T. Bolton Digital Art - More Odds and Ends

More Odds and Ends . . .

September 22, 2025 Cartoons -- GIMP and Gemini

After sketching and coloring a crude image, using GIMP, the Filters>Artistic>Cartoon setting was applied (see below).

Later, Gemini was used to include other subject matter. First, I uploaded the cartoon created with GIMP for Gemini to process. Next two versions were generated. The first shows a man wearing a straw hat and double suspenders, a barn, and farm animals. The second generated image includes two sheep plus a front view of the husky man that I did not specifiy; but was o.k. since it represents less repetition.

Show a closeup of this cartoon figure standing in a barnyard facing an old red barn in the background along with some chickens, a goat, a couple cows, and a horse that are also all cartoon figures.
Show a closeup of this cartoon figure standing in a barnyard facing an old red barn in the background along with some chickens, a goat, two sheep, a couple cows, and a horse that are also all cartoon figures.

Source: GIMP and Gemini
ThoughtsOfThomasNotNostradamus

September 21, 2025 Today's Conversation with ChatGPT -- Biased News Feeds

You said:

Are internet news websites further polarizing U.S. citizens by customizing news feeds for them based on their personal interests, search history, and political affiliation that results in biased reporting of events, etc.

ChatGPT said:

Yes—there’s strong evidence that internet news websites and platforms can polarize U.S. citizens through customized news feeds. A few key points:

Algorithmic Filtering (Filter Bubbles):
Most news feeds are cusrated curated by algorithms that prioritize content users are more likely to click on, based on search history, likes, shares, and past reading behavior. Over time, this can trap people in “filter bubbles,” where they mostly see stories that reinforce their existing beliefs.
Echo Chambers:
If someone has a clear political leaning, the algorithm often keeps feeding them material aligned with that leaning. This can create an echo chamber effect, where citizens are exposed less often to opposing viewpoints and more often to partisan framing.
Biased Framing:
Personalization doesn’t just filter which stories are shown—it also affects how those stories are presented. Two people could read about the same event but from sources that frame it in ways that align with their ideological preferences, reinforcing bias.
Engagement Incentives:
Platforms profit from attention. Content that sparks strong emotional reactions—often outrage—tends to get promoted more. This nudges coverage toward more extreme or sensational perspectives, widening divides.
Uneven Exposure:
While some people actively seek out diverse perspectives, most passively accept what their feed delivers. That uneven exposure amplifies polarization at the population level.

That said, research also shows that exposure to some opposing viewpoints online can occasionally backfire, strengthening people’s preexisting beliefs instead of moderating them—so the effect is complicated, not one-directional.

Short answer: Yes, personalized internet news feeds often deepen polarization in the U.S. by reinforcing biases and limiting cross-perspective exposure.

Source: ChatGPT 5o
ThoughtsOfThomasNotNostradamus

Bing Image Creator
Powered by GPT-4o

Create a colorful photo realistic image in great detail showing the profile of a woman who is smiling with a happy face while viewing her laptop computer screen that contains a mockup of a News Website. She is seated in front of her laptop computer at the kitchen table, the screen is visible to the audience.

Bing Image Creator
Powered by GPT-4o

Create a colorful photo realistic image in great detail showing the profile of a man with a frown and a sad face viewing his desktop computer screen while reading a mockup of a News Website. He is seated in front of the computer keyboard and the computer screen is visible to the audience.

September 20, 2025 Today's Conversation with ChatGPT -- The Future

You said:

In theory, could the human race ever attain the sophisitcation of acquiring a "cashless" society without the need for monetary exchange" and life as we know it would not be driven by the almighty Dollar where the concept of tangible value no longer exists?

ChatGPT said:

That’s a really deep question. Let’s unpack it in theory.

Human societies depend on systems of exchange to allocate resources, coordinate labor, and motivate innovation. Money has been the most efficient and scalable system so far, because it is:

A universal language of value (a loaf of bread, a car, an hour of work).
Portable and divisible (a dollar, a cent, a digital transaction).
Trust-based but verifiable (backed by governments, markets, or even decentralized systems like crypto).

A society without money — or without any notion of "exchange value" — would require something else to handle those same functions. Here are some theoretical pathways:

1. Post-Scarcity Society (Star Trek model)

If technology advances far enough (e.g., unlimited clean energy, advanced automation, replicators/nanotech that can produce any good instantly), then material scarcity disappears. If everything you need can be created on demand, money becomes unnecessary. People contribute out of curiosity, social belonging, prestige, or purpose — not for income.

Possible? Theoretically yes, but only if technology eliminates almost all forms of scarcity (food, shelter, healthcare, energy).
Challenge: New forms of scarcity (e.g., attention, creativity, unique experiences) may still exist.

2. Resource-Based Economy (Jacque Fresco’s Venus Project idea)

Instead of money, society manages resources scientifically. AI and global systems allocate goods and services according to need and sustainability. You don’t “buy” a car — you use one when needed, shared and tracked by an intelligent system.

Possible? More realistic than post-scarcity, since it’s an extension of existing trends (AI, automation, sharing economy).
Challenge: Requires global trust in centralized or distributed systems — and a cultural shift away from ownership and profit.

3. Reputation / Contribution Economy

Value is measured not in dollars but in reputation, contribution, or social credit. You “earn” by contributing to society (knowledge, art, service, care), and you gain access to resources based on that. This is partially happening today (e.g., open-source communities, Wikipedia, even “likes” on social media).

Possible? Yes, in digital or niche communities.
Challenge: Risks inequality based on popularity, influence, or manipulation of reputation systems.

4. Pure Altruism or Utopian Anarchy

In theory, humans could transcend self-interest and live cooperatively, giving and sharing without formal systems. But this assumes a complete rewiring of human psychology away from competition and toward universal altruism.

Possible? Highly unlikely at scale — human societies evolved under scarcity and competition.

Bottom Line

In theory, yes — a “cashless” society without monetary exchange is possible. The most plausible paths involve:

Technology eliminating material scarcity (post-scarcity abundance).
AI and automation coordinating resource distribution without money.
New systems of social value replacing dollars.

But unless scarcity disappears entirely, humans will probably always use some abstract system of exchange — whether it’s money, reputation, or resource credits — to mediate access and fairness.

💡 So, the deeper truth may be: humanity won’t just “end money” — it would evolve money into something unrecognizable by today’s standards.

____________________

Would you like me to sketch out what daily life might look like in one of these futures (say, the “Star Trek” style post-scarcity model)?

You said:

"Make it so," Captain Kirk.

ChatGPT said:

Aye aye, Captain! 🚀 Let’s imagine daily life in a Star Trek–style post-scarcity society, where money doesn’t exist and material needs are no longer tied to "the almighty dollar."

A Day in the Life Without Money

You wake up in your home — not purchased or rented, but simply yours because every person has access to comfortable housing. The walls adjust light and temperature automatically, powered by virtually limitless clean energy.

Hungry? You head to the replicator, which materializes your favorite breakfast — eggs Benedict, alien fruit, or something entirely new — instantly and at no cost. There’s no bill, no grocery run, no worrying about whether you can afford it. Food is just… available.

For “work,” you don’t clock in for a paycheck. Instead, you contribute to society in whatever way inspires you. Some people explore the stars, some do research, others teach, heal, or create art. Your motivation isn’t survival or profit, but curiosity, prestige, purpose, and passion.

Need a ride? You don’t “own” a car. You request transport from the shared fleet — perhaps a shuttle, a pod, or a teleporter. No insurance, no loan payments, no gas stations.

Healthcare is universal, not because you "pay into the system," but because advanced medicine can heal almost anything and society sees no reason to let anyone suffer.

And when evening comes, you can spend it in a holodeck — a fully immersive simulation. Want to experience life as a medieval knight, dance with alien species, or relax on a beach under three moons? Just walk in and program the experience. No ticket price required.

⚖️ What’s Changed?

Scarcity is gone. Energy, food, and goods are abundant.
Value is cultural, not financial. Reputation, knowledge, creativity, and discovery matter more than wealth.
Work is redefined. You do what you love or what helps humanity advance — not what pays the bills.
Inequality shifts. No one is rich or poor, but some are admired for brilliance, leadership, or artistic genius.

It’s not a utopia without problems — human conflict, ego, and ambition still exist. But the struggles of today (rent, debt, hunger, healthcare) no longer dominate life.

In short: we no longer live to earn… we live to learn, explore, and create.

Source: ChatGPT 5o
ThoughtsOfThomasNotNostradamus

Image Source: Google ImageFX

Create a photo realistic image in great detail of a family from the future being served breakfast by a humanoid robot (35mm).

September 13, 2025 Potential Danger--Lightning Strikes

This morning I was awakened by the sound of thunder. Many people these days are connected to CPAP machines while they sleep to assist with proper breathing. Some devices use electrically heated air hoses that extend between the CPAP machine and the user's face mask.

"Is there any danger associated with using a CPAP machine while sleeping when it's lightning?"

Google Labs | AI Overview stated . . .

Yes, a CPAP user should be concerned and should unplug their CPAP machine and avoid using it during a severe thunderstorm with lightning, as it is an electrical device connected to the power grid, creating a potential risk for electric shock, similar to other electrical appliances. While CPAP machines are designed for safety, direct or indirect lightning strikes can cause power surges and spikes, which could harm the user or the device.

_________________

I then followed up with this Question:

"Am I being a worry wart if I fear wearing my CPAP mask when it's lightning while sleeping and have no knowledge of the weather outside?"

AI Overview

It is very understandable to have anxiety about wearing a CPAP mask during a lightning storm, but the risk of an electrical shock is extremely low. Most of the risk during a storm is to the machine itself from a power surge, not to you.

Why your mask is safe

Non-conductive materials: Your CPAP mask and hose are made of non-conductive plastic and silicone. A direct lightning strike would not travel through these materials to you.
Better paths to ground: If lightning were to strike your home, the electricity would follow the path of least resistance to the ground, such as metal plumbing or your home's electrical wiring. There is no direct, easy electrical path from your machine to your face.
Even heated hoses are insulated: While some hoses contain a heating element, the wire is well-insulated and encased in plastic, posing no threat of an electrical shock.

Protecting your equipment

The most significant risk from a lightning storm is a power surge that can damage or "fry" your machine. To protect your equipment:

Use a surge protector: Always plug your CPAP machine into a reliable surge protector. While no device offers 100% protection from a direct lightning strike, a good quality surge protector can guard against common power fluctuations.
Unplug during severe storms: If you know a severe storm with frequent lightning is approaching, the safest measure is to unplug the machine from the wall outlet.
Consider a battery backup: If you are worried about missing therapy during a storm, you can purchase a backup battery. You can then unplug your machine from the wall and run it safely on battery power. Some people who live in areas with frequent storms already do this for peace of mind.

A note on sleep apnea

It is important to remember that the health risks of untreated sleep apnea often outweigh the minimal risk of using your CPAP during a storm. If you choose to unplug your machine during a storm, reattach and resume your therapy as soon as the danger has passed.

____________________________

Comments:

Depending on how you ask the question, you'll get responses that vary in the degree of precaution that should be taken regarding lightning.
The second response contains an endnote that directly addresses the potential danger of lightning. The last sentence almost seems to be a contradiction as well as a disclaimer for all previous advice listed. "If you choose" could just as well be applied to . . . "I'm a good jumper. Is it safe to jump over a downed power line?" Well if they're wrong, you'll never have to worry about it again. (fortunately for this one, the response was a definite No.)

ThoughtsOfThomasNotNostradamus

Image Source: Google ImageFX

Restful Sleep

Create a colorful closeup cartoon in great detail of a man sleeping in bed wearing a CPAP mask over his nose and an air hose leading to the cpap machine setting on a stand next to his bed. The man's eyes are closed but he has a big smile on his face. In the background of his bedroom is a window with the curtains partially drawn and through the window a bright lightning flash can be seen.

September 1, 2025 Word Clarity and Punctuation

Combinations of word choice in the English language is almost unlimited and with it, our minds can communicate our thoughts in a manner that can be understood by others. It is important to note that the English Language has evolved over time in such a way that many words have multiple meanings and applications.

When formed into complete sentences that communicate clearly, well placed punctuation is vital to prevent ambiguity or misinterpretation by the reader or listener. The reader may also interpret meaningss of certain words they hear “out of context “ compared to their intended meaning. That is why it is important to listen or read carefully. Presentors should read with expression as conveyed by punctuation marks to guide the way until the sentence or message has reached its end.

When listening, punctuation is conveyed by pauses and voice pitch of the speaker. In some instances the speaker adds facial expression, volume fluctuation, or hand and body movement to emphasize meaning or to engage the listener.

For better communication, it helps immensely if the reader has some knowledge of what they are reading—not just converting printed text into sound. This is sometimes the case when news is being delivered by a newscaster on radio or television. Newscasters are usuallly not experts regarding the topic, nor should they be expected to be. Astute listeners should not be too critical in this instance and may hear occasional pronunciation errors or misapplications of nouns and verbs should they attempt to interject a comment. However, when a commentator is hosting the broadcast, they are expected to be more informed about the subject matter being discussed.

We sometimes take for granted the words we use that flow from our thoughts by way of pen or mouth will be understood. That is not always the case.

Today’s post is limited to just two words that have a miniscule role within the totality of the English Language. These words are being examined for two different reasons that will be explained later. Lastly, punctuation involving the placement of quotation marks is addressed in the final segment. Their role is also small, but like the two words, make communication through language more complete. . .

Click Here for the Continuation of this Post (pdf format).

ThoughtsOfThomasNotNostradamus

August 30, 2025 Writing Styles -- Shakespeare

The following instructions and information were given to ChatGPT 5.0:

"Please write in the style of William Shakespeare, written in first person--a soliloquy told by an elderly man who is talking about his past, his current view of life , and what the future has in store for him.

He talks about his younger days when events of his life were rapidly unfolding, many of which were unexpected and challenging with some successes and failures along the way. He further states that he has lived a normal life and to this day has not experienced neither chaos or turmoil.

He then states that he was able to maintain a degree of stability by exercising good judgement and common sense. But, in many instances fate had much to do with living out his life--and life was not without its ups and downs where there were times of happiness and great sorrow.

He elaborates on the fact that he has seen the passing of his entire family who had succumbed to old age and speculates that his time will be coming soon.

He further compares his present life of being home bound and following a never changing daily routine where he devotes much of his time to thinking about and talking about his experiences from his past--about the life he used to have when he was a young man, who was curious and ambitious, who looked forward to the times when he would seek out new paths and explore life while possessing curiosity, ambition, strength, and good health.

And in moments of solitude he wonders about his final hours and what will happen then."

ThoughtsOfThomasNotNostradamus

______________________________

Here is the soliloquy in the style of William Shakespeare:

Upon the Last Leaf

In younger days, when Time was fleet of foot,
My life did burst with swiftness unforeseen;
Events came crowding, sudden, manifold,
Some bless’d with triumph, others marr’d with fall.
Yet through such trials, chaos touch’d me not,
For common sense and judgment clear did guide
My vessel through the shallows and the storms.

