Monday, September 22, 2025

Long WIP One - Modi's Project Canada and What It Means

India is betting $18 billion to build a chip powerhouse

My take - focus on what lessons you'll learn as you go along. It's an experiment, but it can be less expensive if you achieve tiny goals every day instead of that one BHAG. Tips on where to start? Try Bent Flyvberg. (Hint: If it's not roads or fossil-fuel power-generation, be afraid, very afraid)

Will they succeed? No. Why? It's for reasons similar to why Mexicans are still Mexicans in spite of their proximity to America. The Mexican is not an American. Likewise, the Indian is not a Chinese or a Taiwanese. There are things that some Chinese people can do that no Indians can (yet) do, or think are important to do. Does that make them inferior in some way? Certainly not. They could do these things if they put their minds to it, but a culture that has deemed such skills respectable, for generations, has an advantage. The problem isn't that Indians "can't" (yet). It's that Indians don't think these things are important. After all, did you ever hear of any such thing as an "Indian puzzle"? OK. Given that, isn't it reasonable to assume that China and Taiwan will produce more people who are capable of the self-sacrifice and concentration necessary to make such things happen?

Another problem is the diversity challenge. Indians aren't "one people" the way Taiwanese and Koreans and Japanese are. I left out the Chinese because I've had other nationalities tell me that China looks ethnically homogenous from the outside, but it actually isn't. That being said, there is plenty of nationalism and patriotism to go around within China to make this happen there. The Koreans see themselves as perpetually with their backs to the wall, and that drives them to win at all costs - and those costs, if you're looked them (personal sacrifice) are high. So, in short, Indian mores, and the unwillingness to learn and adopt the mores of more successful cultures can, by themselves, keep this one from happening.

Plus, think about why Japan isn't able to pull off a TSMC? You think they don't want to?

So, what SHOULD India do? Simple, do the Dalio - (from Ray Dalio's "Principles") - tell people what you believe and (therefore) what your plan of action is and ask people to critique it. Tell us where you're spending this money which you don't have and let us tell you what we believe the stupidest expense is likely to be. What else? Think about an internal customer and an MVP. Allow ISRO to drive this. ISRO has achieved some success of note. If you let people who contributed to that success move into leadership roles in this new effort, that will attract higher quality people into both pipelines.

So, what, then, is "Project Canada"? It's a hypothetical acceptance that India can never catch up to China, and should be content with a role similar to what Canada plays, in relation to the USA. Who is bigger and stronger? Does Canada need to worry? No. Accept it, move on, live in peace.

You step into Singapore and you realize, when you interact with them, that you are talking to a different type of person. It's the legacy of Lee Kuan Yew. What did Nehru or any of the others tell Indians to "be"? Anything come to mind?

The red flags are: no mention of an MVP. Has any milestone been identified to know if they are "on track" (on track to what? If Intel and the USA can't make anything of TSMC's quality, how can India?). No mention of what India is really known for - chaos - if this initiative fails, can it at least lead to better roads because better roads are necessary to make this happen? Or, can they think of some way that air transport coupled with drones for the last mile (think Rwanda) can facilitate this? Have you heard mention of even a single date? "We're going to spend $18b" Really? To get what? By when?

Is there anything at all they can do? Maybe. Start with what the disposable income of the largest low-income population is. Now, what can they buy from you that will add value to their lives. Is there something this new initiative can produce that is not worth the while of the other manufacturers? If there had been some talk of how this scheme was going to allow hundreds of millions of people to chip in productively and boost their purchasing power and intellectual ability, I might have at least perked up a bit more.

TBC, for sure!

Guilty as Charged. I Sucked Up to Scum, for the Sake of the Shareholders

The handshake worth $74 billion dollars

The Particle Accelerators that Changed Our World

Accelerator	Type	Three Specific Accomplishments
Large Hadron Collider (LHC) CERN • Switzerland/France	proton–proton	Discovery of the Higgs boson (2012) — confirmed Brout–Englert–Higgs mechanism; Nobel Prize 2013. Observation of pentaquark states (2015) — LHCb established new hadronic matter configurations. First observation of CP violation in baryons (2017) — CPV seen in Λ_b decays by LHCb.
Tevatron Fermilab • USA	proton–antiproton	Discovery of the top quark (1995) — CDF & DØ completed the third generation of quarks. World-leading W boson mass (2022 reanalysis) — most precise single measurement; sparked global theory–experiment debate. First observation of B_s meson oscillations (2006) — key test of flavor physics and CKM framework.
LEP (Large Electron–Positron Collider) CERN • Switzerland/France	e⁺e⁻	Z boson lineshape at ppm precision (1989–95) — pinned down M_Z and Γ_Z. Number of light neutrino families: N_ν = 3 — from invisible Z decay width. Precision W mass (2000) — constrained the Higgs mass pre-LHC via electroweak fits.
SPS (Super Proton Synchrotron) CERN • Switzerland	proton synchrotron	Discovery of W and Z bosons (1983) — UA1/UA2; Nobel Prize 1984 (Rubbia, van der Meer). “November Revolution” charmonium era (1974–76) — pivotal J/ψ physics via fixed-target program in Europe/US. First robust QGP signatures (1999–2000) — strangeness enhancement & J/ψ suppression in heavy-ion runs.
RHIC (Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider) Brookhaven • USA	heavy-ion	Discovery of strongly coupled QGP (2005) — near-perfect liquid with η/s close to quantum bound. Jet quenching — large energy loss of high-p_T partons traversing the QGP medium. Global vorticity in QGP (2017) — most vortical fluid observed; Λ polarization measurements.
SLC (Stanford Linear Collider) SLAC • USA	linear e⁺e⁻	First high-energy polarized beams (1989) — enabled unique left–right asymmetry tests. Precision Z couplings — electroweak asymmetries validated the Standard Model at new accuracy. sin²θ_W from A_LR (1998) — benchmark electroweak mixing angle measurement.
HERA DESY • Germany	e⁻p	Small-x gluon density rise (1990s) — transformed global PDFs and QCD at high energies. Precision PDFs for the LHC era — H1/ZEUS combined fits underpin many cross-section predictions. First deeply virtual Compton scattering (1996) — launched generalized parton distributions (GPDs).
Bevatron Berkeley Lab • USA	proton synchrotron	Discovery of the antiproton (1955) — Chamberlain & Segrè; Nobel Prize 1959. Discovery of the antineutron (1956) — Goldhaber et al. Early hadron resonance discoveries (1960s) — foundational to the quark model.

