REALITYCHEX.COM - Constant Comments - The Conversation -- March 31, 2024

The Ledes

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

New York Times: “A gunman armed with an AR-15-style rifle walked into a Midtown Manhattan skyscraper Monday evening and began firing, killing a New York City police officer, fatally shooting three other people and critically wounding a fifth person before killing himself, officials said. The slain officer was identified as Didarul Islam, 36, who had been assigned to a Bronx precinct. He had been with the department for three and a half years and was working at the building, at 345 Park Avenue, in a private security role, officials said at a news conference.... The gunman burst through the lobby of the building in Midtown, which is owned by Rudin Management and houses offices for the N.F.L. and the investment giant Blackstone, at about 6:28 p.m., [Police Commissioner Jessica] Tisch said. He shot Officer Islam first, then struck two people and a security guard in the lobby. The gunman allowed one woman to go unharmed as she exited an elevator, before he rode it to the 33rd floor, where he killed one more person. Some workers fled the 44-story building onto the already harried streets of Midtown during rush hour, as others were trapped in their offices for at least two hours.... Ms. Tisch identified the gunman as Shane Devon Tamura, 27, of Las Vegas[, Nevada].” At 1:45 am ET, this is the pinned item in a liveblog. ~~~

~~~ Here are today's updates: “A gunman who killed four people in a Midtown Manhattan office building on Monday was carrying a note that criticized the National Football League and claimed he had a degenerative brain disease as a result of playing the sport. Investigators on Tuesday began assembling a detailed picture of the gunman’s life in recent years and the cross-country drive he took before Monday’s shooting, and were focusing on the idea that he burst into the building with the intention of targeting the N.F.L.’s headquarters at the tower, 345 Park Avenue.”

AP: “A gunman opened fire Monday outside the largest casino in Reno, Nevada, killing three people and wounding three others before police shot the suspect and arrested him, officials said. The suspect had no known connection to the victims, and it was unclear if he was a guest or an employee at the Grand Sierra Resort, one of Reno’s most prominent venues.... Near the California border and just northeast of Lake Tahoe, the town is a popular summer tourist destination.”

The Ledes

Monday, July 28, 2025

New York Times: “A man armed with a folding knife who went on a random stabbing spree that left 11 people injured at a Michigan Walmart faces a charge of terrorism in connection with the attack, the authorities said on Sunday. The man, Bradford James Gille, 42, of Afton, Mich., also faces 11 counts of assault with intent to murder, Sheriff Mike Shea of Grand Traverse County said at a news conference on Sunday. Though officials said a motive for the attack remained undetermined, they are seeking to charge Mr. Gille with terrorism. Such a charge is customary in a mass attack like the one on Saturday because its intent was believed to be to bring fear and destruction to a community as a whole, rather than to harm specific individuals, Noelle R. Moeggenberg, the prosecuting attorney for Grand Traverse County, said.... The sheriff noted that 'multiple citizens, including one who was armed with a pistol,' confronted Mr. Gille in the parking lot, 'preventing him from harming further people and leaving.'”

The Wires

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Hubris. One would think that a married man smart enough to start up and operate his own tech company was also smart enough to know that you don't take your girlfriend to a public concert where the equipment includes a jumbotron -- unless you want to get caught on the big camera with your arms around said girlfriend. Ah, but for Andy Bryon, CEO of A company called Astronomer, and also maybe his wife, Wednesday was a night that will live in infamy. New York Times link. ~~~

New York Times: “The New York Times Company has agreed to license its editorial content to Amazon for use in the tech giant’s artificial intelligence platforms, the company said on Thursday. The multiyear agreement 'will bring Times editorial content to a variety of Amazon customer experiences,' the news organization said in a statement. Besides news articles, the agreement encompasses material from NYT Cooking, The Times’s food and recipe site, and The Athletic, which focuses on sports. This is The Times’s first licensing arrangement with a focus on generative A.I. technology. In 2023, The Times sued OpenAI and its partner, Microsoft, for copyright infringement, accusing the tech companies of using millions of articles published by The Times to train automated chatbots without any kind of compensation. OpenAI and Microsoft have rejected those accusations.” ~~~

~~~ Marie: I have no idea what this means for "the Amazon customer experience." Does it mean that if I don't have a NYT subscription but do have Amazon Prime I can read NYT content? And where, exactly, would I find that content? I don't know. I don't know.

