ChatGPT Comments on Areas Where Blacks and Whites Can Improve

I thought this was interesting. 

Real Intelligence

I have a very good friend whom I visit on a regular basis. He has repeatedly made statements that I later wish I'd recorded. His insights are from that zone outside the norm. This past Friday evening he made the following statement while we were discussing intelligence.

"Real intelligence is not IQ, but knowing what's important."

We're all familiar with the expression "Educated fools." I believe that is the point of this statement. Intelligence, if not accompanied by wisdom, can hardly be deemed intelligence at all. 

What do you think?

Illustration created with Dream by Wombo 
based on an original painting by my grandmother.

More People Die from Drug Overdoses Each Year Than Were Killed In the Entire Vietnam War

I heard a stat yesterday that shocked me, even though it should not have. The stat was actually wrong, because things are far worse than what I heard on the radio.

In 2021, 290 people per day died died from a drug overdose. The person on the radio said "This is more than died every day in the Vietnam War. "

Actually, on the bloodiest day of the Vietnam War, 31 January 1968, only 249 U.S. soldiers were killed. The reality is that 58,000 Americans died in Vietnam during the entire war. So if we begin with the escalation under President Johnson and use 1965 as a start and end in 1975 when Saigon fell, that would mean an average of 5,800 died per year in Vietnam. More than 106,000 died from drug-involved overdoses in 2021, and even more than that died in 2022. 

IN OTHER WORDS, 18 TIMES AS MANY PEOPLE ARE DYING FROM OPIOIDS PER YEAR AS DIED PER YEAR IN THE VIETNAM WAR.

To quote Marvin Gaye, "What's going on?"

Many blame the crisis on our porous borders. Others blame the pharmaceutical companies. 

Here's the thing that concerns many of us, though. When we do have surgeries and are suffering physically, we need something to alleviate that pain. Two Tylenol ain't gonna cut it.

Here's an important article in Reason magazine that warms about the danger of going too far when it comes to restricting pain killers.

"Laws that arbitrarily set duration or quantity restrictions for opioid treatment regimens are premised on the belief that increased access to prescription opioids has led to an increase in addiction and, ultimately, overdose deaths.

"However, while opioid deaths continue to soar, opioid prescribing rates have decreased every year since 2012."

One of the reasons the notion of physician assisted suicide took hold as an idea is directly related to this problem. When I wrote about ethical issues in terminal health care back in the 90s, this very problem was a major issue. Should people who are already dying be forced to accept intolerable pain for fear that they might get addicted to pain medicine? 

Make time to read the article if you are able: The Fight to Criminalize Opioid Prescribing

Something to think about.

My Two Favorite Super Bowl Ads Last Night

William Sydney Porter

120 years ago, William Sydney Porter made his mark as a writer by creating stories with a surprise twist at the end. We know him today as O Henry. My two favorite commercials last night had the same "Aha!" effect that O Henry was famous. 

The first, if you watched the commercials, followed a motif that a friend of mine shared with me several years back. Claude is from Switzerland, and I don't know if this ad made American airwaves or not, but it was memorable even if I never saw it. 

He was at a movie theater where they run commercials while the theater seats get filled. On the screen it looked like a Marlboro commercial was beginning. The angle of the camera was down low as the famous emblem for Marlboro cigarets came riding toward the audience on a horse.

Suddenly the camera switches to the river and we see a man in a rowboat, the mascot for Camel cigarets, Joe camel rowing toward the shore. The natural reaction would be, "Is this a Marlboro commercial or a Camel commercial?" As the camera follows the rowboat toward the shore we see both company mascots. What's going on here? 

Finally, they're near enough to talk and one says to the other, "By the way, what tooth whitener do you use?" The other replies, holds out a tube and they both affirm it's the best.  

Well, that tooth whitener commercial came to mind after I watched the Miller Lite and Coors bar fight. Is it a Coors commercial or a Miller commercial. Naturally, this are the big kahunas in the major U.S. brands beer brawl. It really had me going. I almost wondered if they were getting ready to announce that Anheuser-Busch and Coors had merged. 

The spot begins with two guys seated at a bar. One turns to the camera and says, "For the first time in 30 years, Coors Light has an ad in the Super Bowl." The second guy swings around on his barstool and says, "Actually, this is a Miller Lite commercial." The first guy then slugs him in the face and a brawl ensues, with dramatic music. 

Coors commercial? Miller commercial? "Actually...." Watch it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe4zS3y9PeI

The other commercial is titled Jack's New Angle. You don't have to know who Jack is, but in this story he takes up the triangle as a musical instrument. It's a 90-second spot and hilarious, with shades of Being John Malkovich. Like the previous commercial cited here, it uses story-telling and humor to keep viewers' eyeballs engaged till the dramatic reveal at the end, another surprise ending with an "Aha!" Watch it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYPYfEVU62U

Now how fun was that? 

There was a lot of action in the Super Bowl ads last night. While some commercials worked better than others, it was fun seeing companies pulling out all the stops. 

Meantime, life goes on all around you. Laugh a little and it will lighten your load. 

* * * * 

Did you watch the game? What were your favorite commercials?

It's Super Bowl Sunday: Is the NFL Rigged?