Sunday, September 21, 2025

How You Can Add a "Read Aloud" Button for a Section of Text, Like the Pros

In this post you’ll wire up a small script that turns a simple button into a section reader using the browser’s SpeechSynthesis (Text‑to‑Speech). It supports Pause/Resume, a mobile‑safe Stop, and natural pauses between list items. All snippets include a Copy code button.

What you’ll build

Per‑section button: <button class="ra-btn" data-target="...">Read Aloud</button>
Script that you paste once in your theme (just before </body>)
Natural breaks for <ul>/<ol> items without adding periods

Step 1 — Add a button and a target to your post

Put your button anywhere, and point it at the element you want read:

<button class="ra-btn" data-target="bangkok_rules">Read Aloud</button>

<ol id="bangkok_rules">
  <li>Carry a notebook everywhere—brilliance is a shy guest</li>
  <li>Learn the names of constellations, not just the apps on your phone</li>
  <li>Eat something you can’t pronounce at least once a year</li>
  <li>Always know how to make one dish that impresses strangers</li>
  <li>Ask elders about the wildest story they’ve never told anyone</li>
  <li>Watch cities wake up at dawn; they keep secrets at sunrise</li>
  <li>Travel with two books: one you understand, one you don’t</li>
  <li>Make eye contact with statues—they’ve been waiting centuries</li>
  <li>Learn to whistle with your fingers; it’s a survival skill</li>
  <li>Never trust a person who refuses dessert</li>
</ol>

Tip: You can have multiple buttons/targets per page—each button just needs its own data-target pointing to an element id.

Step 2 — Paste the script into your theme (once)

Go to Theme → Edit HTML and paste the following just before </body>. The CDATA wrapper makes it safe for Blogger’s XML parser.

<script type='text/javascript'>
//<![CDATA[
(() => {
  const LABELS = {
    read:   "\uD83D\uDD0A Read Aloud",  // 🔊
    pause:  "\u23F8\uFE0F Pause",       // ⏸️
    resume: "\u25B6\uFE0F Resume",      // ▶️
    stop:   "\u23F9\uFE0F Stop"         // ⏹️
  };

  let ACTIVE = null;
  const STATE = new WeakMap();

  function chunkText(text, maxLen = 180) {
    const clean = (text || '').replace(/\s+/g, ' ').trim();
    if (!clean) return [];
    const sentences = clean
      .replace(/([.!?:;])\s+(?=[A-Z0-9“"(\[])/g, '$1|')
      .split('|');
    const chunks = [];
    let buf = '';
    for (const s of sentences) {
      const candidate = buf ? (buf + ' ' + s) : s;
      if (candidate.length <= maxLen) {
        buf = candidate;
      } else {
        if (buf) chunks.push(buf);
        if (s.length <= maxLen) {
          buf = s;
        } else {
          for (let i = 0; i < s.length; i += maxLen) {
            chunks.push(s.slice(i, i + maxLen));
          }
          buf = '';
        }
      }
    }
    if (buf) chunks.push(buf);
    return chunks;
  }

  // Build queue: if target contains <li>, read each item with a tiny gap
  function makeQueueFromTarget(el, maxLen = 180, gapMs = 250) {
    const lis = el.querySelectorAll && el.querySelectorAll('li');
    if (lis && lis.length) {
      const queue = [];
      Array.from(lis).forEach((li, i) => {
        const t = (li.innerText || '').replace(/\s+/g, ' ').trim();
        if (t) queue.push(t);
        if (i < lis.length - 1) queue.push({ gap: gapMs });
      });
      return queue;
    }
    return chunkText(el.innerText || '', maxLen);
  }

  function ensureState(btn) {
    let s = STATE.get(btn);
    if (!s) {
      s = { state: 'idle', stopBtn: null, queue: [], index: 0, utt: null, targetId: btn.getAttribute('data-target') };
      STATE.set(btn, s);
    }
    return s;
  }

