Rocking AI!

March 2, 2023 No Comments

A Mornings Work in About 30 Seconds

Water Well Project: My goal was to have Artificial Intelligence compile in alphabetical order, a spreadsheet that identified the major aquifers in all 50 US states and include their average depth, and identify the government agency in each state that controls permitting and inspection of water wells. As a bonus, I wanted a link for each agency. A relatively new entry in the AI race, ChatSonic, accomplished this in about 30 seconds!

Overview

While working with ChatGPT I discovered WriteSonic’s new tool, ChatSonic. It’s a disruptive tool!

I started with ChatGPT and found that I could have URLs generated for my spreadsheet, but only if the URL were contained within articles found inside ChatGPT’s data set. ChatGPT continuously printed a disclaimer that the data may need updated and warned it couldn’t access the live net.

This was concerning because if ChatGPT doesn’t have the requested data, it is famous for filling in the blanks with erroneous data that sounds and looks correct. It just makes it up and it’s very good at it!

I think it’s the AI version of the cheating spouse!

Best practice would be back checking all AI data, but the time required if there are lots of errors kills the time savings. Worse yet, links were only randomly available, contingent on being embedded in a given search result, again more wasted time.

Then I discovered ChatSonic, WriteSonic’s latest brainchild!

The developer built the program using NLP, (Natural Language Programming) and did NOT tie the program to any database. Instead, ChatSonic goes anywhere it wants for data and is not limited to a compiled database.

The product is amazing, and although I know that it is not sentient, after spending some time, it certainly feels sentient! It doesn’t have the restraints of working within a data set, and I do realize the ChatGTP database is enormous, but ChatSonic is like ChatGTP on steroids.

After you read this, you might want to take ChatSonic for a test drive. It is free for now while in development, no credit card needed. After you sign up to WriteSonic, there are dozens of features to play with, but the tool I used for this project is their newest offering, ChatSonic. Here’s the link for a free account:

Now back to my project. As stated, the anticipated problem was that ChatGTP is built on a fixed database with no update since around 2021 and it doesn’t access the internet.

Getting max performance from an AI requires careful prompting. It’s helpful to tell the AI who you want it to be. In this case, I told the AI it was a professional geologist. Unlike a search engine, the AI will remember your previous questions, commands, and comments, so a good idea to start out by telling AI to disregard all previous conversations. Another good policy is to remember, “garbage in, garbage out.”

The more detailed description of what you want, the better the result. Here is the prompting I used:

Instructions provided to AI

You are a professional geologist preparing a report on aquifers in all 50 states of the US. Please list the average private water well depth for each state in the US and the name of the aquifer. Please include a link to the regulatory agency responsible for well permitting and reporting information. Please include the source of your information.

Results ChatSonic

As a professional geologist, you should find the United States Geological Survey (USGS) website extremely useful. [1] The USGS website provides a comprehensive map of the principal aquifers of the United States, which shows the areal extent of the uppermost principal aquifers on a national scale. [2] The map also includes aquifers of alluvial and glacial origin. Additionally, the Department of Natural Resources’ website [3] provides a list of water wells in each state, along with their depths, to help you find the aquifers you need. With this information, you can easily navigate to the specific aquifer maps you need

 References:

[1] Principal Aquifers of the United States | U.S. Geological Survey

[2] Wells and Drilling | Missouri Department of Natural Resources

[3] Frequently Asked Questions About Groundwater and Water …

Alabama: Permitting Authority: Alabama Department of Environmental Management (https://adem.alabama.gov/

Alaska: Permitting Authority: Alaska Department of Natural Resources (https://dnr.alaska.gov/

Arizona: Permitting Authority: Arizona Department of Water Resources (https://azwater.gov/

Arkansas: Permitting Authority: Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (https://www.anrc.arkansas.gov/

California: Permitting Authority: California State Water Resources Control Board (https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/

Colorado: Permitting Authority: Colorado Department of Natural Resources (https://cdps.state.co.us/

Connecticut: Permitting Authority: Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP

Delaware: Permitting Authority: Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (https://dnrec.delaware.gov/

