People are asking for more pirate bay stories. Sure. I have a few... Thousands.
Do you know that tpb once hijacked North Koreas Internet?

Someone managed to find a broken router setup which managed to make it possible to pretend to be north Korea, in a more central routing location than actual north Korea. To make it look real even the traffic was slowed down to look like a satellite connection.

Took days before people figured it out. It was quite fun, unfortunately it meant that people in North Korea had issues getting online. But I think their sacrifice was worth the lulz.

Tpb also did one of the first (maybe the first) crowd funding campaign. What did we try to finance? New servers? No, we tried buying a country called Sealand. I remember I was laughing when the Prince of Sealand got invited to Larry King because of it.

On a side note, a weird American dude contacted me when this happened, he liked that we had weird ideas and wanted our help to build Internet in a corrupt African nation, which he had traded guns for a lot of rights.. Like owned their infrastructure. Forward thinking dude.

List out all who have foundations.
Why is this relevant?
How can donations be used personally?
Analyze the filings.
Who is charged w/ overseeing this?
IRS?
Corrupt?
Politically motivated?

The level of corruption in our country (and most others) is so severe there is ONLY ONE WAY.
Alice & Wonderland.

Iraq: Central Bank of Iraq
Ireland: Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland
Israel: Bank of Israel
Italy: Bank of Italy
Jamaica: Bank of Jamaica
Japan: Bank of Japan
Jordan: Central Bank of Jordan
Kazakhstan: National Bank of Kazakhstan

Kenya: Central Bank of Kenya
Korea: Bank of Korea
Kuwait: Central Bank of Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan: National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic
Latvia: Bank of Latvia
Lebanon: Central Bank of Lebanon
Lesotho: Central Bank of Lesotho
Libya: Central Bank of Libya (Their most recent conquest)

Uruguay: Central Bank of Uruguay
Lithuania: Bank of Lithuania
Luxembourg: Central Bank of Luxembourg
Macao: Monetary Authority of Macao
Macedonia: National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia
Madagascar: Central Bank of Madagascar
Malawi: Reserve Bank of Malawi

Neural Volume Rendering for Dynamic Scenes

NeRF has shown incredible view synthesis results, but it requires multi-view captures for STATIC scenes.

How can we achieve view synthesis for DYNAMIC scenes from a single video? Here is what I learned from several recent efforts.

Instead of presenting Video-NeRF, Nerfie, NR-NeRF, D-NeRF, NeRFlow, NSFF (and many others!) as individual algorithms, here I try to view them from a unifying perspective and understand the pros/cons of various design choices.

Okay, here we go.

*Background*

NeRF represents the scene as a 5D continuous volumetric scene function that maps the spatial position and viewing direction to color and density. It then projects the colors/densities to form an image with volume rendering.

Volumetric + Implicit -> Awesome!

*Model*

Building on NeRF, one can extend it for handling dynamic scenes with two types of approaches.

A) 4D (or 6D with views) function.

One direct approach is to include TIME as an additional input to learn a DYNAMIC radiance field.

e.g., Video-NeRF, NSFF, NeRFlow

B) 3D Template with Deformation.

Inspired by non-rigid reconstruction methods, this type of approach learns a radiance field in a canonical frame (template) and predicts deformation for each frame to account for dynamics over time.

e.g., Nerfie, NR-NeRF, D-NeRF

Where were we: Boaz Barak proposed a “law of nature” that if there is a physical device that can make a certain computation C, then there is a quantum circuit that computes C. 1/11

@boazbaraktcs @quantum_aram @AspectStalence @RosenblumSerge

Aram remarked that Boaz's proposed law is a variant of the strong Church Turing thesis. Correct! 2/11

I proposed a refinement of the general law. There are cases where we can analyse classes of devices (or natural processes) and can conclude that for them there is even a classical circuit that computes what they compute. 3/11

I gave a few examples 1) Computations that take place in Boaz's laptop can be carried out by a classical circuit.
4/11

2) Computations carried out by Boaz's brain can be carried out by a classical circuit. 5/11

#SamsungUnpacked
1/9
THREAD ABOUT SAMSUNG and my Disappointment:

Samsung, when are you gonna make a device again which makes the fans not being disappointed in you?

In the past couple of years, when i watch Unpacked, my reaction is not "Awesome" or "Cool" or "i like that"

2/9
mostly it's "Oh no, another disappointment"

Why?
A few reasons here:
Removing Headphone jack, Removing Iris Sensor, Removing SD Slot, Removing Charger, Removing Headphones, Removing Heart rate Sensor, Removing IR Blaster, yet still Increasing prices and so on and so on.

3/9
I use your products for over a decade and i never was so disappointed in you like in the past (2 to 3 years)
You were a company that listened to the consumers.

