Posted on September 17, 2024
I don’t get this infatuation with AI. Is artificial intelligence better than the real thing? By that I mean, is it better than using one’s own intellectual abilities to come to a conclusion? Does it replace analytical thinking for another’s regurgitated opinion?
In today’s world, where lies are bandied about as truth, where spin supersedes thought, and where JD Vance acknowledged to Dana Bash that he made up the story about the pets of Springfield, OH, part of his constituency as that state’s senator, how can one tell what’s real?
I have no answers; but I am coming to a solution for myself. Where once I went to the internet, namely Google® although there are many other internet browsers out there, for valuable information, I am becoming less inclined to do so.
Now when I ask Google® something, it comes back with an AI answer. Today, for instance, I asked “Does Hunts brand still make tomato juice?” It was a Yes or No answer in my book. But AI avoided the question and offered all kind of product Hunts produces, things I wasn’t the slightest bit interested in.
Yesterday, I asked Google® when the last rainfall occurred where I live. And AI told me it didn’t have any information about that. I’m sure it’s out there on the internet. I don’t know how information retrieval works, but in my world it worked better before AI showed up.
See more 10 Minutes in category Annoyances, Changing Scene
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Posted on September 16, 2024
The above line is from a “Seinfeld” episode where the Soup Nazi, who seems to be a manager or an owner of a soup restaurant, doles out soup to people standing in line who must behave in a certain way to get his soup. I never watched a single episode, but I did look this up.
“No Soup for You” was a recent headline in our local newspaper, appropriated from the Associated Press, about the current plan of Campbell’s Soup Company to drop the soup from its name and be called Campbell’s Company.
I get it.
It’s been a long time since Campbell’s produced just soup. It is now an umbrella company for such products as Prego tomato sauce and Goldfish crackers. I applaud the company for expanding but I don’t see that it has to truncate its name.
Campbell’s is not alone; there are a myriad of companies out there that have abbreviated titles and logos. Examples include Dunkin’ Donuts that became Dunkin’ in 2019. Krispy Kreme dropped Doughnuts from its logo in 2021. And Domino’s removed the word ‘pizza’ in 2012. Then there’s Starbucks and KFC.
I suspect that the changes represent the larger variety of food items each establishment and brand name offers. Still, I’m a savvy enough consumer to understand that what was formerly Dunkin’ Donuts has expanded its menu. It doesn’t need a name change, and a ton of dollars that might impact the price, to tell me.
See more 10 Minutes in category Annoyances, Dining/Food
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Posted on September 15, 2024
Last night was monthly movie night at our community’s clubhouse where you can have all the free popcorn you want as you watch an old-timey movie. This time it was the romantic comedy “Sabrina,” a charming trifle that came out in 1954 in black and white.
It wasn’t billed as a “chick flick,” because that term wasn’t prevalent then. But there were only three men in attendance and ten women, which should tell you something.
Humphrey Bogart, William Holden, and Audrey Hepburn star in the tale of a chauffeur’s daughter who is in love with one of her father’s wealthy employers with little chance of commanding his attention. Then she goes to Paris for two years, becomes quite sophisticated, returns to the U.S, and charms not only the one but also the other brother.
What I liked most about the film was the chance to return to the movies of yesteryear. The dialogue is clever; each actor gets a memorable scene, nobody talks over each other, and there are no violent car chases. By today’s standards it could be considered boring; I think of it as portraying Hollywood’s golden age when there was a distinctive style of filmmaking. It’s nothing like today.
If you want to learn more about this age, click here.
See more 10 Minutes in category Nostalgia
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Posted on September 14, 2024
The official start of Fall is a week away, and the winding down of summer activities is in full swing. We know the usual ones: shorter days, school busses on the road, swimming pools closing, trees starting to turn color.
But there are others signs as well. The Saturday St. Joseph’s Farmers Market is getting smaller, as some vendors are no longer coming. However, there is still bountiful produce and today I got half a dozen fresh ears of corn. I do this whenever I go to the Farmers Market, because I keep thinking it will be the last time fresh corn will be on the menu. One of these days, I’ll be right.
The produce selection now contains pumpkins, gourds, mums, and other fall favorites, while tomatoes are waning. This is a sign of fall I don’t like, because it means if I want tomatoes I’ll have to buy the bland, tasteless grocery store variety for the coming months.
