Dammit…

This is NOT good…

Amazon has quietly added a new AI feature to its Kindle iOS app — a feature that “lets you ask questions about the book you’re reading and receive spoiler-free answers,” according to an Amazon announcement.
 
The company says the feature, which is called Ask this Book, serves as “your expert reading assistant, instantly answering questions about plot details, character relationships, and thematic elements without disrupting your reading flow.”
 
Publishing industry resource Publishers Lunch noticed Ask this Book earlier this week, and asked Amazon about it. Amazon spokesperson Ale Iraheta told PubLunch, “The feature uses technology, including AI, to provide instant, spoiler-free answers to customers’ questions about what they’re reading. Ask this Book provides short answers based on factual information about the book which are accessible only to readers who have purchased or borrowed the book and are non-shareable and non-copyable.”
 
As PubLunch summed up: “In other words, speaking plainly, it’s an in-book chatbot.” […] Perhaps most alarmingly, the Amazon spokesperson said, “To ensure a consistent reading experience, the feature is always on, and there is no option for authors or publishers to opt titles out.”

h/t SS

This frankly sucks, as there is no way to shut that crap off… Sigh…

YGTBSM!!!

This…gah…

Democrats have a knack for downplaying political violence when it suits their political narrative, but Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) took it to a new, disgraceful low on Thursday.

During a House Committee on Homeland Security hearing, the Mississippi Democrat, who previously chaired Nancy Pelosi’s handpicked January 6 Select Committee, decided to rewrite history. He referred to the targeted assassination attempt on American soldiers by Afghan Rahmanullah Lakanwal as an “unfortunate accident.”

You really have to see the transcript to believe the level of disconnect on display here.

Thompson was questioning DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and NCTC Director Joseph Kent. He attempted to trap them in a bureaucratic gotcha moment regarding asylum paperwork. In the process, he revealed exactly how the Left views threats to our nation. Thompson looked at Secretary Noem and casually referred to “the unfortunate accident that occurred with the National Guardsman being killed.”

Full article, HERE from PJ Media.

An ACCIDENT? WTF??? What @#$%#% planet is he living on?

That was pure terrorist action, period!

Kudos to Noem for immediately pushing back, and backing that congresscritter into a bumbling attempt to lie his way out of what he said, and NOT accepting his lies!

I’m going to stop here, because I want to use four letter words, and I ‘try’ to keep this family friendly (more or less)…

Gah…spit…

Will it work???

I have no idea, but reducing the dopamine addiction of young kids can’t be all bad…

Australia’s landmark new social media age law is set to go into effect, barring anyone under 16 from holding an account as the government moves to enforce one of the world’s strictest online safety measures.

The Australian government’s Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act, passed in November 2024, began to be enforced on Wednesday.

“From December 10, if you’re under 16, you’re no longer allowed to have a social media account,” said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in a video statement that was played in classrooms ahead of the social media restrictions, according to 9 News Australia. “You’ll know better than anyone what it’s like growing up with algorithms, endless feeds and the pressure that can come with that.”

Full article, HERE from Fox News.

This ‘idea’ has been bouncing around for a couple of years now. It used to be that kids had a 30 second focus ability, but thanks to all the media crap, the dopamine hits, and rage vids, it’s apparently down to about 12 seconds…

This is apparently (depending on the study you believe), based on the ‘shorts’ on the various platforms that have kids chasing from video to video, platform to platform. I know my grandkids don’t get unlimited screen time,  and what they watch is closely monitored by their parents. They also have outside activities and sports to keep them occupied!

I also wonder if is partially responsible for the beta male/aggressive female crap we’re seeing with the latest generation. With everybody with a cell phone/camera, and people more interested in videoing the fights/whatever is happening, rather than breaking it up, has this led to people fearing to get involved?

I dunno, but it makes sense to me…

In other stuff that has me ‘worried’… While I was out seeing the kids/grands, I went to my 2nd grade granddaughter’s school to see her get an award. Small school, appx 225 kids K thru 5th grade. The number of obviously neurodivergent kids surprised the hell out of me. At least a dozen of all grades wearing mickey mouse ears due to the ‘loudness’ of the assembly, ten that I could ID that were in their own little worlds, including one third grade boy who was spinning in place, ‘whipping’ the kids around him with the cord of his headset, a 5th grade girl who was flopping around on the floor, not looking at anyone, and ignoring the teacher’s attempts to calm her. Two boys, 5th grade, touching, punching each other and escalating throughout the assembly. Finally those two were separated… A number of other kids who had to be taken out of the assembly, usually shivering and scared of their own shadow. Another thing that surprised me was the number of 4th-5th grade girls who have obviously ‘developed’. And at least one of the 4th graders looked to be 15 or 16! Two of the 5th grade (12 years old) girls looked to be 18 or 19. One of the 5th graders, probably neurodivergent or troublemaker, kept trying to get the male teachers to ‘chest bump’ with her. The teacher was staying as far away from her as he could. Disgusting, to put it mildly, and the teachers have little to no control, apparently due to the illegality of touching or punishing students.

