Keywords: loss,of,loved,one,chihuahua,sombrero,poncho,card

The card from this viral photo:

Could be used in a mocking way when somebody you dislike dies or loses power or something.

An actual "AI" classification system would of course need a bunch of refinements to be as effective and Designed as possible, this is just throwing my hat in the ring. I claim no copyright. Made with my drawing pad in GIMP, then trace bitmap in Inkscape, everything else done in Inkscape.

The fact that this is a discussion that people even need to have is, of course, saddening and a bit ridiculous. Nevertheless, it sounds like it could be an interesting project to work on, designing my own concept for an AI-free logo. But I especially want to highlight this quote (emphasis own):

"AI is now so ubiquitous and so integrated into different platforms and services, that it's truly complicated to establish what 'AI free' means," says AI Research Scientist Sasha Luccioni.

"From a technical perspective, it's hard to implement. I think that AI is a spectrum, and we need more comprehensive certification systems, rather than a binary with AI/AI-free approach," she said.

I'm making my own anime-inspired no-budget cartoon, and my workflow involves some limited use of machine learning technology, i.e. Demucs to create instrumentals of songs, and RVC to convert my own voice to characters' voices and convert my a capella singing into musical instruments. This use of ML technologies is markedly different from """making""" an """anime""" by typing in a bunch of prompts into Sora or Chat Jippity or whatever, but I still think it's good for people to know how the technologies were used in the production process. It's also different when the ML technologies are run locally on renewable energy vs in a data center burning fossil fuels, when it's a hobby project vs a major film studio, etc.

I'm gonna start doing watch parties of the popular anime series Uma Musume starting six weeks from now. Similar to my vow to create land acknowledgement videos whenever I show for-profit TV/film productions created on Indigenous land, I also want to make a short video before showings of Uma Musume that state in clear terms that the show was created to promote horse betting.

My current script looks like this:

Tonight's feature presentation has financial ties with and seeks to normalize horse racing, a highly exploitative industry predicated on the physical and mental abuse of animals. Horse racing, as well as this cartoon's tie-in video game, finances itself by vampirizing people's wallets through gambling: corporations exploiting human psychology to create a highly addictive waste of your time and money.

DON'T BE A SUCKER! Don't buy gachas! Don't bet on horses! Don't give your money to animal abusers! Your money is better spent on ending the cruel practice of horse racing! The only acceptable amount of money to spend on gambling is zero! Treatments for problem gambling are effective!

Which takes about 32 seconds for me to read out loud.

This script will be set to an instrumental of The Animals' "The House of The Rising Sun", cliché as that song may be; and the visuals may include statistics related to horse racing and/or gambling, and, more importantly, links and QR codes to organizations fighting to end horse racing, and support for overcoming gambling addictions.

And this is the main point where I'd like assistance:

• What should I link to, specifically? Especially bearing in mind that these videos will be aimed at an international audience.
• What sorts of statistics should I include?
• Are there ways the script can be improved? The balance of focus on animal abuse vis-a-vis gambling addiction? More focus on the "normalization" aspect of the show, or that pirating it still contributes to its value as a commodity? The length or brevity?

My dream was like… I found a stranger in my bed, and instead of freaking out, I just calmly asked, "Hey, wanna listen to the Esperanto version of 'Where Ya Gonna Run To'?" and they said, "Yeah, sure." — see, Redgum (in the dream) had made an Esperanto version of the song, that was apparently so good that it literally made you cry every time you heard it. And so we both bawled our eyes out to Esperanto Redgum. That was the dream. It was a good dream.

[Note: I haven't really quality checked this translation at all, read at your own risk]

The three arrested are Norwegian citizens of Iraqi heritage. The police has not ruled out more arrests in connection with this case. SVT reports that the Swedish police suspect a connection to the "Foxtrot" criminal group.

A young man was arrested outside an Oslo home at 3:21 PM Wednesday afternoon. Crime scene technicians are working outside the same home tonight.

—"The three have been arrested for detonating a bomb with terroristic intentions to kill or cause considerable damage," says police prosecutor Christian Hatlo in a press briefing on Wednesday afternoon.

The arrested men are all brothers in their 20s, Oslo residents with Norwegian citizenship and Iraqi heritage.

—"None of them were known to the police beforehand," Hatlo says.

Norwegian police reported on Thursday that two of the three arrested have testified, and that all three are being considered for a pre-trial detention hearing on Friday.

Confesses to placing bomb

One of the arrested, the 20-year-old youngest brother, has confessed to placing the bomb, according to his defense attorney Øystein Storrvik.

—"He has tied himself to the case and has confessed to placing the bomb, which connects him to the crime scene," he said to TV2.

The arrest happened on Wednesday around 3:30 PM.

—"The brothers have been arrested for 'detonating a bomb with terroristic intentions to kill or cause considerable damage'. But the bomb was placed outside the entrance. What do the arrested say about their charges?"

—"We're only responding to the actual charge, but it would appear that the intention was to damage property and not hurt people, and this is what the accused has said in interrogation," says Storrvik.

Storrvik explains that they have been in interrogation until now.

—"He says that he was alone at the scene and perpetrated the act alone," Storrvik says.

—"Has he stated his motive?"

—"He has, but this is something for the police to disclose at their own discretion," defense attorney Storrvik says.

He says that the 20-year-old will on Thursday accept pretrial detention before the hearing.

—"My client has testified and says that he does not understand the charges against him," Frode Sulland says to VG.

