UrLogicFails

@ UrLogicFails @beehaw.org

Posts

99
Comments

219
Joined

3 yr. ago

2y ago

Lawmakers Reject Bill That Would Let Trump Destroy Nonprofits
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UrLogicFails @beehaw.org 2y ago
You are unfortunately correct. It looks like it went back up and it is being voted on today. This time it only needs a simple majority, which is would have gotten last time.
This means that calling your representative is even more important this time around.
Luckily, my understanding is this time it will need to pass through the House and the Senate; so hopefully we'll have more of a shot to knock it out.

2y ago

Coca-Cola’s new AI-generated Christmas ad is as bad as you’d expect

I don't know the actual budget, but I think it probably cost much more than 1kUSD, though probably still less than real human work would cost.

It's important to note that no shit could last more than a second or two because after that the generated video starts to much more noticably have errors. So at minimum you still need editors (plus the music needed to be composited, etc). Also, as the article notes, all the logos needed to be added in post as well because GenAI cannot reliably do text or logos. With that in mind, I'd guess there was probably a significant amount of "cleaning up" that had to be done in post as well.

With all that said and done, I'm sure the commercial was not exactly dirt cheap, but it WAS probably still cheaper than having dignity and paying humans.

What's actually kind of wild, though, is a lot of these shots just look like bland stock imagery. And since they couldn't have any cohesion between shots because of GenAI's own limitations, the majority of these shots could have been replaced with stock footage and they probably would have only needed to CGI a few different shots...

2y ago

'5 Calls' is one way for U.S. citizens to make a political impact and 'make your voice heard'

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UrLogicFails @beehaw.org 2y ago

In case anybody stumbles upon my comment later and is also looking for the answer: I had much better luck today calling their local offices (not the DC offices).

2y ago

Satire publication The Onion buys Alex Jones' Infowars at auction with Sandy Hook families' backing

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UrLogicFails @beehaw.org 2y ago

Oh, I just assumed that he still owed them more money since his assets needed to be liquidated. Either way, I hope he cannot get Infowar2 off the ground, though...

2y ago

'5 Calls' is one way for U.S. citizens to make a political impact and 'make your voice heard'

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UrLogicFails @beehaw.org 2y ago

For H.R. 9495 I emailed my Representative because I was not feeling up to a phone call, but this morning I tried calling my Senators and neither picked up.

While I have no way of knowing if my email was ever read, if the call doesn't connect, they will guaranteedly not get my message.

Does anyone have any tips on contacting your Congresspeople by phone (ie: best time to call, best office to call, etc)?

2y ago

Satire publication The Onion buys Alex Jones' Infowars at auction with Sandy Hook families' backing

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UrLogicFails @beehaw.org 2y ago

I was wondering about that. If he made Infowar2, wouldn't the money from that just go back to the families from Sandy Hook? I would imagine they'll be dogging his every step until the day he dies (maybe even after...)

2y ago

Satire publication The Onion buys Alex Jones' Infowars at auction with Sandy Hook families' backing

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UrLogicFails @beehaw.org 2y ago

I am absolutely tickled by the idea of The Onion buying an equally reputable news source out of what can only be read as contempt for Alex Jones.

I must also say the official announcement is quite funny as well.

If this falls through, though, I would be quite sad; as the implication is Alex Jones would get to stay on, then.

2y ago

Lawmakers Reject Bill That Would Let Trump Destroy Nonprofits

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UrLogicFails @beehaw.org 2y ago

That is a great idea!

If your representatives are Republican, I've heard it's a good idea to frame your complaint in the form of complaining about big government/ government overreach. I'm not sure if that would convince them, but I do think it's the most likely way...

2y ago

Lawmakers Reject Bill That Would Let Trump Destroy Nonprofits

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UrLogicFails @beehaw.org 2y ago

I posted about H.R. 9495 a couple of days ago and the danger it presented; and I thought it was important to share it got rejected too.

Going from almost unanimous support to 145 nays, is a pretty big swing. I would imagine a lot of it came from the fear of the next president abusing that power, but people contacting their Reps cannot be undersold here as well.

Over the next four years a lot of nasty bills are going to be floated, but please let this be a reminder that contacting your Congresspeople can help make a difference.

You can view the results of the vote here.

If your representative voted no, please contact them and let them know you appreciate it. I've heard that helps too.

If you aren't sure who your representative is, you can find that here.

2y ago

Congress Is About to Gift Trump Sweeping Powers to Crush His Political Enemies

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UrLogicFails @beehaw.org 2y ago

From my understanding, this was co-authored by a Democrat, so I'm not actually sure if it has other Democratic support. On its face, it sounds pretty staunchly authoritarian, so I would be surprised if it had widespread Democratic support. Having said that, I have no idea how enticing the hostage relief section is.

I would hope that this act would fail automatically, but as last week reminded us: you can't count on rational decision-making. This is why I encourage everyone to contact their congressperson to make sure they know we expect a rational decision from them.

2y ago

Congress Is About to Gift Trump Sweeping Powers to Crush His Political Enemies

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UrLogicFails @beehaw.org 2y ago

Right now things seem pretty bleak, and I know it can feel like we are powerless; but we can still do small things to make a difference. In this case, I highly encourage you to reach out to your Congressperson and let them know you do not support this act and that you, their constituent, want them to vote no.

