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Project 2025: Trump advocate calls surrogacy ‘evil’ and says anyone involved ‘should be imprisoned for life’
https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/04/06/trump-advocate-calls-surrogacy-evil-project-2025/

Today is the beginning of British Science Week and for the next 10 days, we will be celebrating diverse people and careers in science and engineering.
This year's theme is 'Smashing Stereotypes' to encourage more young people, from all backgrounds, to see themselves as scientists.
If you want to inspire others share and tag us in your story.
Click here on how to get involved

“The story opens on OpenAI which, desperate for training data, reportedly developed its Whisper audio transcription model to get over the hump, transcribing over a million hours of YouTube videos to train GPT-4, its most advanced large language model. That’s according to The New York Times, which reports that the company knew this was legally questionable but believed it to be fair use. OpenAI president Greg Brockman was personally involved in collecting videos that were used, the Times writ…

OpenAI transcribed over a million hours of YouTube videos to train GPT-4
A new report details how OpenAI, Google, and Meta have tried to get over the limits of good data available online — for OpenAI, that includes generating YouTube transcripts.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, his Super Bowl rings get involved on WWE 'Monday Night Raw' https://www.nfl.com/news/chiefs-quarterback-patrick-mahomes-his-super-bowl-rings-get-involved-on-wwe-monday-night…

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, his Super Bowl rings get involved on WWE 'Monday Night Raw'
Patrick Mahomes, who was bookended by Chiefs center Creed Humphrey and guard Trey Smith, bestowed social media megastar and WWE United States champion Logan Paul with all three of his Super Bowl rings to use as some very expensive brass knucks against fan favorite Jey Uso, but the plan went awry in vintage pro wrestling form.

Join Northeast Arizona Native Democrats Native Voting Power Tour 2024 April 9th-16th!
#BidenHarris4More #BidenHarris2024
Support Jonathan Nez for US House!
#Arizona

Las Vegas Raiders announce innovative way to get fans involved https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/las_vegas_raiders_announce_innovative_way_to_get_fans_involved/s1_17313_40306259

Las Vegas Raiders announce innovative way to get fans involved
The Las Vegas Raiders are doing something a little different with their fans. On Tuesday, the Raiders unveiled an unprecedented event for their fans-the inaugural Raiders Fan Cruise. This exclusive voyage, scheduled to depart from the Port of Los Angeles in March, promises a 7-night adventure on the luxurious Norwegian Bliss, cruising the Mexican Riviera. For the vast community of Raiders fans in Los Angeles, a golden opportunity is on the horizon. With Las Vegas just a four-hour drive away, re…

This Modern World by Tomorrow
REFLEXIVE AUTHORITARIANISM
IS ALWAYS THE FIRST BEST OPTION!
THERE WAS NO CHOICE BUT TO CALL IN THE RIOT COPS AT ALL THOSE SCHOOLS!
THE STUDENTS WERE BREAKING SOME RULES!
AS SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER MET A YOUNG ADULT, I'M CONFIDENT THEY WILL PROMPTLY ACQUIESCE NOW!

Hey if you are Jewish like me and know it is absolutely abhorrent what Israel is doing to Palestinians now (and for decades, but the scale and speed of slaughter is now unsurpassed, and thus so is the urgency to stop it), i've very recently been reminded of @… and hope you will take the same step of finally reaching out to get involved &a…

Interested in joining or starting a JVP chapter?
JVP chapters are the foundation of our grassroots power. Join your local community of activists today!

The #ActiveAsteroids Citizen Science Program - Overview and First Results: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-3881/ad1de2 -> NASA Volunteers Find Fifteen Rare “Active Asteroids”: https://science.nasa.gov/get-involved/citizen-science/nasa-volunteers-find-fifteen-rare-active-asteroids/

Join the #TeamJoe Reproductive Freedom Week of Action organizing call on Wednesday, May 1st.
#BidenHarris4More #RoeYourVote

National Call: Reproductive Freedom Week of Action · Joe Biden for President
Join Team Biden-Harris for a national organizing call with Cecile Richards to learn about our Reproductive Freedom Week of Action and how you can get involved! On this call, we’ll hear from Cecile and others on the front lines of the fight for our fundamental rights. And we’ll talk about how to get involved during this week of action and beyond. Have friends who are ready to get to work? Ask them to join you!

I enjoy my work a lot. It's meaningful and helpful to others and I get satisfaction out of doing it.
I *also* know, however, that when I retire - I literally won't be involved with (at a personal hobby level) or rely on (directly myself) anything I'm doing today, because all of it is focused on work enablement - and I'll no longer have a job at that point 😄
I say this now with still a few decades left before then. But yeah, the future is gonna be interesting.

