This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

memfree,

Ah, you are running into the problem that has lead nearly all English dictionaries to become descriptive rather than prescriptive. People make up new definitions for old words and new words for new things and everyone ends up needing to define terms to uncover who is using which words in what way. While not exactly on-point, I am reminded of this piece on finding nice words for latrines and imbeciles: cambridgeblog.org/…/ableist-language-and-the-euph…

memfree,

Infocom.

Zork, Hitchhiker’s Guide, Leather Goddesses of Phobos.


<span style="color:#323232;">You are standing in an open field west of a white house, with a boarded front door.
</span><span style="color:#323232;">There is a small mailbox here.
</span><span style="color:#323232;">>
</span>
memfree,

The bits that hit me most:

It wasn’t just author profiles that the magazine repeatedly replaced. Each time an author was switched out, the posts they supposedly penned would be reattributed to the new persona, with no editor’s note explaining the change in byline.

authors at TheStreet with highly specific biographies detailing seemingly flesh-and-blood humans with specific areas of expertise — but … these fake writers are periodically wiped from existence and their articles reattributed to new names, with no disclosure about the use of AI.

We caught CNET and Bankrate, both owned by Red Ventures, publishing barely-disclosed AI content that was filled with factual mistakes and even plagiarism;

memfree,

I’ve done this. We used a big cookie jar on the counter and fermented for about a month (cold kitchen). It came out well, but we were kinda scared of it and the jar was always in our way so we never bothered again. We have local places that sell ‘raw’ sauerkraut and that is a better work/life balance for us.

Side note: there are 3 stages to fermentation with different bacteria taking the main stage in each. Check out this article and its links for even more details: makesauerkraut.com/how-long-to-ferment-sauerkraut…

memfree,

oh, and here’s a pic (from www.meatsandsausages.com/…/fermentation)

pic

memfree,

The amazing thing is that almost ALL the staff signed a letter and threatened to quit, too! From: wired.com/…/openai-staff-walk-protest-sam-altman/

“The process through which you terminated Sam Altman and removed Greg Brockman from the board has jeopardized all of this work and undermined our mission and company,” the letter reads. “Your conduct has made it clear you did not have the competence to oversee OpenAI.”

Remarkably, the letter’s signees include Ilya Sutskever, the company’s chief scientist and a member of its board, who has been blamed for coordinating the boardroom coup against Altman in the first place. By 5:10 pm ET on Monday, some 738 out of OpenAI’s around 770 employees, or about 95 percent of the company, had signed the letter.

Supposedly, Microsoft has said they’ll hire the whole team… but I wonder if it’ll really play out that way or if they’d just become short-term hires and then kicked out once OpenAI collapses. Note that Microsoft has invested a lot of money in OpenAI.

Vox also has a lengthy article with lots of details and consideration of what it all means, such as:

… There is an argument that, because OpenAI’s board is supposed to run a nonprofit dedicated to AI safety, not a fast-growing for-profit business, it may have been justified in firing Altman. (Again, the board has yet to explain its reasoning in any detail.) You won’t hear many people defending the board out loud since it’s much safer to support Altman. But writer Eric Newcomer, in a post he published November 19, took a stab at it. He notes, for instance, that Altman has had fallouts with partners before — one of whom was Elon Musk — and reports that Altman was asked to leave his perch running Y Combinator.

“Altman had been given a lot of power, the cloak of a nonprofit, and a glowing public profile that exceeds his more mixed private reputation,” Newcomer wrote. “He lost the trust of his board. We should take that seriously.”

memfree,

Yeah, I think that PR spin died after getting debunked so thoroughly, but I liked this article’s blast-from-the-past ‘need’ to set the record straight with lots of details.

memfree,

“Godfather of AI” Geoff Hinton, in recent public talks, explains that one of the greatest risks is not that chatbots will become super-intelligent, but that they will generate text that is super-persuasive without being intelligent, in the manner of Donald Trump or Boris Johnson. In a world where evidence and logic are not respected in public debate, Hinton imagines that systems operating without evidence or logic could become our overlords by becoming superhumanly persuasive, imitating and supplanting the worst kinds of political leader.

Why is “superhumanly persuasive” always being done for stupid stuff and not, I don’t know, getting people to drive fuel efficient cars instead of giant pickups and suvs?

memfree,

Wanna be the bigwig on your block? Have I got a product for YOU! Solar Panels! Make your house shine with newfangled tech that’ll be the envy of all your neighbors! Go solar, baby! Stick it to the electric company and make THEM pay for a change. Solar! You’ll be beaming.

ok, I suck at faking ai chat

memfree,

Oh, I’ve also made this with 4-5 dried bay leaves and a dozen juniper berries. I liked the bay leaves in there, but the juniper berries weren’t noticeable except as an unwelcome texture.

memfree,

They will tell you “controlled” visits are for safety, but I remember in the post 9-11 Gulf War reporting how the Pentagon went all in for “embedded journalism”. Yeah, sure, it keeps the press ‘safe’, but it changes what gets covered. The media initially loved it, but later realized there were valid criticisms of the process.

