Free Republic

A 60-year-old man was hospitalized with severe psychiatric symptoms — plus some physical ones too, including intense thirst and coordination issues — after asking ChatGPT for tips on how to improve his diet. What he thought was a healthy swap ended in a toxic reaction so severe that doctors put him on an involuntary psychiatric hold. After reading about the adverse health effects of table salt — which has the chemical name sodium chloride — the unidentified man consulted ChatGPT and was told that it could be swapped with sodium bromide. Sodium bromide looks similar to table salt, but it’s...

To typo is human. To falsely attribute quotes in a legal opinion is what’s alleged of U.S. District Court Judge Julien Neals. Neals delivered an opinion June 30, 2025, which caught the eye of attorney Andrew Lichtman. Lichtman had appeared before Neals on behalf of defendants in a recent civil suit. Lichtman issued a letter to the judge “bring[ing] to the Court’s attention a series of errors in the Opinion — including three instances in which the outcomes of cases cited in the Opinion were misstated (i.e., the motions to dismiss were granted, not denied) and numerous instances in which...

Recently, I learned of two phenomena: that people today actually publish books almost entirely written by artificial intelligence and that AI programs, rather than admitting ignorance, may sometimes “hallucinate” a plausible sounding answer. I’ve now experienced both. My journey into Münchhausen’s AI Syndrome began with my own very flawed human memory. Many years ago I read a short science fiction story in an old anthology that is now long lost. It made a deep impression on me, but I’m unable to recall the title or author. Suddenly the thought struck me, perhaps Elon Musk’s synthetic AI brainchild Grok could collate...

The Secret Service said it was investigating how an intruder was able to enter the home of President Biden’s national security adviser last month even though a full security detail was posted outside.

A New York lawyer has found himself in trouble in a lawsuit between a man and the airline Avianca Holding S.A. after presenting nonexistent citations in the case generated by ChatGPT. The case involved a man named Roberto Mata suing Avianca, claiming he was injured when a metal service cart struck his knee during a flight. Injury claims are typically uninteresting, aside from the broader cultural considerations about how the U.S. is so litigious, but the case took an interesting twist after the airline attempted to have the case dismissed. The New York Times reported Saturday that in response to...

PALM COAST, Fla. - A Florida man reportedly crashed into a house after allegedly seeing a "shadow in the road," Sunday morning and attempted to hide from deputies when they arrived at the scene, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office. Authorities said they arrived at a home in the "B" section of Palm Coast and were told by a witness of the crash that the driver – later identified as 18-year-old Aidan Sauco-Maldonado – had run away from the area after slamming a truck into the home. Maldonado was found a short time later and reportedly smelled of alcohol....

Last days’ events happen quickly. Even suddenly. The word “quickly” (Greek word: tachos) is used eight times in Revelation. Think of an automobile tachometer which measures the working speed of an engine typically in revolutions per minute. And it revs up. We often see sudden destruction falling upon the wicked in the Bible. The unrepentant living during Noah’s time, experienced a sudden and catastrophic flood (Gen. 6-9). They had 120 years to repent as Noah preached to them, but they chose to ignore him and judgment suddenly fell (Gen. 6:3-7). Have you noticed that in 2020, everything has happened suddenly?...

Straight trippin': Saudi fatwa permits the use of hallucinogenic drugs during sex with ugly wives Saudi social media users have poured scorn on a fatwa that allowed young men married to ugly women to take drugs before intimate relations in order to have the delusion they are as beautiful as houris. The fatwa said that hallucinogenic drugs can be taken for 30 minutes during sexual intercourse and only by men who are less than 40 years old. The drugs can be used only in the evening, it added. “This is the ideal men who are unfortunately married with ugly-looking wives...

It's a cliche — but true — that a huge obstacle to a stronger economic recovery is the lack of confidence in a strong recovery. If consumers and businesses were more confident, they would be spending, hiring and lending more freely. Even a slight relaxation might do wonders for the subpar nature of the expansion, highlighted by May's meager 54,000 increase in payroll jobs. Instead, we're deluged with reports suggesting that, because the recession was so deep, it will take many years to regain anything like the pre-crisis prosperity. Just last week, the McKinsey Global Institute, research arm of the...

For those experiencing withdrawal two months after the conclusion of the Vancouver Olympics, the unveiling of the mascots for the 2012 Games in London should offer a certain thrill. For the rest of us, it's an opportunity to poke fun at another craven marketing stunt. Their names are Wenlock and Mandeville, and man, are they weird. Unveiled by London Olympic committee chair Sebastien Coe at an East London school on Wednesday, the two figures look like a couple of marshmallows clad in space suits. That's my first impression, anyway. Wenlock (the orange one) and Mandeville (the blue one) each sport...

MSNBC Host blows cork, Mark Williams walks off show  The part I loved the most was that the host – a nobody named Dylan RATigan had his producer call he at 6:30 this morning to be on the show at 1:00 PM my time.  After I walked off the air (or was thrown, leftie blogs say I was thrown, I thought I walked but then again I cannot see the program when I am on, all I see is a camera lens pointed at me) he went into a rant about how I “used” him and his show  LOL! As Holly,...

China, panacea for the world economy By George Zhibin Gu Speaking Freely is an Asia Times Online feature that allows guest writers to have their say. Please click here if you are interested in contributing. China's sudden emergence on the global stage is causing great debate. To some people, its development will mean a Chinese domination of the 21st century. A new world power, as historians claim, does alter the world's power balance, often leading to new conflicts. Is a prosperous China good news or a disaster in the making? The truth is that a rising China will benefit the...

[HollywoodInvestigator.com] Libertarian Party delegates chose Constitutional scholar Michael Badnarik for their 2004 presidential candidate over Memorial Day weekend (May 27 - 31) at Atlanta's Mariotte Marquis hotel -- and the Hollywood Investigator was there! So were over 800 delegates from around the U.S., plus celebrity speakers (both on and off the convention floor), merchandisers, activists -- and controversy!

<p>NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Democratic front-runner John Kerry (search) vowed Saturday to aggressively counter Republican critics, drawing a stark contrast between his party and the GOP. "They're extreme. We're mainstream, and we're going to stand up and fight back," he said.</p>