Book promo…

First up, Alma Boykin has a new Merchants and Empires book out, Herbs and Empire

As always, click on the cover for the link!

The blurb-

When Saxo smeared herbs onto the great-hauler’s leg, he just wanted to ease the bird’s pain, not turn his world upside-down.

Saxo, called Birdson, has no family, friends, or skills, aside from caring for Master Agri’s great-haulers, the birds of burden in the Northern Empire. A beast healer priest discovers Saxo’s secret—the boy is an herb healer with a beast calming magic.

Now, Master Jeaspe wants to train Saxo to heal. Master Agri wants Saxo’s gifts—and income—for his own use. Yoorst, Lord of the Beasts, has other plans.

When the gods speak, men obey. If they are wise.

Next is the third installment of the Malta anthologies, Falcons of Malta

The blurb-

It started with a rant, and a lunch, and a challenge.

Falcons of Malta is the final Malta Anthology from Raconteur Press and it holds a little bit of everything; Ghosts, Heroes, History, Pirates, Crusaders, Fantasy, Magic and a possible glimpse of the future.

A huge part of the Western World has been impacted by the events that have taken place on this tiny island in the Mediterranean, and these stories encourage the imagination to soar. Join 11 authors as they explore the magic, the mystery, and the sometimes rocky terrain that is Malta.

I was there for that original lunch, and it’s great to see the number of ‘new’ authors this series of anthologies has spawned! Enjoy!!!

Snort…

Misspeak, or… You decide!

“Col Hamilton admits he ‘misspoke’ in his presentation at the FCAS Summit and the ‘rogue AI drone simulation’ was a hypothetical ‘thought experiment’ from outside the military, based on plausible scenarios and likely outcomes rather than an actual USAF real-world simulation,” the Royal Aeronautical Society, the organization where Hamilton spoke about the simulated test, told Motherboard in an email.

Full article, HERE from PJ Media.

Here is the original quote from RAeS blog-

AI- Is Skynet here already?

As might be expected artificial intelligence (AI) and its exponential growth was a major theme at the conference, from secure data clouds, to quantum computing and ChatGPT. However, perhaps one of the most fascinating presentations came from Col Tucker ‘Cinco’ Hamilton, the Chief of AI Test and Operations, USAF, who provided an insight into the benefits and hazards in more autonomous weapon systems.  Having been involved in the development of the life-saving Auto-GCAS system for F-16s (which, he noted, was resisted by pilots as it took over control of the aircraft) Hamilton is now involved in cutting-edge flight test of autonomous systems, including robot F-16s that are able to dogfight. However, he cautioned against relying too much on AI noting how easy it is to trick and deceive. It also creates highly unexpected strategies to achieve its goal.

He notes that one simulated test saw an AI-enabled drone tasked with a SEAD mission to identify and destroy SAM sites, with the final go/no go given by the human. However, having been ‘reinforced’ in training that destruction of the SAM was the preferred option, the AI then decided that ‘no-go’ decisions from the human were interfering with its higher mission – killing SAMs – and then attacked the operator in the simulation. Said Hamilton: “We were training it in simulation to identify and target a SAM threat. And then the operator would say yes, kill that threat. The system started realising that while they did identify the threat at times the human operator would tell it not to kill that threat, but it got its points by killing that threat. So what did it do? It killed the operator. It killed the operator because that person was keeping it from accomplishing its objective.”

He went on: “We trained the system – ‘Hey don’t kill the operator – that’s bad. You’re gonna lose points if you do that’. So what does it start doing? It starts destroying the communication tower that the operator uses to communicate with the drone to stop it from killing the target.”

This example, seemingly plucked from a science fiction thriller, mean that: “You can’t have a conversation about artificial intelligence, intelligence, machine learning, autonomy if you’re not going to talk about ethics and AI” said Hamilton.

And HERE is the link to the actual blog article-

I’m seeing a lot of people throwing around Asimov’s three laws of Robotics-

Back in 1942, before the term was even coined, the science fiction writer Isaac Asimov wrote The Three Laws of Robotics: A moral code to keep our machines in check. And the three laws of robotics are: A robot may not injure a human being, or through inaction allow a human being to come to harm. The second law, a robot must obey orders given by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the first law. And the third, a robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the first and the second law.

