I chuckled in my heart, whenever I see a Christian having anxiety attack in their eyes hearing about how AI is taking over the world. How unreal that AI can not only speak like a human but also imitate any known person's voice and facial movement with uncanny precision. We even have AI composers now, can one tell if an art (music or painting) piece is composed or painted by AI or a real person?
Why do I chuckle? Because I know AI is God's way of vetting out those who act like they love God, but not really. Hence the sighs these Christians groaned out of their long dormant indolent abs. It is God's means of calling out the folks we are returning to the sins of Job.
When I ask someone, how are we recognizing our mother's voice without even seeing the speaker? The smart ones, would try to analyze their answers. The fools would say, that's because of the Holy Spirit, don't over analyze, let go and let God, lest ye be proud of yourself. The fools reply this way not because they are mature spiritually, but because they are jealous of anyone becoming better and smarter than they are and calling them out for it. The "smarter" fools, which are the majority of such fools, will know to check out invisibly before meeting your challenge, or apply sleight of hand (by changing topic) if they were too late to chicken out. Bottom line is, they want to walk away as righteous as Job but they want nothing of Job's lesson because that would mean they did not study Job's book properly and thus proving themselves contrary to a good Christian living.
I have asked similar question about music compositions. Paintings. Can someone from this period compose a baroque music? What makes a tune catchy? Why is Jehovah's Witness' artworks so easily identifiable? etc. Your answer should not just be "It's the Holy Spirit" because Jesus' response to that is not "you frightful and timid" (Matthew 25:25), but "You wicked and slothful servant!", "even what you have will be taken away", "you worthless servant be casted into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Of course, these are questions the true academics would love to find answers to. So not everyone are stupid. Certainly not every Christian. It's the kind of questions God had asked Job as His judgment upon Job. Fail to heed this, all you have is just sigh at the advent of A.I., the judgment of God against you in your denial as a self-proclaimed Christian.
If you realize that you have failed as Job did, the only way out, is to reexamine yourself as to why aren't you excited about A.I.? Why can't you rise above a mere tool? You are behind. You need to care more about the wonders of His creation. Like do science, as in scientia to know. You have a lot to catch up.
Another mockery by God is against the Western concept of Copyright, and its made-up term called "Intellectual Property." It's entertaining to watch how lawmakers try to figure out how to prevent AI from using artists' works without compensating the artists amidst the complexity of identifying the formula to compensate the right art work resources in AI training to the right artist. But that's another story for another day.
As Mr. You put it, judging from the liberal senior folks of California, who came from the Hippy culture (free love and drugs) which was prominent in the West Coast, it can be summarized by two major pop festivals of the 60s: 1. Monterey Pop, 2. Woodstock Festival (1969).
Thanks to AI, I can process these videos/podcasts more efficiently. After finishing the entire discussion within 20 mins, I used Google Gemini (apparently only google AI can access youtube resources for now, Youtube's under Google anyway) to "Fact check and summarize" it. Learned a few things from Allie Beth Stuckey's (ABS from now on) podcast:
This video, "The Truth About Flour Enrichment," is an episode of The Allie Beth Stuckey Show that discusses the history and potential unintended consequences of federal mandates to enrich grain products with vitamins.
My own summary: Niacin (Vitamin B3) deficiency can cause pellagra: dermatitis (skin itches), diarrhea, dementia, and death). Government took action to enrich B3 in flour, success; However, folic acid (B vitamin) despite helps prevent neural tube defects in newborns, there's correlation of it causing colorectal cancer in adults. This correlation has been challenged as far as causation goes, so don't buy everything ABS' guest Michelle Visser is selling. And with ChatGPT's help in reminders (it can't access Youtube but drew online resources pertaining to the video title: ichelle describes moving from suburban life to a rural homestead in New England (14 acres in a 220-year‐old farmhouse) in order to pursue self-sufficiency: raising dairy cows, meat & laying hens, ducks, rabbits, pigs, a large garden, and producing maple sugar & syrup. So this is really a typical conservative American's (i.e. Brett Cooper) dream: Homesteading.
Summary of the video by AI: The video focuses on two primary examples of government-mandated flour enrichment:
Pellagra and Niacin: The speaker describes the deadly disease pellagra (the "four D's": dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia, and death) that was rampant in the American South due to a niacin (Vitamin B3) deficiency [33:04]. She frames the subsequent mandatory enrichment of flour with niacin as a public health success that effectively eradicated the disease in the United States.
