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I have some general chat type models running local on just 8gb of VRAM, including image analysis, etc, but I have yet to successfully figure out text to image generation running locally. ComfyUI made my brain hurt and it always seems like packages or components are outdated, erroring out, missing, etc. I have to step back from things like that, or else I will get frustrated. I like messing with microcontrollers and junk like that as well.

Japan has warning again because of flooding. But yeah, the Nepal videos are awful, we see people being crushed...

No. According to the directions we have been instructed not to record Not At Homes at a congregation level. Such record keeping must be personal and done at a publisher level. Unless this direction has changed I thought this was global due to data privacy.

Nepal–Tibet flash flood (most severe event) Current reports indicate: At least 157 confirmed deaths. Hundreds remain missing, including foreign tourists. Villages, bridges, highways, and hydropower facilities have been destroyed. The disaster is now believed to have been triggered by a massive ice-rock avalanche and landslide rather than an earthquake. https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/deadly-disasters-himalayas-over-dozen-years-2026-08-26/?utm_source=JWtalk.net Typhoon Saudel Strong winds and heavy rain have affected Japan's Ryukyu Islands. Taiwan is preparing for tropical-storm to typhoon conditions. Eastern China is expected to face landfall within the next couple of days. https://www.moodys.com/web/en/us/insights/catastrophe-risk-insights/event-response.html?utm_source=JWtalk.net Tropical Storm Narra Flooding continues in southern China and northern Vietnam. Damage to homes, roads, and infrastructure. At least one reported fatality. https://www.moodys.com/web/en/us/insights/catastrophe-risk-insights/event-response.html?utm_source=JWtalk.net Greece – Extreme wildfire danger Authorities have issued Code Red wildfire alerts for parts of the Ionian Islands due to hot, dry, and windy conditions. https://www.euronews.com/2026/08/26?utm_source=JWtalk.net France – Severe storms Southern France is recovering from: A damaging tornado. Large hail. Winds exceeding 70 mph (117 km/h). Damage to more than 300 homes and widespread power outages. https://www.moodys.com/web/en/us/insights/catastrophe-risk-insights/event-response.html?utm_source=JWtalk.net Pakistan – Hospital fire A hospital fire reportedly killed 14 newborn babies. Authorities are investigating the cause. https://www.euronews.com/2026/08/26?utm_source=JWtalk.net Haiti – Gang attack A large gang attack reportedly left at least 47 people dead and more than 50 kidnapped. https://www.euronews.com/2026/08/26?utm_source=JWtalk.net Colombia – Magnitude 5.1 earthquake A magnitude 5.1 earthquake shook central Colombia, prompting evacuations in Bogotá and Bucaramanga. No major damage or fatalities have been reported. https://www.euronews.com/2026/08/26/51-magnitude-earthquake-hits-colombia-forcing-evacuations-in-bogota-and-bucaramanga?utm_source=JWtalk.net

Thanks for sharing my thoughts have been quiet as well. I need to think about the hope , blessings and work of my father and his son more. I go blank a lot my battle with depression has been a long dark one.

Update, not written as a news story. An earthquake has been ruled out and they now believe it was a glacier collapse that triggered the flash flood. https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/glacier-collapse-may-have-triggered-deadly-nepal-flash-flood-experts-say-2026-08-26/?utm_source=jwtalk.net

Just an update on translation status: Finnish, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish and Ukrainian are done - thanks to the great help of some volunteers from here !!

Sounds like you have a lot of tinkering like me! I used to own an IT firm before I sold it and moved, but I always will be tech-adjacent in whatever I do. Let me know if I can help in any way!

And sometimes it's as simple as that.. serving him the best way we know. And no can do that for us- for you. No one can judge you for worshiping your God in accordance to what you know is best. So when friends at the Hall ask questions that perhaps don't land well.. just remembered, you know your God best, your friendship is your anchor, and you're trying. That's what matters. I've been thinking about what you said for a few hours now, and I find it quite funny to think that one day we’ll look back on everything we’re going through now.. and recognise that these struggles, will not just be little in comparison to all the good we will experience, but they will be completely behind us, we won't even remember our worse days! As of now, I don’t think we will be able to fully comprehend what that will feel like, after all, Jehovah is a God of style, he never fails to surprise his servants, and that's what makes this a beautiful hope, to hold onto. I appreciate what you said about Jehovah knowing us so intimately. He knows how each day, is a battle- a struggle, in itself. But it's comforting to remember that he understands us even when we don’t always understand ourselves. I’m glad we can keep encouraging each other and look forward to that time.