Indictment of Trump's 'consigliere' signals ex-president was 'personally involved': expert - Raw Story
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-boris-consigliere-arizona/

Indictment of Trump's 'consigliere' signals ex-president was 'personally involved': expert
Donald Trump was listed as an unindicted co-conspirator in a recent Arizona indictment of false electors, but his right-hand man was charged, which could signal prosecutors think Trump is "personally involved" in the scheme and they want to get the goods on him, according to a Florida prosecutor. ...

#WutheringBytes is one of the best tech more festivals, in the beautiful surroundings of Hebden Bridge. Interesting and inspiring, with a very special blend of thoughtful and fun folks :)
Friday 23rd to Saturday 31st August 2024- save the dates! Find out how you can get involved:

Wuthering Bytes 2024
A Festival of Technology in the Heart of the Pennines

@… I used a Wiki for that purpose, but i chose DocuWiki instead of MediaWiki because I found it way easier to use and install.
Technically It worked well, but in the end I did 99% of the work - I originally planned to get players involved, but after a few weeks most of them stopped reading the wiki, only a handful of them edited their PCs pag…

This rabbit hole is deep as fuck….
If they get Puff Daddy, he will have a lot of beans to spill.
Shit is going way back and Obummers are involved too.
https://x.com/prolotario1/status/1772351496333476284?s=61

Ariel (@Prolotario1) on X
The House of Carter: So it appears that Sean P. Diddy combs is willing to take "The Carters" down with him. Rapper Jay-Z was having an affair with a woman named Cathy White who was said to be pregnant with Jay-Z child upon her death back in 2010. This info is coming from a…

Glancing over the initial survey[1] results (only a meager 18 so far 😢), I realise there're at least three more questions I should have included, especially since the emerging picture for some questions is somewhat in very stark contrast to other answers & comments received and I can't make any sense of it...
So I'm trying to get some more feedback from any of you via this channel (feel free to reply via DM):
1) What reasons do you give for _not_ using thi.ng proj…

thi.ng user survey 2024
It's already been almost 9 years since the last user survey for these projects. Please help me/us to get more insights into your own experiences, your interests, hopes and pain points — allowing the project and everyone involved to move forward more intentionally. There're 15 questions here, with ~10 of them marked as mandatory. The main focal points are the matrices in the middle of the survey. Please also do use the final freeform comments box to share any further feedback you might have. …

I'm attending The Democratic National Committee's event, “Biden-Harris Reproductive Freedom Week of Action National Kickoff Call” - sign up now to join me! https://events.democrats.org/event/622

Biden-Harris Reproductive Freedom Week of Action National Kickoff Call · The Democratic National Committee
**Join us for a national organizing call this Sunday evening at 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT with Cecile Richards to learn about our Reproductive Freedom Week of Action and how you can get involved – RSVP now to save your spot.** Trump and MAGA Republicans continue to attack our reproductive freedom, from abortion access to IVF and even birth control. It’s all on the line, and it’s why this election is so important. Now is the time to get involved – with our Reproductive Freedom Week of Ac…

Finally jumped onto the Vampire Survivors bus and bloody hell, there might be only one joystick involved but a 25 minute game still feels like an especially strenuous workout.

(Kinda surprised no-one came up with the concept earlier because it feels like a perfect fit for Playstation / N64 kind of era but I suppose you couldn't really get that many things on screen at once in The Olden Tymes and that's kinda the point of it.)

Partners4Democracy is hosting the second of three Special Events on
“The Target States:  Seven Keys to Victory”
on Monday, April 1 at 7:00 PM (EST). 
These live events will explore the issues, politics and strategies expected to drive voter turnout in each of seven target states and how to get involved to ensure Democrats cross the finish line first. 
This Second event will focus on the races in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, and will feature Senator Vincent Hughes…

The Target States: PA & NC Panel
Join us for a discussion on these critical battlegrounds featuring Anderson Clayton, Chair of the NC Democratic Party.

Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault and president of ACEA, the EU carmakers' lobby, wrote a 'Letter to Europe':
"Before the electoral campaign gets under way with its attendant arguments, I wanted to make my voice heard, not to get involved in policy but to contribute to a decision on the right policy."
https://www.

Daily Inspiration - "Don’t just show up. Show up with ideas!" - Futurist Jim Carroll
There are a lot of people who go through the motions. Put in the minimums. Barely get involved. Never contribute. The fact is, it never ends up working well for them.
Are you one of those people? Consider how this puts you out of touch with the rest of those around you:
No one likes the person who only tears ideas down rather than offering up their own
No one remembers the p…

Daily Inspiration: Innovation – “Don’t just show up. Show up with ideas!”

