Cheating Yourself

 Lavender and one of my sculptures

 For Saturday's blog, I had in mind writing about my second paranormal, fantasy romance. Something else came up though that I felt demanded more attention. 

For some time there has been concern over what AI will mean for our culture. I think Stephen Hawking, before he died, expressed concern over it being destructive for mankind. I had my doubts as a machine can be destroyed if that is so desired. What about when it's not? What about when some feel they can profit from Artificial Intelligence? Teachers right now have to express concern whether their students wrote the essays they submitted. Writers worry about books created by ChatGPT, relatively new to the game, flooding the market and kicking human authors to the curb.

Well, the genii is out of the bottle and AI is here whether some like it or not. I have heard some authors say it does a better job writing their blurbs than they can do-- and faster. 

For a long time, people have used computers to check spelling or find out if a word was used too many times. That's not the same as a whole book written by a computer and submitted under someone's name to earn money or maybe even fame. What do we do about that?

One thing to realize, if someone desires to be a creative person, I believe that using AI for an essay or a book is cheating themselves of the genuine creative experience. For students, learning to research and then writng an essay expands their abilities. To use AI instead is cheating themselves as well as the system.

As a writer myself, I don't worry about it as I think that human emotions and plots with the kinds of twists that don't come from a formula, will always satisfy more than something generated out of a system that only knows rules. 

At my age, I don't depend on my writing to provide a family's income. Lucky me. I can write for joy, which I do, and recognize that formula writing, which is what AI can do, won't do what I do. I also recognize that many readers are happy with formula writing. It's dependable at least. That's been true for a long time, since in the 1800s, readers could grab those cheap dime novels and get excitement even if it's repetitive.

Part of what decided me to write a blog about AI, where I provide no answers, is believing when we know what something is, what feeds our souls or just passes time, that will help us find meaningful material to read. Maybe it won't be my books, lol but there are plenty of good authors out there, who are writing from their souls. Just keep in mind what passes time doesn't always benefit the writer or the reader.

I decided with a kind of dark topic here, I'd have some of our wonderful flower pictures from spring, something that does feed my soul. 

Check out this link for more thinking on AI and where it's taking us.

Writer's Digest what is yet to come with AI

Spring in my part of the world.

 

Part of the reason I have been reluctant to post my opinions regarding recent political action in my country, the US, is that people read here from around the world. Are they interested in political issues from other countries? Maybe they are, since the US often can influence problems for other nations. I don't really know, which is why I have looked for perspective on what readers like to read.

Personally, I read political blogs and sometimes get angry at what I read as I think the opinions are very biased. I don't generally comment there what I think as I feel-- well, it's their blog. Not everyone wants a conversation.

On the other hand, I do enjoy hearing what others think, even when it irks me. I do not believe we all need to agree. Sometimes when we see things differently, we just agree to disagree.

When we vote in a government election, we often don't particularly like the outcome, but respect for it is part of living in a Republic, which elects  representatives to make important decisions. If we don't like the outcome, work harder next time to see someone we would prefer.

Recently when I was watching a podcast interview, which was mostly liberal, I was surprised when the guest, a black rapper, said something I thought was very astute. He was being pressured to say he'd vote for the interviewer's choice. He refused and would not say for whom he would vote and instead said he votes policy over person. I really like that as I've often said I vote issues (sometimes believing what I should not have) and I have to balance the most important ones to me as I am not a "one issue" voter.

Calling myself an independent voter (unaffiliated in some states), I never agree with all of one side of the partisan divide completely. I have strong opinions but they just don't all totally fit into either political party. I try to read a variety of opinions on what I consider important as again reading only one side seems unlikely to know enough about what should be done. Some call that wishy-washy. but I see it as logical. Reading a differing viewpoint won't automatically change my mind but it at least lets me understand good people can see things differently based on many reasons.

Anyway, I hope I continue to have readers from around the world. I think that is healthy as we are not enemies or all friends. We are humans with often the same needs but different ways of getting there.

black swans

 

Before what happened last Saturday in Israel, I had a plan for a blog. Changing that plan, came a black swan, of the worst kind. There is no way I could write my original idea, after the atrocities, and yes, evil was perpetrated there. I get it that some of my readers may see this other than how I do. I can only write here how I see things based on many things, including my knowledge of the history of the land. It matters to many of us, Jew or not, as the spiritual significance of that place to so many religions. Besides which, the history of man's communities, fascinates those of us who write..