I loved his voice- singing, speaking, voice overs... his acting was fantastic. Such a good villain 😎

Same. It's rare a celebrity has no one to say a bad word about them.. Dolly was one. She seemed to be a genuine soul, generous, humble, funny, SO talented, kind.. someone commented that she was big but never made herself bigger than anyone else. We should all be so fondly remembered. I look forward to her answering Jehovah's call to wake up again 🥰

This NBC report includes a video. The sheer devastation is staggering Videos show crushing walls of water overtake buildings and bridges on Nepal-Tibet border

Thursday, August 27 You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; no one bad may remain with you.—Ps. 5:4. Jehovah is not a permissive God; he does not condone sin. (Ps. 5:4-6) He requires that we respect his righteous standards, which he has set forth for us in his Word. Of course, Jehovah does not expect perfection from imperfect people. (Ps. 130:3, 4) At the same time, he does not tolerate ‘ungodly men who turn his undeserved kindness into an excuse for brazen conduct.’ (Jude 4) Indeed, the Bible speaks of the “destruction of the ungodly” at God’s war of Armageddon. (2 Pet. 3:7; Rev. 16:16) However, Jehovah does not want anyone to suffer destruction. The Bible clearly states that he “desires all to attain to repentance.” (2 Pet. 3:9) Christian elders imitate Jehovah as they patiently try to help wrongdoers to change their ways and be restored to Jehovah’s favor. w24.08 26 ¶1-2

The video is insane. Straight out of an apocalyptic disaster movie. We need the new system so badly.

Her death made me genuinely sad.

I just watched a video clip of this. I feel sick. 400 tourists from various nations are missing. What's astounding to me is those flood waters are moving so quickly that they push a wall of compressed air in front, which in turn pushes dirt and debris ahead of the wave. That's why it looks like it does.

I saw this and it showed the massive wall of water coming towards the populated area. One disaster after another. but it helps us appreciate where we are in the stream of time.

Im sad about Tim Curry dying, he was a very important part of my childhood (Not to mention kid me had a CRAZY crush on him). I remember watching Clue multiple times a month with my mom. However, i didnt know today that he has been paralyzed for 14 years due to a stroke he had, i knew he was sick but i didnt know why or how long, but at least he's at rest .-.;

A devastating flash flood struck the Himalayan border region between Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday, leaving at least nine people dead, dozens injured and hundreds missing. The powerful flood swept away roads, bridges, homes and power projects. A mudslide also struck Gyirong Port, an important border crossing, cutting transportation, electricity and communications in the area. Officials suspect that an earthquake may have triggered an avalanche of ice and rock along the Lhende Khola River. This may have caused the sudden flooding, although the exact cause had not yet been confirmed. 384 were reported missing. Rescue efforts remain difficult because of deep sediment, damaged roads and high water. China has sent hundreds of rescuers, while India is coordinating with Nepal on relief efforts. South Korea also plans to send an emergency-response team. Authorities remain concerned that another flood could occur because a blockage is still lodged upstream. People living near the river and in low-lying areas have therefore been moved or warned to remain alert. Events like this remind us how suddenly circumstances can change. Our thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones, those who are still searching for family members and the rescue workers laboring under dangerous conditions. As Jehovah’s Witnesses, we look forward to the time when disasters will no longer bring suffering and fear.—Revelation 21:4. Based on facts reported by Reuters on August 26, 2026.

