Recent posts

#1

Off the Record / Re: The AI dooooooom thread

Last post by viper37 - Today at 11:41:01 PM

Last fall, Nvidia agreed to take a 100 billion$ stake in OpenAI, in exchange for them buying Nvidia chips (mostly).

That would have given OpenAI the cash it needs for about 1.5 years.

Now, Nvidia is reconsidering this investment.

#2

Off the Record / Re: TV/Movies Megathread

Last post by crazy canuck - Today at 11:40:29 PM

In all fairness....nobody would probably go watch a documentary on Biden's wife either. That's the point, I guess, it is such a vanity project.

No, it's a grift project. About 20 or so million of Amazon's payment for the rights goes to Mrs. Trump

I am not sure she cares if anyone actually sees the movie

#3

Off the Record / Re: Dead Pool 2026

Last post by grumbler - Today at 11:21:16 PM

 

#4

Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...

Last post by Syt - Today at 10:48:24 PM

The reporting is pretty thin...the only thing I found said that they empaneled a grand jury to issue an arrest warrant.

I saw an article mention the 1994 FACE act which bans blocking access to abortion clinics and disrupting church services. I guess the question would be how much his reporting disrupted mass.

#5

Off the Record / Re: [Canada] Canadian Politics...

Last post by HVC - Today at 09:36:24 PM

Not from Bauxite too. That's cool shit.

Yeah, it's the more environmentally clean version (in so far as mining and smelting goes) and it'll account for 1/3 of the worlds reserve of such a deposit.

#6

Off the Record / Re: [Canada] Canadian Politics...

Last post by viper37 - Today at 09:35:26 PM

Une procureure et un avocat font tomber un procès d'envergure 

For some reason, I can't get Google to translate the page.  You'll have to use your browser.

I believe I have talked about this case before.  Final nail in the coffin came today, the judge canceled the trial.

The Crown prosecutor had an intimated relationship with one of the defense lawyer and it was discovered that information was exchanged.

According to the judge, the defense lawyer softened his negotiation as to not damage his relationship with his lover, one of the crown prosecutor to the case.

That is some serious misconduct.

She was also accused of impaired driving in 2023, and the police had to lay a siege to heir house.  Pleaded not guilty, was able to get back to work.  Fired from DPCP in November 2025, but this didn't seem to have made news.

Don't know what will happen to the defense lawyer.  I suppose the bar will want to have a chat with both of them following this.

#7

Off the Record / Re: [Canada] Canadian Politics...

Last post by Grey Fox - Today at 09:31:03 PM

Not from Bauxite too. That's cool shit.

#8

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by PRC - Today at 09:29:45 PM

It reads like a Mick Herron plot.

#9

Off the Record / Re: [Canada] Canadian Politics...

Last post by HVC - Today at 08:42:35 PM

49.5 Billion tonnes of Alumina discovered in Saskatchewan .

Trump will no doubt want a cut.

#10

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Sheilbh - Today at 08:01:41 PM

How odious an oligarch is this Lebedev chap?

Honestly not that bad compared to most of the oligarchs who've operated in London (Abramovich, Deripraska, Berezovsky etc).

His dad is the issue really - but he's not a top-tier oligarch. But he was also an early oligarch who did well in the 90s and has lost under Putin.

His dad was KGB economic attache to London in the 80s. He became an oligarch in the 90s, with interests in banking and Russian media - I think a lot of those businesses have since failed (or, more accurately, been allowed to fail and picked apart by other oligarchs). So he's not a billionaire or oligarch with control over any key sectors. But he is still spectacularly rich with properties all over Europe.  He's not, by any stretch of the imagination, an opponent of Putin but he actually did a lot of deals with Gorbachev - so they jointly bought Novaya Gazeta which is one of the more independent bits of the Russian media.

My assumption is he never really left the security services, made a lot of money in the 90s and was on the losing side in the 00s. But got the message from Berezovsky etc to not get political or oppose Putin and, probably, still keep the lines open with old KGB colleagues. He was close to Gorbachev and Yeltsin.

I have a bit more sympathy with Lord Lebedev (Evgeny Lebedev) than most. He grew up and was educated in Britain. He became a British citizen in 2010. It's an open secret he's gay. Basically all his money comes from his dad which is his Russian interest. From what I understand all his actual business interests have been in Western Europe (and he doesn't seem very good at business to be honest). He has media companies, luxury hotels, restaurants, invests in couture houses and some side projects/hobbies like a (very good) pub he co-owns with Ian McKellen. He used to do fund-raisers with Elton John for AIDS, with Anna Wintour and Vogue and that sort of thing. Lots of art collecting and sponsoring of exhibitions.

He also has a reputation for absolutely lavish hospitality - which could be very weird, as he'd pull on his dad's relationships. So he'd have sort of huge, wild costume parties where the guest of honour would be Mikhail Gorbachev or Boris Yeltsin. He's done fundraisers for the Raisa Gorbacheva Foundation too which I think is indicative of the political side him and his father were on. But again I can't help but suspect there's a KGB link to these in terms of getting leverage.

Edit: An example of the hospitality was the launch of the Raisa Gorbacheva Foundation - whee he rented Princess Diana's childhood home for a white tie "Russian Midsummer fantasia" themed party. One attendee remembered seeing Mikhael Gorbachev, Salman Rushdie, Orlando Bloom and Naomi Campbell dancing in a circle.

And on the gay point he is literally bearded and regularly used to have a celebrity "girlfriend" - so Private Eye nicknamed him "Two Beards".