And yet, I know, not all was wrought by me—
For Fate, that secret hand, did mark the course,
And oft my choice was but a shadow’s play.
Thus life bestow’d me joy and piercing grief,
Both light and darkness woven in one thread;
A measured span, not more, not less than most.

But lo, the years have borne away my kin;
All those I cherish’d now to dust return’d.
Their laughter once did gild the air with song,
Now silence holds their place, and I alone
Remain to walk the slow decline of age.
How long till I am call’d to join their rest?
How long till Death extends his patient hand?

These present days, confin’d within my walls,
Move ever in a circle, changeless, pale.
Each dawn brings forth the same unvaried round,
The selfsame meals, the selfsame chair, the hour
Wherein I muse on what my youth had been.
For once I was a man of eager heart,
Curious to seek out roads untrod by men,
Ambitious, strong, with health my loyal friend,
Who look’d upon the world with hungry eyes.
O how I lov’d to chase the beck’ning wind,
To carve new paths through forests yet unknown!

But now my journeys dwell within my thought;
I walk the past more than the present field.
And in the hush of solitary hours,
When shadows lengthen and the fire burns low,
I ponder on my final earthly night.
What dream awaits when last my breath is spent?
What silence—or what light—shall close mine eyes?
Such thoughts do haunt, yet not with fearful pang,
For I have liv’d as plain and honest men,
Untroubled by disorder or despair.

So let the Fates unroll what scroll they will;
When my last act is call’d, I shall depart.
Yet till that summons comes, I sit and muse,
And speak with memory as with a friend,
Of life once bold, of hope, of grief, of love,
And mark with patience what remains of time.

Lastly, here is the link to the complete ChatGPT Conversation that includes variations written for stage and performance as well as examples of :

blank verse
free verse
condensed version
couplets
epitaphs
and five suggested titles--of which I chose the recommended title shown above.

Soliloquy by ChatGPT

Upon the Last Leaf . . .

These present days, confin’d within my walls,
Move ever in a circle, changeless, pale.
Each dawn brings forth the same unvaried round,

The selfsame meals, the selfsame chair, the hour
Wherein I muse on what my youth had been.
For once I was a man of eager heart,
Curious to seek out roads untrod by men,
Ambitious, strong, with health my loyal friend,
Who look’d upon the world with hungry eyes.
O how I lov’d to chase the beck’ning wind,
To carve new paths through forests yet unknown!

_________________

Soliloquy generated with ChatGPT

Border by Gemini;--modified with GIMP Layers

Image generated by Gemini

Please generate a photo realistic image of an old book with gilded pages that is open on a wooden podium on a stage. Looking out from the stage is an empty auditorium with velvet covered seats with armrests arranged in rows and aisles. The book on the podium is opened to the attached image’s facing pages. Angle the camera so that these pages are easily recognizable from a few feet away. The lighting is dimmed but the book is illuminated.

Here are similar Shakespearean rendition from the March 20, 2025 post along with updated versions:

Fools Were We (PDF file)--March 20, 2025 Preferred Version--personal favorite)

Second Version (Conversation with ChatGPT September 10, 2025 using Original Request)

Alternate Versions (Conversation with ChatGPT September 10, 2025 with Reworded Requests)

How it's Done

Image generated by Gemini

The Audience is Seated (at another venue).

Image Source: Google ImageFX

August 15, 2025 The Sports Industry--Its Effect on Society

The purpose of More Odds and Ends . . . is to leave no stone unturned. It is hard to imagine a world and country without sports. Where would all the energy that develops in humanity go if it weren't for Sports--War? This post will delve into ai's opinion based on the premise of this rhetoric.

Sports affects all age groups. It involves all aspects of Sports that goes beyond the "Game." I have provided a list of related elements where sport is in the forefront

I have compiled a list of these elements in no particular order of importance. I will ask ai to elaborate on each topic and its combined overall effect and their interplay in our sociey as it exists in the United States today.

The complexity of this query is too difficult and disorganized for me to reconcile. I would like ChatGPT to offer its opinion regarding Sports in America:

- The Sports Industry and its affect on the economy for both the industry and its targeted audiences.
- Construction and Maintenance of sports facilities at all levels
- Spectators and Fans
- The Players and Athletes
- Training--instructors, coaches, facilities, and related equipment,
- Uniforms and sports apparel.
- Team Sports at all levels including the youth to the professional teams.
- Organizations, Tournaments and the need to determine champions
- Admissions at every level
- Transportation to and from the games, training and practice
- Food and Lodging for fans and particpants.
- Referees, Umpires and Score Keepers
- Sports Medicine and rehabilitation
- Salaries vs amateur status
- Signage and Scoreboards
- Sports Advertising and films
- Health benefits vs. injuries
- Sports Psychology
- Passive vs. aggressive behavior--outlet for agression
- Positive and Negative effects on both particpants and spectators
- Elite Athletes
- Effects on winners and losers including players, teams, coaches and communities
- International Sports
- Sports for the disabled
- Sports in Schools, Colleges and Club Sports.

ThoughtsOfThomasNotNostradamus

_____________________

Here is ChatGPT's Response:

Got it — you’re asking for a structured, detailed exploration of the entire ecosystem of sports in America, looking at each of the elements you listed and showing how they interact to influence the U.S. socially, culturally, and economically.

Here’s a well-organized breakdown that covers each point and ties them together into a full picture.

Sports in America: A Multi-Layered Influence

1. The Sports Industry & Its Economic Impact

Scale: A multi-hundred-billion-dollar sector encompassing ticket sales, media rights, merchandising, and sponsorships.
Ripple Effect: Boosts tourism, local businesses, and job creation.
Audience Targeting: Engages youth, collegiate, and pro markets differently, fostering lifelong loyalty.

2. Construction & Maintenance of Sports Facilities

Local: Community fields and gyms build pride and participation.
Professional: Large stadiums can revitalize or burden cities.
Maintenance: Year-round employment for skilled and unskilled labor.

3. Spectators & Fans

Culture: Shared experiences unite diverse groups.
Economics: Fans drive spending on tickets, concessions, and merchandise.
Psychology: Fandom can be both a healthy outlet and a source of rivalry.

4. Players & Athletes

Development Pathways: From local youth leagues to professional stardom.
Challenges: Pay disparity, short careers, physical and mental strain.

5. Training Infrastructure

Facilities: Specialized gyms, practice fields, performance labs.
Staffing: Coaches, trainers, and sports scientists.
Equipment: Evolving gear to improve safety and performance.

6. Uniforms & Sports Apparel

Identity: Strengthens team unity and brand recognition.
Commerce: Sportswear companies rely heavily on both athlete and fan demand.

7. Team Sports at All Levels

Youth: Builds discipline and teamwork.
College: Balances academics and high-level competition.
Pro: Entertainment-driven but also tied to civic pride.

8. Organizations & Championships

Structure: Coordinates leagues, schedules, and tournaments.
Impact: Creates seasonal rhythms like March Madness or the Super Bowl.

9. Admissions & Ticket Sales

Revenue Source: Critical for team operations.
Accessibility: Rising prices can reduce inclusivity.

10. Transportation

Teams: Charter buses, flights, and logistics planning.
Fans: Public transport, road trips, and rideshare use.

11. Food & Lodging

Fans: Sports tourism benefits local hospitality industries.
Teams: Hotels and travel arrangements support performance needs.

12. Officials (Referees, Umpires, Scorekeepers)

Role: Maintain rules and fairness.
Challenges: Recruitment shortages at youth levels.

13. Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation

Prevention: Training and conditioning to reduce injuries.
Treatment: Specialists handle everything from sprains to concussions.

14. Salaries vs. Amateur Status

Debate: Compensation for college athletes remains controversial.
Pay Gap: Significant differences across leagues, genders, and sports

15. Signage & Scoreboards

Function: Provide live updates and enhance fan engagement.
Revenue: Prime advertising space for sponsors.

16. Advertising & Films

Marketing Power: Athletes endorse brands; events sell advertising slots.
Cultural Impact: Documentaries and films immortalize sports moments.

17. Health Benefits vs. Injuries

Positives: Physical fitness, improved mental health, social engagement.
Negatives: Injuries, burnout, and long-term health consequences.

18. Sports Psychology

For Athletes: Focus, confidence, motivation, and coping skills.
For Fans: Emotional highs and lows tied to team results.

19. Passive vs. Aggressive Behavior — Outlet for Aggression

Healthy Outlet: Sports channel competitive instincts into controlled environments, reducing real-world aggression.
Potential Risks: Overemphasis on winning or overly aggressive coaching can encourage hostility or violence.
Social Impact: At the community level, sports can replace destructive conflict with structured competition, contributing to public safety and social cohesion.
Interplay: Strongly tied to sports psychology, fan behavior, and positive/negative social effects.

20. Positive & Negative Social Effects

Positive: Builds character, teaches teamwork, fosters inclusion.
Negative: Can fuel unhealthy rivalries, gambling issues, or elitism.

21. Elite Athletes

Influence: Shape trends, inspire youth, and speak on social issues.
Downside: Pressure, media scrutiny, and short career windows.

22. Winners & Losers Impact

Athletes: Success can bring contracts and fame; loss can mean career setbacks.
Communities: Victories spark pride; losses can dampen morale.

23. International Sports

Global Connections: Olympics and World Cup bring nations together.
Politics: Acts as soft diplomacy or political statement.

24. Sports for the Disabled

Inclusion: Paralympics, Special Olympics, adaptive programs.
Innovation: Technological advances in prosthetics and equipment.

25. Sports in Schools, Colleges & Clubs

Education Link: Encourages student engagement and academic performance.
Development: Creates pipelines for higher-level competition.

The Interplay

This ecosystem thrives because each element supports and influences others:

The economy benefits from fans, facilities, and events, while those depend on media, players, and advertisers.
Psychology and behavior influence performance, fan culture, and community well-being.
Health, training, and infrastructure connect grassroots participation with professional performance.

Without sports, these interconnected benefits — economic, social, psychological, and cultural — might not only vanish but could be replaced by less constructive outlets for human energy and competition.

________________________________

If you want, I can also create a visual diagram that shows how all these elements interconnect in U.S. society. That might make the “too complex to reconcile” problem easier to grasp. Would you like me to do that?

You said:

Yes, prepare a visual diagram please.

If you want, I can also prepare a second diagram showing a hub-and-spoke model with the Sports Industry in the center and all these elements radiating outward. That would make the relationships easier to read than the network tangle. Would you like me to make that?

Ask ChatGPT

You said:

Yes, prepare a second diagram please.

ChatGPT said:

Here’s the hub-and-spoke diagram with Sports Industry & Economy at the center, showing all the other elements radiating outward to emphasize how they connect back to the core economic engine.

ChatGPT Summaries:

Multiple Paragraph Summary

Summary – The Sports Industry and Its Impact on Society
Sports in America form a vast interconnected ecosystem that influences the economy, culture, health, and social cohesion. The industry generates billions through events, merchandise, media rights, and tourism, while supporting jobs in facility construction, maintenance, transportation, hospitality, and sports-related services.

Players, coaches, officials, and fans are linked through shared experiences that build identity, civic pride, and community bonds. Training systems, sports medicine, and technology drive athlete performance and safety, while uniforms, branding, and advertising shape public culture. Sports promote physical fitness, teamwork, and discipline but also bring risks like injuries, rivalry, and exclusivity.

From youth leagues to professional franchises — including adaptive sports — the industry connects local communities with global events, acting as both entertainment and a constructive outlet for human energy and competition. Without sports, many of these economic, psychological, and cultural benefits could be lost or replaced by less positive pursuits.

Single Sentence Summary

Sports in America form a massive, interconnected system that drives the economy, shapes culture, fosters health and community bonds, and channels human competition into positive outlets from local youth leagues to global events.

Organizatin and Editing by ChatGPT

More Odds and Ends . . .

August 15, 2025 The Sports Industry--Its Affect on Society

Sports affects all age groups. It involves all aspects of Sports that goes beyond the "Game." I have provided a list of related elements where sport is in the forefront

The complexity of this query is too difficult and disorganized for me to reconcile. I would like ChatGPT to offer its opinion regarding Sports in America:

- The Sports Industry and its affect on the economy for both the industry and its targeted audiences.
- Construction and Maintenance of sports facilities at all levels
- Spectators and Fans
- The Players and Athletes
- Training--instructors, coaches, facilities, and related equipment,
- Uniforms and sports apparel.
- Team Sports at all levels including the youth to the professional teams.
- Organizations, Tournaments and the need to determine champions
- Admissions at every level
- Transportation to and from the games, training and practice
- Food and Lodging for fans and particpants.
- Referees, Umpires and Score Keepers
- Sports Medicine and rehabilitation
- Salaries vs amateur status
- Signage and Scoreboards
- Sports Advertising and films
- Health benefits vs. injuries
- Sports Psychology
- Passive vs. aggressive behavior--outlet for agression
- Positive and Negative effects on both particpants and spectators
- Elite Athletes
- Effects on winners and losers including players, teams, coaches and communities
- International Sports
- Sports for the disabled
- Sports in Schools, Colleges and Club Sports.

ThoughtsOfThomasNotNostradamus

_____________________

Here is ChatGPT's Response:

Here’s a well-organized breakdown that covers each point and ties them together into a full picture.

Sports in America: A Multi-Layered Influence

1. The Sports Industry & Its Economic Impact

Scale: A multi-hundred-billion-dollar sector encompassing ticket sales, media rights, merchandising, and sponsorships.
Ripple Effect: Boosts tourism, local businesses, and job creation.
Audience Targeting: Engages youth, collegiate, and pro markets differently, fostering lifelong loyalty.

2. Construction & Maintenance of Sports Facilities

Local: Community fields and gyms build pride and participation.
Professional: Large stadiums can revitalize or burden cities.
Maintenance: Year-round employment for skilled and unskilled labor.

3. Spectators & Fans

Culture: Shared experiences unite diverse groups.
Economics: Fans drive spending on tickets, concessions, and merchandise.
Psychology: Fandom can be both a healthy outlet and a source of rivalry.

4. Players & Athletes

Development Pathways: From local youth leagues to professional stardom.
Challenges: Pay disparity, short careers, physical and mental strain.

5. Training Infrastructure

Facilities: Specialized gyms, practice fields, performance labs.
Staffing: Coaches, trainers, and sports scientists.
Equipment: Evolving gear to improve safety and performance.

6. Uniforms & Sports Apparel

Identity: Strengthens team unity and brand recognition.
Commerce: Sportswear companies rely heavily on both athlete and fan demand.

7. Team Sports at All Levels

Youth: Builds discipline and teamwork.
College: Balances academics and high-level competition.
Pro: Entertainment-driven but also tied to civic pride.

8. Organizations & Championships

Structure: Coordinates leagues, schedules, and tournaments.
Impact: Creates seasonal rhythms like March Madness or the Super Bowl.

