What Do You Know About AI and ChatGPT?

Instead of a word of the day, I thought I’d share what’s been on my mind and bothering me for a while…

I admit to not knowing much at all about machine learning. As someone with a Minor in Creative Writing, it seems like a travesty to rely on an inanimate computer program to interpret what my brain and my heart might think.

I chatted (talked human to human) with someone who used to work for a large company and they wanted her to use AI to create documents, mainly because it would save them money. When she pushed back and said that she didn’t feel comfortable with that decision and that she was an expert in this particular field, she was terminated. True story. She got a lucrative settlement, but still…the ramifications are kind of scary, don’t you agree?

Funnily enough, I used AI to query “what is Chat GPT?” Here’s what this inanimate, nonhuman responded:

ChatGPT is an AI chatbot developed by OpenAI that generates human-like text, code, and images in response to user prompts. Released on November 30, 2022, it uses large language models based on the generative pre-trained transformer architecture and runs on a freemium model.

What Does GPT Mean?

  • Generative: The model creates new content, such as text, answers, or code.
  • Pre-trained: It learned patterns from a massive dataset of books, articles, and websites before its public launch.
  • Transformer: It uses a deep learning neural network to understand the context and flow of conversation.

Key Capabilities

  • Conversational Chat: Answers questions, solves math problems, and remembers the context of a dialogue.
  • Writing and Editing: Drafts emails, essays, resumes, and creative stories.
  • Coding: Writes, debugs, and explains code in multiple programming languages.
  • Multimodal Tools: Handles text, voice conversations, web searches, and image generation.

I know that Professor Angel Boy really really despises AI, and in general, teachers generally view AI-generated content with deep concern, fearing it hurts critical thinking and academic honesty, though opinions range from total bans to cautious integration. Most faculty focus heavily on detection, assignment redesign, and clear syllabus policies. I think that it’s a clear form of cheating to use AI and not spend hours reading books, researching, and using their own brains to THINK.

  • Loss of Skills: Over 90% of faculty worry that relying on AI reduces student critical thinking, writing ability, and deep engagement with course material.
  • Hallucinations & Accuracy: Professors note that AI tools frequently invent fake sources, facts, and citations, turning research into a verification trap.
  • Cheating & Equity: Most instructors see a rise in unpermitted shortcuts, making it hard to grade who actually did the intellectual work.
  • Writing Style & Anomalies: Professors look for sudden shifts in tone, overly generic or formulaic structures, unusual formatting, and a lack of personal voice.
  • Draft & Version History: Instructors check Google Docs or version logs to see if a paper was written incrementally or pasted in all at once.
  • Oral Interrogations: When suspicious, many professors skip faulty AI detectors and simply ask the student to explain their paper or sources out loud.
  • Skepticism of Detectors: Many faculty know that tools like Turnitin or Copyleaks have false positives—especially for non-native English speakers—and hesitate to rely on them alone.

Don’t get me started on ChatBot…a computer program that simulates human conversation through text or voice. It helps users find information, answer questions, or complete tasks automatically.

Love him or hate him, but Bill Gates is also concerned about artificial intelligence because it is advancing at an unprecedented rate and threatens massive job displacement, security risks, and social upheaval without proper preparation or government plans.

Even Melinda Gates, whom I do respect, says she’s nervous about AI and warns that a lack of women and diverse voices in tech risks “baking bias” into AI systems.

At the end of the day, all of this non-human interaction makes me sad and I fear for the next generations. We need to think for ourselves, not rely on anyone or anything else.

Rant over.

Local Politics: An Update

I don’t think I have many readers from my specific town, but if I do, and if you’re in District One, pleasepleaseplease vote for Nate Larson!

He went to high school with the Original Angel Boy, and he’s the first real breath of fresh air we’ve seen in a long time.

He’s way better than the christian therapist who was ordered by a judge NOT to refer to herself as “Dr.” because her PhD didn’t come from an accredited university, and she was being disingenuous and duplicitous by referring to herself as “doctor” (that’s my opinion). For reference, check out https://thecoastnews.com/court-rules-against-burkholder-after-challenge/

Her PhD is from a non accredited Christian university which only allows her to use her PhD within the auspices of her church and not as she has been doing-using it to confuse the public. Additionally, The Fair Political Practices Commission issued a warning to her for not disclosing all of her sources of income. Her husband is part of the building industry. https://enewspaper.sandiegouniontribune.com/…/article…

As far as I can tell, this woman has done NOTHING to improve life for any of us in our district. The few times I’ve actually called her for help, I got none. Zip. Nada.