Washington Post reporters asked three AI image generators what a beautiful woman looks like. "The Post found that they steer users toward a startlingly narrow vision of attractiveness. Prompted to show a 'beautiful woman,' all three tools generated thin women, without exception.... Her body looks like Barbie — slim hips, impossible waist, round breasts.... Just 2 percent of the images showed visible signs of aging. More than a third of the images had medium skin tones. But only nine percent had dark skin tones. Asked to show 'normal women,' the tools produced images that remained overwhelmingly thin.... However bias originates, The Post’s analysis found that popular image tools struggle to render realistic images of women outside the Western ideal." ~~~

~~~ Marie: The reporters seem to think they are calling out the AI programs for being unrealistic. But there's a lot about the "beautiful women" images they miss. I find these omissions remarkably sexist. For one thing, the reporters seem to think AI is a magical "thing" that self-generates. It isn't. It's programmed. It's programmed by boys, many of them incels who have little or no experience or insights beyond comic books and Internet porn of how to gauge female "beauty." As a result, the AI-generated women look like cartoons; that is, a lot like an air-brushed photo of Kristi Noem: globs of every kind of dark eye makeup, Scandinavian nose, Botox lips, slathered-on skin concealer/toner/etc. makeup, long dark hair and the aforementioned impossible Barbie body shape, including huge, round plastic breasts.

New York Times: “George Clooney’s Broadway debut, 'Good Night, and Good Luck,' has been one of the sensations of the 2024-25 theater season, breaking box office records and drawing packed houses of audiences eager to see the popular movie star in a timely drama about the importance of an independent press. Now the play will become much more widely available: CNN is planning a live broadcast of the penultimate performance, on June 7 at 7 p.m. Eastern. The performance will be preceded and followed by coverage of, and discussion about, the show and the state of journalism.”

Page Links

Sunday

Mar312024

The Conversation -- March 31, 2024

Say, here's an Easter surprise: ~~~

~~~ Donald Trump Doesn't Care about Jesus. Nick Robertson of the Hill: "President Biden and former President Trump shared starkly different Easter messages Sunday. Biden marked the holy day with a solemn message, while Trump lashed out at political opponents in an all-caps post on Truth Social. Trump went after the prosecutors organizing criminal cases against him, reiterating claims that federal special counsel Jack Smith is 'deranged,' calling Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg 'lazy' and lashing out against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. The former president also hurled insults at the Department of Justice and 'crooked Joe,' in reference to the president. Biden, a devout Catholic, marked Easter with reminders of the story of Jesus's sacrifice and with blessings. 'Jill and I send our warmest wishes to Christians around the world celebrating Easter Sunday. Easter reminds us of the power of hope and the promise of Christ's Resurrection,' the president said." ~~~

~~~ Marie: For Christians, Easter is the highest holy day of the year. It's a reverential celebration of the miracle of resurrection. For Trump, it's just another day of vicious attacks.

