Our Christmas Eve plans were canceled by weather. We received about 2" of rain here, and our friends in Ventura County were hit with an inch more than that. The path through L.A. in-between was 4-5". We were not going to drive into that.
Points south are clearer, so today we head to San Diego to wander around the Zoo with all of the other heathens.
It's always a crap shoot when you upload images with unusual sizes. Not just in WordPress, but in many social network applications. Click on the image of the overpass above to get a version that's not scrunched-up horizontally.
Yesterday it was 65 °F with high clouds here at the north end of the Colorado Front Range urban corridor. I took a ride to see the city’s new gift to the bicycle cult. The city seems to finish about one major construction project on the trail system every couple of years. The next one broke ground this month — it will close a half-mile gap in the trail system, including going under the six lanes of the second busiest street in town.
"From a Looney Tunes perspective—y'know, where everything's usually total mayhem with anvils droppin', dynamite explodin', and folks yellin' "Th-th-th-that's all, folks!"—here's the primary observations of life in Riga:..."
"From a multiculturalist perspective, which emphasizes the peaceful coexistence of diverse cultural groups, mutual respect for differences, preservation of cultural identities without forced assimilation, and enrichment through diversity (often via dialogue, accommodation, and shared norms), the article portrays Riga as a successful, lived example of multiculturalism in practice..."
It’s not analysis, it’s an exercise in genre, which is why the LLM can plug in whatever ideology you choose and spread it over the dry toast of a general description.
"From a capitalist perspective, the article portrays Riga's social dynamics as an efficient, decentralized system for coordinating scarce resources in public spaces, relying on voluntary individual behaviors rather than heavy top-down enforcement..."
"From a communist perspective, informed by Marxist-Leninist principles emphasizing collective solidarity, class consciousness, mutual aid, and the prioritization of communal well-being over bourgeois individualism, the article on everyday life in contemporary Riga reveals several key observations:.."
now change "from a libertarian viewpoint" to from a "from the viewpoint of a Hobbit".
keep in mind that LLM's don't know anything and are designed to output text that is statistically-likely.
"1. Appreciation for Simple Courtesies and Modesty
Subtle gestures of politeness: Hobbits value community, but not in a loud or intrusive way. The idea that people in Riga practice small courtesies, like offering a seat with a simple gesture or adjusting expectations without irritation, would feel very familiar. To a hobbit, these kinds of modest exchanges are the heart of a well-functioning community. The lack of grandiosity in social interactions, such as not making a spectacle out of kindness or politeness, would seem very aligned with hobbit ideals.Queueing with respect: The concept of respecting others' time in queues, where there is a mutual understanding that resources (like time and money) are limited, would be seen as a practical and sensible way of life. Hobbits, who enjoy quiet gatherings in their homes or the market in the Shire, would recognize the value of calm and respectful order in public spaces."
"From a libertarian perspective, the article portrays Riga's public life as a near-ideal example of spontaneous order and voluntary social cooperation in shared spaces, where harmony emerges without heavy reliance on government rules, enforcement, or top-down planning..."
I've somehow lost the gemini chat explaining it as a personification. I went back and got these
If you are hearing the phrase "Auntie Oksana" (Тетя Оксана) specifically in the context of Russian weather or "temperature," it is almost certainly a reference to popular internet memes or urban slang rather than a professional meteorologist.
In the Russian-speaking internet (Runet), "Auntie Oksana" has become a shorthand for a specific kind of unreliable or overly dramatic "neighborhood" source of information.
yokay, let me give you some more transcript
Now that I see the full context, the mystery is solved! This is a classic case of Speech-to-Text error.
The word isn't "Оксана" (Oksana); the reporter actually said "заставляют" (zastavlyayut), which means "force" or "make".
The Corrected Phrase
The transcript should read:
"...цифры на термометре заставляют: на улицу ни ногой!"
"...the numbers on the thermometer force [you]: don't set a foot outside!"
Why it sounds like "Oksana"
In fast Russian speech, the word заставляют (za-stav-lya-yut) can be mumbled. The middle "stav-lya" sounds can get swallowed, leaving something that sounds like "za-ya-yut" or "sa-na," which the computer AI then "corrected" to the common name Оксана.
I puzzled far too long over the phonetics and I don't see how the last one could be possible. Let's try that again
When she says "Auntie Oksana" (Тетя Оксана) at [00:09], she is referring to Oksana Fedorova, as discussed previously. Here is the breakdown of why she says it in that specific context:
The Joke: The reporter is describing a record-breaking cold snap in Moscow. She says, "The numbers on the thermometer, [Auntie] Oksana, say don't you dare step a foot outside" [00:08].