[As an aside, the Original Angel Boy, who IS the recipient of a YALE PhD, absolutely NEVER refers to himself like that and I’m the only one who does, mainly because I’m an obnoxiously proud mom and he’s humble, unassuming, and UNpretentious.]

Nate would be the best choice for our entire community. Even though it’s probably too late to save our little beachy town from looking like a sadder, poorer version of Orange County with rampant overdevelopment and hideous designs, somebody like Nate might actually be the voice we need to keep things from further deterioration and degradation.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2026

Today, October 12, 2026, is known as Columbus Day. Some states have proposed legislation to legally replace it with Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which is the only right action to take.

Even though that orange POS removed the federal dual-recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, choosing instead to issue proclamations solely recognizing Columbus Day, it’s just another example of his evil and disgusting strategies to minimize people of color.

I don’t acknowledge Columbus Day because it’s more of the same; entitled males making unilateral decisions without regard for anything but their own selfishness and greed.

Columbus Day has since come under fire as a celebration of a man whose arrival in the Americas heralded the oppression of another group of people: Native Americans. 

Indigenous Peoples’ Day honors the truth about the American soil on which we live. It serves as a counter-celebration to Columbus Day by recognizing the perseverance and contributions of Indigenous people across the United States.

Even the Feral/Angel Kids know what this day really is all about, and good for my son/DIL talking TRUTH to the next generation.

happy indigenous people day meme - - Yahoo Image Search Results

Tropical Storm Rachel is Coming To Town + Ms. Rachel and Cosmic Influences

Southern California is once again in the path of a potentially serious weather event — Tropical Storm Rachel– or Ms Rachel as I refer to this elemental powerhouse.

Forecasts continue to fluctuate regarding the intensity of this storm: one minute we’re going to have a direct hit as it picks up strength and in the next minute, we’ll barely receive any rain at all. Currently, she’s approximately 546 miles from me.

North of me, ahead of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Rachel, Laguna Beach and Newport Beach are already experiencing flooding. In my town, the coastal flooding has completely taken away a beach parking lot.

I’m not worried about flooding where I live, but as always, I will be prepared just in case Mother Nature decides to surprise us with her fury. I remember a couple years ago when Hurricane Hilary was supposed to come close and it was hardly more impactful than a medium sized storm.

Do you know the other Rachel, better known as Ms. Rachel?

She’s an American children’s educator, YouTuber, and activist.

She created the YouTube series Ms. Rachel, which combines original songs and classic children’s music with a focus on early language development for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

Ms. Rachel is amazing, even though my two Ferals are a bit older than her targeted demographic.

In response to Macklemore’s donation, in September, Ms. Rachel pledged one million dollars to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF).

“We have a moral obligation to use our privilege and platforms to protect our children and human rights.”

Like Mack Ms. Rachel walks the walk.

Macklemore’s 3-stop European Free Palestine Tour sold out immediately following its announcement. Proceeds from the tour will go to organizations supporting Palestine after the rapper was removed from Ed Sheeran’s tour for his comments supporting Palestinians

“Art will always be a form of resistance,” Macklemore wrote in a post on Instagram.

We need more humans like Macklemore and Ms. Rachel. It would be super cool and super cute if they performed some songs together.

All of this is happening during the new moon in Libra on 10/10, also opening a portal that amplifies the energy of new beginnings, completion, and shifting out of old cycles. Along with Venus in retrograde, it’s a great time to manifest our heart’s desires.

I love Ms. Rachel because, like Mr. Rogers, she’s a real person and teaches important life skills:

Heatwave in SoCal

Yesterday around noon, my car registered the temperature at 106 degrees.

SoCal is definitely suffering from another record breaking heatwave, but at least it’s more of a Santa Ana type event with lower humidity and moderate winds. As always, I try to find the silver lining.

It’s been unbearably hot to be outside for more than a few minutes, but it cools off a bit at night, so it’s tolerable. Barely.

The daytime dry heat is draining everything my body keeps producing as a result of this hellish rhinovirus, which is great, but now it’s decided to morph into a sinus infection, so I can add headache and sinus pressure to my list of complaints.

I’m up extra early to get things done before it’s too hot to go outside without exhibiting signs of heatstroke. The garden is parched; watering really makes no difference, and I’ve just accepted that this isn’t a great year for my plants. I’ll wait for the Super El Nino which is supposed to start this winter, when we’ll finally get some measurable sky water.