  function setLabel(btn, key) { btn.textContent = LABELS[key]; }

  function ensureStopButton(btn, s) {
    if (s.stopBtn) return;
    const b = document.createElement('button');
    b.className = 'ra-stop';
    b.type = 'button';                         // avoid form submits on mobile
    b.style.marginLeft = '6px';
    b.textContent = LABELS.stop;
    const handler = (e) => { e.stopPropagation(); hardStop(btn); };
    b.addEventListener('click', handler);
    b.addEventListener('touchend', handler, { passive: true }); // iOS tap reliability
    btn.insertAdjacentElement('afterend', b);
    s.stopBtn = b;
  }

  function start(btn) {
    const s = ensureState(btn);
    const el = document.getElementById(s.targetId);
    if (!el) return;
    const raw = (el.innerText || '').trim();
    if (!raw) return;

    if (ACTIVE && ACTIVE !== btn) hardStop(ACTIVE);
    try { speechSynthesis.cancel(); } catch(_){}

    s.queue = makeQueueFromTarget(el, 180);
    s.index = 0;
    s.state = 'playing';
    setLabel(btn, 'pause');
    ensureStopButton(btn, s);
    ACTIVE = btn;

    setTimeout(() => speakNext(btn), 0);
  }

  function speakNext(btn) {
    const s = ensureState(btn);
    if (s.state !== 'playing') return;
    if (s.index >= s.queue.length) { reset(btn); return; }

    const next = s.queue[s.index++];
    if (typeof next === 'object' && next && next.gap) {
      setTimeout(() => speakNext(btn), next.gap);
      return;
    }

    const part = next;
    s.utt = new SpeechSynthesisUtterance(part);
    try { s.utt.lang = document.documentElement.lang || undefined; } catch(_){}
    s.utt.onend = () => {
      if (s.state === 'playing') {
        if (s.index < s.queue.length) speakNext(btn);
        else reset(btn);
      }
    };
    s.utt.onerror = () => { if (s.state === 'playing') speakNext(btn); };
    speechSynthesis.speak(s.utt);
  }

  function pause(btn) {
    const s = ensureState(btn);
    if (s.state !== 'playing') return;
    try { if (speechSynthesis.speaking && !speechSynthesis.paused) speechSynthesis.pause(); } catch(_){}
    s.state = 'paused';
    setLabel(btn, 'resume');
  }

  function resume(btn) {
    const s = ensureState(btn);
    if (s.state !== 'paused') return;
    try {
      if (speechSynthesis.paused) speechSynthesis.resume();
      else if (!speechSynthesis.speaking) speakNext(btn);
    } catch(_){}
    s.state = 'playing';
    setLabel(btn, 'pause');
  }

  // Mobile-safe hard stop (iOS/WebKit quirks)
  function hardStop(btn) {
    const s = ensureState(btn);
    s.state = 'idle';
    s.queue = [];
    s.index = 0;
    if (s.utt) { try { s.utt.onend = null; s.utt.onerror = null; } catch(_){} }
    try { if (speechSynthesis.paused) speechSynthesis.resume(); } catch(_){}
    try { speechSynthesis.cancel(); } catch(_){}
    setTimeout(() => { try { speechSynthesis.cancel(); } catch(_){} }, 0);
    reset(btn);
  }

  function reset(btn) {
    const s = ensureState(btn);
    s.state = 'idle';
    setLabel(btn, 'read');
    if (s.stopBtn) { s.stopBtn.remove(); s.stopBtn = null; }
    s.queue = []; s.index = 0; s.utt = null;
    if (ACTIVE === btn) ACTIVE = null;
  }

  // Event delegation (works even if posts inject late)
  document.addEventListener('click', (ev) => {
    const btn = ev.target.closest('.ra-btn[data-target]');
    if (!btn) return;
    ev.preventDefault();
    const s = ensureState(btn);
    if (s.state === 'idle') start(btn);
    else if (s.state === 'playing') pause(btn);
    else if (s.state === 'paused') resume(btn);
  });

  // Label buttons present now…
  function labelExisting() {
    document.querySelectorAll('.ra-btn[data-target]').forEach(btn => setLabel(btn, 'read'));
  }
  if (document.readyState === 'loading') {
    document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', labelExisting, { once: true });
  } else {
    labelExisting();
  }

  // …and any that appear later
  const mo = new MutationObserver((muts) => {
    for (const m of muts) {
      for (const node of m.addedNodes || []) {
        if (node.nodeType !== 1) continue;
        if (node.matches && node.matches('.ra-btn[data-target]')) setLabel(node, 'read');
        if (node.querySelectorAll) node.querySelectorAll('.ra-btn[data-target]').forEach(el => setLabel(el, 'read'));
      }
    }
  });
  mo.observe(document.documentElement, { childList: true, subtree: true });

  window.addEventListener('beforeunload', () => { try { speechSynthesis.cancel(); } catch(_){} });
})();
//]]>
</script>

That’s it! Now every button like .ra-btn[data-target] will control its section with Pause/Resume and a mobile‑safe Stop. Lists get natural pauses between items—no punctuation required.

Troubleshooting

Button still says “Read Aloud” (no 🔊): your theme script didn’t run. Make sure it’s inserted before </body> and not inside AMP pages.
Stop doesn’t work on phone: ensure your script has the hardStop function (resume→cancel + double‑cancel) and the Stop button has type="button" plus a touchend listener.
XML error while saving theme: keep the //<![CDATA[ ... //]]> lines exactly as shown.

