Seeker

To be clear, my dog did not kill the neighbor's chicken. I'm just playing around with ChatGPT, throwing odd situations at it to see what it comes up with. Still amazed at the generally high quality results. Input - Write letter to neighbor because my dog killed their chicken. Output - Subject: Apology and Compensation for Dog's Actions Dear [Neighbor's Name], I hope this letter reaches you in good health. I am writing to you with a heavy heart and deep regret regarding an unfortunate incident that occurred recently involving my dog. It has come to my attention that my dog, [Dog's Name], was responsible for the unfortunate incident in which it killed one of your chickens. I cannot express how truly sorry I am for the distress and inconvenience this must have caused you and your family. I take full responsibility for my dog's actions, and I understand the impact it can have on your livelihood and the emotional toll it may bring. I assure you that I am taking immediate measures to prevent any such incidents in the future. I will be implementing stricter containment measures for my dog, and I am exploring additional training to address its behavior. In addition to my sincere apology, I would like to discuss appropriate compensation for the loss of your chicken. I understand the value of livestock and the impact it can have on your daily life. Please let me know the cost of the chicken, and I will ensure that you are promptly reimbursed. I understand that this incident may have strained our neighborly relations, and I am committed to making amends. If there are any further steps or actions you would like me to take to rectify this situation, please do not hesitate to let me know. I am more than willing to work together to find a resolution that is fair and satisfactory for both parties. Once again, I am truly sorry for the distress this incident has caused, and I appreciate your understanding in this matter. I value our relationship as neighbors, and I am committed to taking the necessary steps to prevent any future occurrences. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, [Your Name] [Your Address] [Your Contact Information]

Very interesting story Kip, thanks for posting it. A little known historical footnote is the story of Jimmy (nickname "Flash") Gibbons. He worked in the Advanced Materials lab at Area 51. Shortly after leaving there he set a landspeed record at Bonneville on a 1960 Vespa. The record was subsequently denied when the post-run tech inspection revealed a small football-shaped device that emitted a green glow powering the scooter rather than a 50cc 2-stroke. All mention of the scooter, and Flash, have removed from the public record.

That's exactly what I was thinking. I expect the investigators are playing the long-game watching possible suspects for unusual activity while telling the public they have no clue where it went.

For those who don't subscribe to Netflix take a look at this site. Free, full length documentaries with no signup or account required. It's basically an index site which links to videos on other video sharing platforms such as youtube but useful because it's sorted everything in nice neat categories. https://topdocumentaryfilms.com/

The following is an independent commenter on the worldwide auto industry. He can be a little difficult to listen to since he's Australian (accent) and uses a lot of idiom and slang but the content is excellent. Great analysis and high level view of the societal, government and industry implications of various decisions in the EV industry. The following regards EVs and is worth the 20 minutes. I guess I should mention that it's NSFW due to a very few bits of profanity (very few, but they are there).

Wow, zero diversity and no plus-size models. What's up with that? Also, no tattoos, nose piercings or blue hair.

I only got 3/10 but did much better the second time through! Would have been better (easier) if the pictures were larger.

You got that right! And it's ad-free. I like the old stuff so I found that simply putting a year in the search box will get films made in that year or about that year. Putting 1943 in the search gets lots of WW2 results like this one about the women's division of the RCAF: https://www.nfb.ca/film/wings_on_her_shoulder/

A lot of people don't know that The National Film Board of Canada has digitized their entire collection and it's available for free streaming. Just use the easy search box Here is a 1949 film about how to build an igloo that I remember watching as a kid in elementary school. https://www.nfb.ca/film/how_to_build_an_igloo/ Test pilot and archival footage of DHC-2 and DHC-3; https://www.nfb.ca/film/test-pilot/

I've actually been to Grindavik during my Iceland vacation a few years ago.

Not everyone accesses the site from the same point. Some people have bookmarked the particular forum they regularly visit and might not see the announcement.

This is true but in a larger sense, we will never know what anyone has seen or experienced. The random homeless dude, the odd guy on the subway, the homeless woman on the corner - we will never know what they have seen or experienced.

This is incorrect. The change was no due to any specific complaint from any member but for other reasons.

