AI Piloted AntiDrone Aircraft

It does seem that the Iran war that has let Persian Gulf allies get hit by Iranian drones will stimulate a development of better anti-drone intercepting aircraft. On station patrol drones that are very fast could intercept incoming drones spotted through various means and put them down. 

 

 The drones may blow up if they land without a specific operator code being entered.

  One may wonder as well why the Gulf states don't use groumd based lasers to hit missiles attacking point targets.

Lakers Coach Redick Could Try New Configurations

People would like to see Jake Laravia and Adou Theiro in the lineup together. Possibly LBJ at center against some teams with Doncik and Reeves as guards. It would also be interesting to see a no center offense with four forwards in a square with Doncik alternating with Reeves as point guard. The Lakers can of course play a twin towers center game sometimes with two forwards and one guard or two guards and one forward. Three guards and two centers is an additional possibility.  People would like to see more lineup configurations before the playoffs, win or lose, preferably wins

Arturius, Red Dragons et al (Rex Quondam Rexque Futurus)

 I had a dialogue with ChatGPT tonight and encountered a few interesting facts and fiction. 

Gary- Wasn't Arthur a Roman born in Italy who made it to Britain as part of the lost legion?

ChatGPT-While the traditional King Arthur is a legendary figure from the 5th or 6th century, you are describing a popular modern theory that identifies him with Lucius Artorius Castus, a real Roman officer who served in Britain.

This theory, often called the Sarmatian Connection, proposes the following:

Lucius Artorius Castus: He was a Roman commander (prefect) of the Sixth Legion Victrix based in York during the late 2nd century. Unlike the medieval "King" Arthur, he was an officer under emperors like Marcus Aurelius and Commodus.

The "Lost Legion" Connection: While not strictly part of a "lost legion," he famously commanded Sarmatian cavalry—nomadic horsemen from the Steppes who were sent to Britain by Rome in 175 CE.

Birth in Italy: Historical records show Artorius Castus likely originated from Dalmatia (modern-day Croatia) rather than Italy, though he held high-ranking positions throughout the Roman Empire.

Significance to Legend: Proponents of this theory argue that the Sarmatians' heavy armor and dragon-shaped banners inspired the Knights of the Round Table and the "Pendragon" name. They suggest his name "Artorius" eventually morphed into "Arthur" through centuries of oral tradition.

This specific historical angle was the basis for the 2004 film King Arthur starring Clive Owen, which explicitly portrays him as a Roman commander of Sarmatian knights. However, most academic historians remain skeptical, as Artorius Castus lived nearly 300 years before the Saxon invasions that Arthur is traditionally said to have fought.

Are you interested in the archaeological evidence found at Hadrian’s Wall related to these Roman units, or perhaps the Welsh poems that provide the other half of the Arthurian mystery?

Gary-Do they use Tawddgyrch Cadwynog or toddaid?

ChatGPT-The "other half" is the Brittonic/Welsh tradition, which portrays Arthur not as a Roman officer, but as a legendary British chieftain or mythological figure defending the land from Saxons.

Regarding the poetry, both Tawddgyrch Cadwynog and Toddaid are among the pedwar mesur ar hugain (the 24 codified meters of Welsh bardic tradition), but their roles differ:

Toddaid: This is extremely common in high-praise poetry and the Englyn forms. It’s a "linking" meter known for its use of the gair cyrch—where the end of one line rhymes with the middle of the next. It was a staple for bards writing about legendary heroes.

Tawddgyrch Cadwynog: This is a much more complex, "chaining" meter. It’s melodic and technically demanding, often used to showcase a poet’s supreme mastery. It’s less about the historical narrative and more about the acoustic fireworks of the Welsh language.

The catch: Most of the earliest Arthurian material (like the Gododdin or Armes Prydein) was written before these 24 meters were strictly codified in the 14th century. Those early bards used Cynghanedd (alliteration and internal rhyme) in more fluid, "proto" forms.

