Archive of entries posted on December 2022

Straight Line of the Day: First France, Now Oxford: Is Your Government Next?

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Oxford Residents Will Soon Be Prisoners of Their Own Neighborhoods
American Thinker | 12/28/22 | Andrea Widburg

… In accordance with UN and WEF climate recommendations, the city of Oxford (home to the famed university) approved plans mandating that citizens may not drive more than 15 minutes’ distance from their homes without permission.

It’s called the “15 Minute City” and is intended to reduce auto emissions.

Mostly, though, it will reduce liberty, which is what climate change madness has always been about.

…

… the Oxford City Council went from theory to fact by a council vote on November 29 to implement trial traffic filters as of January 2024 that will require residents to get permission to leave their neighborhoods, all in the name of saving the planet:

“Oxfordshire County Council yesterday approved plans to lock residents into one of six zones to ‘save the planet’ from global warming. The latest stage in the ’15 minute city’ agenda is to place electronic gates on key roads in and out of the city, confining residents to their own neighbourhoods.

“Under the new scheme if residents want to leave their zone they will need permission from the Council, who gets to decide who is worthy of freedom and who isn’t. Under the new scheme residents will be allowed to leave their zone a maximum of 100 days per year, but in order to even gain this every resident will have to register their car details with the council, who will then track their movements via smart cameras round the city.”

The push to get us into electric vehicles with electronic controls makes more sense.

Straight Line of the Day: First France, now Oxford: Is your government next?

We Have All Always Been in the Wrong Professions

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Superior Court Clerks Legally Pocketing Thousands in Passport Processing Fees
AtlantaNewsFirst.com | 20 Dec 2022 | Rachel Polansky

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – A controversial law allowing superior court clerks to personally pocket money when processing passports could draw new scrutiny in next year’s General Assembly.

“Concerned would be a mild word to use,” state Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick (R-Marietta) said….

…. An Atlanta News First Investigation uncovered in 2021 alone, Cobb Superior Court Clerk Connie Taylor raked in more than $220,000, while Fulton Superior Court Clerk Cathelene “Tina” Robinson pocketed more than $360,000 in passport processing fees. Those fees are in addition to their yearly salaries.

All of this is completely legal but it comes as a big surprise to taxpayers….

… who are blind and oblivious.

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Straight Line of the Day: San Francisco’s Killer Robots Will…

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San Francisco Will Allow Police To Deploy Robots That Kill
Associated Press | November 29, 2022 | Janie Har

Supervisors in San Francisco voted Tuesday to give city police the ability to use potentially lethal, remote-controlled robots in emergency situations — following an emotionally charged debate that reflected divisions on the politically liberal board over support for law enforcement.

The vote was 8-3, with the majority agreeing to grant police the option despite strong objections from civil liberties and other police oversight groups. Opponents said the authority would lead to the further militarization of a police force already too aggressive with poor and minority communities.

Supervisor Connie Chan, a member of the committee that forwarded the proposal to the full board, said she understood concerns over use of force but that “according to state law, we are required to approve the use of these equipments. So here we are, and it’s definitely not a easy discussion.”

The San Francisco Police Department said it does not have pre-armed robots and has no plans to arm robots with guns. But the department could deploy robots equipped with explosive charges “to contact, incapacitate, or disorient violent, armed, or dangerous suspect” when lives are at stake, SFPD spokesperson Allison Maxie said in a statement.

Supervisor Connie Chan and SFPD spokesperson Allison Maxie — having apparently never seen a movie at all — thereupon volunteered to have their families be test subjects in a confusing home-invasion / self-defense simulation. Or to pay the lawsuits of those cases that go wrong.

Straight Line of the Day: San Francisco’s killer robots will…

Cartoons and Memes

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“Good morning Mr. Walrus, I hope you had a nice Christmas.”

“Great, and it still looks like I’m getting presents.”

“Really?’

“Yes I am.”

“That’s nice. Here is last week’s poll winner.”

10.

“Chicago, Chicago that gun tottin’ town…”

“Sorry to interrupt but here are this week’s choices.”

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

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Which one is funniest?
84 votes · 84 answers
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Public Service Announcement: Put Masking Tape Over That Thang!

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A Roomba Recorded a Woman on the Toilet. How Did Screenshots End Up on Facebook?
MIT Technology Review | 12/19/2022 | Eileen Guo

In the fall of 2020, gig workers in Venezuela posted a series of images to online forums where they gathered to talk shop. The photos were mundane, if sometimes intimate, household scenes captured from low angles—including some you really wouldn’t want shared on the Internet.

In one particularly revealing shot, a young woman in a lavender T-shirt sits on the toilet, her shorts pulled down to mid-thigh.

The images were not taken by a person, but by development versions of iRobot’s Roomba J7 series robot vacuum. They were then sent to Scale AI, a startup that contracts workers around the world to label audio, photo, and video data used to train artificial intelligence.

They were the sorts of scenes that internet-connected devices regularly capture and send back to the cloud—though usually with stricter storage and access controls. Yet earlier this year, MIT Technology Review obtained 15 screenshots of these private photos, which had been posted to closed social media groups.

The photos vary in type and in sensitivity. The most intimate image we saw was the series of video stills featuring the young woman on the toilet, her face blocked in the lead image but unobscured in the grainy scroll of shots below. In another image, a boy who appears to be eight or nine years old, and whose face is clearly visible, is sprawled on his stomach across a hallway floor. A triangular flop of hair spills across his forehead as he stares, with apparent amusement, at the object recording him from just below eye level.

The other shots show rooms from homes around the world, some occupied by humans, one by a dog. Furniture, décor, and objects located high on the walls and ceilings are outlined by rectangular boxes and accompanied by labels like “tv,” “plant_or_flower,” and “ceiling_light.”

The dog was not available for comment. By all accounts, it was not in a lavender T-shirt.

Classic Car Competition

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“Ahoy Mr. Walrus, I got a lovely bunch of coconuts!”

“You certainly do Miss Ireland.”

“You’re such a card sir.

“So deal me in.”

“Of course sir, here is last week’s winner.”

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Who do you prefer?
76 votes · 76 answers
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“And here is this week’s contestants.”

De Tomaso Pantera 1970 vs Lamborghini Miura 1966

De Tomaso Pantera 1970

The DeTomaso Pantera fused together two of the best parts of the car industry: that sleek, ubiquitous Italian design and the sturdy, unbreakable mechanics from the United States. Marry the two, and you’ll find yourself with a Pantera, or “Panther”. 

The Pantera was designed by the Italian design firm Carrozzeria Ghia’s American-born designer Tom Tjaarda and quickly became one of the coolest mass-produced cars of its time. Its 20-year production run ensured plenty of Panteras on the streets after its first reveal at the 1970 New York Motor Show. Ford requested to buy the rights to the vehicle, which ensured an even greater production run than before. 

VS

Lamborghini Miura 1966

Sure, the Lamborghini Miura might look a little different to today’s interpretation but, for its time, this beautiful classic car was truly ahead of the game. Often regarded as the world’s first supercar, thanks to its advanced designs and powerful performance, the Miura has kept its legendary status long after production ran dry. 

Its name comes from that of a particularly ferocious Spanish fighting bull, thought to represent the car’s tenacity and speed. This cool old car is one that’s had more than a few adjustments over the years, all released in a range of vibrant and personality-filled colors.

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Who do you prefer?
69 votes · 69 answers
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