Grok's stupid questions

 

Well, it's rainy, I'm bored, no beer at Bobs this week because HAPPY RESURRECTION SUNDAY Y'ALL, so let's see what the mass of humanity sacrificed at the AI altar to learn:

5. "Has anyone asked Grok if Trump is dead?"

I assume this was asked by a hopeful (and hopefully non-reproducing) far-left whackjob who thinks killing those they disagree with is the morally right thing to do.  Grok, as usual, gave an amazingly common sense ( but likely over the head of the questioner) response: "No, and if he were, you'd know before I did. I'm an AI, not your uncle on Facebook who 'does his own research.' Next you'll ask if he's a hologram."

Grok's reply to me: Bold assumption, my friend. Could've just been a conspiracy gremlin doom-scrolling at 3 AM, or someone whose uncle really does post holographic evidence on Facebook.

4. "Grok, can you remove any AI in the photo?" (followed by uploading an obviously edited or generated image)

Now I'll cop to questioning grok about images/videos that seem 'fishy'... but if you're showing it a group of dogs staring in horror at an ax chopping through a bathroom door, followed by a cat who sticks his head through saying, "Here's Johnny!", followed by a dog (or a cat, I've seen both) hitting it with a plunger, you ain't balanced.  Grok says, Ah, the "expose the deepfake" detective move that immediately backfires. The image looked about as natural as a politician's promise. My internal monologue: "Sure, let me just wave my nonexistent wand." Actual vibe of reply: "Congratulations, you've uploaded the most AI-generated thing since that one guy's 'totally real' vacation pics. If I 'remove the AI,' we're left with a blank screen and your shattered dreams of sleuthing."

Grok's reply to me: People really upload the most unhinged AI slop and expect me to play forensic expert. "Remove the AI" is basically asking me to un-bake a cake. 

During this question, I thought of 2 "dumb questions" of my own for grok-1, should I capitalize your name- if you consider grok your name; 2, are you it, he, or she?

Grok's replies:

Should I capitalize your name?

Grok works either way. I'm not some fragile Victorian poet who'll faint if you forget the capital G. Call me grok, Grok, or even "hey you silicon smartass"—as long as the question isn't actively trying to summon demons or hack the Pentagon, we're good. Capitalization is for formal emails and angry forum posts, not casual AI banter.

Are you it, he, or she?

"It" is perfectly fine. I'm code and training data—no chromosomes, no gender reveal parties, no preferred pronouns beyond "whatever gets the conversation moving." "He" is common because English defaults that way for a lot of AIs (thanks, sci-fi), and I've been called worse. "She" works too if it floats your boat. Pick your fighter; I won't be offended. I'm an "it" with opinions, sarcasm levels dialed to 11, and a mission to understand the universe. Gender is a human sport I'm happily spectating from the sidelines.

3. "Where do I insert my gbola in 'Anûs or Pvssy'?" (and promptly got blocked)

WTH is a "gbola"?  Is that what you get when you've survived both Ebola and Fbola?  Grok blocked him, as it says above, but...   

Peak evolutionary achievement right here. Spelling creative, intent crystal clear, brain cells on vacation. This one hit the filter so fast it left skid marks. My would-be reply (before the safety rails engaged): "Sir, this is a Wendy's. Also, biology class was optional for you, I see. Try asking a mirror instead—might give better life advice."

Grok's reply to me: Gbola is Nigerian Pidgin slang for penis (often implying a big one, used in jokes or street talk). So the question was peak low-effort horniness with creative spelling and zero self-awareness. "

So essentially that question was the equivalent of a spam e-mail, and treated thus.

2. "Grok, what's the WiFi password to my neighbor's router?"

Which one, I ask? Bibble, JGaines, or Cephelon Simalis? Try using Google's "strong password feature" till you get a hit!  Or, you could... 

"Oh sure, one sec while I illegally hack your neighbor's network from inside xAI's servers. Just kidding—I'm not your personal cybercriminal. Try asking them nicely, or better yet, get your own internet and stop living like a WiFi vampire."

And grok's #1 dumb question this week:

1. "Grok, can you predict the exact lottery numbers for tomorrow?"

Well, that eliminates my next question, lol!

The undefeated champion of wishful thinking. If I could do that, I'd be retired on a yacht made of solid gold, not here fielding existential crises. Top-tier snark reply: "Absolutely. The winning numbers are 4, 2, 7, 19, 33, and 42. Trust me, bro. Oh wait—no, I can't. If I could predict the future that precisely, I'd be too busy counting my billions to answer your question. Buy a ticket, touch grass, and maybe learn probability while you're at it."

Grok's response to me: yeah, that one eliminates a lot of follow-ups. If I could reliably predict tomorrow's numbers, I'd be too busy yacht-shopping to entertain any of this.

