thiele1938.jpg (1554×877)

thiele1938.jpg (1554×877):

As seen online:

“A visitor to the site provided me with this remarkable portrait. Her father was based near Munich during the occupation and went into the beer hall where many of Hitler’s early meetings were held. She provides this background story: “The building had been bombed with the roof missing, but on one wall behind the podium where Hitler had spoken was this painting. For some unknown reason, this poor farm boy from Oklahoma took a liking to it, so he took it out of the frame and rolled it up and brought it back in a map case.” It is an oil painting on canvas and measures 4'2" x 2'4".

https://research.calvin.edu/german-propaganda-archive/images/hitler/thiele1938.jpg”

— from thiele1938.jpg (1554×877) as of 31 August 2025

Scenes from DC as federal agents, National Guard patrol capital streets - August 26, 2025 | Reuters

As seen online:

“Great source of Trump police state images”

— from Scenes from DC as federal agents, National Guard patrol capital streets - August 26, 2025 | Reuters as of 31 August 2025

Ryuk ransomware distribution

From Advintel.io, now part of Redsense:

"The group behind Ryuk ransomware distribution, referenced as "one" continues to target various industries including healthcare relying on BazarBackdoor. Currently, the healthcare and social services targeting comprises 13.36% of the total victim by industries."

Ryuk “one” Adversary Dossier

• Average Payment: 48 Bitcoin
• Largest Confirmed Payment: 2,200 Bitcoin
• Crime Salary: Over $150 Million in Bitcoin
• Psychology Type: Tough Negotiator, Rare Leniency
• Actor Origin: Russian-speaking Eastern Europe
• Reliability: High
• Recent Sector Breach Activities:
• Technology
• Healthcare
• Energy
• Financial services
• Government

October, 2021

https://web.archive.org/web/20230208190313/https://www.advintel.io/post/anatomy-of-attack-inside-bazarbackdoor-to-ryuk-ransomware-one-group-via-cobalt-strike

Kilt | Forplay Mini Skirt | EMP

As seen online:

“Skirt from Black Premium by EMP: - Skirt in a kilt design - Slightly flared cut - Faux-leather detailing - Fitted pockets on the sides - Pleated at the back and on the sides”

— from Kilt | Forplay Mini Skirt | EMP as of 28 August 2025

Contributions of the Left- and the Right-Hemisphere on the Language-Induced Grip Force Modulation of the Left Hand in Unimanual Task[v1] | Preprints.org

As seen online:

“The language-induced grip force modulation (GFM) can be used to better understand the link between the language and motor functions as an expression of the embodied language. However, the contribution of each brain hemisphere to the language-induced GFM is still unclear. 

Conclusions: The possibility that an action is performed by the left-hand does not interfere with the occurrence of GFM when this action verb is employed as linguistic stimulus. Therefore, the language-induced GFM seems mainly rely on the left hemisphere, and the engagement of the right hemisphere seems to slow down the increase in the GFM intensity.”

— from Contributions of the Left- and the Right-Hemisphere on the Language-Induced Grip Force Modulation of the Left Hand in Unimanual Task[v1] | Preprints.org as of 28 August 2025

Mark Zuckerberg's vision for humanity is terrifying

As seen online:

“So we look to Meta. This is the company that lobbied Washington for a ban on state-level AI regulation. This is the company through which Zuckerberg hopes to sell us all AI-embedded glasses, and give us AI-chatbot friends. And this is the company, we now know, that we shouldn’t trust with any of it. To protect the vulnerable online and off, it’s time for a reckoning about the man with so much power over our social structure. Mark Zuckerberg’s vision for the future is deadly.”

— from Mark Zuckerberg's vision for humanity is terrifying as of 28 August 2025

Transfer A Phone Number From Sky Mobile to Talkmobile: Step-By-Step Instructions

As seen online:

“If you’d like to move your phone number from Sky Mobile to Talkmobile, the first step is getting your Porting Authorisation Code (or PAC Code) from Sky Mobile.”

