America's Death Wish

 

* CDC: Clinical Interventions to Treat Tobacco Use and Dependence Among Adults

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* CDC: Preventing Opioid Overdose

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* The Lancet: Taxes on soft drinks, alcohol and tobacco are a powerful response to rising rates of chronic diseases

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*  The GOP and the NRA want to stop gun violence research. California is a target

Texas

 The Texas Tribune - June 28, 2023:

"... More than two-thirds of Texas’ 100 prisons don’t have air conditioning in most living areas. Every summer, as temperatures routinely soar well into triple digits, thousands of officers and tens of thousands of prisoners are cramped inside concrete and steel buildings without ventilation, save windows broken out of desperation and fans that blow hot air. The heat has killed prisoners, likely contributed to severe staff shortages, and cost taxpayers millions of dollars in wrongful death and civil rights lawsuits over the last decade.

This year, state lawmakers chose again not to put any money directly toward installing air conditioning in the dangerously hot prisons, despite a $32.7 billion budget surplus..."

Meanwhile in New Mexico:

At New Mexico’s biggest jail for children, toilets and staff are lacking — but strip searches are common.

Jèrriais

 I stumbled on a charming BBC article about a language, all of whose speakers live on a single island that measures just nine miles by five. As the article notes: 

"Jersey is the largest of the Channel Islands, an archipelago of six inhabited islands (and many more uninhabited ones) scattered over the English Channel, just over 14 miles from the French coast. Despite its proximity to France, it's actually a British Crown Dependency, and as such, the island has two official languages: English and French. But it also has Jèrriais."

The story of the  survival of Jèrriais got me to thinking about the subjects of language learning, language preservation and language translation. These are areas of personal and practical interest to me. I feel fortunate to be able to negotiate novels in Spanish, but my vocabulary is far from the level I would like and I frequently resort to Google Translate to clarify passages which are not perfectly clear to me. I also occasionally use the help of Google to quickly translate whole articles I want to share with English speakers. In the time I have been doing that I have seen a very noticeable improvement over a rather short time in the quality of such translations.

I know that Large Language Models like Google Bard have language capabilities including translation that far exceed what Google Translate can presently demonstrate, and for me that seems one of the most promising developments in the rapidly expanding sphere of artificial intelligence.  To delve a bit further into that phenomenon I decided to ask Bard to provide me with an overview of today's state-of-the-art AI language preservation capabilities, thus:

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Discuss some ways Large Language Models might contribute to the preservation of endangered languages.

Large language models (LLMs) are a type of artificial intelligence that can be trained on massive datasets of text and code. This allows them to generate text, translate languages, write different kinds of creative content, and answer your questions in an informative way.

LLMs can contribute to the preservation of endangered languages in a number of ways:

Documenting and preserving endangered languages: LLMs can be used to transcribe and translate endangered languages, creating a digital record of these languages that can be accessed by future generations. This is particularly important for languages that are not well-documented or that have no written form.

Creating educational resources: LLMs can be used to create educational resources for endangered languages, such as dictionaries, grammars, and textbooks. This can help to increase the number of people who learn these languages and can also help to revitalize them.

Developing new language technologies: LLMs can be used to develop new language technologies that can be used to support endangered languages. For example, LLMs could be used to develop translation tools, speech recognition tools, and text-to-speech tools. These tools could make it easier for people to learn and use endangered languages.

Promoting awareness of endangered languages: LLMs can be used to promote awareness of endangered languages and the importance of their preservation. This can be done by creating online resources, social media campaigns, and educational events.

Overall, LLMs have the potential to play a significant role in the preservation of endangered languages. By documenting, preserving, and promoting these languages, LLMs can help to ensure that they continue to be spoken and understood for generations to come.

Here are some specific examples of how LLMs have been used to preserve endangered languages:

The Endangered Languages Project is a website that uses LLMs to transcribe and translate endangered languages. The project has helped to document over 300 endangered languages and has made this information available to researchers and the public.

The Cherokee Nation has used LLMs to develop a new language learning app. The app uses LLMs to provide personalized instruction and feedback to learners.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is using LLMs to develop a new speech recognition tool for the Hawaiian language. The tool will make it easier for people to use Hawaiian in everyday life.