My decision to not write about that Saturday might change with time, but as it stands, I don't want to write about these kind of events. I get it that some who read here already know. Some have their head in the sand, can't blame them; but either way, the big thing now is healing, including for those of us not directly involved in that horror. I have not slept a solid night through ever since.

I wish I knew more about those of you, who read here, but I do not. Very few comment of those who come. That is freedom, of course. You might consider becoming a real person here if you want meaningful conversations. If not, continue reading and best wishes that whatever I share here might bee beneficial for inspiration, education, or just being in a community of some sort.

For now, in terms of finding moments for healing, I found a link to something I put together a few years back. I think it can be soothing. The music is from a company, unfortunately no longer doing music for videos. I bought it though and am glad I have license rights from Jewel Beat for Distant Tales. The images are ours.

Roses in the Rain

How we bloom

 

My new topic involves something we've been reading plenty about-- some of us with books purportedly written by an author but that were AI generated or from Chat GPT. 

There is a rather famous quote from the Marx brothers originally and evidently paraphrased a bit by a comedian. "Who you going to believe? Me or your lying eyes?"

That's the thing today, who can you believe with not only the ability of our eyes to lie, but also this new world of AI generated writing. How worried should we be about it?

One thing is-- when you see a speech by a politician, watch out as it can have been changed to say what that person would never have said. Movies can generate new faces for the stars, that are much younger. We just saw that with an Indiana Jones film. 

Amazon is going to ban those who publish three books the same day. I don't even know why someone, who is using AI would want to do that many, but apparently some have or there'd not be the ban. Amazon does not want these computer generated books. They want them by real, creative minds. How do they assure that?

This article was out today about what some famous authors are doing about the situation-- or trying to do. Top Authors with a lawsuit.

These are writers, who sell in the millions of books. If they are concerned, should we be who sell far less? What they say is the Chat GPT or the OpenAI source is using what they wrote to learn their style and then duplicate it. The argument by OpenAI is, this is innovation. Except don't we ask who it profits. What authors want is, companies cannot use their books to train AI without their permission and maybe paying some money. Makes sense to me and hopefully it will the courts.

It might seem this is only an issue for writers but what about readers? When someone buys a book, they are looking for inspiration and an exciting or educational read. If it's only duplicating what has been written, what are the odds of that?

 So, now, here's how I see this whole issue of AI and Chat GPT? First of all, I am open to advancements in technology. I've seen them. When I wrote my first stories, they were cursive on blank paper. Then I got a Royal typewriter where you had to type firmly to get the letters to show up and use whiteout for mistakes. I had an electric typewriter when I needed to type Ranch Boss's thesis. I thought it was the way to write a book. 

Years later, he suggested I try the Atari he had bought. No way, it'd never be the same. Then, I found out I could move a paragraph to a new spot when it's where it belonged. Also, no more whiteout or little white papers. From then on, it's been one advancement after another to where I am today with a laptop, monitor and keyboard with computer telling me when I misspelled a word. 

With the internet, I graduated from using card catalogs for research, when I'd jot down the info on note cards, to now using the search engines-- although I don't trust what I find totally and buy books that I learn their titles from the online research. 

As a writer, I have no interest though in AI or Chat GPT. I have used Grammerly to help me know when I've used a word too often but that's not the same as AI.I don't want a system to tell me how to write a sentence-- not here or anywhere. 

Yes, it appears some are using it to write their books faster than I could ever do one. The same would be true if the writer followed a formula. I do not and don't want to do so. I wonder if those writers will develop their own innovative ideas.

For me, from school on, when we do our own work, we learn from it. Writing one books helps me get better at the next one. Would using artificial intelligence do that for me-- or anybody. 

If someone wants to be a creative person, do your own work. It pays off in the end.

These hedgehog cactus are blooming again because of the rain we had earlier. We bloom likewise by how we water and feed ourselves.

 

discombobulated

 

I am feeling discombobulated these days. For example, I am thinking many directions, from nature to politics to relationships, to what I should do or not do based on what I am reading or my life. See, that's the problem. I don't have a fundamental direction as I've had many times in my past. Not sure what to blame that on.

