Author: J.C. Cross

Jobs that ChatGPT cannot replace (yet)

Beyond physical-dependent jobs, ChatGPT/LLMs cannot now replace:

Teachers – in-person or Zoom understandably. While virtual learning by an AI can be impressive, that produced by a human excels IMHO.

Writers and Editors – human writers like a journalist or author can give a human touch and verify facts, i.e. these positions can fact-check where ChatGPT is in error.

Lawyers – though legal information has always been online, a real lawyer cannot currently be replaced.

Social Workers, Therapists and Other Medical professionals – as above, a doctor or nurse needs to see a patient at some point. I have had appointments with a doctor. It usually requires a physical followup and I *want* to see a real person for questions and feedback.

Management professionals – an AI C-suite professional cannot replace a real one yet.

These all come down to the need for a real human that can verify information and attend to a patient, business, or customer in person.

Prehistoric v. Fallen

As Lewis points out, prehistoric man is only known to us by his gathering and hunting. But to him, the first civilizations that made artifacts seem superior. Our society, in turn, would look superior to the first civilizations because of the things we make. Lewis calls this the “idolatry of artifacts.”

But what we consider virtue becomes only what science terms the “herd instinct” of man, wherein we watch after our brother. Prehistoric man sins only against society. But the traditional concept of sin became that which is only against God.

God gave man a new consciousness wherein we became rational and aware of things like time passing and were first like Christ. But man became proud when he set himself as separate, falling when he turned from God to man and became a “spoiled species.” Today the fact we are “vermin” (Lewis) is legal fiction.

It’s easy to place our time as above the past, but sin in its essence has not changed since man gained consciousness. All the agendas in error today look on the past as inferior. This in itself is sin. We try to set ourselves apart as something more pure. Pride changes in its details, but not in its essence.

The problem is how to express adherence to the goodness of God in spite of our prideful rebellion.

Job deposit check scam

Just wanted to touch on one scam that is making the rounds. Many users know the scams to do with sending money to anyone over the internet. But what if you are given a check from a potential employer, such as to buy equipment or work tools, to deposit? What could happen? I interviewed a Chase representative, who told me that he has had recent cases where someone would deposit the check and then the scammer would tell the victim to send on part of the money, or buy gift cards with it. Similarly, “reshipping scams” will ask you to send on a package or funds to another address.

Another such scam can make use of your bank tracking number.

From the FTC’s Consumer Advice:

“The check will bounce, and the bank will want you to repay the amount of the fake check.”

Another warning here is a request to send ID such as a driver’s license as part of pre-employment requirements.

It all goes to the age-old maxim “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.”

New Babel?

There are international, human values that can enable a tower of Babel today. But a new language of science wants to unite under its banner without the core values.

One’s philosophies and beliefs manifest the trajectory of one’s life, and human language is a necessity. If our previous, foundational values varied too broadly, a new language would not be possible.

Focus should be on base communication, in my opinion. A lack of proper education has created individuals more separate from core critical skills. We do not need more skilled professionals who cannot function separately from technology.

A new Babel would only successfully build on core skills.

Working…

Creepy tech

A few things are converging for me:

1. Social media is creepy.
2. ChatGPT is disturbing.
3. Boston Dynamics robots are uncanny.

With SM we have levels of interaction and of data trust. Filtering for us with giant mind bubbles. (Is filtering worse than fake news?)

ChatGPT is swallowing search now.

BD robots are moving from unsettling to accepted as human.

Like writing on a church wall, signs and symbols of tech are requiring a reckoning. These things are coalescing around Kurzweil’s singularity. Maybe not a correct timeline, but the merging is happening organically and is palpable. Can you feel it?

Family in the West

Why on Earth is the family reviled by those on the Left? Most of us did have a mother or father or both. And isn’t having both parents the ideal?

It’s a peculiar self-hatred. I am not consciously repeating what any pundit has said, just natural questions. I would like to have a present father. I adore my mother. So divorcing the self from nature seems to be un-human.

Working…

Substrate

Digital imagination. An oxymoronic relationship.
Our foundational 1s and 0s are substrate for analog.
I’ve found this an intriguing fact.
Digital machines can only give pseudo-random numbers.
The digital is machine, the analog is human.
We rely on the machine to support our imagination.

Working…

Human future, machine’s backward march

I’ve been wondering how transexual can lead to transhuman. It would seem that a person must lose connection with his sense of self. There is some evidence that the first happens as a social contagion, but transhuman is the complete dissociation from self.

