The Deep North

The Cellist -- Modigliani 1909 A battle is unfolding between those who seek to lock up human culture for profit and the rest of us—everyone alive today and generations yet to come. AI has learned from the vast body of knowledge and creativity available to humanity, mastering the ability to generate text, art, and music. It has advanced at an astonishing pace, already surpassing human ability in many creative fields—especially in speed and efficiency. We stand at the brink of a new era: the democratization of creativity . AI already allows anyone to produce stunning digital works, and soon, robots will be able to craft physical artifacts just as effortlessly. But this future is under threat. The same forces that have locked away our shared culture now want to control AI-generated creativity —not just what has been made, but what could be made. If we let them, they will monopolize not only our past but also our future . 1. AI Art Training Mirrors Human Learning AI systems learn the way ...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the world, and learning how to use it can make your life easier. If you can use a search engine, you can use AI! This guide will show you why AI is worth your time and how to start using it today. Why Try AI? AI can help with: ✅ Answering questions on any topic ✅ Writing emails, stories, or summaries ✅ Brainstorming ideas ✅ Learning new skills quickly ✅ Planning trips, meals, or projects AI is like a helpful digital assistant —available anytime. How to Get Started The easiest way to try AI is through ChatGPT , a free tool that works in your web browser. See below for links to other AI systems. [The image in this article was generated using AI at https://nightcafe.studio/ ] Step 1: Open ChatGPT Click this link: 🔗 https://chat.openai.com Step 2: Sign Up or Log In If you don’t have an account, click Sign up and follow the instructions. If you have an account, click Log in and enter your details. Step 3: Start Chatting! You’ll see a box where you...

I issued the following prompt to ChatGPT 4o: President Trump has issued a proclamation to rename The Gulf of Mexico as 'The Gulf of America'. He has instructed the U.S. government to change official records, and has induced entities like Apple and Google to rename it on their maps and in one case they barred the Associated Press from a press conference because they said they referred to it as the Gulf of Mexico. There must be a name for a leader going haywire, turning into a dictator and going off the rails stuff like this, no? ChatGPT said: Yes, there is a term for this kind of behavior—several, in fact. Here are a few: Kleptocratic Autocrat – A leader who consolidates power through corruption, cronyism, and personal enrichment, often disregarding democratic norms. Demagogue – A political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires and prejudices rather than by using rational argument. Caesarism – When a leader takes on authoritarian powers under the guise of ...

We are seeing a radical acceleration in the dismantling of U.S. democratic institutions, shifting from gradual erosion to outright seizure. The implications are profound.  This moment will determine whether the U.S. remains a democracy or falls into permanent oligarchic rule.  The response must be swift, coordinated, and relentless. 1. The Treasury Takeover is a Direct Threat to Economic Stability If Elez and Musk’s team have full admin access to the Bureau of Fiscal Service —controlling over 20% of the U.S. economy, including Social Security, veterans' benefits, and federal pay—this is functionally a financial coup. The changes to the payment system to "block payments" and reduce visibility suggest strategic sabotage. This control could: Manipulate government funding —starving or rewarding agencies based on ideological alignment. Destabilize federal obligations —crippling critical services. Privatize federal functions —using AI as a mechanism to cut, restructure, or red...

I  Contacted the Prime Minister Before recent events reached their current critical mass, I contacted Prime Minister Trudeau, urging a shift to a ‘wartime footing’ -- a coordinated national response to mounting external threats. I saw the need for all hands on deck, as Canada faced a perfect storm: escalating economic aggression from the U.S., internal political instability, and the accelerating disruption of AI. The warning signs were there. The rapid advancement of AI is still catching many off guard, but the more immediate and pressing concern was the resurgence of U.S. tariffs and, more alarmingly, increasingly credible rhetoric about annexation. These aren’t just distant possibilities; they are active threats that demand a strong, unified response. I never expected that a private citizen’s letter would directly influence national policy, but I felt compelled to take a stand. Interestingly, just weeks later, Trudeau established the Prime Minister’s Council on Canada-U.S. Relati...

From Ralph Nader -- "Why did Trump—on Inauguration Day no less—praise President William McKinley as a role model? Ominously so. McKinley took over with armed force Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the Philippines, killing many natives in these defenseless regions. McKinley launched the American Empire to which megalomaniac, lawless Trump wants to add the Panama Canal and Greenland. " -- "Don’t think he is kidding. The U.S. Navy can take control of the Panama Canal in short order. While mineral-rich Greenland, a quarter the size of the U.S. with less than 60,000 residents, can be seized by the U.S. air base already located there and easily fortified for that purpose. This is what the criminal madness inside Trump’s ego meant when he unfurled the phrase “make America grow again” -R" Trump has made threats of military action against other countries including Greenland (under NATO by association with Denmark). He has made similar veiled threats against Canada . He has violated o...

