@peterbutler@mas.to
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

peterbutler

@peterbutler@mas.to

CNET editor. Totally serious. No candy.

#Biking #Vegan #PingPong #LGBTAlly #Software #DiscGolf #IndieRock #BoardGames #JigsawPuzzles #Cats #PublicSchool #Parenting #Berkeley #Books #Writing #Horror #ScienceFiction #Sustainability #EconomicJustice #EndHomelessness #Libraries

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br00t4c, to random
@br00t4c@mastodon.social avatar

The Senate Has Called Leonard Leo In for Questioning. Leo Has Said: No Thanks!

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/05/leonard-leo-ignoring-senate-subpoena.html

peterbutler,
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

@br00t4c "above the law, untouchable, and unaccountable"

SteveThompson, to nyc
@SteveThompson@mastodon.social avatar

"Biden campaign sends allies De Niro and first responders to Trump’s NY trial to put focus on Jan. 6"

https://apnews.com/article/trump-de-niro-biden-insurrection-hush-money-78a33c5083a243e18f9fbd63ce9e8ddd

peterbutler,
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

@jackhutton @SteveThompson If it were the Biden admin prosecuting Trump, I might agree. But it’s not

It’s a risky move. I think it will further the narrative that the trial is compromised because the charges are politically motivated

If you’re a low-info voter who's paying attention to the trial, what would you think? I’d think it’s the Biden admin that is prosecuting Trump

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/poll-majority-of-americans-arent-paying-attention-to-trumps-hush-money-trial

rain, to random
@rain@hachyderm.io avatar

More and more websites have anti-adblock measures these days, some going so far as to tell you to uninstall your ad blocker altogether. I understand the impulse, but you are basically telling your users to meaningfully reduce their security for your benefit.

peterbutler,
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

@rain Especially since many of these “ad blockers” come standard on certain browsers (and are not ad blockers)

binaryequation, to random
@binaryequation@freeradical.zone avatar

"Perhaps the most consequential plank calls for a constitutional amendment to require that candidates for statewide office carry a majority of Texas’ 254 counties to win an election, a model similar to the U.S. electoral college."

Sorry but we need less electoral college, not more.

The Texas Tribune: Proposed Texas GOP platform calls for the Bible in schools, electoral changes that would lock Democrats out of statewide office

https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/25/texas-republican-party-convention-platform/

peterbutler,
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

@binaryequation Same effect as electoral college— disproportionate voting power for rural, less populated areas that are predominantly White

ovan, to ai
@ovan@social.lol avatar

Meta × AI

“we'll now rely on the legal basis called legitimate interests”

and

“We may still process information about you to develop and improve Al at Meta, even if you object or don't use our Products and services.”

…We'll review objection requests in accordance with relevant data protection laws. If your request is honored, it will be applied going forward. We may still process information about you to develop and improve Al at Meta, even if you object or don't use our Products and services.

peterbutler,
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

@ovan Fish in a barrel, but …

https://peymanity.medium.com/what-metas-ai-thinks-of-meta-s-ai-policy-cbafaf2d599c

lydialurch, to random
@lydialurch@mastodon.social avatar

Before TV ads were all about drugs and Medicare, the airwaves were a rich tapestry of toy commercials. One of my favorites was for the Silly Safari game. I wish I still had mine, but y mom had a thing about regular purging of plastic toys, aka junk. A lot of that junk is worth hundreds of dollars now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_gSe-fACDw

peterbutler,
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

@lydialurch I loved all the Mouse Trap variants. Crazy Clock was another

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEG2Gnr1Uis

EvilBunnyPottymouth, to random
@EvilBunnyPottymouth@mastodon.social avatar

from CALL TO ACTIVISM @CalltoActivism

MAGA is now passing this photo as real and it’s obviously AI.

In case you didn’t know, there are no palm trees in the Bronx.

Let’s share this everywhere.

peterbutler,
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

@EvilBunnyPottymouth They’ve been making these fake pictures of him with Black folks for a long time now

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68440150

grumpybozo, to ai
@grumpybozo@toad.social avatar

Dear : What is needed to get Google to show me fun AI suggestions like adding glue to pizza sauce? How do I get the fake- results?

