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Posted

You know, there actually is one thing I enjoy about this moment in our cultural timeline.  That thing is how people absolutely, completely, and utterly debase themselves at the altar of a narcissist, thinking that in return, he will be loyal to them.  And every time, once the narcissist decides that the debaser no longer serves his needs, or he needs a scapegoat, he shivs the debaser.  So, now the debaser is utterly humiliated/emasculated AND stabbed dead.  It's funny.  Their stupidity and total surrender of all dignity for no good reason whatsoever amuses me.

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Posted
13 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

You know, there actually is one thing I enjoy about this moment in our cultural timeline.  That thing is how people absolutely, completely, and utterly debase themselves at the altar of a narcissist, thinking that in return, he will be loyal to them.  And every time, once the narcissist decides that the debaser no longer serves his needs, or he needs a scapegoat, he shivs the debaser.  So, now the debaser is utterly humiliated/emasculated AND stabbed dead.  It's funny.  Their stupidity and total surrender of all dignity for no good reason whatsoever amuses me.

The entire administration is chock full of debasers.

Posted
3 minutes ago, Colonel Sanders said:

I assume this dude is going to be the scapegoat when deliveries in Q2 disappoint already really low expectations. 

Naah, he'll blame it on him "making a huge mistake in putting the cybertruck plant in Austin, which is all about woke ideology, and the woke mind virus ruined our production" or some utterly batshit insane shit like that.

Which will make the stock price go up 10% immediately.

Posted
9 minutes ago, BrickHorn said:

New Surly motto?

Sure, why not? It's a rockin' song.

Got me a movie, I want you to know
Slicing up eyeballs, I want you to know
Girlie so groovy, I want you to know
Don't know about you, but I am un

Chien Andalusia, I am un
Chien Andalusia, I am un
Chien Andalusia, I am un
Chien Andalusia, wanna grow up to be

Be a debaser

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Posted
1 hour ago, bolverk said:

Sure, why not? It's a rockin' song.

Got me a movie, I want you to know
Slicing up eyeballs, I want you to know
Girlie so groovy, I want you to know
Don't know about you, but I am un

Chien Andalusia, I am un
Chien Andalusia, I am un
Chien Andalusia, I am un
Chien Andalusia, wanna grow up to be

Be a debaser

Great fucking song by a great fucking band.

Hmm, Robotaxi getting some bad PR: https://insideevs.com/news/763873/tesla-robotaxi-safe-fog-rain/

Posted
43 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

If Trump is still pissed at him, Abbott could try and get Trump’s attention by pursuing this little incident. Leon has to be careful now.  

I think all of that bs was a fake fight to get the heat off muSSk.

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Posted (edited)
59 minutes ago, Chopper said:

I think all of that bs was a fake fight to get the heat off muSSk.

I don’t. I think the Epstein stuff was a step too far for Trump.  Trump has a long history of using people and then tossing them to the side. Musk does not have the ability to self-police, and has a long history of saying stuff like that.

Musk is apparently still having to answer to the NTSB/National Highway Safety Administration as well over FSD, and the latest shenanigans with robotaxi’s performance won’t endear him to them. Trump could have made that go away but he didn’t.  

Edit: and by the way, I think Musk was extremely angry at the Republicans about the budget bill, because it potentially hurts Tesla’s bottom line in the long run.

Edited by atomheartbevo
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Posted
On 6/26/2025 at 12:41 PM, Brisketexan said:

You know, there actually is one thing I enjoy about this moment in our cultural timeline.  That thing is how people absolutely, completely, and utterly debase themselves at the altar of a narcissist, thinking that in return, he will be loyal to them.  And every time, once the narcissist decides that the debaser no longer serves his needs, or he needs a scapegoat, he shivs the debaser.  So, now the debaser is utterly humiliated/emasculated AND stabbed dead.  It's funny.  Their stupidity and total surrender of all dignity for no good reason whatsoever amuses me.

This is why they call it the ART of the con.

Posted
On 6/19/2025 at 9:00 PM, Pato del Muerto said:

Was he able to trademark the word Tesla?  Would it be the style that allows for approval, because grok is in use already, somewhat, and its usage is why the AI was given that name. 

It all depends on what is actually registered and for what goods.  Unsurprisingly, multiple variations of "grok" are registered for various types of computer software.  Adding shit like "xai" or a font, or spelling it funny like groq or whatever, isn't going to help the basic case.