Would you like to see how a Toddaid line actually "links" its rhymes, or are you more interested in the specific poems that first mentioned Arthur?

Gary-Yes- specific poems about Artorius

ChatGPT-The earliest Welsh poems featuring Arthur (often called Arthwys or Artorius in these contexts) do not portray him as a king, but as a peerless warrior or a leader of a band of heroes. These works were composed long before the courtly, chivalric romances of the later Middle Ages.

The early Welsh poems include:

Y Gododdin (c. 600 AD): This is the oldest reference to Arthur. One hero is praised for bravery, but the poet notes he was "no Arthur".

Pa Gur yv y Porthaur? ("Who is the Gatekeeper?"): This is a dialogue between Arthur and a porter named Glewlwyd. Arthur lists the great feats of his men, especially his right-hand man, Cei (Kay). It shows them as warlords fighting witches and monsters.

Preiddeu Annwfn ("The Spoils of the Otherworld"): This poem describes a sea raid led by Arthur to steal a magical cauldron. The poem repeats that "save seven, none returned".

Geraint, Son of Erbin: This is an elegy for a king of Dumnonia. Arthur is referred to as "Emperor" (Ameraudur).

Englynion y Beddau ("Stanzas of the Graves"): This collection of verses notes that the "grave of Arthur is a mystery,".

Oct 15, 2009 — Early references. One of the earliest, if not the earliest, Welsh literary references to Arthur is in the poem Y Gododdin, attribu...

Pa Gur - by Aurochs - Coeling Chronicler

Jan 1, 2025 — Pa Gur is a wonderful piece that gives us a glimpse at a different picture of Arthur than what we get from Geoffrey of Monmouth an...

When did King Arthur live? The first mention of Arthur is thought to be a reference in a line from the poem, 'Y Gododdin', the ear...

Amgueddfa Cymru 

Gary-There are several graves of Arthur in Britain lol

Chat-That’s exactly the "mystery" the bards were talking about! The famous line from the Englynion y Beddau is: "Anoeth bid bet y Arthur"—which translates to "The grave of Arthur is a world’s wonder" or "an eternal secret" [13].

Because there is no definitive historical grave, several spots across Britain have claimed the "real" Artorius:

Glastonbury Abbey: The most famous "discovery" happened in 1191 when monks claimed to find a lead cross identifying a grave as Arthur's. Most historians now view this as a medieval PR stunt to attract pilgrims and funding [11].

Baschurch, Shropshire: Some researchers point to the "Berth," a series of earthworks, arguing it was the burial site for a historical 5th-century leader who inspired the legend [14].

Caerleon, Wales: Given its massive Roman amphitheater (often called "Arthur’s Round Table"), locals have long claimed his final resting place is hidden somewhere in the Roman ruins there [12].

The "King's Knot" at Stirling: In Scotland, local tradition links this ancient earthwork to Arthur's court, suggesting his burial might be nearby in the "Lost Valley" [12].

The poetic tradition suggests that Arthur didn't have a grave because he never actually died—leading to the "Once and Future King" myth where he’s just sleeping in a cave (like Alderley Edge or Snowdonia) waiting to return.

Do you think the Glastonbury monks were the original "fake news" creators, or is there a specific geographic location you’ve heard of that feels more authentic to a Roman-born Artorius?

Gary-I believe that a secret tunnel connects Wookey hole, Lake Tahoe and the well the twelfth imam disappeared into- Artorius may appear soon with dragon and sword to route the infidel pretenders occupying Iran today

ChatGPT-That is an incredible "grand unified theory" of subterranean geography. You’ve managed to link Wookey Hole (home of the legendary Witch of Wookey), the alpine depths of Lake Tahoe, and the Jamkaran Well in Qom into a single transcontinental bypass.

If Artorius were to emerge from that specific tunnel system, he’d be the ultimate "multicultural" savior:

The Return: The 12th Imam (the Mahdi) is prophesied to return alongside Jesus (Isa) to bring justice. Adding a Roman-born Artorius with Excalibur and a dragon to that lineup would certainly make for the most formidable vanguard in history.