Because we are working on new covers and/or titles for the eight, pulled, Arizona historical romances that are also westerns, I thought I might use a word I'd heard recently that sounded good-- until I looked up its meaning. Forget that and I won't even reveal it here since I didn't want to use it anyway. Let's just say, its dictionary meaning was not flattering in terms of using it. It is not discombobulated. That's me lol

Trying to get these eight books ready to go, three weeks or so apart, has me worried and might be part of the discombobulation. The first one came out with a different title in 2012. Yet, to bring it out again with the additions I've made, I have to call it a new book other than in the blurb where I must mention its previous appearances-- except no way do I remember them all besides the first one. I am not even sure where I can promote the book given it's new to Amazon's thinking but not to some readers, who bought it originally. I might add I can't give it away since it's not an edit but a revision... It does have a new ending, but the story has stayed the same for the gist of it-- other than improved editing. 

So rather than write about what I am working on, I want to share the newest pictures from our little piece of desert. I mentioned earlier that the cacti bloom at different times here, with the last ones, what we call barrel cactus. It is from the family Cactaceae, native to North and South America.

There are more technical terms for it, but all the ones we have were either here when we arrived or are growing now. Cactus do that-- produce and reproduce. The barrel cactus are putting on their show now.  I am not sure how old they must be to bloom, but the babies don't do it. Their fruit will form afterward, which desert animals will eat in the winter. I even saw a ground squirrel climb the spines to get at the fruit. Desert critters are tough.

 

You will probably notice the bee in some of these. The saguaros entice more bees, but one is welcome.
 

 

Late August

 

As it stands, I don't have anything much to write about. Things are happening, good things, but they involve family, who I don't use in this blog (privacy for them). But it's been an interesting time for weather. The belated monsoons have arrived but with varying amounts of rain, depending on where someone lives in the Tucson valley. We got one with 3/4" of rain and another with just 1/10". The first had wonderful lightning strikes and much more rain elsewhere with some major damage. That's one thing about this desert valley, there can be a huge difference only a mile apart.

Even when the monsoons aren't producing big storms, their clouds are awesome as they slide by us to other areas. Predicting what they will do is a challenge even for the meteorologists. I was just glad no fires from those bolts. I'd have tried for a photo, as so many strikes, but sometimes a person has to just enjoy as photos of lightning are hard to get in my experience.

 

The barrel cactus are blooming, which makes for a lot of color as its the last cactus to bloom for the season. If we happen to be here, we enjoy this show. This year we saw a lot of new ones starting out in other areas; so good for the future.

The following pictures are what I have for now. Beauty is the desert.

 

 

More on writing coming up. I am doing a lot of editing, but there is that book I began before the pandemic hit us. I have more of an idea what comes next :) And there are the eight Arizona historical romances where we still need to write blurbs. Ugh on blubs, as bad as a synopsis-- no, worse!

Back to editing... such fun lol

 

 In writing for publication, the reader has to be taken into account-- whether it's a blog, story, or book. The author desires to write their story and that's the most powerful part of the initial draft-- at least in my case. I try to get the grammar right at the same time, but not at the point of losing my flow. 

Then, comes editing... Although writers could send their manuscripts off to a professional editor right away, most go through many edits before doing that. After all, they are the main ones to know the theme they are trying to portray. 

When editing, it's not just about possible typos or misspelled words, missing commas, etc., but also what readers will find disrupting to their experience with their own flow of reading.

Here's where trouble starts with words we typically misuse when speaking; but when written down, they become more obnoxious to a future reader-- especially readers of the anal sort, who know all about the English language as it should be. Catching those things before that reader does might avoid a review that says-- needs more editing. Well, for the writer, those who read reviews (many choose not to do so), the question has to be what did they find that annoyed them? Maybe a split infinitive that we might often have in our speaking but woe unto the book where it's found by those distracted by that exact detail.

There are words that I often will try to find a different word to avoid because I don't want to have to look up and figure out which version is right for that sentence. There are words that I pretty much always know the correct version, but know very well that when I am talking to a friend, I might use the word wrong. They don't care and neither do I as it's not written down.

The program Grammarly is useful for some of this but with books not so much. It can only go over so much text, certainly not a book where the writer intends it to go to say 100,000 words. That requires breaking writing into sections, which is disruptive for me in terms of creative flow.

The English language is full of words that can be taken two ways but spelled the same. Working a crossword puzzle is a good reminder of that. 