If we weren't happy with or about something, you changed it with the next S or Note Device.

4/9
But now, all that counts is just the Money and that's actually pretty sad.

You mock Apple and other companies, just to follow them a few weeks or months later.

I appreciate your commitment to new technology and innovation but i CAN NOT support you with your decisions you

5/9
made in the past 2 to 3 years.

It makes me sad to see which path you're taking and that you don't care that you leave your roots.

But hey, who am i, right? I don't have millions of followers. So no reason to listen to me?!

So, I am late but I need to say two or three things.
Ppl who follow me know I was against D’s resurrection plot because like this S1 and S2 were written for nothing. But Dilsha is here and I read comments about Miran being a crying baby +
#Hercai

+which is true but the problem here is that he cried too much for her loss in S1&S2, thus we are kind of fed up. But now comes my famous BUT:
This man just discovered that his dead thought mother is alive. The woman he in first place took revenge for bc she was+
#Hercai #ReyMir

+ apparently raped (lie) and killed (lie). The man who was mentally abused for 27y by his grandmother and who nearly drove him crazy. Miran lived so many moments of abandonment and loss and for what: for a big, fat overall LIE. +
#Hercai #ReyMir

+ He was never allowed to sit on his grandmothers lap, he never received a warm caress or embrace. He was emotionally and empathetically drained. So, his heart continued beating because there was the last bit of motherly love in it that survived+
#Hercai #ReyMir

+ and kept him alive although exposed to harshness, coldness and hate of Azize. It was that last bit of mother love, which later with Reyyan’s love, made him not loose his mind.
#Hercai #ReyMir

Trump dead-ender Eric Metaxas continues to insist that nobody has provided an explanation of why Georgia election workers allegedly pulled out a "suitcase" full of votes after observers were sent home on election night. https://t.co/EeKBkkdDqP

The British Railway Mania

How a disruptive technology created the biggest speculative bubble in the history of England

/THREAD/

1/ Railways were the most disruptive technology of the 19th century, known as the "railway age", transforming England from an agricultural to an industrialized nation.

2/ The development of railway infrastructure and locomotives started at the end of the 18th century but experienced immense growth after 1830.

3/ Hundreds of railway related bills were passed every year with proposed rails totaling 10,000 miles, a third of which was never built due to poor financial planning, competition, or fraud.

4/ In the mid-1840s, the Bank of England cut interest rates rendering government bonds unattractive, and investors more willing to rush in the railway investments.

Thread: In communism poetry is a capital crime.

This poem was used as evidence by the communist prosecutors in the 1958 treason trial of Romanian poet and journalist Radu Gyr. Gyr was aligned in his youth with the nationalist movement Legion Of Archangels Michael & Gabriel.

Radu Gyr's first stint in prison lasted 1 year and happened during the pro-fascist regime of Gen. Ioan Antonescu, who aligned Romania with Nazi Germany. After one year behind bars he was freed on parole and sent to fight on the Eastern front in WWII.

Sending political dissidents on the front lines to be killed was one of the methods used by the fascist Antonescu regime government to punish former members of the Legion. Radu Gyr returned home a disabled veteran after he was wounded in battle.

In 1958 the communist authorities were in full swing with their plans to collectivize Romanian agriculture. The government was confiscating all farming land from the farmers and landowners and pushing everybody into CAPs -collective agricultural production farms.

As America celebrates its defeat of an authoritarian in the middle of consolidating power, it is critical to stay vigilant.

In my @BylineTimes interview with historian @ruthbenghiat she cautions these so-called “strongmen” often remain in the party’s

1/ Historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat’s latest book, Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present, details the precise moment in time when fascism was born.

2/ “World War One was this cataclysmic change,” she told Byline Times. “Multiple empires fell, including the Russian Empire, Hapsburg Empire, the Ottoman Empire. It created death on a scale no one had seen before. It created wounds no one had seen before because of new weapons.”

3/ In addition, the Great War led to a profound crisis in maleness.

4/ “It created this entire class of men who were damaged, many were killed, and it created this huge crisis of masculinity,” she said. “So fascist rulers came up during this crisis period of unrest and instability in their individual countries and Italy was first.”

"In Wake of Black Lives Matter Protests, New York Attorney General Wants Federal Monitor to Oversee NYPD for Civil Rights Abuses"

@NewYorkStateAG is holding a press conference soon, and I will update this developing story. https://t.co/XuH44IdqjJ via @lawcrimenews

NYAG's federal complaint is embedded in the story.

NYAG James's press conference is ongoing.

Live stream

NYAG speaks of her investigation into civil rights abuse:

"What we found was an egregious abuse of police power, rampant excessive use of force and leadership unable and unwilling to stop it."