Folic Acid and Colorectal Cancer: She then pivots to the mandatory fortification of enriched grains with folic acid (another B vitamin) in the mid-1990s, which was implemented to prevent neural tube defects (like spina bifida) in newborns [33:24].
The speaker cites a study from the Tufts University Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging that reported a concerning correlation: the previous 15-year trend of declining colorectal cancer rates in the U.S. and Canada reversed after fortification began [33:43].
The hypothesis discussed is that while folic acid prevents birth defects in healthy people, high levels of it can act as a growth accelerator for pre-existing, microscopic cancerous polyps in older adults [33:55].
She concludes by using this case as a "perfect example" of government intervention with good intentions leading to negative, unintended consequences for a large segment of the population [34:10].
Fact Check:
The core historical and scientific points raised in the video are largely accurate, though the conclusion about the causal link between folic acid and cancer is based on a hypothesis that remains a subject of scientific debate.
Video Claim
Fact Check Status
Supporting Facts
Pellagra was a severe niacin deficiency disease in the U.S. South, and mandatory niacin enrichment of flour eliminated it.
ACCURATE
Pellagra, caused by a lack of niacin (Vitamin B3), was a major killer in the South in the early 20th century. After the deficiency was confirmed in 1937, state laws mandating the enrichment of flour with niacin in the 1940s successfully eliminated the disease in the United States.
Mandatory folic acid fortification was implemented to prevent neural tube defects.
ACCURATE
Folic acid fortification, which became mandatory in 1998, is a well-documented public health success credited with significantly reducing the incidence of severe birth defects like spina bifida.
A Tufts University study linked folic acid fortification to a rise in colorectal cancer rates.
ACCURATE (Temporal Association)
Research from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University (led by Dr. Joel Mason) reported a temporal association (a correlation over time) between the start of folic acid fortification and an abrupt reversal of the downward trend in colorectal cancer incidence in the U.S. and Canada in the late 1990s. The researchers hypothesized that, while protective in healthy cells, excess folic acid could promote the growth of existing, undetected polyps.
Folic acid fortification caused an increase in colorectal cancer rates.
DEBATABLE (Unproven)
The research cited by the speaker only established a temporal association, which does not prove a causal link. Later, large-scale studies have offered reassurance, with some finding no link between high folic acid intake from fortified foods/supplements and an increased risk of colorectal cancer. The overall relationship between high folic acid intake and cancer risk remains complex and is still an area of ongoing scientific investigation.
Our engraving, issued in 1864, is part of a larger series, illustrating The Parables of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It took Millais seven years to design twenty images inspired by New Testament Parables for the Dalziel Brothers who would publish them. The resulting prints are considered pinnacles of wood engraved illustration. The artist wrote to his publishers, "I can do ordinary drawings as quickly as most men, but these designs can scarcely be regarded in the same light—each Parable I illustrate perhaps a dozen times before I fix [the image]." Millais worked and reworked the designs for each parable over and over again. In our engraving we see the widow pleading before the judge, who turns his face aside with an expression of cold rejection, almost of disgust. A guard begins to pull her away, while the judge sits surrounded by an opulent entourage. Their presence only heightens the sense of his pride and self-importance, in stark contrast to woman's humility and need.
These wood engravings, I would like to see the original wooden blocks.
I came across MAF in some past podcasts. Seems to be a legit (theologically speaking) organization for missionaries after listening to Stephen Tong on this:
China dumped American soya beans farmers. Trump subsidizing them $13 billions, seeking non-China market for solution. Who else use that much soybeans? Korea?
Activated the complimentary 12-month Credit Monitoring IDX Identity Protection Membership after receiving letter from NJ Lenders Corp. regarding their hack on 8/18/2025 and offering this deal. I hope I don't regret signing up for it.
Japan's reliance on intellectual property is the wrong way to go. Their government ministy now values comics (banning AIfrom using Japanese anime and comics icons) as uniquely Japanese culture rather than other more important cultural elements like literatures, history, etc.