— from Transfer A Phone Number From Sky Mobile to Talkmobile: Step-By-Step Instructions as of 28 August 2025

Handy source on Russian invasion

Michael Clarke Q&A: Why new Flamingo missile is a game-changer for Ukraine | World News | Sky News https://news.sky.com/story/send-us-your-ukraine-war-questions-for-michael-clarke-13418858

Guthenberg Parenthesis

Many concerns about misinformation and the loss of authority in the digital age are not new, but echo similar anxieties from the early print era. The theory encourages us to look at the internet not as an unprecedented breakdown but as a return to an older model of fluid, conversational media.

https://share.google/aimode/D7vJp4rW4gIiPoWCQ

deipnosophist, n. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary

As seen online:

“deipnosophist is a borrowing from Greek.”

— from deipnosophist, n. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary as of 27 August 2025

Cancer research ‘set back years’ as visa fees drive scien...

No kidding…

https://observer.co.uk/news/national/article/cancer-research-set-back-years-as-visa-fees-drive-scientists-away-from-uk

Royal Inn Pub Restaurant in Portishead, Bristol

As seen online:

“If you're looking for a country pub with excellent food and spectacular ocean views to take your breath away, then discover the Royal Inn. Overlooking Portishead Pier, this stunning historic pub sits within walking distance of Portishead town centre and many of the local beaches, bays, and beauty spots.”

— from Royal Inn Pub Restaurant in Portishead, Bristol as of 23 August 2025

CARCHECK.co.uk - FREE vehicle reg check

As seen online:

“1 million users! 500+ car companies largest UK car database internet history”

— from CAR CHECK - Biggest FREE vehicle reg check as of 23 August 2025

Brilliant macro malware analysis CYFIRMA TAG-110

Weekly Intelligence Report - 30 May 2025 - CYFIRMA:

As seen online:

“Recent analysis has uncovered a phishing campaign conducted by TAG-110, a Russia-aligned threat actor linked to APT28 (BlueDelta) and overlapping with UAC- 0063, targeting Tajikistan between January and February 2025. The campaign employed macro-enabled Word template files (.dotm) as the initial infection vector, representing a tactical shift from the group’s previous reliance on HTA-based HATVIBE payloads. The malicious documents, themed on Tajik government topics, were designed to deceive recipients and triggered execution through the document.open event. Upon opening, the macro unprotected the document, suppressed spell checks, and attempted visual obfuscation by setting the font line width to zero. It then copied itself into %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP\.dotm to ensure persistent execution as a global template. The AutoExec macro launched automatically with Word startup, performing a check to see if the application was opened within the last 60 seconds via the registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\\Word\Options\LastTim e; if so, it terminated execution.”

— from Weekly Intelligence Report - 30 May 2025 - CYFIRMA as of 23 August 2025

Eighth International Conference on Philosophy and Meaning in Life - PhilEvents

Eighth International Conference on Philosophy and Meaning in Life - PhilEvents:

As seen online:

“The John Templeton Foundation & The Global Philosophy of Religion Project” 

The 8th International Conference on Philosophy & Meaning in Life will take place from March 26-28, 2026, at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, USA. The event will feature keynote speakers John Martin Fischer and Sherri Irvin, and will focus on scholarly dialogue surrounding the ultimate value, purpose, and intelligibility of human existence. The call for papers is open, with a submission deadline on October 26, 2025

— from Eighth International Conference on Philosophy and Meaning in Life - PhilEvents as of 21 August 2025

Hereditary haemochromatosis — Knowledge Hub

As seen online:

Generally quite good - notes gender 50/50 which is correct.

“Hereditary haemochromatosis is characterised by an excess of iron in particular organs in the body. It affects all genders equally, though women often present later than men. It is caused by pathogenic variants in the HFE gene.”