The Persona: She is addressing her "anchor" in the studio. In this comedic setup, Oksana Fedorova is imagined as the news anchor.
The Cultural Irony: In Russia, Oksana Fedorova is the quintessential "Auntie" of television because she hosted the famous children's show Good Night, Little Ones!. By addressing the news anchor as "Auntie Oksana," the video is poking fun at the cozy, domestic nature of Russian state TV, contrasting it with the "deadly" freezing temperatures being reported.
Well, the woman in the video resembles an Oksana Federova, but if she's an auntie, I'm Batman. Here she is
https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=3b5cf2041e18d574&sxsrf=AE3TifP1ZrjiDImMWsmg-_tQH7vGKnlIvg:1766481139030&udm=2&fbs=AIIjpHxU7SXXniUZfeShr2fp4giZ1Y6MJ25_tmWITc7uy4KIeqDdErwP5rACeJAty2zADJgeXKnD4z7v_UXM32TmNnj1yxfQDJKRFuKsiopx1kXI2HeCwSiMz_r_cLw9z-Mtg7tSmcI7MYFK_I8uSxj7ZdznMQoypHL9PYUQVEywwdBJtoqMFqGEmQsJQqv8HLDXTUeS3OS-&q=Oksana+Fedorova&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi0hK2Gr9ORAxXEf_UHHcdJAecQtKgLegQIChAB&biw=1382&bih=1075&dpr=2
She could be the reporter in the video, but it isn't in her imdb
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1185905/
If should probably come as no surprise that Trump can lie continuously, given that the goal of AI seems to have been making a machine that can lie to use continuously.
On “An inscrutable Merry Christmas”
Our Christmas Eve plans were canceled by weather. We received about 2" of rain here, and our friends in Ventura County were hit with an inch more than that. The path through L.A. in-between was 4-5". We were not going to drive into that.
Points south are clearer, so today we head to San Diego to wander around the Zoo with all of the other heathens.
🎄 🎄 🎄
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Merry winter solstice to everyone. I hope you all are safe and warm.
"
It's always a crap shoot when you upload images with unusual sizes. Not just in WordPress, but in many social network applications. Click on the image of the overpass above to get a version that's not scrunched-up horizontally.
"
Yesterday it was 65 °F with high clouds here at the north end of the Colorado Front Range urban corridor. I took a ride to see the city’s new gift to the bicycle cult. The city seems to finish about one major construction project on the trail system every couple of years. The next one broke ground this month — it will close a half-mile gap in the trail system, including going under the six lanes of the second busiest street in town.
On “Weekend Music Thread music thread #09 In Russia, Christmas music sings you!”
Thanks, Marty.
That was hilariously apropos, as anyone with a newborn will know.
On “An inscrutable Merry Christmas”
The best from me for everybody here as well, and wouldn't it be wonderful if 2026 were better! I'm not holding my breath, however.
On “Weekend Music Thread music thread #09 In Russia, Christmas music sings you!”
Too much Cyrillic, perhaps.
I fished it out of the spam folder. WordPress' built-in spam filter is a black-box trade secret. Too much Cyrillic is as good a guess as any.
On “Welcome to my world”
:)
"From a Looney Tunes perspective—y'know, where everything's usually total mayhem with anvils droppin', dynamite explodin', and folks yellin' "Th-th-th-that's all, folks!"—here's the primary observations of life in Riga:..."
Looney Tunes Analyze Riga's Quiet Courtesies
"
This could go on and on.
"From a multiculturalist perspective, which emphasizes the peaceful coexistence of diverse cultural groups, mutual respect for differences, preservation of cultural identities without forced assimilation, and enrichment through diversity (often via dialogue, accommodation, and shared norms), the article portrays Riga as a successful, lived example of multiculturalism in practice..."
Multiculturalism in Riga: Subtle Coexistence
On “Weekend Music Thread music thread #09 In Russia, Christmas music sings you!”
For russell Merry Christmas all
On “Welcome to my world”
It’s not analysis, it’s an exercise in genre, which is why the LLM can plug in whatever ideology you choose and spread it over the dry toast of a general description.
"
Riga is all things to all ideologies.
"From a capitalist perspective, the article portrays Riga's social dynamics as an efficient, decentralized system for coordinating scarce resources in public spaces, relying on voluntary individual behaviors rather than heavy top-down enforcement..."