9. Admissions & Ticket Sales

Revenue Source: Critical for team operations.
Accessibility: Rising prices can reduce inclusivity.

10. Transportation

Teams: Charter buses, flights, and logistics planning.
Fans: Public transport, road trips, and rideshare use.

11. Food & Lodging

Fans: Sports tourism benefits local hospitality industries.
Teams: Hotels and travel arrangements support performance needs.

12. Officials (Referees, Umpires, Scorekeepers)

Role: Maintain rules and fairness.
Challenges: Recruitment shortages at youth levels.

13. Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation

Prevention: Training and conditioning to reduce injuries.
Treatment: Specialists handle everything from sprains to concussions.

14. Salaries vs. Amateur Status

Debate: Compensation for college athletes remains controversial.
Pay Gap: Significant differences across leagues, genders, and sports

15. Signage & Scoreboards

Function: Provide live updates and enhance fan engagement.
Revenue: Prime advertising space for sponsors.

16. Advertising & Films

Marketing Power: Athletes endorse brands; events sell advertising slots.
Cultural Impact: Documentaries and films immortalize sports moments.

17. Health Benefits vs. Injuries

Positives: Physical fitness, improved mental health, social engagement.
Negatives: Injuries, burnout, and long-term health consequences.

18. Sports Psychology

For Athletes: Focus, confidence, motivation, and coping skills.
For Fans: Emotional highs and lows tied to team results.

19. Passive vs. Aggressive Behavior — Outlet for Aggression

Healthy Outlet: Sports channel competitive instincts into controlled environments, reducing real-world aggression.
Potential Risks: Overemphasis on winning or overly aggressive coaching can encourage hostility or violence.
Social Impact: At the community level, sports can replace destructive conflict with structured competition, contributing to public safety and social cohesion.
Interplay: Strongly tied to sports psychology, fan behavior, and positive/negative social effects.

20. Positive & Negative Social Effects

Positive: Builds character, teaches teamwork, fosters inclusion.
Negative: Can fuel unhealthy rivalries, gambling issues, or elitism.

21. Elite Athletes

Influence: Shape trends, inspire youth, and speak on social issues.
Downside: Pressure, media scrutiny, and short career windows.

22. Winners & Losers Impact

Athletes: Success can bring contracts and fame; loss can mean career setbacks.
Communities: Victories spark pride; losses can dampen morale.

23. International Sports

Global Connections: Olympics and World Cup bring nations together.
Politics: Acts as soft diplomacy or political statement.

24. Sports for the Disabled

Inclusion: Paralympics, Special Olympics, adaptive programs.
Innovation: Technological advances in prosthetics and equipment.

25. Sports in Schools, Colleges & Clubs

Education Link: Encourages student engagement and academic performance.
Development: Creates pipelines for higher-level competition.

The Interplay

This ecosystem thrives because each element supports and influences others:

The economy benefits from fans, facilities, and events, while those depend on media, players, and advertisers.
Psychology and behavior influence performance, fan culture, and community well-being.
Health, training, and infrastructure connect grassroots participation with professional performance.

________________________________

You said:

Yes, prepare a visual diagram please.

Ask ChatGPT

You said:

Yes, prepare a second diagram please.

ChatGPT said:

Here’s the hub-and-spoke diagram with Sports Industry & Economy at the center, showing all the other elements radiating outward to emphasize how they connect back to the core economic engine.

ChatGPT Summaries:

Multiple Paragraph Summary

Single Sentence Summary

Organizatin and Editing by ChatGPT

Image generated by Bing Image Creator

August 11, 2025 School Organizations' Impact on Youth

History of YCL (School Organization, Young Citizens League 1927 — 1971)

While the organization had lofty goals regarding promoting good citizenship, its underlying premise was organized as a mini-government entity within elementary schools at the county level, and statewide. More information about its history can be found by clicking this link: Young Citizen's League (YCL).

YCL instilled the concepts of honesty and good citizenship. It provided a sense of cohesion among participating schools by holding annual county conventions for every member, as well as a state convention held at the Capitol for county delegates. Ideals like good citizenship as well as the function of government in a democracy became part of every child’s life.

I still have my YCL County Convention project made in the Sixth Grade: A Pencil-Etched wooden plaque of the classical pose, Theodore Roosevelt on Horseback (see image below). Seriously, I have always tried to uphold the YCL Pledge throughout my life. YCL was a worthwhile experience.

The Young Citizens League (YCL) Pledge

"I hereby pledge my active devotion to my country by a study of its ideals and by a constant interest in the general welfare of my state and nation. I shall strive to do something each day to improve the standard of my home, my school and my community, and thereby endeavor to promote better citizenship,"

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Comments:

In the 1950s, the way of life was more conducive for conveying idealistic goals to the youth of the nation. Today, there are too many distractions and what is important is clouded over by a multitude of activities, much of which is frivolity.
A few years later in school--Junior High School or during the Freshmen year, depending on the school or state requirements/structure--classes like "Our State" or "Civics" provided further education in the workings of government.

During my Freshmen year, I had the opportunity to attend school in both North Dakota and Florida and to study both state's governments. What was remarkable, it seemed through the eyes of a ninth grader, was that while separated by thousands of miles, both state governments were very similar--just the names, dates, and places differed.

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Character Counts (School Organization 1992 – Present)

Character Counts Link: Character Counts Week.

Locally, Character Counts was introduced to our school in the early 2000s by the Guidance Counselor. It was an effort to instill the Six Pillars of Good Character and overall, resulted in positive outcomes.

Character Counts is responsible for helping many students in elementary, middle, and high school get on the right track. While mature thought is not expected at an early age, elementary student, benefit from organizations like Character Counts by learning right from wrong--and by and learning about good character through practice and by example.

As student grow older, their perception of "self" diminishes as they become more aware of the needs of others. Yet, there will be many older students who have difficulty accepting the six pillars of character (for countless reasons) as well. Character Counts is especially helpful for them. Their behavior, self worth, and role in society becomes much clearer.

Schools with Character Counts have sometimes been criticized for overstepping their educational mission. It is the right of parents to complain. For example, complaints about Character Counts for being an intrusion on family nurturing, or an indoctrination into a specific set if values contrary to parental beliefs, have and do occur. The role that schools play in the development of a child's value system remains an issue that is open to debate.

_____________________

______________________

Commenst:

As one parent shared while pointing their finger at me, "You teach them to read and write, we'll do the rest."

Editied by ChatGPT

ThoughtsOfThomasNotNostradamus

YCL Project 1957--Theodore Roosevelt

August 3, 2025 An Unexpected Visit Revisited -- Poetry and Composition Styles

The images below depict futuristic men travelling back in time and possibly from a distant planet that are being greeted by William Shakespeare. The account of the meeting is described in a writing shown further down the page that was posted March 20, 2025. Click here to read it. The writing was created using ChatGPT that was prompted to rewrite my fictional draft as if it had been written by Shakespeare.

The Images below were created using Google ImageFX by providing a brief description.

ThoughtsOfThomasNotNostradamus

July 30, 2025 Economics 101 -- Six Questions about Supply and Demand and Social Order

Today, Google Search Labs | AI Overview has been asked to respond to six basic questions encompassing some of the issues that have been in the forefront of the news--issues that affect the economy and people world wide. More specfically, these relate to circumstances that affect present-day supply and demand and the economy.

In additon, several assumptions have been posed to which Google's AI Overview provides enlightening and factual information as well as speculative responses with regard to hyphothetical future events.

Here is how Google's Search Labs | AI Overview responded: Supply and Demand and Other Issues. (This compilation is 2,550 words -- 10 pages.)

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Comments:

AI has the ability to give clarity to muddled thought. It is concise and does not waste any words in conveying meaning. Responses are well organized and have a logical flow.

AI is unlike interpreting messages from human beings who become distracted by listening to themselves speak or interject non-vital information and emotion.

AI's responses are generally enlightening and meaningful, but sometimes it seems, if questions are phrased in a certain way, they parrot what the users believe may be true as to be non-offensive in tone. That is, AI remains polite, truthful, and professional while humans may be condescending, untruthful, and inconsiderate.

But let us not forget that humans were the creators of the large language model and algorithm that drives AI.

ThoughtsOfThomasNotNostradamus

Image Source: Google ImageFX

July 30, 2025 Nostalgia Revisited . . . How it was

"Ditto That." -- Before the days of Microsoft Word. Watch this YouTube Video to fully appreciate MS Word's features. When it comes to offiice work, the good old days were not that good.
Saturday Night at the Roller Rink -- 1950s (See Google FX images below). When I got big enough, I wore my sister's white shoe skates. They were better than the clamp on skates with leather straps that alway fell off when the skating action got wild. In our town, just grown up individuals and couples who liked to roller skate or skate dance would invest in shoe skates.

Older kids and adults skated in second session 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The little kids skated the first session--7:00 p.m. to about 9:00 p.m. A few younger girls had their own white lace-up shoe skates but seemed to quickly grow out of them.

At the age of 21 (late 60s), I managed Saturday Night Skating, (Tending to admissions and handing out skates, as recreation director including summer baseball coaching sponsored by the American Legion. The Legion owned the newly constructed skating facility which everyone called the Legion Hall or sometimes referred to as the Memorial Hall as it appears with its official name and post number on the sign out front.

The Legion Hall was the hub of community activity, including public dances, school proms, school carnivals, basketball games, indoor physical education classes, and of course, Memorial Day oberservances. Before the doors had been installed on the rear exits, my dad and I clamped on roller skates and gave it a spin. At the time, we lived only a few feet away from the construction site. I have to admit we were some of the first to skate on it.

Skating was a summer event--basketball backboards were removed after the season had ended in March to signal it was time to move on to the next sport. Then, prior to the approaching basketball season the floor was refinished and given a new coat of varnish/floor finish and baskets were reinsalled before basketball practice resumed. This process continued until the School built a new gymnasium in the late 60s/early 70s.

Small town life goes on. The school has closed, but I'm not sure if roller skating still continues.

Bicycle Ride --1950s (See Google FX images below). Playing cards attached to the bicycle spokes with clothes pins revved up the noise like a motorcycle. We never had paved streets in those days and the balloon tires were fatter for a smoother and safer ride. Some sidewalks could be used; however downtown, near business places, it was not allowed or frowned upon to prevent collisions with pedestrians.

We were always patching tires and fixing broken chains. We became good at it. Coaster Brakes were standard--no Caliper Brakes. English Bikes (with narrow tires) were difficult to ride on gravel roads. Streets were all level--no hills to climb, shifting gears was non-existent, but it could have helped out on windy day. There was just one front and rear sprocket. If the bike had to chain guard, we'd roll up our right pants leg.

My first bicycle was a 26" Hiawatha girl's bike (my sister's hand-me-down). I had to have blocks on the pedals so I could reach them and most of the time I could only pedal standing up because I didn't weigh enough to depress the pedals while sitting down. One year later, everything was o.k.

ThoughtsOfThomasNotNostradamus

July 2, 2025 Let's Pay All College and University Athletes Who Compete

Here is a wavering discussion on the merits of paid college and university athletes:

Recent Division One NCAA athletes can now be paid for their participation. Athletic payments will be distributed by each institution at a prescribed amount allocated by each schools. In addition, athletes can also be paid for name recognition, appearances, autograph signings, and merchandise endorsements and sales income from private sources.

Apparently, trophies and medals are no longer sufficient. Love of the game and competitive spirit for groomed elite athletes are no longer enough.

Large university coaches recieve annual salaries that measure in the millions of dollars at some institutions. There is great pressure on everyone to produce winners. The stakes are high with massive stadiums takiing in milions at every venue for the major sports. The price of admission hasn't been $2 for a long, long time.

With all that money flowing into the universities, some individuals have seen an opportunity to cash in--and why not? The elite few in every sport deserve something other than a pat on the back.

Collegiate sports require dedication, hard work, time commitment and an element of risk involved regarding injury and travel. Every practice or conditioning session as well as competitive events could be a career-ending experience. Risk of pain, suffering, physical therapy, and recovery looms in the back of every athlete's mind. Travel to and from events involves utilization of transportation over thousands of miles. Naturally, there are risks of fatal or serious accidents.

It is a legitimate argument that no one is being forced to participate at the college level. There are many less fortunate athletes (perhaps not the champions or as greedy) who, given the opportunity, would play for free. They, as in the past, would apprecitate an athletic scholarship to offset personal sacrifices and to help pay their way with college expenses--but not for monetary gain. Monetary Gain distinguishes professional sports from amateur sports.

There are no laws or policies that state that colleges and universities should limit one's ability to make money. Famous paid actors can attend college if they so desire. An internet or cryto entrenpreneur can attend college. An NFL football player can play football and get an on-line degree, etc.

__________________________

Comments:

In my opinion the rules resticting athletes from receiving money (other than for "throwing a game") are outdated. It seems fair to pay athletes, although I think that the portion allocated by universities be distributed equitably for every participant based on their time committent, not their fame, scoring, or specific sport. GPA eligibility, attendance, and a consistent code of conduct must be applied equally to all university enrolled students.

ThoughtsOfThomasNotNostradamus

June 21, 2025 Nomophobia -- A New Word!

Google Search Labs Query:

"Are some people who rely heavily on their cellphones afraid to leave their homes without it like forgetting to put on clothes or fastening their seatbelts?"

Search Labs | AI Overview

Yes, individuals who are highly reliant on their cell phones, especially those who exhibit symptoms of nomophobia, can experience significant anxiety when separated from their devices, similar to the discomfort some might feel if they forgot something essential like clothes or a seatbelt.

Nomophobia (No Mobile Phone Phobia) is a psychological condition characterized by the fear of being without or disconnected from one's mobile phone. This fear can be severe enough to affect daily life and functioning.

Here's why people with nomophobia might feel anxious:

Fear of missing out (FOMO): They might worry about missing important social interactions, updates, or events occurring online if they don't have access to their phone.
Need for constant connection: Smartphones have become integral to communication and daily tasks, leading to a strong reliance on them for information, staying in touch, and feeling connected.
Smartphone as a coping mechanism: Some individuals use their phones as a way to manage anxiety, boredom, or negative emotions, so being without it removes this coping mechanism.
Psychological dependency: Excessive and compulsive phone use creates a psychological dependency, and separation from the device can trigger anxiety and withdrawal-like symptoms.
Fear of being unreachable or unable to access help: Feeling unable to contact others or access information in case of an emergency can cause significant anxiety.

Symptoms of Nomophobia can include anxiety or panic without the phone, constantly checking for notifications, and even physical symptoms like sweating or increased heart rate when separated from the device.

While not as immediately life-threatening as forgetting clothes or a seatbelt in some situations, the anxiety related to nomophobia can be significant and debilitating for those who experience it.

__________________________________

In Addition the New York Post's article of June 22, 2025 sheds light on another "hidden epidemic": Pyschologists suggest there’s fear of missing out, fear of a better option — and now there’s “FOPO,” another stress-inducing acronym that stands for “fear of people’s opinions.”

Comments.