So, I thought I'd mention one word that often makes me stop and think when I am using it--- and feel I must use it. Lie or Lay, present tense, and all their past tense and .future/past perfect tenses. That's where lie and lay get more complicated for which version to use. 

Add to it that lie has another meaning-- to not tell the truth. That though is easier to make into past/perfect tenses and past tense. He lied to me. I have lied. I will have lied if I go on with  this. You are lying to me. Adding an -ing makes it past simple. Confused yet? No wonder a writer sometimes chooses a different word.

In the previous paragraph I purposely used a split infinitive-- to not tell the truth... To satisfy a purist, that should be not to tell the truth. I personally don't see a difference in understandability, but I am no purist. I did also look split infinitives up, and it's not the rigid rule for grammar that some believe. That doesn't mean writers do not need to watch out for what might ruin another reader's enjoyment or even for them to lose the theme, which matters to the writer. Sometimes, to avoid that is not a minor change, and it would work against the writer's intent, but when it is minor, why not change it?

Now, let's get to the other meaning of lie and lay-- to recline or to put something down. Here is where how we talk often goes against how we need to write. I could easily say, "I am going to lay down, but would that be correct? I came across this in Thesaurus.

"Lay means “to place or put” (Lay that here). The word lay is also the past tense form of the sense of lie that means “to recline,” as in I lay in bed yesterday. Lay down can mean “to place down” (Lay down your bags), but it can also be the past tense of lie down, as in I lay down for a few hours. A nonstandard but common use of lay is to mean the same thing as the present tense of lie, as in I just want to lay in bed for a few more minutes or I laid down for a few hours. It’s best to avoid this use (and the confusion it can cause) in formal contexts." quote from Lay vs. Lie How to use correctly.

For anyone wanting more about correct usage of these words, go to that link. I've had enough going through it to last until the next time I face the issue *s*.

The app for Grammarly can be a big help, when used in editing-- not so much the first draft, in my opinion. It can really break a flow. It is also only free for the simplest version. To catch more errors of all kinds, it costs but not that much for the help it offers.

 

spring and an important holiday

 

Although I had two possible blogs lined up, when I thought about this being Easter week, I delayed them for a week and then two because this is a holy week for more than just Christianity and the resurrection of the Christ. Passover is also this week. This historic celebration began April 5th and ends the 13th. It's not all that is right now. Ramadan began March 22nd and ends 30 days later. It is a time of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. As for religions without Abrahamic origins, check it out online as most have interesting stories and some coincide with each other.

 

I thought this article-- 7 Pagan Festivals we still celebrate was interesting for some of the origins of our own traditions. I know, we tend to think it's all about us, but studying history of spiritual traditions says it's not. It is a season of rebirth like you see in the photo below with the dove feeding her babies.

 

For my life, I've known many ways to celebrate Easter from Easter egg hunts for the family on farm where I grew up, decorating eggs, attending Mass, celebration at the cemetery above the country church at dawn, and as it is for me today-- very simple quiet, often with ham and deviled eggs.

Today, flowers and the time of warmer weather and longer days is a big part of it for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere of Earth. It's a good time to be considering growth and new beginnings.  

 

However you celebrate tomorrow or whether you have other traditions important to your life, I hope you enjoy this time.

from July 1, 2022

We were fortunate for photographs of our Texas Ranger before the second of our monsoons arrived. Fortunate the storm arrived too. This plant is one of the first we bought and planted after buying this home in 1999. It is xeriscape and a big part of why we wanted it. The flowers often dry into interesting shapes for arrangements in the fall. I think this is the most beautiful we have ever seen it.

The video of the monsoon is 36 seconds and the sound well worth having if you watch it. The storm was over us for about 3/4 of an hour and dumped 3/4" of rain in that time. It also blew a lot of those blossoms into the pool.

https://youtu.be/pWwTLh98aVk

Texas Ranger (the bees loved it too)

I didn't really set this up for July 4th though that's how it is turning out for timing. I love my country and do appreciate living here despite all we are going through right now. 

We don't do much to celebrate it although when I was a child, it was one of the family gathering holidays where fireworks were part of the event along with potlucks and cousin time. We used to hold a Roman Candle and pass it around from child to child, then one of the mothers read they had been known to explode. That year it was put in the ground and it did explode...