Florida: Permitting Authority: Florida Department of Environmental Protection (https://floridadep.gov

Georgia: Permitting Authority: Georgia Environmental Protection Division (https://epd.georgia.gov/

Hawaii: Permitting Authority: Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/

Idaho: Permitting Authority: Idaho Department of Water Resources (https://idwr.idaho.gov/

Illinois: Permitting Authority: Illinois Department of Natural Resources (https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/   Indiana: Permitting Authority: Indiana Department of Natural Resources (https://www.in.gov/dnr/

Iowa: Permitting Authority: Iowa Department of Natural Resources (https://www.iowadnr.gov/

Kansas: Permitting Authority: Kansas Department of Agriculture (https://agriculture.ks.gov/

Kentucky: Permitting Authority: Kentucky Department of Natural Resources (https://naturepreserves.ky.gov/

Louisiana: Permitting Authority: Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (https://www.dnr.louisiana.gov/

Maine: Permitting Authority: Maine Department of Environmental Protection (https://www.maine.gov/dep/   Maryland: Permitting Authority: Maryland Department of the Environment (https://mde.maryland.gov/

Massachusetts: Permitting Authority: Massachusetts Department of Environmental

Protection (https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-department-of-environmental-protection

Michigan: Permitting Authority: Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (https://www.michigan.gov/egle/

Minnesota: Permitting Authority: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (https://www.pca.state.mn.us/) Mississippi: Permitting Authority: Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (https://www.mdeq.ms.gov/

Missouri: Permitting Authority: Missouri Department of Natural Resources (https://dnr.mo.gov/) Montana: Permitting Authority: Montana Department of Environmental Quality (https://deq.mt.gov/

Nebraska: Permitting Authority: Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (https://deq.ne.gov/

Nevada: Permitting Authority: Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (https://ndep.nv.gov/

New Hampshire: Permitting Authority: New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (https://www.des.nh.gov/

New Jersey: Permitting Authority: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (https://www.nj.gov/dep/

New Mexico: Permitting Authority: New Mexico Environment Department (https://www.env.nm.gov/

New York: Permitting Authority: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (https://www.dec.ny.gov/index.html

North Carolina: Permitting Authority: North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (https://deq.nc.gov

North Dakota: Permitting Authority: North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (https://deq.nd.gov/

Ohio: Permitting Authority: Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (https://epa.ohio.gov/)

Oklahoma: Permitting Authority: Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (https://www.deq.ok.gov/

Oregon: Permitting Authority: Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (https://www.oregon.gov/deq/

Pennsylvania: Permitting Authority: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (https://www.dep.pa.gov/

Rhode Island: Permitting Authority: Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (https://www.dem.ri.gov/

South Carolina: Permitting Authority: South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (https://www.scdhec.gov/

South Dakota: Permitting Authority: South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources (https://denr.sd.gov/

Tennessee: Permitting Authority: Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (https://www.tn.gov/environment.html

Texas: Permitting Authority: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (https://www.tceq.texas.gov/

Utah: Permitting Authority: Utah Department of Environmental Quality (https://deq.utah.gov/

Vermont: Permitting Authority: Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (https://dec.vermont.gov/

Virginia: Permitting Authority: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (https://www.deq.virginia.gov/

Washington: Permitting Authority: Washington Department of Ecology (https://ecology.wa.gov/ West Virginia: Permitting Authority: West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (https://dep.wv.gov

Wisconsin: Permitting Authority: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (https://dnr.wi.gov/

Wyoming: Permitting Authority: Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (https://deq.wyoming.gov

Grab your free account and have a little fun with this:

https://writesonic.com/?via=fasthorses

AI Adventures

February 25, 2023 No Comments

Just like human partners… Be careful choosing which AI to work with!

From the Information Age to the Knowledge Age

Don’t get me wrong! I am totally excited about the destiny of mankind with AI as its new co-pilot and partner in knowledge. I’m all in!

Fun Fact: When Gutenberg’s printing press (started being widely used) it impacted the job of the monks and scribes who had previously published books by handwriting! These were the original copywriters! At the time, the printing press was firmly opposed!