NYAG James:

"This lawsuit seeks broad injunctive relief, including systemic reforms to the NYPD and a monitor to oversee the NYPD's compliance with the law."

NYAG:

"Since the end of May 2020, my office has received more than 1,300 complaints and pieces of evidence about the NYPD misconduct. We have also received 300 submissions of written evidence."

1/ PROFILE THREAD: So just who were the people who entered the Capitol on the afternoon of January 6th? If you believe the media they were wealthy, well-armed, white nationalists seeking to overthrow the government - a riotous insurgency. Here are the stories of a few of them:

Daily Bookmarks to GAVNet 01/14/2021

Days after a Capitol insurrection that left 5 people dead, and as we learn of domestic terrorism threats ahead of inauguration, I still can't wrap my head around House Republicans having a full-blown tantrum about having to walk through a metal detector.

What is going on here?

At best, these GOP lawmakers are embarrassingly entitled.

At worst, they’re sneaking guns onto the House floor and don't want to get caught -- and terrifying their colleagues in the meantime.

These are actual quotes from House Republicans reacting to have to walk through a metal detector to get onto the House floor.

“Horse shit!”

“You are creating a problem you do not understand the ramifications of!”

“You can’t stop me, I’m on my way to a vote!"

The Capitol Police officers by the metal detector -- some of whom just saved these lawmakers' lives last week -- had to stand there and get yelled at, and be told the situation is "unconstitutional."

There is nothing in the Constitution about walking through a metal detector.

Never mind that you're not allowed to bring a gun onto the House floor, which it sure sounds like Rep. Madison Cawthorn did.

Some lawmakers are afraid of EACH OTHER. Some are raising concerns about Trump allied-lawmakers being conspirators with the violent insurrectionists.

Thread: Here's the most fun & frivolous tech news today: Railway Operation Depot in the Chinese city Dalian just published an article on their harrowing journey racing to restore the old version of Flash after Adobe's ban, which collapsed their system and paralyzed the railway /1

The article was written a bureaucratic, propaganda, war diary style, with a detailed timeline down to minutes. "Jan 12, 8:16, Depot received malfunction report. The computer system stopped displaying pages...within 30 mins, computers in the entire depot had the same prob" /2

"After calls and online searches, we identified the source of the issue is American company Adobe's comprehensive ban of Flash content" /3

"8:41, IT department held an emergency meeting & took on four urgent measures: 1. informed supervisors and higher-ups 2. immediately started searching for alternatives to solve page inaccessible issue 3. founded a software task force 4. founded a hardware task force" /4

..."12:10 we temporarily maintained the stability of the depot"
..."13:00 a second crisis meeting was held to address three deeply rooted issues"
..."14:11 another crisis erupted. We are no longer able to print pages, again" /5

A tour of front pages this morning, starting with the Arizona Republic: “AGAIN.” Above the banner: “Donald J. Trump becomes first president in history to be impeached twice, as House charges him with inciting Capitol riot” 1/

LA Times: "TRUMP IMPEACHED FOR A SECOND TIME” 2/

The Washington Post: “Trump impeached again” Subhead 1: “An isolated president has few willing to defend him.” Subhead 2: Senate trial is likely to occur after departure” 3/

Miami Herald: “IMPEACHED AGAIN: House Democrats and 10 Republicans say Trump should be ousted for ‘incitement of insurrection’ but trial is likely to come after he leaves office”

The Times of Gainesville, Ga.: “House votes to impeach Trump: 10 Republicans join in historic 2nd charge over Capitol assault”

THREAD: Remote Teaching
I’ve spoken to a few people recently about our remote teaching approach and thought I’d share some of our ideas here for anyone who many find them useful.
1. We use Google Classroom and post lessons which include videos, Google Forms and any other docs

2. Classrooms are set up so that lessons are saved as ‘Topics’ each week. The Topic is named as Term/Week/Date for easy navigation. This is consistent so that Classrooms all look similar to pupils to provide a sense of routine - just like you would in a lesson

3. We have a dummy Classroom which all teachers can access which includes Classrooms for all subjects - this gives us a ‘pupil view’ to make it easier to help if parents ask for support and means we can share lessons across subjects and direct to good models

4. We chose to collapse our timetable rather than continue with our own classes. Our suggested timetable is at least 5 hours per day but includes more Art, Music, PSHE than our usual timetable as we felt that was appropriate to support pupils at this time

5. In most subjects, one person looks after the whole year group. This includes making lessons, looking after the GC, dealing with Qs, & giving feedback for that year group. Subjects have a max. of 3 lessons per week/year group supplemented with Bedrock Vocab & other platforms.