"In our powerful canvas, Rubens plunges us into the very instant of the first human murder, depicting Cain and Abel, the first two sons of Adam and Eve. Cain, rigid with rage and strength, drives a weapon downwards; Abel, in shock and incomprehension, raises his arms, his body twisting in desperate defence. The contrast between the exaggerated muscular tension of Cain and the almost fragile vulnerability of Abel is striking. Behind them, the altar fire burns. Abel’s near-naked form, the cloak slipping, underscores his innocence and vulnerability. The landscape around them is sombre, emphasizing that this act is not just a domestic quarrel but cosmic in its significance: envy, sin, and the rupture of brotherhood. Rubens invites the viewer not merely to witness, but to feel the horror and sorrow of the moment: the first man to be killed in the story of mankind."
10/15/2025 Wednesday
How AI sort out various English accents: This is a start. Quite interesting.
Now hackers are doing it through job interviews by tricking you to run maliciously hidden codes in the codebase.
Someone's success story on downloading Amazon (already purchased) ebooks/Kindle books. There was a guide years ago, which I've used successfully, to convert Kindle books into normal pdf. I need this because I like to print out my pages to read on papers on the train. So I am not certain if the old method still works. I am sure there's going to be always a way to hack this, just a matter of updating the methods.
10/13/2025 Monday
There seems to be bed/clothing bug problem the last few days. This would be the first bug problem we have since moving from Brooklyn. We tried our best to sanitize all pertaining items by washing the bedsheets, washing clothes, spraying alcohol on clothes, etc. I think this may have come from the backyard shed. I noticed some itches after working on the wirings (camera PoE cable & 16 gauge power cable). I think some squirrels used to squat in between the walls of the shed by the door. They're probably gone now after I sprayed deer repellent into their hole. These critters may be carrying those bugs. Nadia told me she's gotten a bug bite itch on her leg today. I had sprayed alcohol on our beds this morning, so hopefully this won't spread. At least the Back camera is fixed, after I replaced the squirrel chewed wires with new ones, protected this time in PVC pipping I bought from HomeDepot. I've also shifted the wires, including the backyard hanging light string, from the neighbor's dead branch to a newly wooden pole I added to the side of the shed. Hopefully, though straining is slightly obvious, the wooden pole would not break. I've painted it in hope to preserve it.
Because Nadia was feeling a cold coming since last night, we skipped Grace church today. And as Nadia laid in bed recuperating this morning, I took the long awaited chance to visit one of the churches I have on my queue list. Today, I visited OCM's branch, Jireh Church in Marlboro. For this week, I start with their Mandarin session.
Adult Sunday School starts at 9:30am-10:30am. Topic is on the book of Ruth, today's first of 11 lessons. A lady leading for the first few weeks before passing the torch to a guy named Ben (Software IT at Oracle). I was given some Japanese fish shaped bread in class by a couple from the Choir team (Jenny & Joey - who retired from IT - Video conferencing at Yorktel and now studying at Southern Baptist Seminary). The teacher led a thorough introduction on the book of Ruth and giving overview of the book's relations to other books. She's doing most of the lecturing from her notes, one guy on zoom, while there were about 11 of us in class, I was the youngest. The last 5 minutes were used for reflections from the class. About 3 of them spoke, from "us being the true Israel" to etc. I do find it interesting to make note that not only Ruth and Esther are the only two books in the Bible named after a woman, but also this interesting contrast: Ruth = Gentile enters Israel nation; Esther = Israel enters Gentile nation.
Then I attended the Chinese worship service at 11am. They were welcoming enough to make me fill out a welcome card and had me, the only new comer, do a short introduction of myself with a mic towards the end of the service. I was then given a meal ticket for a first timer's free meal for lunch (normally $8 I was told), which I chose rice with chicken string beans for. The pastor preached on 1 Corinthians 1:20-25. I wasn't impressed. Mediocre content. But he certainly had the spirit, even sang a couple of times during sermon, the last song was "Bring Him Home" from Les Miserables. He certainly wasn't professional singer but got to give it to him for his candor. During the sermon, this I would like to jot down while contemplating those verses (the larger section being verses 18-31 where some versions titled: Christ the Wisdom and Power of God): This whole passage is about God's power vs. the Jews' perceived miracles; God's wisdom vs. the Greeks' perceived wisdom. What is interesting is that the differences of these two (power & wisdom) between God and man aren't quantitative but qualitative. And not only is it not about how infinitely higher (quantitative) God's power and wisdom are than ours (verse 20d - is not God made lesser the wisdom of this world), it is also not about turning away (Anti-intellectual Fundamentalists) from wisdom and power (I purposely don't mention "...of God" here as a gotcha for the narrowminded ones). The qualitative difference in the Power of God here is the miracle of conversion, not of what we witness; the qualitative difference in the Wisdom of God here is the cross being the only way out for us.
