While AI is an interesting technology in the world of photos, videos, search engines, advertising, etc. etc., and with a myriad of legal and ethical concerns, it is my belief that there is NO SUCH THING as Artificial Intelligence.

I have used AI to produce strange and weird images, and will likely continue to do so...because it's fun!

Before retirement, I was in the IT field for many decades, and back even in the 2000's, the term and delivery of AI was in its infancy. It was the belief then, as now, that AI is produced by humans, humans writing computer programs, and as such takes on the characteristics and leanings of its authors/developers. A computer cannot think, it is just a series of 0's and 1's, created by some human, with a myriad of IF-THEN-ELSE logic. A computer cannot have emotions. When an AI deliverer want his program to react in a certain way, he programs it that way...it is a reflection of the developer. Such it is with AI that has permeated the world today.

While the term and delivery of AI is here to stay, we should always remember that in using AI, we are catering to the whims of the developer(s). We should not assign "intelligence" to a machine that can have no intelligence.

First of all I have lost count of how much money I have happily spent at BnH. Every single experience I have had at BnH has been positive. Absolutely no complaints from me what so ever. So what's going on now?

I opened a Payboo account. With this account you can buy what you want, and depending on how much you spend you get so many months of interest free payments.

I bought $6200.00 worth of new gear expecting several months to pay it off so I wouldn't by paying any interest.

I received my first invoice today from Payboo and they charged me $134.00 in interest.

I am not done with BnH by any means. Since i don't have $6,000 sitting around to pay this off tomorow I guess I have no other option except to withdraw money from my pension account to pay off this balance and say good bye to Payboo.

So what's up BnH?

Totality is when the moon blocks all the light from the sun, and even then the Path of totality is a stripe 50- 100 miles wide -- as you get further from the path of totality you then see a partial eclipse -meaning the sun is not totally blocked.
I am located roughly 200 miles from the path of totality, and even in that small distance I am only 91% Total

The easiest way to understand the big picture here is to remember that the earth's orbit around the sun is an ellipse (not a circle) and the Moon's orbit around the earth is also an ellipse.
So for a total eclipse to occur the moon has to be close enough to the earth to block the whole sun, but even then the darkest part of the moon's shadow (the Umbra) is only about 50- 100 miles wide (depending on how far the moon is from the earth at the time of the eclipse). If you move outside of that you start to see a bit of the sun thus for YOU the eclipse is partial. And a sliver of the sun can cause the same damage as the whole sun.
I hope this helps

If you are at 91% "totality", you are not in totality at all. You are in a partial total eclipse only - no totality at all. You need to go to where you are in total shadow (100%), not partial shadow (91%). If you are in the area of total shadow, during totality you will need no filters for your camera, phone, or eyes. Otherwise, you will need your solar glasses for your eyes before and after true totality. And unless the glasses are big enough to cover the full front of the camera lens or all of the lenses on your phone, your glasses should not be used for them. There is a chance that the light going around the glasses will cause damage. It is not worth the risk.

THIS is pretty interesting. Even if you're Not a Bible scholar - but a little knowledge would help.
The First major US eclipse happened in 2017. Now 7 years later (7 is a significant number) we have another one.
Taken together the eclipses cross over what could be a significant location.
AND - 40 days later (yeah - 40 is also a significant number) is Pentacost. OK - 41 days. Close enough.
Ever since the Star of Bethlehem (and before and after) signs have been in the sky.
Here's hoping He will call his church home sooner rather than later.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUx54CBptTY
Please be kind and avoid ANY comments that might send this to the attic.