Systems :)

Theft of another kind :)

Something wicked this way comes ...

Off in the distance ...

For years, yours truly has waxed "poetic" about AI, the open-ended tech forever to remain unknown thanks to how the tech works in order to react to the real world in real time but in this case, it's not the architecture of same being discussed but rather the risk, particularly when some purveyors of such tech cannot be trusted in any way, shape or fashion.

To whit ...

For about five years, OpenAI used a system of nondisclosure agreements to stifle public criticism from outgoing employees. Current and former OpenAI staffers were paranoid about talking to the press. In May, one departing employee refused to sign and went public in The Times. The company apologized and scrapped the agreements. Then the floodgates opened. Exiting employees began criticizing OpenAI’s safety practices, and a wave of articles emerged about its broken promises.

These stories came from people who were willing to risk their careers to inform the public. How many more are silenced because they’re too scared to speak out? Since existing whistle-blower protections typically cover only the reporting of illegal conduct, they are inadequate here. Artificial intelligence can be dangerous without being illegal. A.I. needs stronger protections — like those in place in parts of the public sector, finance and publicly traded companies — that prohibit retaliation and establish anonymous reporting channels.

OpenAI has spent the last year mired in scandal. The company’s chief executive was briefly fired after the nonprofit board lost trust in him. Whistle-blowers alleged to the Securities and Exchange Commission that OpenAI’s nondisclosure agreements were illegal. Safety researchers have left the company in droves. Now the firm is restructuring its core business as a for-profit, seemingly prompting the departure of more key leaders. On Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported that OpenAI rushed testing of a major model in May, attempting to undercut a rival’s publicity; after the release, employees found out the model exceeded the company’s standards for safety. (The company told The Journal the findings were the result of a methodological flaw.)

This behavior would be concerning in any industry, but according to OpenAI itself, A.I. poses unique risks. The leaders of the top A.I. firms and leading A.I. researchers have warned that the technology could lead to human extinction.

Something wicked this way comes. 

It is what it is :)

It is what it is :)

The gloves are off

Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary general of Hezbollah, seen on a screen in Baalbek, Lebanon, in 2018.Credit...Diego Ibarra Sanchez for The New York Times

Nasrallah is dead, courtesy of a precise Israeli airstrike killing him and 6 others in opening up another chapter in an widening war threatening to engulf the entire Middle East thanks to the intransigence of Bibi and the never ending stupidity of US policy unconditionally supporting the entangled alliance America has with Israel.  

With this horrific event in mind, yours truly watched Lawrence of Arabia yet again, David Lean's masterpiece for the ages while also thinking about Lawrence's 7 Pillars of Wisdom, a visionary book written by the only Westerner who truly understood the Arabs and their deep connect to land, religion and tribe. With this being said, Israel has ventured onto a path both existential and terrifying thanks to a leader devoted to staying out of jail while leading his country into an abyss of his own making. 

Why Nastrallah was respected.

He has long called for the liberation of Jerusalem and referred to Israel as “the Zionist entity,” maintaining that all Jewish immigrants should return to their countries of origin and that there should be one Palestine with equality for Muslims, Jews and Christians.

Mr. Nasrallah is believed to live modestly and rarely socializes outside Hezbollah’s ruling circles, eschewing public appearances and the telephone since the 2006 war against Israel. That war, which was set off when Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers during a cross-border raid, ended after 34 days of combat with both sides declaring victory. Afterward, Hezbollah was lauded across the Arab world, and took on an increasingly active role in conflicts around the region.

Mr. Nasrallah is a powerful orator with a robust command of classical Arabic. He laces his speeches with references to restoring lost Arab virility, a message that resonates across the region.

Enter Lawrence and how his take links to Nastrallah & Arabia

T. E. Lawrence

“They were incorrigibly children of the idea, feckless and color-blind, for whom body and spirit were forever and inevitably opposed. The Semitic mind was strange and dark full of depressions and exaltations, lacking in rule, but with more of ardor and more fertile in belief than any other in the world. They were people of starts, for whom the abstract was the strongest motive, the process of infinite courage and variety, and the end nothing. The were unstable as water, and like water would perhaps finally prevail.”

 “To me an unnecessary action, or shot, or casualty, was not only waste but sin. I was unable to take the professional view that all successful actions were gains. Our rebels were not materials, like soldiers, but friends of ours, trusting our leadership. We were not in command nationally, but by invitation; and our men were volunteers, individuals, local men, relatives, so that a death was a personal sorrow to many in the army. Even from the purely military point of view the assault seemed to me a blunder.”

“We pay for these things too much in honour and in innocent lives.”

Why this will not end well as no one is innocent.

