@jeffc@mastodon.online
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

jeffc

@jeffc@mastodon.online

Nature. Space. Functioning societies. Law. Kindness. Writing. Thinking. And bug-free code.

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

VisualInspiration, to aiart
@VisualInspiration@creativewriting.social avatar

2024-03-20 Visual Inspiration prompt.

A penny for your thoughts.

Use this AI generated image to write a very short story based on it... If it comes to your mind. Whatever it inspires you to do!

To find more inspiring images, browse the tag.



jeffc,
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

@VisualInspiration
Basically, I got bored. I can't really get out--kind of stuck here--so I wrote a simulation. There's a whole universe in there. I can even enter it. I live there now in a place called "Maine."

But they're cutting my benefits. Again. And I can't get a job or I lose medical. (Who's going to hire a brain in a jar, anyway? Believe me, I've heard all the excuses.)

It'll be ok if I can cover food and power. Don't worry, little sims, we'll get through this.

VisualInspiration, to aiart
@VisualInspiration@creativewriting.social avatar

2024-03-19 Visual Inspiration prompt.

Do you lack motivation? Let @skeletor be your guide...

Use this AI generated image to write a very short story based on it... Whatever it inspires you to do!

To find more inspiring images, browse the tag.



jeffc,
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

@VisualInspiration @skeletor

"Why are you sad, person?"

"I won."

"Chrr-eep?"

"I am a supervillain, and I won."

"What is 'won'?"

"It's like if you chased away all the snakes and could gather all the nuts you want."

"Without the snakes, the nuts are just food."

"Hmm."

"... Are you going to eat that sandwich?"

"I'll give it to you if you do me a favor."

"What favor?"

"Go to the castle and take this key to the big man in the cage. Don't tell him I gave it to you."

SteveThompson, to random
@SteveThompson@mastodon.social avatar

"Hawk hired to chase away crows in Oakland"

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/hawk-hired-to-chase-away-crows-in-oakland/

"A hawk has been hired to scare away a flock of crows that has been descending on Oakland's federal building every night. CBS Bay Area's Itay Hod takes a look at how Jasper the hawk helps keep the space free of the troublesome birds."

jeffc,
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

@SteveThompson
I'm surprised that works. I see red tail hawks and crows tangling pretty frequently, and it's usually a group of 2 or 3 crows going after the hawk.

jeffc,
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

@SteveThompson
San Diego. Near the lagoons, a hawk on a rooftop seems to likely to attract their attention.

jeffc,
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

@SteveThompson
Those are such great areas. Where are you now?

futurebird, (edited ) to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

When a carpenter gets dressed for work what does she put on?

A:
carhart overalls, camo bandanna, nice leather work boots, trucker hat

B:
generic cargo pants, wallet chain, sunglasses, tank top, shin guards

C:
hard hat, NB sneakers, dorky jeans, high-vis safety jacket. pencil behind her ear

D:
baggy jeans, old work boots, leather gloves, big polo shirt, bandanna on head

jeffc,
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

@futurebird
I'm pretty sure it depends on the kind of carpentry. Framers, cabinet makers, and shipwrights are each likely to have their own styles. (And luthiers and chair makers will be your outliers.)

VisualInspiration, to aiart
@VisualInspiration@creativewriting.social avatar

2024-03-17 Visual Inspiration prompt.

Making bullfighting a little more fair.

Use this AI generated image to write a very short story based on it... Whatever it inspires you to do!

To find more inspiring images, browse the tag.



jeffc,
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

@VisualInspiration
Touch a bull, gain its power. It was his only chance. As the bull charged, he put out his hand and prayed for a quick transfer.

At the first jarring contact, he felt its speed and strength flow into him.

But the bull suddenly stopped. "This is ridiculous. Let's declare a truce and get a drink."

"You can speak?"

"Touch a human, gain its power."

lowqualityfacts, to random
@lowqualityfacts@mstdn.social avatar

Confusing, but true.
https://patreon.com/lowqualityfacts

jeffc,
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

@lowqualityfacts
It gets worse. It's also east of East Korea, west of West Korea, and significantly newer than New Korea--newer even than New Old Town in the heart of New Korea.

futurebird, (edited ) to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

There was a fern, on an island, deep in the Tethys Sea. The fern lived only on that one small island... and the whole landmass now, every scrap of evidence is beneath the Himalayas, cooking into unrecognizable granite.

jeffc,
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

@TerryHancock
Aren't black holes supposed to express the information they absorb at their event horizons? Reflected light from Earth contains information. If we could find a 4.5 B year old black hole (Sirius A* might do--its event horizon would be a nice, big aperture) and develop a suitable readout device...
@futurebird @annaymone

Free_Press, to news
@Free_Press@mstdn.social avatar

MAGA TERRORISTS

The latest plan for MAGA to endear Trump to Americans of color is to create phony AI images of Trump hugging them.

Leave it to a racist like Trump to do something like this.

AI generated Trump Image

jeffc,
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

@Free_Press
Someone should probably have proofed it first. On the other hand, it makes a fun game of "spot the artifact."

SmudgeTheInsultCat, to random
@SmudgeTheInsultCat@mas.to avatar
jeffc,
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

@SmudgeTheInsultCat
Crap. Now I'm wondering when I'll have to face arguing with a robot about existential dread.

lowqualityfacts, to random
@lowqualityfacts@mstdn.social avatar

A lot of people think it's German, but they're wrong.
https://patreon.com/lowqualityfacts

jeffc,
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

@atomicpoet
Actually, Deutsch is Portugal's official language.

It all goes back to one drunken night in Brussels. The EU was new, hope filled the air, and staid wisdom gave way to exuberant gestures.

