Category Archives: Politics

Sleep Remedies

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Having trouble getting to sleep at night? Answer these questions, one each night, to the satisfaction of your own brain’s thought processes. No cheating with the internet.

First night:  Why is there a ‘p’ in the word receipt? There is no ‘p’ in deceit or in conceit.

Second night:  Name three hits by Ricky Nelson.

Third night:  What is the name of your second grade teacher? If that’s too quick,  Who followed William McKinley as President?

Fourth night:  A woman stands on the edge of a wide river. Her dog is on the other shore. She calls the dog to her. Strangely, when the dog comes to her side, it is completely dry. How could this happen? No bridges, boats or assistance – just the river.

Fifth night: You are a prisoner in a room with 2 doors and 2 guards. One of the doors will guide you to freedom and behind the other is a hangman–you don’t know which is which, but the guards do know.

One of the guards always tells the truth and the other always lies. You don’t know which one is the truth-teller or the liar either. However both guards know each other.

You have to choose and open one of these doors, but you can only ask a single question to one of the guards.

What do you ask to find the door leading to freedom?

Sixth night:  Using only the number eight (8) add eights together so that they equal 1,000.

Seventh night: Lying in bed, give each of your toes a unique name. Then recite them, all ten, three times.

Well, good morning! Did you sleep well?

Ancient Mariner

New child care services

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More chatbox memes – look behind you!

From  https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-ai-plus-438426cc-d0dd-4ebc-8704-6f8fc768bcac.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslogin&stream=top

What they’re saying: Interaction with generative AI could “fundamentally change the human brain,” says Dana Suskind, a pediatric physician and expert on early childhood and early language development.

  • Suskind says teenagers and adults are already forming relationships with AI companions. The same could happen with younger kids.
  • “The content and experience that kids are exposed to in early years isn’t just sort of changing things the same way social media impacted adolescent brains,” Suskind told Axios. “It is actually changing the foundational wiring of the human brain.”
  • “Children naturally anthropomorphize,” Suskind wrote in an email, “but with responsive AI, we’re entering uncharted territory for how this might shape their developing sense of reality and relationships.”

Between the lines: Some child development researchers worry that chatbots could reshape how children learn trust, empathy and connection.

  • A small study from 2024 showed that kids ages 3-6 were more likely to trust a robot than a human, even when that robot had proven to be less reliable than the human.
  • Trust is a particularly thorny problem for those who rely on AI, since many researchers argue that these tools might always be prone to making things up.

Chatbots also tell people what they want to hear.

  • They’re trained to please, which means they’re unlikely to say “no” — a word that small children need to learn to deal with.

 

Mariner recommends not using rapid fire weapons or shotguns. Your real loved ones may be close at hand. All these efforts to invade Homo’s anthropomorphic reality are just a step toward Armageddon. The next step is not to bother with babies – they’re too much trouble – AI bots may offer an age-seasoned teenage bot instead – or, if the reader is so inclined, adult bots (male and female) are available and quite charming.

We have come to accept robots in the workplace, despite union protests. Now the frontier is the home.

Ancient Mariner

 

 

ChatGPT elitism

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[Much of this content is in Scientific American Magazine, Wikipedia and assorted articles in print]

If the reader has followed the news in recent months, that is, news about ChatGPT taking over the writing of documents heretofore written by Homos – everything from classroom homework to Congressional speeches and even government forms, the reader is aware that each ChatGPT manufacturer has its own dictionary, lexicon and Large Language Model (LLM). It turns out that one can identify a given LLM by how it connects its words, e.g., depending on its native language, age, gender, education and other factors. That individual speaking style is called an “idiolect.” It is similar in concept to, but much narrower than a dialect, which is the variety of a language spoken by a community.

There are several firms producing ChatGPT, e.g., Gemini and Copilot.  Already established are uses to analyze police interviews with suspects, attribute authorship of documents and text messages, trace the linguistic backgrounds of asylum seekers and detect plagiarism, among other activities. Needless to say, elementary education is giving up teaching handwriting and higher grades yield to the jungle of student uses for ChatGPT creativity.

But mariner and Guru have another concern: will one’s social status depend on which idiolect they use? If wealthy people use one manufacturer’s idiolect and laborers use another idiolect, won’t that have the same effect on society as WOKE did for MAGA? The ultimate danger, however, is antitrust mergers and there turns out to be only one idiolect – one less intellectual liberty for homos.

Where is Neo when you need him?

Ancient Mariner

Life on Earth

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This strictly is a metaphoric, allegoric, analogous, anthropomorphized  post.  So keep one’s imagination and lateral thinking at hand.