We have about another week of this super hot weather until there’s some relief.

I don’t know how many times I have to read another public service announcement about not leaving kids or pets in the car when it’s this hot (or anytime, actually). Even more egregious are the warnings about hiking with your dogs in this extreme heat. Are people really this clueless? (That’s a rhetorical question, obviously.)

Macklemore: Standing Up For What’s Right

I’m not all about Leon Russell, at least not ALL the time. I have a certain fond connection to PNW-born musician Macklemore, if you can believe it…

It relates to skateboarding and that’s all I’m going to say!

There are many reasons why I admire Macklemore, real name Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, and it’s not just because I reallyreally like his music, which I do.

I swear, I’ve been playing Thrift Shop on repeat for a long time. I AM that thrift shop girl hahahaha.

I admire him because he’s a great dad and I’ve witnessed it in action, so this is not celebrity gossip, and I admire him for the way he walks the talk and speaks his truth:

Macklemore has been loudly advocating for an end to Israel’s genocide in Gaza for years. The Seattle rapper is currently opening for Sheeran on his North American stadium tour, and he’s using it as a platform to advocate for a free Palestine among other causes. In response, a pro-Israel group has launched a petition to get him removed from the tour.

Halfway through his opening set Friday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Macklemore delivered a version of the speech he’s been giving through the tour. He’s since posted video footage of the speech on Instagram for all to see.

I’ve been trying to figure out a way to say this all day. One of the reasons why I wanted to come on this tour was because I wanted to stand up here on stages in stadiums across America and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: “Free Palestine.” I said, “Free Palestine!” I want those words to be loud and clear so that people from Gaza, all the way to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten them.

And this next song was inspired by the bravery of Columbia University students who led an encampment movement that mobilized the entire world. Opened up hearts, myself included. So thank you to those students that risked their diplomas, that risked their tuition, that risked their scholarships, that stood up and said, “No.” CUAD students, Students For Justice In Palestine, and Jewish Voices For Peace. Thank you guys.

To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters: Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you. My message is for peace. Love. For all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality. So I say free Palestine. I say free Lebanon. I say free Cuba. I say free Congo, free Sudan, free all people in America living in fear over this terrorist organization ICE. None of us will be free until we are all free. (Curated from Stereogum)

Instead of petitioning against him and vilifying this talented musician, husband, and wonderful dad, how about we REALLY listen to his words?

Macklemore is a brave truth teller and ought to be commended. As granddaughter of a rabbi, I’m on #TeamMacklemore

Here’s a couple of my fave songs, and I chose the ADULT version:

Can’t Hold Us

Featured photo from Yahoo

August Full Moon + Partial Lunar Eclipse

It’s the end of August, time for another full moon and she’s already shining big and bright in the night sky, this time with the added bonus of a partial lunar eclipse.

The weather here in SoCal has been miserable. We’ve had a veryvery hot summer with record temps, which normally isn’t so bad, but the humidity has been sky high and that makes it nearly intolerable, especially at night. We normally only have a dry heat — Santa Ana — which is hot but pleasant, but this moist air is so draining. Since I don’t have A/C, I’ve resorted to a fan to sleep since it never really cools off.

On top of the heat, we haven’t had rain in months. I’ve given up on the garden because there’s really no point in fighting the drought, especially since our water is so expensive. I’d have to literally spend hours a day watering, mostly to no avail since it immediately dries up. The rats and bunnies have taken their toll too, and I’m not sure what the cosmic message is, but I won’t resist it, whatever it is.

Enough ranting about the weather…

From Liverpool Echo

This full Sturgeon Moon will be special because the Earth’s shadow will swallow 96% of the lunar surface overnight on Aug. 27-28, potentially coloring the moon a gorgeous bright red as it bathes in light filtered and refracted by our planet’s atmosphere.

The partial lunar eclipse will occur as Earth passes between the sun and moon during the full moon. Around this time, Earth’s curved inner shadow will appear to creep across the lunar surface while leaving a thin crescent exposed to direct sunlight at the point of maximum eclipse.

For stargazers on the west coast of the United States, the point of maximum eclipse will arrive just a few hours after sunset, while anyone watching from the east coast will hopefully see the lunar spectacle peak around midnight.

The spiritual significance of the August Sturgeon Moon is all about resilience, inner strength, and processing deep emotional truths.

Unlike a solar eclipse, no safety glasses will be necessary.