Frankly, what I saw scares the hell out of me. And this is one little school… if it’s this bad in elementary school, what are the high schools like???

 

Back in battery…

Survived another trip to see the kids…and the dogs…

The daughters.

One grandson and his dad with his cart that he races and wrenches on, in addition to buying it himself!

And the dogs…always the dogs… They were wondering where their automatic door opener went.

But I’m back and sleeping in my OWN bed! Yay… Great trip, but wore my ass out!!!

Another trip…

Around the sun!

Mom overruled the grandkids on the number of candles, besides I don’t think the store HAD 74 candles in stock…LOL Plus, she didn’t want to set off the smoke alarm…

They made a homemade German Chocolate cake, and it was good! Of course I had to fight the dogs to get my piece eaten… Snort…

 

Made it…

Spending time with the kids, grands, and the dogs…

Mostly the dogs…

And another trip around the sun! Yea me!!!

Off to see the grandaughter get student of the quarter for 2nd grade. And I’m trying to ‘learn’ the math they are teaching these days… and breaking my brain.

 

Out of pocket…

I’ll be on the road for the next week, spending an early Christmas with my kids.

Blogging will be light to non-existant. Go read the folks on the sidebar.

Conversations…

Drift…

 

We usually get a group together for Sunday breakfast and this last Sunday the conversation took a number of unusual turns, to put it mildly…

It started with a discussion of the miracle on the Hudson (Sully Sullenberger) and what his options were (none). Which morphed into a discussion of altitudes allowed over the rivers in NYC, a discussion of the quality of the Intrepid museum, WHY is there an SR-71 on deck? The lousy signage, lack of specifics on the aircraft displayed, and segued into a discussion of the history of the Hudson River and the dredging of the channel.

Which changed to a discussion of the boroughs of NYC and their quirks, then became a discussion of telephone numbers and area code changes in NYC.

And Peter’s segue into South African 4,5, and 6 number phone numbers…

Which then became a discussion of zip codes… NYC, Chicago, and LA…

There were a couple of other digressions in there and then we were on colors and Homer. How he didn’t use blue among other colors, calling the sky ‘bronze’ and the water ‘wine dark’ and the ‘thoughts’ that people back then couldn’t ‘see’ colors. After the snorts of disbelief, the discussion went to linguistic theories about the evolution of color terms in ancient languages.

That became a discussion of colors our grandparents wore, and different types of cloth in the late 1800s early 1900s.

In other words, kinda a typical Sunday morning discussion among our group, a little more varied than normal, but…

And kudos to Cedar for the home made bearclaws and donuts fried in tallow!!!

A little humor…

Or commentary to start your week…

Written by Andy Rooney, a man who had the gift of saying so much with so few words.   Enjoy…….

I’ve  learned …. That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I’ve learned …. That when you’re in love, it shows.

I’ve learned …. That just one person saying to me, ‘You’ve made my day!’ makes my day.

I’ve learned …. That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

I’ve learned …. That being kind is more important than being right.

I’ve learned …. That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I’ve learned …. That I can always pray for someone when I don’t have the strength to help him in some other way.

I’ve learned …. That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy  with.

I’ve learned …. That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I’ve learned …. That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I’ve learned …. That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I’ve learned …. That we should be glad God doesn’t give us everything we ask for.

I’ve learned … That money doesn’t buy class.

I’ve learned …. That it’s those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I’ve learned … That under everyone’s hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I’ve learned …. That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I’ve learned …. That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I’ve learned …. That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I’ve learned …. That the easiest way for  me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I’ve learned …. That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

I’ve  learned …. That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I’ve learned … That life is tough, but I’m tougher.

I’ve learned …. That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

I’ve learned …. That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I’ve learned …. That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.

I’ve learned …. That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I’ve learned …. That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

I’ve learned …. That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his  little fist, that you’re hooked for life.

I’ve learned …. That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.

I’ve learned ….  That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.