Vol. 30 of Thursday Third Things
Kamala Harris Loves Venn Diagrams
THURSDAY THIRD THINGS: VOL 30
Your curated weekly newsletter of adventures worth taking & stories worth telling
This is a carrot juice, mezcal margarita with a smoky salt rim from Fidel’s in Palisade, Colorado, and folks, I mean it when I say I have never enjoyed something so tasty in my whole life. If you can’t pack up for Palisade right this instant, can I recommend just for a moment imagining what it MIGHT be like to drink this little drink? I think even musing on it will enhance your reading experience.
This week’s edition of Thursday Third Things is split into two sections: Politics and Oh Thank God Not Politics. If you can’t handle any more political discussion, scroll on down! But if you want a couple of funny political stories, maybe stick around for a second up here.
The Politics Sections
The quick answer? No. But the memes, my god, they’re perfect. You gotta love how fast something can spiral out of control on the internet.
Kamala Harris Loves Venn Diagrams
The National Republican Senatorial Committee released a memo on talking points to attack Harris and here are some of them:
Kamala Harris loves Venn diagrams
Kamala Harris loves electric school busses because she went to school on a school bus
Kamala Harris recently discovered that electricity doesn’t smell
Look, I know these are serious times and this is the foundation democracy we’re talking about here, but also LOL. The GOP is so fuckin’ stupid.
“It’s pretty clear that the GOP was taken by surprise with Biden’s announcement to leave the race and his subsequent endorsement of Harris on Sunday. They’ve been freaking out ever since and, despite earlier reports that Harris taking over was a real possibility, they apparently have only come up with weak lines of attack. They are reportedly even second-guessing Trump’s running-mate choice, J.D. Vance, as he seems to have been selected to drive up turnout from the MAGA base against a weak Biden rather than attract swing voters away from Harris, whose popularity has been rising in the last day.”
All jokes aside, I (along with the majority of the country - which I feel I can say since a Republican hasn’t won the popular vote since electing George W. Bush in 2004) am truly quite panicked that Trump will win another term and all the joy will promptly be sucked out of this country. But this piece really made me reframe some of the polls I’ve been seeing and my fears on the matter.
“Even though the electoral fundamentals for this year’s election have always favored the Democrats – despite what numerous misleading polls have been showing (and with most of the news media reacting purely off those polls) – Harris’s selection will largely shore up the weaknesses that were dragging down Biden’s poll numbers.”
It seems to me like the scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration might know a thing or two about the goings on of the ocean and atmosphere. Trump says, nuh uh! Under Project 2025 — the horrific presidential blueprint created by the Heritage Foundation — those scientific positions would be replaced with politically appointed positions to be more in line with the presidency. AKA: Not say CRAZY THINGS like “climate change is happening” and “Americans are really going to suffer if we don’t at least do a little bit to help.” SPOOKY.
Also, if you’re confused about Project 2025, here’s an easier breakdown.
“If Project 2025 becomes reality, she says, “the very idea of scientific integrity will be flushed down the toilet.”
The Oh Thank God Not Politics Section
Corpse Flower Blooming Live Stream
Yeah, yeah, it’s like watching paint dry, but after all that politics, I kinda like just watching this very slow flower unfold.
Similarly, I could watch this thing walk across the beach all day long. Its reticulating bug-like body, the scraping sounds of its little sled feet, ugh *chef’s kiss* it’s perfect!
AI Could Help Us Talk To Aliens
Basically, if we sent a ChatGPT like device via lasers out to another planet, it could in theory learn to translate alien language, teach one of our languages to an alien race, and also provide answers to questions about humans and Earth.
But I think what I like most about this article is the complete nonchalance of the authors who are just like, yeah, there are 300 million exoplanets in our galaxy with liquid water and we’re pretty sure some of them must have technologically advanced civilizations living on them. You’d have to be an IDIOT to think otherwise. Which, when said that way, feels totally reasonable.
“As alien-curious scientists, we propose advancing METI by transmitting not just music, math or brief descriptions of ourselves but something more meaningful: a well-curated large language model that encapsulates the diverse essence of humanity and the world we live in. This would enable extraterrestrial civilizations to indirectly converse with us and learn about us without being hindered by the vast distances of space and its corresponding human lifetime delays in communication. Aliens could learn one of our languages, ask the LLM questions about us and receive replies that are representative of humanity.”
Sharpnose sharks off the coast of Brazil are testing positive for cocaine — as are other sea creatures. These drugs along with other things like opiods (and even non-abusive substances like birth control) are really hard to filter out of water. And things that breathe water really slurp the ol’ druggy drugs right up!
Let’s set aside the fact that I haven’t quite formed all my thoughts and opinions on what it means to be an AI artist and instead focus on these AI art pieces of aunties from Singaporean artist Niceaunties.
I love the celebration of aging women and giving them back via art what they may not have had in their regular lives.
“In the Auntieverse, aunties dance in sequined outfits on the beach, pose with giant vegetables, and attend Nasa, (the Nice Aunties Sushi Academy), a cooking school located on the moon, where aunties undergo training, under the watchful eye of a giant cat.”