Everyone bitches about the how the world keeps getting worse and worse, but these days we have the Skaarsgards instead of the Baldwins and you have to admit that's one hell of an improvement. #film #acting

My new theory: anyone who actually has feelings of empathy knows that machines simply... don't. However, sociopaths' sense of empathy is muted at best; often, they believe the rest of us are making it up, and they learn to approximate sympathy, concern, etc. based on mimicking outward appearances.

Therefore, sociopaths may honestly believe that computers can feel empathy, because they process "empathy" the same way. The people claiming computers can have feelings may honestly believe it – because they're sociopaths. #AI #LLM #LLMs

I first read this hours ago and I'm still trying to get my head around asking your wife to give you a beer, sugar, and butter enema. Sam, Sam, Sam. You should have been better to that woman. https://mastodon.social/@samuelpepys/117429506521093241

Holy sh*t: https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-launches-immigration-raid-democratic-congresswoman-ilhan-omars-home-fox-news-2026-10-12/

Anyone know what's up with strangers randomly knocking on the door and asking if our car's for sale? It happens every few months and I can't figure out what the scam is.

I'm not stealing Amazon packages, I'm working at an Amazon warehouse... from home.

That was fast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6pvg4jyz1m0o

Now we (and Zelenskyy) hope that Russia violates the energy ceasefire first so that Trump blames them, and then the entire game resets and we wait to see who Trump likes best tomorrow.

Zelenskyy is a master at playing this game against Trump. He screams in private, suppresses his rage, comes out looking unruffled, and makes the next brilliant move, every time.

Ukraine's Zelenskiy tells ABC he will organize elections if Russia agrees to 60-day ceasefire | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraines-zelenskiy-tells-abc-he-will-organize-elections-if-russia-agrees-60-day-2026-10-11/

Jesus.
AI companies plot "day after" scenarios for public revolt
https://www.axios.com/2026/10/09/ai-companies-day-after-major-attack

Aw, crud. It randomly crossed my mind that we haven't heard any bullshit from Glenn Beck for a while, which probably means I've now summoned him like Beetlejuice and very soon we're gonna hear some bullshit from Glenn Beck.

My apologies in advance, everyone.

Personal update: Lyricdancer's procedure is done and she's back in her room. They found one blocked artery and placed a stent there, so her going to the hospital when she had symptoms instead of gritting it out, plus physicians who didn't stop at "nope, you're not having a heart attack" and instead got proactive about figuring out what really was going on may have prevented a future heart attack. Yay!

I see that today Trump has started carrying out his threat to bribe voters with their own money, as if that will work.

This is hilarious and terrible on its face, but also it's the administration avoiding normal procurement laws to give a no-bid contract to a political ally: "The UFC [Ultimate Fighting Championship], according to the bureau, is 'the sole qualified vendor' capable of providing tactical training that meets FBI standards."
https://www.ms.now/news/patel-fbi-wants-to-give-ufc-exclusive-contract-to-train-agents

@Tusky Scrolling my notifications suddenly has become jerky. As I pull down, I'll be looking at one post and then all of a sudden another is in its place, as if the list is backfilling intermittently.

P.S.: my wife happens to be in a room in the ICU because that's where the empty bed was, so I was walking past rooms with severely ill patients. Even though my chest crud seems fairly mild, my masking in the ICU might have saved another (vulnerable) patient's life.

This also is a really good reminder that we still should mask when we're feeling well, because we may be sick and not know it.

Reminder about masking: When I was visiting my wife in the hospital the last couple of days, I masked almost all the time (though not when I was in the room alone with her). I did that mainly because I didn't want to catch an infection *from* a sick patient, but now that I've come down with some sort of chest crud, I'm really grateful because I wouldn't want to unknowingly spread this *to* an already vulnerable patient.

Masking is valuable both for yourself and others, and it protects others even when you don't yet realize you're sick.

So now Lyricdancer appears to be perfectly healthy at the moment but is still in the hospital because that's the only way she can have important tests done rapidly, and I'm sicker than she is but everyone's still gonna feel sorrier for her and she'll get all that sweet sweet delicious pity.

I'm sad because my beloved is still in the hospital having tests done, but on the bright side I've come down with bronchitis.

Planting my marker: Trump will float the idea of selling tickets to the execution.

A quotation from Theodore Roosevelt

And as for a life deliberately devoted to pleasure as an end — why, the greatest happiness is the happiness that comes as a by-product of striving to do what must be done, even though sorrow is met in the doing.

Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American politician, statesman, conservationist, writer; US President (1901–09)
Autobiography, ch. 9 “Outdoors and Indoors” (1913)

More about this quote: wist.info/roosevelt-theodore/8…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #thedoreroosevelt #teddyroosevelt #achievement #ambition #challenge #difficulty #duty #effort #happiness #hardwork #life #living #pleasure #satisfaction #selfsatisfaction #striving #success