Copy helper (used on this page)

This tiny script powers the “Copy code” buttons on this post. You can reuse it in other posts if you like.

<script>
(() => {
  function copyText(el) {
    const text = el.innerText;
    if (navigator.clipboard && navigator.clipboard.writeText) {
      return navigator.clipboard.writeText(text);
    }
    // Fallback
    const ta = document.createElement('textarea');
    ta.value = text; document.body.appendChild(ta);
    ta.select(); document.execCommand('copy'); ta.remove();
    return Promise.resolve();
  }
  document.addEventListener('click', (e) => {
    const btn = e.target.closest('.copy-btn');
    if (!btn) return;
    const code = document.querySelector(btn.getAttribute('data-copy'));
    if (!code) return;
    copyText(code).then(() => {
      const old = btn.textContent;
      btn.textContent = 'Copied!';
      setTimeout(() => btn.textContent = 'Copy code', 900);
    });
  });
})();
</script>

Vote for Your Highest-Rated YouTube Video. For Me Deep Look's Mosquito MO Takes the Cake

Wow! Incredible what evolution can do. Of the 110 billion humans that have ever lived, half have supposedly met their maker early on account of mosquito borne disease.

BTW, did you ever wonder what happened to the game-changer (gene-edited mosquitoes that will breed with the existing females to result in female offspring that perish early) that Oxitec's Haydn Parry announced in his TED? What didn't it end Zika, Malaria, Dengue, YNI?

Ze Frank's five million (!!) views are definitely well deserved:)

Jeez, these freaks of evolution build rafts out of their eggs!

Quora : When You Start Making Good Money, Do This..

1. Buy fewer clothes, but wear the highest quality

How:

Audit your wardrobe: Pull everything out and notice what you actually wear vs. what just takes up space.
Choose staples: Invest in well-cut jeans, tailored trousers, neutral shirts, a versatile blazer, quality shoes.
Shift mindset: Instead of “what’s cheap and trendy?”, ask “what will still look good and last in 5 years?”
Tip: Learn basic garment care — good clothes last longer if you hang, steam, or dry-clean them properly.

2. Eat premium food, not junk

How:

Upgrade your baseline: Swap soda for sparkling water, fast food for fresh salads, snacks for fruit or nuts.
Shop the perimeter of the grocery store — produce, meat, dairy, fish — fewer boxes and cans.
Try farmer’s markets: You get fresher produce and often build a relationship with the grower.
Batch cook: Invest a few hours each week preparing simple, high-quality meals so “busy days” don’t push you into junk food.

3. Hire a helper for household chores. Buy back your time

How:

Start small: Try a cleaner once every two weeks. Notice how much mental load it removes.
Outsource what you hate most (laundry, lawn care, errands). Even 3–5 hours a week returned to you is huge.
Use platforms like TaskRabbit, Thumbtack, or local services.
Reinvest time: Don’t waste it scrolling. Use freed-up hours for health, learning, or family.

4. Upgrade your mattress. Sleep changes everything

How:

Test in-store: Lie down at least 10–15 minutes on each model. Focus on back support + comfort.
Don’t skimp on pillows — they matter almost as much as the mattress.
Invest in environment: blackout curtains, white-noise machine, proper room temperature (65–68°F is ideal).
Measure success: Track how you feel in the mornings, not just whether the bed feels soft.

5. Invest in experiences, not just stuff

How:

Budget a “memory fund” (e.g., 5–10% of income goes to trips, concerts, classes).
Prioritize novelty: Choose activities that break routine and create stories to tell.
Bring others in: Experiences feel richer when shared with friends or family.
Capture but don’t over-document: Take a photo, then be present. The point is to live it.

6. Upgrade your financial adviser

How:

Interview multiple advisers: Ask how they get paid — fee-only fiduciaries are usually best.
Check credentials: Look for CFP (Certified Financial Planner) or CFA.
Ask tough questions: “How do you invest your own money?” “What’s your strategy in downturns?”
Level up gradually: As your wealth grows, you may need a transition from a basic planner to a wealth-management team.

7. Surround yourself with high-value people

How:

Audit your circle: Notice who drains vs. who energizes you. Spend less time with the former.
Seek groups: Join professional associations, mastermind groups, fitness classes, volunteering networks.
Be useful first: High-value people are drawn to those who add value, not just those who want favors.
Upgrade conversations: Ask bigger questions — not “what’s new at work?” but “what are you learning lately?”

✨ Bottom line: Each of these isn’t about luxury for its own sake — it’s about leverage. You’re redirecting money into things that multiply your health, time, experiences, and network.

Saturday, September 20, 2025

Calf Pain When You Walk? Get Your Heart Checked. Now!

Calf pain with walking—especially if it appears after a predictable distance and eases with rest—is a classic sign of peripheral artery disease (PAD), which is a cardiovascular condition. Here’s why it matters:

1. The Underlying Cause

PAD is caused by atherosclerosis, where fatty plaques narrow or block the arteries that carry blood to the legs.
When you walk, your calf muscles demand more oxygen-rich blood. If the arteries are narrowed, the supply can’t meet the demand, leading to ischemia (low oxygen) in the muscle.
This mismatch shows up as cramping, aching, or burning pain—called intermittent claudication.