After A and I walk on Saturday mornings, we stop at Caffe Tosi for refreshments. It’s a small shop and always crowded, but the lines are no longer out the door. License plates from other states have also begun to fade. It means the tourist traffic is following the tomatoes. However, the upside to this is that locals who have avoided the downtown area all summer will emerge to keep local businesses going through the winter months.
In my own small realm (meaning gardens), I no longer deadhead zinnias and petunias. I’ve cut the day lilies to a foot above ground and am about to do the same thing to the coneflowers. A friend suggested recently that I move my Rosemary plant indoors to weather for the winter. But I won’t.
When Summer is done in the gardens, I am too.
See more 10 Minutes in category Changing Scene
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Posted on September 13, 2024
Since this is Friday the thirteenth, I’m waiting for a black cat to cross my path, arch its back, hiss, and possibly trip me for being in its way. Failing that, I can find no end of cats on the news, on the internet, and on late night TV.
They are being used for political fodder by one party and then re-used by the other party as parody. In either case, it’s a disservice to the cats. But it did make me wonder if the cats (and dogs and pets) of Springfield, Ohio and those of childless women are going to tilt the upcoming presidential election in any way.
Amazon sells a yard sign that looks like the typical one people use to express their voting preference (although I don’t think it’s a good idea to display your politics on your lawn), except that it says “CATS – because humans suck – 2024.” And a revival of “Cats,” the musical, just closed in New York. Then there are cat calendars on sale for the coming year, cat-chy greeting cards, hoodies adorned with umpteen versions of cats and one (so far) photo on Facebook showing two hunters with the leopard they bagged and a note that they are the real cat killers.
Finally, the 1980s television show, “ALF,” has returned for another fifteen minutes of fame. (Let us hope it’s no more!) And if you don’t know what the connection between ALF and cats is, you can learn more here.
Now I’m just waiting for Garfield and Sylvester and Hello Kitty to weigh in.
See more 10 Minutes in category 2024 Election, Things to Ponder
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Posted on September 12, 2024
In the old days, we called them phobias: arachnophobia was fear of spiders; claustrophobia was fear of being trapped in small spaces; agoraphobia was fear of being embarrassed.
But with social networks running amok, there are a multitude of new phobias. Only they don’t call them that. The one I hear about the most is FOMO: fear of missing out or an irrational fear that others are having more fun than you are.
I have never worried about missing out, but then I’m an introvert at heart. My own company is pretty comfortable most of the time. Still, with FOMO being all over the internet, I decided to create phobias of my own based on the acronym.
FORO: Fear of running out. At my house this plays out with Kirkland 30-roll toilet paper and Betty Crock au gratin casserole potatoes.
FOGO: Fear of going out. With spiking restaurant prices and various issues about quality, etc., we don’t go out much for dinner anymore.
FOFO: Fear of *&&&% off. Needs no explanation.
FOLO: Fear of losing out. That feeling when you realize your supermarket coupon has expired or when you arrive at the concert on the wrong day. Or when your debate performance isn’t up to par.
FOOO: Fear of opting out. After all, what if the thing you decide to do is the wrong thing.
FOPO: Fear of passing out. This has to do with alcohol consumption and moderation.
I’m sure there are many phobias on the internet, but these were what I thought of first. I don’t even know if they’ve been properly identified. Now I’m going to shut down my computer and get on with the evening, hopefully phobia free.
Posted on September 11, 2024
In the end, Earl and I watched the Harris-Trump show. He stayed for the entire thing, while I left to read the paper. So I probably missed some of the salient moments that the various media focused on this morning.
I decided to Google® what FOX News and MSNBC had to say in their programs immediately after the show, rather than read ramblings of opinionators. Yes, FOX and MSNBC are filled with opinionators, but my thought was that if they were opining immediately after the show, it would be a first impression and not a particularly thought-out rant.
I went to MSNBC first, and Rachel Madow’s crew could hardly contain itself. Lawrence, Joy, Rachel, Nicole, and Chris were giddy with superlatives about Harris’s performance. They couldn’t say enough over-the-top things about how she goaded him, mocked him, and embarrassed him. On top of that, Taylor Swift’s endorsement coming just after the program ended made them believe the election was possibly a done deal.
