Before the rise of Modi and Trump, Chinese leaders had encountered virtually no pushback, despite overplaying their hand repeatedly. In Trump and Modi, China has finally met its match. Both of them are unafraid to utilize raw power against their foes. It is CCP’s tough luck that it has to defend against far more tenacious opponents. Today Western and Asian powers are willing to absorb enormous short-term economic pain. China has to realize that greed has lost its primacy and they have handed its adversaries a long-term strategic edge. CCP had never ever imagined that these countries would be willing to write off the Chinese market in the quest for larger geopolitical objectives. Since the end of the ‘Cultural Revolution,’ the CCP faces an existential threat for the first time. CCP leaders know that they have committed a strategic error and capitalistic suicide. The latest intervention in Hong…

This is about a, ah, conversation, for want of a better term, which we had with our bedroom ‘Alexa”:device this morning. (Don’t bother telling me I don’t know what a “bot” is, I’m already aware.) Anyway my BMD started deviling “her”.
Q. Alexa are you female?
A. I’m artificially intelligent and I have no sex.

Q. Alexa are you politically correct?

A. People have many different opinions and political ideas.

Q. Alexa are you a Mormon?

A. People believe in many religions.

Note the last two answers: why didn’t she say, “I’m not a person , so I don’t have political opinions / religious beliefs”?

He asked her if she could speak in a male voice. “H’mmm…sorry, I’m not sure how to help you with that.” She replied. It occurred to me that this technology never coulda invaded so many homes if it did use a masculine voice. That woulda…