• ‘AI SLOP’ REFERS TO CREATION OF HYPER-REALISTIC VIDEO GENERATION of sophisticated news stories and broadcasts – often screaming headlines in news feeds – which could be completely fake. In other countries, state-backed actors have used these tools to disseminate disinformation with questionable stories, propaganda and ads to drown out human-generated content and worsen the information ecosystem. Latest abuses blurring the lines between newscast and sales pitches involve enticing people to sign up for Personal Injury legal services. That category of attorneys “have long been known for over-the-top ads on radio/ television/ billboards/ bus stop benches/ informercials, including intentionally repetitive, outrageous & catchy 1-800 numbers, so that if viewers have an accident, they recall ‘who’ to call.” While legally precluded from promising results or payouts, AI newscasts can now show victims holding big AI checks to let users know how much they might be able to get out of a court case, and multiple ads use AI-generated news anchors or testimonials featuring made-up people, robots or even animals to spread their solicitation for client signups. P.I. law is an estimated market exceeding $60 billion in the U.S., with Los Angeles one of the biggest business hubs for this type of lead generation. [LOS ANGELES TIMES]

• DCG COACHING/CONSULTING SERVICES ARE INCREASINGLY FOCUSED ON CLIENTS WITH PENDING RETIREMENT, who reportedly become 40% at greater risk for stroke or heart attack during the first year after Retirement. According to research by Harvard School of Public Health, the risk stems from social and emotional challenges which retirees face from: (1) Loss of identity which can erode his/her sense of purpose and self-worth – especially when their prior role involved leadership, control and respect from others; (2) Loss of social connection – “the most prevalent health issue in the country today,” according to the former U.S. Surgeon General, given that a quarter of Americans live alone, with fewer now volunteering in communities than at any time the past two decades; (3) Reluctancy to spend whatever wealth they’ve built without anxiety over potential asset losses and impacts of inflation; (4) Risk of separation and/or divorce, since the rate for those above age 65 has more than doubled in the last two decades, with forecasts that by 2030 the number of persons over age 50 will grow by a third. These factors have now become critical in our client exit strategy and estate planning. Call Dennis for courtesy consult. [CAP INTELLIGENCE.COM]

• EARLIEST LEARNING BEGINS IN THE WOMB, with babies effectively ‘listening’ during gestation which shapes their brain networks at birth. Latest brain imaging research found that “babies begin to map the rhythms & cadences of language in their developing neural circuits – even foreign languages different from their household tongue.” Even a few minutes of listening daily to recordings of a short story, through headphones placed on the abdomen, for a few weeks starting in the 35th month of pregnancy, then playing a different story in that language within three days of delivery, found that “babies’ brains could tell the difference between the foreign language and their mother’s (preferred) voice, through a swim-cap device on their heads measuring blood oxygenation in the cortex. Early learning begins intertwined with experience.” [ZME SCIENCE]

• TODAY’S ‘PROGRESSIVISM’ IS NOW THE EVIDENT FOUNDATION OF THE MODERN DEMOCRATIC PARTY, resting on the” assumption that humanity’s knowledge and moral clarity have improved over time, ignoring that the foundations of our stable society have evolved from time-tested systems, and rather favoring relentless reform to align with contemporary ideals. The Progressive mindset views history as a series of mistakes to be overcome, assuming modern knowledge surpasses the understanding of previous generations, denying the fact that capitalism has brought a higher standard of living to every nation it touched, and reserves a special loathing for white people of European descent who explored and colonized the world. This rejection of past policies calls for ‘reimagining’ of institutions like law enforcement and the Electoral College, with conviction that new frameworks, informed by current ‘knowledge’ are inherently superior to address modern challenges like climate change as well as systemic inequality. Progressives are ready to tear down every fence, even as they admit they have no idea why it was put up in the first place.” [PATRIOT POST]   https://patriotpost.us/articles/121490?mailing_id=9445&subscription_uuid=5b29ed39-626d-476b-9c86- afb3009893f8&utm_medium=email&utm_source=pp.email.9445&utm_campaign=weekend_snapshot&utm_content=body

THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK

• Sounder sleeping reminders: Falling asleep is impacted by (1) heavy meals which require longer time to digest; (2) heartburn or indigestion which stems from spicy foods – especially pizza tomato sauce & red pepper flakes; (3) cured meat & cheeses which contain amino acid. Staying asleep is impacted by (4) alcohol; (5) caffeine – the stimulant contained in coffee, dark chocolate, high-fat & sugary snacks, and most soda.

• CA Governor Newsome has now signed Senate Bill 518, which establishes the ‘Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery’ within the California Department of Justice. The new agency will be responsible for verifying eligibility, processing claims and recommending forms of restitution for descendants of enslaved African Americans. The law also gives Californians whose families were dispossessed of property through racially motivated eminent domain the right to seek compensation under the Government Claims Act. Lawmakers describe the measure as “a key step in California’s broader effort to address historical racial injustices and lay the groundwork for future reparations policy.”

• The latest forecast model for our Universe is that ‘dark energy’ will halt its expansion in about 11 billion years, and then contract over the next 8 billion years into one infinitely dense singularity. Published in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, this model is based on a “cosmological constant heading towards the opposite of the Big Bang – like riding a bike up a hill with a tailwind, pushing then decreasing speed as the ascent slows and gently stalls at the crest, before heading down the steep side while gaining speed as kinetic energy takes over, strengthening gravity’s pull until a Big Crunch.” [SCIENCE ALERT]