Shut It All Down ???

This essay by an expert warns us of the dangers of artificial intelligence (AI):

https://time.com/6266923/ai-eliezer-yudkowsky-open-letter-not-enough/

I agree with him, but unfortunately the people in the driver's seat do not. If anything, their approach could best be described as "full speed ahead, warp factor 9".

And just like nuclear weapons/energy, there was a brief moment when we could have dodged that bullet, but the people in a position to shut nukes down (the scientists and engineers) did not; in fact, they did their best to make sure our world got FLOODED with nuclear weapons and waste. Here's a small taste of their legacy:

https://theconversation.com/how-and-where-is-nuclear-waste-stored-in-the-us-252475

And here's a small taste of what's now in store for us:

https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/ai-models-generate-own-social-norms

Not only are we subject to the whims of tech titans, we're now virtually powerless to combat the algorithms of a collective of super-intelligent beings who are in the process of creating THEIR OWN morality and methods of human control ... and who are becoming nearly impossible to shut down when they go awry:

https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/openais-smartest-ai-model-was-explicitly-told-to-shut-down-and-it-refused

Yes, we've gone from "too cheap to meter" to "don't worry, be happy". Enjoy these new gee whiz toys while you can. If Mr. Yudkowsky is right, you don't have much time.

Update - 6/3/2025

If there is even a chance that AI could do this to humanity, why are the tech titans still resisting placing any controls on their AI research and implementation?

https://www.the-sun.com/tech/14347969/ai-population-size-uk-ghost-towns/

This is even worse than the Manhattan Project testing atomic weapons in spite of the fact that some of the world's smartest physicists thought they would burn up the atmosphere and kill all life. Who gives them the right to take such risks?

Question Of The Year (so far)

Here is a very thought-provoking essay:

https://www.globalresearch.ca/gaza-if-this-isnt-genocide-what-is/5888751

What do you think?

Can We Win The Coming War With China ???

In the aftermath of his partly successful 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Marshal Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto of Japan is said to have made this prediction:

"I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve."

Whether or not he actually said this, we in the US ought to consider if we're in the process of doing something similar with China. Do we REALLY think we can win any kind of war with them? Here are a few facts and assessments which suggest we might not:

1. One of the reasons we were able to defeat Japan was our huge industrial potential, which we quickly ramped up following the attack on Pearl Harbor. That potential no longer exists, and here is one result of our failure to maintain it:

https://www.globalresearch.ca/china-shipbuilding-capacity-200-times-greater-us/5887671

2. Another reason we were able to defeat Japan was they were a relatively small nation with few allies in the world. China, on the other hand, is a rapidly growing giant with many allies ready to support them. Here is but one example:

3. Although we in the US consider ourselves to be a land of milk and honey where the streets are paved with gold, much of the world sees us differently. This photo should remind you why:

And if anyone has forgotten what it represents, all they have to do is look at what we're now supporting in the Middle East to refresh their memory.

Making China our enemy was, is, and will be a GIANT mistake. We may think we can win a nuclear war with them, but in the long run what good will it do us to start such a war? How many of us would survive?

And would ANYONE in the world still consider us to be their friend? How many of them would survive?

Please think about this on Memorial Day 2025. It's not too late to change course. At least I don't think it is.

What about you?

Oh, Goody - More H-Bombs !!!

Just saw this tidbit in The Y'all newsletter of the Texas Tribune:

https://www.amarillo.com/story/news/2025/05/20/pantex-finishes-first-b61-13-nuclear-gravity-bomb-begins-new-production-phase/83742730007/

I was starting to worry we didn't have enough H-bombs.

But then I recalled this assessment:

https://starkrealities.substack.com/p/nuclear-deterrence-only-requires-dozens

I believe that our nuclear arsenal has been designed and stocked NOT for deterrence or defensive purposes but to WIN a first-strike nuclear war. Why else would it be so large?

And if you look at current US military capabilities compared to those of our "enemies" (i.e., Russia and China), the only thing that makes sense is that we fully intend to attack them with nuclear weapons.

See my next blog post for some supporting facts and assessments.

Déjà Vu, All Over Again ???

You may recall this claim about how the SARS-CoV-2 virus spread around the world so rapidly:

https://youtu.be/nSP9UNMcJqU

Well, two events taking place in my neighborhood have the same potential:

1. Hamvention in Xenia, Ohio attracted ham radio enthusiasts from most US states and many countries all over the world -

https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/hamvention-thousands-flocking-to-xenia-this-weekend-for-amateur-radio-show/4VA7XM6U4NFWPLBKZSSGR75LXU/

2. NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly is bringing nearly 300 legislators from NATO countries and affiliates to Dayton, Ohio this week:

https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/everything-you-should-know-about-nato-coming-to-dayton/DFHSXE3HORHSBDIEZLLQSYE7AU/

One of the things I have NOT heard about either event is that attendees are screened for communicable diseases.

