Recent posts

#1

Off the Record / Re: The AI dooooooom thread

Last post by DGuller - January 22, 2026, 11:59:17 PM

Indeed.

But replicating every relevant incremental experiment since 2025 in your field is going to become an overwhelming burden on individual researchers very quickly.

Replicating every relevant incremental experiment since the dawn of time up to 2025 would have been an overwhelming burden as well.

There was little need to replicate an experiment previously. That's the whole point of scientific journal publishing.

I guess you haven't heard of replication crisis, which was a big thing years before AI.  Good thing there was little need to replicate experiments, because it turned out most of the time you couldn't.  Humans were very much capable of bullshitting and willful lack of skepticism on their own, especially when academic career was on the line.

[themselves]

#2

Off the Record / Re: US - Greenland Crisis Thre...

Last post by Zanza - January 22, 2026, 11:30:55 PM

But we aren't talking about big European countries defending themselves, we are talking about people like Spaniards, French, and Germans deploying their soldiers to fight Russia. I think it is much more likely they would simply cut a deal. Germany in particular I think would sell out most of Eastern Europe in the blink of an eye, they essentially tried to sell out all of Europe to Russia for 30 straight years until it became unfashionable.

That's an interesting take on the EU expansion eastwards over the last thirty years that was driven by Germany.

#3

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

Last post by Bauer - January 22, 2026, 11:15:36 PM

A lot less proud of Carney after that speech on the Plaine d'Abraham. The RoC remains the same smug ass in denying that it was a conquest followed by 200 years of trying to assimilate us.

Fucking Christ.

I'm not as outraged as Blanchet - well, I am not outraged, but, it's clear we are having a moment of two solitudes again.

But he's not denying it was a conquest, he clearly states so.  The assimilation attempt is glossed over by simpler, less damaging words.  They're still there under the "struggle" umbrella.

But yea, it's anglo history.  Kumbaya and all that.

I'm actually kinda surprised that old battle is sticking point still.  Why even bother bringing it up. 

Yeah us anglos don't know Quebec very well, but I do think there is French influence baked into the Canadian identity ever so subtlety nonetheless.

Our public schools could really use more focus on increasing academics at young ages in my opinion.  I know so many people shocked at how kids don't get homework here.  Better / earlier French is one way of doing that.

#4

Off the Record / Re: ICE, ICE, baby - Immigrati...

Last post by Legbiter - January 22, 2026, 11:12:35 PM

There is no upside to wasting mental bandwidth on US internal issues at this point except in a national security sense. They're not a role model for governance, civic amenities, or culture really. Mentally downgrade them to "Brazilian government decides to employ the military to clear out Venezuelan migrants". You glance at the headline and move on with your life.

#5

Off the Record / Re: ICE, ICE, baby - Immigrati...

Last post by Tonitrus - January 22, 2026, 11:04:28 PM

Sure BUT the ICE agents will only be accountable if their fascist masters ever lose power. So there is that.

When ICE agents start breaking into the wrong peoples' homes and get greeted by a legal shotgun blast to the face, this process will slow down.

It's more than a bit ironic that the NRA death cult boys have claimed for so long that they need guns to protect against just this sort of tyranny, and they are likelier to be behind the mask than in front of it.

I tend to wonder if their thinking is the opposite...that some cynical folks at the top are hoping such a thing will happen in order to give a pretext to escalate.

#6

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

Last post by Grey Fox - January 22, 2026, 11:02:48 PM

One of the few instances where I agree with Blanchet it seems.

#7

Off the Record / Re: ICE, ICE, baby - Immigrati...

Last post by viper37 - January 22, 2026, 10:58:33 PM

Minnesota Elementary School Sends Urgent Message as ICE Sends Flyers Offering Food Support to Families

Just when you think they can't be any scummier.

#8

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

Last post by viper37 - January 22, 2026, 10:57:28 PM

And in other news:

Dear Prime Minister Carney: Please let this Letter serve to represent that the Board of Peace is withdrawing its invitation to you regarding Canada's joining, what will be, the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled, at any time,[\quote]

Carney certainly won't sleep well tonight. 

#9

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

Last post by viper37 - January 22, 2026, 10:56:20 PM

That would be obnoxious by it selft but it's not what he said. He framed the entire situation as if Canadiens of the time chose to be conquered.

« Les plaines d'Abraham symbolisent un champ de bataille, et aussi le lieu où le Canada a commencé à faire le choix historique de privilégier l'adaptation plutôt que l'assimilation, le partenariat plutôt que la domination, la collaboration plutôt que la division. »

Adaptation over assimilation. Fat chance of that, until the quiet revolution assimilation was the objective.

Partnership over domination. Are you kidding me here, Mark? Decades after decades of treating francophones has 2nd class citizens. The federal government put Montreal's mayor in jail for 4 years without a trial, ffs.

Collaboration over division. We're still pretty divided.

That's Blanchet's interpretation and I strongly disagree with this.

That's not what the speech said about the Conquest.  He picked a bad, symbolic spot for sure and his speech was the one of an English Canadian economist who spent times studying international finance, economy, business governance and has been away from the country for years.  Basically, a dude surrounded by Liberals.

Anyway.  I didn't pinch my nose and vote the guy to flatter nationalistic sensibilities.  I voted for the Libs to do exactly what he's been doing: make trade deals to diversify our economy.  I could have done without the repelling of all environmental regulations to please buy Alberta though.

#10

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

Last post by viper37 - January 22, 2026, 10:52:31 PM

A lot less proud of Carney after that speech on the Plaine d'Abraham. The RoC remains the same smug ass in denying that it was a conquest followed by 200 years of trying to assimilate us.

Fucking Christ.

I'm not as outraged as Blanchet - well, I am not outraged, but, it's clear we are having a moment of two solitudes again.

But he's not denying it was a conquest, he clearly states so.  The assimilation attempt is glossed over by simpler, less damaging words.  They're still there under the "struggle" umbrella.

But yea, it's anglo history.  Kumbaya and all that.