This is what men can do when they strive for greatness using the precepts of western science: we can bullseye a 500-meter-wide pile of rubble from across the friggen’ solar system.
The plume was visible from Earth-based telescopes.
Well, in a way. In the way of “I need to hire at great cost artists to illustrate my graphic novel.” AI has now reached the point where a creditable graphic novel can be put together based purely on a long series of text prompts, using a consistent set of characters based on as few as five photos of an actual individual. You want the graphic novel version of “The Hobbit” starring Humphrey Bogart as Bilbo and Dom Deluise at Gandalf, done in the art style of HR Giger? Comin’ right up. “At The Mountains of Madness” starring Burt Reynolds and Gene Wilder, in the art style of Salvador Dali? No sweat. Any story ever, starring the Playboy Bunnies of 1972? On it. It’s not perfect… it seems to have a serious problem understanding hands and fingers, and there seem to be inconsistencies in shot to shot with costumes and such. But, dayum, this makes art *easy.*
This is honestly kinda startling. If I was a book/magazine cover artist… I’d be looking into exciting new career opportunities in the food service or housekeeping industries, cuz they’re gonna lose a *lot* of business. This could replace the standard storyboard for moviemaking. AI generated video won’t be far behind.
I sang the praises of the animated Series “Final Space,” a sci-fi comedy that heavily leaned into cosmic horror. I *really* liked it. Sadly, it was cancelled after only three seasons, in the middle of its story. But worse: it has now been pulled from all platforms as a tax writeoff. Unless you somehow saved copies of the episodes (Seasons 1 and 2 were released on Blu Ray – no longer available – but Season 3 never was), you will never be able to see it ever again, outside of pirating platforms. Were it not for clips on YouTube, it would be as if the show was a Mandela Effect.
The Fort Lupton, Colorado, police arrested a woman for a road rage incident. In the process of this, they handcuffed her and locked her in a police cruiser. So far, so good. But here’s where the stupidity cranks up to 11: the cruiser was parked on train tracks. And wouldn’t you know it, here comes a train…
The suspect has survived, though unsurprisingly injured. I foresee a whole slew of lawsuits.
As an American, my opinion on the British monarchy this:
I Don’t Care.
It’s profoundly silly, terribly obsolete, fundamentally useless and wasteful. But if the Brits want it… shrug, that’s on them, nothing to do with me.
Don’t get me wrong, this is not like the point of view of rabid pro-abortionists who shriek that men, who cannot get pregnant (transphobia!!!), are not to have opinions on abortion, up to and including not having opinions on how thrilled they are that their own offspring are being summarily and unilaterally exterminated. If another American wants to rail against monarchies… great. If another American *wants* a monarchy, or thinks the British version is just neato-keen… they are allowed to have that clearly wrong opinion. The only time *my* own blood gets hepped up regarding monarchy is when the idea is floated that *I* should subject myself to such a system. If the Queen or her idiot mutant son Charles tried to sail to these shores and restore their hold on American… well, them’s fightin’ words. Similarly with American celebrities, talking heads or politicians want Americans to be subjects to a system that is monarchy in name only, with fundamental rights being yoinked at the whim of some doddering old fool.
But hey, back to the Brits. The last few weeks have seen a *lot* of performative grief out of the UK, with quite a number of very bizarre arrests. Honestly, the Queen was 96 years old… her death was not some shocking tragedy. Dying is what people in their late 90’s *do.* And further, this seems like a lot of effort to go to to pretend to give a damn about British history and tradition when British history and tradition are being torn down across the board. A series of mass deportations of foreign-born criminals, rape gangs, rioters, trouble makers of all kinds would go a hell of a lot farther in demonstrating an actual interest in preserving Britain than shutting down businesses and pretending to be grief-stricken for weeks on end. Whether the British monarchy survives the next few generations is a hell of a lot less important of a question than whether *Britain* survives the next few generations.
The British feller below is in the “end the Monarchy” camp, and he makes a number of valid arguments.
Some vox pops of Russians trying to define “what is a Nazi.” The lack of self-awareness is *stunning.* It’s like listening to Antifa in a different language.
And even if they are for real, the asking price for these things are in the *billions,* and Russian oligarchs willing to spring for such things are a little thin on the ground these days.