FOPO is symptomatic of those who are addicted to the use of cell phones and social media that needlessly experience anxiety and high levels of stress. My suggestion for sufferers is to put down the phone and get a life.

June 19, 2025 Television--Then and Now. Binge watching vs. Weekly Episodes.

Instead of spending my free time posting to this website during June, I've decided to take a vacation and do some serious t.v. binge watching.

The Past (Television: its Age of Innocence).

During the age of Over the Air Television, most evening and daytime favorites were viewed week by week. Variety shows and musical performance were popular and had their faithful audiences tuning in weekly. The Lawrence Welk Show, Perry Como, Dean Martin. Laugh in, Red Skelton Show, Hee Haw, Grande Ole Opera, Hottenanny, The Ed Sullivan Show, Art Linkletter, and of course, Walt Disney's Disneyland. The Carol Burnette Show and the Gary Moore Show were also well received. We must not forget The Munsters, Addams Family, The Flintstones, Jetsons, Rocky and Bowinkle Show, and The Beverly Hillbillies had everyone laughing.

Westerns were very popular. Wagon Train, Gunsmoke--that evolved from the radio program, as well as the Lone Ranger, and Zorro, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Bonanza, The Rifleman, The High Chaparral, and Palidan.

There were also comic book and science fiction series including Superman, Batman, Lost in Space, My Favorite Martian, The Twilight Zone, and Science Fiction Theater.

Detective/crime drama and action series such as Dragnet (Badge 714), Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and Perry Mason were well received. There was also police comedy--Car 54 (Where are You). Combat and M.A.S.H came a bit later but also had a huge following. For the teens there was the Hit Parade, American Bandstand, and for the younger children Captain Kangaroo for daytime t.v. Action/Adventure series included Sea Hunt, and Man from UNCLE, I SPY, Adventures in Paradise, and the Whirlybirds.

Edward R. Morrow, Walter Cronkite, Sixty Minutes, and On the Road with Charles Kuralt were must watch news and journalistic programming--especially the week Charles Kuralt visited my home town. The Wild Kingdom was a popular nature series.

We must not forget cooking with Julia, exercising with Jack, Mr. Fix It, The Science Guy, and generations of the Tonight Show. Before streaming T.V. there was Stars on Ice with Alex Trebek, Bob Barker, and professional wrestling and other sports broadcasts.

Comedies and Sitcoms were everyone's favorite and people scheduled their evenings around the airing time since "One Demand viewing" was still several decades away. I'll Drop a few names for those who remember. The Jackie Gleason Show (The Honey Mooners); I love Lucy; The Dick Van Dyke Show; The Andy Griffith Show.

I've Got a Secret; To Tell the Truth, and Truth or Consequences, and the infamous $64,000 Question were early game shows. Over the years there have been hundreds of other memorable programs that were funny, wholesome family entertainment.

Also, local programming was popular: Bowling for Dollars Live from North Hill Bowl on Channel 13. Local bowlers competed for prize money. Talent performances for March of Dimes Telethon. Pat Bearsdale, Country Western singer, was a local legend. The Sis Hadley Noon Show was popular as well.

It was rare if weekly series episodes ended with the words "to be continued..." In general all weekly programs, whether it focused on doctors/hospital, rescue, police, crime, comedy, etc. lacked continuity from one episode to the next. When they did, however, we always anticipated this story must be extra special in order to be spread over a two week time frame. Later, this practice continued in comedies such as Seinfeld, Married with Children, etc., with the main characters caught up in many rediculous situations (sitcoms).

Pay T.V. and Cable began to emerge but over the air was still king--for a while. As Tube tv's. began to fade into history a new, clearer, bigger, and smarter digital t.v. came to town. The delivery mechanism(s) evolved rapidly and there became many players--providers sprang from beneath the ground, digitally, through the air, from space and through fine strands of fiber optic cable capable of delivering thousands of channels instead of just two or three.

A Product of the Age of Television.

Television later became available 24/7 instead of signing off at 12:00 a.m. How often had I sat just watching the Test Pattern in the morning awaiting the Playing of the Star Spangled Banner (many kids even stood up, crossed their heart or saluted, and sang along) followed by Saturday morning Cartoons.

A bit later in life, I watched the flag wave and listened while the Nationl Anthem played following the late night movie. The Test Pattern once again appeared and eventually signed off--the screen turned to snow as a final reminder TV was finished for the day and it was now time to go to bed.

Today (Television: Diversity in Taste and Thought) .

Binge watching doesn't require many continuous hours on Netflix, for example. Well, in fact, it does require many hours, but thanks to today's technology viewing can be conveniently broken up as needed. Features such as Streaming; On Demand; Pause; and Resume makes it easy. Also, with multiple tv's throughout the home, it is possible to resume where you left off in another room if you're Logged In.

The choices are wide and varied and selecting something to watch occupies much of the viewing experience.

Netflix and many other streaming channels--some free with ads and others that are not--have so much to offer it's like you can never find exactly what you want to watch. Have we all become that spoiled.

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Comments.

In the old days we were not as fussy about what to watch. It was mostly uplifting, wholesome entertainment. The news programming was believable and all broadcasts and networks maintained a high standard of integrity and journalistic professionalism. In recent years, however, Weather Forecasts are much more precise.

Lastly, viewing a screen in the year 2025 goes far beyond television--but television is still there if you want it.

ThoughtsOfThomasNotNostradamus

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ChatGPT to the Rescue:

Here is a ChatGPT link to an edit of the above post: Edit suggested by ChatGPT.

Image Source: Google ImageFX

Vikings & Lost were originally weekly episodes on other Networks. Now, Binge watch them on Netflix.

May 26, 2025 Lilacs--Rendered with GIMP

GIMP Photo Editor provides nearly unlimited options for creating or modifying photographs and digital creations. Today's post captures this year's Lilac blossoms which were especially beautiful due to timely rains. Lilacs bloom once annually and unfortunately are only at their best for a few days.

Below are two images of Lilac blossoms with leaves and sky in the background. The remaining images are variations using GIMP Filters and Color settings. Featured today are the following settings: Kaleidoscoope, Cubism, Emboss, Mosaic, Whirl and Pinch--all Distorts filters. In addition, Color options such as Hue Chroma, Invert, Temperature, Exposure, Brightness and Contrast, and Color Balance, etc., were applied.

New for me today was the application of the High Pass... Filter found in the Enhance filter group. The Hue Chroma color adjustment was then applied to intensify the colors (see image captions below).

Lastly, some of the images could be used for abstract art while other examples could become part of a duplicated backgound pattern. These filters and settings could also be applied to geomotrical drawings instead of using photographs.

May 16, 2025 Nature vs. Digital--Nature Photography; SktechUp and GIMP

Here are contrasting views of digital photography of nature--the sky, clouds, and plant life along side a SketchUp conglomeration of shapes and colors that have been filtered, pinched, and swirled with various lighting effects applied. (Recent Photos from the front and back yard).

The left pane below is set for auto start with a very slow transition speed. The right pane is also set for auto start but with a slow transition speed which means the left pane view is not paired with the right since the right pane is changing images about twice as fast. The viewer will see a greater variety if views with this configuration. Click on the pane or use the left and right arrows to disable this feature.

March 21, 2025 Old Postcards--Photographic Editing

Before the days of Facebook, people would send postcards to friends and relatives to share a glimpse of what it was like where they had visited or were living.

One such postcard, shown below, found its way back to me that had been mailed by my grandfather to his parents living in Ontario, Canada. Distant relatives thought I might like to have it. It was postmarked 1911 on the opposite side--the circular stamping is partially visible in the image below.

People today just can't resist, myself included, colorizing old photographs that in their own right had been beautifully composed using the technology of the time period. The first image below is shown in its original sepia tone, while the second has been minimally colorized using the GIMP photo editor.

March 20, 2025 Classic and Modern Writing Styles -- ChatGPT 4.o

I have repackaged the contents of this post to better contrast the writing styles of three authors, Alexandre Dumas, Ernest Hemingway, and William Shakespeare. Although more complete, the earlier version was long winded and contained too much detail.*

I also have deleted my three contemporary short stories as well as two-paragraph excerpts that were used to prompt ChatGPT to work its magic.

Near the end of the posts (directly above the authors' portraits) are links to other examples of writing syles from recent posts. Most include the some form of A I use including (ChatGPT, Gemini for text and Microsoft Image Creator and Whisk for image generation). A few remain unedited in my original format and style. There is a wide variety from which to choose--from Shakespeare to Comic Books.

The stories and excerpts have been replaced with a brief description (shown below) for each story that allows you, the reader, to focus more on the differing writing styles of these authors rather than becoming annoyed with my ineptness as a writer.

Alexandre Dumas. Prompt for ChatGPT: "Please rewrite the following two-paragraph excerpt from a short story using the writing style of Alexandre Dumas."

Description of the excerpt linked later in post*: The two paragraph excerpt from a short story entitled "Who Needs Brain Implants" elaborates on the potential good and evil that could result from the use of brain implants.

ChatGPT's Response:

Who Needs Brain Implants

It is a curious thing, my friend, to consider the wonders that the future may hold. Science, that ever-relentless conqueror of nature, marches forward, unchecked and unchallenged, shaping the world as a sculptor molds the marble. In time, it is said, man shall no longer suffer the frailties of his own flesh. Implants—mysterious devices wrought by human ingenuity—shall dwell within him, vigilant sentinels, repairing the delicate fibers of the mind, restoring the sinews of the body, rendering him, if not immortal, then at least far less vulnerable to the cruel whims of fate.

And yet—ah!—what a terrible abyss is opened when ambition outstrips virtue! For these marvels of science, these intricate mechanisms meant to heal and preserve, may well become the instruments of a most insidious enslavement. Imagine, if you will, a world in which every man, every woman, every child is bound by an invisible chain, their very thoughts tethered to the will of an unseen master. A mere flick of a switch—no swordplay, no battle cries, no smoke upon the field of war—and lo! A race of obedient phantoms, their wills extinguished, their hearts stilled by a force they cannot resist.

Would they laugh? Would they weep? No! They would march, speak, and toil as commanded, neither questioning nor resisting, for their minds would no longer belong to them. A society not of men, but of humanoids—of puppets who walk and talk, flesh and blood in form, yet in spirit, nothing more than machines. And who, I ask, would wield this infernal power? Not the many, but the few. The faceless architects of this new dominion, the unseen rulers who, from their gilded citadels, would govern a world of soulless vassals.

Ah, such a fate! To think that the fire of human liberty, that sacred flame kindled by heroes and martyrs, could be extinguished not by conquest, but by the silent treachery of progress! If ever that day should come, my friend, then woe to mankind, for its noblest battle shall not be fought with swords, but with the last, desperate whisper of a heart that still remembers what it is to be free.

_______________________________

Ernest Hemingway. Prompt for ChatGPT: "Please rewrite the following two-paragraph excerpt from a short story using the writing style of Ernest Hemingway."

Description of the excerpt linked later in the post*: The two paragraph excerpt from a short story entitled "Defeat and Struggle" is a commentary on the outcome of a war not yet fought; however, it was written in past tense. The war did not end well.

ChatGPT's Response:

Defeat and Struggle

The war didn’t last long. Thirteen months. That was all. The enemy came in waves, and there were too many of them. Too many men, too many guns, too many bombs. The U.S. forces held on as long as they could, but in the end, it didn’t matter. They lost.

After that, there was no more fighting. No more resistance. The people knew it was over. They gave in. A council took over—generals and officials from other nations. They called it temporary, but nothing about it felt that way. The American leaders had run, scattered across the world, looking for a place to hide. There wasn’t one. They were caught. Every last one of them. The trials didn’t take long. Neither did the executions.

Then came the hard years. Twenty of them. The ones who had invaded fought among themselves, carving up the land like wolves over a carcass. They took what they could, bled the country dry. When it was over, Florida belonged to Cuba. The Southwest went back to Mexico. They said it was only fair. Almost two hundred years of history erased with a signature on a treaty.

No one talked about it much after that. People were too busy trying to get by.

_______________________________

William Shakespeare. Prompt for ChatGPT: "Please rewrite the following two-paragraph excerpt from a short story using the writing style of William Shakespeare."

Description of the excerpt linked later in the post*: The two paragraph excerpt from a short story entitled "An Unexpected Visit" describes the first encounter with aliens who resemble human beings; however, compared to us, they are perfect in all respects with superior intellect. They have arrived to help us repair a genetic defect in our brain unknown to us that has limited our perception, development, and way of life.

ChatGPT's Response:

An Unexpected Visit

What fools were we to think ourselves alone,
The sovereign lords of boundless, starry realms!
For in the year of our Lord twice thrice a score and fifteen,
Came forth from realms beyond the ken of man
A race most strange, yet fair beyond compare.

Like unto us in form they did appear,
Yet touched by Heaven’s hand, unmarked by time.
No line did mar their brow, nor flesh did sag,
Nor wayward silver strands betrayed their years.
Whilst we, poor wretches of an errant fate,
Did bear the weight of age upon our backs,
With crooked spine and mottled, weary skin,
And bellies grown full-fat from idle sloth.

These strangers, silent watchers of our world,
Had gazed upon the folly of mankind
For countless ages past, and with keen eyes
Did mark our stumbling steps through time’s long path.
How slow we crept! How dull our minds remained!
And lo, the cause! A flaw within our blood,
A tainted strain that, ere ten thousand years,
Did clip the eagle’s wings and dull the sword.
Where other worlds did rise like fire-fed storms,
We lingered low, like embers in the dust.

Thus stood we then, poor heirs to broken thought,

Before those radiant beings of the stars,

And in their eyes beheld a mirror true—

A glimpse of what we were, and what we lacked.

Google Labs | AI Overiew. Analysis of Last Four Lines of An Unexpected Visit: Updated 04-01-2025. "What do the following four lines of poetic verse mean?"

"Thus stood we then, poor heirs to broken thought,

Before those radiant beings of the stars,

And in their eyes beheld a mirror true—

A glimpse of what we were, and what we lacked."

This poetic verse describes a moment of profound introspection and self-realization, where the speaker, feeling small and inadequate, looks up to the "radiant beings of the stars" and sees reflected in their eyes a clear image of their true selves, both their potential and their shortcomings, leading to a sense of humility and a yearning for something greater.