The Texas flooding disaster is a tragic, quick, painful experience for many innocent people. It is an example of how Mother Nature will strike out for no good reason – same is true for tornadoes and forest fires. Similarly, the blatant, instant firing of tens of thousands of Federal workers by Donald Trump seems quite similar to Mother Nature’s Texas flood. Both seem vindictive; both were quick and painful; both attacked a large number of people without individual judgment.

Do Donald and Mother march to the same drumbeat?

Their tools are persistent: Mother uses water and intense heat by eliminating or adding too much water or by popping off a volcano or by melting polar ice. Donald uses cash money by building channels of cash flow that flow only in his direction or to those who help him extricate cash from the rest of the population which needs it for their own well being.

But what is the motivation? At the bottom, for both of them, it may be survival. In Mother’s case, she has a bad case of lice. They are dangerous to Mother’s health and a constant itch and tickle. She has taken to harsh baths and showers and a bug spray of methane but the lice continue to exude CO2 which gives her a fever and bad headaches. Also, the lice leave scraped and cracked patches on her skin which kills other desired creatures on her environmental skin.

Donald, too, must survive despite damage to his brain caused by any source such as damaged at birth, parental abuse, peer condescension and bullying – or all of the above. In any case, Donald must survive in spite of his disabilities. He lacks many defenses that assuage life: self-confidence, compassion, communal bonding. Despite “winning” a situation, he is not secure in his confidence. He must win and win again. Where Mother deals with lice, Donald deals with security. Both are looking for survival.

Ancient Mariner

 

Does the reader have a map?

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Sitting in the tunnel with Nosy Mole where it is a lot cooler than outside, mariner received an email from Wayside Gardens. It was a big splash sale with huge price cutting on Hyssop.  “That’s odd,” he said. “I just mentioned hyssop in my last post – and as far as I know, I’ve never seen a sale ad for hyssop before – its an indigenous plant.”

Know the world you live in.

⊗

Here is a short clip from The Atlantic magazine: “Imagine an intersection at which American national security, defense spending, the rise of China, technological innovation, regional conflict, and the future of liberal democracy all meet.” Mariner doubts this intersection has a traffic light.

The old fogies still around remember the last two centuries where global wealth was more abundant and disruption was between selected nations. This century is different. It is not just international bickering, it is way too many people for the environment and way too little resources available from a disappearing biosphere. The global economic stress challenges all forms of government. Then, like hot pepper tossed into a soup, AI is attacking the anthropological role of everything – including Homo.

So, who else is watching old episodes of Lawrence Welk? Homo is on its way to Matrix.

Ancient Mariner

It’s Independence Day!

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As a child for mariner, and perhaps even today, Independence Day was second only to Christmas.  The fireworks, parades, picnics in the park, trips to visit other family members, and the general public attitude provoked energy and social unity.

It is the same today, perhaps without the innocence of the last century. Our nation still is important to us as a source of unity and a source for all the benefits a strong democratic government can provide.

Our America has an illness today. Rather than unity, there is conflict and disparity. America of the people, by the people, seems not to be the instinctive theme today. Who does America belong to? What can Americans believe in for that sense of unity? Certainly America is affected by the troubles of the new century. How can it be healed? America belongs to the citizens. The citizens must heal it.

Celebrate Independence day as the holiday it deserves to be. That would be a good start.

Ancient Mariner

Check the charts

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A new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll reveals that 76% of Americans believe democracy is facing a serious threat. That percentage includes 89% of Democrats, 80% of Independents and 57% of Republicans.

There are two outcomes: The republicans retain control after Donald or there may be a destructive confrontation between liberals and conservatives. There is another alternative: The votes are out there but to be marshaled for an election, it will take state, county and local campaign energy rather than national campaign energy – which currently belongs to the republicans.

Ancient Mariner

Who are the best replacements for a dead democratic party?

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Everyone is painfully aware of the republican party’s intentions regarding economics, fuel consumption, racial division, political domination using the military, etc. But where is another option? The democratic party is a silent shambles. The power democrats from the last half of the 20th century aren’t powerful anymore. Most of them are moving into retirement. What kind of representatives should we elect to replace them?

Bottom Up Government.  The last several decades have seen the demise of ‘one person, one vote’. Many states arrange political processes that favor one party over the other – the most common is gerrymandering state and local districts; a few states require gubernatorial approval of each Federal election representative. Obviously, it takes more funding to remain competitive even in one’s own state – that. means money replaces local voter influence.

We should select local leaders who would disavow gerrymandering, require rank voting and prevent dark money coming from outside the state. These steps would do a great deal to minimize the current plutocracy.

