"The unlicensed use of creative works for training generative AI is a major, unjust threat to the livelihoods of the people behind those works, and must not be permitted." - Statement on AI Training Musicians, actors, and writers worldwide are signing their names to a statement opposing artificial intelligence companies and developers using their work without a license. According to Billboard, the statement …
“Dear Sydney” Ad from Google Gemini Ruffled A Few Feathers
Letter writing is a lost art. Think about it. When was the last time you handwrote or typed a personal letter and dropped it in the mail? When was the last time you received a real letter in the mail? Maybe Google's AI assistant (Gemini) can help to bring letter writing back into fashion. Seems like an innocent enough idea. Yet, the feel-good Team USA commercial where this idea is unveiled is receiving some …
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Coach Prime and the Sanders Family Are On the Menu
Not every athlete is an entertainer, but Deion Sanders has always been both, and his flashy brand of bravado is made for today's media culture. Sanders, a.k.a. Neon Deion, a.k.a. Coach Prime, is a sensation on the sideline, in the announcer's booth, in the locker room, in a new Amazon Prime series, in his oldest son's collection of made-for-social-media videos, in several new SI articles, on 60 Minutes, and in a …
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“Trust Your Spirit,” Your Gut, and Your Choice of Bourbon
Some musicians spend a lot of time in bars because bars have stages and people who like to dance. Bars and their patrons help musicians make their way in the world and that's something. It doesn't mean that the musicians drink more than anyone else, or that they favor a particular bourbon (if they do drink). Maybe they do, maybe they don't. Whatever the sitch, it helps to have the talent on your side and in this new …
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Thriller: Ryan Gosling Escapes with A New TAG Heuer Carrera
Actors. They're always acting. Ryan Gosling, for instance. Even when he's lifting an expensive timepiece, he's acting like it's no big deal. But it is a big deal. No one—not even a Hollywood movie star—walks off with a TAG Heuer Carrera and gets away with it. https://youtu.be/DDKKB5KaROU The watches in this heritage collection from TAG Heuer range in price from $3200 to $24,050 (expensive, but well within …
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Six Early Releases to Whet the Appetite for the Big Game
The Kansas City Chiefs play the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday in Super Bowl LVII. The program's commercials, which cost $7M for 30 seconds of airtime during the game, already overrunneth. So, let's indulge in a great American pastime and take a look at some early releases ahead of Sunday's game. Door …
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How Much Do You Really Know About Monosodium Glutamate?
Americans pour mountains of salt onto their food. We also reflexively say, "No, thank you," to Monosodium Glutamate, which could lower one's salt intake. We've been saying no to MSG for decades, but why? According to one of MSG's leading manufacturers—Ajinomoto—MSG's bad reputation is both undeserved and rooted in racism. In the 1960s, a wave of anti‐Asian xenophobia created a nationwide panic about MSG. This …
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Jane Lynch Enjoys Illinois, Invites You To Do Likewise
"Enjoy Illinois" is the new travel and tourism campaign for the Land of Lincoln. The two words (Enjoy Illinois) rhyme, are easy to recall and suggest good times ahead. https://youtu.be/hTnlUw2yeF8 I also like the positioning line used in the campaign, "Welcome to the middle of everything." For the state of Illinois, it's the perfect tagline. The state is a bit east of center geographically speaking, but when it …
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