I am not kidding. Most of my searches are on macOS (12 & 14) using Safari and occasionally other browsers (I've got 7 installed...) but I only log into my G accounts on an as-needed basis and because I use a real mail client for email, I almost never need to log in. I wipe cookies on every browser restart.

I see no -generated summary...

peterbutler,
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

@grumpybozo I think you have to be logged into Google on the Chrome browser to see the new AI Overviews

I dunno. They stopped showing up for me last week. Maybe Google is realizing AI is a money pit — those overviews have to be costing them ...

mlanger, to random
@mlanger@mastodon.world avatar

THIS is bullshit. A 4% surcharge for the kitchen? How about paying them better? If I wasn't already sitting here with my dogs and nowhere else to go, I'd walk out. I'm so tired of surcharge bullshit.

peterbutler,
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

@mlanger GREASY. Instead of accurate menu pricing, they’re hiding costs secretly. Do not patronize

wdlindsy, to random
@wdlindsy@toad.social avatar

Heather Cox Richardson reminds us that the MAGA minority now exerting such control in the Republican party, notably its white evangelical base, are so rabid and aggressive because they know they are in the minority nationally:

"MAGA Republicans know their agenda is unpopular, and they are working to seize power through voter suppression, violence, gerrymandering, and packing the legal system."


/1

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/may-24-2024

peterbutler,
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

@wdlindsy What’s amazing is that they’ve been the clear minority for several decades now, yet they keep succeeding. The Senate is one obvious major problem. SCOTUS another obvious problem

peterbutler,
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

@wdlindsy Good recommendation. I just returned it to my library. I got through most of it. It was tough b/c it’s so depressing and the problems seem so entrenched (i.e. capitalism)

divya, to random
@divya@sfba.social avatar

"Reports indicate that 17 Waymo vehicles crashed into objects including gates, chains and parked cars. The agency also cited 5 instances in which the automated-driving system appeared to violate traffic rules, such as driving in opposing lanes with nearby oncoming traffic."

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-24/alphabet-s-waymo-goog-probe-expanded-after-more-robocar-incidents

peterbutler,
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

@divya All can think of when I see these unholy atrocities in SF is that a computer should never be solely responsible for a 2,000-pound device moving 25 mph

preslavrachev, to ai
@preslavrachev@mastodon.social avatar

C’mon, we’ve all been using LLMs on a daily basis for more than year now. You’d think people would slowly start to get the idea. But no.

Why is everyone still using an LLM and looking for accurate answers? They are obviously not built for that.

You use an LLM to get yourself off your writer’s block, to get a few ideas how to move on, not for it to solve the end equation for you. Duh!

—
#AI #ChatPGT #LLM

peterbutler,
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

@preslavrachev "we’ve all been using LLMs on a daily basis”

Not really. I’ve tried the tools and certainly know how to use them, but I haven’t seen any benefits of Generative AI yet

I’m open, but I haven’t gotten any value at all from them

josemurilo, to random
@josemurilo@mato.social avatar

The "wildest wild card:

The has repeatedly stated that works made by AIs aren't eligible for copyright, which is the exclusive purview of works of human authorship. This has been affirmed by courts.

…for any company contemplating selling an work, the fact that it is born in the presents a substantial hurdle, because anyone else is free to take that work and sell it or give it away."
@pluralistic
https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/20/everything-made-by-an-ai-is-in-the-public-domain/

peterbutler,
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

@josemurilo @pluralistic I’m curious how they will define “made by AI”

What if AI writes a novel, and a human editor changes one word in every paragraph? “Made by AI?”

What if they rewrite one whole sentence in every paragraph, or simply add a few human-written paragraphs at various points. “Made by AI?”

lilithsaintcrow, to random
@lilithsaintcrow@raggedfeathers.com avatar

Good writing requires skill and empathy; this is why those who lack both are so all-in on the “AI” grift.

peterbutler,
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

@lilithsaintcrow I see no value in it whatesoever (the generative AI part — all sorts of great uses for machine learning)

foser, to random
@foser@mastodon.social avatar

A brief history of Sam Alito https://www.findinggravity.net/p/a-brief-history-of-sam-alito

peterbutler,
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

@foser Nice write up (I noticed a typo in the first sentence: "there mere fact”)

J_Emmert, to random
@J_Emmert@hear-me.social avatar

I'm new and excited to be here? I've been looking for ways to be connected and have services available, but keep privacy and security top of mind. My efforts have been focused on my home network, but I'm starting to broaden that to social media. I've always had a beef with SM and have hated how irrelevant it can be.