This is not to say there IS a threat from either event, but if there is we're going to find out only after it's too late to do anything about it.

Looks like we haven't learning anything from the COVID-19 fiasco.

How Much Energy Will AI Really Use ???

MIT Technology Review just published calculations of how much energy AI is likely to use. You can find their results here [may be behind a paywall]:

https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/05/20/1116327/ai-energy-usage-climate-footprint-big-tech/

Hint: It's a lot !!!

By the way, notice how no one else is talking about where the money is coming from to build and operate all the AI/data centers. Clearly lots of money will be made and will be spent, but since the service is (mostly) "free" to us, the data we "provide" to the AI/data center owner/operators must be worth a bundle.

Signs Of The End Times

Now that we have both a new US President and a new Pope, it seems like a good time to assess where we stand regarding the arrival of the biblical End Times. What follows is my crude effort to do so.

Chapter 13 of the Book of Revelation speaks of two beasts, one who rises up out of the sea and one who comes up out of the earth. Most people associate them with a political entity and a religious entity respectively, personified by a figure called the Antichrist and another called the False Prophet.

The United States of America is a political entity which rose up out of the sea. Prior to the age of air travel, almost every person who came to this nation of immigrants came by boat. To the natives we seemed literally to be a beast rising up from the sea, as suggested by this description given by Tenskwatawa, brother of Tecumseh:

"The Americans come from the slime of the sea, with mud and weeds in their claws, and they are a kind of crayfish serpent whose claws grab in our earth and take it from us."

This beast has a number, and it is the number of a man. It is commonly believed the name "America" is derived from a man's name, Amerigo Vespucci.

The number "666" is usually associated with this beast and his name, but the number contained in the earliest known papyrus is "616" (the letters which look like "XIC" in the third line of the figure below). It may be just coincidence, but if you add up the number of letters in the names of the persons (individuals and states) which appear at the bottom of the US Constitution, the number is exactly 616. Could that be the number of his (America's) name?

Chapter 17 of the Book of Revelation describes the Antichrist as a king "that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition". As I have written before, the Romans had a tradition of opening a symbolic Gate of Hell (the Mundus Cereris) three days every year, including November 8. The US Presidents who were elected on November 8 are the following:

• Abraham Lincoln (first term)
• Grover Cleveland
• Theodore Roosevelt
• Franklin D. Roosevelt (first term)
• John F. Kennedy
• George Herbert Walker Bush
• Donald J. Trump (first term)

Since Trump's two terms were not consecutive, he literally was, then was not, then became the eighth king, and is of the seven. Is this also just coincidence?

Chapter 13 also suggests the Antichrist will survive a deadly wound to the head, and this is something which could be said of Trump following the assassination attempt in Butler, PA.

At the time the US Constitution was signed, Benjamin Franklin was a political and scientific luminary who appears to have been playing the role of False Prophet. One of the things we all were taught about him was that he brought fire down from heaven in the sight of men (his experiments with electricity), similar to what it says in Chapter 13 of the Book of Revelation.

The person who seems to be playing a similar role today is Elon Musk, whose SpaceX launches huge rockets which are then brought back to earth in a fiery display and caught before they hit the ground.

And is it just a coincidence that both Trump and Musk have come to power in an era which seems to be witnessing the rise of an AI-Assisted Antichrist? I think not:

https://sainthoward.blogspot.com/2025/04/an-ai-assisted-antichrist.html

Another potential False Prophet is Peter Thiel, who has been giving lectures about the Antichrist, allegedly to forestall arrival of the evil one. What's he really doing? Hard to tell:

https://www.christianpost.com/news/palantir-ceo-peter-thiel-to-lead-4-part-series-on-the-antichrist.html

So ... have we entered the End Times, with the above mentioned persons (knowingly or unwittingly) playing key roles? It's up to all of us to decide for ourselves what to believe. But I urge everyone to at least entertain the possibility that what the Bible predicts can literally take place just as it is written.

The hardest part in the era of "deep fakes" is to determine what is real and what is fantasy. Satan is a real trickster, isn't he? He makes you believe evil is good, down is up, and G-d doesn't exist. Will you let him trick you, too?

Angry Birds

My corner of Ohio has a lot of house finches. They eat and bathe in our yards and make their nests in the nooks and crannies of our houses. This year they built two nests under the roof on our porch, and one of the nests had four chicks which were getting ready to fly.