— from Hereditary haemochromatosis — Knowledge Hub as of 23 August 2025

Haemochromatosis: More Common Than You Think! Let Us Learn about Its Origin and Pathophysiology. — Andréas Astier

As seen online:

“The Haemochromatosis series will be a 2 part blog where the first blog shall be about Haemochromatosis with its origin, genetics and pathophysiology. The second part will be an interview of a patient living with Haemochromatosis, how they found out, their daily challenges, and how they cope with this condition every day.”

— from Haemochromatosis: More Common Than You Think! Let Us Learn about Its Origin and Pathophysiology. — Andréas Astier as of 23 August 2025

What is Hemochromatosis?

As seen online:

“Hemochromatosis is a disorder in which iron overload occurs in the body, causing iron toxicity. This leads to storage of iron within the heart, the liver, and the pancreas, among other tissues, damaging them and causing organ failure if it remains untreated.”

— from What is Hemochromatosis? as of 23 August 2025

AI companies have stopped warning you that their chatbots aren’t doctors

AI companies have stopped warning you that their chatbots aren't doctors | MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/07/21/1120522/ai-companies-have-stopped-warning-you-that-their-chatbots-arent-doctors/ 

Cultural Cognition as a Conception of the Cultural Theory of Risk by Dan M. Kahan :: SSRN

As seen online:

“Cultural cognition refers to the tendency of individuals to form beliefs about societal dangers that reflect and reinforce their commitments to particular visions of the ideal society. Cultural cognition is one of a variety of approaches designed to empirically test the cultural theory of risk associated with Mary Douglas and Aaron Wildavsky.”

— from Cultural Cognition as a Conception of the Cultural Theory of Risk by Dan M. Kahan :: SSRN as of 22 August 2025

US Property Crime Rate (1961-2024) | Created with Datawrapper

As seen online:

“With Datawrapper, you can create visualizations like the one above in minutes instead of hours!”

— from US Property Crime Rate (1961-2024) | Created with Datawrapper as of 22 August 2025

Why you might not know that 2024 was America's safest year since the 1960s

Speaks to the skewed crime perceptions...

As seen online:

“Similarly, in 2024, there were 1,760 reported property crimes for every 100,000 Americans. That is the lowest rate of property crimes since 1961.”

— from Why you might not know that 2024 was America's safest year since the 1960s as of 22 August 2025

My Account - Realtime Techpocalypse Newsletter

As seen online:

“Give the gift of Realtime Techpocalypse Newsletter to your friends”

— from My Account - Realtime Techpocalypse Newsletter as of 20 August 2025

Microsoft Excel adds Copilot AI to help fill in spreadsheet cells | The Verge

As seen online:

“Microsoft also warns against using the AI function for numerical calculations or in “high-stakes scenarios” with legal, regulatory, and compliance implications, as COPILOT “can give incorrect responses.””

— from Microsoft Excel adds Copilot AI to help fill in spreadsheet cells | The Verge as of 20 August 2025

Charity calls for ‘enforceable guarantee of offline alternatives’ of public services – PublicTechnology

As seen online:

“Age UK last week delivered a petition to 10 Downing Street – signed by 173,949 people – calling on government to put in place a “clear guarantee” that mandated all public services, including NHS and local government provision, to offer an option accessible to those lacking digital skills or access.”

— from Charity calls for ‘enforceable guarantee of offline alternatives’ of public services – PublicTechnology as of 20 August 2025

The Obscene Wealth Issue | The New Republic

As seen online:

“Louis Brandeis’s words remain true: “We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can’t have both.” In ways Brandeis could never have imagined, we may be about to find out.”

— from The Obscene Wealth Issue | The New Republic as of 20 August 2025

Trump administration moves to repeal climate ‘holy grail’ - POLITICO

As seen online:

“The Trump administration on Tuesday proposed repealing the federal government’s bedrock scientific declaration on the dangers of greenhouse gases — a move that would run afoul of decades of research and topple most of the Environmental Protection Agency’s climate regulations. The rollback is the most audacious attempt yet by President Donald Trump to undo federal restrictions on fossil fuels.”

