Blogging With Artificial Intelligence

Technology innovations come and go.  Most turn out to be nothing, but some turn out to change the world -- things like the internet / web, or cellular / smart phones.

The current most-talked-about tech innovation is artificial intelligence (AI), more specifically, ChatGPT.  It's an AI chatbot developed by a company called OpenAI.  In the vernacular, when asked for information, it can scour the web and give detailed responses for practically any topic.

Of course, the technology is still new, and it can give some strange, even inaccurate responses.  But one can certainly see how it could be a game-changer, for better or (gulp) for worse.

I signed up for the 'free' version being used for testing, and today I asked it for "A blog entry on the topic of Spring Break."  Below is the result, which I have not edited:

As the weather starts to warm up and the end of the school year approaches, students everywhere begin to eagerly anticipate spring break. This much-needed vacation is a chance for students to relax and recharge before the final stretch of the school year. In this blog entry, we'll explore the history and significance of spring break, as well as some popular destinations and activities.

History and Significance of Spring Break

The origins of spring break can be traced back to ancient civilizations, who celebrated the arrival of spring with festivals and other festivities. In the United States, the modern concept of spring break began in the 1930s, when college swim teams began traveling to Florida for training camps. Over time, other colleges and universities began scheduling their own spring breaks around the same time, and the tradition grew.

Today, spring break is an important part of the American academic calendar, and students use it as an opportunity to unwind, spend time with friends and family, and explore new places. For many students, spring break is also a chance to engage in activities that they may not have time for during the school year, such as traveling, volunteering, or pursuing hobbies.

Popular Destinations for Spring Break

One of the most popular spring break destinations in the United States is Florida, particularly cities like Miami, Panama City Beach, and Key West. These destinations offer warm weather, beautiful beaches, and a range of activities, from water sports to nightlife.

Other popular domestic destinations for spring break include Las Vegas, Nevada; Cancun, Mexico; and Puerto Rico. These destinations offer a mix of adventure, culture, and relaxation, and are popular with students looking for a more unique spring break experience.

For those looking to travel further afield, Europe is a popular destination for spring break, particularly cities like Amsterdam, Paris, and Barcelona. These destinations offer a mix of culture, history, and nightlife, and are a great way for students to broaden their horizons and experience new cultures.

Activities for Spring Break

While some students choose to spend their spring break relaxing on the beach, others prefer more adventurous activities. Popular activities for spring break include hiking, camping, skiing, and snowboarding. Students may also choose to volunteer during their spring break, whether by participating in a service trip or working with a local organization to give back to the community.

Whatever your preferences, spring break is a great opportunity to explore new places, try new things, and recharge before the end of the school year. So whether you're planning a beach getaway or an adventure in the great outdoors, make the most of your spring break and enjoy this much-needed break from the rigors of academic life.

Not bad, huh?  You can certainly see how it can be used as a way of generating a first draft for something like a term paper, or news article.  Let's just hope this isn't the beginning of a takeover by our AI overlords.

Terrorists Still > VEISHEA

The past  week / weekend should have been a fun time on the campus of Iowa State University.  It should have been the 90-something-th edition of VEISHEA.  But that was postponed last year, indirectly due to a riot, but directly due to an out-of touch university president.

Last summer that president, Steven Leath, put a permanent end to VEISHEA   Of course, he did this after getting that recommendation from his hand-picked task force.  An absolute joke.

What was this task force going to do, make a recommendation contrary to what the president and his cronies wanted?  Leath had already played judge and jury to cancel last year's VEISHEA shortly after the riot, but well before enough time had passed to collect the facts about what happened.

He acted impulsively and dictatorially, claiming student safety was at risk, and ruining work and plans that were many months in the making.  He isn't going to admit now that he was wrong about his actions.

But in truth, those actions haven't made Iowa State students, or Ames, Iowa, a safer place.  Suppressing the organized fun and freedom of people doesn't engender trust and safety -- it makes those people bitter and angry, and makes them dislike you.  Worst case scenario, it manifests into something chaotic and violent.

Fortunately for ISU / Ames, that manifestation didn't happen this year, and maybe it won't ever.  Unfortunately for Leath, the same can't be said for how much he's disliked on campus.

Terrorists > VEISHEA, Part Two

ISU President Stephen Leath announced in a press conference August 7, 2014 that VEISHEA will be discontinued and the name will be retired.

"I'm not going to continue to put students at risk so we can observe what to many has become a week-long party," he said.

Leath, you are a politically-correct puppet for a few Republican cronies on the Iowa Board of Regents, and everything I said about you last Spring is as true now as it was then.  Only a close-minded fool thinks they have the means to control what they have no power over, such as the off-campus antics of mostly non-students.

Jerk.

