A Journal to impart knowledge and facts |
July 22, 2015 I'm going to start today to record on a daily basis whatever happens to strike my fancy. So, it is a very cool breezy day. I just posted 5 short book reviews to The Monthly Reading Challenge. I'm suppose to put away some winter wood today from the woodpile outside but I'm playing hookey from work to write so starting this blog will get done. I'm having a daily fight with a flock of English Sparrows that are trying to take over my barn. They are making a terrible mess so they have to go. I have destroyed several nests so far they don't leave but they get out of the barn when I am around. I'm just starting the fight so I guess I don't know how far I have to go to discourage them. I'm trying not to spread myself to thin on WDC because I find so many things that are interesting here and I am trying to work on a new story. I really enjoy sitting at my desk with a cup of tea and reading blogs on WDC. |
Andre the Blog Monkey's Banana Bar / Share the Love Event Personal Prompt 2: Highlights of Salman Rushdie I first heard about Salman Rushdie in the news, when there was a contract put out on his life for writing "The Satanic Verses". Just recently news about Rushdie is, he is still healing from the latest attack on his life. Even though "The Satanic Verses" is a fiction story it was considered an embarrassment by some Muslims who put out a contract on his life in 1989. On August 12,2023 Rushdie was attacked when about to start a speech in Chautauqua, New York. The attacker Hadi Matar was arrested and charged with assault and attempted murder. Rushdi was seriously injured. He is recovering from the attack. Rushdie's writing is historical fiction and magical realism. He has written 26 books, 5 of them are nonfiction. His writings also contain short stories and musical lyrics. Rushdie was born into a Muslim family in India. He is a citizen of the United Kingdom and holds a degree from King's College, Cambridge. Awards to Rushdie's books are many. "Midnight's Children" won, Best of the Bookers/ "Shame" 1983 awarded from France, Best Foreign Book/ St. Louis Literary Award, as well as 10 Best Books of the year, and a Commonwealth award of Distinguished Service. Personal comments: I read the story about Salmon Rushdie's recovery from a news site online. It made me realize I have read other stories about him being in danger from terrorists. I've never read any of his books, so I looked him up online. I was interested to find out how diverse and well known his work really is, but I've never read any of his writings. Off to the library I went on my kindle. sure enough, there are copies of some of Rushdie's books in the library I use. "The Satanic Verses" is there. Even though it shows two copies, you still have to put it on hold to get it, and it is a 3 month wait before my turn would come up. I was able to start reading "The Golden House" which gained an Andrew Carnagie Medal Nominee in 2018. The book was published in 2017. Different reviews of this book say it deals with American lifestyle and culture. I'm through the second chapter. The character descriptions paint pictures. Which means, this is my book for the weekend. Read On! All word count on WDC:396 References: Bing information look up. www.wikipedia.org. www.salmanrushdie.com |
Andre the Blog Monkey's Banana Bar / Share the Love Event MY CHOICE 1: An example of Artificial Intelligence on the move. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a technology moving toward machines, that process large amounts of data,and are able to do tasks that people normally do. Programmed to think like humans and immtate the actions of humans these machines will be able to step into places humans now fill in the job market. It is considered a fact that these machines will create new jobs. Some of the relevant categories of software for machines, are Narrow AI, Artificial Super AI (ASI), and Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). In the world of computer searches Google has reigned at the top for many years. Bing, used with Microsoft Edge is going to make a try to gain some respect in the field of information searches. Microsoft is trying out a new OPEN AI's ChatGPT tool. The new Bing presents written summaries of the search results along with references. The search can be extended with a chat to ask questions. You can ask the chatbot to shop for a new appliance or write an email for you. It may be able to plan meals and menus. Other types of information to make life easier will be available as you learn to ask the right question and rely on the AGI Tool. If this is a competition, Google is still in the game. Their Chatbot is named Bard. Like ChatGPT, BARD is going to chat about the searches being made. Both Chatbots will use your specific language to respond to questions. Presently, a new Bing will be released from Microsoft. It will contain the new OPEN AI CHATGPT TOOL. You will pay to get it. When Google releases Bard it will be free and integrated into the Google system. Bard uses LaMDA technology. Presently, Bard is only being used by testers trusted by Google. All Word Count by WDC:340 . References: Definition of Artificial Intelligence from Bing www.cnn.com: article about Microsoft's new OPEN AI CHATGPT TOOL www. tomsguide.com: article about Googles Bard |
Andre the Blog Monkey's Banana Bar / Share the Love Event P14: Should education always require learning a second language? My opinion, the word require is the point. I'm not a trained teacher so I don't know how students are scored to pass or fail any given class or year in school. Languages are easy for some people and not so easy for others. To require someone to learn a second or third language may be pushing on their freedom and rights. Some parent is bound to object. To offer language at an early age is a good idea. It might kick their minds into a second gear. so they would see the value of education. As society becomes more diversified, a second more common language like Spanish would be an asset as the child grows, I don't think schools today are afraid to offer higher education at an earlier age. I've seen how society easily grabbed on to tech toys. I'm thinking job markets are going to involve more advanced technology as years go on. Computers, software, automobiles, farm equipment, transportation, surveillance, heating, pets; I can see parts of all these subjects becoming a part of higher technological job markets. The job market is already. changing. I can hope for a day when education will be affordable or free. If I had the money, I would go back to school. Someday, taking a class will be as easy as having communication tech. This is already true in part. Covid was a bad scene, one of the changes it produced was the drive to communicate through technology. Diversified societies will live more peacefully together, individual languages could become part of a diversified society. If your new neighbors speak Swahili, will you learn to communicate. Or maybe just keep a handy tech translator around. All Word Count on WDC:302 |
