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Hubris. One would think that a married man smart enough to start up and operate his own tech company was also smart enough to know that you don't take your girlfriend to a public concert where the equipment includes a jumbotron -- unless you want to get caught on the big camera with your arms around said girlfriend. Ah, but for Andy Bryon, CEO of A company called Astronomer, and also maybe his wife, Wednesday was a night that will live in infamy. New York Times link. ~~~

New York Times: “The New York Times Company has agreed to license its editorial content to Amazon for use in the tech giant’s artificial intelligence platforms, the company said on Thursday. The multiyear agreement 'will bring Times editorial content to a variety of Amazon customer experiences,' the news organization said in a statement. Besides news articles, the agreement encompasses material from NYT Cooking, The Times’s food and recipe site, and The Athletic, which focuses on sports. This is The Times’s first licensing arrangement with a focus on generative A.I. technology. In 2023, The Times sued OpenAI and its partner, Microsoft, for copyright infringement, accusing the tech companies of using millions of articles published by The Times to train automated chatbots without any kind of compensation. OpenAI and Microsoft have rejected those accusations.” ~~~

~~~ Marie: I have no idea what this means for "the Amazon customer experience." Does it mean that if I don't have a NYT subscription but do have Amazon Prime I can read NYT content? And where, exactly, would I find that content? I don't know. I don't know.

Washington Post reporters asked three AI image generators what a beautiful woman looks like. "The Post found that they steer users toward a startlingly narrow vision of attractiveness. Prompted to show a 'beautiful woman,' all three tools generated thin women, without exception.... Her body looks like Barbie — slim hips, impossible waist, round breasts.... Just 2 percent of the images showed visible signs of aging. More than a third of the images had medium skin tones. But only nine percent had dark skin tones. Asked to show 'normal women,' the tools produced images that remained overwhelmingly thin.... However bias originates, The Post’s analysis found that popular image tools struggle to render realistic images of women outside the Western ideal." ~~~

~~~ Marie: The reporters seem to think they are calling out the AI programs for being unrealistic. But there's a lot about the "beautiful women" images they miss. I find these omissions remarkably sexist. For one thing, the reporters seem to think AI is a magical "thing" that self-generates. It isn't. It's programmed. It's programmed by boys, many of them incels who have little or no experience or insights beyond comic books and Internet porn of how to gauge female "beauty." As a result, the AI-generated women look like cartoons; that is, a lot like an air-brushed photo of Kristi Noem: globs of every kind of dark eye makeup, Scandinavian nose, Botox lips, slathered-on skin concealer/toner/etc. makeup, long dark hair and the aforementioned impossible Barbie body shape, including huge, round plastic breasts.

New York Times: “George Clooney’s Broadway debut, 'Good Night, and Good Luck,' has been one of the sensations of the 2024-25 theater season, breaking box office records and drawing packed houses of audiences eager to see the popular movie star in a timely drama about the importance of an independent press. Now the play will become much more widely available: CNN is planning a live broadcast of the penultimate performance, on June 7 at 7 p.m. Eastern. The performance will be preceded and followed by coverage of, and discussion about, the show and the state of journalism.”

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Colorado

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Denver Post: "Incumbent Democrat Michael Bennet and Republican challenger Ken Buck remained locked in the country's closest U.S. Senate race as the vote tally stretched into the early morning." ...

... Update: "Appointed U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet will be elected to the U.S. Senate after pulling ahead of challenger Ken Buck this morning.... Returns from Denver and Boulder moved Bennet past Buck and into the lead, 47.5 percent to 47.1 percent."

AP: "For the second time, Colorado voters have overwhelmingly rejected an anti-abortion proposal that would have given unborn fetuses human rights in the state constitution."

NBC News projects that Colorado Democrat John Hickenlooper will win the governorship. Denver Post story here.

On the eve of the election Sarah Palin endorses xenophobic loon Tom Tancredo for governor.

Tom Tancredo Adds to His Racist Creds. Denver Post: "In stump speeches being delivered in outlying parts of the state, gubernatorial hopeful Tom Tancredo [inaccurately] inserted a racial component into a statement made by Barack Obama in 2008 and called the president a bigger threat to the United States than al-Qaeda.