Economics   Since the Reagan administration in the 1980s, the flow of capital has increasingly become ‘trickle down’. It is easier to become richer for the rich and harder for the average citizen to catch a break even versus inflation. According to inflation, the minimum wage should be $22.80. Under today’s administration, all discretionary funding is at risk (discretionary funding is when the government helps citizens with their costs, covering everything from PBS to social security and helpful regulations controlling everything from tax rates to wildlife). Further, large corporations, especially those in computer technology, are not under the control of government regulation and slowly are changing the marketplace to a ‘middleman’ purchasing process where supply and demand do not set market price, e.g., Walmart, Amazon and Temu (online) among many more.

We should elect local leaders who advocate income ceilings for billionaires, restore and improve funding for large issues like medical care, public education and improve Federal Emergency Administration (FEMA) financial support to citizens as global warming threatens homes and communities. Insurance cannot maintain competitive pricing and slowly will back out of coverage due to hazards.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)   Tons of evidence exists from many sources – including tech managers who left the field for moral reasons – that the rule is “if you can do it, do it!”. There is no ethical control over artificial intelligence development. Already there are constant news reports about its effect on children and its hidden manipulations in the marketplace. Scamming grows more widespread. Most neutral scientists agree that there is an eminent confrontation between human politics and AI independence.

We should elect local leaders who understand the intrusion of AI, aka nonhuman influence, into a citizen’s daily life. Primarily, two issues require immediate government control: social ethics and corporate mergers. Generally, this requires a younger candidate who has been exposed to the new AI era and understands it influence.

International Unity   Much of the world is in disarray. Among the wealthiest nations, it is conflict over who will dominate the new age. In moderate nations, the issue is very similar to the retiree who depends heavily on Social Security: “If I lose the source of my primary income, there is nothing left”.  And certainly, in terms of body count, the poor nations are battling for survival at the citizen level. Add to this stress the pressure on religion, theocracies (Arab nations), the shifting weather patterns caused by global warming, the forced migrations of millions and there seems to be nothing in store except Armageddon.

We should elect local leaders who believe in economic integration as a solution to the trembling of world order. The prime example since the second world war is the European Union but the scope is not wide enough. China has a comprehensive strategy called ‘The Belt and Road Strategy’ which integrates trade across most of Asia and includes the eastern side of Europe. Could the U.S. forget racism and work to economically integrate the Caribbean and South America?

Civil Rights   Any constriction on how a citizen lives within the bounds of their humanness induces stress. The worst case is slavery. Today, the right to choose or not choose pregnancy is more a political battle than a medical one. Well rooted in the U.S. is racism – not just blacks but any shade other than Honky White. Add to this dozens of civil constrictions like the current reversal of the right for children born in the U.S. not to have birthright citizenship because their parents were not citizens. The treatment of our citizens is approaching the brutality of the early Persian Empire. Add to racism the severe treatment caused by very distinct and self-absorbed economic classes that is so severe that the poorer classes are bound to remain poor or otherwise short-sheeted for their entire life.

We should elect local leaders who respect humanness, that is, they show empathy and compassion in their speech and behavior. They should tend toward unanimity rather than classism. Their political arguments should never choose confrontation over unity.

Planet-Human Relations   As the current President seeks to further disrupt humanity’s relationship with the biosphere by cutting out solar and wind energy funding, Mother Nature is not amused. Stated briefly, humans have consumed about 70% of the land and imposed livestock grazing to the point that there are 27 cows, sheep, etc. for every displaced wild creature. Now that the weather patterns are causing agricultural hardship and global warming continues to accelerate to the point that New York has to pay attention to rising sea levels, the biosphere has become a political issue. Throw in a planetary overpopulation of 8 billion humans just since 1800, and Mother Nature clearly is taking issue with human behavior. Economic balance is at risk around the world.

We should elect local leaders who intellectually understand that humans have over used the planet’s resources. it must be clear in their rhetoric that everything from FEMA to solar power to water conservation, etc. are the way humans must placate Mother Earth.

YOU   The role of voting as an influence in a slowly changing national culture has changed. All of reality is leaping forward at light speed, forcing rapid adjustments to economics, society and future survivability. This means a casual vote for a familiar name or party every now and then doesn’t work anymore. Every citizen MUST take more interest in government.

Perhaps you should visit a council/state legislative hearing every couple of months. You may learn not only more about the issues but also more about your representatives. If a state or national campaigner stops in your home town, check them out at their event. Read decent, balanced political news in your local paper – even the odd-minded political columnists – maybe even write a letter to the editor about a personal issue. The point is, the job of saving the planet is in your hands.