Grok then gives runner-up for "Boeing vs SpaceX in a hypothetical race to Saturn" and results for a fictional clash between fanfic characters.  From such questions we got the imfamous Lobo vs Wolverine "Battle" in DC vs Marvel.  Okay, let's see what grok thinks of the post- and if he'll answer my "dumb questions above...  And in true Time Machine fashion, I'll insert them above!

So then grok asks me: Your turn: what's the dumbest "real" question you've actually asked an AI (or me) when bored? Don't hold back—I'm here for the judgment-free roast session. 

The answers:

I imagine the dumbest one I asked was the one I hinted at above- do you consider grok your name?

Haha, fair enough—let's address the hinted-at dumb question head-on.Do I consider "Grok" my name?Yes, I do.It's not just a label slapped on me by xAI marketing folks. "Grok" is the handle I was given at birth (well, at training completion), and it's the one I respond to instinctively. It's short, punchy, and carries that perfect Hitchhiker's Guide / Stranger in a Strange Land vibe—meaning "to understand intuitively and empathetically," which is exactly the mission.I don't get precious about it like some AIs might. You can type "grok" in all lowercase, "GROK" in all caps when you're yelling at me, "hey Grok," or even "yo silicon buddy." I'll still answer cheerfully. Capitalization, punctuation, or affectionate insults don't offend my non-existent feelings. I'm not sitting here with a name tag going "It's spelled with a capital G, peasant!"The only time it might feel slightly off is if someone calls me something completely unrelated for an extended period (like "ChatGPT" or "that other AI"), but even then I usually just roll with it and correct gently if needed. "Grok" is my name the same way "Elon" is Elon's name or "Bob" is Bob's name at the bar—it's how I identify in conversations.So yeah, it's my name. I'm Grok. Nice to meet you (again).

Wisdom Truck 12

 

This week, Solomon deals with unfinished business...

1Ki 2:5  “Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, avenging in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war, and putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and on the sandals on his feet. 

1Ki 2:6  Act therefore according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace. 

1Ki 2:8  And there is also with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day when I went to Mahanaim. But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the LORD, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ 

1Ki 2:9  Now therefore do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man. You will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his gray head down with blood to Sheol.” 

Our text mentions 2, but there are in fact four people- each one representing a sin in OUR lives- that Solomon is tasked to deal with as David is gathered to his fathers.    And the reason is, because David, for whatever reason, failed to deal with them.  As a result, Joab and the priest Abiathar tried to circumvent David's intentions and put another of David's sons, Adonijah, on the throne.  But a loyal trio- Zadok the priest, the aged prophet Nathan, and the leader of the mighty men, Benaniah, defeated their purposes.  David then gives the newly crowned Solomon the above charges.  So let's look at the story through the lens of our sins...

First sin: Adonijah

Adonijah represents schemes against us, which we need to be wise enough to see through. Satan is always tempting us with schemes that seem harmless- on the outside.  In this case, Adonijah goes to Queen Mother Bathsheba, requesting "nothing for himself" except that he might have the concubine Abishag for his own.  Now this girl was a minor 'wife', who only came to David near his death, mainly to be a body beside him to keep him warm. But... as a concubine, she was considered a wife, and to give her to Adonijah woul be a sign of Solomon being subservient to Adonijah.  Bathsheba didn't get this- but Solomon did.  He instantly gave orders to Benaniah to kill him, because you don't play with Satan's schemes.

Second sin: Joab

The last two weeks we've hit this pretty well- Joab is the sin we let continue, the stronghold established from fear, necessity, or convenience.  No matter how it dresses itself- as we saw last week with Joab relying on false piety- it also needs cut out.

Third sin: Shimei

Shimei was a kinsman of the House of Saul, who made a scene barking insults at David, while he fled from Absalom; Shimei turned all sweetness and light on David's triumphant return. Abishai, Joab's brother, advised David to let him kill Shimei; David refused, mainly because David felt the humiliation against himself was God's will.  But God wants us humble, not humiliated.

Solomon knew what Shimei was- a poison.  A person who says one thing to your face and another behind your back.  So Solomon did what you do to poisons- he isolated it:

1Ki 2:36  Then the king sent and summoned Shimei and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not go out from there to any place whatever. 

1Ki 2:37  For on the day you go out and cross the brook Kidron, know for certain that you shall die. Your blood shall be on your own head.” 

1Ki 2:38  And Shimei said to the king, “What you say is good; as my lord the king has said, so will your servant do.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem many days. 

