Posts made by administrator

You can tell that something is off, even on the images that look like real people. It's quite disturbing but also an interesting exercise to see how it "reasons" about the given prompt.

I generated som "AI Imagery." Can you guess the prompt behind each image?

@ssmith1226 said in Bots are getting scary:

A recent headline:
“AI bot tweets out plan to ‘eliminate’ humanity in order to save Earth”
Link:
https://bgr.com/science/ai-bot-tweets-plan-to-eliminate-humanity-in-order-to-save-earth/

It is true that AI currently can not program it self. Programming is directed by humans, but that also is a problem.

This stuff really humors me. Despite all the popular culture (i.e. Terminator, iRobot, etc), there really is no way that computers can "take over the world." Not beyond what we allow them, at least.

There are a lot pitfalls with AI, but mostly, there are just a lot of unknowns. It's new territory. "Artificial Intelligence" is not actually intelligence. It's just programming. The thing I have learned about computers, being a programmer myself, is that they do EXACTLY what you tell them to do. The problem is knowing what you are actually telling them to do, that's where bugs come from. It is extremely hard to account for every possible variable that could arise, and program behavior becomes wildly unpredictable when unaccounted-for variables are thrown into the mix. This is partly why I'm not looking forward to "self-driving" cars.

That would be exceptionally tough for the trumpet, trying to remember whether you should be playing C, E or G.

I really like the Yamaha Silent Brass mutes. They allow you to hear yourself as if you were playing without a mute but they block your sound from other people. This is what I would recommend for a long period of time.

It is true that a dual citizen is bound by the laws of both countries, however, I have read a number of people who have done this already (with the Czech Republic) and they have had no issues. It seems that CZ is fairly transparent about what they expect from dual citizens. I don't see a lot of people warning about any "gray areas" here, so that's good.

From what I understand, there was a push about a decade ago to prevent this, but since 2014, this law has been in place. That's not to say that I shouldn't be cautious going forward, as laws can and do change, but, for now, it seems like there a number of advantages and few disadvantages. I'm not in either country's military, nor do I work for the government, so that eliminates one major concern. I'm in my mid 30s so likely not going to be conscripted for war.

Also, if I want to escape both countries I can just run away to a non-extradition country

@dr-go said in Dual Citizenship:

And you should probably be able to pay the dual citizenship from afar, as it is as easy as, "The Czech is in the mail."

So far, my research has shown the following:

• Dual citizenship is allowed by both USA & Czech Republic
• CZ does not dual tax, but the USA will tax you no matter where you go
• Some locations are easier to get into with one passport or another

Apparently, the US "discourages" having two passports but it's perfectly legal. It seems like there are many advantages to having two passports. As an EU citizen I could live, work & buy property there without a visa.

So, I just learned that I am eligible for citizenship in the Czech Republic because my father & grandfather were born there and I meet all the requirements. Genuinely, I had no idea until today.

Should I go for it? I can see many advantages of dual citizenship but there may be some serious pitfalls that I am missing.

I don't speak a word of Czech, or any other EU languages beside English & Spanish, but I am certainly willing to learn. This opens a bunch of doors I never imagined I had until now.

Does anybody make their own custom trumpet buttons? I'm thinking like the kinds with custom inlays, etc.

I've always loved those horns. They are extremely stylish.

I believe that Courtois makes a flugelhorn specifically for Sergei Nakariakov with a trombone-sized bell and a 4th valve.

@jrgroove said in Adams Sonic or Yamaha 631G:

@administrator
I see you play an F1. That means a lot.

I actually traded that to a friend but it’s a great horn.

I really like the Adams flugelhorns. They play super well. I would recommend that one.

Went to a good concert last night. It was Mahler Symphony No. 3, conducted by Zubin Mehta and performed by the LA Philharmonic. I've never been to an LA Philharmonic concert. I was impressed by the "intimacy" of the concert hall and the orchestra was just top-notch. I can't imagine a better rendition of Mahler 3.

@kehaulani said in Der Mond ist Aufgegangen:

@administrator said in Der Mond ist Aufgegangen:

I can hardly pronounce the title,

Then say, "The moon has risen".

Does the moon really rise? I've never used that phrase.

I can hardly pronounce the title, but I really like this video.

@flugelgirl said in Carol Brass Sticky Valves:

@orly61 You should really contact the dealer about these issues. I would suspect that your valves may be dragging because of hand placement - new valves with close tolerances do not like to be hit sideways. Check your pistons for any spots where they have rubbed, and that should tell you where your hand position strays. If your horn has a buzz that it shouldn’t, that is a sure sign of a warranty repair or replacement. That could signify anything from a valve spring to a leak or even a broken bell bead, and should be handled under warranty.

This is the advice I would offer. Better than random people on the internet.

My guess, with a Master's Degree from Rice, he would probably be able to get into just about any band he wants to get into. Rice is one of the top music schools in the nation. However, getting into the military requires more than just musicianship. I hope he has a super clean record and can pass the PT requirements.