* * * *

Mariner knows it would take a godlike creature to meet all the recommendations above but do the best you can. If ever there were a time, women may be a better choice than men. He recommends using age as a primary consideration. Finally, VOTE!!!

Ancient Mariner

 

 

 

The Gathering

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Mariner writes today from a tribal encampment. It is a gathering of his wife’s family anchored by nine cousins. Events like this allow folks to experience genuine Homo sapiens behavior. There is a restoration of family values, shared experiences and renewed emotional dependencies. There is recognition of those who have passed on.

The reunion is based in a wilderness park. One section of the park has small cabins in a semi-circle which have been used for every reunion, held every five years since 1981. Typically, each cousin rents a cabin and brings their immediate family.

Social and political issues are deliberately suppressed. Conversations often are about catching up on other families’ histories and sharing unusual life events. Each day has a planned event which requires all the attendees to share in preparing a central meal. Families can pursue swimming in the lake, playing golf in the nearby town and have a canoe flotilla on a large river adjacent to the park.

There is a heightened desire to belong and to share; one relative provided enough koozies so that everyone had the same logo.

The reunion has been occurring long enough that it is multi-generational with not just the cousins but their children and grandchildren. Activity definitely is varied and all-consuming. The intense sharing consumes a lot of behavioral energy. After a week, attendees, not being accustomed to such continuous, interactive behavior, may feel it was a restorative experience but they may be relieved that the reunion has come to an end.

. . ;

A reunion today is a critical event. Every family tribe should make every effort to have a reunion because the resultant behavior creates a ‘human’ bonding which is not easily available in everyday life and is rapidly disappearing. This kind of human bonding is anchored in the evolution of the Homo species; it is the biological key to successful economics, politics and mental health.

As late as the 17th century, the economic process still was dependent on large family productivity. A classic example today is the conservative Amish who share building, feeding and sustaining wellbeing. Even religion, while generally Christian, has unique values in each sect. Personal need and survivability came from the local ‘tribe’ comprising several branches of a single ancestral generation. In the U.S, this took the form of family farming and local trades.

Given all the daily interdependency back then, reunions were not too important, usually wrapped around religious or regional holidays. Interdependency as a way of surviving, however, kept the species alive. It has kept the species alive for about 150,000 years.

The world we live in today has, at every turn, encouraged personal independence and discourages the desire to sustain tribal relationships. Ever since trains and tractors broke the tribal need, each further invention has made interpersonal relations less important. Regular readers know mariner’s despise for many of the industrial/computer invasions.

Set up a gathering of your tribe today!

Ancient Mariner

About Baby Boomers

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Some excerpts from The Atlantic magazine:

“Unlike younger generations, they [boomers] have largely been able to walk a straightforward path toward prosperity, security, and power. They were born in an era of unprecedented economic growth and stability. College was affordable, and they graduated in a thriving job market. They were the first generation to reap the full benefits of a golden age of medical innovations: birth control, robotic surgery, the mapping of the human genome, effective cancer treatments, Ozempic.

… “But recent policy changes are poised to make life significantly harder for Baby Boomers. “If you’re in your 60s or 70s, what the Trump administration has done means more insecurity for your assets in your 401(k), more insecurity about sources of long-term care, and, for the first time, insecurity about your Social Security benefits,

… “even those with more financial assets may depend on Social Security as a safety net. It’s important to understand that many seniors, even upper-income seniors, are just one shock away from falling into poverty,

… ”Middle-income seniors are also likely to feel the impact of a volatile market. “They tend to have modest investments and fixed incomes rather than equities, so that is the type of wealth that will erode over a high-inflation period,”

… “In the near future, older Americans might find themselves paying more for medical care too. Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” which has passed in the House but awaits a vote in the Senate, would substantially limit Medicare access for many documented immigrants, including seniors who have paid taxes in the United States for years. The bill would also reduce Medicaid enrollment by about 10.3 million people.”

Mariner remembers when most factory jobs provided a full retirement until the Reagan administration deleted the legislation requiring businesses to do so. He remembers full college tuition for veterans. He remembers when unions had equal political clout to corporations. Viewing those special decades, they really were the peak of good times for workers.

Mariner already posted about the sucking of cash out of the American economy and being stuffed into jammed pockets of the wealthy class. Systemically, this leaves less cash in the public square. More than ever, pay down credit card debt; balance the family budget; don’t gamble; sit down with the family and pretend there has been a ‘cash crash’ – what items, activities and utility-based costs can be reduced or eliminated? Don’t extend long term debt to get by today.

1970 is no longer around.

Ancient Mariner