing the horse purse community apart.

Great. More mental illness on public display.

Posted by: Alteria Pilgram at June 27, 2024 06:33 AM (ZVzln)

77 76 An AI-designed horse purse is tearing the horse purse community apart.

Great. More mental illness on public display.
Posted by: Alteria Pilgram at June 27, 2024 06:33 AM (ZVzln)

And/or a paid-per-word "writer."

Posted by: m at June 27, 2024 06:34 AM (NHMTR)

78 70
My options are limited. Nothing out by me is fibered, the area has been too poor for too long; there really is no way to justify the expense to upgrade the area for a pack of destitute lowlifes who don't pay their bills anyway. I'm aware of the situation and do understand the cost/benefit even disregarding the general criminality of communications companies.
Starlink is expensive and doesn't offer any realistic upgrade, and wireless internet relies on 5G now, which my area doesn't have and probably never will. At&T says they'll do 'fiber' to your house but they 'fiber' it to your house... from an antique copper line. Not much to be done, but the drop was SO OBVIOUS. As I say, I should have just dusted off my old coax tools, bought the F'ing cable myself, and done it without even telling them. It would have saved the aggravation if not the money...

Posted by: LenNeal at June 27, 2024 06:35 AM (43xH1)

79 OK, what should us mere mortal users do?
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain'

-Smoke Signals
-Tin cans connected with a string
-Gossip

Posted by: LenNeal at June 27, 2024 06:39 AM (43xH1)

80 ‘Fiber’s for closers. Moose out front should have told you, pilgrim.’

Posted by: Eromero at June 27, 2024 06:39 AM (o2ZRX)

81 mornin yall.

Millions of motorists in the U.S. have been warned to avoid using gas stations due to concerns about air quality. Also to avoid charging EVs to avoid stressing the grid, and due to concerns about air quality when they burst into flames.

Posted by: fd at June 27, 2024 06:39 AM (vFG9F)

82 OK, what should us mere mortal users do?
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain'

-Typewriters
-Illegible scribbles on Post-its
-Passive-aggressive 'notes'

Posted by: LenNeal at June 27, 2024 06:40 AM (43xH1)

83 I highly recommend putting together a Stanley lunch box camping kit. I have two. The one I'm using today has a camping stove, coffee grinder and filter, if someone wants coffee and a small titanimum teapot. I have two kinds of tea, coffee beans, sugar and powdered cream. Works out great for a quick cup. My other lunchbox is for cooking, has another stove, a grill and a sandwich grill than doubles as a frying pan. I didn't bring that one.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at June 27, 2024 06:40 AM (ceCg4)

84 Radio station is playing Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin and I'm loudly humming along. Doggie pops head out of covers and looks at me like I'm crazy, resentful that I'm disturbing his sleepy time.

Posted by: Tuna at June 27, 2024 06:42 AM (oaGWv)

85 OK, what should us mere mortal users do?
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain'

-The backs of envelopes
-Designs carved into desktops with a pocket knife
-1970s rubber date stamps

Posted by: LenNeal at June 27, 2024 06:42 AM (43xH1)

86 Posted by: Notsothoreau at June 27, 2024 06:40 AM (ceCg4)
====
There's a bottle of Jack Daniels in our earthquake kit.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at June 27, 2024 06:43 AM (RIvkX)

87 Posted by: JQ at June 27, 2024 06:02 AM (

That is a very wonderful promise and a.
Very nice one to have on a tombstone. I like to go to graveyards and see what they have chosen if the words are still legible.,

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at June 27, 2024 06:45 AM (QJYpD)

88 Some Weeb posted the entire catalog of Dirty Pair on YT so I've been idly working through that. Most of it is in non-subtitled Japanese, but what male viewer watches Dirty Pair for the plots.

Posted by: LenNeal at June 27, 2024 06:45 AM (43xH1)

89 86 Posted by: Notsothoreau at June 27, 2024 06:40 AM (ceCg4)
====
There's a bottle of Jack Daniels in our earthquake kit.
Posted by: San Franpsycho at June 27, 2024 06:43 AM (RIvkX)
Other ‘essentials’ must not be forgotten when planning for possible disasters.. yo.

Posted by: Eromero at June 27, 2024 06:46 AM (o2ZRX)

90 Aviva Klompas
@AvivaKlompas
·
Follow
Has the @nytimes considered that the people of New York were unhappy with Bowman’s performance as a member of Congress?

Of course not. It must have been the Jews.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at June 27, 2024 06:47 AM (RIvkX)

91 I'd probably need that Jack Daniels to go out and face the world this early! I've got to add spoons to this and replace the powdered cream. It's too hard to dissolve.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at June 27, 2024 06:47 AM (ceCg4)

92 Trying to find a couple of long-obsolete parts for a project; ended up on Ebay for the two last things I need, and decided to cheap out and instead of BIN made offers.
I'm regretting that already, I hate bargaining for anything.

Posted by: LenNeal at June 27, 2024 06:49 AM (43xH1)

93 Forgot. I have a kettle to boil water and a Sierra cup in there too

Posted by: Notsothoreau at June 27, 2024 06:50 AM (ceCg4)

94 Owl "sings" duet with lady:

https://tinyurl.com/ycxu4vpv

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at June 27, 2024 06:51 AM (QJYpD)

95 Guten Morgen Horde!

Prayers are going up for JT.