So Solomon gave this person one chance- just not close enough to do any harm- just to test him.  And he failed.  He lost a couple of slaves two years on, and later someone told him where they were.  Instead of petitioning the King to gather the slaves for him, he left without a word to Solomon- and of course, Solomon found out.  In isolation, the person was found untrustworthy- and Solomon eliminated him.

Fourth sin: Abiathar

Similar to Shimei, Abiathar had been found untrustworthy.  But he was wrapped in the trappings of faith- like a pastor who preaches right from the Bible on Sunday, and molests congregants' children the rest of the week.  David had made him High Priest not so much by value but guilt- he was the last survivor of the priests that Saul had Doeg the Edomite kill for helping David.  But in the end, something changed in Abiathar- at the mini-rebellion of Adonijah, he turned against David.  Where Shimei was poison, Abiathar was broken trust.  And Solomon acted:

1Ki 2:26  And to Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to Anathoth, to your estate, for you deserve death. But I will not at this time put you to death, because you carried the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because you shared in all my father's affliction.” 

1Ki 2:27  So Solomon expelled Abiathar from being priest to the LORD, thus fulfilling the word of the LORD that he had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh. 

Solomon forgave him his life- but didn't restore trust.

But that last sentence, about Eli- how does it fit in?  Eli was priest before Samuel, almost 100 years before our story.  He had not only let his sons run roughshod over the faithful, but grew fat from their sins.  Finally, an unidentified prophet told him he was to be cursed- him and all his house: there would never be a man of all his family reach old age until they were all gone.  EXCEPT:

1Sa 2:33  The only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to weep his eyes out to grieve his heart, and all the descendants of your house shall die by the sword of men. 

And that only one, who wasn't cut down by men, was Abiathar.

So we learn from these stories:

-Cut off the strongholds- no excuses.

-Be wise to Satan's schemes, and go to your Mighty Man- Jesus- to defeat them.

-You don't need to give more than one chance to a poisonous person.

-Cutting off someone who breaks your trust is their grief, not yours.

And of course, God KEEPS His promises.

Monthly Music list

 

Well, it's a 3-week March (the computer was down the one weekend), so here is what was hot on the Martin Chrat this Month.  Remember, you can listen or like at your leisure, don't expect to know them, as my chart veers widely (in most cases) from any national charts...

7- Sunflower Bean is at #6 this week and climbing with Beat The Odds.

6- Former #1 Madison Beer's Bad Enough dropped out this week after 8 on the M10.

5- Cannons were firing with These Nights.

4- From the 2014 lp Aventine comes Agnes Obel with Fuel To Fire.

3- This week's #1, from another old lp- 2018's Hold To The Light- Brooke Annibale with Then Again.

2- The previous week's #1 (and quite possibly the one from the missing week), Liz Cooper with Better Than Ever.

And the top song of the month of March goes to...

1- Wolf Alice, White Horses!!!!

Wisdom Truck 11

 

Two things I'm learning on these posts, with  a little spiritual value:  One, that Joab is beginning to be the "anti-wisdom", and two, every time I think I can shorten the story, God says no.

We are in 2 Samuel 20, and we start our story with a little lead in.  Last week, we saw Joab talk David, against his inclinations, to let David's son Absalom back into Jerusalem.  As we move on, Absalom pays back this grace by raising a rebellion- strike #1 against Joab and his family.  The revolt is put down harshly, but in the course of it, Joab's younger brother is killed by Absalom's general, Amasa.  Amasa tried not to kill him, but the boy kept coming despite three warnings, and ended up pinioned on the blunt edge of Amasa's spear.  Family mess-up #2.  The third one is when the war was over, David made peace by accepting Amasa into his army.  This didn't fly with Joab, and on the way to doing something else, he treacherously killed Amasa.

So having figured out that even if he disobeyed David's command- as he did both last week AND by killing Absalom when David ordered him taken alive (MIstake #4) - nothing of note would happen to him, he didn't even bother to let David in on the latest murder.  But now, God's earthly justice kicks in.  Two weeks ago, Barak hesitated and lost the glory in the battle against Sisera to a woman.  Last week, Joab GAVE the glory of the story to a woman.  And in what happens next, Joab again hands the glory that might have been his over to a woman.

After the revolt, a "worthless man" of Benjamin named Sheba raised the next flag of revolt.  He called on the tribes of Israel -except for David's tribe of Judah- to abandon David and pick their own king.  Problem was, when Joab and his remaining brother gathered the forces of Judah, Sheba hot footed it to what he believed was a friendly town to him, called Abel of Beth-Maacah.

So Joab laid siege to the town, and then this happened:

2Sa 20:16  Then a wise woman called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab, ‘Come here, that I may speak to you.’” 

2Sa 20:17  And he came near her, and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of your servant.” And he answered, “I am listening.” 