2. Why the Calves?

The femoral and popliteal arteries are common sites of atherosclerosis.
The calves, being heavily used in walking, are often the first muscles to show symptoms when blood flow is restricted.

3. Link to Broader Cardiovascular Risk

PAD is not just a leg problem—it’s a marker of systemic vascular disease.
People with PAD have a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death, because the same plaque process often affects coronary and carotid arteries.

4. Clinical Clues

Pain pattern: Cramping after walking a fixed distance, relieved by rest.
Other signs: Cold feet, diminished pulses in the ankle, slow-healing wounds, or shiny skin.
Differentiation: Unlike nerve or joint pain, vascular claudication is reliably brought on by exertion and relieved by rest.

👉 So calf pain with walking is essentially your body’s early warning system that the arteries may be narrowing, not just in the legs but potentially elsewhere too.

Would you like me to also contrast this with non-cardiovascular causes of calf pain (like nerve compression, venous issues, or muscle strain), so it’s clear how doctors distinguish PAD from other conditions?

1. Why the Skin Looks Shiny

Loss of hair and sweat glands: Reduced blood flow starves the skin of nutrients, causing hair loss and fewer active sweat/oil glands.
Thinning of the skin: The skin becomes atrophic (thin and fragile), which makes it reflect light more, giving it a polished or shiny look.
Tightness from swelling or tissue changes: Sometimes chronic ischemia or edema stretches the skin, making it taut and glossy.

2. Clinical Significance

Shiny, thin skin on the lower legs is often grouped with other signs of chronic arterial insufficiency, including:
- Cool temperature (skin feels cold to the touch)
- Pale or bluish color (due to lack of oxygenated blood)
- Slow-growing or absent hair on the shin or foot
- Thickened toenails
- Non-healing sores or ulcers around the ankle or toes

Together, these clues suggest that blood flow is inadequate to support normal skin and tissue health.

3. Why Doctors Care

Shiny skin isn’t just cosmetic—it’s a red flag that tissues are in a low-nutrition, low-oxygen state. This increases the risk of:

Pain with exertion (claudication)
Poor wound healing
In severe cases, critical limb ischemia (rest pain, gangrene, or need for intervention)

✅ In short: shiny skin on the calves or feet is a sign of chronic poor blood supply, and when it appears along with calf pain on walking, it strongly supports the diagnosis of PAD.

Do you want me to also explain how shiny skin from vascular disease differs from shininess caused by edema or venous issues (which can also make skin look glossy)?

The fix

🩺 1. Medical Evaluation First

Diagnosis matters: PAD needs confirmation, often with an ankle-brachial index (ABI) test or vascular ultrasound.
A doctor will also check for other cardiovascular risks (heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking history).
Treatment is tailored to the severity — from lifestyle to surgery if needed.

🚶 2. Supervised Exercise Therapy (Gold Standard)

Structured walking programs are one of the best proven therapies.
Walk until calf pain appears, rest until it goes away, then repeat.
Over time, this builds collateral circulation (new small vessels that bypass blockages) and increases pain-free walking distance.

🍎 3. Risk Factor Control

Since PAD is a whole-body atherosclerosis problem, recovery means managing the root causes:

Quit smoking – the single most important step.
Control blood pressure (often with medications if needed).
Manage cholesterol (statins are common to slow plaque buildup).
Manage blood sugar if diabetic.
Heart-healthy diet: lots of vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, whole grains, minimal processed/junk foods.

💊 4. Medications

Depending on severity, doctors may prescribe:

Antiplatelet drugs (aspirin, clopidogrel) to prevent clots.
Cilostazol or similar drugs to improve walking distance.
Statins to reduce plaque and stabilize arteries.

🛠️ 5. Interventions (if lifestyle isn’t enough)

Angioplasty + stent: Balloon opens the blocked artery.
Bypass surgery: Creates a detour around the blockage.
These are usually for severe or limb-threatening PAD, not mild cases.

🦶 6. Foot & Skin Care

Because circulation is poor:

Inspect feet daily for cuts, sores, or color changes.
Keep skin moisturized (to prevent cracks/ulcers).
Wear proper shoes to avoid pressure injuries.
See a doctor immediately for any non-healing wound.

✅ In summary: The foundation of recovery is exercise therapy, risk factor management, and medications — with interventions reserved for severe cases. People who commit to walking programs and risk reduction often see big improvements in symptoms and lower their chance of heart attack or stroke.

Friday, September 19, 2025

When Should You Worry About AGI? When LLMs Start to Display a Sense of Humor

Google isn't close enough yet to worry me:

The statement "a tapeworm is a python that didn't grow up" is an inaccurate analogy that incorrectly conflates two unrelated types of animals. A python is a vertebrate reptile, while a tapeworm is an invertebrate parasite.

Scientific and biological differences

Feature	Tapeworm	Python
Type of animal	A parasitic flatworm that lives inside the intestines of a host.	A non-venomous constrictor snake.
Classification	An invertebrate, belonging to the class Cestoda within the phylum Platyhelminthes.	A vertebrate reptile, in the family Pythonidae.
Body structure	Ribon-shaped body is composed of repeating segments, but it has no digestive tract, limbs, or bones. It has a head (scolex) that attaches to the host's intestinal wall.	Long, scaled body with a backbone (spine) and vestigial leg bones.
Reproduction	A tapeworm is hermaphroditic, and each body segment can produce eggs that are passed through the host's feces.	Pythons lay eggs, which the mother protects by coiling around them until they hatch.
Source of nutrients	It absorbs nutrients that the host has already digested directly through its body wall.	It swallows its prey whole and digests it internally.

