End of the Year 30th & 31st December 2023 / Jan 1st 2024

[refitman]

Morning all.

[AnatolyKasparov]

Hi there for the last thread of 2023!

Just a suggestion, can it be extended to cover New Year's Day as well?

[refitman]

Hi there for the last thread of 2023!

Just a suggestion, can it be extended to cover New Year's Day as well?

Done

[frog222]

Rain forecast from tonight for at least 48h, so busy getting in firewood !

Best of luck to Gilsey for the eye and the next op .

( About the only bit of me which hasn't needed 'doing' so far )

Who TF is this ?

[AnatolyKasparov]

Strangely enough, I have seen a few claims that BoJo has been doing a lot of "partying" lately - is this a euphemism?

[frog222]

Too cryptic for me AK !

Welcome to the year of deepfake elections
Two billion people are going to the polls next year, but it could only take a fraction to shape the future of democracy

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/welc ... -9dp9wk2k7

It only took two ( shallowfake ? ) forged invoices for the 'news' of Volodomyr Zelinskiy's secret deal to use American aid money to buy two yachts totalling $75 million to go right around the world (2.2m on TikTok alone ) !

Two House Representatives even raised it in the recent (Nov?) Committee hearing on military aid to Ukraine , one being the ever-reliable MTG - Marjorie Taylor Green but the other being a centrist Ukraine supporter ... ...

"Jim Steyer makes it his business to worry. But even for the 67-year-old founder of America’s biggest tech advocacy group, Common Sense Media, 2024 feels different, and not in a good way. “I have never been more worried about our democracy,” he says. “It’s going to be a shitshow.”

The Stanford University constitutional law professor, brother of the billionaire former presidential candidate Tom Steyer, has been haranguing legislators and bending the ears of presidents for decades about the dangers to children and society of media, technology and the internet. What has him so bothered now? In 2024, America, Britain, India and more than 60 other countries will go to the polls in national elections. More people will vote next year — an estimated two billion — than at any time in recorded history.

This most momentous of years coincides, however, with the arrival of an unsettling new force: artificial intelligence. Tools are emerging with head-spinning velocity that make it easier than ever to fabricate high-quality video, images and text. Ezra Klein, the American journalist, has called it the era of “zero-cost bullshit.” At the same time, the owners of the rails upon which that misinformation will travel have spent two years gleefully firing employees and, in the case of Twitter/X, gutting the trust and safety teams set up to block this garbage."

For propagandists and misinformation merchants, it is a dream scenario. “This is a perfect storm,” says Hany Farid, a digital forensics professor at the University of California, Berkeley. “We are going to put in the hands of billions of people the ability to create fake audio images and video at the push of a button. There are going to be bad actors who do some bad stuff.”

cont 'd

Interesting times indeed

[frog222]

A bit more from the article —

It’s all in the timing, like …. TWO days before the vote —

” Mark Zuckerberg, the billionaire chief of Meta, has fired 21,000 people in the past two years in a desperate attempt to revive the flagging stock price of his empire, which includes Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. It worked. Meta’s stock has come roaring back and profits have surged, but if the recent Slovakian election is any indication, its election integrity operation is not up to the job.

In September, Robert Fico, a populist close to President Putin, won re-election to prime minister — five years after he resigned amid uproar over the murder of an investigative journalist. Hundreds of thousands of posts containing disinformation coursed through social media in the days leading up to the vote. A post-election report from Slovakia’s interior ministry said Meta’s ability to police and remove the content was “slow, ineffective and, above all, insufficient”.

Among the examples it highlighted was a deepfake recording of Michal Simecka, leader of the Progressive party, conspiring with a prominent journalist to rig the election. The forgery, which surfaced two days before the vote, “had a significant impact on the credibility of the elections”, the report said.

Meta declined to comment on the Slovakian election. But Sir Nick Clegg, Meta’s chief of global affairs, argued recently that Zuckerberg’s corporate bloodletting had not affected its efforts to protect democracy. “No tech company does more or invests more to protect elections online than Meta — not just during election periods but at all times,” he wrote. “We have around 40,000 people working on safety and security.” Meta said it will prohibit news ads in the final week of a campaign and require parties to disclose when posts include AI-generated content. ”

Chocolate teapot time !

[refitman]

*sigh* Looks like there's another Rosie Duffield in the Labour Party.

[refitman]

Tonia has decided to endorse a 'report' by Policy Exchange, which has some rather dubious numbers in it.