There are nonprofits who will work every day to do harm reduction over the next four years, but they won't be able to if this goes through.

If you aren't sure who to contact, you can find out here.

2y ago

Morning coffee chat

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UrLogicFails @beehaw.org 2y ago

I highly recommend it. I think it gets a specific negative geeky reputation associated with it, but I found that reputation to be unfounded.

For most Star Trek series, it is a very forward thinking show that deals with a wide array of morality topics. Even cinematography/ effects wise, pretty much all of them other than TOS feel very modern.

I don't think I could recommend a good way to get into it, but I will say I started with Lower Decks, and the obvious love the writers had for the franchise encouraged me to look at the more traditional series as well.

2y ago

Morning coffee chat

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UrLogicFails @beehaw.org 2y ago

I recently started watching Star Trek and have finished every series other than TOS (and Prodigy).

I had been putting TOS off since it initially seemed pretty cheesy so I had planned to skip it entirely. After finishing everything else, though, I decided to give it another try.

Now I'm about two thirds of the way through, and I've actually found it quite enjoyable. Also Bill Shatner is a better actor than I gave him credit for. I had always expected a very hammy performance based off the way people talk about him; but considering he was being watched on like a 12 inch screen, I would say his acting was actually rather subtle.

Also the practical effects look surprisingly good. It really goes to show how much better they can age. There are some shots of the ship('s model) that look comparable to modern CGI in my opinion.

I would not say TOS is my favorite Star Trek series so far, but I would put it in the top 5 for sure.

2y ago

This is a friendly reminder to visit your local library

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UrLogicFails @beehaw.org 2y ago

I understand your sentiment, and I've certainly gone to the library far less since becoming far more comfortable with the Internet.

Having said that, the Internet is a dangerous place to people who don't know what they're doing. Think about how many people don't even use ad-blockers; and that is a bare-minimum from a safety perspective.

With that in mind, the library is a powerful resource to people who can't navigate the shadier parts of the Internet.

It's also worth noting some people have atrocious Internet speeds. For people with slow Internet, it could take an unfathomably long time to download/ stream something versus instantly being able to watch/ read/ play it as soon as you get home

Plus, as I said, it offers more than just books and TV/ movies. You can borrow equipment, have a place to work, have someone knowledgeable point you in the right direction. These are valuable services offered that I don't think the Internet will ever be able to truly replace, and that's not even getting into the value of building up your local community.

2y ago

This is a friendly reminder to visit your local library

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UrLogicFails @beehaw.org 2y ago

That's heartbreaking to hear. It sucks they would be so cavalier with their accessibility.

2y ago

This is a friendly reminder to visit your local library

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UrLogicFails @beehaw.org 2y ago

Wow, I hadn't even heard of a radon detector before. That's pretty great that your library has them on hand!

2y ago

This is a friendly reminder to visit your local library

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UrLogicFails @beehaw.org 2y ago

The convenience of an audiobook cannot be beat.

Some of them have really good narrators, too. I just finished listening to The Color of Magic and I swear the narration/ voice acting was so good it felt like I was listening to a radio serial.

2y ago

This is a friendly reminder to visit your local library

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UrLogicFails @beehaw.org 2y ago

It's also worth noting that most libraries offer digital goods to borrow also.

I don't have a lot of time to read anymore, but I've been able to "read" maybe half a dozen books or so in the last year by borrowing audiobooks from my library directly on my phone and listening to them on my commute.

2y ago

A modest proposal

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UrLogicFails @beehaw.org 2y ago

Even if you felt comfortable dismissing the environmental impacts of burning down a rainforest because you were too lazy to Google a picture of a factory fire, GenAI as a technology is morally indefensible at its core, since it is based entirely on theft.

I have seen scores of people defend the theft saying intellectual property is the true crime, etc. And while I agree IP laws are abused by massive conglomerations, GenAI isn't just stealing from them. It's stealing from every writer and artist on the planet. Anyone who has ever posted their art online to share with their community has had their art hoovered up by for-profit institutions who then sell it to the masses.

GenAI could only be a morally viable technology if: A) It didn't consume an ungodly amount of energy to run it B) You run a model who's training data was entirely sourced by you to only include sources that have given permission and are properly compensated (if necessary)

A does not seem likely in the foreseeable future; and while B is possible, the scale of data required for constructing a GenAI model, makes it basically infeasible for the average user.

With all of that said, I think it is valid to conclude the technology of GenAI is just as reprehensible as the morally bankrupt corporations that vend it.

While I do not think the users are inherently bad people did using GenAI, there are much more eco-friendly and less theft-based alternatives that are just as easy; and I think it's questionable to throw those out the window for the rainforest-burning, plagiarism machine...

2y ago

Now that Halloween's over, what were the best costumes you saw?

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UrLogicFails @beehaw.org 2y ago

My partner and I went as Sheriff Truman and Agent Cooper from Twin Peaks.

I also saw a couple going as Judge Trudy and a dancing lobster, which I really appreciated; but I do not have any pictures of them.

Personally, I loved all the deep cut costumes; and I think this was a really good year for them.