Riga's Capitalist Social Dynamics Unveiled
"
"From a communist perspective, informed by Marxist-Leninist principles emphasizing collective solidarity, class consciousness, mutual aid, and the prioritization of communal well-being over bourgeois individualism, the article on everyday life in contemporary Riga reveals several key observations:.."
Communist Analysis of Riga's Social Norms
On “Weekend Music Thread music thread #09 In Russia, Christmas music sings you!”
A comment I made yesterday has got lost. Too much Cyrillic, perhaps.
On “Welcome to my world”
now change "from a libertarian viewpoint" to from a "from the viewpoint of a Hobbit".
keep in mind that LLM's don't know anything and are designed to output text that is statistically-likely.
"1. Appreciation for Simple Courtesies and Modesty
Subtle gestures of politeness: Hobbits value community, but not in a loud or intrusive way. The idea that people in Riga practice small courtesies, like offering a seat with a simple gesture or adjusting expectations without irritation, would feel very familiar. To a hobbit, these kinds of modest exchanges are the heart of a well-functioning community. The lack of grandiosity in social interactions, such as not making a spectacle out of kindness or politeness, would seem very aligned with hobbit ideals.Queueing with respect: The concept of respecting others' time in queues, where there is a mutual understanding that resources (like time and money) are limited, would be seen as a practical and sensible way of life. Hobbits, who enjoy quiet gatherings in their homes or the market in the Shire, would recognize the value of calm and respectful order in public spaces."
(ChatGPT)
"
With all the high-quality public services they enjoy, they're a lot less cranky than than they otherwise would be.
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Yes, but Riga has an educated population.
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How libertarianish. :)
"From a libertarian perspective, the article portrays Riga's public life as a near-ideal example of spontaneous order and voluntary social cooperation in shared spaces, where harmony emerges without heavy reliance on government rules, enforcement, or top-down planning..."
Libertarian Insights on Riga's Social Harmony
On “Weekend Music Thread music thread #09 In Russia, Christmas music sings you!”
I can imagine middle-schoolers saying "Oksana is thermometer" randomly just to yuck it up. It could be the new 6-7.
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I've tried to follow what she says (at 9-11 seconds). It's
"Цифры на термометре, Оксана, говорят на улицу не ногой"
"The numbers on the thermometer, Oksana, say 'don't step outside'"
However, she's speaking fast and there's no pause where I've put the second comma. "Оксана" could be something else.
"
I've somehow lost the gemini chat explaining it as a personification. I went back and got these
yokay, let me give you some more transcript
I puzzled far too long over the phonetics and I don't see how the last one could be possible. Let's try that again
When she says "Auntie Oksana" (Тетя Оксана) at [00:09], she is referring to Oksana Fedorova, as discussed previously. Here is the breakdown of why she says it in that specific context:
Well, the woman in the video resembles an Oksana Federova, but if she's an auntie, I'm Batman. Here she is
https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=3b5cf2041e18d574&sxsrf=AE3TifP1ZrjiDImMWsmg-_tQH7vGKnlIvg:1766481139030&udm=2&fbs=AIIjpHxU7SXXniUZfeShr2fp4giZ1Y6MJ25_tmWITc7uy4KIeqDdErwP5rACeJAty2zADJgeXKnD4z7v_UXM32TmNnj1yxfQDJKRFuKsiopx1kXI2HeCwSiMz_r_cLw9z-Mtg7tSmcI7MYFK_I8uSxj7ZdznMQoypHL9PYUQVEywwdBJtoqMFqGEmQsJQqv8HLDXTUeS3OS-&q=Oksana+Fedorova&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi0hK2Gr9ORAxXEf_UHHcdJAecQtKgLegQIChAB&biw=1382&bih=1075&dpr=2
She could be the reporter in the video, but it isn't in her imdb
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1185905/
If should probably come as no surprise that Trump can lie continuously, given that the goal of AI seems to have been making a machine that can lie to use continuously.
"
Оксана is a common female name in Ukraine. The diminutive Оксанка is used to refer pejoratively to a generic Ukrainian woman.
Wiktionary says it derives from the Greek ξενία, meaning 'hospitality', from ξένος, 'foreign', c.f. English 'xeno-'.
I can't speak authoritatively, but I've found no support online for an association with 'thermometer'.
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...what does it take to use an icon of my own choice?
Register the e-mail address you use at Gravatar, and upload the image you want to use. WordPress loves Gravatar.
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Website question!
Although the current icon for me bears an uncanny resemblence, what does it take to use an icon of my own choice?
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nous, if it were album names, how about Nazgul Skyline?
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.