Bigotry really does rot the mind and remove critical thinking.

[frog222]

I see the G has followed Sky to run with the Times' Cummings story, but they haven't yet followed on this one ---


https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/plan ... -9mdtc72r5

" Covid jabs could be made available for private sale by next autumn, with discussions under way between high-street pharmacies, vaccine makers and government officials.

Until now, the vaccines have been reserved for use by the NHS, with only those who fit into the government’s strict eligibility criteria able to get jabs.

The thresholds were significantly tightened this year, with only over-65s, the clinically vulnerable and frontline workers in the NHS and care homes given vaccinations. That meant 12 million people aged between 50 and 64 who were eligible in 2022 were not able to get vaccines this year. "

Quite a contrast here--

Everyone has the right to a flu vaxx tho apparently the non-priority people have to pay for it, while everyone can have a free covid booster if they want one !

[Sky'sGoneOut]

I'd have loved to have had a Covid booster vaccination. Took this test an hour ago.



Six of us went to the pub on Christmas Eve, half over 65 and boosted, half not. All three of us youngsters came down with Covid midweek while the lucky old sods have been completely fine. Just goes to show how well the vaccinations work. Initially I couldn't believe I'd caught it again because I had a mild dose a couple of months ago but this new strain is nothing like what came before. High temperature and lots of pain, the worst being excruciating stabbing pains in my armpits. What was most off-putting however was a weird form of vertigo which is apparently caused by a viral infection affecting the nerves coming from your inner ear. For two whole days it felt like my brain was doing backflips inside my head. Anyway despite the positive test I'm feeling fine and symptom free today besides my sense of smell still being a bit messed up, and despite the unpleasantries mentioned above there was no sign of the exhaustion and brain fog which usually come with Covid so small mercies and all that because they tend to be the symptoms which lasts the longest.

Anyway I hope everyone else enjoyed their Christmas.

[AnatolyKasparov]

I had my booster a few months ago, genuinely don't understand anyone eligible who didn't.

[frog222]

I'd have loved to have had a Covid booster vaccination. Took this test an hour ago.



Six of us went to the pub on Christmas Eve, half over 65 and boosted, half not. All three of us youngsters came down with Covid midweek while the lucky old sods have been completely fine. Just goes to show how well the vaccinations work. Initially I couldn't believe I'd caught it again because I had a mild dose a couple of months ago but this new strain is nothing like what came before. High temperature and lots of pain, the worst being excruciating stabbing pains in my armpits. What was most off-putting however was a weird form of vertigo which is apparently caused by a viral infection affecting the nerves coming from your inner ear. For two whole days it felt like my brain was doing backflips inside my head. Anyway despite the positive test I'm feeling fine and symptom free today besides my sense of smell still being a bit messed up, and despite the unpleasantries mentioned above there was no sign of the exhaustion and brain fog which usually come with Covid so small mercies and all that because they tend to be the symptoms which lasts the longest.

Anyway I hope everyone else enjoyed their Christmas.

Bloody hell SKY, but very relieved that your immediate symptoms have calmed down !

This came out a few minutes before your post, but I didn't have the heart to put it up straight away, and had a siesta by the stove instead . For once the competition was in another of his places --



ME -- "Move along there, nothing to see ""



The vaxx helps but as we know it's no more than that .

Anyway, THREE goes is quite enough !!!!!!!!!!!

[frog222]

Buzzfeed link from Calamity Jane above -- EDIT ---- BELOW !!!!!!!!!!!

It was back then that Finkelstein started developing a political method that now reads like a how-to guide for modern right-wing populism. Finkelstein’s premise was simple: Every election is decided before it even begins. Most people know who they will vote for, what they support, and what they oppose. It’s very difficult to convince them otherwise, Finkelstein believed. It’s a lot easier to demoralize people than to motivate them. And the best way to win is to demoralize your opponent’s supporters. That’s what Trump did to great effect against Hillary Clinton, and what he meant when, after the election, he thanked black Americans for not voting.

Netanyahu began at 20 % behind Shimon Peres , but -

When the final count came in, Netanyahu was the new prime minister: 50.49% to 49.51%.

The triumph in Israel marked the beginning of a new era. It was then that Finkelstein turned to Europe, and an even closer collaboration with Birnbaum. From 2003 onward, the two men worked together as global political consultants, applying Finkelstein’s formula to Eastern Europe and the Balkans, starting with successful election campaigns in Romania and Bulgaria.