Crime scene technicians worked Wednesday night on an address in Oslo.

It was 1 AM on Sunday when an explosion was heard outside the public entrance to the embassy of the United States in Oslo.

The Norwegian police say that one of the brothers is arrested for placing a bomb outside the embassy's entrance, and the role of the other two in the case is being investigated.

Hatlo says to the Norwegian News Agency that the police have confiscated a number of items, but he is not at liberty to provide any details about this. He will not detail what evidence or reasons led to the arrests.

—"The evidence we have collected has painted a picture over the course of the past three days, which have led to these arrests."

Hypothesis about a state actor

—"The motive behind the attack, other accomplices, and a possible ordering of the attack by a third party are also being investigated," Hatlo says.

It was reported in the press briefiing that the police has not ruled out more arrests in connection with this case.

One of the police's hypotheses being investigated is whether the attack may have been ordered by a state actor.

—"It seems natural based on the current geopolitical situation."

Another theory is a connection to criminal networks, Hatlo says. Swedish public broadcaster SVT reports that the Swedish police suspect that the "Foxtrot" criminal network may be connected to the attack on the US embassy; this is based on intelligence gathered by Swedish authorities which is currently being investigated.

SVT reports that the Foxtrot group posts assassination missions against Israeli interests and critics of the Iranian regime.

—"There is a threat landscape that exists for people in Sweden seen as a threat to the Iranian regime," the Swedish Security Service says. They will not provide details about specific threats.

VG has on Wednesday confronted the Norwegian Police Security Service with this information, but they do not wish to comment on it. VG has also contacted Swedish police, who have not responded to questions.

Open to other motives

Norwegian police remain open to the possibility that the suspects might have completely different motivations, according to Wednesday's press briefing.

—"We have other hypotheses than that this was an ordered attack. It will be interesting to hear what the arrested have to say in interrogation," police prosecutor Hatlo says to VG.

Working with FBI

Hatlo says to VG that the Norwegian police is working with American authorities, including FBI in the investigation.

—"We know that it's the American embassy that was targeted here, and we know that there is insecurity in the world. So it's natural for us to look in that direction."

VG has contacted the FBI but has received no answers from them.

The Norwegian Police Security Service has confirmed to the Norwegian News Agency that they are working with the Oslo Police District on the case of the explosion at the American embassy on Sunday.

—"We are considering immediately whether there is a risk for new attacks in Norway in the wake of the attack on the American embassy," says communications officer Eirik Veum in the Norwegian Police Security Service.

—"Were the arrested known to the Norwegian Police Security Service beforehand?"

—"No comment."

Defense attorney Ketil Magnus Berg is defending one of the three arrested brothers. He has not met his client yet.

—"I do not wish to comment on the role the police thinks my client has. […] I will meet my client this afternoon, so it is too early to say anything about whether my client is guilty," he says to the Norwegian News Agency.

Shook houses

No-one was injured in the attack on the US embassy on Sunday, but Osloites living adjacent to the embassy nonetheless heard the explosion and felt its shockwave as a powerful shake in their homes, setting off house and car alarms. Shortly thereafter, smoke was seen emanating from the embassy, which is located in the Huseby neighborhood in the west end of Oslo.

Police have previously seen the attack as a targeted attack, but they are now looking at the attack as a terrorist incident, a crime that carries up to 21 years' imprisonment, according to section 138 of the Norwegian Penal Code:

Section 138. Terrorist bombing

A penalty of imprisonment for a term not exceeding 21 years shall be applied to any person who sends, places, fires or detonates an explosive charge or other potentially lethal device to, in or against a public place, a state or public facility, a public infrastructure facility or a public transport system with intent to cause loss of human life or considerable harm to body, property or the environment.

[Translation courtesy of Lovdata.no]

The US embassy in Oslo reports to VG that they are in close contact and cooperation with Norwegian partners to stop acts of terrorism.

—"The security of our personell and facilities abroad remains a top priority. We greatly value the quick response from Norwegian authorities in investigating this incident and working to bring the perpetrators to justice," the division for public diplomacy says in an e-mail to VG.

Category: other emojis

Tags: the,boondocks,reverend,jeremiah,wright,goddamn,god,damn,america,amerika,amerikkka,us,usa,mother,fuck,

Source: this scene in The Boondocks S3E1 "It's a Black President, Huey Freeman", itself a parody of the famous "God Damn America" sermon by the real-life Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Usage should be obvious.

(Erika3sis' personal commentary)

Every time something particularly :motherfuck-america: happens, I consider renouncing my citizenship. I doubt I will, because the process seems complicated, and keeping Seppolandic citizenship does still confer some potential benefits, but the thought still crosses my mind regularly. So when there's been a supposed bomb attack at Seppoland's embassy, I think, "Jeez, I could've been there! Imagine getting hurt or worse by an attack presumably in retribution for Iran, while you're there to renounce your citizenship also in retribution for Iran!" -- But, you know, we're caught in the middle of Cruel History and there isn't really much we can do about it: when a country is being indiscriminately bombed you can expect retribution for that bombing to be at times equally indiscriminate, though in this case the explosion happening while no-one was at the location was possibly intentional. For all we know right now this could've even been a false flag; the Norwegian police emphasizes that the perpetrator, motivations, and even method of this attack are all unknown, but they seem to be assuming it's Iran-related.

NRK's article goes more in-depth about this incident; I might translate it later.