Don’t forget to charge your crystals and enjoy!

Lion’s Gate Portal 2026 ☀️ It’s OPEN!

This highly anticipated spiritual and astrological event aligns the Sun in Leo, the bright star Sirius, and the Earth, creating a powerful window for manifestation.

Found on Pinterest. Credit to designer.

There’s a reason so many people circle August 8th on their calendar each year.

The Lion’s Gate Portal (July 26-Aug 12) is widely regarded as one of the most powerful energetic windows of the year for manifestation and the single most magical day of the entire year for calling our dreams into being.

Many believe this alignment symbolizes a time of expanded awareness, greater clarity, and the chance to intentionally shape what’s next.

This year’s portal invites us to align more closely with the life we hope to create. Whether we’re calling in a chapter of greater abundance, deeper relationships, renewed purpose, or simply more peace, the Lion’s Gate is an invitation to move forward with greater intention. If we feel more intuitive, inspired, emotional, or ready for change, we may already notice this energy.

As the portal opens fully, the veil between the seen and the unseen grows thin enough for our intentions to pass straight through, and this year the opening is wider and more charged than it has felt in a very long time.

There is a rare kind of alchemy hidden inside this particular date. Eight is the number of infinity turned on its side, the number of abundance, of energy leaving and returning multiplied, and here it appears twice, magnifying its power beyond measure at the exact moment the portal opens.

This year also carries the vibration of one, since 2026 reduces to a single 1, the number of new beginnings and untouched pages. Abundance and a brand new chapter are merging into one rare, charged moment, which means whatever we call in today becomes the cornerstone of an entirely new life.

Far overhead, Sirius, the star our ancestors called the Spiritual Sun, moves into alignment with our own Sun and with the ground beneath our feet. The Egyptians built temples to honor this exact ascent, believing it the moment the heavens bent low to touch the earth and pour blessings across everything below. That same timeless magic streams toward us now, made even brighter by Leo season — the reign of the radiant heart, of fearless courage, of being seen at last in our full and dazzling light.

Today is the day to ask for everything our hearts have kept hidden in silence. Speak what our soul has been too afraid to say out loud and release it into the air.

The portal responds to certainty, so stand in it as someone who already holds what they are calling in, moving and speaking from a place of calm knowing instead of longing. Whatever intention we set today threads itself permanently into the story of our future.

Between August 8th and the total solar eclipse on August 12th unfolds the most enchanted window of our whole year. An eclipse in Leo arrives to close one chapter of our life and opens another, peaking just as the Lions Gate reaches its highest.

Rest, surround ourselves with softness, give thanks to the sun, and hold our hearts wide open, because our energy right now is the exact frequency the Universe leans in to answer.

Something miraculous is turning toward us now, and the portal leads into a life we may have only ever glimpsed in our most hopeful dreams.

Walk through the portal with confidence because very star and planet in the cosmos has arranged itself to let us know that the wonderful things arriving were always, beyond any shadow of any doubt, meant for us.

Dreams really can come true. Claim it!

Curated from Alex Myles

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Carlsbad Is A Dangerous Place

Here’s a message to those of you who are planning summer vacations: You might want to ignore all the feel-good ads and PR campaigns that attempt to lure visitors to this no-longer-little OR charming beach town. Find somewhere else to spend your money.

There are more and more incidents of violent crime.

This one occurred early Sunday evening where an alleged career criminal was arrested for a road-rage stabbing and assault following a minor traffic crash on the northbound Interstate 5 off-ramp to Tamarack Avenue, (this is near me!) The perpetrator allegedly flew into a violent rage after rear-ending their vehicle. The victims were in their twenties and hospitalized.

What exactly is going on here? Here’s a few more from The Coast News:

Carlsbad photographer Robert Koester gets 40 years for sex crimes

CARLSBAD — A professional photographer previously sentenced in San Diego County to 25 years in state prison for sexually assaulting teenage girls during modeling sessions..

Suspect charged in March stabbing near Carlsbad train tracks

CARLSBAD — A 21-year-old Oceanside man has been charged in connection with a March stabbing that left a victim with life-threatening injuries, authorities said.

What will it take for city leaders to have a wake-up call? Hello??? They are head in the sand clueless. Here’s some examples of what council meetings look like while violent crime is on the rise:

-Instead of fixing our crappy roads, the city is asking for ideas about how to decorate a couple of traffic circles and a freeway underpass.

