Been taking my Granddaughter on trips (she's been staying with me for a couple months), or really she has been taking me on the trips as a means of her practicing her driving skills. We are early on in this diving thing for her, so I have her drive dirt roads that aren't frequently travelled so she doesn't have to navigate with other drivers and can focus on more of the basics. This is a view as we head to the town of Bogue (pop. 100). We talk a lot on these drives, my general theme of discussion is reminding her that life can be very harsh and that people can be extremely evil (including yourself)...hahah...cheery stuff, ya know? Her teenage naivete is amazing and her upbringing has, left her clueless...seriously clueless. Oh well, I can't fix her 15+ years of indoctrination into the finer points of being a victim, with excuses for all her faults and no measure of personal responsibility. Was I that ignorant at that age? I know, at the very least, I may have been idealistic, but I had some street smarts and really, at least a clue...Mom made sure of that. On the other hand, young minds will surprise you sometimes, when they point out something astute. For example, she was talking about traffic, which she has no clue about the significant amount of time I have spent in bumper to bumper, stop and go traffic, but she pointed out that people complain about traffic and yet they sit there in midst of it..."they are traffic"...hahah!
I call this AI picture, Sir Pickles, and I love how the AI captured a worried look on his face as he looks skyward, in much the same way that I do. Beware the AI y'all, I toy with it but I think it is really toying with me...seriously though! Read "the letter" and see what I mean. Go to the letter site but I took the liberty of copying it as I play the role of the harbinger.
Pause Giant AI Experiments: An Open Letter
We call on all AI labs to immediately pause for at least 6 months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4.
AI systems with human-competitive intelligence can pose profound risks to society and humanity, as shown by extensive research[1] and acknowledged by top AI labs.[2] As stated in the widely-endorsed Asilomar AI Principles, Advanced AI could represent a profound change in the history of life on Earth, and should be planned for and managed with commensurate care and resources. Unfortunately, this level of planning and management is not happening, even though recent months have seen AI labs locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no one – not even their creators – can understand, predict, or reliably control.
Contemporary AI systems are now becoming human-competitive at general tasks,[3] and we must ask ourselves: Should we let machines flood our information channels with propaganda and untruth? Should we automate away all the jobs, including the fulfilling ones? Should we develop nonhuman minds that might eventually outnumber, outsmart, obsolete and replace us? Should we risk loss of control of our civilization? Such decisions must not be delegated to unelected tech leaders. Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable. This confidence must be well justified and increase with the magnitude of a system's potential effects. OpenAI's recent statement regarding artificial general intelligence, states that "At some point, it may be important to get independent review before starting to train future systems, and for the most advanced efforts to agree to limit the rate of growth of compute used for creating new models." We agree. That point is now.
Therefore, we call on all AI labs to immediately pause for at least 6 months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4. This pause should be public and verifiable, and include all key actors. If such a pause cannot be enacted quickly, governments should step in and institute a moratorium.
AI labs and independent experts should use this pause to jointly develop and implement a set of shared safety protocols for advanced AI design and development that are rigorously audited and overseen by independent outside experts. These protocols should ensure that systems adhering to them are safe beyond a reasonable doubt.[4] This does not mean a pause on AI development in general, merely a stepping back from the dangerous race to ever-larger unpredictable black-box models with emergent capabilities.
AI research and development should be refocused on making today's powerful, state-of-the-art systems more accurate, safe, interpretable, transparent, robust, aligned, trustworthy, and loyal.
In parallel, AI developers must work with policymakers to dramatically accelerate development of robust AI governance systems. These should at a minimum include: new and capable regulatory authorities dedicated to AI; oversight and tracking of highly capable AI systems and large pools of computational capability; provenance and watermarking systems to help distinguish real from synthetic and to track model leaks; a robust auditing and certification ecosystem; liability for AI-caused harm; robust public funding for technical AI safety research; and well-resourced institutions for coping with the dramatic economic and political disruptions (especially to democracy) that AI will cause.
Humanity can enjoy a flourishing future with AI. Having succeeded in creating powerful AI systems, we can now enjoy an "AI summer" in which we reap the rewards, engineer these systems for the clear benefit of all, and give society a chance to adapt. Society has hit pause on other technologies with potentially catastrophic effects on society.[5] We can do so here. Let's enjoy a long AI summer, not rush unprepared into a fall.
Don't know if I ever posted a clip of my dog's namesake...beware naming your dog after a demon dog!
Mr. Crowley (stolen from an apparently dead blog, once great, Gorish)...trippy dude, to put it lightly
밤섬해적단 (Bamseom Pirates) via my brother Jeong Sang Ho...these guys fucking slay bro!
The always amazing Creedle...one of many dreams I had of doing (left undone) was of learning the sax, which is featured on this tune called Rabbi Steinman's Happy Hour Frito Boats
Proto-blastbeat???....hmmm
I know I posted these guys playing this song on KEXP at the old blog but this is a new to me version, also on KEXP, but one year later...hahah. Needless to say a huge fan of this tune.