ChatGPT-3 has certainly earned its place in history but we are moving at warp speed beyond its original capabilities into something much, much more. For example, ChatGPT-3 rather than saying “subject not found” or “I have no knowledge of this” has a nasty little habit of making up answers to questions in a most convincing style, although they are dead wrong!

A Test Between ChatGPT and WriteSonic

Here’s an example: I started a business writing executive and technical resumes scientifically designed to resonate with human recruiters while scoring at the top of the ATS curve. I’ve decided to expand the business into executive and tech recruiting. I selected two candidates, ChatGPT and WriteSonic as potential partners in market development.

The Checklist

Using plain English, I gave each AI a simple but important task: “Prepare a detailed checklist of actions for insertion in the business plan.” This checklist will eventually become part of the Table of Contents. ” Both AI’s produced excellent material.

Business Plan – Easy-to-read Introduction for Each Step

Again, using plain English, I asked each AI to convert their checklist to an easy-to-read introduction for each checkpoint for use in the business plan. They both wrote great introductions and began expanding my checklist items into a detailed plan.

How Specifically Can You Help Me?

My final question was: “How can you as an AI help me to execute this plan?” Again, both produced excellent ideas for using their expertise, except ChatGPT-3 created this:

ChatGPT-3 Tells More than a Little Fib!

I can help you by reviewing job postings and resumes: “Simply ask ChatGPT to help you find job postings that match your client’s needs or to help you identify resumes that meet the qualifications for the job you’re trying to fill.“

Whoa!

This is impossible because ChatGPT-3 is a closed database that covers only stored data points before 2021, and ChatGPT-3 has no net access. Ergo, a serious misrepresentation. My understanding is this problem might go away when ChatGPT-4 is released, but meanwhile, this creates serious limitations for current subjects, for example, sports betting, horse racing, news analysis, events, and much more.

WriteSonic had similar promises but is also capable of delivering on them!

It is worth noting that WriteSonic thru its new ChatSonic product does not rely on a massive compiled database. In fact, it doesn’t even have a database and is designed much differently. Its coding allows it to travel into libraries throughout the world via the net and to search news and publications in real-time in order to reply to human language queries. Its also a whiz-bang at writing computer code in many different languages. I am using WriteSonic to write code for games and other applications with impressive results. The key here is good prompt engineering.

If you enjoyed this article and would like free access to WriteSonic you can use the link below. I would suggest you go straight away to using their new ChatSonic product as its in a league of its own! Here’s the link: WriteSonic

Tips for a Disruptive Cover Letter

February 14, 2023 No Comments

A clever and powerful strategy for writing a cover letter that will get you interviewed!

I decided to share this video because JT is a thought leader in career counseling and her comments and ideas are spot on. I agree completely with her thought process in this excellent presentation on cover letters, with only two exceptions.

JT believes that the cover letter is more important than the resume… my exception is that unless it’s a referral, chances are slim that you will even talk to a recruiter unless your resume has passed scrutiny from both ATS and the recruiter. It is at this control point, when you have hit the radar, that the cover letter takes the leading role. My other exception is to point out that the clever and powerful strategy JT proposes, only works for a specific application, and again, you will need your resume for your ticket to ride. (interview) 🙂

Download Cover Letter Tips pdf

How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World Review

January 26, 2023 No Comments

https://vimeo.com/793111472

How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World Review

7 Habits of Highly Effective People Review

January 23, 2023 No Comments

How to run your Natural Gas Furnace when the power goes out! Safe. Cheap.

January 5, 2023 No Comments

If you heat your house with natural gas, this simple, and very inexpensive solution to winter power outages (as little as $200) may some day save your life!

Few people realize they can still have heat and normal functioning of their natural gas furnace, even when the electric power goes off, for almost nothing!

Consider: Outside temperatures are at zero with windchill factors of -17 below zero, and snow piling up. The power goes out and stays out. You try to wait it out only to have the water pipes between two inside walls and the outside wall freeze, burst, and eventually (when heat returns) thaw. You discover this when water starts appearing everywhere, costing tens of thousands of dollars in property damage and repair costs. (Running a light stream of water thru faucets doesn’t always work)

Two miles away, barely able to sleep in the cold and eventually catching pneumonia, Uncle Bob faces lost work. Meanwhile your senior neighbor next door, tries to use the oven to stay warm, and is later found dead, a victim of carbon monixide poisoning.