“History is often the tale of small moments—chance encounters or casual decisions or sheer coincidence—that seem of little consequence at the time, but somehow fuse with other small moments to produce something momentous, the proverbial flapping of a butterfly’s wings that triggers a hurricane.”

“Certainly, blame for all this [turmoil in the Middle East] doesn't rest solely with the terrible decisions that were made at the end of World War I, but it was then that one particularly toxic seed was planted. Ever since, Arab society has tended to define itself less by what it aspires to become than by what it is opposed to: colonialism, Zionism, Western imperialism in its many forms. This culture of opposition has been manipulated—indeed, feverishly nurtured—by generations of Arab dictators intent on channeling their people's anger away from their own misrule in favor of the external threat, whether it is "the great Satan" or the "illegitimate Zionist entity" or Western music playing on the streets of Cairo.”

Remember, it's all about the money, always has been, always will be.

Scale Invariance

In many ways, nature's scale invariant as much of life expresses itself through the use of fractal geometry,
something readily seen in waves, trees, feathers and beaches.
With this in mind, said video shows, in part, why this notion rings true.

The gates of hell beckon ...

Smoke billows over southern Lebanon following Israeli strikes, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Tyre, southern Lebanon September 23, 2024

Aziz Taher/REUTERS

The gates of hell beckon ...

Missiles slammed into southern Lebanon, shattering the early-morning silence Monday and reportedly killing more than 550 people as Israel said it was targeting Hezbollah weapons hidden in residential buildings. The explosions came as Israel heralded a new wave of attacks on the Iran-backed group in Lebanon, warning civilians to flee from any buildings or areas where the organization had weapons or fighters positioned.

Lebanon's health ministry said the strikes killed at least 558 people, including dozens of children and women, and wounded more than 1,600 people, The Associated Press reported. Monday marked the deadliest day of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah since 2006. The death toll also surpassed the deaths from the 2020 explosion at the Port of Beirut that killed nearly 200 people, injured thousands and devastated entire neighborhoods in the Lebanese capital.

The word assume applies ...

The IDF shared images online of what it said were secondary explosions following some of its strikes Monday in southern Lebanon, showing, it said, "Hezbollah's weapons exploding inside homes." 

"Every house that we strike contains weapons — rockets, missiles, UAVs — that are intended to kill Israeli civilians," the IDF said. It said 300 separate Hezbollah targets were hit in its Monday morning airstrikes in Lebanon.

Israel's indispensable ally ... 

President Joe Biden said on Monday that the U.S. was trying to calm the situation in Lebanon.

"I've been briefed on the latest developments in Israel and Lebanon. My team is in constant contact with their counterparts, and we're working to de-escalate in a way that allows people to return home safely," Mr. Biden said as he held talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the White House.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon said Monday the U.S. is sending additional troops to the Middle East. Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder would provide no details on how many additional forces or what they would be tasked to do. The U.S. currently has about 40,000 troops in the region.

The Israeli land invasion of Lebanon looms.

"The raids will begin soon. Evacuate the houses where #Hezbollah has hidden weapons immediately," Adraee said in the video, speaking Arabic. "Hezbollah is lying to you and sacrificing you."

"We are deepening our attacks in Lebanon, the actions will continue until we achieve our goal to return the northern residents safely to their homes," Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said in his own video message, warning his nation of "days ahead of us when the public will have to show composure." 

In other words, the gates of hell beckon as seen by the pix below.

CBS News 

Ethnic Cleansing 2024

FILE — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) speaks at the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, June 3, 2024. (Maayan Toaf/GPO)

Ethnic Cleansing: Definition(s) Rendering an area ethnically homogeneous by using force or intimidation to remove from a given area persons of another ethnic or religious group, which is contrary to international law.

Well, it seems it doesn't matter according to the Israelis as a proposal to do said illegal act
is being considered for Gaza as we speak.

Rows of tents are set up for displaced Palestinians in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip.
Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP/Getty Images

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering a plan to force all Palestinian civilians out of northern Gaza, including Gaza City, in order to lay siege to Hamas and force the release of hostages.

It is unclear how many Palestinians remain north of the so-called Netzarim Corridor, which splits Gaza in two, but estimates run into the hundreds of thousands. The plan does not mention whether, when, or how civilians would be allowed to return to northern Gaza. After nearly a year of war, with no part of Gaza immune from Israeli airstrikes, Palestinians have been increasingly unwilling to heed Israeli demands to relocate.

The idea comes from a group of retired Israeli military generals, who have formally presented it to the Israeli cabinet and a powerful parliamentary committee. The goal, they say, is to use siege tactics to starve Hamas fighters and force them to release 101 hostages still held in the territory.