More to the point: yeah, covering news should not be a death sentence. Even if you are covering a war, as civilian non-combatants you shouldn’t be targeted by any military… a la the ‘Collateral Murder’ wikileaks video of journalists shot by US helicopters.

Doctor Who Showrunner Announces Controversial Change as It Joins Disney+ (movieweb.com)

Doctor Who enters a transformative era with Russell T. Davies at the helm, confirming its significant shift to Disney+ in 2024, a daring decision for the esteemed British science-fiction series. After reigning as a sci-fi TV favorite for sixty years, the series is making a comeback, complete with a significant alteration that...

memfree,

Saved you a click: it’ll be 9 episodes/year.

fwiw, that’s more than recent years but less than the earlier years (of the reboot, in particular)

memfree,

I agree. I included the links in the quoted text so people could more easily make public comment. I don’t think we want everyone saying they are in the severe category when they are not, but yeah, we don’t want to stop supporting people who need help.

memfree,

Finding a tasty pumpkin is usually the hardest part. The few I’ve tried from this list (with pictures!) were better than the average pie pumpkin I’ve had, but note that the list includes lots that are better for roasting than for pies. Here’s the ones I notice they like most for pies: Blue Hubbard, Butternut Squash (I’ve heard canned pumpkin are actually butternut because the flavor is better), Jarrahdale, Kabocha, Long Island Cheese, and Neck (these are the ones I usually get – we call them Crooknecks in my family).

memfree,

Oh, Canada. 🙃

memfree,

You will need a valid email and you must reply to confirm your vote: www.birdoftheyear.org.nz

memfree,

The mine is kinda closed, but in receivership of PriceWaterhouseCoopers , is somewhat under government control, and on native lands belonging to Selkirk First Nation. They’ve had low salmon runs recently and this is really bad for the fish.

“The last thing you want to do is dig up mud, which is what this company did. The water license very specifically says ‘Don’t do this,’ and they went ahead and did it. So, it’s a huge concern to us.”

Todd Vogt, JDS’ chief operating officer and executive vice president, said the company had to dredge the river due to an “emergency situation.”

He explained water levels were dropping fast and two exposed boulders at the barge landing were obstructing the barge landing. At the time, the territory was at the height of wildfire season, and there were concerns for workers’ safety at the mine site in case of evacuation.

But Rifkind said proper steps still should have been taken.

He said JDS should have informed the territory’s Department of Energy, Mines and Resources’ mining inspector, as well as Fisheries and Oceans Canada about the situation.

“This wouldn’t have prevented them from doing the work, but there would have been a paper trail of why the work was required,” he said.

He said a report would then have to be filed with the Yukon Water Board explaining why JDS “varied” from the conditions of the mine’s water licence. [sic]

Anyway, it sounds like mistakes were made and it is hard to tell if the responsible people are learning from the mistake or if they’re just blowing it off without plans to improve. I’m hoping for the former, but it is the sort of thing that needs to get publicized so voters can demand accountability.

memfree,

H-h-how? HOW? do they ‘anonymize’ DNA?!?! Remember how in 2007 ‘anonymized’ netflix data was linked back to actual members? That was just checking what people watched on Netflix compared to what they rated on IMDB.

With DNA, you should be able to figure out who someone is by the fact you an exact DNA record! I mean, it’ll share similarities with your parents, and children, and to a lesser degree, more removed relatives. How hard can it be to figure out that this woman is related to that guy with an arrest record. Or more specifically: this is the exact person because we see other records from any doctor or whatever with the same DNA.

memfree,

After decades of sci-fi/fantasy entertainment to prime us, the primal part of the human brain that reacts to in-group and out-group members suddenly changes in every human and we start reflexively and unintentionally classifying all earth life as friends and space/environmental threats as enemies.

Humanity immediately gets serious about climate change, CO2 reduction, and the like, but we also get way too zealous about deploying space lasers.