The origin of the confusion

While the phrase is incorrect, it likely comes from the superficial similarity in their long, worm-like shape. In reality, a python is a much more complex organism with a backbone, muscles, and a complete nervous system—a far cry from a parasitic flatworm.

Wednesday, September 17, 2025

The Hat Crimes of Charlie Kirk

Resume : rejected by West Point Military Academy.

Kirk admitted later he had “no money, no connections and no idea what I was doing” when he started Turning Point USA in 2012. But his rhetorical gifts for countering progressive ideas by leaning into cultural tensions and making provocative declarations instantly resonated with college audiences during the Obama years. (PBS)

Kirk frequently repeated Trump’s false claims that former Vice President Kamala Harris was directly responsible for all immigrants who were in the U.S. illegally. He called George Floyd, a Black man whose death by a Minneapolis police officer sparked a national debate over racial injustice, a “scumbag.”

He espoused culturally conservative views, advocating for gun rights, condemning abortion, holding up women as wives and mothers — and men as heads of households.

I had enough of his hatred. Same hate can't be negotiated out - T. Robinson

Here's my question: What punishment is appropriate for the guy who stabbed that poor Ukrainian refugee on a commuter train in NC?

Monday, September 15, 2025

The Crucial Life Skill chatGPT Left Out

In this one, I pasted what chatGPT said were subjects worth everyone's while to master.

Then, I thought: What is missing? A lot, for sure. But, a big problem I have had in my career has been people issues - recognizing too late that certain people who behaved badly with others could one day direct those bad behaviors at me. Not knowing which co-worker types were to be ignored and kept at a distance, examples of assertive behavior (it doesn't help to say "be assertive"). Failing to recognize favoritism, realizing too late that certain supervisors didn't really have my best interests at heart and were using my skills to shield slackers. Not knowing what behaviors score (or lose) points with different people types. Not knowing how to discern the most-likely outcome before approaching someone with a request, etc.

So, for starters, take the test, to see if there are gaps in your knowledge or MO 😊

And then, dive in:

The Field Operations Manual

The Cheat sheet

What you’re describing goes beyond psychology & human behavior and communication skills. It’s about the politics of work and people navigation, which is rarely taught but makes or breaks careers. Let me add this as a new subject area that directly addresses what you’ve been through.

Workplace & Social Dynamics

Reading People and Power Structures

Spotting personality types that drain, exploit, or undermine others.
Recognizing favoritism, hidden alliances, and “invisible hierarchies.”
Mapping who really holds influence (not always the one with the title).

Assertiveness in Practice

Concrete examples of how to decline extra work without career damage.
Setting boundaries with chronic interrupters, credit-stealers, or manipulators.
Language templates: “I appreciate that, but I can’t commit to X without Y.”

Navigating Supervisors and Colleagues

Signs a manager is using you to shield slackers.
How to identify whether a request is likely to be granted before you ask.
What behaviors build credibility with different personality types (detail-oriented, big-picture, people-pleaser, etc.).

Protecting Yourself and Building Leverage

When to distance yourself versus when to confront.
How to document interactions (subtly) in case you need a record.
Building “career insurance” through networks outside your immediate team.

👉 Why it matters: Technical mastery isn’t enough; careers rise or fall on how well you read the room, protect your boundaries, and anticipate other people’s motives.

Would you like me to expand this into a structured “lesson” (like a short training module with scenarios, signals to watch for, and scripts to practice), or keep it at the curriculum level like the other 10 subjects?

Go all out!

Perfect — let’s build this into a structured lesson / training module so it feels like a survival guide for real workplace and people dynamics. I’ll write it in a way that you could even adapt into a course or handout for others.

Lesson: Navigating Workplace & Social Dynamics

1. Why This Matters

Most careers stall not because of skill gaps, but because of people gaps: not seeing toxic behaviors early, failing to manage difficult personalities, or misjudging who holds power. Mastering these skills keeps you safe, respected, and in control of your trajectory.

2. Reading the Room: Spotting Hidden Patterns

A. Red-Flag Personalities

Charmers who cut down others → Eventually, the “friendly” gossip becomes aimed at you.
Chronic credit-stealers → Notice if your work consistently gets “reframed” as theirs.
Masters of selective incompetence → They act helpless until someone (usually you) takes over.
Silent saboteurs → Colleagues who nod but don’t follow through, making you look unreliable.

B. Power Beyond Titles

Informal influencers: The admin, the senior tech, or the favorite who can sway a boss’s mood.
Gatekeepers: People who control information flow (e.g., schedulers, coordinators).
Alliances: Watch who goes to lunch with whom — it reveals loyalty networks.

Practice Drill:
Spend one week just observing without judgment. Note: Who dominates conversations? Who gets deferred to even without authority? Who talks, but no one listens?