Breakdown of the imagery:

"Thus stood we then, poor heirs to broken thought":
This opening line establishes a feeling of vulnerability and a fractured state of mind. The word "heirs" suggests an inheritance not of wealth or power, but of brokenness, implying a sense of personal failure or lack of fulfillment.
"Before those radiant beings of the stars":
The "radiant beings of the stars" represent a higher power or ideal, something beyond human comprehension yet inspiring awe and reverence. They symbolize perfection and purity, contrasting with the speaker's brokenness.
"And in their eyes beheld a mirror true":
The stars' eyes act as a mirror, reflecting back the speaker's true self without distortion. This mirror image reveals both the potential within them and the flaws they have yet to address.
A glimpse of what we were, and what we lacked":
This final line summarizes the key insight gained from the reflection. The mirror shows not just who the speaker currently is, but also who they once were and who they could be, highlighting the gap between their current state and their potential.
And what about that date written for 2075, "in the year of our Lord twice thrice a score and fifteen"? It doesn't adhere to any conventional method of expressing the date now or in the past. Here is what Google Labs | AI Overiew had to say about that -- Literary License (pdf file). To apply this logic to another date, say 1064, if "score represents 1000 Years when used for the first two digits of a date beyond 1000 years, the expression might be "once thrice a score and four." Or, if the year were 1945 the quote may be "twice less thrice a score less five." [2000 - (3 x 20-5) = 1945] . . . or something like that to conform with the author's thinking process. It seems to resemble Roman Numerals, MCMXLV, where MM represents 2000, but deviates in an unconventional manner from thereon.

Overall, the verse captures a moment of self-awareness where the speaker is confronted with their own limitations but also inspired by the possibility of reaching a higher state of being, represented by the celestial beings.

_____________________________

****Link to the earlier post containing links to the complete original short stories and excerpts (PDF file).

Similar ChatGPT and Gemini Edited Example:

Portrait of an Author (Poem - pdf files) posted February 18, 2025.

Similar Shakespearean Projects:

Fear Not the Reaper (pdf files) posted February 24, 2025.

How to Clean a Grooming Brush (pdf file) posted February 25, 2025.

Essays:

Composing Internet Posts and Stories (Another ThoughtsOfThomas publication (pdf file) posted February 20, 2025, unedited version.

Changing Styles in America (Humor - pdf files) posted February 18, 2025, unedited version.

Comic Books: (First try, not that great.) But check out Whisk if you get a chance in Whisk-Google.LabsFX.

The Adventures of Dr. Tulipa Voss, Episode 2 Mx. President and the New TUSA (Trust USA) Party. (pdf file) posted February 17, 2025, unfinished, unedited version.

The Adventures of Dr, Tulipa Voss, Episode 1 Lyra and the City Beneath the Ice. (pdf file) posted February 9, 2025, unedited, version.

Alexandre Dumas

Ernest Hemingway

William Shakespeare

March 1, 2025 Fake News--Newspaper Format

Are you tired reading about the same old disturbing news. Do what I did. Make some up yourself. You can write it however you like. Start out writing something and then make it up as you go. Here are a few articles and other junk created for the first two pages of a newspaper dated 2065. It's entirely fake news.

I don't have Quark Xpress anymore, so I used MS Word, instead for the full-page layouts. The six-column newspaper was saved as a pdf file. Click on the link below and use + to zoom in to read the fake news up close.

The Fakersville Gazette (pdf file--full size)

Today's MS Word project was a refresher on formatting large documents. The Fakersville news stories were thrown together without taking advantage of many options that would have made it an easier task. While the finished projects looks about right, the method of layout was not so tidy. Instead of creating text boxes for individual stories, Fakervsille news flowed down the six columns and then on to the second page. Any change made on the Front page affected alignment on page 2.

I knew this was going to be a challenge, but I trudged forward until it was done. Later, I thought it would be a good idea to apply some more appropriate methodolgy. The following layout may not be the way experts would do it, but it's a step up from The Fakersville Gazette.

The revised layout, front page and page 2 only, uses several layers that provides much more flexiblity than version 1. The pages first start with a 14" x 22" page with .5" margins. Next, a large textbox is drawn from margin to margin. Then a six column table with, one row, is placed on top of the text box. The individual columns define the text area, but an additonal text box was inserted into each of the columns to limit the text flow to a single column (unless a link is created to jump to another page (see links to Your Newspaper's Tutorial layout below).

Your Newspaper's Tutorial (pdf file).

Your Newspaper's Tutorial for MS Word (docx file).
Note: There are major compatibility issues with this large-format document when opened with the online version of Google Docs. If you have an installed version of MS Word, try using that, instead. Important: While in Google Docs there is an option on the left side of the computer screen to download it as a MS Word file .docx. After downloading, the file will open intact if you have access to MS Word.

The revised layout, Your Newspaper, can be used as a mini-tutorial for reviewing some of the really neat features of MS Word. These are explained in the pdf and MS Word document links above. The content on the revised issue can be a starting point for setting up a six column newspaper. It's a good way to review or learn some of the more time-saving features that are built into Word. For example, the Fakersville layout did not utilize:

First line indent feature
Auto-hyphenation
Hide border or a portion of it
Textbox linking
Jumplines (manually inserted text boxes only--no auto insert option in Word)
Caption insert option for images
Insert → Shapes → Lines

With multiple layers, for example, a two or three column text box can be drawn over part of the six columns for adding various dimensioned text boxes (usually standard widths are governed by multiple columns rather than fractions of columns. Magazine layouts tend to use text that wraps around picture boxes more often than newspapers--today's layout keeps it simple.

Forward-most multi-or single column text boxes can contain either a table, for baseball box scores, for example, a shape, or large images, etc. If you're interested, take a look at the links above. The MS Word.docx download should Open in Version 10 or higher. The pdf file can be enlarged with the + button as mentioned earlier.

_______________________

Comments.

Lastly, asking for help for almost any business application has been simplified since the creation of Google Labs | AI Overview. (It seems their Large Language Model has uploaded and understands many of the Help Manuals.)

It used to be, when trying to find an answer to a question about where to locate a particular setting option, required knowledge of the precise terminology/language-set used by MS Word or similar Helps for other applications. Finding an answer or guidance with MS Word Help was next to impossible (unless you knew exactly what to search for in Help). Word especially likes to tuck options beneath tiny downward pointing arrows that can be easily overlooked when first starting out.

However, if you need to know where to find auto-hyphenate or auto-indent options, for example, just type "Where is the option for setting auto-hyphenation located when using MS Word?" in the Search Line of Google Chrome and you should get the answer immediately." You no longer have to be afraid to use Word anymore. MS Word is not that bad; however, once you have learned where everything is located, you will begin to see the logic in their organization, or method to their madness.

February 15, 2025 Three Crows--Photography

We have been experiencing sub-zero temperatures this week. The air temperature has dropped to -25 Degrees below with a wind chill of about -50. In past years we usually see an influx of country animals such as deer that seek out more protected areas within the city limits. Since the snow depths has not yet limited their access to food, they haven't arrived at this time.

However, three crows circled our house today and then decided to perch half way up in our tall trees to observe the doves and sparrows at the bird feeder directly below. They didn't seem impressed with the offering of bird seed scattered on the ground so they moved on.

February 11, 2025 Snowy Owl Sightings

Living only a few miles from the Canadian Border it was quite common to spot a Snowy Owl perched on a fence post during the coldest winter months. I don't ever recall getting very close to these owls before they took flight--between one-quarter to three-quarters of a mile being the closest.

Human impact, environmental, and weather changes have contributed to the population decline of many species of animals including the arctic owl.

Snowy owls are flagged as Vulnerable but are not on the Endangered species list at the present.

Their numbers are not exact (believed to be between 14,000 and 28,000 breeding adults in existence). Here are links to various sources concerning their status.

At the bottom of this post are sighting maps that identify snowy owl sightings globally as well as regional and closeups that identify areas nearer to my location.

Source: All About Birds

______________________________

"The snowy owl, like the polar bear, holds a special place in human imagination, from ancient morality tales told around Arctic fires to Hedwig from the wizarding world of Harry Potter. These northern wanderers can be found in Canada, Scandinavia, Russia, Iceland and the British Isles—occasionally even making it as far south as Hawaii. They can fly back and forth across continents.

One female owl tracked in 2012 traveled 7,000 miles round-trip from Boston to Nunavut. In a phenomenon known as an irruption, large numbers of snowy owls sometimes emerge from their nests in a given season and make it down to the suburbs of U.S. cities like Seattle and Boston—even as far south as Texas.

The snowy owl, like the polar bear, holds a special place in human imagination, from ancient morality tales told around Arctic fires to Hedwig from the wizarding world of Harry Potter

These northern wanderers can be found in Canada, Scandinavia, Russia, Iceland and the British Isles—occasionally even making it as far south as Hawaii. They can fly back and forth across continents. One female owl tracked in 2012 traveled 7,000 miles round-trip from Boston to Nunavut. In a phenomenon known as an irruption, large numbers of snowy owls sometimes emerge from their nests in a given season and make it down to the suburbs of U.S. cities like Seattle and Boston—even as far south as Texas."

Source: Smithsonian Magazine

Snowy Owl

Image Source: Microsoft Image Creator

February 8, 2025

Newspaper Days

Relevancy Across Generations and Communities

Pesonally, I do not believe that printed newspapers are obsolete nor are they irrelevant. They provide the news written by journalists with reputations and a code of ethics to uphold, whereas information gleaned from the internet could be anything written by anybody driven by a distorted view of reality or having a bone to pick.

Local weekly newspapers focus on the community and provide coverage about a wide variety of upcoming and past events that appeals to various age groups as well as interests. They provide a place for public notifications, whether legal or governmental, that are required by law to be posted in a specific manner.
Newspapers provide local employment for newspaper staff that bolsters the area's economy. In turn, local papers provide up-to-date want ads about job openings and for sale items in their classified sections, many of which are close to home. The Free Press is part of what makes the U.S. a democracy.

While your newspaper may not be able to line up your next date, it may provide you with upcoming venues where your next date may be waiting.
On the other hand, internet news may be provided by some blogger working out of the back of a van on the other side of the country or beyond. It seems that there is more potential for being scammed on the internet than by reading your local newspaper.
There is no "click here" option anywhere to be found in a newspaper. Newspapers are still relevant.

____________

ThoughtsOfThomasNotNostradamus

August 5, 2024 Mr. Fix It Rides Again

This story is about sheer stupidity and the effects of old age. Yesterday, my external computer speakers did not turn on as indicated by the green light below the Off/On/Volume knob. The stereo speakers had been working fine the night before.

I therefore checked the connection leading to the computer and the second speaker to see if they had been disconnected or somehow damaged. They appeared to be o.k. so I thought it might be a problem with the computer. To check that, I plugged my headset into the front audio out jack on the computer and everything was normal.

Next, I thought there may be a broken internal wire inside the speaker, so I removed the pair of speakers to take a look.

Small computer speakers are very inexpensive—about $15.00 a pair to replace. It didn’t seem to be much of a loss if they couldn’t be repaired. After about 15 minutes of struggling with no success, I found a YouTube video that showed how to remove the tiny 4" x 6” front grill (Altec Lansing speakers).

That was all the help provided on the video so I proceeded to loosen the 3” speaker using a miniature Phillips head screwdriver. More investigation revealed that the next step was to pull off the volume knob (that usually falls off by itself) and pry off the molded plastic front.

This is where the fun began. The front was not only a snug fit—it had also been bonded with some type of gummy sealant, probably applied to suppress vibration. With an abundance of patience, determination and a very narrow flat screwdriver serving as a wedge, the front popped off without breaking (that was a miracle).

The perimeter of the molding was no longer in pristine condition, but that didn’t matter, as long as an internal speaker wire could be reattached or soldered if necessary. I hadn’t realized at the time how small wires had become inside modern speakers—these were not 14” or 18” woofers.

With the opened front section removed, the dislodged circuit board fell out with wires still connected to the rear input jack. That was all I needed to know. The connection had not been broken. I further speculated that a resistor or some other component on the circuit board had failed. It was not worth taking them to an electronics shop so this would mark the end of their long life. They were originally used with an earlier computer 20 years ago.

Rather than throwing them in the trash, the main speaker was carefully re-assembled and the pair were placed on a shelf for future experiments (pack-ratted away).

Today, after a good night’s rest, I began thinking about the challenge of opening the speaker case. I remembered observing a circular opening at the back located below the input output jack. The print next to it was too small to read and I dismissed it as an optional method for connecting the input and output signal.

In fact, the Mystery Hole was for the Power Supply. Duh. The power cord must have come loose and had fallen to the floor. Sure enough, after reconnecting the speakers along with its power cord, the green light turned on and they both worked like new. Luckily, I hadn’t damaged the speakers except for marring one case that was hidden from view anyway.

Aged related? In what respects? Well I would have to say from experience: Poor Eyesight and a Narrowing Range of Focus when problem solving. I can’t blame this one on the cat! How could I, having installed and set up hundreds of computer systems, make such a basic troubleshooting Miss Steak.

August 2, 2024 The Congressional Record, The Christian Science Monitor, and Allsides.com

Back in 1965, my Political Science Professor said, "If you want to know what's going on in the country and its government, you'll need to read The Congressional Record. Most magazines, newspapers, and news outlets are biased in one way or another." He went on to say , "but the drawback using The Congressional Record is the enormous volume of printed text you'd have to sift through daily is beyond any individual's ability."

At the time, according to the professor and others in his field, the Christian Science Monitor (Established 1908) was considered to be the best non-biased international daily newspaper (due to its non-profit status perhaps) with about a quarter million subscribers.

Today, you don't have to worry about filling your home with stacked volumes of The Congressional Record. Instead, it's available free online, both in text and audio. Old volumes have been converted to PDFs. C-Span Channels also provide televised segments of Congressional sessions.

Here is the link to the online version of The Congressional Record for July 31, 2024: The Congressional Record. From there you can navigate back to Home and explore it more thoroughly.

_____________________________________

Rewritten by ChatGPT 4.o from the Original Story

Prompt: Rewrite the story but retain all the factual information:

Back in 1965, my Political Science Professor advised, "If you want to understand what's happening in the country and its government, you should read The Congressional Record. Most magazines, newspapers, and news outlets have some bias." He added, "The drawback of using The Congressional Record is the enormous volume of printed text you'd have to sift through daily, which is beyond any individual's ability."

At that time, the professor and others in his field considered the Christian Science Monitor (established in 1908) to be the best non-biased international daily newspaper, possibly due to its non-profit status. It had about a quarter million subscribers.

Today, you don't have to worry about filling your home with stacks of The Congressional Record. Instead, it's available for free online, both in text and audio formats. Old volumes have been converted to PDFs, and C-SPAN channels provide televised segments of Congressional sessions.

Here is the link to the online version of The Congressional Record for July 31, 2024: The Congressional Record. From there, you can navigate back to the homepage and explore it more thoroughly.
______________________________

Comments: ChaGPT streamlined some of the sentence structure making it easier to read.

After nearly 60 years, the orginizational structure and method of delivery for The Christian Science Monitor has changed, and so has the Political Structure along with the emergence of the Internet and Social Media.

Allsides.com whose, mission is to rank news organizations on their bias and authenticity, does not state that the Christian Science Monitor is non-biased. Instead, it gives them a "Center" rating. AllSides.com contends that everyone has biases and that biases are not necessarily bad things.

AllSides.com Confidence Level. "As of August 2024, AllSides has high confidence in our Center rating for Christian Science Monitor. Two or more bias reviews have affirmed this rating or the source is transparent about bias."

Here is a YouTube video explaining what AllSides.com does: About AllSides.

