MMGA - Make Me Great Again, Maybe...

So, I could dive into the quagmire of misplaced nationalism (seriously - we have a problem here) or the latest AI advancements shaking up the stock market. But let's be real—those topics are like the flashy new gadgets we obsess over, only to toss aside when the next big thing comes along.  As I have mentioned before, AI isn't going anywhere, but the hype cycle should subside at some point and reality sets in (seriously the technology is cool and it automates - we will use it). With all that blah blah, let's talk about something far more personal and pervasive: time. Ever find yourself lamenting, "I just don't have enough time"? Yet, when you look back, you realize hours have slipped through your fingers, lost to doom-scrolling, binge-watching, or obsessively checking emails. It's like we're all stuck in this loop, wasting precious moments on things that don't really matter, and then complaining about the lack of time. I've been there—spending ...

  So, I have spent the last couple of months researching AI.  This included using AI to write, code, interview me (you should try this to pull out information - have any of the AI engines interview 1 question at a time about a topic - it is a good exercise), make images, and even video.   What have I learned from this?  AI isn't going anywhere and moreover, you are already seeing AI everyday and you probably don't realize it.  YouTube videos, podcasts, and news articles are all being created on the fly.   Don't think you're being fooled by these things?  Go to Google's NotebookLM add a good piece of content to your notebook and then click the audio component and it will create a podcast on the fly and here is the scary part, click "Interactive Mode (Beta)" and you can interact with the podcast - yes, you can call in.  Mind you, you can talk to AI today, but this shows you that AI can create a conversation on the fly (predictive text gene...

 So, my disconnection experiment is coming along and I really have found it to be helpful.  I'm doing some fun things with tech, like building this tiny Pi 5 tower (yes that is a thumb drive for size reference) that I have had for several months. I have also been learning a lot about AI (that seems like an odd statement doesn't it - maybe its me).  In all seriousness, I really have been studying AI aggressively and I can see so many good uses for the tech, even in its current form.  I have been working in my own lab environment on model development along with other items (with my limited hardware) and it has been fun.  Below is one of my AI's attempt at writing this blog post - note: I have not taken up woodworking, it just threw that one in there. ****** BELOW IS ALL GENERATED TEXT FROM A LLM CHAT BOT ******* Title: Finding Freedom in Disconnection: My Journey to Mental Wellness and Creative Revival As I sit here in front of my trusty Pi 5, surrounded by the wa...

 I am actually referring to my hair, but I also have a strange sense of humor.  It is funny how a beard and scraggly red hair with some white thrown in can make you look so much different. With the holidays quickly fading in the rear view, I am reluctant to let them go.  I am always happy how I am able to continue some tradition, let go of some, and add new.  Isn't that just the way all of life goes.  Some old, some forgotten, some new... Every holiday though I am struck with how little we have changed or how we ignored the warnings of the past.  I think about all the old Christmas specials and movies that deride commercialism, but not only did we not listen, we doubled down on commercialism.  Hell, we worship it. Today's cool thing and a bitch is all about the same item.  The NBA has provided this really cool location in Meta Horizon's called NBA Arena.  You can watch a game courtside and it is pretty darn cool (I know I said cool twice so y...