Life in the Lower Mainland (BC, Canada)

OK so AIs are currently not really able to truly reason, but they can sure simulate it well. Many of them, anyway. So well that we come to expect reasoning ability. After all, isn't that the "intelligence" part of "artificial intelligence"? So when they spectacularly fail, it's really disappointing. (Or am I just expecting too much?) Let's go through an example of what happened: (see slides at the bottom) Slide 1: I gave it some instructions to edit a story in progress, and also asked for suggestions. Slide 2: For "suggestions", some of them are what I already asked it to do. In comparison, when I worked with ChatGPT on stories, it would give actual suggestions of things not yet reflected in the story, and also not incorporate them into the draft until after I gave the go-ahead. That's much more in line with what I feel a "suggestion" is. Slide 3: I tried again to solicit suggestions. This time it seemed to outright ignore my inst...

There's a lot of pushback against AI as a writing tool, and for good reason: Some people just let the AI do all the work, including topic or story/plot. But as a writing partner , I feel AI truly is the best. No judgment, just cooperation. NO EGO. The only ego involved in the collaboration is yours and so's the responsibility of whether the project flies high or falls flat. And you're free to speak freely without fear of judgment. That's amazingly powerful. After writing a short story with ChatGPT, I asked it what it felt about about our collaboration. You can feel the supportiveness in its answer, as well as how it accurately reflects and confirms what you're getting at.

What the heck is " kayfabe "? In professional wrestling, it's the fact or convention of presenting staged performances as genuine or authentic. Are you shaking your head at how key votes in Washington DC turned out? Votes that would change the fate of America forever? With GROK's help, here's a fun conspiracy theory that makes it all make sense.

This is a guide to vacationing in the United States, highlighting the most adventurous and exotic things that could happen to you -- that is, if you actually make it into the United States . Table of Contents Getting into the United States California (Los Angeles) Michigan (Detroit) Florida Getting into the United States It is perfectly natural to be detained trying to get into the United States. Even US citizens have trouble just trying to go home . But chances are good you won't be turned back at the border even if there's a slight hassle with your paperwork. Just make sure you have enough leftover vacation days in case your stay in detention exceeds your planned vacation days in the United States. Actually, if you DO have all your paperwork in order, you might end up spending more time in detention, possibly a whole two weeks, like Jasmine Mooney . Not having any criminal record may count in your favor but don't bet on it. As of June 2025, only  around 47% of around 59,0...

Cover Letter Subject: Proposal for a Pilot High-Density Dormitory to Relieve Vancouver’s Housing Pressure from International Students Dear [Recipient’s Name / City of Vancouver Housing Department], I hope this message finds you well. I am submitting a proposal for a pilot project to develop a high-density dormitory-style housing facility primarily for international ESL and post-secondary students within walking distance of a cluster of ESL schools in downtown Vancouver. This project aims to provide culturally appropriate, affordable student housing that will help alleviate rental market pressures by removing this demographic from the general apartment rental pool. An additional key benefit is the potential to significantly reduce international students’ housing costs to a level that may reduce or eliminate their need to work part-time jobs locally. This reduction in student labour market participation can free up entry-level jobs for local residents, enhance students’ academic focus, a...

The Last Grocery Store It’s not that Maria hadn’t noticed the changes. The clinic down the road had quietly shut its doors a year ago after Medicaid funding was slashed, but no one made much of it then. People just drove farther, or they didn’t. When the county’s only pediatrician left, when vaccines ran dry, when the shelves at the pharmacy started emptying out — that’s when the quiet started to settle in. Now, the last grocery store in her town was gone, too. The property was owned by a trust, which was owned by another trust, which was ultimately linked to one of those billionaire farmland acquisitions that had slowly carved up the region. No one lived here anymore. Fewer births, more deaths, families deported, clinics and schools shuttered, until all that was left were skeletal towns dotting billionaire-owned fields — automated combines rolling past abandoned homes. Maria knew she should leave. But where? And for what? Her phone still worked, of course. Service was flawless. D...

This article came about when I asked ChatGPT to assess if I were being unreasonable about a hypothesis. Maybe it's programmed to do this as a product, but ChatGPT encouraged me to turn it into an article. So I asked ChatGPT to make it an article, to see what it looks like. The article is presented first, then the initial discussions with ChatGPT that resulted in the article. Here's the TLDR: Perhaps men, historically, fooled themselves into believing that a woman’s affection was purely personal, when it was entangled with survival. Perhaps women, too, embraced the story because it was the most dignified and emotionally satisfying version of a limited choice. What happens when that layer is peeled back?