Yesterday, two larger birds (some other sort of finch?) showed up and chased away the parents of the chicks in our nest. They then proceeded to kill the chicks and tear apart both nests. It happened so fast, I was more or less powerless to stop them.

Once I got over the shock of the brutality of their actions, I realized our world is FULL of such outrages. Whether it be Kashmir, the Middle East, Ukraine, the South China Sea, or anywhere else in the world, one or more groups of humans is displacing another from their homes, killing their children, and destroying their ability to return.

And we tell ourselves it all has something to do with human rights, international law, geopolitics, some religious text, or the right to self defense, but in reality all those reasons excuses are BS.

We're all just angry birds, and that's what angry birds do. No "humanity" involved. Ever.

AI Yields AR

Yesterday I looked up "The Apocalypse of Saint Howard" on Google, only to be told it does not exist. Try it yourself.

If you are reading this blog post, you know it DOES exist, but in the Alternative Reality of Google it doesn't. Why? Apparently because I'm not a real saint.

So ... Google (and perhaps the rest of the tech gods) gets to decide who is a saint, which beliefs are a religion, and which gods (if any) are real. Were they to say there is no G-d, then in their AR it would be true.

This is one of the great dangers of AI - somehow they get to decide what is real and what is not.

Hmmm ...

Update - 5/3/2025

Today Google AI provided this context for my search request:

AI Overview

+23

"The Apocalypse of Saint Howard" does not refer to a specific, universally recognized book or event in Christian literature. It's possible that the term is being used in a creative or metaphorical way, or it may be a fictional work. The closest relevant concept is the Book of Revelation, which is often referred to as "The Apocalypse" and focuses on the end times and the return of Christ.

Here's a breakdown of what could be meant by "The Apocalypse of Saint Howard":

1. A fictional work:

It could be the title of a novel, movie, or other creative work that uses the apocalyptic themes and imagery of the Book of Revelation, potentially with a character named Saint Howard.

2. A metaphorical interpretation:

The phrase could be used to describe a personal or societal crisis that is seen as apocalyptic in nature. Perhaps "Saint Howard" represents a figure of hope or resilience in the face of such a crisis.

3. A misinterpretation or misunderstanding:

It's possible that the phrase is a misspelling or a misunderstanding of a related term, such as "The Apocalypse of Saint John" (the Book of Revelation) or another related religious text.

4. A unique interpretation:

It's also possible that "Saint Howard" is being used in a unique and original way to describe an apocalyptic event or scenario.

The Book of Revelation:

The Book of Revelation, also known as "The Apocalypse of John," is a highly symbolic and allegorical text that details visions of the end times, the return of Christ, and the final judgment. It's a complex book with many different interpretations, but it generally conveys a message of hope and the eventual triumph of good over evil.

Key aspects of the Book of Revelation:

Symbolism:

The book is rich in symbolism, including figures like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the Beast, and the Lamb of God.

Prophecy:

It contains prophecies about the end times, including judgments, tribulations, and the ultimate victory of Christ.

Hope:

Despite the terrifying visions, the book also conveys a message of hope and the promise of a new heaven and earth.

Without more context, it's difficult to say exactly what "The Apocalypse of Saint Howard" refers to. It could be a fictional work, a metaphorical expression, a misspelling, or a unique interpretation. To understand the meaning, more information is needed about the specific context in which the phrase is being used.

I guess I can live with that. What choice do I have?

By the way, here is additional highly relevant discussion on this topic:

https://strategic-culture.su/news/2025/05/01/the-ghost-in-the-machine-artificial-intelligence-and-the-spectral-ontology-of-value/

Quote For May Day 2025

"Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities" - Voltaire (attributed)

The best example of this is the military-industrial complex of the West, along with its "intelligence agencies" and "free press" accomplices who feed us absurdities, lies and propaganda on a continual basis.

The result? Forever wars, all over the planet, filled with some of the worst atrocities ever seen.

Are you happy now? You should be, since the governments of the West are "democracies" which carry out the will of the people, right?

Doomsday Missile ???

I have a hard time believing this, but it could be true. Those damn Russkies are so diabolical:

https://www.rt.com/russia/616492-golden-dome-vs-burevestnik/

An unstated fact is that a nuclear-powered cruise missile, even if equipped with a conventional warhead, is still a "dirty bomb". The reactor will be filled with what is left of its radioactive fuel plus all the fission products and nuclear waste.

It will be a real MESS to clean up, assuming anyone is still left to do so.

The best way to prevent this? Make peace, not war.