Someone across town burns his house down and all personal possessions with it, while trying to use candles for heat.

Alternate outcome: For you, your wife and kids, and your mother-in-law, its life as usual. A nice warm home with the furnace cycling off and on and keeping you comfortable in complete safety while you wait for the storm to end. You invite the neighbor over to stay warm and open up your guest room, and she doesn’t freeze to death.

Total cost for your enjoyment of life-saving central heating with this emergency power setup… if you live in a community that allows the home owner to do this very minor modification can be as little as $200. Be sure to check on your local code. Possible variances include a requirement to have your work inspected, or a requirement to have an electrician do the work, or a requirement for specific hardware. This would add slightly to your cost.

Here is a diagram of how it works:

Using an auto battery and an inverter you have no fumes and a setup that is safe to use inside. Depending on battery selected, you can run your furnace for about one or two days, or if you charge the battery by either using your car or solar, you could last indefinitely. 2000 watt inverters can be purchased for less than $150.

Please share this article with friends and loved ones who live in a cold climate. If you would like a parts list and video with step by step instructions, just request by emailing me at [email protected] with subject line: parts list

A Note About the Video: It was created for free by Artificial Intelligence! I originally created this content as a written article for social media distribution. AI read the article and produced the video, including the audio, with just a couple of clicks in a few minutes!

Recently I have developed a keen interest in many different forms of AI, and now, I am completely hooked! For example, I uploaded my article (there is a link above to the text version) and the AI, in this case Pictory AI, did virtually everything on its own.

I had a choice of male/female voices with a wide range of accents and a music library of tens of thousands of songs. The entire process was fun, rapid, and free! I would encourage anyone to learn about this amazing, easy to use, technology. To learn more, you can sign up for a free account, the exact same setup I used for the video you just watched. In fact, after I made the video, I signed up for an affiliate agreement

I would encourage you to try out the free account, and if you decide to upgrade to a paid account I will receive some credit, so it’s a win/win! Here’s the link:

Pictory AI – Video Marketing made easy!

Get it Right!

January 3, 2023 No Comments

Your Resume: What to Include, What to Leave Out!

[email protected]

Download text version of this article

I would encourage you to try out the free account, and if you decide to upgrade to a paid account I will receive some credit, so it’s a win/win! Here’s the link:

Pictory AI – Video Marketing made easy!

Interested in LiDAR?

December 13, 2022 No Comments

Consider career opportunities within the red-hot Pittsburgh Tech environment.

Western Pennsylvania is on the move and emerging as a tech powerhouse!

Pittsburgh is now ranked #13, up from #23, in the world’s top 100 emerging ecosystems via tech startups. This jump in 2022 ratings is primarily the result of big exits (move from private to public) by local companies such as Duolingo, Aurora, Stronghold Digital Mining, and Cognition Therapeutics.

Pittsburgh is 2nd only to Detroit in terms of leading the autonomous driving industry. This breakout position was achieved in part because of area-leading universities such as Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh who participate strategically and collaboratively within a coordinated regional plan shepherded by the Regional Industrial Development Corporation. (RIDC)

“We’re the number three center in the country in terms of jobs, and we’re number one in technology. We have 6300 jobs in the autonomous vehicle sector and an additional 8.604 in indirect tech.” – Donald F Smith Jr., Pres. RIDC. Sep 2021

Note: In the 4th quarter of 2022 Pittsburgh-based ARGO which was backed by Ford and Volkswagen to the tune of $1 billion was notified operations would be closed and absorbed by Ford. Reportedly, a portion of the footprint will remain in Pittsburgh along with about 650 jobs, although this could be subject to change.

Developments in complex robotics and autonomous driving bring us to the subject of career opportunities connected to LiDAR.