3. Assertiveness in Action (Not Just “Be Assertive”)

A. Boundary-Setting Scripts

When overloaded:

“I want to do this right. To take this on, I’d need to delay [current task] or get help with it. Which do you prefer?”
With interrupters:

“Hold on — let me finish this point, then I’ll hear yours.”
With a manipulator:

“I understand that’s urgent for you. Here’s what I can realistically commit to.”

B. The “Broken Record” Technique

Repeat your stance calmly, without escalation. Example:

“I don’t have bandwidth for this right now.”
“Yes, I hear you. Still, I don’t have bandwidth right now.”

C. Low-Stakes Practice

Try assertive phrases in safe contexts (restaurant orders, service calls). Builds muscle memory before using at work.

4. Navigating Supervisors

A. Signs Your Boss Isn’t On Your Side

Consistently vague feedback (“just keep doing what you’re doing”) while promoting others.
Using your skills to “shield” weak performers, but never spotlighting you.
Taking your ideas to their own bosses without credit.

B. Testing the Waters Before a Request

Watch how they respond to others’ asks — generous or dismissive?
Float a small, low-risk request first (schedule change, resource ask). Gauge tone, not just words.
If they stall with “maybe later” often, you’re not a priority. Adjust your strategy.

C. Building Career Insurance

Document contributions (memos, meeting notes, small wins).
Quietly grow allies in other departments.
Keep LinkedIn warm: visible skills, occasional updates, soft networking.

5. Playing the People Game Without Losing Integrity

A. Recognize Favoritism

Track patterns: who gets plum assignments, who gets excused from rules.
Don’t try to “beat” favorites head-on; instead, build value in areas where favorites don’t play.

B. Decide: Distance or Confront?

Distance when: the person has entrenched power and low likelihood of change.
Confront when: repeated behavior crosses professional boundaries and you have evidence.

C. Smart Confrontation

Never accuse in public.
Anchor in facts: “In yesterday’s meeting, my contribution wasn’t noted. I’d like to clarify…”
Use “we” framing: “To avoid confusion, let’s both…”

6. Scoring Points (or Losing Them) With Personality Types

Personality Type	What Wins Points	What Loses Points
Detail-Oriented	Accuracy, clear documentation	Vagueness, sloppiness
Big-Picture Thinker	Linking ideas to strategy	Getting stuck in minutiae
People-Pleaser	Respectful tone, acknowledgment	Abruptness, dismissal
Power-Player	Conciseness, results	Over-explaining, looking needy

Tip: Adjust your framing, not your values. Same idea, different packaging for the audience.

7. Protecting Yourself

Shadow Documentation: Keep neutral, factual notes of tasks, agreements, and outcomes.
Verbal Contracts: Summarize conversations in email: “To confirm, I’ll deliver X by Friday as discussed.”
Emotional Guardrails: Don’t vent too early to colleagues; today’s confidant may be tomorrow’s rival.

8. Scenarios to Practice

The Credit Stealer
- Meeting ends, someone summarizes your idea as theirs.
- Response: “Yes, that’s what I mentioned earlier. Let’s build on it by…”
- You reclaim credit without open conflict.
The “Friendly” Gossip
- Co-worker shares juicy info about others.
- Response: “I’d rather stay out of that, but what’s your take on [neutral topic]?”
- Shows you won’t play, but keeps the relationship civil.
The Exploiting Boss
- Always gives you “urgent” work late Friday.
- Response: “I can handle this one. Going forward, if I get these before Friday noon, I can give them better attention.”
- Sets a precedent while doing today’s task.

9. Meta-Lesson

Think of workplace dynamics as a game of chess, not checkers.

Every move signals future possibilities.
Anticipate two steps ahead: “If I say this, how will they likely react?”
Protect your king (your reputation and options) while advancing your pawns (daily work).

👉 Key Takeaway: Skills make you valuable, but people skills make you survivable. Learn to observe, anticipate, and assert with precision — that’s how you stop bad behaviors before they turn on you, and how you thrive even in messy environments.

Would you like me to turn this into a multi-part training guide (e.g., Lesson 1: spotting red flags, Lesson 2: assertiveness drills, Lesson 3: supervisor dynamics), so it reads like a workbook with exercises? Or keep it as one big “master lesson” reference sheet?

As you know, communication is 7-38-55. Flesh that out

Great question. You’re pointing to the 7-38-55 Rule of Communication, which is often cited but just as often misunderstood. Let’s unpack it carefully, then tie it into the workplace & people dynamics lesson we’ve been building.

The 7-38-55 Model of Communication

Origin

Proposed by psychologist Albert Mehrabian (1970s), based on studies of how people interpret feelings and attitudes (not all communication). He found that when there’s incongruence between words and nonverbal cues, people trust nonverbal signals more.

7% of meaning comes from the words themselves.
38% comes from tone of voice.
55% comes from body language (facial expressions, posture, gestures).

👉 The model is valid only in situations where someone is expressing emotions or attitudes, especially when verbal and nonverbal don’t match.

What It Doesn’t Mean

It doesn’t mean that words only matter 7% of the time. (Obviously, if you’re giving a technical report, the numbers matter more than your posture.)
It does mean that in human interactions, when someone senses contradiction (e.g., boss says “I support you” but avoids eye contact), they’ll believe the nonverbal message first.