At lunch, I talked with Jenny and Joey, Ben, Jason (also IT, software Architect I think), and Sam from the Cantonese group. The senior pastor Ben Lin also came to talk to me for a little. He leads the English service which I will check out next time. Jenny said that the senior pastor is leaning towards Reformed, as she is herself apparently. I noticed also they read John MacArthur, having seminars on Martin Luther recently. OCM, though non-denominational, I think, has always given me a good vibe as far as Reformed tradition goes, since Manhattan. They've generally all heard of Stephen Tong and seem to have an affinity for him. Some of them invited me to pickleball, though I would prefer pingpong (Weds 10am-1pm, according to website, but not sure in reality as they just keep talking about pickleball) which they did advertise on their website.
Of all the Chinese churches I've been in the vicinity, this is my ranking, starting from best/favorite:
Jireh 中宣會澤恩堂
CABC 華美聖經教會
Monmouth MCCC 美門教會
Rutgers RCCC 若歌教會 (I have more negative feedback than positive for this one)
Histotripsy is a cancer treatment in which ultrasound waves are concentrated onto a small area of a tumor to destroy it.
One thing Governor Gavin Newsom did well: To forbid making commercials louder in California. The ban should take effect (in CA) in June 2026.
This Youtube Channel (Nahre Sol) cares about teaching piano:
10/8/2025 Wednesday
The Israel Defense Forces used a Scottish museum’s 3D models in propaganda videos: While the West went the wrong direction with "Thou Shalt Not Steal" by applying it to copyright as Intellectual Property, Israel would justify herself for copying materials from others without citation. One doesn't understand stealing, the other doesn't understand lying.
Interesting conversation between Cenk Uygur and Pastor Doug Wilson on Christian Nationalism:
I would say this is by far the most intellectual discussion on Christian Nationalism I've heard so far. Had to be done by an atheist. The ones I've heard from Presbycast and other Christian medias aren't as thought provocative as it should. Although, this is just the tip of the iceberg, perhaps because Cenk was trying to rush through 1.5 hours of a big subject.
@41:00 Wilson argued for a Christian only office in the government. It's interesting to learn from Google that Denmark, UK and Norway all have requirements for their monarchs to be Christians (Evangelical Lutherans for Denmark & Norway). Of course, I don't think this would work, not even down 500 years in the future as Wilson hoped. Due to theology, and examples for those other countries that had done so. Cenk should have confirmed that Wilson would not vote for non-Christians or would he, or if Wilson approve of mosque establishments in the States.
@47:10 Christian denominations mentioned. I don't believe it's feasible as you'll no doubt have to debate about Mormons and such.
@1:20:20 Wilson's book was quoted: "A man penetrates, conquers, colonizes, plants; while a woman receives, surrenders, accepts." ~ from his 1999 book Fidelity: What it Means to be a One-Woman Man ~google AI. I think this is just a play of words, which is unnecessary. It's more American/Western culture than a biblical one.
Considered foreign to Americans. But good for insect (i.e. mosquitos) bites. But based on the manual, these three terms are good to know of Mopiko, with help of google AI:
Camphor is a waxy, white substance with a strong scent, derived from the camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) of Asia. It has traditional uses in medicine as a topical treatment for pain, itching, and congestion, and as an insect repellent. However, camphor is highly toxic when swallowed, especially for children, and should never be taken by mouth.
Rheumatism is a broad term that refers to a group of conditions characterized by pain, stiffness, and inflammation in the joints and connective tissues. It encompasses a wide range of disorders. Mopiko's useful for such.
Warfarin, sold under the brand names Coumadin and Jantoven, is an anticoagulant medication known as a "blood thinner". It is used to treat and prevent blood clots by decreasing the blood's ability to clot. Mopiko should not be used under this condition as it may lead to bleeding.