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) was a temporary financial relief program introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide income support for individuals who lost work due to government-mandated closures. While CERB shared some characteristics with Universal Basic Income (UBI) —such as direct, unconditional cash transfers—it was fundamentally different in both design and purpose. Unlike UBI, which provides ongoing, unconditional financial support to all citizens regardless of employment status, CERB was a targeted, emergency response measure with eligibility criteria , time limitations , and a defined purpose of income replacement rather than economic restructuring . CERB required recipients to have had prior employment income ($5,000 in the previous year), was available only during a defined crisis period, and ended as the economy reopened. Critics of CERB claim that it discouraged work, but empirical data suggests that its primary effect was economic stabilization , p...

Trump recently rescinded an executive order by Joe Biden to stop renewing federal contracts with 'for profit' prisons. By rescinding Executive Order 14006 of January 26, 2021, (January 20, 2025) Trump has, in essence, reactivated Federal 'for profit prison' contracts whereby people are literally enslaved. Handy, considering they are going to round up millions of people designated as 'illegal'.  One of the most evil things that Biden did was participate in putting an extra million or so people into 'for profit prisons' where, according to the 13th Amendment, making them into literal slaves is just swell and that's what they do.  In 2021, Biden signed an Executive Order that provides "... The Attorney General shall not renew Department of Justice contracts with privately operated criminal detention facilities ..." Now that it's back on, slavery, already a thing, will continue and almost certainly expand in the United States. A little back...

Someone was responding to a conversation about people being cautious about posting online and closed with a sentence that struck me as particularly well constructed. I wondered if ChatGPT could analyze and tell me why it was so effective. It could.  User: This construction seems to be beautifully done. Can you analyze in terms of metrics, meaning, cadence, flow, choice of words, etc. and explain why it works so well for me: "May we stay grounded in the earth, wave with the wind, shine in the sun, and, be silent in the shadows and do our best to continue to handle things with dignity, grace and beauty, clarity and courage, kindness, humility and heart." -- MB Daellenbach ChatGPT: This passage resonates beautifully for several reasons. Here’s an analysis of why it works so well: Metrics and Cadence : Balanced Structure : The sentence alternates between shorter, evocative phrases ("stay grounded in the earth, wave with the wind, shine in the sun") and longer, reflectiv...

Someone on Quora asks whether or not we should continue with the old outdated education system that takes years and was designed before the invention of the internet. Now that AI is in the mix, it's an even more urgent question. The real question isn’t whether the old system should continue—it’s why it hasn’t already been replaced. Even without the Internet, the system’s purpose was flawed. It wasn’t designed to inspire learning but to train people to obey, conform, and stay where they were put. That’s why school is so unpleasant for most that attendance had to be made mandatory. It’s time to tear it down and rebuild from scratch. AI presents the opportunity to do just that. Tools like ChatGPT could solve Bloom’s Two Sigma Problem (Bloom, 1984), offering every student a personalized tutor that adapts to their needs, interests, and pace. For self-learners like me, AI has already become a game-changer—a patient, tireless guide that lets me explore whatever I want, whenever I want. I...

Donald Trump is following Hitler's playbook. I have a draft about the one-to-one of various other actions, but a friend is shocked at the brazen Pardons immediately issued by Trump ler , and it gives an idea of how aligned with Hitler's playbook it is. Pardons play a critical role for both, serving as a tool for consolidating support and normalizing extremist actions.  Trump's January 6 vs. Hitler's Beer Hall Putsch: A Comparison Motivation : Hitler's Putsch (1923) : Hitler sought to overthrow the Weimar Republic, rallying discontented nationalists and paramilitaries to establish a nationalist dictatorship. Trump's January 6 (2021) : Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol to disrupt the certification of the 2020 election, fueled by his claims of fraud and appeals to nationalism. Tactics : Hitler : Mobilized paramilitary forces (SA) to create chaos, physically seizing a beer hall and attempting to force political leaders to join him. Trump : Used rhetoric to inci...

[This is a light edit/update of a Reddit post I made about three or four years ago now.] More than thirty years ago now, a colleague initiated a plan to terraform Mars. It is an ambitious task. Before we go there, we need vast resources. It would also be good if the 'terra' we are mimicking were a good one. As part of the overall project, I wrote up a plan for World Domination. The plan has been in the works for a couple of decades now, so if it actually takes off it would be the typical 'overnight success'. There are numerous parts to this plan. It's too large for this space. I have been writing up separate documents for the many pieces. This is just an overview of a couple bits here. Note: all of the bits and pieces of this plan are radically affected by the rapid rise of AI. I had an OpenAI API key in 2022 before the dramatic release of the GPT that is changing the world. Even so, it caught me by surprise and by early spring 2023 I realized we were approaching a ...