Trump Organization is selling 2028 hats
If you think this is just a joke, you haven’t been paying very close attention.
Judge pauses parts of Trump’s sweeping executive order on voting
More sanity from the judiciary.
AI models can learn to conceal information from their users
This should not surprise anyone. The whole notion of “alignment” (convincing increasingly-powerful AIs to follow human-set rules) is a pipe dream, because of increasingly clever models and bad human actors who don’t care about such things.
Trump says ‘it’s been harder’ to deal with Zelenskyy than Russia
Guess that’s what happens when you’re Putin’s bitch.
Florida Bill Could Let Homeowners Shoot Down Spying Drones
New frontiers in second amendment rights.
Finished: Townsend of Lichfield, by James Branch Cabell 📚. This volume of Cabell’s collected works starts with an essay explaining why the actual book Townsend of Lichfield was never written. It then proceeds to collect a bunch of Cabellian miscellany: prefaces to other books, bits of verse, short stories, court documents. This is far down the rabbit hole and likely appeals to almost no modern readers. But I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Finished: Imperial Woman, by Pearl S. Buck 📚. Next up in my trip through Buck’s major works is this romantic novel of Tzu Hsi (these days usually rendered Cixi), the last Empress of China. I suspect there is more romance than history here, but it’s a sweeping story that I knew nothing about, so that doesn’t bother me.
$1 Trillion of Wealth Was Created for the 19 Richest U.S. Households Last Year
This is obscene. And it’s difficult to see how it doesn’t lead to either revolution or dictatorship.
Trump signs executive order incorporating AI into classrooms
Another proposed boon for his billionaire constituents. Fortunately also another area where the President has no actual power.
(I wonder if he’s using AI to write these executive orders? Might explain how hilariously stupid they are.)
Wildfires this year expected to exceed historical averages: Report
Ugh. Combine this with ‘Crazy’: Forest Service cuts ignite fear, fury over wildfire risks and it looks like bad times for folks living close to forests. Like me.
Finished: Conquistador, by S.M. Stirling 📚. This alternate history is one of several that Stirling has written with the general theme of “what if modern technology and military in a new world?” In this case there’s a silly MacGuffin that gets 30 ex-soldiers to a copy of the earth in 1946 where Europeans never visited the new world. A coup-in-progress drives the plot forward, but there’s always the impression that the author is just having too much fun world-building to care as much about the story.
Just 15 percent of young Americans say country is heading in right direction
If only we could get rid of those pesky older Americans. Personally I’m in favor of setting the maximum voting age at 50, even though it would disenfranchise me.
“Me! Me! Pick Me!”
Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens @ f/6.3, 1/25s, ISO 640. Along the Fisher Creek Trail.
“Fungus Family”
Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens @ f/10, 1/3s, ISO 800. Along the Fisher Creek Trail.
“Trail Ends Here…for now”
Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/9, 1/60s, ISO 250. Waldo Lake Wilderness somewhere around where Fisher Creek Trail is supposed to be.
Are watermelon seeds the next breakthrough in plant-based milk?
I think the word “milk” has jumped the shark at this point.
Meta labels EU digital fines a ‘tariff’ on American firms
Dear Meta,
Being fined for knowingly breaking the law is not a tariff.
Signed, People Who Know How To Read
OpenAI tells judge it would buy Chrome from Google
I can think of few firms I would be less supportive of owning one of the major browsers. Then again, I already stick with poor old Firefox.
“Dodgy Bridge”
Olympus E-M10 IV, M.Zuiko 14-42 kit lens @ 14mm, f/9, 1/15s, ISO 2500. Crossing Fisher Creek at the edge of the Waldo Lake Wilderness.
Finished: The Weight of Glory, by C.S. Lewis 📚. Lewis remains my favorit Christian apologist, and this collection of sermons and addresses from the WWII era was a delight. I especially enjoy “Transposition” which gives much food for thought about our imperfect understanding of religious matters.