The First Dune Movie Failure Secretly Spawned Another Sci-Fi Classic (www.msn.com)

Despite its massive failure, the first attempt at adapting Frank Herbert’s Dune to the big screen made it possible for one of the most iconic science-fiction films to come out. Alejandro Jodorowsky's Dune promised to be one most ambitious and artistic sci-fi movies ever filmed. Jodorowsky, a director with a very powerful...

memfree,

I am pleased the article is about Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Dune rather than David Lynch’s version (which I recommend with a few caveats regarding limitations, style and the times). That said, there’s a documentary with more detail called Jodorowsky’s Dune. See that. If you like that doc, try Lost in La Mancha, which is a Gilliam doc on failing to make a movie. For Jodorowsky, I’d suggest Sante Sangre. Maybe see El Topo, too (and first) if you don’t mind art cinema.

memfree,

Use herbs and spices. Use different spices. I get tired of recipes that use the same 4 flavors over and over, so I look for recipes that use something else. Under-used spices I love: cardamon, rue, sumac. Under-used spices that I can only fit in certain recipes: caraway, mace, fennel seeds.

Get spice mixes for pre-balanced flavors, like Herbs de Provence, Garam masala or Harrissa paste (you can make this yourself, but you should try a few versions to figure out what you’re shooting for).

Maybe these are al old hat to you, but here are some standard examples:

  • add tarragon to tuna/chicken salad
  • add cardamon and nutmeg to cooked oatmeal and omit cinnamon
  • sprinkle sumac on your scrambled/deviled eggs
  • put some rue in your stew or pot pies
memfree,

Oh, I bought it as a live plant. We’ve had it in the ground for several years now. Even when the rosemary bush died in the cold, the rue lived on. Our thai hot pepper plant is in a pot and has to come in before it frosts. Of course we always have to buy new basil and cilantro seedlings each year. You can’t stop mint from coming back – same goes for perilla. Anyway, sample links to seeds: earthcareseeds and/or seedneeds.

memfree,

I have a metal spatula from … maybe the 80s? that is now falling apart, but every replacement I’ve tried is too stiff compared to my battered old friend. I like how it bends under pancakes to allow a good, high flip. I love how I can scrape all the crusty bits off my cast iron pan and get them all frying into whatever the dish is. It wasn’t a special purchase at the time, but the modern ones are all too thick or stiff. Do not like.

On wooden spatulas, I have a dead-flat bamboo one I use to stir soups and roux-based sauces. It was dead cheap from my local asian market and I ended up buying 10 of them to give as christmas stocking stuffers. Not sure it if this example is as flat as mine, but it is similar.

memfree,
memfree,

First, I want to make sure we’re talking about sumac and not poison sumac. I originally got it as garnish for my hummus and Baba ghanoush. It works well in lots of Mediterranean recipes. For me, it seems to lose potency when cooked too long, so I generally add it towards the end.

memfree,

P.S. I make hummus from 1/2 pound dry garbanzo beans cooked for a long, long time. Add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda near the end to ensure soft, mushy beans. Maybe 15-20 minutes of extra cooking after that, then drain off excess water and let cool. The beans shouldn’t be dry, of course, but not soupy, either. There are vegan recipes that use that leftover liquid, so consider saving it.

In a food processor, add several cloves of garlic, about 3 tablespoons tahini, and a bit of salt (maybe 1/2 teaspoon or less). Add somewhat cooled beans, 1/2 teaspoon sumac, and about 1-2 small lemon of zest and juice OR 1/2 -1 large lemon. You can save some juice to the side for correcting flavor later. Optionally add pine nuts or other flavor agents, like roasted red peppers or parsley. I diverge from the standard hummus by adding a glug of olive oil directly into the mix as well as using it as a topping, so add a couple tablespoons in if you so desire. Buzz repeatedly, scraping down the sides as needed until you have a creamy mix. Correct seasoning as desired, then put in a bowl, create a swirling depression in the middle and sprinkle with sumac, then drizzle with olive oil. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate. A good olive oil may make it stiffen up in the refrigerator, so if you are going to eat it cold and added oil to the blend, you may want to make it with extra liquid.

My baba ghanous is almost the same recipe, but with roasted eggplant instead of beans, and extra tahini when the eggplants are over-mature, which means darker, more bitter seeds (and which the extra tahinin cuts).

memfree,

I think there IS still natural selection in humans, and it is relatively new: birth control.

I suspect that those with religious/conservative beliefs who will not take morning-after or birth control pills AND those irresponsible people who theoretically might – but didn’t think about it until too late – will be two groups that increase their numbers while more responsible/fore-thinking people and those without moral objection to the pill (or perhaps WITH moral objection to overpopulating the planet) will be more likely to cap their number of offspring. Yes, this was kinda covered in the movie Idiocracy, but I don’t think it was that far off.

memfree,

Please elaborate. I have a vegetarian here and have not found a vegan dashi. The best I can do is use kombu in my ramen/Asian/miso-based soups (but not in Euro-centric soups, like Senate Bean Soup or Cauliflower-Potato). I’ve got a decent vegan Worcestershire sauce, and would love a link for a good vegan dashi base to add to my cooking toolkit.

memfree,

There’s no publicly known proof that any of Mary Trump’s accusations are true, but since the war is decidedly World News, the possibility that the attack by Hamas was made viable through a U.S. leak is worth considering.

memfree,

Dang, I can’t find the article I read about women using a promiscuous reproductive strategy and how they are less likely to care about the promiscuity of others than women using a monogamous reproductive strategy, who care very much that no one be promiscuous.