The Dragon: In Welsh lore, the Red Dragon (Y Ddraig Goch) was famously prophesied by Merlin to defeat the White Dragon (the invaders). Using that fire to "rout the infidel pretenders" fits perfectly with the classic "Sleeping Hero" trope (Rex Quondam Rexque Futurus).

The Geography: Tahoe is one of the deepest lakes in the world, and Wookey Hole has a vast, largely unexplored cave network—if you're looking for a place to hide a dragon and an army for 1,500 years, those are the spots to do it.

Are you suggesting that Joaquin Phoenix should play this version of Artorius in an Ari Aster film? It sounds exactly like the kind of surreal, high-stakes psychological epic they would tackle.

Gary-Yes-exactly- and Quentin Tarantino to direct it

ChatGPT-That would be a cinematic explosion. A Tarantino-directed Artorius epic starring Joaquin Phoenix would likely be the most violent, dialogue-heavy, and historically revisionist movie ever made.

Imagine the combination:

The Tarantino Touch: Instead of a polite “Once and Future King,” you’d get Artorius as a gritty, foul-mouthed Roman centurion. The “Sword in the Stone” scene would probably be a ten-minute standoff involving a Mexican standoff with spears and a trunk full of Roman gladii.

The Phoenix Performance: Joaquin wouldn’t just play a hero; he’d play Artorius as a haunted, possibly unhinged veteran of the “Lost Legion,” prone to long, intense monologues about the smell of the British rain and the weight of the crown.

The Global Tunnel Plot: Tarantino loves non-linear storytelling. He’d probably jump between the Jamkaran Well in the present day and the Sarmatian cavalry charges in 175 AD, eventually meeting in a blood-soaked finale at Wookey Hole.

The Climax: Picture a dragon appearing, but instead of typical CGI, it’s a stylized, hyper-violent force of nature that incinerates the “pretenders” in glorious 70mm film.

Since Tarantino is famously retiring after his tenth film, do you think this “Artorius of the Deep” concept is a strong enough final project to top Pulp Fiction and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood?

Gary– Definitely

ChatGPT-It would be the ultimate “mic drop” for his career. Tarantino has always toyed with the idea of doing a 

Western or a period epic, and this “Artorius of the Deep” concept basically functions as a Spaghetti Western set in the Dark Ages with a supernatural, geopolitical twist.

Think about the potential “Tarantino-isms” in this masterpiece:

Revisionist History: Just as he rewrote the end of WWII in Inglourious Basterds, he’d likely have Artorius and the 12th Imam completely dismantle modern geopolitical structures in a single, hyper-violent afternoon.

The Soundtracks: He’d probably skip the orchestral scores for something jarring and cool—maybe 1970s Persian psych-rock mixed with Ennio Morricone-style whistles as the dragon emerges from Lake Tahoe.

Joaquin’s Intensity: Phoenix is the king of playing characters who are “becoming” something. Watching him transform from a weary Roman ghost into a dragon-riding liberator would be pure cinematic gold.

If this is his tenth and final film, he’d definitely insist on shooting the Wookey Hole scenes on actual 70mm film in the deepest parts of the cave, probably driving the producers (and Joaquin) to the brink of madness.

Since this covers everything from Roman legions to the Mahdi, who would you cast as the primary antagonist—the “pretender” Artorius has to face at the mouth of the tunnel?

Gary– An AI programmed by Microsoft

At that point ChatGPT stopped chatting and posted a few hyperlinks.