Applying 7-38-55 in Workplace & People Dynamics

1. Spotting Red Flags in Others

A co-worker says, “Sure, happy to help” (7%), but tone is flat (38%) and arms are crossed (55%). → They’re not happy, and may resent the ask.
A manager says, “You’re doing great work” while frowning and checking their phone. → The words (7%) don’t match the body (55%). Trust the nonverbal.

Lesson: If you want to know someone’s real stance, ignore the polite phrasing and watch tone and body alignment.

2. Making Your Own Communication Land

If you want to project confidence, don’t just say “I can handle it.”
- Tone: steady, not rushed (38%).
- Body: open posture, nodding once (55%).
If you want to set a boundary, don’t just say “I don’t have bandwidth for that.”
- Tone: calm, neutral (not apologetic).
- Body: steady eye contact, no nervous fidgeting.

Lesson: People respond more to how you look and sound than to the exact wording.

3. Reading Outcomes Before Asking

If you’re about to request something, test the waters:
- Is their tone open or clipped?
- Is their body facing you or angled away?
- If tone + body are closed, the likelihood of a “yes” drops, even before words.

Lesson: 7-38-55 helps you forecast likely outcomes — you’re not blindsided by a “no” that you could have anticipated.

4. Scoring (or Losing) Points

Score points when your words, tone, and body are aligned. (E.g., confident but not arrogant.)
Lose points when they conflict: saying “I’m open to feedback” while grimacing. People sense dishonesty.

Practical Exercises

A. Mirror Watching (Self-Awareness)

Say “I’m confident about this proposal” three times:
1. Flat tone, slouched body.
2. Strong tone, upright body.
3. Exaggerated (smile too wide, tone forced).
Notice which version you’d trust if you were the listener.

B. Silent Meetings Drill (Other-Awareness)

In your next meeting, ignore the words for 2 minutes. Watch only tone and body.
Ask: Who looks engaged? Who looks checked out? Who’s faking agreement?

C. Assertiveness Alignment

Practice one boundary-setting phrase:

“I can’t commit to this right now.”
Record yourself with three different tones (apologetic, firm, aggressive). Compare impact.

Takeaway

The 7-38-55 rule doesn’t mean words don’t matter — but it does mean that in high-stakes, emotion-laden situations, nonverbal trumps verbal.

To protect yourself, watch tone and body for early warning signs of manipulation, resentment, or favoritism.
To project strength, align words with calm tone and steady body language.
To predict outcomes, read tone/body before asking, so you know when the odds aren’t in your favor.

👉 Put differently: Words start the game, but tone and body decide the score.

Do you want me to integrate 7-38-55 as a formal “Module 2” inside the larger Workplace & Social Dynamics training — so it fits seamlessly with spotting red flags, assertiveness drills, and personality type strategies?

I haven't had time to read everything. There does seem to be a fair amount of fluff. Have you addressed the issue of co-workers invading personal space physically anywhere yet?

You’re right — I packed in a lot of content, and “fluff” can get in the way when you need sharp, practical tactics.

And no, I haven’t yet explicitly addressed physical personal space violations — which are a very real workplace issue. Let’s cut straight to that.

Handling Co-Workers Who Invade Personal Space

1. Recognizing the Violation

Proxemic norms (Edward T. Hall’s model):
- Intimate: 0–18 in. (partners, family only)
- Personal: 1.5–4 ft (friends, close colleagues)
- Social: 4–12 ft (general coworkers, meetings)
- Public: 12+ ft (presentations, strangers)

👉 If someone consistently operates in your intimate or personal zone without clear rapport, that’s an invasion.

2. First-Line Defenses (Nonverbal)

Step back once: Natural and non-confrontational. Most people adjust.
Angle your body: Turn slightly sideways — reduces intimacy, signals distance.
Barrier objects: Hold a notebook, coffee mug, or laptop — subtle cue that you’re creating a boundary.

3. Direct Verbal Strategies (When It Persists)

Keep it short, neutral, and focused on your comfort (not their character).

Polite deflection:

“Could we spread out a bit? I think better when I’ve got some space.”
Direct but neutral:

“You’re a little close — can we step back?”
If repeated after cues:

“I need a bit more personal space, thanks.”

👉 Tone matters: calm, even, not apologetic. (Ties back to the 7-38-55 rule.)

4. Escalation Path (If They Ignore Boundaries)

Pattern documentation: Make a quick private note each time (date, context).
Private conversation:

“I’ve noticed you often stand very close. It makes me uncomfortable. Please give me some space.”
Manager/HR route: Especially if it feels intentional or has a harassing undertone. Having documentation helps.

5. Special Situations

The “touchy” co-worker (shoulder pats, hand on back):

“I’m not comfortable being touched at work. Thanks for understanding.”
The “leaner” (into your chair or desk):

“Hey, can you give me a little room here?” (while pushing chair back or shifting laptop).

6. Key Takeaway

Boundaries aren’t rude — they’re professional. Most people adjust to subtle cues, but if they don’t, you have every right to name the behavior and protect your space.

⚡ Would you like me to tighten the whole Workplace Dynamics lesson into a leaner “field manual” style, with only problems → signals → responses (no background theory), so you can skim and apply quickly when issues come up?

Yes, good idea. Go ahead!

Perfect — let’s strip all the theory and “fluff” away and turn this into a Workplace & People Dynamics Field Manual. Think of it as a quick-reference playbook:

Workplace & People Dynamics: Field Manual