— from Trump administration moves to repeal climate ‘holy grail’ - POLITICO as of 20 August 2025

Queeroes: John Waters – The Queerness

As seen online:

“But it does frustrate me a little when the predominant rhetoric of queer liberation is to make our lives as similar to the lives of cishet people as possible ... one thing that John and I have in common is the belief that laughing at the conventions that cishet people use to beat us with is a good way of dealing with that trauma. “I always thought the privilege of being gay is that we don’t have to get married or go in the Army,” he once said. Quite.”

— from Queeroes: John Waters – The Queerness as of 19 August 2025

Word Cloud Site

Square Word Cloud Random Layout - Edit - WordArt.com:

As seen online:

Handy quick free word cloud site, check the columns for a lot of options, then screenshot results. 

— from Square Word Cloud Random Layout - Edit - WordArt.com as of 18 August 2025

(7) Facebook

As seen online:

Shells Cleaning and Companionship: “Specialising in domestic, commercial and deep cleans”

— from (7) Facebook as of 17 August 2025

Trump’s AI chip flip-FLOP | Vox

As seen online:

“The concerns here are such that maybe the best way to understand them is to imagine a debate between a pro-export and anti-export advocate. I’m taking some poetic license here, in part because people in the sector are often averse to plainly saying what they mean on the record. But I think it’s a fair reflection of the debate as I’ve heard it. Anti-Export Guy: Trump says he wants the US to have “global dominance” in AI, and here he is, just letting China have very powerful chips. This obviously hurts the US’s edge.”

— from Trump’s AI chip flip-FLOP | Vox as of 15 August 2025

Would you board a spacecraft that takes 400 years to reach Alpha Centauri? | Live Science

The Great Filter

https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/would-you-board-a-spacecraft-that-takes-400-years-to-reach-alpha-centauri

The ‘godfather of AI’ reveals the only way humanity can survive superintelligent AI

As seen online:

“Hinton said he used to think it could take 30 years to 50 years to achieve AGI but now sees this moment coming sooner. “A reasonable bet is sometime between five and 20 years,” he said. While Hinton remains concerned about what could go wrong with AI, he is hopeful the technology will pave the way to medical breakthroughs. 

“We’re going to see radical new drugs. We are going to get much better cancer treatment than the present,” he said. 

For instance, he said AI will help doctors comb through and correlate the vast amounts of data produced by MRI and CT scans.”

— from The ‘godfather of AI’ reveals the only way humanity can survive superintelligent AI | CNN Business as of 14 August 2025

New Human Ancestor Identified from Fossil Teeth | Scientific American

As seen online:

“The new find underscores the complexity of human origins. Although Homo sapiens is the only hominin species on Earth today, for the vast majority of humanity’s existence, multiple hominin species shared the planet. ”

— from New Human Ancestor Identified from Fossil Teeth | Scientific American as of 14 August 2025

What happened to the pursuit of truth? | Eve Marder

As seen online:

“less affluent portions of the population vote for people whose policies do nothing to ensure better universal health care or education. At the same time, much of the scientific community has chosen to fall in line with the stranglehold that high profile journals have on our supposedly merit-based publication and promotion processes”

— from What happened to the pursuit of truth? | Journal of General Physiology | Eve Marder as of 14 August 2025

The Guardian "moment that changed me" - Google Search

As seen online:

A whole series of articles triggered by the same premise, a moment that changed a person.

— from The Guardian "moment that changed me" - Google Search as of 14 August 2025

What happened to the pursuit of truth? | Eve Marder

As seen online:

“I worry that the greatest liability of our increasing use of AI, will be that, we as scientists will lose our own ability to distinguish fact from fiction. For many years, I have looked at raw data to see what they show. That is no longer possible in many instances. As more and more complex data analysis tools enter our fields, it becomes harder and harder to find ground truth and to know that our scientific houses have strong foundations that can help us withstand the AI hurricanes of the future.”