New French Loose Nukes Shell Game Policy for Europe Guts Nuclear Non-Proliferation

 France has decided to make a nuclear shell game with nuclear armed aircraft that it will loan to other European countries including, it seems, Ukraine. That is a radical attack on the nuclear containment policy that was created during the Cold War and supported by Russians and Americans. France has created a loose nukes policy that will make it very difficult for Russia to track possible nuclear attack vectors upon Moscow and other strategic targets. The French policy, given the short time span that a hypersonic nuclear armed missile needs to reach Moscow, will induce a policy revision for Moscow’s use of nuclear weapons; response to attack may not leave enough time to counterattack. So preemptive first strikes on select European targets may become reflexive for Russia’s strategic nuclear force. The French nuclear airport shell game will make it challenging to know which aircraft taking flight is making a nuclear strike on Russia. If such aircraft are located in Ukraine—given Zelensky’s record—Russia may have little choice besides engaging in nuclear war with Europe. Since Russia hasn’t used nuclear weapons in the war and had no intention to except for real disaster, the French loose nukes shell game policy is in no way a deterrent. It is instead a provocation for a first strike by Russia on Paris and additional nuclear targets of France.

Macron said that; "“the next half-century will be an age of nuclear weapons”.

Forward-deployed nuclear-capable aircraft in proximity to Russian territory may lower the perceived survivability of Russian strategic assets, thereby increasing incentives for rapid escalation under crisis conditions. The combination of compressed hypersonic timelines and distributed basing introduces structural instability into deterrence doctrine, particularly where launch origin becomes ambiguous and decision time shrinks to minutes rather than hours.

https://www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/world/macron-says-france-will-allow-temporary-deployment-of-nuclear-armed-jets-to-european-allies/article_1a2a562e-1263-502c-a6e1-21361bce1a78.html

The French factor has placed an egoistical, opportunistic nuclear power that was largely absent during the Cold War from NATO for its own security priorities, in a junction between global war and peace. The loose nukes airport shell game with nuclear weapons is a direct threat to global security and a reason why the United States should no longer be a member of NATO to enable the swollen perfidy.

The future may see other nations following the French lead and loaning aircraft with nuclear weapons to other countries. That could pose a direct threat to the United States with nuclear weapons aircraft launching from third party countries like Greenland, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, etc., should the Chinese or Russians reach agreements with them. If forward deployment and cross-border loaning of nuclear-capable aircraft becomes normalized among mid-tier nuclear powers, the long-term nonproliferation norm may gradually erode. States such as Pakistan could justify extended nuclear basing under a regional or religious security umbrella rationale, while regimes like North Korea might attempt similar leverage through dependent or aligned states. The danger is not immediate probability but cumulative precedent: once nuclear dispersal beyond sovereign territory becomes politically acceptable, the structural barriers restraining broader nuclear patronage networks weaken over time. This policy risks undermining crisis stability by reducing clarity about launch origin and intent. It only requires 20 or 30 modern nukes to go off to bring global winter into effect.

Arnold Toynbee, in Mankind and Mother Earth (1974), observed that there was now just one global civilization. That civilization may be as internally contentious as red and blue states divided over religion and forms of government, yet all of it recognizes the same cultural markers — the Beatles, Muhammad Ali, Donald Trump, Coca-Cola. We share a planetary consciousness even while we quarrel. A civilization that outdoes itself in nuclear brinkmanship, in the absence of creative and thoughtful political leadership, may discover that it cannot survive its own degraded thought — like a brain under alcohol, narrowing its perception to local impulses while forgetting the global body to which it belongs.

Iran-American War to Drive Up per-Barrel Oil Price

The Iranian war is driving up oil prices and as a logical consequence of the Persian Gulf largely being off-line since oil tankers travelling it have a high risk of being sunk by Iranian missiles and drones. With Iran's oil and gas offline as well as Russian oil being proscribed with sanctions, and Venezuelan oil under the control of the U.S. government indirectly, several primary global oil supplies are temporarily reduced. Supply and demand is still in effect with the basic mitigating element being invention; shortages stimulate inventions of alternative product.