Yes, I know Brother Leon. He is a VERY dear and precious brother. He is close to my age, possibly a year or two older. I got to know Brother Leon through his son-in-law Eliu Cordova. Brother Cordova, and his wife Debbie (Brother Leon's daughter), moved to Pensacola over 30 years ago. At that time there was no Spanish Language Congregaton in Pensacola. Before long, Brother and Sister Leon also came to Pensacola. Over the next few months several families that spoke Spanish moved to Pensacola. Brother Leon and Brother Cordova were both appointed as Elders in our Congregation. When the time came to start studying the Revelaton Climax book at the Congregation Book Study, Brother Leon and Brother Cordova asked if it would be proper to have a Spanish Language Congregation Book Study Group. The Body of Elders thought it was a good idea. So, the Spanish Language Congregation Book Study Group was started when we started the Revelation Climax book, using the room typically used for the "second school" at the weekly Ministry School meetings. At the time, most Congregation Book Study Groups were averaging 15 to 20 people at each Congregation Book Study meeting each week. Within the first month, all of a sudden there were 45 or more coming to the Spanish Language Congregation Book Study each week. Some were coming from 45 or 50 miles away. When the Circuit Overseer came to Pensacola, a "pre group" was formed for the Spanish speaking brothers and sisters. Shortly thereafter the Pensacola Spanish Congregation was officialy formed. Brother Leon and Brother Cordova are the ones responsible for getting the Spanish Pensacola Congregation formed. I look at Brother Leon and Brother Cordova as special people. I am normally a quiet conservative person. When Brother Cordova first moved to Pensacola I failed to take the initiative to introduce myself to him. About three weeks after he moved in, he came to me to introduce himself. I was embarassed that I had forced him to take that fisrst step in hospitality. One year Brother Leon gave the talk for the Annual Memorial. Afterwards he confided to me that he did not think it went well since English was not his first language and he felt his expressions were not as good as he would have liked. I assured Brother Leon that the very high degree of love he had for Jehovah showed through despite any wording he used, and his obvious love for Jehovah meant more than any selection of words. Brother Cordova became a VERY close friend to my mother and father (my mother was fourth generation witness - my father was in the "Army Air Corps" in WWII - there was not an "air force" until after WWII - my father was baptized in October 1959 at a Circuit Assembly in El Dorado, Arkansas). My father was not a professional carpenter, but woodworking was something he really enjoyed (his Scandanavian heritage truly showed in his love for wood - to him it was a sin to cover beautiful wood grain with paint). Brother Cordova was doing jewelry work on a contract basis for jewelry stores in Pensacola. He described his "ultimate" work table for his jewelry work. My father built him a work table to that plan, and Brother Cordova is still using it more than 25 years later. In 1996 my wife (third generation witness) had been working as a beautician for a local department store for 35 years. The summer of that year she suffered many instances of missing work due to degenerative disc disease (where the discs between the vertebrae in the spine collapse, and pinch the spinal nerves, causing acute piercing pain). After several visits to the doctor, it was determined that she had to quit work. Standing behind a customer with her hands above the customers' hair all day long, five days a week, for 35 years, had caused the discs between the vertebrae to collapse, pinching the nerves running through the spinal cord. She was on her way to the office of the department store, where she had worked in the beauty salon for 35 years, to tell them she was quitting. She was VERY apprehensive about talking with the people in charge of the store. Brother Cordova was doing work for the jewery department for that store. He was on his way in to pick up some pieces that needed to be mended. He ran into my mother as they were going in. She told him about her anxiety about taking to the people in the office. Brother Cordova led her over to an isolated area and prayed out loud with her for Jehovah to give her the strength she needed. That is one example of the loving type of brother that Eliu Cordova was. Tears still come to my eyes every time I think of that outstanding act of kindness Eliu Cordove did for my wife. Although I had no similar experience with Brother Leon, to my mind he was "cut from the same bolt of cloth" from which Brother Cordova came. They are both outstanding examples of excellent Elders completely devoted to Jehovah. In recent years Brother Cordova has moved to Mobile, Alabama (60 miles west of Pensacola), to work with the Spanish Language Congregation there. I had not seen Brother Leon for quite some time untill I ran into him at the Kingdom Hall on a Sunday about three weeks ago. The Spanish Congregation has their Sunday Meeting in the morning. Our Congregaton's Sunday Meeting is at 1:00. My first thought was "this brother looks older than I remember." That thought lasted until I went into the mens' restroom in the Kingdom Hall and caught a reflection of myself in the mirror (with all gray and white hair instead of blonde and brown). All of sudden I remembered "hey - I am 82 - neither am I young any longer." Thanks, Jim

Ok thanks. I'm working hard on building a "Swiss army knife" of AI tools that are free, offline, portable, and capable of running on CPU only. Even capable of running off of a flash drive! It's going slowly, but very promising. I'm about to take another break from this project, as I've reached a new milestone. I've got TTS, image analysis, and reading & finding info in files working. Though that last one runs out of context/memory pretty fast. I'll try to improve on that with my next deep dive into AI.

How nice that you are taking your time to make sure you make a good decision. This is one of those where there is no law but principles that apply so two different individuals can make a different decision and still be right. I know many who work full time and then every evening (except meeting night) go out in service 2 hours and then 4 hours on Saturday and it works for them. I also know other friends who got burned out doing that and transitioned to part time work. It will all depend on your personal circumstances, energy levels and other responsibilities. We will keep you in our prayers, we are sure Jehovah will help you make a good decision. we always say: "look for a job that supports your service and Jehovah will support you"

Thank you, Brother Tim, for your kind words. I'm a little late, I'm only now reading this, but they encouraged me a lot. I've been through some difficult days, I have anxiety problems, I'm currently facing financial difficulties, and I'm neglecting my worship of Jehovah and my spiritual activities. I have a meeting today; lately I've missed some meetings and field service trips because of work. I'm a little insecure about going through those Kingdom Hall doors, as you yourself wrote. Many of us are pressured in every way. I want to go back. I need to go back as soon as possible! Thank you, Brother Tim. It's a pleasure to be here with you and to be able to connect with you.

Thank you for your expressions, again, it's a bit humbling to know that what I write move other people. But it's also not surprising in another way because other people's words move me similarly, I guess it's to be expected. I'm doing what I can to continue serving Jehovah the best way that I know how it's a day by day struggle but I'm like you, I know Jehovah understands each one of us intimately and knowing our strengths and our weaknesses. What an incredible feeling it will be to get into the new system and realize that all these problems and troubles have been lifted off of our shoulders. Even thinking about that makes my head spin, it's like I can't fully wrap my head around time when there will be absolutely no pain or no loss in that way.