19 October 2023

Here's how chatbots accessing LLMs can violate privacy through inference. Scientific American has an article on this as well. We are powerless to stop it.

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It looked like scientists at University of California San Francisco were going to develop the first artificial kidney. Now it looks like the University of Edinburgh will be first. This is great, and will help a lot of people.

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These are the side-effects of the new weight loss drugs. I think tirzepatide is the best of them all. Gastroparesis can be very serious and debilitating. Loss of muscle mass will a negative to people who want to look fit, not gaunt. And if looks like fructose is a major culprit as to why people are gaining weight. Fructose makes you hungry and fat provides the calories.

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Finding the right clinical trial shouldn't have to be this hard. I agree – finding the right clinical trial for cancer is made very difficult using a website designed and maintained by the government. I wouldn't expect lay people to have to depend on it, but they do. This needs to be revamped urgently by smart people.

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18 October 2023

Speaking of diseased, judges in the 10th Circuit now want to mandate aberrant pronoun usage. This is compelled speech.

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Bridge maintenance is now a generational crime. That's if you're an Oregon economist, who'd rather you walked and biked everywhere, or took transit, so you can sit on wet seats next to tweakers. 

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Woman dies of acute pancreatitis while waiting 4 hours in Everett, WA emergency department.  Horrible way to die. I would like to see the facts of this case, but I bet it wouldn't happen if there weren't shortages in hospital staffing.

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17 October 2023

It is spooky, isn't it? Does GPT-4 actually understand the world?  It's getting harder to tell.

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  1. Most of what makes you happy in life has nothing to do with money, and realizing that once you have money can be a painful admission.
  2. What you think is admiration of your success may actually be envy.
  3. The richer you become, the less likely people around you are to tell you when you’re wrong, crazy, mean, or oblivious.
  4. Sometimes what made you successful was worry and anxiety, and you can’t let go of that when you’re rich.
  5. There is no easy way to manage wealth and kids.
  6. Quick wealth is fragile wealth.
  7. Reputations have momentum in both directions because people want to associate with winners and avoid losers.
  8. Expectations can rise faster than income, so a higher income sends expectations spiraling out of control.
  9. No one is going to remember you in 100 years.
So true!
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Economists warn of impacts from Oregon's birth rate decline. It's really the decline in population that is of concern. Not many people want to move to Oregon anymore, especially Portland. Well, you guys wanted diversity in your government. Enjoy it, now.

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16 October 2023

Hillsdale Church is going to be a homeless village. Bet those church-goers never counted on their house of worship turning into something else entirely. This is why I think that organized religion is really there to serve its devotees, not the world at large. When they venture into things like social services, they end up not really helping anyone. They won't meet the needs of those who wanted a quiet place of worship and the community it provides. Instead they'll have to deal with theft, drug use and violence, vandalism and in time, the church will eventually find themselves financially unviable themselves as well.  Stay in your lane, Hillsdale Church.

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Over 70 Families Say They Lost Their Children to False Munchausen by Proxy Allegations Levied by One Doctor. A lot of trust has been lost in the medical profession due to COVID-19 and the vaccines. Now woke doctors sold on the gender-craziness will lead to more loss of respect for medical professionals. This is absolutely nuts, and I share the anger and sorry for these families.

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Another one bites the dust. Claudia's on Hawthorne is closing. It's the usual suspects: crime and taxes. Same as usual.

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Sumo wrestling group was refused a flight on JAL due to weight restrictions. I find it hard to believe that this is a real problem in today's world.

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Ontario is Oregon's most dangerous city?  Get outta here! But here are the ten best places to live in Oregon. According to RoadSnacks, anyway - the website where they says stuff "no one else has the guts to say".

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Oregon and Washington lead the nation!  In fentanyl deaths. Wut?

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Can a Donor Revolt Save American Universities?  You mean it took Hamas to get rich donors to wake up? You guys were OK with everything else? Sheesh.

