The Terminator Finally Rises
Hey peeps,
I moved my computer desk into my room where there’s a balcony to get more sunlight two days ago. It continues to be the highlight of my week so far, outside of playing solitaire for 3 hours yesterday.
The semi-lockdown may be getting to me…
Dobby needs to be freeeeeee!
Anyway, here’s this week’s roundup!
From J.J.’s Vault
A drone running completely on AI very likely killed someone recently. If so, that’s the first recorded incident of it happening. But who the hell would be responsible? I posit there’s technically about to be a lot more serial killers in the world. That and the Terminator series was possibly a documentary sent back from the future.
Possibly the biggest global crime sting was carried out this month—and they did it by catfishing. Crazy. Also weird that they blasted out their methodology to the world, so I guess they must be sitting on another way to catch these increasingly crafty criminals. Or, law enforcement just wanted the social media likes. Hard to tell these days.
In the News
Too much to share this week so I selected just a few. It seems the pace of weird news is ever-increasing in recent years, isn’t it? Could’ve sworn the opposite would occur with the Trumpster being out of the orangelight.
Scientists figured out a way to use bacteria to reduce dengue spread by 77%. I’ve lived in a couple countries where this is a big issue so it’s neat to see advances like this occur. Assuming we don’t end up with giant mutant mosquitoes, of course.
Who needs smart people running our countries? This elected congressman just asked the U.S. Forest Service if they could change the friggin’ orbit of the moon to fight climate change. We are all doomed. (And yet—even ‘the dumbest guy in congress’ apparently believes climate change is real…so what about the others?)
Apple Daily is probably the last mostly impartial news organization in Hong Kong. Until today that is. They’ve now fallen to the new CCP laws being imposed and had all of their executives arrested, alongside most aspects of former democracy there. Yikes.
We can all breathe a collective sigh of relief. Apparently, Russia isn’t behind any of the world’s massive hacking incidents of recent years/months/days! It’s the US, Canada, and the UK—according to Putie Put.
A lobster diver (yes, that’s a thing) was swallowed whole by a whale! He lived, don’t worry. The whale must’ve been vegan.
From J.J.’s Life
The image is from a field in the south of Taiwan at night. I’m pretty sure those are delicious dragonfruit hanging there under the lights (they keep them lit so they grow faster—yet some people doubt the final quality).
I chose to walk 2 hours down a dark country road to a campground instead of paying $15 for a taxi because I’m weird like that sometimes. Lesson learned, don’t walk at night in remote countrysides without 20 headlights strapped to your body.
J.J. Pryor
(It’d be super cool if you hit the like button or left a comment. The algorithms love that and I love you for doing it.)
My own story links above are ‘friend links’ which means you don’t have to be behind the paywall on Medium.
We in the United States of Idiots have a long history (long by our standards, brief by many others) of electing people with low mental abilities. The only criteria for being elected to our Congress is that you have enough money to fool enough people, and BAM! you are in government.
You cannot legally drive a car in most states without taking a driver's test - but I can buy anAR-15 with a 30 round mag with no evidence that I am competent to use this weapon of mass death. Or why I would need this weapon. As far as I can find out, none of our wildlife is armed or is wearing bulletproof vests, etc.
Many of our citizens are strongly pro-life, meaning they are against abortion-but I never heard of any of these people, who value life so much, issue a single word against capital punishment or the senseless wars we continue to engage in.
Most of our politicians will warn you about our Federal deficit, how we don't have the money for universal health care, child support, or education - but let the military ask for a new weapon system and the checkbook comes right out. Plenty of money for killing (Usually non-white) people, but no money to help the disadvantaged, our own citizens.
Finally the joke of the day - we condemn Russia for interfering in our election, but we have interfered with many other countries' elections - always for a "good" cause. I guess that is different - because we are the "good" guys.
Have a good day and thanks for reading my rant.
Loved this, JJ. Thanks for brightening my day! You always make me smile.