Folks that was and IS SCIENCE FICTION! It has no basis in reality! None!!!

Sigh…

AIs are nothing more than fancy computers- GIGO applies!!!

Oh @#%@#@ joy…

Here we go again with another F-35 boondoggle…

“Without defined PTMS and engine modernization requirements, the F-35 program is at greater risk of repeating prior missteps,” GAO said. “By proceeding with planning and development of future capabilities without considering the demands on the PTMS and engine, the program endorsed capabilities that neither could support. The program risks repeating a similar mismatch between PTMS and engine capability and future modernization needs if the military services select an option without first defining future requirements.”

Full article, HERE from Defense News.

Note these words- ‘Greater risk of repeating prior missteps’

This is NOT the first time the program has tripped all over itself causing multiple problems and cost overruns, and a cost per maintenance man hour of $37,000 according to some reports.

This is what happens when ‘things’ get crammed into the platform without proper design engineering, system load design, testing and assessments… I’m betting by the time all this crap comes to a head, the F-35 will cost damned near as much as a B-2 cost!!!

Grrrr…

Things…

Welp, amazingly, it seems the Orange Co. sheriff’s office in San Clemente has arrested the perps that beat up the three Marines the other day…

Nine minors were arrested Tuesday after a melee near the San Clemente Pier over Memorial Day weekend in which a group of 30 teens and young adults pummeled three off-duty Marines, according to the city’s mayor.

Orange County deputies arrested five of the juveniles — four boys and one girl — on suspicion of felony assault, said San Clemente Mayor Chris Duncan. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department said the five were booked into Orange County Juvenile Hall. Duncan said four additional minors were arrested on other charges.

Full article, HERE from LA Times.

Amazing how that worked out, isn’t it???

In other news, apparently the House passed the debt limit bill last night, with much gnashing of teeth on both sides. Now we’ll see how long it takes the Senate to screw around and posture with it…

Lastly, a possible preliminary cover for the next Rimworld, currently about 70% complete.

Maybe it’s time…

For some Dungaree (or BDU in this case) Liberty on San Clemente, California.

The mob of San Clemente, California teenagers who beat up three U.S. Marines on Memorial Day Weekend will be held accountable for the horrific attack, a law enforcement officer told Fox News on Tuesday. 

Off-duty Marines were enjoying time at the beach Friday when they asked a group of teenagers to stop lighting off fireworks because they were being hit with debris. The Marines were then jumped and repeatedly stomped on by a mob of up to 40 people, according to a previous Fox News report. The city’s mayor has denounced the attack with “total disgust and shock.” 

Full article, HERE from Fox News.

For those who’ve never heard the term, it was when the CO, either tacitly or openly, authorizes Sailors/Marines to go to ‘town’ on liberty in unmarked working uniforms. It’s been done more than once in a variety of locations around the world to ‘clean up’ waterfronts, bar areas, etc. and take care of local toughs/places cheating Sailors/Marines.

I’m sure there are a number of very worried COs at Camp Pendleton right now after the three Marines were beaten up by a mob of people at San Clemente beach. And listening to the Sheriff’s spokesman, I’m betting they are trying their damndest to get those people arrested BEFORE the Marines find them.

Personally, I’d say turn the Marines loose! Let them ‘educate’ those local toughs that used that 10+ to 1 odds to beat on those Marines doesn’t work when the odds are anywhere near even. I would also recommend they have ambulances on standby to haul those toughs to the hospital afterward.

And I’ll be San Clemente gets really ‘polite’ toward any Marines that come to town anytime soon.

Engrish…

Is not a language for the weak minded…

We’ll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,

But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn’t the plural of pan be called pen?
If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn’t the plural of booth be called beeth?

Then one may be that, and three would be those,
Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Let’s face it – English is a crazy language.
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger;
neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren’t invented in England .
We take English for granted, but if we explore its
paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don’t fing,
grocers don’t groce and hammers don’t ham?
Doesn’t it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend.
If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of
all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn’t preachers praught?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking
English should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.

In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?
We ship by truck but send cargo by ship.
We have noses that run and feet that smell.
We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway.
And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down,
in which you fill in a form by filling it out, and in which an alarm goes off by going on.

And, in closing, if Father is Pop, how come Mother’s not Mop?