Long story short: there are both men and women who do and don’t mind multiple sexual relationships.

That said, societies put limits on what is acceptable and you probably see that in movies. From my personal casual observation, it seems normal for people to be attracted to multiple people, but acting on that – or even talking about it – is likely to upset a partner trying to establish a pair-bond. It can be a threat that the pair-bond may be broken if/when a competitor lures the ‘attracted’ partner away.

More than that, I know new moms furious at their husbands for playing video games. Hubby says he’s worked all day and wants to unwind, but mom says the baby needs care and hubby’s gaming leaves mom as stranded and alone as if hubby was cheating.

Here’s a short bit: news.harvard.edu/…/female-monogamy-is-fiction-not…

Stuff on monogamy:

memfree,

I can’t see a case for pirating to be ethical in the case where you create the story/paint the picture/write the song/build the machine, and then Disney/Time Warner/Sony/Amazon pirates it and sells it for profit while you get nothing.

inkican, to scifi

Everybody go see The Creator. Now.

memfree,

Why? Every PR campaign wants us to buy their product. What makes this item worth our time and money? Without further extollation, I’m inclined to skip it, especially because I’ve heard random background noise that it is pretty mediocre.

I don’t intend to be mean, but if I am going to lose 2 hours of my life to possible entertainment, I like having some incentive for doing so.

memfree,

huh? I never said anything like that.

Anyway, it sounds like you’re saying the reason to see it is that it is original scifi and a great ride. MY point was that saying so from the start would give people more reason to see it instead of just ordering us about without information.

memfree,

It’s all good :-)

memfree,

Brazil (1985) by Terry Gilliam. It is dark, wry, and painfully honest. Make sure you watch the version with the intended ending instead of the version the studio tried to release.

memfree,

I’m following this case a little because I was a little impressed with a public statement to the press Commissioner Outlaw made. She was trying to calm people down, of course, but asking for recognition of her (representing the police department) attempt to be as transparent as possible. Here’s a previous story about the same incident: inquirer.com/…/kensington-police-shooting-philade…

Earlier in the day, Outlaw acknowledged the family’s and community’s frustration.

“Sometimes I feel like we take 20 steps forward, and it just takes one incident and we take 50 steps backward,” she said. “I understand the reticence, I understand folks not really being sure whether or not they should even trust what we are saying today because of what we said initially. But I’m hoping that they see this is a genuine effort to do everything we can to share what we know when we have it.”

So, yeah, the cops on the scene lied and the body cam footage proved it, and as soon as they saw that internally – before it went public – the police department announced the initial statement was a lie. This feels more complicated than ‘all cops are bad’ or ‘respect their authority’. It is a mix and I am hoping to see honesty and integrity get rewarded in the end.

memfree,

Try some cardamom spice in there, too – but don’t add it until near the end. Cardamom’s flavor dissipates when cooked too long.

memfree,

I’ve never frozen tofu. Is there a point to doing that for cooking or is it just to keep it ‘fresh’? I do usually press it for an hour or so before cooking. I stick slices in clean dish towels between two cutting boards and weight with whatever is handy (cast iron pan, big cans of tomatoes, boxes of wine, whatever).

Always always always use fresh ginger. :-)

memfree,

I’m late to this discussion, but you might want to invest in a separate pan for eggs and fish. Here are two Wirecutter pages on pans – one non-stick (with lengthy discussion on non-stick surfaces) and one on the best pan (which is NOT non-stick, but also not what you want). Archived links so you don’t have to worry about paywalls, I hope : Best Skillet | Best Non-stick

tl;dr: Use an absolutely flat bottom with flared sides and good balance. 10-inches is perfect for omelettes, but use a bigger pan for multi-person meals. Beyond that, “Nonstick pans are best for cooking things like eggs or delicate fish fillets, but they’re not appropriate for high-heat jobs. The slick surface also can’t develop the fond (tasty brown bits that develop on the bottom of a pan) that’s integral for sauces.”

  • All
  • Subscribed
  • Moderated
  • Favorites
  • random
  • uselessserver093
  • Food
  • aaaaaaacccccccce
  • test
  • CafeMeta
  • testmag
  • MUD
  • RhythmGameZone
  • RSS
  • dabs
  • KamenRider
  • TheResearchGuardian
  • KbinCafe
  • Socialism
  • oklahoma
  • SuperSentai
  • feritale
  • All magazines