Welcome to the very first issue of The Flop—your calm corner of the internet where we unpack AI with warmth, wit, and absolutely no jargon-induced headaches.

Let’s start with a bite-sized explainer that makes you feel 10x smarter at dinner tonight. Then I’ll share a new parenting hack that saved my sanity (and my calendar).

🐰 The Rabbit Hole

Where we break down one AI concept at a time

First Up: What Is an AI Model?

An AI model is a computer program trained to recognize patterns in massive amounts of data—like text, images, or sounds—and use those patterns to make predictions. In the case of chat tools like ChatGPT, the model has been trained on text.

It doesn’t “look things up” or “think” the way people do. Instead, it generates answers by predicting what word should come next, based on everything it has seen during training.

🦜 The LLM = A Magical Parrot

Now let’s talk about a specific kind of AI model: the LLM.

LLM stands for Large Language Model. It’s the core brain of most AI tools.

Imagine a parrot who’s spent years in the world’s biggest library. She’s read billions of words—from Shakespeare to shampoo bottle instructions—and she’s learned how to sound incredibly articulate.

When you ask her a question, she doesn’t understand it the way a person would. But it’s really good at mimicking the tone, rhythm, and structure of human writing.

Think of it like: a magical parrot who’s memorized every book in the library and can write a killer essay on any topic—but might still mix up the facts or confidently make something up. (We call that “hallucinating,” and yes, it’s just as odd as it sounds.)

🧠 Good to Know:

• No real thinking involved
  These tools don’t have feelings, memories, or awareness. They're not plotting world domination—they’re more like improv actors who’ve memorized every scene from the internet and are trying their best to play along.

• A library with no late fees… or permission slips
  Here’s the sticky part: these models learned by reading a ton of human-made content, sometimes without permission. That’s raised ethical and legal questions about copyright. Several authors (and the New York Times) have sued, saying their work was used without consent. The courts are still working it out.

🔍 Reasoning Model: The Parrot Who Shows Her Work

Some parrots have been trained to do more than just repeat things they’ve seen.
They’ve learned how to solve problems step-by-step, follow instructions more carefully, and even explain how they got their answers.

These are called reasoning models. They’re still parrots—but now they’ve got a pencil behind their ear and a notebook open.

➡️ Reasoning is quickly becoming the new normal.
Most chatbots now have reasoning models as their default.

🎤 Chatbot: The Parrot’s Microphone

A chatbot is how you talk to the LLM.
It’s the helpful interface—the screen and voice and personality that make the parrot feel more conversational.

If you’ve used:

• ChatGPT

• Claude

• Gemini

• Grok

...you’ve used a chatbot.

Think of it like: the front desk version of the parrot. You ask a question, and it responds as helpfully (or confusedly) as it can, depending on which version of the brain it’s using.

Next week we’ll cover who owns each Chatbot and how they differ.

🛠️ AI Hack of the Week:

From Screenshot to Calendar: My Favorite #AIparenting Trick

This is the hack that started it all. I shared it on LinkedIn and was blown away by the response—so many people chimed in asking for more tips like it. That moment planted the seed for this newsletter. And now… here we are.

✅ Step-by-Step: From Crazy Calendar to Organized Invites

Okay, let’s say you have a bunch of events that you want to put on your calendar. This can be your kids game schedule, your favorite sports team schedule, or any other schedule that does not repeat in a neat pattern. Here’s how to quickly add all these events into your calendar at once, instead of entering them one at a time:

1. Take a Screenshot
   Snap a clear photo or screenshot of the schedule. This can be from a PDF, email, website—anything.

2. Open ChatGPT (or any other chatbot)

3. Upload the Screenshot
   Once the image is in the chat, type:

   👉 “Please create the ICS file for these events.”

4. Download the .ics File

5. Import to Google Calendar

   • Go to Google Calendar

   • Click the gear icon (⚙️) → Settings

   • Choose Import & Export from the left menu

   • Upload your .ics file

   • Select which calendar (I used our Family calendar)

   • Click Import

6. Boom: You’re Done.
   All the events magically appear in your calendar, complete with times and locations. Total time? Less than five minutes.

📝 Pro Tips:

• To check if the file is correct, you can open the file with textedit (Mac) or Notepad (PC) and scan the dates. If you use Outlook, Outlook will allow you to open a preview window before you import the file.

• If your schedule spans two different years—like September through May—make sure to tell your chatbot which months belong to which year.
  Otherwise, it may assume everything’s in the same year, and suddenly you’ve got basketball games happening in May 2025 when they should be in May 2026 (I learned that one the hard way! )

🌲 AI Antidote: Where in the World?

Before we wrap, here’s a little moment of calm for your eyeballs. No AI, no productivity hack—just nature doing its thing.

Can you guess which national park this is?
Reply with your guess—I'll reveal the answer and give a shout out to the first correct reply in next week's issue.

 💛 Until Next Week...

Thanks for being here. I know your inbox is a busy place, and I hope this one made you feel just a little smarter and more prepared in this new world of AI. 

Warmly,
Ricci

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