Lastly, on a related topic, here's an interesting short read from the Princeton University Press: What do you really know about Gullibility? with excerpts from his book, Not Born Yesterday, by Hugo Mercier (Cognitive Scientist).

May 19, 2024 Minimalistic Life Style -- Unclutter Your Life and Experience Prosperity

My dad was a product of the Great Depression. While his family was never wanting for the basic essentials in life, they were poor like most and were able to make due. Later, he would occasionally comment , "It is a good feeling to look in a store window and think to yourself, I can walk in and pay cash for that wrist watch if I wanted to," which I interpreted as meaning he really didn't need to buy it, but had enough money to do so without sacrifice.

His words are etched in memories. They expressed the notion that you don't have to "have" everything you see. That outlook had to be the attitude in the "days before credit cards" in order to put food on the table.

Minimalistic life style. Had I heeded the subtle message of my father, purges of clutter would not have been necessary. Recycling of every-day refuse such as packaging, aluminum cans, plasttics, glass bottles and jars, or a worn out pair of stockings or shirt after they have been torn up and used for rags should be the extent of weekly clutter. If disposed of on garbage day, there would never be a permanent state of clutter.

Size of a Home: Is the measure of wealth based on the Square Footage of a home. Not really if there is a burdensome monthly payment due each month for the next 30 years. You are not a minimalist If the only reason for purchasing a large home is for a place to keep all your stuff.

If your family is large or includes several generations of family, or roommates, then more space is required to breathe and to enjoy privacy. A small home free of clutter will save you millions over a life time. A large home filled to the gills with stuff may keep you broke.

Minimalism does not succumb to the lure of advertising. Minimalism does not prevent yourself or family members from experiencing a high standard of living. But do not let advertising and images of smiling and laughing people jumping into the air convince you that their product is for you.

By instilling minimalistic belief at a young age it is possible to build wealth without sacrifice. Others may suggest that you're denying yourself of the good life. In fact, it's just the opposite. The point at which you may want to Cash In on your fortune is up to you. Maybe you will always be content with the thought that "I can buy that nice sports car if I really wanted it."

The knowledge of financial security maybe the only reward you desire.

______________________________________

Rewritten by ChatGPT 4.o from the Original Post :

My father grew up during the Great Depression. Although his family never lacked the basics, they were still quite poor, like most families of that era, and had to make do with what they had. Later in life, he would occasionally say, "It's a good feeling to look in a store window and think to yourself, I can walk in and pay cash for that wristwatch if I wanted to." I understood this to mean that while he didn't need to buy the watch, he had enough money to do so without any financial strain.

His words are etched in my memory. They conveyed the idea that you don't need to possess everything you see. This mindset was essential in the "days before credit cards" to ensure there was always food on the table.

Minimalist Lifestyle: Had I embraced my father's subtle message, I wouldn't have needed to purge clutter periodically. Recycling everyday refuse like packaging, aluminum cans, plastics, glass bottles and jars, or repurposing worn-out stockings or shirts as rags, should be the extent of weekly waste. By disposing of these items regularly, clutter would never accumulate permanently.

Size of a Home: Is wealth measured by the square footage of your home? Not really, especially if it comes with a burdensome mortgage payment for the next 30 years. You are not a minimalist if the sole reason for buying a large home is to store all your possessions.

If your family is large or includes several generations or roommates, more space is needed for comfort and privacy. However, a small home free of clutter can save you a fortune over a lifetime. Conversely, a large home crammed with stuff may keep you financially strained.

Minimalism resists the lure of advertising. It doesn’t prevent you or your family from enjoying a high standard of living. However, don't let advertisements with images of happy, smiling people convince you that their product is a necessity.

By instilling minimalist values at a young age, it's possible to build wealth without sacrificing quality of life. Others might think you're denying yourself the good life, but in reality, it's quite the opposite. When you reach the point where you could cash in on your fortune, you might find contentment in simply knowing, "I can buy that nice sports car if I really wanted to."

The knowledge of financial security might be the only reward you need.

May 5, 2024 Computer Printer Woes -- Four Decades of Disappointment

Having experienced the pleasures of recently creating A I generated images with Google ImageFX and Windows Image Creator, plus beautifully rendered Twilight Images using SketchUp, I am contemplating breaking my vow to Never Buy Another Printer.

In the late 70s and 80s I owned a Ricoh and Apple Imagewriter dot matrix printers. They both used the same size ribbon cartridge (also, the same ribbon size that fit the spools for my 1915 Underwood Model 5 typewriter). Both printers were reliable with no paper jams--and both accommodated tractor feed paper and/or mailing labels, etc.

The Ricoh (connected to an Apple II+ computer) had limited print options (could not line justify and lacked graphics capabilities). A few years later the Apple Imagewriter II printer cost about half as much as my first printer ($940 down to about $450), It was also dot matrix with the same size ribbon, could create almost typeset quality print with many font styles available (connected to Apple IIe and IIc computers), and had some graphics capabilities for printing charts and clipart, etc.

Cost of ribbons was negligible. I learned how to pry open the cartridge and lightly spray the folded ribbon in place with WD 40 lubricant. The ink from unused areas on the ribbon would disperse and extend the life of the ribbon by two- or three-fold or until holes would begin to appear down the center of the ribbon or until the print became faint (Just make sure to allow the ribbon a few days to dry). The Dot matrix printers never wore out or required repair. They went their way due to obsolesence along with the computers that had driven them. This is a story about prized possessions that turn into junk in the blink of an eye and continues to repeat itself every few years.

Then came the inkjets in the early 90s. The expensive HP inkjet--Hewlett-Packard (connected to a PC Clone DOS--pre-Windows) would consume an ink cartridge after a few pages were printed. It was always out of ink. I had even tried injection kits to refill ink cartridges--but what a mess. The HP inkjet printer was single colored--black--with limited font capabilities. It did have a professional looking but limited font set and was quiet comparted to the dot matrix printer's loud buzz and hum.

Next, was a bargain-basement Okidata Inkjet (connected to my first and only Macintosh computer). It could use either a black or multi-color inkjet cartridge. It was also an ink hog, prone to frequent paper jams, and misaligned colored ink dispersion. It was so frustrating that I took it to the back yard and gave it a couple of swift kicks before throwing it in the recyle bin. You get what you pay for applied here.

In 2012 my wife gave me a Canon Inkjet for Christmas (by then I had vowed to never buy another home printer). The printer was also a multi-color ink cartridge glutton. The Canon printer (connected to a PC Windows NT that provided a way to print out edited images taken with the Canon Digital Camera she had given me in 2007. The printer was able to print photo quality images, provided that costly Canon photo-quality paper was used. We later discovered that Walmart's Photo Kiosk could provide better quality images at a much cheaper cost and with less hassle.

The Canon printer began to jam, especially while using the heaveir weight photo quality paper. One day, upon powering up, the printer produced an audible grunt and a little jerk as if something had been downloaded to it and reset. Thereafter, the inkjet's print head would never return to its home position. Paranoia set in with thoughts of company sabotage or hackers. That was my final printer (2014).

Conclusion. In recent weeks, I've been considering purchasing a Laser Printer but then again, Why? How can I justify the expense, paper jams, and toner cartridge frustrations. Having printouts for the sake of just pressing Print can just as well be printed to a PDF file and avoid the paper clutter. If I should ever need a document printed, it can be uploaded to a thumb drive and printed elsewhere. This fellow has endured too much printer misery to be swayed.

August 9, 2023 One Thing Nobody Ever Told Me--About Eye Glasses

If you wear eyeglasses, one thing is for sure, they need to be regularly cleaned. I started wearing reading glasses in my forties and 35 years later, I finally figured out how to polish the lenses.

Cleaning each lens has never been the problem. What comes afterwards--polishing, has been a very awkward ordeal. I have watched others polish their glasses but had not taken a close enough look at the procedure.

Why could they do this so effortlessly while I clumsily rubbed and buffed to no avail. The optometrist or fitter at the the eyeglasses boutique didn't effectively demonstrate or explain the technique in detail. Here was my revelation (shown in boldface) discovered purely by accident:

"Clean the lenses and then polish each lens by placing a soft cloth or lens paper/cloth between your thumb and inside edge of your Middle finger. Then gently rotate the thumb while holding your glasses in your other hand at the bridge or near a hinge as needed." By cradling the lens on the side of the middle finger, equal pressure can be applied to the cloth on both sides of the lens. The middle finger on the bottom will naturally move in synchrony with the thumb rotation.

I had been using my index finger and thumb in the past but that never felt comfortable. Perhaps this phenomenon is unique to my hand's anatomy and/or lack of hand-eye coordination--Klutzy.

July 1, 2023 Fun with FireFox Text Reader--FireFox Browser

Open the Fire Fox Web Browser. Toggle Reader View, Select Listen, and play this paragraph at the fastest speed:

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper Picked. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper Picked. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper Picked. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper Picked. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper Picked.

Next, fast forward to this message and decrease the Reading rate:

When, I, am, elect, ted, as, your, Next, Prez, ah dent, of, the You, nigh ted, States, I, will, en, sure, that, the ah, purr, a, shun, of, the Feder ell, Govern, meant, moves, swift, ly, and, e, fish, shunt, ly. Fur, ther more, the Off, fiss, of, the Prez, ah dent, will, give, prompt, ah, ten shun, to, all, matt, ters, of, State, that, are, un, der, my, sue, per vision. Thank, you, very, much, and, Vote, for, your, In, deep, end dent, Can, did, dates, on, No, vem, burr, Fourth. May, God, Bless, the You, nigh, ted, States, of, Ah, mare, ick, caw.

Normal Cadence:

When I am elected as your next President of the United States I will ensure that the operation of the Federal Government moves swiftly and efficiently. Furthermore, the Office of the President will give prompt attention to all matters of State that are under my supervision. Thank you very much and Vote for your Independent Candidates on November Fourth. May God Bless the United States of America.

June 17, 2023 Learn More About What We're Made of--Living

The National Institutes of Health website provides a behind the scenes look at what goes on inside all of us. How often do we listen to commercials speed talking through a long list of the side effects from a particular medication or treatment. There is a lot of technology and research involved before we have an opportunity to use these wonder drugs.

Check out NIH news releases from the past 10 years to track some of the advances that are being made in identifiying causes of disease and potential treatments through genetics and experimentation. Laboratory findings as well as clinical applications are discussed.

NIH YouTube Video (May 2023).

May 21, 2023. Enjoying Life in Rural Towns--Opinion.

Small towns have been experiencing a decline ever since the days of the first automobiles and expanded road systems. This has been ongoing for at least the past 75 years. Many communities have faded away completely while others have endured the migration to the cities.

For those of us who have remained, most are content staying where they are. The young people, of course, yearn for the excitement of city life.

May 19, 2023 Air Quality--Forest Fire Season.

Tom's Take. Apart from prairie fires, people living in farming country have been fairly tolerant and understand why farmland is occasionally burned. On the other hand, within the past decade, it is almost a given that smoke from forest and wild fires out west or up north will be carried by the prevailing winds to our part of the country.

I can't remember any other time in my life when it had been this noticeable. Before regulation, however, it was common to see huge plumes of blue smoke from oil well pit burn off up north in Canada as well as in oil fields in the U.S.

Also, one must not forget numerous above-ground atmospheric nuclear tests in Russia and the Pacific where radioactive fallout drifted across the prairie saturating the soil during the 50s.

Now we are bombarding the planet with high frequency radio waves thanks to billions of cell phones, etc., that cover the planet.

There are too many people with too many trucks and automobiles, trains, planes, cargo ships and oil tankers. Without trying to sound like an alarmist, we're doing it to ourselves.

Most recently, for the past few days we have been experiencing foul smelling forest fire smoke drifting in from the West Coast States and Idaho; Alberta and B.C. in Canada. At times, the blue haze has created near zero visibility on the highways. It makes breathing difficult and causes eye irritation.

Lightning strikes are the main cause of these fires. Advocates of forest management seem to be struggling to stay ahead, but with tinder dry undergrowth and the frequency and severity of thunderstorms, they're losing ground.

The forests have been there for a long time. Natural burning is part of a long term life cycle; however, the frequency of such fires have many concerned. The problem intensifies with our growing population inhabiting housing developments built in forested areas.

Air Quality in the Home. When air quality due to smoke from forest/wild fires became an issue approximately 10 years ago, I purchased a small Holmes Air Purifier for the bedroom. Most of the time it is set to low and keeps the dust, smoke, and cat dander at a minimum. When the first whiff of smoke came in the house this week, I turned it to high and also turned on the Ionizer option. I know this seldom-used feature did what it was supposed to because the smell was gone within minutes--the air was fresh and easy to breathe.

There is a dispute about whether or not Ionized air is safe to breathe. For me, I asked myself, "what's better, coughing and scratchy eyes due to smoke, or breathing normally." The ionizer option is turned on only when needed. I will then exit the room and close the door. Fifteen minutes later or when the air is fresh, I turn the ionizer off.

The Holmes air Purifier (desktop model) sits upright on a bedroom shelf (see images below). A Carbon Monoxide Alarm sits next to it. Last week I accidentally burnt a piece of toast that had been sliced too thin. A trace of the smoke reached the bedroom and set off the alarm. It's good to know that it is working.

The Holmes air purifier shown below sells for under $50.00. Replacement filters purchased at Walmart won't fit my older model unless I modify the spacer guides on the sides and remove the rubber adhesive spacers on the bottom of the filter. The spacer guide modification is a one time fix and the rubber adhesive spacers from the bottom can be place on the sides to hold the filter securely over the opening. Filtrete replacement filters, made by 3M, are reasonably priced at Walmart.

There is also a washable filter for catching large dust particles that lays on top of the main Hepa filter. Eventually it became worn from repetitive cleaning. It was replaced a few years ago with a piece of a similar quality air conditioner filter cut to size with a scissor.

The Carbon Monoxide filter was purchased a few years ago because extremely cold weather caused ice buildup in the sewer vent that could prove fatal. Ideally, it should be positioned as low as possible in a room. Like smoke detectors, it also runs on batteries in case of power failure.

Because blocked sewer vents are a problem in many homes in northern regions of the country, the local fire department will assist homeowners by climbing up on the roof to unplug them using whatever method necessary--pouring in hot water or simply breaking the ice.

The fire department has also equipped both sewer vents on our roof with a long Copper T pipe that transfers heat from within the house upward. It has helped but isn't completely fool proof. In our town, residents only have to call the fire department and someone is there within the hour to open the vents.

Carbon Monoxide is odorless, but if sewer gas is detected, that is a signal to open up a window or door until the problem is addressed. Everyone is grateful for the fire department's asistance.

We do not use gas appliances or use combustible gas, coal or wood, etc. for heating. Utilizing any of them would be another justification for investing $20--$50 to purchase a Carbon Monoxide Alarm.

Important Note: An air conditioner and air purifier does not eliminate toxic gases or residue. Open doors, windows, employ fans or exhaust systems, and eliminate the source to prevent further intrusion. Evacuate the premises including humans, pets, plants, medications, and edibles, or discard food stuffs if contaminated. Consult trained professionals regarding airborne contamination and poisonous matter on surfaces.