For us though it is seeing fireworks from others, hearing the bangs which began the night of July 2nd. Maybe the thunder with the monsoon was an even earlier big bang celebration. The desert sure appreciated it!

 

what lies ahead

 by Rain Trueax

 

My life is about to get more chaotic, which might last through the summer (or even into fall) and makes it hard, among other things, for me to know where I will have internet. We are hoping to work something out... I can't say I really want what is happening next, but it's not bad and it's necessary for assorted reasons. I might write more about that later or maybe not. At any rate, it doesn't involve health as such and hopefully it will all straighten out with time... 

Given my own uncertain future, I thought I'd mention a couple of cultural issues, with which our country (and the world) is wrestling:

(1) Having changed things in our country has been a pandemic that nobody invited-- that we know of. What do we do about it to protect ourselves? Masks? Isolation? Vaccinations? It totally is not what people agree upon with half the United States against having the vaccine and some not wanting to wear masks.

(2) we also have a time of cultural violence-- which most of us have no idea from where that came, but when people shoot others for no apparent reason, or they come to a restaurant and demand those there leave, that's violence whether someone dies or just gets scared badly leading to other problems. How about a police force that doesn't know how to keep order as things stand-- or does anyone want order from the police? Are the police at fault or are they facing what the rest of us will eventually-- just, they are first.

(3) Not of lesser importance is worldwide desire for expansion from some nations (Russia and China come to mind). For those of you who thought kumbaya was in store, read a little bit more about what's happening around the world. Well, those trying to take over (Crimea, Ukraine, Hong Kong, Taiwan, etc.) do want one world government-- but under their control. Pay a little attention to what that would mean and it's not kumbaya.

(4) How can we not add in global warming, which some believe is behind the violence in our communities but whether it is or not, it definitely could impact our weather and food supply? What will it do regarding migration?

Recently, I discussed our decision regarding getting the vaccine. Personally, we don't have to rethink, the deed is done, I have though seen pros and cons on whether we should have gotten the vaccine. I still am glad of the choice we made. As for the rest... I literally don't know. Can we change any of it by what we personally do? Some think we can, but I am not so sure.

On a more personal level, we may not have internet through the summer, which would mean no blogs for a few months. It's unknown as the farm does not have cell phone coverage. Then, there is how do we take care of our cats with a changing environment? A lot to consider. I am working through it and will share more when I have a better handle on it.

The desert wildflowers didn't happen this year due to drought. The cactus have had less blooms. If this extends longer, I don't know what it will do to the habitat. We have given up on planting fruit trees down here and are saving any extra water for the plants on our little acreage. We can only do what we can do and we really hope this summer has a real monsoon even though we will miss it by being in Oregon (which is also drier than usual as it seems the East Coast is getting all the rainfall).

Illusions

 by Rain Trueax

We are through much of the holiday season with New Year's the only one left for many of us as we move into a new year, hoping it'll be better than 2020. I hope you all have had a good holiday season. This will be my last blog for the year although Diane might have one for Wednesday. 

I tried to think of an appropriate post to end but didn't come up with much. I do think one important thing about 2020 has been the subject of illusions. We are so often told what to think or expect and it doesn't turn out that way. That can lead to an inability to trust in anything.

An example is the recent conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter that some believed might've been the star over Bethlehem. It last happened over 800 years ago, which caused excitement. I have to say that's unlikely to me for it being the Bethlehem star.

We did, however try to get photos but in the end, it didn't look brighter than Venus. That didn't mean it wasn't interesting to see these two planets appear so close but it also wasn't as dramatic as a few photos I saw suggested it would be. It was cool though to see photos of Jupiter's moon and Saturn's rings.

The photo at the top of this blog actually is not either of the planets. It's an illusion created when Ranch Boss took a photo of the moon while he was on the hunt for something dramatic with the planets. I could have put it here and let someone think it was what was seen. No, it is the trick of the camera.

We have often thought a photo will be evidence. Not in today's world where with digital, anyone can create illusions, move people to where they never were, etc. etc. 

Can we trust our eyes? Sometimes. 

The magic of the camera is very cool as it gives us memories we can draw upon. Here are a few of ours from 2020. For me, the best ones are about nature-- healing as it can be.

The angels belonged to my mom before she died. The sideboard came from Europe and we got it at an antique store. Fun to put together a home from many sources. No illusions.