~~~~~~~~~~

Transgender Day of Visibility. Samantha Waldenberg of CNN: "Republicans are taking aim at President Joe Biden for proclaiming Easter Sunday as the Transgender Day of Visibility, though the two days only coincided this year by chance. The Transgender Day of Visibility, which was started in 2009 as a day of awareness to celebrate the successes of transgender and gender-nonconforming people, is held annually on March 31. The date of Easter, meanwhile, changes from year to year.... 'It is appalling and insulting that Joe Biden's White House ... formally proclaimed Easter Sunday as "Trans Day of Visibility,"' ... Donald Trump's campaign said in a statement. House Speaker Mike Johnson said the Biden administration had 'betrayed the central tenet of Easter' in a post on X.... White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement Saturday, 'As a Christian who celebrates Easter with family, President Biden stands for bringing people together and upholding the dignity and freedoms of every American.... Sadly, it's unsurprising politicians are seeking to divide and weaken our country with cruel, hateful, and dishonest rhetoric. President Biden will never abuse his faith for political purposes or for profit,' Bates said." ~~~

~~~ A Bible Story for Bible Mike. Marie: One of the better-known New Testament stories (though admittedly Trump may not have heard of it) is the miracle of Jesus' healing the Roman centurion's slave (Matthew 8:5-13, Luke 7:1-10). Most Christians interpret the story as evidence of Jesus' ability to heal at a distance. But most Bible stories, including this one, teach more than one lesson. This one is about inclusion as much as it is about another miraculous healing. The centurion's beloved slave -- a young man -- was likely a sex slave, historians say, and the people who observed the miracle would have known that. So not precisely trans, as far as we know, but not straight, either. In Matthew's telling, Jesus praised the soldier for his faith and said of the Bible Mikes who would criticize him, they "will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Maureen Dowd of the New York Times: "Donald Trump is presenting himself as the Man on the Cross, tortured for our sins.... In January, he put up a video on Truth Social about how he is a messenger from God, 'a shepherd to mankind.'... More and more, Trump is wallowing in his Messiah complex... Weaponizing his martyrdom, Trump is selling $59.99 'God Bless the USA' Bibles.... Just what the world needs: a soul cleanse with a grifter Bible, where the profits could well be going to pay legal costs in trials about breaking commandments -- bearing false witness to try to steal democracy, coveting a porn star, then paying the star hush money to keep quiet about the sex." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Marie: Trump has read neither the Bible nor the U.S. Constitution, which is packaged inside the Trump Bible. Slapping the Constitution in among a series of religious tracts is rather odd, only partly because Trump plans to undo or at least ignore it. The Constitution is such a secular document that it not only guarantees that the Congress will establish no religion, it does not otherwise mention religion. It does not mention God (or Christianity) at all. In fact, the U.S. Constitution stands in stark opposition to Old World governments of the day which centered on God-anointed, heredity monarchs imbued with the "divine right of kings." The Founders came from countries where top-down governance was the rule, yet they claimed in their preamble that "We the People" were the ultimate governors here.

** Nate White, a British writer, explains why the British don't like Donald Trump. For starters, "Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem. For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace -- all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed. So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump's limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief." Read on. Many thanks to Gonzo for the link. A much better holiday gift than a package of Peeps.

Joyce Vance, on Substack, on Trump's sharing an image of President Biden bound and gagged: "It's time for the people with authority ... to deal with [Trump].... It's time to stop letting him break the rules.... It's unthinkable, unconscionable for a former president to even intimate that violence against the current president is acceptable.... No one is saying Trump can't campaign or that he can't criticize Biden. What he can't do is suggest he should be kidnapped, knocked out, and bound in the back of a pickup truck.... So, where is the Secret Service? I hope they had a serious talk with the former president this afternoon. But his post is still up on Truth Social, which suggests that either they didn't or that, if they did, he didn't take it very seriously. Either way, that means something more is required."

A Globe-Trotting Trumpy Traitor. Beth Reinhard, et al., of the Washington Post (March 28): Richard Grenell, a former Trump administration "diplomat," "has carved out ... an extraordinary role ... in the three years since Trump left the White House. From Central America to Eastern Europe and beyond, Grenell has been acting as a kind of shadow secretary of state, meeting with far-right leaders and movements, pledging Trump's support and, at times, working against the current administration's policies.... Grenell's globe-trotting has sparked deep concern among career national security officials and diplomats, who warn that he emboldens bad actors and jeopardizes U.S. interests in service of Trump's personal agenda. In the process, Grenell is openly charting a foreign policy road map for a Republican presidential nominee who has found common cause with authoritarian leaders and threatened to blow up partnerships with democratic allies.... Grenell is in regular contact with the former president and his family, though it's unclear when or if he's acting on Trump's directions." (Also linked yesterday.)

Presidential Race. Tara Suter of the Hill:"Former Trump Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Friday said he is not voting for his old boss but left the door open to voting for President Biden. 'I'm not there yet,' Esper said after being asked by comedian Bill Maher on his HBO show, 'Real Time with Bill Maher,' if he would vote for the current president. 'I'm definitely not voting for [former President Trump]....'"