May 8, 2023. Television Imagery--It Ain't What it Used to Be.

For the past four or five decades, give or take a few years, leisure time once devoted to watching t.v. from antenna based channels has now become subdivided by multiple sources. The evolution began with Cable and on Demand, VCRs, DVD's, Home Satellite and then progressed to fiber optic streaming of programming, video games, and integration with cellphones and notepads, etc.

As competition for advertiser's dollars became more and more dispersed, some television prime time viewing hours became bloodier and bloodier. The progressively more desensitized audience thirsts for greater stimulation from graphic violence or shocking images of carnage. Even network t.v. is pretty mild stuff compared to movies, streaming t.v. series, and video games that adults and young people are exposed to.

For example, Tonight's CBS's NCIS programming aired at around 9:00 p.m. It was Season 20/Episode 20 entitled "Second Opinion". I happened to be flipping through channels with the remote and landed on this most gruesome scene of an autopsy being performed on a young woman. Her bloody chest cavity was shown pulled open at which time one of the investigators was putting her hand into the opening. For a more startling effect, the camera angle was shot from the inside the cavity looking upward and outward at the expression on the investigator's face.

This is a common angle when showing people opening refrigerator doors, etc., or for comedic purposes such as in the "Coneheads" where Beldar Conehead was getting his teeth capped. To use it for visual effect in portraying the aftermath of a death is about as desensitizing as it gets.

I think there is a relationship between imagery put forth by the various forms of media and the disregard for human life that exists in this country. This is not a religious stance, it is an observation. Things seem to be getting worse, if you haven't noticed.

Some minds cannot distinguish between fantasy and reality. The cultural acceptance of macabre media content adds fuel to the fire.

Afterthought. Finally, it is important to give credit to well crafted productions and talented performers that can make us laugh, inspire us, or make us cry. It is totally unfair to focus only on the ugly or disturbing aspects of media. It can be ignored (skipped over) if one so chooses. There is so much pleasant and beautifully written content available -- search for it and enjoy life.

February 23, 2023 Tom's Batting Tips--Baseball

I always preferred thin handled basebll bats with a thick barrel. In my opinion, a thin handle allows both wrists to roll freely during the swing and a heavy upper barrel maximizes bat speed that produces solid hits in every direction. Wood bats were used exclusively at all levels when I played and later coached.

Here are some suggestions for baseball players that may be struggling at the plate or want to improve their hitting. While neither scientifically proven to be fact nor statiscally validated, the following points seemed to work for me.

Tip # 3 below, for example, was handed down to me by my dad. His rationale seemed to be true. I never struck out when attempting to bunt except for a bunt on the third strike that rolled foul. In other instances, I have been thrown out at first numerous times, tagged out by the pitcher, popped out, and once called out for prematurely leaving the batter's box while drag bunting. Not perfect, but bunting is one more strategy in baseball that works when well executed. Bunting is not just for squeeze plays but can be used to change the tempo of the game at a critical moment--especially when your team is behind or facing a tough pitcher, it is a method to load the bases.

Tom's Batting Tips

Tip 1: You'll need to stand away from the plate--you don't want to get jammed when using a thin handled bat or thick handled bat for that matter. The sweet spot on the bat should extend over the plate if your stride and swing are correct. Your size, stance, and length of bat will determine where that is.

Tip 2: If you like to swing for the fence, do so playing Home Run Derby after practice; otherwise, the object of the game is to get to first base. Always swing level, never upward. Line drives and burning grounders will put fear in your opponent's eyes--you will earn their respect.

Hitting high pop flies is a lost cause unless it's a sacrifice fly. Gaps between infielders seem to widen the harder the ball is hit. Obviously, fielders have less time to react and the speed of the ball forces errors. Hard hit line drives hit into the corners will usually clear the bases and result in at least a double for the batter. Depending on the bounce of the ball, inside the park home runs occasionally happen.

Tip 3: How to destroy the opposing pitcher's no hitter. If you could stick out your right hand (right handed batter) as if to catch the pitched fastball or curve, then it should be possible to bunt with the bat placed in front of your hand. With good foot speed you might be able to start a rally with a well placed bunt.

Tip 4: Hip rotation and forward motion of the lower body enhances bat speed and allows the batter to get a fast start when running to first base. This is especially helpful for left handed batters who have a slight advantage when beginning with a cross over step and are a few feet closer to first.

Tip 5: A broken forward stride may allow you to follow fast breaking sliders from pitchers who mix junk with speed. At least you won't look bad if you swing and miss on a change up. Power is not affected.

Tip 6: Concentrate on the location of the ball before and after it is pitched. Don't become distracted by the pitcher's Jerks, Jives, Twitches, and Kicks.

Tip 7: If you are confident you can hit a pitched ball thrown out of the strike zone, pick your pitch (if you have the go-ahead) and swing. Ideally you want to wait for a fat pitch down the center of the plate. Good pitchers won't give you the opportunity, however. You will be called out on strikes and there you stand holding the bat. Try to stay in control of the count.

Tip 8: Protect your head. Always wear a helmet. If a fastball is coming at your head, get out of the way.

Sometimes contact is unavoidable due to freak accidents. In one game, the catcher attempted to throw the ball down to first base while I was standing in the batter's box (left handed batter). The ball hit the back of my batter's helmet point blank. It rung my bell pretty good but I was alright. The catcher's poor fundamentals could have resulted in a serious injury. (A year or two later I got hit in the same place with a golf club driver--That was a stinger too, but I was lucky.

A few years before I started playing ball, no helmets were used at any level of play. Even in my day, I played fast pitch softball where some catchers wore no protective equipment--not even a catcher's mask. Ouch!

Safety has become a priority. After all, you're not Spartan Warriors out there.

Thin handled Bats with thick Barrels

November 30, 2022 Google Searches--Quora. It seems like everytime one ventures onto the internet these days, there is someone ready to separate you from your hard earned money. Care must be taken about what is clicked on after conducting a web search.

One of my more recent annoyances has been with Quora popping up in response to my well-composed--but sometimes not--web queries. After a sentence or two of the response and a scroll of the mouse, a message to log in with your Google account, etc., was shown followiing only a tidbit of shared information.

It didn't end there, however. When followed, syncing and a host of other things appeared to be turned on as I progressed to the remainder of the queried information. Among them were numerous settings to toggle on or off features within Quora regarding connectivity which were mostly meaningless to me at the time. There was also an option to purchase Quora +, of course.

When I followed through turning on the requested bells and whistles, the queried response resumed with a contributing member's opinion and their experiences regarding my question. I wasn't interested in reading about some know-it-all's opinion or personal experience. I wanted some hard facts. That is when I clicked on another browser tab and asked "How do I delete my Quora account?"

I got the answer for this one. Delete Account was the last Privacy and Security Settings option under the user's Account drop down list. But, in order to Delete Account, it was first necessary to Set up a Quora Account Password by clicking a security link in an email sent to my Gmail account. Then, by clicking the link provided in the Gmail email, I created the required password, returned to the website's Delete Account option, and deleted it.

After being sidetracked for about 20 minutes, I made sure it wasn't going to happen again. I brought up the original search results on the Chrome browser and clicked Block This Site that appeared at the top of the returned link. Note: This feature requires the UBlacklist Google Extension: uBlacklist --Blocks sites you specify from appearing in Google search results). If I should later have a change of heart regarding Quora, I can always unblock it.

I have no problem with Quora, it is just not for me. It seems to be a type of social networking environment and that is not what I'm seeking when conducting searches for accurate information--not opinions or experiences. I did find Quora's placement somewhat intrusive being pushed to the Top of the returned searches. Perhaps, as a user, I need to pay closer attention to whether the returned search links are .com, .org, .net, .gov, .edu . . . .

Final Note: A few months ago, I submitted another post about blocking websites from search results. See May 24, 2022 post below.

November 18, 2022 Dirt Devil Versatility. When the power of a floor model vacuum cleaner is not required, a little Dirt Devil may be what is needed for the job. The best use we've had for the Dirt Devel since purchasing it a couple of years ago is for vacuuming numerous throw rugs and hallway runners. To make things more cozy and comfortable on bare feet, we've put rugs and runners over newly installed hardwood laminate next to beds and in the hallway. We also placed a rug on a high traffic carpeted area.

Our large floor model vacuum cleaners are too powerful for this job and will suck up the light weight/rubber backed rugs. The little Dirt Devil shown below came with an extension handle and a motor driven beater bar attachment that does an excellent job picking up lint, small amounts of pet hair, crumbs, etc., and will also fluff up the rug. It's not intended for deep cleaning ground-in, soiled rugs or carpets.

The Dirt Devil Vibe is priced at around $40.00. That's a good price and seems to be the right appliance for the job.

Our Dirt Devil Vibe is Great for Vacuuming Throw Rugs and Runners.

May 24, 2022 Take Control of Your Web Browsing Experience. Everyone has their opinion on what is best regarding web browsing. For me, it's a combination of entertainment, staying informed, and curiosity.

When reading news stories from various informational sources, I frequently run across a new term or an unfamiliar word. I usually finish reading the paragraph and then do a quick search preceded by the word "define". All too often at the top of the list of returned links will be an entry from the Urban Dictionary, for example, with a few raunchy words that catch my eye. I've been looking for years to find a method to get rid of this garbage once and for all. The best I had been able to do was to block these sites by adding any offenders to my hosts file, but that's not what I required--it was still showing up in the searches.

Recently, I searched Google's Chrome Web Store extensions for updates and finally found what I wanted. UBlacklist is an easy to use extension that works like this after it has been added to your browser: If your search returns something you don't want to be looking at, there is a line above every returned link that says: "Block This Site". When you click it, the site will be deleted from the list and omitted from all future web searches. That's what I'm talking about! One strike and you're Out. If you accidentally click the wrong item, you can go into the extension's detail options and remove the URL from the blacklist.

In previous years when I was trying to elminate this annoyance, I had read there used to be an option/extension when conducting Google Searches that would do this, but for some reason it became inoperative in later versions of Google's browsers. Apparently, it's now back by popular demand.

March 4, 2022 Interesting Observations Unworthy of Home Page Placement. Click here to view: Dry Humor.

😐

October 2, 2021 Automotive Ignition Switch Woes--DIY. Our 17 year old SUV was having difficulty starting last month. Every time we turned the ignition switch it went "Click" and wouldn't start until it felt like it. The remedy involved a roll of Duck Tape and a bottle of St. Joseph's Low Dose Aspirin. Here's what I did .

It had been a very dry summer and then in September it rained a lot. I thought the ignition switch circuit might be faulty due to the high humidity. I laid a harmless, humidity absorbent, desiccant packet from a bottle of aspirin on the sticky side of a piece of duct tape and then taped it over the ignition key slot.

The next day, I pulled the tape down so I could insert the key to try start it. The car started immediately and has started every time for the past 3 weeks. After removing the key, the tape and Pillow Pak are put back in place. That fixed it for now. If it starts acting up again, I'll look for a replacement desiccant packet and a fresh piece of tape.

Precaution: Sticky tape may cause permanent damage to
metal finish or painted surface and material surrounding the ignition switch.

June 18, 2021 Special Characters Sub- and Superscripts--Editing New Google Sites Web Pages. The following characters and symbols are not readily available (or easily created) in New Google Sites. Here is a small selection that can be copied and pasted as needed:

Shown in 12 Point Arial:

Superscript: 1 Normal: 1 Subscript: 1 After pasting in the sub- or superscript 1, change it to anything you want.

Symbols: © ® ¶

Accents: é ñ ú

Fractions: ¼ ½ ¾ ⅛ ⅓ ⅔ ⅕ ⅖ ⅗ ⅘ ⅙ ⅚ ⅛ ⅜ ⅝ ⅞ Sorry, these cannot be edited here.

The above were individually copied from Microsoft Word's Symbols option. The method for changing colors may vary depending on the application in use.

New Google Sites allows you to reduce character size down to One Point. Here is 9/32 in small fraction form created manually using superscript for the numerator and various normal resizing for the diagonal and denominator: 9/32.

Here's how:

Copy and paste superscript 1: 1
Change 1 to 9 and resize it to 10 point: 9 9
Type a normal / after the 9 (12 point Arial): 9/
Type 32 after the diagonal and resize 32 to 6 point: 9/32 9/32

(Note: if the point size 6 is not listed in the drop down list, type it over the first number in the list.)

This method is not perfect but it will give a document's appearance more uniformity than by mixing large with small fractions. Word's Ctrl-D function can be used to raise the selected numerator but does not copy and paste as such to New Google Sites web pages.

April 15, 2021 Migratory Birds--Photography, Poetry. The past 3 or 4 day saw a return to winter with temperatures in the 20's -- 30's and some rain followed by 8 inches of snow. Our back yard bird feeding area was a hot spot for several hundred blackbirds that sought refuge in the tall trees while waiting their turn to feed.

We tripled the amount of bird seed normally sprinkled on the ground in order to accommodate our unexpected guests. Blackbirds had also filled the trees in the surrounding block. It sounded like they were enjoying themselves as they perched in the trees for most of the day--their song was like dozens of wind chimes in synchrony all tuned to the same pitch. I stopped what I was doing and listened. This melancholy verse tells more:

The seemingly distant, repeating melody echoed eerily through the treetops.

A light snow was falling that filtered out all other sound.

It was a memorable experience--

mesmerizing, a moment of complete tranquility.

T. Bolton

February 20, 2021 Streaming Media--Revisited. For the past several years I occasionally offer my rambling two cents worth regarding streaming media--specifically Netflix which I have been a subscriber for 4 or 5 years.

Most recently, I have binge watched the Jericho and Colony t.v. series over the past three weeks. Both productions were made a few years ago and had aired on other networks. Violence, warfare, rebellion, and mature content made them unsuitable for family viewing. Their plots were dark with social and political implications regarding personal freedom. In contrast, Jericho dealt with disruptive forces from within our government while Colony depicted life after an alien invasion from outer space.

After viewing both in their entirety, I have two positive comments to share:

Since both were now being streamed by Netflix, they were commercial free and ready to watch in their entirety.
Both series contained very little, if any, foul language and were uplifting in that respect--each series did quite well without vulgarity. Personally, the first time I heard profanity at the movies, everyone in the Sunday matinee audience gasped as all of the oxygen was being sucked out of the air. Some elderly ladies, wearing hats, clutched their purses and exited the theater. As a child, I speculated they had soiled themselves. For most, times were gentler and less angry back then. Nowadays, profanity seems to be commonplace with the exception of Network T.V. and G-Rated Movies--it appears to me the bar for decency is also being lowered there as well.

The Downsides:

The numbing effect of hour after hour of violence and misery was perhaps a turnoff for many viewers.
Both series had been cancelled before the whole story had been told. In my case, it was like buying a book, reading it to the end, only to discover the last chapter or two had been torn out.