There Is Something in that Tea They're Drinking. Colorado Republican Senate nominee Ken Buck "disagree[s] strongly with the concept of separation of church and state." He also thinks it horrible that President Obama calls the White House holiday tree a "holiday tree":

Republican Confused about Who His Opponent Is. KDVR Denver: "The latest television ad from [Republican] Cory Gardner attacking [Democrat] Betsy Markey is no longer running on FOX 31.... The ad, which attacked Rep. Markey for her vote in favor of the 2010 budget, even though she voted against it, has been replaced with another spot from Gardner's campaign. Apparently, the ad mistook the vote of Massachusetts Rep. Ed Markey, who did vote yes on the budget, for that of [Betsy] Markey...." Colorado's Markey is making an issue of the false ad.

Washington Examiner: "Former President Bill Clinton said Monday that electing tea party Republicans would be like returning to the 19th century as he rallied Colorado Democrats to stick with ... Sen. Michael Bennet, who is locked in a tough contest with Republican Ken Buck.

Eric Lach of Talking Points Memo, October 16: "Colorado Senate candidates Ken Buck (R) and incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet (D) met for a debate on Meet The Press this morning and sparred on the budget, the Tea Party and flip-flops. But the most controversial moment came when host David Gregory asked Buck if he believes that being gay is a choice. Buck responded that he thought it was a choice, but allowed that "birth has an influence over it, like alcoholism and some other things."

Sen. Michael Bennet runs this ad against Ken Buck:

CW Note: what Buck calls a "consumption tax" is just another name for the value-added tax (VAT) common in European countries. A Time commenter (diecash1) asks, "Wouldn't that make America more like those socialist/commie/America-hating Europeans? ... Maybe all of those TPers can look into it."

Scot Kersgaard of the Colorado Independent: in 2005, Ken Buck, then a county DA, now the Republican nominee for the Senate, declined to prosecute a man accused of date-rape even though the man essentially confessed to the crime. Kersgaard posts a transcript [pdf] of Buck's interview with the victim in which Buck "appears to all but blame her for the rape." Later, Buck said a jury might find the victim guilty of "buyer's remorse." More from the Colorado Independent on this story here.

Ian Millhiser of Think Progress: "... Colorado GOP Senate candidate Ken Buck falsely claimed ... that American schools have declined since the 1950s because of increased federal involvement in education.... Buck’s claim that American schools are worse now than they were in the 1950s is laughably wrong." With video. Millhiser rightly invokes this Norman Rockwell painting to point to the major effect the federal government has had on education:

CW: I'll let Rachel Maddow catch you up on the A-Maes-ing Colorado comedy classic:

Denver Mayor & Colorado gubernatorial candidate John Hickenlooper showers with his clothes on:

Denver Post: "Republican Dan Maes rejected a proposal from third-party candidate and former Republican congressman Tom Tancredo that they both drop out of the governor’s race so the GOP could appoint a more formidable candidate to take on Democrat John Hickenlooper. In an unusual move, the offer was delivered by GOP chair Dick Wadhams to Maes in person."

David Catanese & Jonathan Martin of Politico: "Meet Ken Buck: New York native, Princeton graduate, former Justice Department lawyer, tea party favorite and, as of Tuesday night, the Republican nominee for Senate in Colorado."

Denver Post: "Colorado Republican leadership Wednesday struggled to accept Dan Maes as the gubernatorial nominee, as any attempts to force him out of the race — at least at this point — were considered futile." ...

... Dave Weigel in Slate: in gubernatorial nominee Dan Maes, Colorado Republicans are "stuck with a paler, less amusing Alvin Greene."

David Catanese of Politico: what Michael Bennet (of Colorado) did right -- a lot.

Denver Post, August 13: "Sen. Michael Bennet used a Democratic unity rally [with Andrew Romanoff] to take his first detailed shots Thursday against his Republican opponent, calling Ken Buck out on Social Security, student loans and tax breaks for the wealthy."

Denver Post: "Ken Buck defeated Jane Norton in the GOP primary for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, setting up a general election this fall that pits an establishment Democrat against a scrappy, Tea Party-backed opponent."