Enter Mastodon.

In many ways this is just an experiment, but it is one that I hope takes off and is, for me, successful.

A bit about me: I'm a nerd, pure and simple. I love Star Trek, reading (anything), science/tech, DnD (Monks for the win!), woodworking, and astronomy. I'm currently looking for ways to combine hobbies (like building a 3d-printed & wood framed telescope).

I am a former member of a cult...long story. and am in a lengthy process of discovering...we...me.

Hope to meet some cool people, and engage in new ways.

peterbutler,
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

@J_Emmert Welcome, J! I’m always impressed by people who make it out of cults, and how much determination and independence that must take

Good luck with Mastodon. I recommend following heavily to start, then paring your feed down

peterbutler, to vegan
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

Big thumbs up to Sobo "jiao zi” style vegan dumplings

19g protein, 7g fiber, 1g sugar, limited ingredients, and they taste great. Pan fry ‘em with your own sauce!

https://sobofoods.com/collections/dumplings

peterbutler,
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

@MuseumShuffle Oops. I didn’t realize it was only Bay Area (company is located in San Mateo). Agreed. I hope they make it big!

andrew, to random
@andrew@esq.social avatar

Great, now we'll get to hear from Tom Cotton again.

Claiming Henry Kissinger is your favorite anything other than war criminal, much less your favorite AUTHOR, should preclude one from holding office.

Total sicko stuff.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/24/us/politics/tom-cotton-trump-vp.html

peterbutler,
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

@andrew One of the absolutely worst people, but I would not complain if Trump picks him. He brings no extra voters

https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/tom-cotton-tweet-protests-rcna148021

w7voa, to random
@w7voa@journa.host avatar

(AP) — Former President Donald Trump, at his rally this week in the Bronx, invited two rappers on stage who have been charged in a sweeping gang case, with one of them facing attempted murder charges. https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-sheff-g-sleepy-hallow-south-bronx-4a8788eb6b07b9d561ce553b81d0347a

peterbutler,
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

@w7voa I really hope someone follows up with Sleepy Hallow to ask, “When was America great?"

danluu, to random
@danluu@mastodon.social avatar

A 1995 Usenet post from Mark Seecof of the LA Times, describing the risks of automated publishing, i.e., publishing things without human review:

https://yarchive.net/risks/classified_ads.html

peterbutler,
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

@danluu Amazing they had already ditched proofreaders by 1995. No wonder there are so many typos in articles today — they’re used to it! :(

lauren, to random
@lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org avatar

Generative AI may be creating more work than it saves

https://www.zdnet.com/article/generative-ai-may-be-creating-more-work-than-it-saves/#ftag=RSSbaffb68

peterbutler,
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

@lauren I’ve been waiting for someone of stature to make this (very obvious to me) argument

I like the cut of this Cappelli guy’s jib. He’s onto it

SeanCasten, to random
@SeanCasten@mastodon.social avatar

The law will “make the United States safer for drug traffickers, for terrorist funders, for child and drug traffickers and those who buy and sell child pornography... I did not know those groups had such proud advocates in Congress.” https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2024-05-24/with-democratic-assent-house-votes-to-open-loopholes-in-crypto-regulation

peterbutler,
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

@DrDanMarshall @SeanCasten I’m not an expert, but it seems like the big difference is removing cryptocurrency from the jurisdiction of the SEC and putting it under the (smaller and underfunded) Commodity Futures Trading Commission

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4763

rms, to random
@rms@mastodon.xyz avatar

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/may/19/free-fridges-make-dishwashers-great-again-us-conservatives-odd-priorities

Republicans are campaigning to keep appliances inefficient and more expensive to run.

peterbutler,
@peterbutler@mas.to avatar

@rms Similarly, as we approach one of the most devastating hurricane seasons, Florida is denying climate change exists

https://www.npr.org/2024/05/17/1252012825/florida-gov-desantis-signs-bill-that-deletes-climate-change-from-state-law

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