With this, does the scripture “they know not what they do” apply to dissociation?

As the self dissolves further into mechanism, the human dissolves. At what point does life become extinguished? When does soul disappear and sin not imparted? Does the human still live?

Transhumanism is not a hopeful sign of man’s progress, despite its adherents and champions. The questions and unknowable answers are greater than genuine progress.

More infectious enthusiasm from Neil DeGrasse Tyson

Tyson says we are part of this universe, we are one with it, but that more important than either of those two statements is his belief that the universe is in us.

I won’t say this is New Age, but it is interesting that a lauded scientist makes an almost spiritual statement about a material universe. He does say that though he doesn’t like labels, he would be most close to an agnostic.

In his two short books “Letters from an Astrophysicist” and “Astrophysics for People in a Hurry” he contends that we have a duty to our fellow man. As good as that sounds, I don’t know from where he draws that idea. But it sounds religious to me.

Tyson is a darling of secularists and in some ways, rightly so. He’s bright, seems personable, and brings a lightheartedness to a dense topic. I’d love to have a couple of beers with him and learn.

Protecting your PC using Malwarebytes

It used to be that antivirus tools focused on Trojans, worms, and viruses. This AV software relied on strong signature-based detection and regularly-updated signatures. Newer AV software has added behavior-based protection against unknown threats.

Antimalware software now also focuses on exploit tools and off-the-cyber-shelf software used by malicious long-term threat actors (Advanced Persistent Threats) to maintain access over time and continue their exploit.

Continue reading “Protecting your PC using Malwarebytes”

Stability

Write a constitution, and you generally have a more stable government.

Once you have it, defy it, and your actions are evident. The constitution is a witness against you. It looms large. The nation’s citizens are its citizens.

Its footprint shadows you. Now that the government is intended secure, culture and society thrive.

Those protected under the constitution can prosper, in wealth, mind, spirit. The pursuit of happiness is given to them to work out.

Poverty emerges in those countries without such a support. The weak have no place to rest. They are subject to violence and theft.

And so here: we hold these truths to be self-evident.

It is/is not written

It’s irksome, the idea that destiny is written. It’s a great thing if you have faith enough. He promised the work would be completed. It is written.

Yet, if we sin and fall into judgment, is that written?

So that is a known problem.

I aspire. I hope. Let that not die.

But is the history of ideas written, ideas that can contradict Him? We open our mouths, and we contradict.

It becomes difficult to function if you think too much. And I know my thinking. To be free of that kind of thinking.

Let go. Let go my soul.

“Bring him my ring and coat.” Let me glorify your name.

Ransomware Timeline

Utilities and infrastructure, government agencies, hospitals and healthcare institutions, schools, food production and distribution industries–even ferry service to Martha’s Vineyard, all have been attacked by cybercriminals using ransomware, probably now the most used kind of exploit of network systems.

“Even as we speak there are thousands of attacks on all aspects of the energy sector and the private sector generally…it’s happening all the time,” said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm to CNN. Continue reading “Ransomware Timeline”

What in the World is a Penetration Test?

A penetration test is an agreed-upon simulated, offensive cybersecurity engagement that tests for vulnerabilities in the target’s systems. The red team is the offensive team and the defenders are the blue team. The organization being tested is looking for weaknesses in their systems.  (Optionally, an organization may set up a purple team to support the engagement.)

In order to do a penetration test you need written permission with specific rules of engagement. You cannot deviate from the plan that is agreed upon. Even scanning the ports of the target system can throw up red flags for the responsible organization and can lead to legal trouble for you if not documented.

Though many red-team/blue-team exercises use in-house teams for both, an outside hacker can actually make some good money doing this. Some hackers make a career out of it. I’ve heard of a contract tester making $50,000 for one engagement; though in-house team members can make $140,000.  There’s even two certifications specifically for penetration testing, the Certified Ethical Hacker and PenTest+ certs.

Halo’s red team/blue team borrows from this concept: Spartan Showdown: Blue Team vs Red Team – YouTube

Another difficult passage: grain sacrifice

The disapproval of God for the grain sacrifice versus meat is another difficult passage. I know there are some explanations, but it’s one of those where you wonder: why the meat and why does God like the pleasant smell of the meat?

Why the human sacrifice of Christ for that matter?

After the beauty of Christ, doesn’t it seem almost blasphemous?