"Ready to Launch"

As most of us are aware, money is a big part of what this event is all about. In basic economic terms, it's a matter of supply and demand. There is only one Super Bowl per year and the stadiums have a finite number of seats. As a result, tickets come at premium prices and for this year's game the average ticket costs $6,800. If you think that's a lot, last year the average ticket cost $10,000. No kidding. It was in Los Angeles, and the home team was there on the field for that one.

Then there's all the gambling revenue generated. Over-unders and all kinds of other bets can be placed. Since much of this is black market activity, it's hard to say exactly how much money is riding on the various outcomes, but one estimate is that a half billion dollars is on the line tonight.

Then you have the money pouring in from companies that spend millions on advertising at this once-a-year event. The cost for a 30 second spot seems to rise with every passing season, now in the range of five or six million dollar. Advertisers who play this game do so because there's a massive captive audience.

Advertisers do more than just advertise during the game. Most have integrated campaigns that incorporate other forms of advertising and marketing including digital and social media, product placements and branded content. The big guys can easily spend tens of millions around this singular event.

Which leads some people to believe that the NFL has a vested interest in delivering a close game that keeps viewers watching all the way to the end so that advertisers get their money's worth and return again next year.

Sometimes it seems like a lot of games hinge on a penalty call by the refs, or the lack of one. Defenders of NFL integrity correctly point out that it's only one play, so it shouldn't really matter all that much. On the other hand, a single play can shift the game's momentum in a big way. How many times have we seen a fumble, interception or missed field goal spook the crowd and turn the momentum in favor of the opposing team? Those controversial calls by the refs can produce a sea change in a tight game. 

Conspiracy theorists are quick to jump all over those bad calls, and with the megaphone of social media the doubt gets carried off like dandelion seeds whistling in the wind. Controversial calls make many people skeptical about the integrity of the league. There's also the perception that the NFL favors certain teams or players.

None of this has been proven, and the NFL bends over backward to preserve the perception that everything's above board. The problem is, when it looks like you're trying extra hard to look clean, cynics jump on this as proof that you have something to hide. 

Alas. People will believe what they want to believe, no matter what anyone says.

* * * * 

As for this evening's game, it's only the 13th time the two number one seeds have come through the playoffs unscathed. Which of these will step up and dismantle the other?  Let's wait and see.

Photo: Creative Commons. Attribution: Andy Morffew 

When You're Down, Laughter Is Good Medicine

I have frequently written about the power of music to comfort and heal. Well, laughter is pretty good medicine, too. It even says so in the Bible. (Proverbs 17:22) 

For those of you who have been stressing out lately, here are some jokes from ChatGPT, the hottest AI writing app at this moment in time.

First, I asked, "Can you tell me a joke?"
ChatGPT replied:

Why don't scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything!

Then I asked for a joke about school, and ChatGPT replied:

Why did the teacher wear sunglasses to school? Because her students were so bright!

Then I asked for a joke about Americans. And ChatGPT replied:

I'm sorry, but making fun of a particular group of people based on their nationality, race, ethnicity, religion, or any other personal characteristic is not appropriate and goes against the OpenAI community guidelines. Jokes that target individuals or groups can be hurtful and offensive and can lead to a negative impact on people.

Instead, let's try a joke that's more lighthearted and inoffensive:

Why did the tomato turn red? Because it saw the salad dressing!

I thought that one was pretty cute. Next I asked "Can you tell me a joke about sidewalks?"

Sure! Here's one: Why did the sidewalk cross the road? To get to the other side-walk!

How about a joke about popcorn?

Here's one for you: Why was the popcorn kernel so popular at the party? Because it was a little kernel with a lot of pop!

Next I asked, "Can you tell me a funny story?"

Of course! Here's a classic joke: Two guys stole a calendar. They got six months each.

* * * * *

On that note, I hope your spirits were lifted a bit. G'nite.

Photo courtesy Gary Firstenberg.

My Life as a Writer: The Writing Cooperative Puts My Writing Career Under the Microscope

The Bobcat who ate the canary.*

This past fall I had the honor of being interviewed by Justin Cox. It was published this week and, for those who may be interested, can be found on Medium at The Writing Cooperative.

Justin's approach is interesting. He's been interviewing writers and authors for a while, asking the same questions of each so as to see the variety of ways different people answer.

The questions he asks are: Who are you? What do you write? Where do you write? When do you write?          This is an interesting question.       Some write after dark, others after dawn. Why do you write?     Another important question, for all. How do you overcome writer's block What do you enjoy doing when not writing?

If ya wanna know, keep reading.

* * * *

Write Now With Ed Newman

Today’s Write Now interview features Ed Newman, lifelong writer, columnist, and author of multiple books.

https://writingcooperative.com/write-now-with-ed-newman-128656c20372

If you're a writer, check out some of the other writers he's interviewed and the lessons, stories and tips they have to share. https://justincox.medium.com/

Related Links

My 2019 Interview with Cirina Catania, co-founder of the Sundance Film Fetsival

A Table Talk on the Importance of Writing
Books by Ed Newman

*EdNote: The official mascot for Ohio University (my alma mater) is the Bobcat. Bobcat is also a code word for Bob Dylan fans... who are also Bobcats.