Prompt: National Kite Flying Day -- BCoF I could not fly a kite today (well I could). Maybe some years February would be an OK time to fly a kite. Some place without snow would be better. I've heard of people flying kites out over Lake Erie. Not necessarily in February. We have a foot of snow in the field behind the house where in spring I have flown kites before. I have a really large kite I bought for the kids years ago. Once in a while, I get it out and fly it. It is the kind of kite that loves to fly. We have heavy unbreakable string especially for it, because I can put it up on a good day and fly it high enough to not be able to see it. I once invited some people I graduated with to come out and fly kites. The hay field is a perfect place because it is fairly flat, and we get a westerly wind or breeze that puts up a kite easily. It was at some monthly meeting of the class I graduated with; however, they thought kite flying was a childish endeavor. It is kind of thrilling to feel the wind pulling on the kite. To know I was able to get it up and then once it is up really high, I worry I will lose it over the forest behind the field, when I bring it down again. I also have some very small bird shaped kites I bought one year for my grandchildren. They are not as easy to get up but are fun to play with in the wind. It's a shame to grow so old you can't enjoy flying a kite. I have my own train set. I think that's why the lost boys ran away from home. They did not want to grow up. One of my sons gave me part of my train set for Christmas. I won't apologize for staying young at heart. Song Lyrics from :Mary Poppins 1964 " Let's Go Fly a Kite Up to the Highest Height, Let's Go fly a Kite and Send it Soaring, Up in the atmosphere, up where the air is clear. OH, Let's Go Fly a Kite." |
For Andre the Blog Monkey's Banana Bar / February 2023 Prompt: P3. Groundhog Day and groundhogs in general (not the movie) Groundhogs, whistle pigs, and wood chucks are the same thing. "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" (One of the things my dad taught me to say when I was a child.) I didn't know there was a movie. The name whistle pig comes for the sound this animal makes by drawing air through his front teeth when there is danger. Woodchucks have short muscular legs. Their front incisors wear down by chewing. They are one of the animals that have incisors that continue to grow making chewing a necessary routine. They feed in the morning and early evening. The rest of the day they sleep or rest in the sun. They are a true hibernating animal. Their heart rate goes from a normal 100 beats per minute to 4 beats per minute during hibernation. The size of an adult keeps most predators away. The young are not so lucky. Woodchucks mate early in spring. Offspring can be 6 and above to a litter. They are raised by the female. Pennsylvania Game Commission says it is possible for more than one litter to be born in a season. This is one of the reasons there is no hunting limit on woodchucks in Pennsylvania. The only restrictions are you cannot hunt them on Sundays and during rifle deer season. Woodchucks dig holes to build dens. They can have tunnels underground and a front and back door. Often, they dig holes under buildings, which gives them shelter in winter. They prefer fields, gardens, or lawns as well as under buildings to dig their dens. Groundhog Day has become an American tradition. It was started in Pennsylvania by German farmer settlers in Pennsylvania. They celebrated Candlemas. In Germany they used badgers as their go to for information about the weather. In Pennsylvania there were no badgers, so they started this story; when the Groundhog sees its shadow on Candlemas there would be six more weeks of winter. The groundhog used presently has a special day in March for his predictions. He has a special person as his keeper in Philadelphia. The groundhog's name is Punxsutawney Phil. There is another groundhog in Massachusetts. Massachusetts made a law to make Ms. G their own special state groundhog. Ms. G lives at the Druman Farm Wildlife Sancturary in Lincoln. Massachusetts. I can tell you from experience Phil from Philidelphia is not always right with its predictions. REFERENCES: WWW.WIKIPEDIA.COM WWW.MASSAUDUBON.ORG All Word Count by WDC:429 |
For BCoF: Prompt: In February there is everything to hope for and nothing to regret. by Patience Strong Write about hope or regret. Jeremiah 29:11/ "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord," Plans to prosper you and not harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future." Hope is a feeling mixed with desire and expectation. In my life I have hope about lots of different things. Some of them pertain to the way the USA will handle politics or foreign relations. Some of them pertain to things that need done to the house to keep it livable as I age, I also hope relationships with family members remain stable as I age. Regret? I'm not sure about regret. Regret means to be disappointed over something. Unless it is something I can monetarily or momentarily fix I usually just shift regrets into the background of life. If it can't be fixed it isn't worth keeping relevant. I'm not really cold hearted about instances of regret only have to have a practical attitude about regrets. If it can be fixed, I will work toward fixing it. If you compare hope and regret; regret may be something expected, that just could not make its way into reality. Stay warm winter is still buzzing around like a fly I want to swat. |
For Blog City/ February 1.2023 How was January for you? Because my personal computer was hacked. I have to use K's computer. In January I found word pad on it and began using it as a journal to keep some blog entries and write on. Weather is always a factor for whatever I am doing in a day's time. The first two weeks were fairly calm, cloud cover was there most of the days. I prefer sunshine. The second two weeks were snowy and rainy. My birthday came and went calmly enough. The dogs are not happy because I did not take them out most days of January. If K is home, he will often interfere with my blogging efforts. Sometimes getting into WDC is just not possible so I'm erratic about getting blogs done. I blogged prompts in January for Andre' at the Banana Bar. Signed up of Blog City and the BCoF. I was happy to be able to complete Prompts and do the research without too much interference. Now I am going to see how far I can get in February. It is snowing again today. The weather has been erratic since November. It has been warm when normal would be cold and cold when normal would be warm. I can't tell if this is normal weather problems or spiritualist praying for opposites. February is the month people look for a break in winter near the end to tap trees for Maple Syrup. We will see if that happens. Stay Safe, Laughter is good for your health. |