TRUMP TEAM SECURES RELEASE OF US HOSTAGE FROM TALIBAN: Your daily ray of sunshine.
A LITTLE TROUBLE IN BIG CHINA: Hopefully, this drama will keep them occupied for a time. I love the term “propaganda organ.”
FEDERAL JUDGE TANTRUM OF THE DAY: Judge denies effort to reinstate US Institute of Peace board, but criticizes DOGE’s ‘abominable’ treatment of staff. We here at Glibs know from abominable, and that ain’t it.
MONEY-PRINTING MACHINE GO “WHIRR:” You folks thought this was just an in-joke here at Glibs, but apparently other people have noticed. Coverage of this is all over the place from the hysterical, to the condescending, to the “but look, over there, a squirrel.” The most thoughtful, neutral coverage is here. I think the best thing to come out of this will be a public conversation about monetary theory, checks and balances on government spending, etc.
YOUR GOLD-STANDARD, DO-NOTHING FEDERAL AGENCY: Let the hatred flow through you.
YES, I’M A SIZE QUEEN: You may call them SLACers; I call them awesome. For all you pixelheads out there who want to know more about the camera’s awesome 3,200 megapixel goodness.
EU FUNDS DRAG SHOW IN SPACE: For reals, yo. I had fun writing that lede. Still not as good as Banjos’ Florida Man link this morning, but I try.
SPACE ON $5 A DAY: I have long wondered if NASA astronauts received space pay, as Navy sailors receive sea pay, USAF air pay, etc. Finally this question has been answered, and the answer is hilarious. (Link to archive since NYT paywalled. Lede references this.)
READS LIKE SOMETHING WESLEY MOUCH WOULD WRITE: While there are legitimate concerns about Elon Musk having a conflict of interests as both a government official and a government contractor, this shoddy little hit piece doesn’t effectively explore that. It also gets a lot of things wrong. While whining about the Commercial Crew Program and lamenting the government-run Space Shuttle the author mentions SpaceX and Blue Origin. Blue Origin is still in the testing phases of its orbital rocket, having only one uncrewed test flight under its belt so far, and nowhere near launching a crewed mission. Boeing, which the author fails to mention, is also a player (sorta) in the CCP, having made exactly one crewed flight to the ISS with its Starliner capsule, and we all know how that turned out. The author also ignores the whole Commercial Resupply Services program wherein both SpaceX and Orbital Sciences Corp (also unmentioned) conducted uncrewed ISS cargo flights for NASA. There are only so many orbital services providers on the planet, and fewer still with crew capability, yet the author seems to ignore that . Don’t forget to check out the guy’s bio at the end.
Only by the benevolent hand of NASA was Musk and his merry band of acned engineers and pockfaced programmers where they able to succeed.
We’ll see… the CCP does seem to be better at hiding its internal issues than the USSR was — I’ve been hearing tell of their impending collapse (real estate based economy of fake cities and bankruptcies, demographic issues, Xi’s over-centralization) for at least 15 years now… and they still seem to be managing (our shoveling money and pricing ourselves out of the energy markets doubtless helping).
So if the military is fighting a purge… hopefully the people will be safe. I doubt that scenario would lead to a less autocratic rule — just a Different Boss, Same as the Old Boss… so not getting my hopes up. Y’all know my preferred US policy — get manufacturing back. (Vance apparently had a good speech on that the other day.)
SNOW SMITH PERKS UP — KNOWS THAT TONIO MUST WANT VISIT FROM POLAR BEAR TONIGHT.
AND BY VISIT MEAN….
…snowball fight?
Yeah — the public will get right on that after finishing up Vance memes, what T-Swizzle had for breakfast and if she’s going to break up and whatever the botox lip filler TikTok trend is this week.
(In other words — either you’re grossly inflating the percentage of the “public” or I think you’re being rather optimistic there Tonio… sorry…)
You’re saying discussions of reserve banking and monetary policy don’t fit into that?
That’s my impression.
At this point — what isn’t a bloated slush fund abused by employees and cronies alike? (Ok — I think we know from reports some of the FAA activities are still as intended… that’s one [one useful FedGov agency! ah-ah-ah-ah!]
Oh there is plenty in the FAA that would make your head explode
I did say some… 😉
Of that I have no doubt, OBE.
Like…replacing reliable and not at all over capacity copper for buzz worded fiber.
This is where Trump and my new boss (big one at Transportation) are going to fuck up. They are pushing buzzworded fixes and not what we actually need.
Ugh, that’s no bueno OBE. Sorry, bro.
Speaking of…its scheduled but can you poke holes in my article? Pun totally intended
I would have expected Swiss to do that.
I’ll have a squint at your article tomorrow. Thanks for writing for us, and thanks for asking.
Can you squint at my article, as well?
Yes, Cavalier973. You, too.
Huzzah!
Is the squint the new narrowed gaze?
Is the squint the new narrowed gaze?