-The city spent I don’t know how many millions for a new park, Veteran’s Park, which. no veteran asked for, because if they were queried, I bet they’d say they preferred the money was used for things like safe housing and FOOD.

–Supervisors are giving away helmets to ebiker kids in Carllsbad. Comments on social media are so apt and awesome, and mostly talk about the reckless driving of these pre/teenagers, and observe (rightly so) that if their parents can easily afford a thousand dollar+ ebike, they can absolutely bear the cost of a helmet, which many of the kids don’t even wear.

These are examples of what our friends and neighbors are concerned about: wasted and misspent money, and the rise in crime. I don’t have any personal complaints about our police force; I think they are doing the best job they can, but the city needs to find a better way to keep us safe.

Jimothy and The Hot Trash Panda Summer 🦝

In the midst of all the horrible stories swirling around this country, the talk of the town is the shiniest ray of light, #Jimothy, Seattle’s latest local legend!

I’ve named him Dr. Jimothy Sprinkles, since UW conferred an honorary Ph.D. on this special little guy.

Credit to creator, found on Twitter

Jimothy is a short-spined raccoon spotted thriving in Ballard, a suburb of Seattle, despite a rare congenital condition. He doesn’t seem to be in pain and it looks like he’s living his best life.

The Ferals (formerly Angel Kids) hope they get a glimpse of him because the sightings have been fairly close to their neighborhood.

A raccoon dubbed “Jimothy” that was seen trotting on long legs across a patch of grass may have short spine syndrome, a rare congenital disorder. (Courtesy of Kiana Hall)
Courtesy of Kiana Hall

Filming the creature with her cellphone Monday night, Kiana Hall was certain of only one thing: The tiny beast skittering out from under a car in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood was definitely not a cat. 

“I got very confused at what I was seeing,” Hall said. “I just have never seen any other animal like it.” 

She also didn’t know her five-second video clip would turn a teetering trash panda into an overnight internet celebrity.

Hall, 33, and her partner were strolling near the Ballard Goodwill about 8:30 p.m. Monday when she spotted what she thought was a cat under a car. She took out her phone to film the animal, then watched in disbelief as a decidedly different critter crept from the shadows. 

Smaller than a house cat and unusually round, the gray-furred creature loped on long legs across a patch of grass and up a nearby staircase before climbing over a fence and out of sight. Hall guessed it was a raccoon based on its masklike facial markings. She also suspected it had short spine syndrome, a rare congenital disorder she had learned about online.

Hall published the video the next day on her Instagram, naming the creature “Jimothy” because, she said, “he looked like a Jimothy.” 

Within hours, Hall’s video started going viral, garnering more than 5 million views and thousands of comments by Thursday afternoon. A Ballard resident who saw the video recognized Jimothy as an oddly shaped raccoon their security cameras had captured last month crawling on their patio. The resident posted their footage Wednesday on Reddit, attracting hundreds of awed comments, including ones comparing Jimothy to mythical creatures like cryptids and chupacabras. 

And thus, Seattle’s latest local legend — a belovedly bedraggled raccoon — was born. 

Seattleites’ adoption of Jimothy as their scrappy hometown hero has brought Hall “a lot of joy,” she said in a Thursday phone call. 

“I think times have been hard for everyone, so I’m really happy to have posted something online that reaches so many people and makes them so happy,” Hall said. “I just hope (Jimothy) continues to live his life freely and I hope he can be healthy.”

Jimothy’s prognosis seems positive, despite his unusual appearance, said Marcie Logsdon, an associate professor at Washington State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital. 

Logsdon could not diagnose Jimothy based on reviewing the videos of the “kind of crazy little thing.” But she said the raccoon was likely born this year, and that its abnormally shortened neck is likely caused by a congenital deformity of the spine. 

Jimothy appears to be functioning well and “very spry,” excellent signs for his survival in the wild, Logsdon said. 

“The fact that he’s made it to this age tells me that he’s managing and that he’s adapting,” she said. “I was surprised and honestly a little bit inspired that he’s that resilient.” 

Jimothy is likely best off “left to his own devices.” Anyone who spots him and is concerned about his health should call a local wildlife rehabilitator before trying to intervene, she said. 

“Raccoons are amazing because they have done an amazing job at adapting to and sharing urban and suburban areas,” she said. “But respectful sharing needs to remain just that.” (Curated from Catalina Gaitán, Seattle Times breaking news reporter.)

This is my personal fave cos Angel Boy (only slightly feral) teaches at UW.

Now there’s a song about #Jimothy!