He still has a common-law trademark in grok for AI, but he won't be able to get a registration most likely.  It is conceivable that he gets some kind of consumer survey expert and survey that indicates AI is recognized as a separate category from software more generally and it is entitled to registration for that narrow class only.

Posted
7 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

I don’t. I think the Epstein stuff was a step too far for Trump.  Trump has a long history of using people and then tossing them to the side. Musk does not have the ability to self-police, and has a long history of saying stuff like that.

Musk is apparently still having to answer to the NTSB/National Highway Safety Administration as well over FSD, and the latest shenanigans with robotaxi’s performance won’t endear him to them. Trump could have made that go away but he didn’t.  

Edit: and by the way, I think Musk was extremely angry at the Republicans about the budget bill, because it potentially hurts Tesla’s bottom line in the long run.

I’m glad it’ll hurt at least one person that deserves it.

Posted
13 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

It all depends on what is actually registered and for what goods.  Unsurprisingly, multiple variations of "grok" are registered for various types of computer software.  Adding shit like "xai" or a font, or spelling it funny like groq or whatever, isn't going to help the basic case.

He still has a common-law trademark in grok for AI, but he won't be able to get a registration most likely.  It is conceivable that he gets some kind of consumer survey expert and survey that indicates AI is recognized as a separate category from software more generally and it is entitled to registration for that narrow class only.

So someone can still release a Grok hemorrhoid balm?

Posted
57 minutes ago, AnTiM said:

So do Heinlein's heirs get royalties for use of the word "grok"?

The Office Thank You GIF
 

Elon probably never read any Heinlein, just got the Cliff’s Notes version and liked the word. Or not even that much. Somebody else read it. 

Posted (edited)

d4703530-6141-4535-8867-ea2809f49810_716

 

Musk's lack of common sense is on full display here - he really did think that $250 million+ could protect his business interests.

He got so fucking played by the GOP. And Trump openly threatened him not to try and replace any Republican legislators that vote for the stuff that might harm Musk's business interests.

He wasted all of that money getting people elected who are going to fuck him over.

Glasses Lol GIF by Robert E Blackmon

Edited by atomheartbevo
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Posted
15 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

d4703530-6141-4535-8867-ea2809f49810_716

 

Musk's lack of common sense is on full display here - he really did think that $250 million+ could protect his business interests.

He got so fucking played by the GOP. And Trump openly threatened him not to try and replace any Republican legislators that vote for the stuff that might harm Musk's business interests.

He wasted all of that money getting people elected who are going to fuck him over.

Glasses Lol GIF by Robert E Blackmon

Not to mention completely alienating the largest demographic for his vehicles, solar panels and batteries while doing it. 

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Posted

https://www.theverge.com/tesla/694333/tesla-robotaxi-media-influencers-musk-fans

 

We are the media now’: why Tesla’s robotaxis were dominated by Elon Musk superfans

 

Quote

Over the years, Tesla has built part of its reputation on hosting big, bold events to generate authentic hype for upcoming releases. The robotaxi launch in Austin, Texas, last week wasn’t one of them.

Coverage of the rollout was dominated by a close-knit cohort of Tesla influencers and Elon Musk superfans, many of whom are openly supportive of the CEO’s vision. Journalists and tech bloggers who might have been more critical of the technology were not only excluded but also actively ridiculed and mocked by Tesla fans and some of their followers for attempting to ask basic questions about the service. In Austin and online, Tesla fans were taking a cue from Musk, who has spent years fomenting a culture of resentment toward critical media.

 

 

Quote

One of the more prominent influencers, who goes by Zack on X, claimed he was approached multiple times by a Reuters journalist, whom he promptly ignored. That post, which has over 2,000 likes, received supportive responses from other users — one wrote that the publication and other legacy media outlets “can go F themselves.” Another said they would unfollow any account that simply responded to members of the media.

 

Quote

“The best response would [be] to add a precondition and ask them to go on camera blanket apologising for all the lies and smears against Elon and Tesla first,” the account Tesla insights wrote. “That will shut them up, and make them think!”