The Farley Mowat book is good but the Caroline Alexander book is excellent. I would say try the library first for the Mowat book. Here is the Amazon link for the Alexander book: Caroline Alexander A word of advice - take a good look at the cover since there all lots of similar titled books about the same events - easy to get confused. Another book you might be interested in is this one: The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder I have not read it (yet, on my list) but it comes highly recommended to me and has 4.5 stars on Amazon with almost 16,000 reviews.

That's what I was thinking too - the tow company wanted to be able to show they made a serious effort to hold up their end of the contract. Talking about this brings to mind a couple of reading recommendations; The first is The Grey Seas Under by Farley Mowat. Non-fiction telling of the history of the steam powered rescue tug the Franklin Foundation which operated on the east coast in the 30s and 40s. Gripping stories of rescues and recoveries in fierce storm and weather conditions. Well worth hunting down at your library or online. The second is Caroline Alexander's book on Ernest Shackleton. I have bought and gifted probably a dozen of these and I read my copy once every year or so. There aren't enough adjectives in the book to describe the events. Of course there are many books about The Endurance and the Imperial Trans Antarctic Expedition but this particular book is large and has many hi-res glossy photos that really puts you in the story. Shackleton is widely acknowledged to have demonstrated some of the best leadership ever recorded in his handling of the crisis.

IDK as I have no experience with this sort of thing but the boat looked to relatively safe beached on a sandy shore, no? I could see if it was washed up against rocks and was grinding away on every wave that a rescue might be worth a shot.

I've decided on a slight change to the forum structure. All political discussion will now be in a "requested access" sub-forum. Those who wish to participate in political discussion can send a PM and will be given access. Future political posts in other forums will be moved or deleted.

Maybe so but still 1000% better than I could do. Give me a topic and I'll plug it in.

I'm sure most people have heard about this. I did too but, honestly, didn't pay it much attention. Today I finally got around to creating an account and tried it out. Wow! Basically you can just enter a phase, goal, task, whatever and it spits out (almost instantly) a very credible response. Here's a few poetry attempts. I searched for pieces of the poems and they are, apparently, unique. Write a poem about flying: In the vast expanse of azure skies, Where dreams take wing and spirits rise, On wings of steel or feathers light, We take to the heavens, in glorious flight. Above the clouds, we find our place, In a boundless realm of time and space. With every journey, a new delight, As we soar through day and into night. The world below, a patchwork of lands, Unfurls like a tapestry in skilled hands. From mountains high to oceans wide, In the art of flying, we find our stride. The wind's embrace, a gentle hand, Guides us across the endless land. In the freedom of the open air, We leave behind all earthly care. For in those moments, as we sail, We glimpse the world from a different scale. A perspective unique, a gift so rare, As we navigate the boundless air. So let us cherish this gift of grace, The magic of flight, a wondrous chase. In the realm where birds and dreams take wing, We find our joy, in the art of flying. Write a poem about plumbing: In pipes and valves, where water flows, A world unseen, where expertise shows. Plumbers toil in the depths below, Bringing comfort where we go. With wrench in hand, they mend the leaks, Amid the chaos, the system creaks. In bathrooms, kitchens, and darkened nooks, They fix the drains, they mend the brooks. From rusty pipes to faucets gleam, They turn a house into a home, it seems. In the world of plumbing, they're the guide, With skills and tools, they stem the tide. When trouble strikes, we call them near, The plumbers, brave, without fear. They restore our peace and make things right, In the realm of plumbing, they are the light. So here's a salute to those who plumb, In cold and heat, they never succumb. To keep the water flowing, clear and free, Plumbers, we thank you for what you be.

What if it was the Capt that had a mental breakdown and the FO saved the day with his handgun? It's not what happened here but not impossible either. What is a hijacker had entered the flightdeck and the FO saved the aircraft and everyone on it? How many potential hijackings have been prevented by the knowledge that program exists? This is obviously a biased article but I don't think any rational person would argue that sometimes being armed is beneficial: https://fee.org/articles/guns-prevent-thousands-of-crimes-every-day-research-show/ The question, which is probably unanswerable, is; Do the number of violent crimes prevented by armed civilians outweigh the number committed by them? Even the potential that a person might have a gun must surely have an effect on reducing crime without them ever pulling it out or using it.

Good plan.

You're going to have to explain that one.

You can't post something like that without writing a punchline! "Since I started using the new wax from Area 51 Technologies my cruise speed seems a little higher."