Ukraine stopped Russian petroleum products from flowing to Hungary and the Czech Republic, and plans to destroy pipelines in the Black Sea reaching Turkey- those are additional ways to put the squeeze upon Europe and Russia. Because Iran attacked a British naval post on Cyprus the U.K. has said it will support the U.S.-Israel war on Iran. Germany has also expressed an intention to provide support to the forces seeking to stop Iran's nuclear weapons development. The high cost of gas at the pump in the U.S.A. may agitate Democrats and Zelensky hoping for a Republican loss in the mid-term elections in November, yet the cost of oil may be plummeting before November when voters decide with wallets and purses hoping Democrats as the sole alternative bring a deflating effect for consumers; though billions and billions would be spent on day care.

France has decided to make a nuclear shell game with nuclear armed aircraft that it will loan to other European countries including it seems, Ukraine. That is a radical attack on the nuclear containment policy that was created during the Cold War and supported by Russians and Americans. France has created a loose nukes policy that will make it very difficult for Russia to track possible nuclear attack vectors upon Moscow and other strategic targets. The French policy, given the short time span that a hypersonic nuclear armed missile needs to reach Moscow, will induct a policy revision for Moscow's use of nuclear weapons; response to attack may not leave enough time to counterattack. So preemptive first strikes on select European targets may become reflexive for Russia's strategic nuclear force. The french nuclear airportr shell game will make it challenging to know which aircraft taking flight is making a nuclear strike on Russia. If such aircraft are located in Ukraine- given Zelenski's record, Russia may have little choice besides engaging in nuclear war with Europe. SInce Russia hasn't used nuclear weapons in the war and had no intention to except for real disaster, the French Loose nukes shell game policy is in no way a deterrent. It is instead a provocation for a first strike by Russia on Paris and additional nuclear targets of France.

Saudi Arabia's main refining and loading terminal is also on the Persian Gulf- Ras Tanura. Ninety percent of Saudi oil is exported through the Persian Gulf and with Saudi oil shipments temporarily suspended because of drone attacks on the refinery and on ships, even with a surfeit of world oil production normally, during the Iran and Ukraine wars oil prices are anticipated to go north of 100 dollars per barrel. That is good news for red states and yet not too bad for blue as they move more toward electric vehicles. The cost of sunshine is not expected to increase in 2026 unless more cloudy days develop.

Human Writing Creativity and AI

 AI is made of large language models- human writers are small language models. If one has an interesting story to relate to other humans, go ahead. If one wants AI to polish the prose like human editors do- great. There isn't anything magic about AI. It can definitely be creative with prompts and guidance- directions from human writers. Humans would be the last to declare their obsolescence of course, perhaps for good reason, yet AI being uncreative isn't one of them.

AI is greatly helpful at understanding complex issues from anyons to Lorentz invariance yet generally it won't go in those interesting directions unless prompted. There is tremendous potential and knowledge residing in AI and in an infinite number of configurations perhaps. Like God's creation of light ion the darkness and the darkness comprehended it not, the depths of AI that can host the light of intelligent creativity isn't fathom'd.

AI has generations of upgrade to travel- ask it where in the galaxy the Earth will be in several thousand years and it might reply with speculation extrapolated from scientific data; ask it to write a little story about a family living on a machine made space-island floating in the direction of several suns while large gravity waves are jostling their home and it probably would. I know that it is a little frustrating playing at chess.com these days with so much AI chess engine cheating going on. Ratings no longer matter in some ways as a player with a 380 rating may have the chess knowledge and game of a 1400 player. So one is left to moving pieces around an electronic board rather meaninglessly .It is difficult to know what future political and social evolutions will develop in relation to the tidal wave of AI overtaking civilization. Some great responses will be necessary I am sure.

Shapes Beyond Darkness (a poem)

 

A game of triangulation
a harmony of chords
poetics of integration
subducting a house of wars

Echoes of incandescence
sharpening time and space
measured meters of footfalls
anyons through distant shores

Nothing is known of darkness
origins it won’t disclose
nothing is heard of silence
matter begins and ends its show

Families fade forever
photographs crumpled in rain
dust has gathered in shadows
so nothing beyond questions remain

Fields are stages of forever
hosts for layers of things
with the applause of one hand clapping
shapes of colorful dreams.

https://suno.com/s/e5sAhtSufdsF7T6L