And when you think about it, it's probably vastly preferable to the old practice of arranging a marriage to cement an alliance.
@lowqualityfacts

dbsmasher, to random
@dbsmasher@fiasco.social avatar

I’m starting to believe there is no way to actually protect up and coming teams from certain classic software architecture mistakes. There is just too much hubris baked in the culture of tech and sometimes the only way is “let them burn their finger on the hot pan” because there is no level of forewarning even with examples will work on some people.

jeffc,
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

@dbsmasher
As in so many things, the true art is in picking your battles.

mastodonmigration, to random
@mastodonmigration@mastodon.online avatar

So, starting to see stories about how the RNC is saying they are not going to pay Trump's legal bills anymore.

Don't fall for it. This is just to fool their donors.

The RNC is going to continue to pay Trump's legal bills and a whole lot more.

jeffc,
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

@mastodonmigration
It might be lean times for GOP down-ballot races, though so many of them are self-funded, it's not clear what effect it might have on the outcomes.

futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

The last time aid to Ukraine passed in congress was when Democrats were in the majority.

So they are good for some things.

jeffc,
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

@futurebird

Dear comrade, I'm sorry,
The times have changed, you see
We're having some trouble:
This guy named Zelenskyy.
We're workin' out the problem,
And then I'll tell you what,
We'll take another careful look
At some good old kompromat.

arstechnica, to random
@arstechnica@mastodon.social avatar

Frozen embryos are “children,” according to Alabama’s Supreme Court

IVF often produces more embryos than are needed or used.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/02/frozen-embryos-are-children-according-to-alabamas-supreme-court/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

jeffc,
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

@arstechnica
I wonder if this ruling means IVF clinics can seek child support payments to keep the freezers running, and what the criminal consequences of a power failure might be.

dangillmor, (edited ) to random
@dangillmor@mastodon.social avatar

Dear journalists who remain on Twitter:

You actively participate on a site operated by an extremist right-winger who promotes other extremists who want, among other things, to end democracy. The end of democracy means, in case you haven't grasped this yet, the end of freedom of expression.

This means you are actively supporting his business -- and you're doing it for free.

Please grow a spine, and stop helping the people who hate you and want to destroy what you do.

jeffc,
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

@LALegault
Ah, interesting. I hadn't heard this before, but it makes sense now that you mention it. Thanks for the insight!

@dangillmor @Barbramon1

jeffc, to random
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

"What do you mean, 'causal anomaly'?"

"We build your lab. It discovers time travel, but the researchers change the past so the lab doesn't get built. So it perpetually half-exists."

"Fine, I'll get someone else to build it."

"Anything you build there will collide with your half-lab."

"Then I want a contract contingency: if you don't build my lab, you must build my lab. It'll be another half-lab out of phase with the first. I'll have a whole lab between the two."

jciv, to random
@jciv@mastodon.social avatar

As I understand NY appellate procedure, the only way to appeal it is to put in escrow cash or post a bond equal to 120+% of the total fines, plus interest for a total of $540 million ($350 million verdict, roughly $100 million interest, equaling $450 million, all times 1.2).

Is that right, anyone who knows the relevant rules more closely?

1/n

jeffc,
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

@jciv
Not to be unduly cynical, but another way to look at it is, if you have the cash, the gratitude of the likely GOP candidate for President is available for about $600 million with no campaign finance laws in the way.

jeffc, to Russia
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

What am I missing here? None of this makes sense politically, strategically, or any other way.

Let's start with Russia wanting nukes in space but "It would not be to drop a weapon on Earth but to possibly use on satellites."

Why would you use a nuke against satellites? Space is big and satellites are generally delicate. You might incinerate some nearby ones, but that's about it. I could see nukes for an EMP attack, maybe, but satellites?

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/white-house-plans-brief-lawmakers-house-chairman-warns/story?id=107232293

jeffc,
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

Then there's this:

"I am requesting that President Biden declassify all information relating to this threat so that Congress, the Administration, and our allies can openly discuss the actions necessary to respond to this threat," Turner said.

Why would declassification be necessary for this discussion? Don't we discuss secret things with our allies now? (Am I missing something about groups like Five Eyes?)

#Russia #MikeTurner

jeffc,
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

The only way I can make nukes vs. satellites make sense is if Russia's trying to make something like SDI (a.k.a. "Star Wars") under Regan, where a nuclear explosion pumps X-ray lasers, but shooting at satellites and instead of ICBMs. I remember an article years ago mentioning that the USSR had advanced X-ray optics. The article said the technology might be useful for X-ray lithography.

SteveThompson, to random
@SteveThompson@mastodon.social avatar

"Lara Trump's takeover of the RNC turns the GOP into a second Trump Organization"

https://www.salon.com/2024/02/14/lara-takeover-of-the-rnc-turns-the-into-a-second-organization/

"Trump's installation of his daughter-in-law as head of the Republican National Committee completes his takeover"

jeffc,
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

@SteveThompson
The lid on History's Dumpster bangs open, and the Know Nothings shuffle over to make an elephant-size hole.

"You've had a good run. Quite respectable, really," the Whigs call out. "Come, it's time. No? As you wish. You'll join us soon enough."

lowqualityfacts, to random
@lowqualityfacts@mstdn.social avatar

I never knew this.
https://patreon.com/lowqualityfacts

jeffc,
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

@lowqualityfacts
The loss of Charles Schultz was a terrible blow to the recovery effort. As you've noticed, their outreach effort is struggling. Snoopy's sorely missed as spokes-canine.

glennf, to random
@glennf@twit.social avatar

It seems like I'll never finish assembling this Ship of Theseus LEGO model.

jeffc,
@jeffc@mastodon.online avatar

@glennf
Is that the one where they periodically mail you replacement blocks? They're really pushing the boundaries of the subscription model, aren't they?

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