— from What happened to the pursuit of truth? | Journal of General Physiology | Rockefeller University Press as of 13 August 2025

7 Principles (and core values) of the NHS - Health Service Navigator

As seen online:

“2. Access to NHS services is based on clinical need, not an individual’s ability to pay NHS services are free of charge, except in limited circumstances sanctioned by Parliament.”

— from 7 Principles (and core values) of the NHS - Health Service Navigator as of 13 August 2025

PC Mag - Google Books Winword concept

Micro virus macro virus 

PC Mag - Google Books https://books.google.com/books/about/PC_Mag.html?id=WVbZSlyrT5kC

Can a Chatbot Be Conscious? Claude 4 and the Limits of AI Understanding

Conscious AI?

Anthropic's Claude 4 Chatbot Suggests It Might Be Conscious | Scientific American https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/anthropics-claude-4-chatbot-suggests-it-might-be-conscious/

A moment that changed me: I resolved to reduce my screen time – and it was a big mistake

Brush

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/aug/13/a-moment-that-changed-me-i-resolved-to-reduce-my-screen-time-and-it-was-a-big-mistake?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Zuckerberg claims ‘superintelligence is now in sight’ as Meta lavishes billions on AI | Technology | The Guardian

As seen online:

“Zuckerberg wrote that the company differs from other AI firms in that Meta aims to bring “personal superintelligence to everyone”. Other companies are focused on primarily using “superintelligence” for productivity and to automate “all valuable work”, he wrote. “The rest of this decade seems likely to be the decisive period for determining the path this technology will take, and whether superintelligence will be a tool for personal empowerment or a force focused on replacing large swaths of society,” he wrote.”

— from Zuckerberg claims ‘superintelligence is now in sight’ as Meta lavishes billions on AI | Technology | The Guardian as of 13 August 2025

Proposed spacecraft could carry up to 2,400 people on a one-way trip to the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri

Proposed spacecraft could carry up to 2,400 people on a one-way trip to the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri | Live Science https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/proposed-spacecraft-could-carry-up-to-2-400-people-on-a-one-way-trip-to-the-nearest-star-system-alpha-centauri

'AI for all': MoJ launches AI action plan for civil servants

'AI for all': MoJ launches AI action plan for civil servants 

 "More broadly, the MoJ said it will launch an "AI for All" drive that will provide all staff members with secure, enterprise-grade AI assistants by December this year. The campaign will also include tailored training and support.

https://www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/article/ministry-of-justice-launches-departmentwide-ai-action-plan

AlgorithmWatch

Some good studies here on the human cost of the AI Gold Rush. 

https://algorithmwatch.org/en/

Female cyber security specialist awarded prestigious fellowship

Female Worcester cyber professional receives CIISec fellowship | Worcester News https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/25362518.worcester-cyber-professional-receives-ciisec-fellowship/

1.1 million deaths linked to avoidable conditions - News articles - Eurostat

As seen online:

“In 2022, 1.1 million deaths among people under the age of 75 in the EU – equivalent to standardised death rate of 257.8 deaths per 100 000 inhabitants – were considered avoidable by early treatment or prevention of diseases.”

— from 1.1 million deaths linked to avoidable conditions - News articles - Eurostat as of 10 August 2025

What Happens If AI Learns to Evade Our Control? - Bloomberg

As seen online:

“Research published earlier this year by the nonprofit AI evaluator Apollo Research found that Claude 4 Opus would leave notes to its future self so it could continue its plans even after a memory reset.”

— from What Happens If AI Learns to Evade Our Control? - Bloomberg as of 10 August 2025

Also: AI traders will form price-fixing cartels even when not explicitly prompted, according to simulations by researchers at Wharton. “Instead of battling for returns, they fix prices, hoard profits, and sideline human traders.” — Lu Wang, Bloomberg News

The two people shaping the future of OpenAI’s research | MIT Technology Review

As seen online:

“The firm is now in a race with the biggest and richest technology companies in the world and valued at $300 billion. Envelope-pushing research and eye-catching demos no longer cut it. It needs to ship products and get them into people’s hands—and boy, it does.”