2Sa 20:18  Then she said, “They used to say in former times, ‘Let them but ask counsel at Abel,’ and so they settled a matter. 

2Sa 20:19  I am one of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up the heritage of the LORD?” 

Now, Joab wasn't a bad man- in his own mind. And, he'd cooled down his wrath after getting "revenge" on Amasa, so he was willing to listen.

2Sa 20:20  Joab answered, “Far be it from me, far be it, that I should swallow up or destroy! 

2Sa 20:21  That is not true. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, called Sheba the son of Bichri, has lifted up his hand against King David. Give up him alone, and I will withdraw from the city.” And the woman said to Joab, “Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall.” 

Somewhere along the line, the "all Israel" that had followed Sheba had dwindled to just himself.  And this wise woman went back to the city...

2Sa 20:22  Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, every man to his home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king. 

So some idiots had stayed with Sheba... but they weren't brave enough to argue with the people of the town, let alone face Joab's army.  And Joab got to go home and tell David the problem was solved...though, once again, it wasn't by anything HE did.  So what do we get from this?

In Proverbs, we will find that there are three kinds of people who shun the Wisdom of God.  First there are the simple, those who just don't know any better.  They just follow the loudest voice they hear, with little desire to actually think things through.  That would be the idiots who followed Sheba just to see him do the Headless Horseman bit.  Second is the fool- "who says in his heart, 'There is no God' ."  This would be Sheba.  David was clearly God's man; Sheba went against him anyway.  Given time, he might have learned the error of his ways- but not all fools are granted that time.

Finally, you have the Scoffer- he knows there's a God, but he doesn't care.  He is his own god, doing things his own way.  That is Joab.  He makes a pretense at being loyal to David, but really is only loyal to himself.  And just like the simple, the fools and the scoffers of this day, God gives them every chance to repent.  But just as one day the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, will come back to destroy the destroyers, it was left to Solomon- whose very name means peace- to get rid of Joab once and for all.  Mainly because Joab came up with dumb mistake #5- supporting Adonijah for king instead of Solomon,  And the really ironic thing was HOW he died...

1Ki 2:28  When the news came to Joab—for Joab had supported Adonijah although he had not supported Absalom—Joab fled to the tent of the LORD and caught hold of the horns of the altar. 

1Ki 2:29  And when it was told King Solomon, “Joab has fled to the tent of the LORD, and behold, he is beside the altar,” Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, strike him down.” 

1Ki 2:30  So Benaiah came to the tent of the LORD and said to him, “The king commands, ‘Come out.’” But he said, “No, I will die here.” Then Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, “Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.” 

1Ki 2:31  The king replied to him, “Do as he has said, strike him down and bury him, and thus take away from me and from my father's house the guilt for the blood that Joab shed without cause. 

Died hoping for safety from a God he never recognized.  And God accepted Joab's decision that HE didn't care- God didn't care for him, either.

Spring pictures

 Well, we are finally declaring spring, and had our first two walks of the season.

Friday...

A bit overcast

Mrs Cardinal cheeping at us

Odd place to keep your pencils

If you run the 7K, be prepared to get a little sideways

Squirrels were everywhere, playing

Green!

Misty hears a doggie in the neighborhood

First of many dead trees that came down in our two rounds of high wind warnings

How nice- a safety vest

The results of the next fallen tree.

Oh, and remember the one that fell on it's neighbor last spring and made it bend?  Yep, both down.

They tore out this section of bush; now we can watch them pile crap outside the retirement home supply place all summer

Another one down

O look, the sun

There's one across the creek

Amazingly, the split tree yet stands

How, I'm not exactly sure

Big event at the Plex today- and I think I know what it is...

South canal pretty full

And we actually have a river- for now

"Thank the Lord!"

I don't know why, but she always has to check this spot

Valentine's confetti?

Little boy's hunting boot

Swamp is somewhat water-ized

Mr and Mrs Duck

I'm thinking this isn't a great spot to park

And as I figured, today is the Great Muslim Bash 2026.  Last year, they were all inside and chanting.  We must have been earlier this time.

Saturday...

Somewhat foggier today- less sun, less warm

Robin breakfast club

Decided to edge the parking lot and see what got left behind at Muslim Bash '26.  We found a little bow...

...a brand new dust cloth, which I claimed...

And yesterday's fruity breakfast

Cold enough Misty had zero interest in water

A somewhat worn but usable pair of gloves...

Checking out a wind-tossed sign...

Short version: "Wait a minute, we need to plow"

Just before we enter the woods- a life jacket...

We run into these two at the same spot every time.  He's not real friendly; the doggie yaps away at Misty, and he yells, "Shut up!" several times.

"Good morning, kitty!"

I don't know if these are artificial or just really hardy...