Posted by: SPinRH_F-16 at June 27, 2024 06:51 AM (5CEo8)

96 the people of New York were unhappy with Bowman’s performance as a member of Congress?

Of course not. It must have been the Jews.
Posted by: San Franpsycho'

"He did a totally shitty job of controlling the weather. We need the experts."

Posted by: LenNeal at June 27, 2024 06:51 AM (43xH1)

97 Reviews for Snapdragon Windows PCs are trickling out. The consensus seems to be they are pretty great for daily driver tasks, that x86 emulation mostly works with acceptable performance with Adobe Premiere not working at all, and gaming, which is not what these devices were designed to do well at mostly blows.

One of the best options in the line up is the base model Surface Pro 11 if one is looking for a well made box for daily driver stuff the delivers terrific battery life. A practical review..

https://tinyurl.com/2racek2k

Posted by: Alteria Pilgram at June 27, 2024 06:52 AM (ZVzln)

98 Boy F. makes me a powdered cocoa and dried milk mix and he adds some peppermint oil, to put in my coffee. I'm spoiled that way.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at June 27, 2024 06:53 AM (RIvkX)

99 Owl "sings" duet with lady:

https://tinyurl.com/ycxu4vpv
Posted by: FenelonSpoke

That would work a lot better with Yoko Ono or Nina Hagen.

Posted by: LenNeal at June 27, 2024 06:53 AM (43xH1)

100 Morning, peeps

Gloomy morning. Low clouds and a bit of mist. The air is barely moving.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at June 27, 2024 06:54 AM (Q4IgG)

101 Prayers are going up for JT.
Posted by: SPinRH_F-16 at June 27, 2024 06:51 AM (5CEo

====

Thank you, JT is on my list which seems to have gotten quite long these days...

Posted by: San Franpsycho at June 27, 2024 06:55 AM (RIvkX)

102 .

NOOD Morning Report with J.J. Sefton

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at June 27, 2024 06:55 AM (O7YUW)

103 Oh, The Kid has been updating me on the upcoming/ongoing brawl over inheritance of digital music/gaming libraries. The Bruce Willis case is likely to be something of a precedent.

People have a LOT of money in music and games, none of which can be willed to anyone, it reverts to the provider. Very interesting legal situation. Seems like the thing to do is simply not tell the providers anybody is dead.

Posted by: LenNeal at June 27, 2024 06:56 AM (43xH1)

104 the people of New York were unhappy with Bowman’s performance as a member of Congress?

Of course not. It must have been the Jews.
Posted by: San Franpsycho'

But of course. Same goes for the LA pogram over the weekend. I have a feeling of dread that a flash point event is coming that triggers events to run amok.

Posted by: Alteria Pilgram at June 27, 2024 06:58 AM (ZVzln)

105 Birdbath status?

Posted by: Just Wondering at June 27, 2024 07:04 AM (dg+HA)

106 >#101 San Franpsycho

Prayers up for your prayer list as well. . . .

Posted by: SPinRH_F-16 at June 27, 2024 07:04 AM (5CEo8)

107 Don't like doing this, but am getting highly pissed because I can't find a solution to it, so will ask for help.

My tinyurl will not work, I can highlight it but when clicked to enable, it reverts to the initial entry every time.
Simply won't complete, it began with the onslaught of advertising for windows 11.

Posted by: IRONGRAMPA at June 27, 2024 08:09 AM (hKoQL)

108 It's a video by Little Big.

They do weird parody videos. Your kids probably know them from their video Skibidi (of Skibidi Toilet fame)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDFBTdToRmw

Posted by: Heywood at June 27, 2024 09:09 AM (IMWT6)

109 105 Birdbath status?
Posted by: Just Wondering at June 27, 2024 07:04 AM (dg+HA)

JT, hope you see this!!!

Posted by: m at June 27, 2024 09:29 AM (NHMTR)

110 Noodicus Art.

Posted by: Minnfidel at June 27, 2024 09:31 AM (ewjUl)

111 Pixy, a question: Several times you've mentioned Mint Linux. Is that your preferred release of Linux? FWIW, I've been using Ubuntu for quite a few years, and am happy with it; but then, I'm just a user, not a Tech Jedi. BTW, thank you for your hard work in keeping this site going.

Posted by: Nemo at June 27, 2024 09:38 AM (S6ArX)

112 The horse purse looks fun. I bet our girls would be interested in them, but maybe when they're a bit older. As in old enough to give a $70 purse.

Posted by: Voyager at June 27, 2024 11:45 AM (mmXB8)

113 NASA should just use that POS Boeing Crapliner that’s going to burn up in atmosphere anyway to push the ISS into deorbit. Just have to send up a couple of helium canisters prior to 2030 to recharge its leaky fuel system. And save us a billion bucks in the process. Smarter, not harder, people.
🤣

Posted by: Jules Vernes Smarter Brother at June 27, 2024 11:52 AM (1wdUl)

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