Denver Post: "Poised for an improbable triumph, Republican Dan Maes took the stage just before midnight to declare victory over former Congressman Scott McInnis for the GOP gubernatorial nomination. Maes - an unknown, underfinanced gubernatorial candidate who has never held public office - defeated McInnis by more than 1 percentage point, 50.6 percent to 49.3 percent, with 100 percent of the vote counted."

Kirk Johnson of the New York Times: Sen. Michael Bennet's win in the Colorado Democratic primary & Republican establishment favorite Jane Norton's loss bode well for President Obama & the Democrats.

Denver Post: in Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet held back a challenge from House Speaker Andrew Romanoff to win the Democratic primary for Senate.

The Denver Post's Election 2010 page has several stories about today's Colorado primary.

Colorado Senate candidates Norton, Buck, Romanoff & Bennet. New York Times & AP photos.New York Times: "With the fierce duels to be settled [in Colorado] Tuesday, independent analysts and party operatives say the contests between Republicans Ken Buck and Jane Norton and Democrats Michael Bennet and Andrew Romanoff are close, making it uncertain which two contenders will be left standing to compete in November for a seat that appears up for grabs."

Denver Post: Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Hickenlooper announced Joe Garcia, president of CSU-Pueblo, as his running mate. "If elected, Garcia would be the state's first Hispanic lieutenant governor." ...

... Plus here's a quick look at the disastrous Republican candidates -- and Tom Tancredo! who is running as a teabagger or independent or white people's candidate -- whatever.

Oh, no! Denver Post: "Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes is warning voters that Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper's policies, particularly his efforts to boost bike riding, are 'converting Denver into a United Nations community.'"

Denver's 9 News: "Three key staffers for Republican Scott McInnis quit Friday [July 16] as the gubernatorial candidate fights off charges of plagiarism."

The Plagiarist. Denver Post: "Although GOP gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis presented his 'Musings on Water' for publication as original works, portions are identical and nearly identical to an essay on water written 20 years earlier by now-Colorado Supreme Court Justice Gregory J. Hobbs. A Clemson University expert who reviewed McInnis' work next to Hobbs' essay called it a clear case of plagiarism of both words and ideas." ...

... AP: Oops, sorry, Mr. Justice. ...

... AP Update: "A researcher whom Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis blamed for plagiarism allegations said Wednesday he won't sign a letter from the campaign owning up to what happened because he claims McInnis is lying."

Politico: "White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton confirms ... that [the Obama Administration] had no heads-up about Bill Clinton's [Colorado Senate challenger] Andrew Romanoff endorsement."

Denver Post: "Former President Bill Clinton endorsed Democratic grassroots underdog Senate hopeful Andrew Romanoff Tuesday, calling Colorado a better place because of his leadership in the state house." President Clinton's full statement.

The Political Genius of Rahm Emanuel (or Whoever) Jim Messina. Philip Elliott of the AP: "Administration officials dangled the possibility of a job for former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff last year in hopes he would forgo a challenge to Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, administration officials said Wednesday, just days after the White House admitted orchestrating a similar job offer in the Pennsylvania Senate race." ...

... Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post has more details. Cillizza's story has now been updated to include reference to the White House statement, linked below. Cillizza includes Romanoff's full statement, which is misleading if the White House statement is truthful.) ...

... Update: the White House issued a statement about the so-called Romanoff offer that refutes the essence of the story:

Andrew Romanoff applied for a position at USAID during the Presidential transition. He filed this application through the Transition on-line process. After the new administration took office, he followed up by phone with White House personnel. Jim Messina called and emailed Romanoff last September to see if he was still interested in a position at USAID, or if, as had been reported, he was running for the US Senate.

Denver Post: "Andrew Romanoff won more than 60 percent of state delegates Saturday, pushing him to the top line of the Democrats' primary ballot [for U.S. Senate] over Sen. Michael Bennet and giving his supporters new hope for August."

CQ Politics: "At the Republican convention, county prosecutor Ken Buck won 77 percent of the delegate vote to easily secure the top spot on the GOP primary ballot [for U.S. Senate].... His chief rival, former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton, decided to skip the convention and instead collect signatures to achieve ballot access."