That's not unheard of these days. There are insurance companies under certain situations that will require this. Usually after they have to pay out for a DUI settlement, and only after they hike your premiums ten fold. Before my time, this happened to one of my restaurants after a vehicular homicide. The business was not found legally liable in the end--they served the first drink in the paper trail but drinks 2 through 8 were served elsewhere--but just the threat of litigation, or any legal matters pending (which can take years) is enough to freak out insurance companies. They won't touch you for less than like $6K a month, which is often more than rent. All cannabis establishments I've ever been to require ID before you're allowed in the door. And it's recorded in their computers. Different story there, probably more in line with a pharmacy than a bar, but you get the idea. Most nightclubs card everyone and many some scan the IDs to keep a permanent record. That's partly for insurance purposes but can be part of the requirements for a liquor/operators license under certain circumstances. It's not uncommon in my city to have three or four murders per year occur within the sanctioned confines of an on-premise liquor license, which naturally makes the cops and city council nervous.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/nov/26/writers-condemn-startups-plans-to-publish-8000-books-next-year-using-ai-spines-artificial-intelligence Barf.
For Set2Stun and Gravy: Having said that, there is something here that doesn't quite make sense - here, a quote from the article: When I first read that, I thought "Oh really? Then what is the point of having editors, proofreaders, e-formatters, designers and distributors?" Then I read it again, and I thought "Wait a minute. What does the phrase 'with the help of AI' mean? Are they simply dumping their tasks onto AI, or are they using the tool to help them?" The first -- just using AI to edit (or whatever) a book -- is worthy of contempt and condemnation. The second -- using AI to (for example) catch spelling errors, or whatever, but leaving the final decision up to a human -- is simply using AI as a tool, just like (say) the spell-checker in MS Word. So what is going on here, exactly?
A toddler could literally place a bottle of acetaminophen (same thing) on the counter in the U.S., pay for it, and then crawl out the front door and go about his/her merry way, full diapers and all.
Grumble. So the other day I was on the train, with a work mate, on the way to work. (Due to some nasty bullying when I was a teen, and some shyness I could never outgrow, I speak with a slight stutter). I happened to mention that my family and I were immigrants to Australia, and this year would be our 35th year here. Some 20-something ding-dong behind me piped up: "You damn immigrants, coming here and taking our jobs! You can't even speak English!" Wonderful. I've lived in this country almost 35 years, and I'm still running into racists. I know I'm not American, but ...
You should have pointed out that you have been there longer than he has. And you need to speak up for yourself a bit more. I would suggest, " If I want any lip off you, I'll rattle my zipper." Usually good to shut up someone running their mouth.
I'm sorry. That sucks! Also, ask him if he wants to be a janitor, or pick fruit, or I donno, clean the sewers. I mean, I think people are only talking about the more cush jobs when they rant about 'job stealing'.
*LOL!* Is Nils illegitimus non carborundum Latin (or mock-Latin) for "Don't let the bastards grind you down"?
Let's call it bastardized Latin, shall we? The first needlepoint sampler I ever stitched has that as a motto. It hung in my house for a couple of decades, then went to my son's place, then my daughter's, and now it's back home with me. I embroidered most of it sitting in the pickup truck while my husband stalked antelope or mule deer.
It has its own Wikipedia page (slightly different wording, I'm not qualified to comment on Latin at all) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegitimi_non_carborundum
Was hit with the feels today after I did some deep introspection. . I feel like my desire for external validation is due to trauma I never dealt with as a child. Like I grew up always being criticized no matter what. Not by my family, but by others. Like I don’t know how to just sit down and just do something without having a voice in my head nagging me. . So, here’s what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna go home. Write a scene. Something small, nothing fancy. Just write it and tell myself, “It’s good enough just the way it is.” Doesn't matter how clunky or disjointed it is, how unrealistic it is, whatever. It...just needs to be there.
I know just how you feel, Link. *nods* My family moved to Australia when I was 13 (and my sisters being 16 and 9). My big sister was fairly fluent in English, but I and my younger sister had very little. My young sister had time to learn, I guess; I was basically thrown to the wolves. To make things worse, since I was shy, bookish, and vulnerable (and didn't talk much, since I didn't know how), I was racially abused and bullied by some of the kids, and universally ignored by the teachers. (This being the early 90s, the accepted wisdom was that "it'll toughen him up"). All it did was make me withdraw more and more into my shell, and seek solace in books. When I tried fighting back or defending myself, I was labelled a problem kid and punished. When I tried learning new skills or sports, I was ignored, or told that I wouldn't be any good. Five years of that hellhole "toughened me up" so much that I became withdrawn, suspicious of others until I knew them for a long time, preferring my own company (or the company of just one person) -- basically, no fun at parties, and not knowing what to do about it. For nearly 20 years, the only "friends" I had were online: people I'd never met in real life, but who shared some of my interests, and were welcoming and kind instead of judgmental, arrogant, or bullying a-holes. Work in those years didn't help. Most of my bosses were judgmental, arrogant, bullies, or a-holes. It's only in the last 12-13 years or so, after trying various real life clubs and finally finding workplaces that accepted me for who I was, that I finally started to come out of my shell and not feeling worthless. All because of that horrifying experience during the formative years of my life. I don't mind talking about it now. But 10-something years ago, even thinking of high school would've given me the cold sweat and make me clam up. So why am I saying all this? Just trying to let you know (in my usual verbose way, sorry) that you're not alone, Link. Hang in there, and don't ever give up. Things will be better, promise. *offers hugs*
Well, there's immigrants and there's immigrants . . . That said, "ding-dong" sounds like a good term for that kid. Strike his empty skull with certain words, and he rings out with whatever noise he's been tuned to emit: no thought, no reflection, just silly-ass reaction. Clang!
Shout out to the cold that descended into my chest. It kept me off the phone at work today, but I'm pretty done with the coughing and the gross feeling in my chest. At least my Godfather impression has been on point the last few days.
Dogberry, I know that feeling all too well. Ugh. Hope you feel better soon! If I may suggest: try adding a spoonful of honey and slicing small pieces of ginger to your favourite hot drink (mine is tea). The honey will soothe your scratched throat, and the ginger will burn away that "Godfather" feeling. (Besides, raw ginger is very healthy. Among other things, it has anti-inflammatory qualities, can calm your digestive system, can lower blood pressure and blood sugar, supports your heart's health, and does other things). Get well soon. Crossing fingers for your colonoscopy to pass peacefully and without any bad news. Good luck!
So after being out for three weeks, Monday was my first day back to work. (To shorten a long story, Multiple Sclerosis sucks.) I am glad to be out of the house (the wife snagged my car keys to make sure I wasn’t off doing something stupid) and three weeks running without a pay check did hurt a fair bit, but what really bites is no one had any faith I’d be back and they divvied up my shit. My phone charger is gone, my safety glasses are gone, and all my pens are all gone. I’m not all that worried about it. I have other chargers, I still have my prescription safety glasses, and they took my crappy pens too. There were a couple that blur into the paper so bad you could write kiss my ass, and still conceivably claim you wrote have a nice day. Good luck filling out Federal paperwork with those puppies.
Is it really AI, though? Or is it something that's existed for years that call AI because people can't jump on the bandwagon fast enough.