Sounds like a good topic for an article
Interesting…. with “drag sail” I at first expected it to be a space junk sweeper method. Then the picture made me think “Solar sail experiment” — but it is, after all… a drag chute. One of those “Huh… why haven’t we been doing this all along?” moments… Is the tradeoff for traditional retro thrust a precision issue? That might be why the article mainly talks about it for defunct sat deorbit, not capsule scenarios…
Still… interesting link. Glad you got a thrill with it.
I can see the use in which you can now maximize your fuel without reserving X for deorbit.
Winner, winner, astronaut dinner.
Sort of a reverse spinnaker?
So the run is hot and usually makes your stomach queasy?
I am not looking that up on Urban Dictionary.
They work to better themselves…. though it makes it hard to pay for a date…
Something weird is happening on this page. Linkee no workee.
Working now, maybe. How bizarre.
How bizarre damn i miss the 90s
🙂
I thought it was always “Help is on /Help is on.” That last ‘on’ mighta been an ‘off’ in some of my renditions. (Of a song I really don’t like. It’s still on the local “classic radio” station. Hilariously, that now means music from the 90s and 2000s. Often, it’s pretty damn good. Often, not.
The idea of creating wealth “out of thin air” is a striking metaphor, but it is also indicative of how Musk envisions a new kind of financial economy — one potentially powered by cryptocurrencies and advanced computing technologies.
WTF?
They’re conflating wealth and money would be my guess.
If you are the one getting that stack of bills, it is creating wealth out of thin air. If you are on the receiving end of the inflation it creates, not so much.
Yes, it’s really a transfer of effective wealth.
https://x.com/ScottPresler/status/1902751923628875800
I hope you Lancaster peeps are participating.
Damn Amish.
“Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service”
They are experts! Who could be against mediation and conciliation? Shutting down their slush fund means people will die!
Top. Men.
Look they take the questions to the engineers, they are people persons dammit!
Investors and enthusiasts alike will be watching closely to see if these claims could lead to real-world applications of this technology, or if they remain speculative. The potential role of DOGE in creating new financial systems is becoming increasingly clear.
Musk’s references to money creation and the integration of advanced technology suggest that blockchain and cryptocurrencies could one day move beyond their current use as digital currencies, becoming tools that could transform the financial landscape.
Musk’s comments also highlight the growing shift toward decentralized finance and alternative currencies. By touting DOGE as a tool for financial disruption, Musk is signaling that cryptocurrency could soon play a larger role in the global economy.
But will these “magic money computers” become a reality, or are they just part of Musk’s ongoing efforts to push the boundaries of what’s possible?
Is this some sort of AI gibberish “humor”? I don’t get it.
ps- if you can conjure “money” out of thin air, what is the point of controlling costs? “We’re not broke, we still have checks!”
Modern Money Theory holds that we can’t go bankrupt, because the fed can always put more money in circulation. It’s insanity.
“I’m very offended by how DOGE has operated at the Institute and treated American citizens trying to do a job that they were statutorily tasked to do at the Institute,” District Judge Beryl Howell said.
I’d have busted a liver laughing if one of the attorneys had replied “I don’t really care, Margaret.”
Well problem is, they have been doing extracurricular activities….
When a judge is ranting but still following the law, you let them vent while keeping the quips to yourself.
This.
That link doesn’t work for me.
I was fake-linking in solidarity with Tonio on the same subject. At least that’s my story.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/judge-denies-effort-reinstate-us-institute-peace-board/story?id=119965865
I wasn’t clear, but I was saying that Tonio’s link is SugarFreed (or at least was the last time I tried it).
I just got an email from Amazon saying they’re starting to roll out an option for having an AI voice read your books as audiobooks.
I’m conflicted. The audiobooks have been the lowest selling branch of my options, while requiring the most time inputs from someone other than me. I like having an audiobook option, since I most engage with audiobooks these days, but the one AI narrated book I stumbled onto was awful. No inflection or tempo changes to stress or emphesize textual events. While not the droning one associates with monotone, it was the technical definition, as that fake woman’s voice did not deviate in tone or cadence regardless of what was happening or who was speaking.
Still, I’m curious. So I wonder what the opinion of the Glibertariat is.
Based solely on Youtube recommended videos in the “HFY Reddit Stories” being read by AI apparently… they’re great to fall asleep to.
Not so great if you actually want to pay attention to the plot.
But I’m not really big on audiobooks in general, honestly… You asked, I answered — but I’m probably not your target demographic.
Can it read in the voice of Brian Blessed?
“If it was a public company, it would be delisted immediately,” Musk said of the government. “It would fail its audit, and the officers of the company would be imprisoned.”
Full faith and credit, FTW!
I agree with his principle… but a “public company” that also controlled law enforcement, much less had a stronger military than anything around it — would more likely than not scoff at any such attempts. (DC… what a Company town!)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/03/20/students-rescind-columbia-applications-trump-funding/
Columbia students scramble to rescind applications after Trump’s $400m funding threat
excellent news smithers
I like how the signs in that article were printed by the Workers World Party. Nothing to see there.