Granddaughter and I wishing all y'all all the love you've got coming to you...for whatever it's worth
AI generated from my "prompts" (there's some weird shit going down as far as AI along with a myriad of other things)...I call it "Life Is Torture (At Least I Have My Dog)"
Remember this one
my prompt on this one was, "realistic color picture of a bloody emaciated tortured man crucified to a tree" begs the question as to the idea that a dark mind lives a dark life
so much wine
I'd rather die painfully now than ever drink again...seriously
added the word "gorey" and AI cuts your dick off
a groovy Dutch "hit"
this time the prompt was "painting in the style of Salvador Dali of a beautiful Basset Hound surrounded by a halo of light"
not a fan but have watched Friends way back when but this actress made millions off playing this song...whatever, but I dig the tune...hahah
last but certainly not least I plan on reviewing this book, but just in case i don't live to see the day that I do it, I want to hype it a bit...this was the last email I sent regarding a review...
Howdy Steve, hope you are doing at least halfway decent...hahah!
Gonna commit to doing a review and was hoping to ask you a couple questions....
Are there some photos we can feature on the blog?
Could we do some kind of interview with Brian...short, long, whatever y'all have time for?
How did this project get on your radar?
I can really relate to the period between 85 when I started going to shows myself and about 98 when my life was crumbling...bands like Killdozer and Husker Du were a substantial part of what I listened to during that period...
anyway...thanx again for hitting me up!
anyway...from the press release...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DiWulf Publishing House is proud to present the new book from photographer Brian D. Garrity. An intense collection of vivid concert and portrait photography, Pushed Beyond All Reasonable Limits: The Music Photography of Brian D. Garrity showcases decades of Brian’s work, which has appeared in such publications as Rolling Stone, Spin, and Alternative Press. It harkens back to a time when photojournalists often found themselves embedded with an artist during a tour. Indeed, many of Brian’s shots are candid, intimate portraits, while others fully translate the intensity of the live setting. From sweaty basement shows with Husker Du to the tours and festivals like Lollapalooza, Ozzfest, and the Vans Warped Tour that dominated the ‘90s, Brian’s camera captured a time and a method that is in danger of being lost to history.
The roster of artists Brian shot over the years is extensive and impressive. Pushed contains incredible shots of Nirvana. Radiohead. Marilyn Manson. Garbage. Rancid. Offspring. Rollins. Luscious Jackson. Jesus Lizard. Ice Cube. Lunachicks. The Cows. Soul Asylum. Limp Bizkit. The Breeders. Alien Sex Fiend. My Bloody Valentine. Bad Brains. My Life With Thrill Kill Cult. Deftones. Linkin Park. PJ Harvey. The John Spencer Blues Explosion. Afghan Whigs. The Dandy Warhols. The Melvins. Mudhoney. Superchunk. Robyn Hitchcock. Ride. Pigface. Girls Against Boys. Good Charlotte. Goldy. Butthole Surfers. Naked Raygun. Lush. Beck. Red Hot Chili Peppers. Sonic Youth. So many groundbreaking artists that went on to leave legacies that defined an era, with many of the photos also capturing storied venues like the famed 7th Street Entry.
As Brian tells it: “I’d done a residence in a punk rock party house near the Minneapolis College of Art and Design campus known as “Last House on the Left” where the bands Loud Fast Rules (later Soul Asylum), and Hüsker Dü practiced in the basement. This led to a growing number of gigs, starting mostly local, but increasingly including national acts.” And he didn’t limit his scope to just the performers: “The audience was often more intriguing than the performers. I frequently found myself turning the lens on them. This wasn’t borne out of the spectacle so much as my background interest in portraiture.”
The journey is chronicled through Brian’s lens and words. Some gear talk, with Brian describing his methods and equipment. The retrospective is enhanced by the eclecticism of its subjects and environments. The photographer’s ascension is witnessed as the images mount. The work speaks for itself and constructs an important time capsule. Slated for a September 4th release date, Pushed Beyond All Reasonable Limits is available for pre-order now at Diwulf.com.
The last night of the Waxing Gibbous Moon, driving on 390th road looking southeast towards the sprawling metropolis of Damar in wonderous NoWhere, Kansas. Been marveling at the heavens recently, trying to see the bigger picture. Stumbled across the NASA site Space Place which is made for kiddos, but I enjoyed checking it out and learning a bit. The saying goes something like, you're never too old to learn but why do we as human being have a tendency to make the same mistakes over and over again (speaking of myself mostly)?
Cab Calloway, during the heyday of reefer madness, didn't give two fucks...
"Reefer Madness (originally made as Tell Your Children and sometimes titled The Burning Question, Dope Addict, Doped Youth, and Love Madness)." - Wikipedia
Despite my recent effort to make good positive choices, I still wonder at the fruitlessness of our self-destructive existence on this sad planet. Like Samuel L. Jackson said in the flick Pulp Fiction, "I'm trying Ringo, I'm trying real hard..." Dive, really nails it in this live performance...
Been a into VWs my entire life thanks to my Mom and her affinity for them. She told me that when I was born she was driving a mid-60s squareback until she bought a 1973 bug, brand new. I can't tell you how many places we drove in that thing. This customized bug is absolutely amazing to me and I'm not really even a car guy, necessarily.
Danbert Nobacon! Wonderful brief video interview with a person who has been there since the beginning. Hopefully more from him as I sent him a message to see about a brief written interview...fingers crossed, but I doubt he has time for the likes of RdM and perhaps doesn't even like the vibe of the blog. We shall see...I gotta stop checking my email in anticipation of getting a reply...hahah.
Yet another picture of Mr. Pickles doing one of his favorite things...riding fucking shotgun in my truck.
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