These are just a few examples of how LLMs can be used to preserve endangered languages. As LLMs continue to develop, it is likely that we will see even more innovative ways to use these technologies to support endangered languages.

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It seemed like the next logical step was to challenge Bard with a practical example, so:

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Translate Lincoln's Gettysburg Address into Jèrriais.

Sure, here is the translation of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address into Jèrriais:

**Quarante-huit ans d'avan, nos pères ont foaît naitre, sus cot' continant, eune nouvelle nation, conceûte en libaïté, et dediée à la proposition que tout ches gens sont créés égaues.

Maintenant, nous sommes engâgés dans eune grande guerre civile, qui teste si cot' nation, ou eune nation conceûte et dediée coume ça, peut durer longtemps. Nous sommes r'trouvés sus eune grande bataille-ch'tie d'cette guerre. Nous avons v'nu dedicâer eune partie d'cette ch'tie, coume eune dernié r'posée pouor ches gens qui ont lyi donnî l'vies ichi que cot' nation puisse vîvre. Ch'est tout à fait approprié et juste que nous fassions ch'ci.

Mais, dans un sens pus grand, nous ne pouvons pas dedicâer, nous ne pouvons pas consâacrer - nous ne pouvons pas sanctifier - ch'te terre. Les braves gens, vix et morts, qui ont lutté ichi, l'ont sanctifiée bien au-dessus de nos pouôrs misérables d'ajouter ou de retrancher. Le monde n'priendra pas bien note, ni n'se souviendra pas longtemps de ce que nous disons ichi, mais il ne pourra jamais oublier ce qu'ils ont fait ichi. C'est pour nous, les vivants, plutôt, d'être dedicâés ichi à l'ouvrage inachevé que ches gens qui ont tchié ichi ont achteu tant noblement avanci.

Nous résolvons donc, ch't'an, qu'ces morts n'auront pas mouôrt en vain; que cot' nation, sous l'Dieu, aura eune nouvelle naissaunce de libaïté; et que l'gouvernement du peuple, par le peuple, pouor le peuple, ne périra pas d'sus la terre.**

I hope this is helpful!

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Well, I don't speak Jèrriais, its Norman French ancestor, or much modern French and I don't know any actual Jèrriais speakers,  so I cannot say with any confidence that Bard correctly made the requested translation from Lincoln's English.  Interestingly, when I submit a sentence to Bard from the Bard-generated Jèrriais text and ask Bard to identify the language, Bard responds that the text is French and provides some comments on the contents using modern French!  In taking the same Bard-generated Jèrriais text to Google Translate, that program also initially identifies the language as French, but there are also a number of corrections provided to yield proper French.  So, Bard may not yet be totally fluent in Jèrriais, but it certainly seems to have made a good effort with what I supplied in the way of prompts.

Leslie Van Houten Parole

 Leslie Van Houten  has been paroled after fifty-three years in prison and three previous denials of parole, by two governors.  I have seen articles over the years about the case and it seems clear that, as the parole board found a long time ago, there was no useful purpose to be served by keeping her imprisoned.  A recent LA Times article by a prison education program teacher offers further testimony to that fact.

That the parole decision could be repeatedly over-ridden for obvious political reasons by the California governors point to yet another target for justice/prison reform.

Leslie Van Houten reacts after hearing she is eligible for parole during a 2017 hearing at the California Institution for Women in Chino. 

(Stan Lim / Associated Press)

Rio Bravo

The Rio Grande at Albuquerque has retreated back into its normal channels. 

The high water lasted right through the Spring and then diminished quite rapidly over the course of a week.  Enough water was probably left behind the dams above Albuquerque to make it though the Summer without exposing a dry bed as was the case last year.

USGS

The trails beside the river are mostly dry now, but they are narrowed by the exuberant growth of the riverside vegetation, giving the bosque the appearance of a tropical jungle.  There are acres of flowering yerba mansa.

Last summer, there was hardly a mosquito to be seen beside the river, but now clouds of them make it challenging to stop long enough to snap a photo.

Prison Reform (Google Bard)

 Rate proposed prison reforms in order of effectiveness.

