Born and raised in Scotland, currently living in New Hampshire. Author of several books, mostly on meditation and Buddhist practice. Fan of Scots language. Learning #dansk and #svenska. Dabbler in #Pali.
Perhaps instead of "artificial intelligence" we should call it "simulated intelligence" or even "counterfeit intelligence."
The product is like counterfeit money: it looks like the real thing and you might even be able to pass it off as the real thing, but you're foolish if you think it is the real thing, and the consequences are probably going to catch up with you eventually.
Do you dread small talk? Do you feel like you could do better when you meet new people?
If so, you'll enjoy this taste of my interview with Charles Duhigg, author of the new book "Supercommunicators," about questions to ask when you meet someone. The whole interview is filled with these kinds of practical insights that will help you communicate better, and the book has even more.
I head from a fiction author who was told by Ingram-Spark that if she mentions a business name, brand name, or famous person in her novel without seeking permission from the entity being named, they won't be able to publish her novel.
In this wonderful world of fiction no one's boyfriend (with a vague resemblance to Brad Pitt) will pick her up in his new Tesla and take her to Starbucks before heading to a Beyoncé concert.
Just had this message from a friend and I am raging! “Think my running journey is over... Didn't make it2 10k as ran past a man who whistled at me & then stuck his foot out. Couldn't dodge it fast enough so went flying. Not sure I'll have the confidence to go out again
Being a woman feels really hard sometimes... 😔😔” Picture of cut lips and hand.
I have been cat called so many times running, and once a young man slapped my bum from behind and tried to pull me into the bushes, but I think this is worse. Why the fuck is women feeling powerful through running something men feel compelled to try and take away?
@purplepadma That's really sickening. There are unfortunately lots of men who just don't see women as full human beings. He might have seen here as powerful and wanted to bring her down, but he might just as easily have seen her as a object of amusement.
@thisismyglasgow You're turned me into a connoisseur of chimney stacks. Those ones are beautifully integrated into the façade and wonderfully symmetrical!
I haven’t acrually had one of these, and it made an amusing read. Many people expect packages and unthinkingly might respond. EVRI are a delivery company in the U.K. (I verified that), but the url is not correct even though it starts with EVRI.
I’m not sure whether this is just a data gathering exercise or whether I will have to validate it with card details, and I won’t bother having a look. Some will….
@Wen Ooft! That sender's Gmail address! How spammy!
Plus the .top domain!
There's almost always something that's a dead giveaway with these things, but there's also always someone not paying attention, which is how these clowns stay in business.
@purplepadma As the Buddha said, "They criticize those who are silent, they criticize those who speak much. They criticize those who speak in moderation. There is no one in this world who is not criticized."
It still gets a little depressing sometimes, though!
I’m was stuck behind this car for five minutes while waiting for a train to cross. Half an hour later I’m still stuck behind it mentally, trying to figure out what INVDRZM means.
I’m with my son, up in Burlington, Vermont, for the eclipse. The Interstate was wild, but the town itself isn’t as busy as I thought it might be. Eclipse starts in 45 minutes.
The drum towers surrounding the entrance to the Glasgow University Union on University Avenue in Glasgow. Designed in a Free Baronial style by Arthur and McNaughton, it was built in 1929.
@thisismyglasgow I joined QMU in my first year, because GUU was still men-only. QMU had started as the women's union, but started accepting men too. It had a reputation as being very "right-on."
GUU tried to hold out as a bastion of sexism but was forced by the university to accept female students. At that point I switched, since the premises were much better. I loved the reading-room there, although much of my study time turned into nap time.
I installed that cloudfare cache plugin people were recommending so if you get that 500 error let me know (and I will growl -- but not at YOU. I will growl at Mastodon)
Thanks for this article. There are people for whom being on the side of the truth and facts takes priority over allegiance to a political tribe. Zealotry is the opposite.
When you direct criticism at something or someone that's ostensibly on your "side," the zealots will perceive you as a traitor.
To the zealot, anything less than 100% agreement with the tribe is treason. This is why the comments on your blog post were so heated. You picked facts over tribe.
Welcome to spring in New Hampshire. We had over a foot of snow yesterday and a little more this morning. It's heavy, wet stuff, and my shoulders are aching after shoveling the driveway four times.