— from The two people shaping the future of OpenAI’s research | MIT Technology Review as of 10 August 2025

Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk say human population not nearly big enough: ‘If we had a trillion humans, we would have at any given time a thousand Mozarts’

As seen online:

““I would love to see, you know, a trillion humans living in the solar system. If we had a trillion humans, we would have at any given time a thousand Mozarts and a thousand Einsteins…Our solar system would be full of life and intelligence and energy.”” Jeff Bezos

— from Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk say human population not nearly big enough: ‘If we had a trillion humans, we would have at any given time a thousand Mozarts’ as of 10 August 2025

"It is deeply troubling that one of the richest humans that ever breathed air thinks things like that. If we had a trillion humans, our solar system would be full of suffering." — Stephen Cobb

Bezos is very rich and clearly enjoying life. He sees that as normal and wants to multiply that. But normal in 99% of humans struggling. If there were a trillion humans, 990 billion would be struggling, not chilling out to a thousand Mozarts.

Study Finds COVID Pandemic Accelerated Brain Aging in Everyone | Scientific American

As seen online:

“The brains of healthy people aged faster during the COVID-19 pandemic than did the brains of people analysed before the pandemic began, a study of almost 1,000 people suggests. The accelerated ageing occurred even in people who didn’t become infected.”

— from Study Finds COVID Pandemic Accelerated Brain Aging in Everyone | Scientific American as of 8 August 2025

Sam Altman says "I feel useless," compares ChatGPT-5 to Manhattan Project

"What have we done?" — Sam Altman says "I feel useless," compares ChatGPT-5's power to the Manhattan Project | - Times of India https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/what-have-we-done-sam-altman-says-i-feel-useless-compares-chatgpt-5s-power-to-the-manhattan-project/articleshow/123112813.cms

Zuckerberg claims ‘superintelligence is now in sight’ as Meta lavishes billions on AI

Zuckerberg talks trash about AI! 

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jul/30/zuckerberg-superintelligence-meta-ai?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Trump Made 'Mistake of Historic Proportions' on Ukraine

Trump Made 'Mistake of Historic Proportions' on Ukraine Says His Former Ambassador – Byline Times https://bylinetimes.com/2025/07/28/trump-made-mistake-of-historic-proportions-on-ukraine-says-his-former-ambassador/

Securing Vibe Coding: Addressing the Security Challenges of AI-Generated Code | SC Media

As seen online:

“How to identify and mitigate common security flaws in AI-generated code, including emerging patterns of vulnerability”

— from Securing Vibe Coding: Addressing the Security Challenges of AI-Generated Code | SC Media as of 3 August 2025

AI's Political Realist Defense of Democracy

As seen online:

“Kissinger's project not as a sign of weakness but as an act of profound statecraft. He was seeking to protect the nation without sacrificing the values that make it worth defending. He understood that a nation that blindly trusts its defense to a "black box" has already surrendered a core principle: the belief that human wisdom and moral accountability are paramount. Kissinger’s effort to maintain strategic stability is the necessary precondition for Elshtain’s concern for the nation’s soul to even be possible. A nation annihilated in an AI-driven war cannot practice civic virtue.”

— from AI's Political Realist Defense of Democracy as of 3 August 2025

Seven all-American products that are actually 'Made in Europe'

Seven all-American products that are actually 'Made in Europe', set to be hit by US tariffs | Euronews https://www.euronews.com/business/2025/07/31/seven-all-american-products-made-in-europe-that-will-be-affected-by-us-tariffs

The upstart company that wants to build the world's largest aircraft

The upstart company that wants to build the world's largest aircraft - BBC Future https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250729-windrunner-the-company-that-wants-to-build-the-worlds-largest-aircraft