Netflix, you have the resources. Bring these series and others like them to a fitting end. If not a complete season, do with them as you did with Breaking Bad by producing El Camino. When the Covid-19 threat has ended, the actors would welcome the chance to get back to work. Many thousands of fans would be grateful.

November 21, 2020 Splitting Hairs--Word Meanings. Being able to communicate clearly comes with practice along with having command of a vocabulary set that is comfortable to use. Myself, this has been a stumbling block that I am always attempting to rectify.

Makeable vs. Makable

Being able to precisely speak or write what you mean can become quite selective regarding choice of words. For instance, look at these two words: makeable and makable. At first, I thought makeable had a variant spelling and meant exactly the same thing. Actually, make + able (makeable) is defined as able to be made whereas makable, also an adjective, means capable of being made. To understand this, it is necessary to know the definitions of able and capable (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).

Here's an example. If I were a skilled carpenter and my wife asked if I could build a wooden deck on the back of the house, I would probably respond with confidence, "It's makeable."

However, if I were asked to pour a concrete patio, I would respond "It's makable, but, I'll have to read up and practice on a smaller project first."

Since the two words are homophones, it makes absolutely no difference in speech in this instance. When in written form, the insertion or omission of the "e" at the end of the first syllable does make a difference.

For these two words, I try to think that of makeable as having all the requisites and skills for getting the job done, or made. Makable, on the other hand, should be used when these prerequisites are not present, but there is potential for getting the job done or made upon their acquisition. (Who Cares!)

Anecdotal Remarks--Humor

Being a life-long fan and player of Carom Billiards, Snooker, and Pocket Billiards, the term Makeable is commonly used while the game is in progress. One of the biggest parts of a friendly game is the verbal exchange and laughter that can sometimes consume and interfere with the quality of play. But that's o.k.

If I were to play today, I might enjoy dropping this line into the conversation in order to evoke some kind of a response:

If a difficult shot presents itself (doesn't matter which kind of game) and my opponent says, "I think this shot is makeable," and then shoots and misses, I might respond by saying "Makeable for me, but only makable for you," and then proceed to clarify between the two. Of course, this remark would not be presented in a mean spirited manner. Also, don't say this outside your circle of friends. You might get clobbered.

September 27, 2020 Garage Renovation--Hobbies. Thirty-five years ago, I purchased an old Snooker table, restored it, and set it up in what was once my garage. Windows, siding, and brick trim replaced the garage door. The garage was pretty much useless in the winter. For most of the winters I lived in the house, the slightest breeze would fill the driveway with a 6 foot snow drift--cars had to be left outside in order to get to work on time.

Repurposing the garage made it possible to acquire a few more antiques that deserved a new life. An old piano and coke machine can be seen at the left in the photo below. Atop the piano was a VHS video camera mounted on a tripod. It was used to stream live snooker to the internet in the year 2000. It was pretty choppy using a slow CPU and pre DSL connection. Here's a link to some of the footage I recorded: Snooker.

I sold the property many years ago. Today, the only items I've kept include the coke machine which I have in storage, a couple of chairs, and an antique bookcase. Everything else including the snooker table and cue rack was given to others or discarded.

Panoramic View: Coke machine is behind upright piano in background.

September 11, 2020 Conservation and the Environment--Nature and Human Behavior. In our rural community, crop spraying usually begins in May or June and continues almost non stop into July. The application of chemicals has become a science and their dispersal depends on what is needed to keep the crops healthy.

Living only a mile from the airport, the distinct sound of crop dusters taking off and flying overhead can be heard from early morning to near sundown. Application on the ground with huge boom sprayers is another delivery system. The County Weed Board also gets into the act by spraying the ditches along the roads or wherever invasive weeds are growing.

Humans and their livestock are in need of the high yield crops that flourish in our agricultural community. The Earth's population requires more food every year. If our population continues to grow, we will be eating ourselves out of house and home. The effect on other species living with us is observable--and it doesn't take a scientist to see what is happening.

I know, that if swarms of grasshoppers devour our grain crops, I wouldn't have bread to eat. I also know that if we didn't feed grain to our livestock, we could eat that grain, instead. Over fishing in our oceans, lakes, and rivers has also diminished the fish population; however, restocking of lakes and rivers by state fish and game agencies keep the sport fishermen happy. Urban sprawl and clearing of forests for farming and development have depleted the natural habitat on the planet. Modern society is also responsible for industrial waste, dumping, landfills, and soil, water, and air pollution. It is speculated that natural warming of the planet has been hastened by civilized man's consumption of finite resources and the release of toxic waste.

As I see it, not much enters or exits our planet and its atmosphere. In a few centuries, people may be swimming and crawling around in filth and garbage they inherited from us.

I'm sorry, I don't have the answers to what is so troubling during our brief time on the planet. Presently, many people view Earth as their personal possession--to do with--whatever pleases them. This is not right.

July 10, 2020 Pets and Laughter--Summer 2020. In my lifetime, this year is set apart from all others due to the ongoing pandemic. It has caused many of us to change our lifestyles in order to stay safe. In the midst of all that is happening, being able to appreciate the little things brightens the day.

Our pets always seem to make our time at home complete. Along with the usual banter between my wife and I, there is frequently something hilarious that happens on a daily basis. Today was no exception. This morning I asked Deb, my wife, what we were having for Lunch. At about the same time, one of our cats brushed up against my leg and let out two soft peeps as some cats do. I then remarked to Deb what a good cat he was.

As I bent down to pet him, Deb confirmed my praise for the cat by saying, "Super Nice Guy." Only partially hearing what she had said, I straightened up and replied, "Soup."

May 25, 2020 When Poets Dream--Digital Art. I always get a bit misty eyed on Memorial Day. Therefore, I have marked the occasion with a sentimental poem I wrote today about poets.

May 15, 2020 Excerpt--Verse. Robert W. Service was an author and writer of verse who published his works during the first half of the Twentieth Century. One of his most recognized works--at least in my generation and two that preceded--is The Cremation of Sam McGee. Many of his writings were based on his experiences and adventures in North America including the far north in the late 1800's. The following excerpt is from one of his shorter works, I Believe.

Read my remarks by clicking I Believe--Word Document or I Believe--PDF File.

I Believe--Verse 3 of 4

By Robert W. Service (1874--1958)

April 15, 2020 The Big List--Updates. The list of Seven Letter Words that I began compiling several years ago has now grown to 6,540 words (See October 14, 2018 and April 11,2019 posts found in the archives linked on the home page). New countable words have become much harder to identify, but occasionally, I will encounter a few. I am not actively hunting for them, but do take note when one pops up.

Here are the links: Excel Spreadsheet or PDF File.

March 12, 2020 Speaking and Writing Resources--Links. Today's post features interesting links to speaking and writing resources. They explain what is considered appropriate and what is not

During a phone call several days ago, I took issue with the receptionist's reply to my request to speak with an employee of that organization. Instead of saying "I'll leave your message with her and she will return your call," the receptionist said ". . . she will reach out to you."

With a bit of investigation using the internet search phrases "what does the expression reaching out mean" and "what does the expression reach out mean," I soon found that I was not alone in thinking her reply seemed condescending. Here's a humorous article written by an individual who becomes very agitated when she hears the words reaching out. Reaching out, Seriously, Keep Your Hands to Yourself.

On the lighter side, at the end of the story, the author embedded a video of a 1966 song by the Four Tops, (Reach Out) I'll be There.

Another song that I immediately thought of was Neil Diamond's 1969 Hit, Sweet Caroline, with lyrics: . . . Hands, touching hands, Reaching out, touching me, touching you. . . . Here's a YouTube Link to his performance of Sweet Caroline.

At the time, I had felt belittled, but later realized the receptionist was probably attempting to use a more sophisticated way of saying she will return your call. Return you call would have kept us on equal speaking terms and would not have been offensive.

Helping Hands--Reaching Out
In this context it's appropriate--for business it's not.
(Source: Clip-art.com)

Other links. Here are several more links to speaking and writing resources:

6 Types of Figurative Language

The Five C's of Style

Euphemisms

Idioms

Much of the content listed above was vaguely familiar, but my ability to apply or cite examples has diminished over time due to neglect. In an earlier life, every word was scrutinized at the graduate level before a paper could be submitted for approval. Even then, the paper might be returned with notations explaining what changes were required.

In the 1970's , there were no quick fixes--One or two misplaced or misused words or paragraphs could mean retyping 60+ pages without visible erasures and over strikes. A high formatting standard was set with strict rules governing footnotes and bibliography pages. People lacking typewriting proficiency often commissioned others to proofread and type their graduate level theses and dissertations. Typists were usually paid by the page.

Lastly, here is another personal anecdote about why speaking or writing in an appropriate style is important: True Story.

It was the summer of 1979. I was finishing the graduate degree program at a University that was a five-hour drive from home. I had just completed my independent study (research paper) and submitted it in a hard bound cover to my adviser who would then forward it to the Graduate School, so I was led to believe. Feeling relieved to be finished, I decided to drive home for the weekend.

No sooner than I stepped in the door at home, the phone rang. My adviser's graduate teaching assistant had called to explain that the professor had identified a few more items that needed to be changed before the Monday deadline. She was kind enough to slide the marked-up copy under the door of my residence hall suite. Fortunately, it was the same co-ed facility where many graduate students, including herself, resided. I jumped in the car and headed back. Five hours later I was on campus at 2:00 a.m.

I removed the pages from the binder and began retyping the entire paper with specified changes including an updated table of contents. Most of the page numbers had to be changed because of a handful of corrections scattered throughout the paper. Everything was completed by Sunday evening. On Monday morning I had several photocopies made and then resubmitted the revised paper for approval. It was accepted and approved.

Today, the same changes could have been made in less than 10 minutes. Back then, 36 hours of continuous typing were.required. My portable-manual Smith Corona typewriter was really smokin' that weekend. I was lucky to have a new typewriter ribbon and a couple boxes of erasable bond typing paper on hand.

March 8, 2020 Sentence Structure and Proofreading--Speaking and Writing. Incomplete sentences and paragraphs with numerous grammatical errors impair communication. Vocabulary and good spelling alone are not enough.

The internet provides an abundance of grammar resources. For example, here are two websites that can provide help. Grammar Monster.Com and GrammarBook.Com.

Software applications such as Microsoft Word with spelling and grammar checking are convenient for flagging errors. They are not 100% reliable. Proofreading is still an absolute must. Spelling and grammar checkers do not identify many types of human errors--content omissions and errors (e.g. complete sentences, paragraphs, sections), incorrect headings or titles, names, dates, and other numeric data, or relationships (e,g, mother, father, sister, brother, son, daughter, husband, wife . . .).

Many people who have the responsibility of creating accurate printed material are under the false impression that proofreading is no longer necessary and will shrug it off completely. They rely solely on the spelling and grammar checkers and sometimes will not even take the time to review flagged words and phrases. Some of their mistakes can be very serious or at least embarrassing. Anyone suffering the consequences at the receiving end may take issue.

Admittedly, spelling and grammar checkers provide time-saving assistance when writing. Neither, however, explain word/spelling usage and grammatical errors that will likely be repeated in another instance such as during an important conversation, interview, or oral presentation, etc.

Of course, a more relaxed manner of speech (but nevertheless correct in form) can be adopted during casual and informal situations that's appropriate for the audience. Using broken English or baby talk is not a good model for the youngsters--Television and their little friends will provide that along with a few unsavory words and expressions.

Considerable effort is required to proofread for spelling, grammar and correct meaning. One of the more frequently made errors, today, involves the use of copy and paste. When sentences and paragraphs used to create a new document are copied and pasted from an older version, it is likely that names, times, dates, addresses, cost, etc will need to be updated. It is very common to see that one or more of the updates had been overlooked.

Proofreading:

- Verify Spelling, Grammar, Meaning, and all names, times, dates, places, quantity, cost and version number, etc.
- Check for Completeness, and required format. Word Count minimum and maximum requirements may apply.

No one is perfect. A single proofreading is usually not enough. With that said, readers must be wary of questionable content. Many errors are recognizable as typos, but others remain oblivious to the reader.

Before this story was complete, at least a dozen edits were made to correct typos, spelling, sentence structure, and paragraph arrangement. With personal web page content, the writer is free to make changes at any time in the future until they are completely satisfied. Then, too, corrections and apologies may be in order.

March 6, 2020--Out of Touch--Writing. Here's a link to some of my more off-beat posts with links to essays, short stories and opinions. Out of Touch Word Document or Out of Touch PDF File. Out of Touch was my choice for the link name because the content and opinions expressed therein are not necessarily in tune with today's popular trends and schools of thought.

Other weird stuff is scattered about in the Miscellaneous section. Click its link in the left sidebar.

New March 4, 2020 More Odds and Ends--New Web Page. Welcome to the Grand Opening of

More Odds and Ends.

February 27, 2020 T.V. Trivia--Nostalgia. You may have lived during an era when everyone eagerly waited for their favorite weekly television programs; or, you may have missed those years but like to binge watch the classics. If so, you might enjoy testing your knowledge of old-time T.V.

T.V. Trivia

Name the T.V. Series or Show?

Matt, Chester, Festus,

Doc, Kitty, Quint,

and Newly

What T.V. Series? 1 pt.

Capt. Kirk, Spock, Scotty

Bones, Sulu, Uhura

and Chekov

What T.V. Series? 1 pt.

Granny

Elly May

Mrs. Drysdale

Miss Hathaway

Pearl

What T.V. Series? 1 pt.

Ben, Adam, Hoss

Little Joe and Hop Sing

What T.V. Series? 1 pt.

Lightning Round

What are the T.V. Character's

Last Names? (1 pt each)

Tie Breaker

Name the actor who played

Two of the Characters

Listed in the

Lightning Round. (1 pt.)

And what were the

Series' Titles? (2 pts.)

Double Tie Breaker

Name all of the actors who

had character roles in

the Lightning Round (11 pts.)

Perfect Score = 30

Links to Answer Sheet:

Answer Sheet Word Doc

Answer Sheet PDF File

February 27, 2020 How to Get Side by Side View in Google Chrome The preceding YouTube link will explain and show how to place Google Chrome Browser Tabs side by side. Placing the Trivia Answer Sheet next to the Trivia Questions is a perfect example of its use on a Desktop or Laptop computer.

The snippet below shows only part of the side-by-side screen view. Answers have been intentionally blotted out by editing the snippet (jpeg image) with Gimp.

Side by Side View in Google Chrome

Tom's Tip for the Holidays: Before splurging on gifts, vacations, and over indulgence in Christmas cheer, sit down and write a check to an area Food Bank. Paying it forward will make everyone happy, including yourself.

Tom's Tip: During these difficult times, take care of yourself and be respectful of others. Please, wear a face mask or covering and avoid close contact.

Tom's Tip of the Day: Live in the present and make the most of what you have.

Yesterday's tip: Take time to brush up on old skills.

Last week's tip is still important. Get plenty of Sleep!

Click here for more tips: Tips--Document or Tips--PDF format.

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