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The challenge:

Control a TV or other IR device via a non-circuit based device powered by a candle for IR source. Batteries not allowed.

You can use a candle, paper, cardboard, plastic, lenses, aluminum cans etc. All hand made unpowered and rudimentary materials allowed.

You may obtain the ir message by any means including a detector, DAC, etc system. But once you have your code, those devices cannot be used.

OK you read the headline.

Imagine if Caliber had an AI tool that trained itself on all its books such that a user could ask a question regarding those specific books. And then extrapolate. Imagine if anyone anywhere could then ask questions to your local AI and get answers without actually sharing your books.

Right now I host my own Caliber server but I don't even know if I can search a term and get a particular book that contains thar term. I think it can search the title and metadata. I'm probably wrong. But the point is that it could be so much more. And it could circumvent the copyright laws that have always held back knowledge.

Like maybe my car broke down and I could ask IA why and how to fix it. Then it would start asking for the make and model and what sort of sounds it made. It would then search forums, our books and formulate an answer composed in the form of a book specifically written for me about my car's particular problem and how to solve it. Maybe better just a speech that you could listen to while fixing the car step by step...."now look a little to the left and you'll find a large box with 3 screws...."

It would be awesome to have that locally for my books and have access to everyone else's knowledge in books too.

Google is not entitled to my personal banking information or any other PII! WTF if I go to a store and want to buy I will.

C'mon Republicans...tell us who can go in grayhound bus restrooms please.

It has good texture that resembles meat. Is it actually lab grown meat? Is it mushrooms? Is it some kind of vegetable gelatine glued mushroom vegetable mix? It's by far the closets thing yo meat. I love mushrooms though, its my new vegan growth stepping stone.

Which cut line is correct? Don't know, both sides are screwed twisted beyond belief. This is the start cut, the first 2.5" inches are for kid's projects.... Another chance at loosing a finger or two. The worse part is that these were the best picks of the day. Every other 2X6 (1.5x5.5 for the non-retarded among us) were worse splintered, bent, twisted. They need to dry the wood slowly in a well spaced stack. I wouldn't wish any of this wood on anyone for anything.

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/63424412

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/28652528

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/29114735

Summary courtesy of CantStopPoppin:

On February 1, 2025, a disturbing campaign of surveillance began targeting a Spokane family. According to firsthand accounts, ICE agents started shadowing the family nearly two months before the dramatic incident. In a calculated move, one of the agents even pretended to hit the family’s parked car. This staged accident was designed to give them a pretext to detain the husband on the spot while investigators “looked him up” as part of their covert operation.

Then, on April 30, 2025, the situation escalated dramatically. ICE agents arrived at the Diaz home without a warrant and refused to properly identify themselves. In the ensuing chaos, Martin R. Diaz—a devoted business owner, long-time U.S. resident of over 33 years with no connection to any gangs—was brutally tackled and restrained right outside his home. Witnesses report that this aggressive intervention was the culmination of a meticulously planned operation that had been in motion for weeks.

After the violent confrontation, Diaz was swiftly transported to a high-security facility in Northern Idaho, a detention center known for hosting individuals with links to extremist groups, including members of the Proud Boys. The combination of prolonged stalking, deceptive tactics, and forceful detention has raised significant questions about ICE's methods and the apparent disregard for due process.

A TikTok video capturing parts of these unsettling events has gained widespread attention for showing the shocking tactics employed by the agents. You can view the TikTok coverage here.

For a detailed report and further analysis of this case, including interviews with community members and legal experts, please read the in-depth coverage by KREM here.

https://www.tiktok.com/@kendall.diaz6/video/7499238185369734430

This incident has ignited fierce debate among civil rights advocates, community leaders, and legal experts, as many call for a thorough investigation into ICE's practices. As the community seeks answers and accountability, this case serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences when law enforcement agencies overstep established legal boundaries.

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We were promised a technological future with ways to search for things of interest, find out how to get to places on a map, etc. Instead the government can now track us in our daily lives anywhere and everywhere we go 24/7. That would be great in a world where the government is of the people, by the people and for the people. However in reality they want to find us and send us to el Salvador. WTF!

Until things change, I am not buying a single electronic device. Not an iPad or a TV or an empty-tree player. This is ridiculous. And now we can't even know anything because all news is coming from the Murdocks and they just killed off NPR and PBS. This is how the bad part of the story starts.

See you all in a fire pit somewhere!

When do ripped jeans stop being fashionable?

Here's something my cousin AI told me:

Ah, a classic brain stretcher—let’s do the math and find out how long it would take to count to the U.S. national debt. First, let’s grab some numbers.

Step 1: What's the current U.S. national debt?

As of early 2025, it's roughly $34 trillion (that’s 34,000,000,000,000).

Step 2: How long does it take to say a number?

On average, it takes about 1 second to say a small number, but that time increases as numbers get longer (e.g., saying “two” is fast; saying “thirty-four trillion, seven hundred twenty-eight billion…” is a mouthful). But for a rough estimate, let’s just say 1 number per second.

Step 3: Do the math

34,000,000,000,000 numbers × 1 second per number =
34 trillion seconds

Convert that to years: 34,000,000,000,000 ÷ (60 × 60 × 24 × 365.25) ≈
1,078,000,000 years — over a billion years to count it all out.

So, if you started at 0 when the dinosaurs roamed Earth, you’d still be counting right now, and you’d still have a long way to go.

Want me to start with “one… two…” for old times' sake?