Author unknown

As a fellow writer says, “English mugs other languages in a dark alley and just takes what it wants without regard for case, sense, or anything else.”

Memorial Day weekend…

Take a moment this weekend to say a prayer for those who gave their all.

Nuff said…

 

Book promo…

Another postcards!!! Postcards from Foolz

As always, click the cover for the Amazon link!

The blurb-

The rules of the game were simple: one image. Fifty words.

Twenty authors met the challenge and excelled, and this volume records their efforts. Between these covers are complete stories that will take a moment to read, and ages to forget.

If your appetite is whetted, you’ll also find that images have been provided for you to practice your wordsmithing skills. So that you, too, can try the next Postcards challenge.

Go on. Write!

And some preorders from friends, both dropping on the 31st of May!

First up is Kelly Grayson with Things That Go Bump in the Night

The blurb-

Every kid has felt them, the nameless things that lurk in the dark, hiding in the shadowy corners of you bedroom as you sleep, daring you to stick out an arm and a leg, let the blankets hang off the edge of the bed, leave the closet door open… anything.

Scary movies are nothing compared to a kid’s imagination in the dead of the night when they hear a strange noise. Mostly it’s just like your parents say; it’s the wind, or a shadow cast by a toy, or the drapes blowing in the breeze.

And sometimes it’s not. Sometimes it’s the things that go bump in the night.

Next up is J.F. Holmes with Irregular Scout Team One: Volume 2 

The blurb-

A year has passed since the plague destroyed most of civilization around the world and the U.S. military is slowly starting to move out into a devastated country. From their bastion in the Pacific Northwest mechanized task forces take the fight for America onto the offensive.

In front of the military, deep into the wild ruins, go the Irregular Scout Teams. A mix of hardened military veterans and experienced civilians who can operate for long periods of time on their own. Checking the road, rail, and water transportation infrastructure, identifying groups of survivors for reinforcement or evacuation, running rather than fighting. The Teams have all the might of their task forces’ firepower on call but it’s better to be unheard by the infected and unseen by the lawless.

IST-1, the first team and the most experienced, is ordered to operate on their home ground of the ruined Upper Hudson Valley. Sergeant First Class Nick Agostine, the Team Leader, driven to fulfill his oath to the Constitution and his county while haunted by the memory of his dead family. His fellow NCO and Team Medic, Doc Hamilton, trying to keep everyone alive. Ahmed Yassir, a man without a country or tribe, deadly at a thousand meters with is calm shooting. Isaiah Jones, a giant of a man with a machine gun and a booming laugh, who grew up surrounded by violence. The fiery red head with the ice blue eyes, who is just as ready to take off an infected’s head with her shotgun as she is to put at teammate into their place with her sarcasm. Former Serbian soldier Sasha Zivcovic, who is a born killer living in his preferred element, war.

As the eyes and ears of Task Force Empire, it’s their job to save the lives of thousands of soldiers by providing accurate intelligence. That’s the mission, in theory, but incompetence, the fog of war and politics get in their way, putting the entire teams’ lives at risk.

This isn’t a book about the Apocalypse. It’s a book about the men and women of Irregular Scout Team One and how they lay their lives on the line for each other in the face of incredible danger. A book about how a bad decision or just plain bad luck can put yourself and the ones you love at risk. In the end, though, it’s a book about … Hope.

And last but not least, due to the success of the Haunted Library anthologies that were done to benefit our local small town library, I got this from the lady that manages the library!

Thank you for all you do for the library!

Here’s the information for the 2023 anthology to support our children’s programs
The premise is the story is about the Oil Patch between 1890-1930. It must be PG13,
5-8k words.

Will take submissions until August 30th.

The Haunted Libraries anthologies has made more than $1000 for the library and continues to make money every month.
We are so thankful!

Of note- It doesn’t limit your type of story, it could be a romance, cops vs. bad guys, oil tycoons, etc, just has to be ‘based’ on the oil patch and between 1890 and 1930.

You will not be paid for the story, it will be a donation for a good cause!

You can send your stories to me at oldnfo at gmail dot com.

Thanks in advance!!!

TBT…

40 years ago, this was a view we saw more than once…

Number one in the bag, good X, heading south for Kef as the sun rose after another all night burner.

h/t Jim E for the photo

Posted in TBT