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Well, the Japanese were ahead of the game on this one. "A.I. Tinder" won't disappoint you. What a sorry society we live in today. But for some people, it may indeed be better than nothing. Pretty soon, it will be "Why bother?"

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Just when you thought humanity couldn't stoop lower. Hawaii vandals are dismantling the early warning siren system for parts. Hawaii can't have nice things anymore.

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But we have official Space Rangers, now. The Space Force was one of the things Trump started.

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15 October 2023

Just got back from the annular eclipse.  La Pine was the best place to be.  The clouds cleared up right at the time of annularity.  I got a great shot.

La Pine is not along the centerline so the moon was not precisely centered. Still, better than no "ring of fire" at all.

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Strike nation!  Now Walgreen's pharmacists might strike. And Rite-Aid is going bankrupt. You loving Biden's economy yet?

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A lot of people are putting their homes up for sale in Multnomah County.  Wonder why?

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14 October 2023

What's the difference between doctors and advanced nurse practitioners? The difference is getting to be small, and the best of nurse practitioners are better than the worst of the doctors. As clinicians become more scarce and as resources diminish, cost-conscious healthcare organizations will increasingly look for nurse practitioners. On the other hand, doctors will be needed but more as researchers and investigators than just care providers. The bar will be raised.

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Even China's birthrate is decreasing. Never seemed to be a problem before. What changed?

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Elon Musk weighs in on anti-Asian discrimination by elite schools. Musk can sway public opinion, so it's good that he's taking up this issue, even if briefly. As always, reactions to what he says are telling.

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Feel the need to bloviate? Words that deserve wider use. Time to expand your vocabulary.

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13 October 2023

Incomes are falling in 17 states. Do you think Oregon is one of them?  Did you really need to click to find out?

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Fragrance that smells like brand new electronics. Yeah, that'll get the babes I wanna be with.

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Male menopause - is it a thing? The symptoms are lack of energy, weight gain (including “man boobs”), sexual difficulties, sleep problems, anxiety, irritability, depression. You don't have to be middle-aged to get these. Sounds kinda bogus to me.

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12 October 2023

No, You Aren’t Getting a Bonus. Your Company Is Just Testing You. 

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That's gonna leave a mark. IRS says Microsoft may owe more than $29 billion in back taxes.  Of course, Microsoft disagrees, and I would bet that other companies use transfer pricing as well. This is probably being watched closely.

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A Low-Income Housing Complex Was Lauded as a Model for Pulling People Out of Homelessness. Three Years Later, Tenants Are Fleeing.  This is why Portland runs out of money. This is low-income housing. No need to get fancy. And sharing stuff with other low-income tenants is always a bad idea.  Check out their common areas:


11 October 2023

No it's not made from the grain. Scientists at Rice university engineered a material can reconnect severed nerves.  I hope this is really something that will make a difference, unlike all those battery breakthrough announcements that don't lead to anything.

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Toyota is developing an ammonia-powered engine. The goal is a carbon emission-free engine, but is it worth the danger and expense?

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Now that X/Twitter is degenerating, some people want blogs to come back. Hey, this ronin is already there.

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Huge kicker refund is still on the table for Oregon taxpayers. The biggest yet. Will it survive Democrat efforts to grab some of that money?

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Don't drive too close to the Tesla in front of you. Maybe it's the front facing camera seeing objects that aren't there.

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When I was young, I heard that being a veterinarian was great, because you could be a doctor, but that it was a lot easier than working on humans. In reality, it's taking a toll. Many are finding that the demands and stress are unbearable.

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10 October 2023

The walls of the budge sinkhole are steeper. How did this happen? The US national debt increased by half a trillion in just 20 days. The GOP run the House now, so it's clear the UniParty is in charge.

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Warp drive - still a ways away. Oh well. Two hundred more years before the 23rd century.

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This is true. With all that surveillance, how did Israel not know? All those eyes to look – but no brains to see.

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Migration into Oregon appears to be slowing. But there are less people ditching Oregon drivers licenses for Washington, California or Idaho, so what's the net? Maybe they're going to other states, like Arizona.

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