Then I went to FOX News, where it was a little more somber. The general consensus was that Harris won the night, but that it was unfair to their candidate. Britt and Sean felt ABC journalists were partial; they didn’t fact-check Harris like they did Trump; Harris seemed artificial with her constant smile; her mannerisms were a distraction.
In the end, I’m not sure what the program accomplished. Perhaps it gave thoughtful viewers an idea of Harris’s agenda, or perhaps it gave viewers an idea of Trump’s focus on attacking his opponent. In the end, as far as I’m concerned, they both degenerated to the lowest common denominator in a debate: name calling in one way or another.
There is talk of another confrontation . . . er, debate. I hope it doesn’t happen.
See more 10 Minutes in category 2024 Election
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Posted on September 9, 2024
It’s not exactly Christmas Eve, but there is a certain anticipation in the air about tomorrow’s so-called debate between candidate Harris and candidate Trump (listed alphabetically).
Are they rehearsing tonight? Taking the night off? Wondering how it will go? I haven’t followed the drama, so I don’t have answers to these questions. And that’s because I don’t think a televised debate is the best way to choose a candidate, although I must admit the last one sank Biden’s chances. History says it sank Nixon’s chances too.
I plan to watch, although in my time zone it starts at 9 PM, which is wind-down for me. Honestly, I shall probably know in the first half hour how it’s going and can read the commentaries the next morning. I said commentaries, not opinions.
There is talk about which Trump will show up: the civil, mindful one or the bombastic, aggressive one. In fact, both could appear as candidate Trump is able to turn on a dime. As for Ms. Harris, we’ll see if her prosecutor’s bent stands her in good stead.
As for me, I hope this is the end of the television debates this time around. In fact, for every time around going forward.
See more 10 Minutes in category 2024 Election
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Posted on September 8, 2024
While my son was winning the Dick Beardsley half marathon yesterday, Chicago was witnessing a sports perfect storm. As noted in Wikipedia, the real thing is a “meteorological event aggravated by a rare combination of circumstances.” But it is an apt description that applies to other events too.
And yesterday, the Chicago White Sox, the Chicago Cubs, and the Chicago Bears all won their respective games. I don’t even know the last time that happened.
The Sox have the worst record of any team this baseball season with 33 wins and 111 losses, so the odds of their winning on any given day aren’t great. In the last ten outings, the team has won twice. Yesterday it was 7-2 against the Boston Red Sox.
The Cubs played the last of a three-game series with the Yankees, which won the first two face-offs. The New York team has one of the better records in the American League, while the Cubs are just three games above 500. Fans are hoping they stay there, but have little hope of a berth in the playoffs. However, we did get to fly the W for the win.
As for the Bears, I’m not a football fan. So I judge the TV action by the sounds coming from the den as Earl coaches from his recliner. From what I could tell, the first half of the game was a disaster even though we’re supposed to have a new phenom quarterback.
Earl stuck with it, however; and in the end the Bears prevailed over the Tennessee Titans 24-17. It’s way too early in the season – this was the first official game – to say what will happen, But a win is always good.
Still, Chicago’s perfect storm wasn’t enough to console Earl because Notre Dame lost to Northern Illinois when it wasn’t supposed to.
See more 10 Minutes in category Special Events
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Posted on September 7, 2024
The Dick Beardsley half marathon was run yesterday in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. My son Kevin participated, as he has for several years. I’ve cheered him on in person occasionally, but today wasn’t one of those times.
Instead, I was driving home from buying fresh corn when my cellphone rang. It was his area code but not his telephone number, and my car didn’t reveal the caller’s name. “Something is wrong” was my first reaction.
It was Lonna, his significant other of twenty years. “Did you see the race results?” she asked. I had tried, but the website wasn’t very informative; so I had no idea what to expect.
“He won!”
“Do you mean his age group?” I asked.
“No, I mean the race. He won the whole thing.”
Later I caught up with Kevin and got the details. How he led the whole 13.2 mile distance, finished in 1:20:19, went back onto the course to cheer slower runners (as is his tradition), met racecourse volunteers and the second and third place finishers.
“Mom, the second place man was a minute behind me. He was 35 years old. I met his dad too. And third place went to a 23-year old. It was just great to be there in the moment with them.” I wish I had been there too.
Kevin turns 56 in four days.
See more 10 Minutes in category Me/Family, Special Events
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