Presidential Election 2000. If you're old enough to remember the 2000 presidential election, you probably don't need this reminder: ~~~

Nate Cohn of the New York Times: Al "Gore would have won Florida, and therefore the presidency, if it weren't for the infamous 'butterfly ballot' in Palm Beach County.... After the election, many voters from Palm Beach claimed they had inadvertently voted for Mr. Buchanan when they meant to vote for Mr. Gore. This is clear in the data. Mr. Buchanan fared far better in Palm Beach County than he did on the other side of the county line. Indeed, Mr. Buchanan fared far better in Palm Beach County than any politically or demographically comparable area in the country. Mr. Buchanan also fared much better among Election Day voters -- who used the butterfly ballot -- than among absentee voters, who did not, a pattern not seen elsewhere in the state.... At least 2,000 voters who meant to vote for Gore-Lieberman ended up voting for Mr. Buchanan. All else being equal, that would have been enough to decide the election." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Marie: Cohn's written description of the butterfly ballot is even more confusing than the ballot itself. There are some images of the ballot in this Smithsonian Magazine article.

Melissa Burke of the Detroit News: "Michigan U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg suggested that nuclear weapons should be dropped on Gaza, which his office said was a metaphor to 'support Israel's swift elimination of Hamas.' 'It should be like Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Get it over quick,' Walberg says in a video circulating on social media.... Walberg, a Republican from Lenawee County, also is heard in the video speaking out against humanitarian aid for those in the Gaza Strip.... 'We shouldn't be spending a dime on humanitarian aid,' Walberg said." MB: Yes, there's something definitely wrong with people like Walberg, yet Americans keep electing them to public office.

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Maryland. Peter Hermann & Danny Nguyen of the Washington Post: "Workers began clearing wreckage of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge on Saturday, officials said, with crews cutting massive steel trusses and hoisting them onto barges, part of what will be a long, complicated and dangerous effort to clear the vital shipping channel serving the Port of Baltimore."

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I know “I agree” posts are frowned upon, but yeah, what Joyce Vance wrote.

March 31, 2024 |

NiskyGuy

@NiskyGuy: Me too. And, while they're at it, I think the Secret Service should get the license plate of that truck off Trump's video and haul in the owner.

March 31, 2024 |

Marie Burns

David French in The New York Times
"It is fitting that the biggest movie in the world this year is the story of a messiah gone wrong....
The “Dune” movies present a beautifully shot, marvelously acted, fantastical tale set in a distant future, but they’re very much grounded in the dark reality of human nature here and now. When people are angry and afraid, they will look for a savior. When that anger and fear is latched to faith and prophecy, they will yearn for a religious crusade....
There’s a version of this same story playing out in the United States, but because the anger and fear are so overwrought, the prophecies so silly, and the savior so patently absurd, we may be missing the religious and cultural significance of the moment. A significant part of American Christianity is spiraling out of control.
The MAGA method is clear. First, it whips up its people into a religious frenzy. It lies to convince them that the Democrats are an existential threat to the country and the church. It tells worried Christians that the fate of the nation is at stake. Then, just as it builds up the danger from the Democrats, it constructs an idol of Trump, declaring his divine purpose and spreading the prophecies of his coming return. He is to be the instrument of divine vengeance against his foes, and his frenzied foot soldiers are eager to carry out his will. They march eagerly to culture war, flying the flag of the House of Trump."
Trump Is No Savior

March 31, 2024 |

laura hunter

Easter indoctrination

March 31, 2024 |

RAS

Nancy Thompson of Mothers Against Greg Abbott linked to this clip of the extremist group True Texas Project calling for prison or execution of women (and children!) who obtain abortions (and their providers).

goals of the forced birth movement

March 31, 2024 |

laura hunter

@laura hunter: What? You mean there's a MAGA movement I wouldn't mind joining?

March 31, 2024 |

Marie Burns

Laura, David French starts as he always does from the premise that religion is a wonderful thing that has been bastardized by Trump rather than an authoritarian grift that has been exposed by Fatty. The following is from my reply to him this morning that probably won't be published:

"Ask any Christian if he or she believes that religion should be a democracy. How can the answer be yes when all the answers to the world's problems are in a book that was written when the wisest people on the planet were absolutely sure that the Earth (and by extension each of its residents) was the absolute center of the universe, with the rings of Heaven and Purgatory close by overhead where one's ancestors could look on?"

March 31, 2024 |

Jack Mahoney

Marie -
Absolutely! Nancy jokingly refers to her organization as MAGA the good.

Jack -
I'll look for your comment today.

My father thought the Methodist church he and my mother attended became way too liberal with anti-war and civil rights messaging - the DEI indoctrination of the early 1960s, i guess - and stopped attending any church so that is where my religious training ended.

Easter - a day to enjoy a long brunch and chocolate bunnies.

March 31, 2024 |

laura hunter

Is it possible that the Right's outrage over transgender recognition day has anything to do with questions that have swirled for centuries about Jesus' sexuality?

Naw, not a chance.

March 31, 2024 |

Ken Winkes

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