That general sentiment reverberated across the parts of X and YouTube most actively covering the launch. Kim Java, a Tesla influencer with 258,000 YouTube subscribers, posted a comment saying she had been contacted by several major media outlets to speak about her experience but turned them down so she could “control [her] own narrative.”

The phrase “we are the media now” appears repeatedly in posts and replies related to the robotaxi launch. This so-called alternative media is now receiving the very same closed-door access many of them criticize legacy publications for indulging in.

 

Spoiler

The end result of that adversarial dynamic, experts tell The Verge, is a rollout that feels less like a transparent tech demo and more like a beta test — one amplified by livestreaming influencers who willingly promote Tesla’s marketing material. Much of that coverage unfolds within small echo chambers on Musk-owned X and YouTube, where receptive audiences have largely already made up their minds about the robotaxi’s significance. Boston University professor and Meme Warsauthor Joan Donovan says the rollout so far this week has been a textbook example of what she calls “corporate propaganda.”

“The big push around robotaxis is explicitly about recuperating the reputation of Tesla,” Donovan says. “It has a bit of an echo chamber effect.”

Ed Niedermeyer, author of the Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors, who filmed a robotaxi braking hard in the middle of the road when passing a police cruiser, echoes that sentiment and compares the influencers to a “Greek chorus” collectively working to bolster the robotaxi’s perception. Some of that narrative building appeared to be underway on the popular Reddit forum r/SelfDrivingCars. A user posting late last week claimed the forum has been “flooded with Tesla apologist propaganda and disinformation,” following the robotaxi launch. Niedermeyer claims he’s previously observed a Tesla employee moderating the r/Tesla forum. 

“They know what their job is and Tesla knows how to use them,” Niedermeyer tells The Verge. Donovan and Niedermeyer are outspoken critics of Tesla. Both played active roles in the Tesla Takedown protests organized around the country earlier this year. Needless to say, they aren’t in the “superfan” club. 

Tesla did not respond to our request for comment. The Verge also reached out to several of the influencers cited above but hasn’t heard back. 

Tesla’s new media 

This week’s bizarre, influencer-led robotaxi event is the culmination of a yearslong evolution by Tesla to subtly cultivate its preferred media while simultaneously sidelining traditional journalistic outlets. Tesla has a long and bitter history of antagonism with the press. The company unofficially dissolved its PR team back in 2020 and has since made a point of dodging reporters’ questions about its products and tech stack. Since acquiring Twitter in 2022, Elon Musk has further tilted the playing field by periodically banning accounts critical of him and his companies.

At the same time, Tesla has built a loyal fan base, which Donovan compares to early Apple enthusiasts — eager to call out media critics as biased against Musk and the company. At first, much of that support was organic. The company attracted a devoted following of technologists, clean energy advocates, and entrepreneurs drawn to its willingness to take big swings at tough problems. 

But as Niedermeyer notes, some of that enthusiasm has tapered off in recent years, due in part to a series of underwhelming demos — like last year’s lackluster “We robot” event, which raised new doubts about the company’s ability to deliver on its most ambitious promises around autonomy. Those who remain tend to be reliably loyal and often openly aligned with Tesla’s success.

Boosting Tesla’s image online has its perks. Many in the community share personalized referral codes, which can be redeemed for rewards ranging from a few extra Supercharger miles to discounts on a new car purchase. (Some Tesla owners allege they’ve been abruptly removed from the program after posting content critical of the company.)

Loyal supporters in Tesla’s online ranks may also gain access to exclusive events, as appears to have been the case with the robotaxi launch. Those who own stock in the company, Niedermeyer says, have an even more direct incentive to ensure Tesla is seen in a favorable light.

“The product is so dope they don’t need a PR department,” YouTube creator and Tesla fan Galileo Russell said in an interview with CNN Business. “I got involved with Tesla to make sure the company succeeded.”

Operating in an echo chamber can only work for so long. Eventually, if Musk’s vision of millions of autonomous Teslas zooming through city streets is to be realized, the company will have to open its doors to the broader public — including its detractors. That risks exposing more of the company’s mistakes, which even influencers are already having trouble pushing aside. 

“They know what their job is,” Niedermeyer says, “and Tesla knows how to use them.”

 

 

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Posted (edited)
17 minutes ago, Francisco 2.0 said:

robotaxi braking hard in the middle of the road when passing a police cruiser

That might have been me 

Edited by Sawbonz
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