What Has My Attention!

Sorry, I haven't been writing much in recent weeks, so this is to break the silence.

What has my attention these days?

I am fascinated by the latest breakthroughs in AI, especially the ChatGPT releases.  Serious people are saying this is the most important development in human history since the Enlightenment.  I think they're right.  Being able to access the billions or trillions of bits of history or thought ever known to man is just the beginning.  There will be no stopping this technology.  Trying to keep them from taking over will be impossible.  Guardrails will be meaningless.  So hang on.  You ain't seen nothin' yet.

Israel is coming apart at the seams.  Watching them implode is both fascinating and sad.  Given the depth of feeling on both sides a civil war is not beyond the realm of possibility.  I don't think they'll use bullets against each other, but a split down the middle looks likely.  Which side will win in the end - those who want to to continue as a democracy and those who want to go the authoritarian way - is hard to say.  But whatever happens, it won't be pretty.

France is facing a similar challenge: A strong, willful leader versus the elected representatives.  In this case I side with the more authoritarian path, the one Macron is taking.  So my views are inconsistent.  Who said "Consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds."

Here at home, the dysfunction and hard, opposing opinions show no sign of abatement.  Could also be called fascinating and sad.

And as always, sports has my attention:

Baseball is back soon.  That's a good thing.

The Final Four includes a #4 seed, two #5 seeds and a #9 seed.  Also a good thing.

Arsenal is still on top in the Premier League.  Also a good thing.

The latest Sumo Basho was missing both a Yokozuna and Ozeki.  Not a good thing.

That's it for now.  Later . . .