Slain Israeli hostage held by Hamas in ‘inhuman’ conditions underneath Gaza, sisters tell CNN

“Those who leave will receive food and water,” Giora Eiland, a retired Israeli military general who is spearheading the proposal, says in a slickly produced video posted online earlier this month. “But in a week the entire territory of the northern Gaza Strip will become military territory, and this military territory as far as we are concerned, no supplies will enter it.”

Question: What's the betting pool that Israelis will replace the Palestinians when the op is over.
Good question to ask is it not?

Ethnic cleansing applies does it not?

Darkness, Darkness ...

Channel One

Marsh light

Leaning toward the left ...

Leaning toward the right ...

Moonlight walk

Of light & Shadow

Dividing Line

Endless

 

Of Twilight

X Marks the Spot

Had fun putting this video together by including different types of footage from drone clips to weather events with asides to insects, music and sculpture.  Enjoy.

Humor

Illustration by Shout

Humor is everywhere but what is it? It's kinda like pornography, you can't define it but you know it when you see it, like these gems seen below. :)

True creativity often starts where language ends. - Koestler

The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. - Einstein

"Take my wife, please." - Henry Youngman

Politics: Poli a Latin word meaning many and tics meaning bloodsucking creatures. - Robin Williams

Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason. - Mark Twain

Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac? - George Carlin

Ralph Steadman

To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.  - Thomas Paine

Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won't expect it back. - Oscar Wilde

“Apparently I lack some particular perversion which today's employer is seeking. ” ― John Kennedy Toole, 

“Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you.” - Joseph Heller

General "Buck" Turgidson: "Gee, I wish we had one of them doomsday machines..." Dr. Strangelove" 

"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son." Dean Wormer - Animal house

“I marvel at your power to be mistaken.” Moliere

Dr. Peter Venkman: We've been going about this all wrong. This Mr. Stay Puft's okay! He's a sailor, he's in New York; we get this guy laid, we won't have any trouble! - Ghostbusters

But what about AI and humor ... something to think about is it not?

Jon the Robot and Naomi Fitter perform onstage at the Majestic Theater in Corvallis, Ore.,

in October 2019 Courtesy Naomi

Artificial Intelligence Can Now Craft Original Jokes—And That’s No Laughing Matter

The prospect of an AI that understands why we are laughing, and that can generate its own genuinely funny material, is sort of a holy grail for a subset of AI researchers. Artificial intelligence can diagnose tumors, read maps and play games, often faster and with more accuracy than humans can.

For the moment, however, linguistic humor is still primarily a people thing. Jon can work blue, with a whole bit on robot dating that involves cryptic texts, encrypted text, and the eggplant emoji—but only because a human has written and programmed a set list for it. Finding a way to teach machines to be funny on their own would be a major breakthrough—one that could fundamentally reshape the way we relate to the devices around us. To understand a person’s humor is to know what they like, how they think and how they see the world. An AI that understands all that has the power to do a lot more than just crack jokes.

(Image credit: Drew Sheneman / Copyright 2024 Tribune Content Agency)

Sojourn

sojourn

[ noun soh-jurn; verb soh-jurn, soh-jurn ]

noun

a temporary stay:

In this case, Ithaca, complete with short stops in town, Cornell and a visit to Woodstock, a place where yours truly shared space with 450.000+ back in August of 1969. 

Enjoy. :)  As an aside, the Argos Inn's a 10 in terms of service and accommodations. :)

A tiny Ithaca sampler ...

Exit

Cornell/Rev 1

1618033

Of the feline persuasion :)

Conway's Game of Life

The Argos bar

Self explanatory is it not?

Groucho lives :)

Itsy Bitsy Spider ...

The French approach to the Bauhaus

Harmony 101

Staircase

Cornell/Rev III

Overview

Doors

Channeling Arcimboldo

The Eyes have it :)

Yours truly loves jumping spiders. Tiny, inquisitive and incredibly smart, these engaging little guys captivate me to no end while also being an extremely successful predator to the max. The reason for the jumper's skill set is readily seen by this truly excellent clip describing how this amazing arachnid sees the world indirectly connects to the deep relationship of additive and subtractive color spaces as articulated in a "wonderful" series of blurbs residing in BRT under color. :)

Why talk about this? Well, vision is a prime driver of intelligence as it requires serious brain power to negotiate the 3D space in which all life lives. From the development of vision over 540 million years ago in the Cambrian to today, the capability to see was and is essential for almost all life on this planet to survive.

The stigma (2) of the euglena hides a light-sensitive spot.

Rev II

Major stages in the evolution of the eye in vertebrates

In closing ...

The human eye, showing the iris and pupil

the Eyes have it. :)

Jumpers also hear, very well, without question. 

Science, done well, never disappoints. :)