Terrorists > VEISHEA

For the uninitiated, VEISHEA is an annual week-long celebration held each spring on the campus of Iowa State University.  VEISHEA is an acronym for the original 5 colleges of the university:  Veterinary Medicine, Engineering, Industrial Science, Home Economics, Agriculture.  It's presumably the largest student run festival in the nation,

VEISHEA has been marred in the past two decades by off-campus, late night, alcohol-induced, party-goer rioting on the last weekend, causing mostly minor but some significant damage and injuries.  The last time it had happened was 2004, and the university president at the time canceled VEISHEA for the following year.  Another riot happened again this week (this time early in the week), and in response the new university president, Steven Leath, suspended the rest of -- which is to say most of -- VEISHEA for the year.

Lots of losers in this, but hands down the biggest losers in all of it are.....the ISU university presidents.

While there is no defending the instigators or participants in these, neither is there a rational defense of canceling VEISHEA in response.  By all accounts, it wasn't so much a riot as a social-media inspired mob scene with a few drunken idiots.  To make matters worse, Leath acts as if his action has the full support of the university leadership.

Let's drop the public posturing and consider the facts that Leath is ignoring, and would like others to ignore:

1) He says he's thinking of the institution and safety in making his decision to cancel, but what exactly does he mean by institution?  The administration?  The faculty?  Because the university institution doesn't exist without the students, and the vast majority of them want VEISHEA to go on.  So do the surrounding campus businesses.

2) Speaking of the administration and faculty, while they made be around for dozens of VEISHEA festivals (thank you, tenure!), the students are only there for a few.  Many of them volunteer and put many hours of work into it.  Now Leath has taken away the fruits of their labor, because of a few folks who might not even be students.  It's bad enough that the majority are made to suffer for the few in elementary school or high school, but this is college.  C'mon, man.

3) By canceling VEISHEA, Leath has unquestionably increased the probability of more trouble.  Now there will be no alcohol-free alternative activities, and more students are likely to attended the off-campus parties, which have always been a source of mob-like behavior.  This probability has already become reality, as police have stated that in the following two days after the 'riot' there have been about twice the usual off-campus incidents reported than in past years.  (Note: This year's riot was in part a result of police closing down an off-campus party. Is it really that hard for Leath and his institutional cronies to put 2 and 2 together?)

4) Leath could easily allow VEISHEA to commence while law enforcement reviews the volumes of video evidence (something other riots didn't have), and both they and he can ultimately take action against the few who deserve it.  Instead, he chose to rush to judgement, and punish the many who don't deserve it.  When are educational institutions, at any level, going to accept that they effectively govern behavior that goes on beyond their physical territory?

This continues a pattern of questionable, socially-conservative decisions from Leath.  He was the pansy for the conservatives on the state board of regents a year ago in stopping the Harkin Institute at Iowa State, and by not allowing freedom in their research, valuable senatorial papers will now go to Drake University instead. And no one has any idea why he's single-handedly prohibited a player from participating on the men's basketball team this year, even though said previously-suspended player has been cleared by the legal system.

How much longer before the contributing alumni just suspend their donations in the same way Leath seems to arbitrarily suspend things?  Maybe they should -- then I'm guessing he'll suddenly find ways to make things work, instead of thinking of reasons for things to not work.  I noticed one alumnus already commenting that if there was a student uprising at a sporting event, the president wouldn't cancel the rest of the athletic season. But apparently, canceling VEISHEA is OK, because it only hurts students and not the big donor fans.

By canceling VEISHEA and threatening its future, Leath and his predecessor have simply allowed the terrorists to win at the expense of the students.  At Iowa State, this is called leadership, but it's really just retreat.

One Man's Garbage

Lots of possible blog topics this week.  I could write about the idiot Boston Marathon bombers, or the idiot U.S. Senators that can't even bring themselves to vote on, much less pass, any form of new gun control legislation.

Instead, I choose to write about an annual rite of passage that occurred in my suburb this week, known as Spring Cleanup week.

Spring Cleanup is the one week every year that residents can put just about any kind or size of garbage on their curbside to be picked up.  Most residents do just that, throwing out appliances, electronics, lumber, etc.

Over the years, Spring Cleanup week has become a city-wide free garage sale.  Once residents start putting their stuff on the curb, soon there will be a lot of unidentified vehicle traffic circling the neighborhood.  Rough-looking strangers will emerge from their muffler-less pickups, swarming to curbsides in an attempt to be the first to drive away with treasures that can only be found in one man's garbage.

For the most part, these are benevolent strangers, who vary from for-profit scrap metal recyclers to your basic lower-class garage sale flippers.  And they will take virtually anything of value, even if it's old and/or damaged.

There is one problem, however, with their etiquette related to leaving things as they found them.  If I put a pile of junk near my curb, I don't want people rummaging through it and spreading my neat pile into a messy pile.

It may be junk, but let's keep it neat, people.