My daughter is in the process of choosing where to go for grad school. She says she’s heard of a number of cases where schools have withdrawn their acceptances or have told the applicants that their tuition will not be covered. A couple of schools she applied to have been extremely slow in giving an answer which I suspect is partially due to their uncertainty about grants.
As it happens, my daughter is attending Columbia next year.
Although in the engineering program and not for the liberal arts.
She will not be rescinding nor will any of her connections such as her new roommate.
I suspect this is fake news.
I assume if you are one of the various “studies” programs this might be an issue. But I highly doubt they won’t find plenty of applicants to fill their roster fully.
Congrats to your daughter. I suspect the story is a mix of fake and real. Some students are probably rescinding because of the protests. Grad students get their tuition paid for by grants, so if those are cut off, I can see them rescinding their acceptances if they have been told they have to pay tuition or are worried that they will have to.
Still, I’m curious. So I wonder what the opinion of the Glibertariat is.
I have tripped over a couple of youtubes which must be AI narration. Awful. What you said and worse, like a year being read as “one thousand nine hundred and sixty eight”.
Same.
The question is whether you recognized any good AI. Or did it pass the test.
🤷♂️
Get AI Stephen Fry.
I don’t know what the options are for voices yet.
I have seen shitloads of them. Some are better than others but I can always tell, I think.
Also videos compiled by AI’s. They seem to be the same stories over and over, same scenarios but all aimed at our psychological cues. All emotional manipulation.
I am telling y’all, these AIs are trying to sneak up on us.
I can’t imagine AI doing well on fantasy adventure with dialogue and a cast of thousands. I think you’d have to have a human with some good acting chops.
But, as Bernanke acknowledged, this increase in the money supply can be inflationary. In an extreme situation, the government may be tempted to excessively issue currency to help pay down its debts, inducing the type of hyperinflation Germany endured after World War I, which is commonly attributed as a major cause of the rise of the Nazi Party.
I had to get almost to the end to see a reference to Nazis. Modern journalists are slipping.
You know who else blamed journalists?
Biden?
Richard Nixon?
The Weimar Republic did open the door for Hitler.
Which is a good argument for not recreating Weimar.
Looks like Clemson is going to bust my bracket.
Hah! My perfect bracket died after the very first game of the day.
Phrasing?
d/dt|N_caa\> = Jaime_Bust |N_caa\> ?
Yeah that’s probably going to be all kinds of f-d up. wordpress is racist against quantum humor.
Hey, it’s not like I’m asking for people to poke holes in my article.
I give PETA credit here
That was actually pretty funny. I had the sound turned off though. Was it full of stern lecturing?
No, just bouncy jingle music. The disclaimer at the end is good, too.
That was fucking hilarious. Unintentionally, I presume, but damn. Steppin’ on their own dicks, cuz killin’ animals looks like wholesome family fun!
Well-made. Dad with his Sports page, looking at his spawn with a loving, ‘Daughters will be daughters’ look. The playful guillotining of the mouse, with cheerful blood splatter, was especially inspired.
My car almost ran out of oil today, the most expensive and embarrassing (non-painful) mistake ya can make when driving. Engine started freaking out, whirring, on my way to my appt. Was wise to learn to keep extra oil in the car. Added some and the whirring stopped and I prevented a *different* sort of seizure. Thankfully, I managed to nip that, but only cuz of monstrous luck.
First car was a 1992 Oldsmobile Achieva when I was 16. Bought the car with my own money for $1800, though ‘rents paid insurance. I took Betsy on a date my junior year. Taco Johns. Fuck, I’m classy. (I was blindly naive and had no clue of anything. I still resemble that remark.) Meh, their potato thingies were outstanding. After dropping her off, my first ride seized up right off Washington Ave. That day could have gone waaaay better with that (legit) opera singer, and also a lot more destructive with the car’s death.
Glibflicks is for the weak. That is why TPTB refused to post it.
I wondered what happened.
Years from now, President Barron Trump will unseal the records of this night, and we will all learn why Glib Flicks was not published.
Hopefully hookers and blow are involved.
I’m gonna head out for the night. If it gets posted, I’ll queue it up for later viewing.
Me too. I am so tired. If it doesn’t publish, it can go out next week.
I’m pretty tired too. It’s almost half-past now, so maybe next week will be better?
I’m sure it’s just the WordPress demons casting shade.
I also eagerly await GlibFlicks and tremor at thoughts of Barron. (He’s *tall.* And handsome. And sharp. And way younger than me. None of this does me any good. Regardless. I’m sharper and much handsomer. (He’s still *really* tall. I guess I don’t have to bend the knee as low? Whatever. My eusemenizing language doesn’t work as well on my knees.))
I found it and fished it out.
Thank you. I went on a hunt and couldn’t find it.
Thank you!
If I recall correctly, it was in drafts.
That’s how it starts. First the Movie O’ the Week disappears. I don’t say anything because I don’t watch the movies. Then some commenters seem to not be seen, like where has Tundra gone?. At first no one seemed to notice. Then others were on extended “vacations”.
I am not paranoid, just a little on edge, you know what I mean?