Lidar is commonly used to make high-resolution maps, with applications in surveying, geodesy, geomatics, archaeology, geography, geology, geomorphology, seismology, forestry, atmospheric physics, laser guidance, airborne laser swath mapping (ALSM), and laser altimetry. Some of the evolving uses and applications of LiDAR include:

Drones

The use cases for LiDAR drones in inspection and other infrastructure fields are obvious. From military applications such as target identification to surveying a construction site, and from measuring the amount of vegetation growing around a power line, drones with a LiDAR payload can greatly reduce both the time and cost of a manual survey or inspection.

By deploying a drone equipped with a LiDAR sensor, companies can take more accurate aerial readings — creating 3D models with centimeter-level accuracy and detecting features that would be invisible to less sophisticated methods.

Self-driving cars

Fully autonomous cars are edging closer to reality, driven by advanced sensors that can avoid a crash before it happens. Leading the charge in this area is LIDAR, a light-sensing technology that creates a 3-D map of a car’s surroundings using a laser and receiver.

Note: It is clear that redundancies in a sensor network are necessary to ensure the safety of vehicles with automated driving functions. None of the available sensor technologies including LiDAR and special cameras will enable autonomous driving on their own.

Military

Mine sweeping, the process of clearing mines from harbors and the open ocean is extremely dangerous. The US Navy’s development of robots directed by LiDAR is just one of many military applications that have created engineering and software development opportunities with scores of military contractors. Similar projects are underway for ground force clearing applications.

Other

Autonomous Machinery
Scanning buildings for quality control,
Farming with precision agriculture,
Industrial inspection,
Monitoring construction projects,
Mining,
Exploring underwater bathymetry,
Uncovering lost cities,
Predicting flooding before it happens,
Remote project inspection,
Space and planetary exploration.

Popular software skillsets for a career in LiDAR.

Based on a review of the skill requirements listed by 50 Pittsburgh based companies currently hiring, C++ and Python appeared most frequently.

Popular LiDAR Job Titles

These are recent job opportunities in the Pittsburgh/Western PA Region:

Engineers:
Perception Software Engineer (Aerospace)
Robotics Software Engineer
Robotics Engineer (Perception)
Electrical Engineer (Robotics)
Embedded Systems Engineer
Software Engineer (Algorithms)
Software Engineer (Machine Learning)
System Software Engineer
Software Engineer (Computer Vision)
Firmware Engineer
Simulation Engineer
Modeling and Simulation Engineer (Autonomous Vehicle)
Electronics Engineer (Autonomous Heavy Machinery)

Technicians:
LiDAR Technician
Project Support Technician
Systems and Test Technician
Reality Capture LiDAR Technician
3D Capture Technician and Modler
Geospatial Technician – Topographic/Bathymetric LiDAR
Indoor Survey Technician LiDAR
UAV Land Development Survey Manager

A Special Offer from the Author

Would you like to know how competitive you are for one of the above opportunities? If you have experience in any of the above areas and are interested in a new career opportunity, I am currently offering to run an ATS scan against your resume for your area of interest, and provide you with your ATS score as well as my personal review and analysis of your resume, at no cost, ie free!

This free offer is only good until such time my workflow overwhelms my ability to keep up!

Just send your resume and mention one of the above job titles to my personal email: [email protected]

My review/analysis is written personally by myself and on average runs about 10 pages. There is enough valuable information to serve as a blueprint for your next resume. If you decide you would like for me to draft a new resume for you, my pricing for a complete package including your Linkedin profile can be found here: https://sslduck.com/faq

Prepare to be surprised!

How ATS prevents your resume from being seen!

December 11, 2022 No Comments

Your Resume – What you don’t know…

Read

Winning the Retail Store Manager Interview

June 28, 2022 No Comments

How to prepare for your interview using a smart strategy that will get you hired!

You Need These Two Things Before Each Interview

Take these actions to win your “Retail Store Manager” interview! Research the company you are going to interview so that you can translate that information into a highly effective interview. Know in advance the questions the interviewer is most likely to ask and be ready with great answers for those questions.

Before we get started, I want to talk about what makes a great answer. It’s simply this: a great answer is a result of having researched the company you are interviewing and knowing what answer they are looking for within the interview.

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