A huge thank you to everyone who has contributed. In under a day we've pretty much hit the original goal of €500. I've bumped up the target so we can build this campaign even more. Share with your friends & family especially those in Galway City.
If you're not in Galway look for People Before Profit campaigns in your area and get involved. The only really meaningful change that can happen is from people powered movements from below. Let's get socialists on our councils!
https://www.gofundme.com/f/elect-denman-rooke

Join us at The Democratic National Committee's event, “Biden-Harris Reproductive Freedom Week of Action National Kickoff Call” this coming Sunday!
#BidenHarris4More #RoeYourVote #Vote4Healthcare

Biden-Harris Reproductive Freedom Week of Action National Kickoff Call · The Democratic National Committee
**Join us for a national organizing call this Sunday evening at 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT with Cecile Richards to learn about our Reproductive Freedom Week of Action and how you can get involved – RSVP now to save your spot.** Trump and MAGA Republicans continue to attack our reproductive freedom, from abortion access to IVF and even birth control. It’s all on the line, and it’s why this election is so important. Now is the time to get involved – with our Reproductive Freedom Week of Ac…

air quality project for UK schools - free monitor
"Schools get a free high spec air quality monitor that measures carbon dioxide (CO2), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) particulate matter (PM), temperature & relative humidity."
"The Web App also offers a range of related activities and experiments..."
"... the opportunity to contribute to genuine scientific research"
Sign up by 31 May 2024.
#schools #science #education #AirQuality #UK

An update on the #A57 legal challenge on climate grounds. It has a useful summary of 2 related cases. In all cases the courts found against the campaigners.
Shocking indictment of the law in England and Wales in relation to the protection of the natural world. These roads will do untold destruction to nature and, of course, are

A57 Link Roads Legal Case - CPRE Peak District and South Yorkshire
CPRE Peak District and South Yorkshire is working to enhance, promote and protect the countryside. Find out more and get involved.

I believe this could lead to #92.
Watchdog group sues Trump over mystery $50M loan
https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/the-loan-appears-to-have-never-existed-watchdog-…

'The loan appears to have never existed': Watchdog sues Trump over mystery $50M 'hidden debt'
A federal watchdog group has filed a complaint against Donald Trump involving a mystery $50 million loan, raising questions to the FBI and Justice Department about "materially false statements."

NFL: we want to get Europe more involved with football, so we are going to schedule 8 games in London this year.
Also NFL: we are going to start the superbowl at 11:30 pm London time

Looks like we may get an old and unsupported app replaced. Sent to lead that we need the security, legal, and audit teams involved at the start. All code is human readable and stored in our controlled servers with version control. All changes will follow RFC process and are reviewed and approved before prod release. Will point them to current NIST standards for security.

"Definitely the most underrated project on github without exception." — a recent response to the State-of-thi.ng user survey 2024, currently open until end of the month. If you have been using any of the hundreds of libraries in this larger project, please do consider participating...
https://forms.gle/XacbSDEmQMPZg8197<…

thi.ng user survey 2024
It's already been almost 9 years since the last user survey for these projects. Please help me/us to get more insights into your own experiences, your interests, hopes and pain points — allowing the project and everyone involved to move forward more intentionally. There're 15 questions here, with ~10 of them marked as mandatory. The main focal points are the matrices in the middle of the survey. Please also do use the final freeform comments box to share any further feedback you might have. …

From Agent Autonomy to Casual Collaboration: A Design Investigation on Help-Seeking Urban Robots
Xinyan Yu, Marius Hoggenmueller, Martin Tomitsch
https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.06774 …

From Agent Autonomy to Casual Collaboration: A Design Investigation on Help-Seeking Urban Robots
As intelligent agents transition from controlled to uncontrolled environments, they face challenges that sometimes exceed their operational capabilities. In many scenarios, they rely on assistance from bystanders to overcome those challenges. Using robots that get stuck in urban settings as an example, we investigate how agents can prompt bystanders into providing assistance. We conducted four focus group sessions with 17 participants that involved bodystorming, where participants assumed the r…

This https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.09580 has been replaced.
link: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=a

Where to Decide? Centralized vs. Distributed Vehicle Assignment for Platoon Formation
Platooning is a promising cooperative driving application for future intelligent transportation systems. In order to assign vehicles to platoons, some algorithm for platoon formation is required. Such vehicle-to-platoon assignments have to be computed on-demand, e.g., when vehicles join or leave the freeways. In order to get best results from platooning, individual properties of involved vehicles have to be considered during the assignment computation. In this paper, we explore the computation …

Disk Harmonics for Analysing Curved and Flat Self-affine Rough Surfaces and the Topological Reconstruction of Open Surfaces
Mahmoud Shaqfa, Gary P. T. Choi, Guillaume Anciaux, Katrin Beyer
https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.07001