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Sure, here is a ranking of proposed prison reforms in order of effectiveness:

1. Reform extreme sentencing statutes. This includes limiting maximum prison terms, repealing mandatory minimums, and establishing "second look" sentencing review practices. These reforms would help to reduce the number of people who are incarcerated for long periods of time, which would have a significant impact on the overall prison population.

2. Decriminalize low-level offenses. This would mean turning misdemeanor charges that don't threaten public safety into non-jailable infractions, or decriminalizing them entirely. This would reduce the number of people who are arrested and incarcerated for minor offenses, which would free up resources to focus on more serious crimes.

3. Increase the use of alternatives to incarceration. This includes things like probation, parole, and community service. These alternatives can be effective in reducing recidivism rates, and they can also save money by keeping people out of prison.

4. Improve prison conditions. This includes things like providing better healthcare, education, and job training programs. These reforms would help to make prisons more humane and productive, and they would also help to prepare inmates for successful reintegration into society.

5. End racial disparities in the criminal justice system. This includes things like reforming bail systems, eliminating mandatory minimums for drug offenses, and ensuring that people of color are treated fairly by the police and the courts. These reforms would help to reduce the overrepresentation of people of color in the prison system.

These are just a few of the many proposed prison reforms that could be effective in reducing mass incarceration and improving the criminal justice system. It is important to note that there is no single reform that will solve all of the problems with the prison system. However, by implementing a combination of these reforms, we can make significant progress towards creating a more just and humane system.
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On the subject of incarceration (Google Bard)

 Compare the justice and prison systems of the United States  with other countries including costs and recidivism.

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The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with 639 people incarcerated per 100,000 residents. This is more than five times the rate of most other developed countries.

There are a number of reasons for this, including:

The United States has a "tough on crime" mentality, which leads to more people being incarcerated for longer sentences.

The United States has a large number of mandatory minimum sentences, which means that people are often sentenced to prison even for minor offenses.

The United States has a high rate of racial disparities in the criminal justice system, which means that people of color are more likely to be incarcerated than white people.

The high incarceration rate in the United States has a number of negative consequences, including:

It is very expensive. The United States spends more on its prisons than on its universities.

It leads to high rates of recidivism. People who are incarcerated are more likely to re-offend than people who are not incarcerated.

It has a negative impact on communities. When people are incarcerated, their families and communities are often left behind.

Other countries have different approaches to justice and prison systems. For example, Norway has a much lower incarceration rate than the United States. Norway focuses on rehabilitation rather than punishment, and it has one of the lowest recidivism rates in the world.

Here is a table comparing the justice and prison systems of the United States and Norway:

Country Incarceration Rate Recidivism Rate Cost per Prisoner

United States 639 per 100,000 residents 70% \$31,286

Norway 49 per 100,000 residents 20% \$60,000

As you can see, Norway has a much lower incarceration rate, a lower recidivism rate, and a higher cost per prisoner than the United States. This suggests that Norway's approach to justice and prison systems is more effective at reducing crime and preventing re-offending.

It is important to note that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to justice and prison systems. What works in one country may not work in another. However, the high incarceration rate in the United States is a major problem, and it is clear that there is a need for reform.

An American Radical

 

I have hesitated writing about Susan L. Rosenberg and her book, An American Radical:: Political Prisoner in My Own Country I came across the book recently by accident while browsing through biographies in the collection of my local library.  It was published over twenty years ago and therefore not in great demand and easily available.

It may be the best book I have ever read.  I'm sure I will be unable to adequately support that judgement with my words.  Of course, that is of no real consequence since anyone else can easily acquire the book and make their own judgements about its value.

Rosenberg was arrested in 1984 in the act of transporting explosives and guns to support armed rebellion.  She was given a fifty-eight year sentence, of which she spent sixteen in high-security prisons around the country.  She ultimately won a commutation of her sentence in the last hours of the Clinton presidency.

An American Radical presents a vividly detailed account of what it is like to face a life in the American system of incarceration.  Rosenberg survived the experience thanks to allies in and out of prison, along with her stamina, intellectual capacities, and emotional resilience.  Those same qualities allowed her to craft her epic story and -- unlike the vast majority of inmates -- to come out a better, more complete, person than when she went in.