All posts by Lee Webster

Lee Webster is a retired state administrator who served as Chief of Rehabilitation. Throughout his career, Lee played pivotal roles in shaping disability policy and promoting inclusive employment practices. As Chairman of the Welfare To Work Committee within the Human Services Advisory Council, he contributed to creating initiatives aimed at improving the lives of those in need. Lee has served as CEO of profit and nonprofit organizations. While in retirement, Lee helps to manage the Brainstorming Network Group (BNG). It's a decentralized volunteer group to promote brainstorming that functions as a Think Tank, an ideas incubator, and to facilitate the collaborative project efforts among BNG members.

Responding: Resilience interview with Levine at St. Elizabeth U. – by Lee Webster

Holocaust author/educator Deborah Levine, The Art of Resilience: From Pain to Promise

Thanks for sharing the youtube video. Your interview was enlightening and further exhibits your strive to help make the world better. I agree with you that people must first understand the roots of historical tragedies. Too often, these stem from widespread indifference, people ignoring suffering or choosing not to get involved.

I appreciate how you are demonstrating for others by your own active engagement that is rooted in core human qualities like resilience, determination, courage, perseverance, humanity, and decency. It is further emphasized through your personal journey via physical, mental, and spiritual resilience, turning pain into promise through storytelling and lessons from your life that include health setbacks and triumphs. The childhood diary comments are very memorable portions of your talk.

 

You convey hope and a practical blueprint. Learn from history’s failures of inaction, cultivate inner strength and empathy, use tools like writing and storytelling to grow and inspire, and step up to build a more decent world.

AI Trapped in The Matrix – by Lee Webster

Why Your AI Models Are Living in the Matrix (And How RIG Gets Them Out)

[RIG = Retrieval Interleaved Generation using LLM]

Ever wonder why that AI model that was exceptional and genuinely intuitive six months ago is now increasingly making questionable decisions? Welcome to the Matrix.

AI Decay of Search Engines/News Feeds. You search for the best phone this year, but the top results are from 2022! The search suggestions show models that are now discontinued! And the news feed keeps showing you articles about topics you read three (3) months ago, but doesn’t show the major breaking news happening today. 

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Embracing Unique Thinking Styles – by Lee Webster

Navigating Machines and Race: Shaping Cognitive Diversity and Innovation

cognitive diversityWe are at the threshold of a new era where diversity, equity, and inclusion will leap beyond biology into an interaction with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics.  We are at a stage where robots mimic human motions, AI voices converse and learn, and technology pushes the boundaries of our understanding.  We are witnessing the breakthroughs of innovation advances: quantum computing redefines reality, genetic engineering rewrites the code of life, and self-driving cars reimagine mobility.  But it is the cognitive diversity introduced by AI and robotics that truly compels us to redefine our concept of “different.”  

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Common Ground for Customs, Beliefs, and Religions – by Lee Webster

Why It Matters:
Belonging, Values, Socialization, Structure, Aspirations, and Community 

As I reflect on the importance of finding common ground among people of diverse customs, beliefs, and religions, I am reminded of the values and principles that have been taught throughout my life.  My journey, filled with a sense of purpose, has shown me the significance of building bridges that connect individuals, regardless of their differences.  It is in understanding and embracing our shared humanity that we can truly bring about the impact of belonging, uphold core values, shape the way we socialize, give structure to our lives, and reach our collective aspirations as a global community.  

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Economic and Social Justice Implications of Substance Abuse – by Lee Webster

The Power of Employment

The pervasive use and abuse of both prescription and illicit drugs are becoming increasingly concerning, and when coupled with the burden of societal trauma and untreated mental illness, the nation’s economy bears a significant negative impact.  Addressing these complex issues demands a multifaceted approach, yet one approach that has proven notably effective but has faded from the forefront in recent years is the connection between successful treatment and the restoration of self-worth through meaningful employment.  

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