Finkelstein and Birnbaum’s electoral masterpiece was created in Hungary, and would have implications around the world.

It began in 2008, when Orbán decided to seek reelection. His old friend Bibi — as Netanyahu is known — introduced him to the two people who would guide his success. Before long, Finkelstein and Birnbaum were applying their formula to Orbán’s election campaign — and then turbocharging it.

Enemies were easy to find in Hungary. The country was an economic basket case and had to be bailed out in 2008. Austerity measures were demanded by their creditors at the World Bank, the EU, and the IMF. Finkelstein and Birnbaum told Orbán to target “the bureaucrats” and “foreign capital.”

Orbán won the 2010 election with a two-thirds majority as the country shifted to the right. Birnbaum is still amazed today how easy it was: “We blew the Socialist party off the table even before the election.”

They needed an enemy for the next election ----

The public campaign against Soros began in earnest on Aug. 14, 2013, around nine months ahead of the next election. It started relatively quietly, with an article in the government-aligned newspaper Heti Válasz attacking NGOs that were said to be controlled by Soros.

Next, the Hungarian government went after the allegedly Soros-controlled environmental organization Ökotárs, which received Norwegian and Swiss funding. Police stormed their offices and confiscated computers, while the government opened an investigation into their activities. The Hungarian investigators would eventually come up empty — but not before they had succeeded in spreading the image of a shadowy network of foreign NGOs run by Soros.

“The perfect enemy is one that you can punch again and again and he won't punch back.”
Orbán and his team didn’t stop there. By 2015, the European refugee crisis, in part stimulated by the war in Syria, had emboldened nationalists across the continent. So when Soros argued that the EU needed to develop a “common plan” for the treatment of refugees, and prepare for a million asylum-seekers per year, he became a welcome target once more for Orbán’s team. On Oct. 30, 2015, Orbán made a speech in which he claimed Soros wanted to weaken the country and flood it with refugees.

The attacks came thick and fast after that. Any organization that had ever received money from the Open Society Foundations was painted as “Soros controlled.” Employees of the NGOs were described by government press as “mercenaries,” financed by foreign powers. All of that was done through a series of sensational articles and official responses from members of government.

[frog222]

[AnatolyKasparov]

Its truer to say that both pro and anti Israel extremists do that.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

More lighthouse pictures (makes a change from bridges).

During the storm last week.



With the full moon behind it (yes that's the moon, crappy phone camera).

[refitman]

Looks like James Cleverly's cousin is mixed up in some shady business stuff. Can you imagine if he were a left-leaning Labour MP? You wouldn't see this out of the media

[gilsey]

Nice moon pic.

Get well soon.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Get well soon.

Thanks. Tescos finest Bordeaux is currently aiding me in that pursuit.

[frog222]

I've watched quite a few of these, the anecdotal evidence builds up , for example at 20 minutes or so, "demonstrations in Kyiv" , reminder of the Orange Revolution when she was at school , and NOW all her Russophone classmates from Zhaporishia are fighting ....

[frog222]

Get well soon.

Thanks. Tescos finest Bordeaux is currently aiding me in that pursuit.

Cheers !!!!!!!!!!!

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Happy New Year.

[refitman]

Happy new year everyone!

[frog222]

And to you too, tho it might be more accurate to say "Good luck" ! xx

Pissing down again but at least the gale has stopped .

[AnatolyKasparov]

One thing we do know about 2024 - unless something VERY unexpected/dubious happens - is that a general election is going to be called in the UK.

Here's hoping for better things.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Obviously I went for BBC Scotland to hear the piper play on Edinburgh Castle before people started letting off minor explosives.

They're still going off here intermittently in the distance.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Anyway welcome to 2024!

[refitman]

Anyway welcome to 2024!

Ohhh, good tune!

[frog222]

I have utter contempt** for this so-called Man of God --



Contrast --



---------------------------------------

** but it's not his fault that he's stupid, and unwise .... ?

[frog222]

Much rain and our turn for 60mph winds tomorrow so off to the beach for a healthwalk !

[AnatolyKasparov]

Well as far as Peston is concerned, better late than never.

[frog222]

Well as far as Peston is concerned, better late than never.

Ak -- certainly a start !

The first 30 minutes are not about books , for example their is some light on the at least occasional uselessness of the big international aid organisations ...