Disk Harmonics for Analysing Curved and Flat Self-affine Rough Surfaces and the Topological Reconstruction of Open Surfaces
When two bodies get into contact, only a small portion of the apparent area is actually involved in producing contact and friction forces, because of the surface roughnesses. It is therefore crucial to accurately describe the morphology of rough surfaces for instance by extracting the fractal dimension and the so-called Hurst exponent which is a typical signature of rough surfaces. This can be done using harmonic decomposition, which is easy for periodic and nominally flat surfaces since Fourie…

Let's reminisce on #LibAV, the #FFmpeg fork. I won't get into the details why it was forked because I've heard multiple versions and I'm biased.
During its primetime, LibAV was facing three difficulties. Firstly, FFmpeg held "the brand" — it defined what the users expected, it received the bulk of the donations and the contributions. Secondly, LibAV aimed to improve the code quality. This roughly meant that FFmpeg could easily merge improvements back (and they did) but not everything was fit to be merged the other way around. Thirdly, LibAV tried hard to clean stuff up and deprecate old API, effectively facing more backwards compatibility issues.
In the end, LibAV-related work would involve both keeping feature parity with FFmpeg, and patching software to support its API. Sometimes this meant dead software, for which you'd have to maintain patchsets forever. Sometimes it meant hostile upstreams, which involved maintaining and rebasing patchsets forever. Perhaps the most prominent example was the #mpv media player, that would first give LibAV a push by removing FFmpeg support and requiring LibAV, and then change their mind and remove LibAV support.
On top of that, the two library sets weren't ABI-compatible, so it was all-or-nothing. #Gentoo users would have to randomly rebuild all packages when a newly selected package or a version bump forced a switch. Binary distros have had it even worst. Debian eventually switched back to FFmpeg in 2015, Gentoo removed it in 2020, and LibAV itself was discontinued in 2022.
What brought this about? The news of corporate takeover of nginx, followed by its fork to FreeNginx. Not the first such a case, and certainly not the last — perhaps it's another variant of enshittification. OpenOffice was successfully forked into LibreOffice. BerkeleyDB is being phased out after its takeover by Oracle. LibreSSL is still alive alongside OpenSSL, thought it's not supported widely.

Columbia University President announces decision to arrest student protestors.
#ColumbiaUniversity #FreePalestine #NYC #NewYorkCity
Fwd: Addressing Unfolding Events on Campus
Thu, Apr 18 at 1:28PM
- Forwarded message - From: Minouche Shafik <officeofthepresident@columbia.edu> Date: Thu, Apr 18, 2024 at 13:22
Subject: Addressing Unfolding Events on Campus
To: <PRESIDENT@lists.columbia.ed>
To the Columbia University community:
This morning. I had to make a decision that I hoped would never be necessary. I have always said that the safety of our community was my top priority and that we needed to preserve an environment where everyone could learn in a supportive context. Out of an abundance of concern for the safety of Columbia's campus, I authorized the New York Police Department to begin clearing the encampment from the South Lawn of Morningside campus that had been set up by students in the early hours of Wednesday morming.
I took this extraordinary step because these are extraordinary circumstances. The individuals who established the encampment violated a long list of rules and policies. Through direct conversations and in writing, the university provided multiple notices of these violations. including a written warning at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday notifying students who remained in the encampment as of 9:00 p.m. that they would face suspension pending investigation. We also tried through a number of channels to engage with their concerns and offered to continue discussions if they agreed to disperse
I regret that all of these attempts to resolve the situation were rejected by the students involved. As a result, NYPD officers are now on campus and the process of clearing the encampment is underway.
Protests have a storied history at Columbia and are an essential component of free speech in America and on our campus. We work hard to balance the rights of students to express political views with the need to protect other students from rhetoric that amouits to harassment and discrimination. We updated our protest policy to allow demonstrations on very short notice and in prime locations in the middle of campus while still allowing students to get to class, and fabs and libraries to operate. The current encampment violates all of the new policies, severely disrupts campus life, and creates a harassing and intimidating environment for many of our students
Columbia is committed to academic freedom and to the opportunity for students and faculty to engage in political expression—within established rules and with respect for the safety of all. The policies we have in place around demonstrations are in place to support both the right to expression and the safety and functioning of our university.
Prior to taking this action. I complied with the requirements of Section 444 of the University Statutes.
This is a challenging moment and these are steps that I deeply regret having to take. I encourage us all to show compassion and remember the values of empathy and respect that draw us together as a Columbia comnminity.
Sincerely,
Minouche Shafik
President, Columbia University in the City of New York