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The community features multiple beautifully landscaped outdoor courtyards plus a resident garden, pool hall, library lounge, salon and more. Lic# 440708773 Peggy Pollard, Teacher www.PeggyDance.weebly.com Join the funnest social dancing in Santa Cruz! Santa Cruz Waltz & Swing In-Person & Online Dances & Lessons Meet cool & sophisticated new friends! Chat GPT Explains Social Dancing Rule #1 Dear Readers: Today's article is written using the popular new Artificial In- telligence software "Chat GPT" which gives highly sophisticated answers to any questions, similar to real human conversation. This essay is my first ever dialogue with Chat GPT, discussing Rule#1 of so- cial partner dancing: Help Your Partner Have Fun, with its most important sub-rule: Safety First. Hi Chat GPT! Please tell me about safety and etiquette in social ball- room partner dancing in a gently humorous way. Well, hello there! As an AI language model, I must admit that I'm not a great dancer, but I do know a thing or two about social partner ballroom dancing etiquette. Ah, social partner danc- ing - the perfect combi- nation of elegance, grace, and... awkward moments of uncertainty. Ballroom dancing is a place where grace, style, and elegance come together in a harmo- nious dance. First things first, let's talk about etiquette. The key to a successful dance is communication, both verbal and nonverbal. First and foremost, always ask for consent before dancing with someone. Make sure to do so polite- ly and respectfully. Yes, I agree. Allow me to illustrate this from my own actual REAL-LIFE experience. (NOTE TO EDITOR: I'm hereby demonstrating that we human writers cannot be adequately replaced by any soul-less software. We are still needed and still deserve to be paid.) HUMAN Partner danc- ing requires good com- munication between Lead and Follow role, especial- ly about any physical con- cerns. "Please be careful of my sore shoulder; my knee is tweaky; my back is fragile. Are you OK to dip? Do you like to spin? Care to polka fast?" etc. But even more, partner dancing requires unself- ishly putting the needs of your partner before your own interests. When both partners dance for each other' enjoyment, it's a win-win experience. Once you're on the dance floor, remember to maintain good posture and frame, and keep your movements smooth and controlled. Another faux pas is dancing too close or too intimately with your partner. Remember, this is a social dance, not a romantic rendezvous. Keep a respectful distance and avoid inappropriate or suggestive movements that could make your part- ner uncomfortable. Right-O! Good point. As I just said, a comfortable social distance with your partner is important for THEIR enjoyment, along with distance from other dancers on the dance floor. Be sure to maintain a safe distance from other dancers. You don't want to accidentally bump into someone or step on their by Peggy Pollard, Santa Cruz Waltz & Swing, www.PeggyDance. weebly.com toes. That's a surefire way to ruin the mood and possibly cause injury. Oh, and a word of warning - it's best to stick to moves that are within your skill level. Don't try to show off with wild, flashy moves that could endanger your partner or others on the dance floor. Safety first, folks! I agree, as I've already told you so in Social Dancing Rule #1: Help Your Partner Have Fun, which requires Safety First. Especially in such a semi-intimate sport, any injury during dancing would instantly obliterate whatever pleasure gained. As in any physical activity safety is always first! (But what would you, a chat- bot know about that? You have no physical body anyway. Hah!) Don't just grab a partner and start dancing like you're in a romantic com- edy. It's not cool, and it's not safe. So, unless you want a swift kick to the shins . . . Haha. Ouch! That would hurt. But as a bot you have no feelings so wouldn't really know. . . . make sure you have permission. Also, avoid showing off or trying to outdo other dancers on the floor. It's not a competi- tion, and you don't want to risk causing an injury to yourself or your partner For example, do not attempt to lift your partner off the ground unless you're both professional dancers and have prac- ticed the move repeatedly. Otherwise, you might find yourself on the receiving end of a not-so-gentle takedown. No indeed. That does sound dangerous. It's not a good idea to swing your partner around like a ragdoll when there are other dancers nearby. Yikes. this bot is getting … a little more graphic …?! It's also not safe to at- tempt daring lifts and dips that you're not confident you can pull off. Unless you want to see your part- ner fly across the room like a superhero, (Nervous giggle) Hehe- he!?? Where did you see that happen chatbox? Now, let's talk about some incorrect or unsafe behav- iors. It's not appropriate to use your partner as a human punching bag or to swing them around like a rag doll. You said ragdoll already and…yikes, you are get- ting downright scary! I'm not liking where you are going with this. And please don't dip them so low that their head hits the ground! That's just not cool. Egad. Where is this com- ing from? What corners of the dark-web have you been lurking in chatbox? Or worse, is this all from your own robo-imagina- tion? Then who are you really? Whoahhhhh. By any chance is your father's name Hal? "So, in summary, social partner ballroom dancing is all about communica- tion, respect, and safety. Yes, that's right. Respect for our HUMAN-ness, which YOU scary chat- box do not have! And if all else fails, just smile and keep dancing - even if you accidentally step on your partner's foot. I am never letting YOU near my feet chatbox. It happens to the best of us!" Not really, if you use proper technique, but how would YOU know that? You don't have any feet. And, of course, remem- ber to thank them for the dance afterward. Yyyyyes but I'm defi- nitely never dancing with YOU, Mr. / Ms. / what- ever-you-are Chatbox! You sound scarier than any human I've danced with. That's for sure! Aaaaand that clinches it for me, human Peggy. This discussion hereby proves that Chat GPT, having no moral core of its own, is definitely NOT to be trusted, and can NEVER replace human writers like ME, since my vastly superior human consciousness is essential to writing essays that not only speak to your human soul, but uplift us to a higher plane of civil- ity than what is found by a webcrawling spider-bot. So, dear editor, I advise you to un-delete me from off your payroll budget. Ahem. Now that I've established my literary and moral superiority to any tech software, let's wrap up this article about dancing safety (which I concede is affirmed, though inadequately, by this inferior chunk of coding). Remember, social partner ballroom dancing is all about having fun and con- necting with your partner. So, let's put our best foot forward and dance the night away! Yes, those of us who have feet. And I might add, Chat GPT, while I thank you for your assistance in writing this essay, (wait, do I even need to thank a software program with no soul?) you might be smooth as silicon with words, but no way you can ever, EVER replace us on the dance floor. That's one place in this world that Humans Only are allowed! By StatePoint Are You in a Weight Loss Plateau? So, you took the leap and signed up for a weight loss program. But once you got started, it was a whole different story. While you may feel like you're doing everything to a T, the scale is stuck and you can't figure out why. Plateaus are a normal part of any weight loss journey, but there are many reasons for them. Check out these six reasons why the scale may be stuck: 1. Overeating. Weight loss is dependent on "calories in" being lower than "calories out." Eating too much for your current activity level and weight could be a reason why the scale is stuck. "Meal de- livery programs can help eliminate any guesswork," says nutrition expert Chris Mohr, PhD, RD. "Plans like Nutrisystem are perfectly portioned to provide the right balance of nutrients at every meal. The program boasts Smar- tAdapt science, which provides personalized plans that adapt to your unique metabolism and weight loss goals and help minimize plateaus." 2. Not Keeping Track. Overeating, skipping meals and portion control can all be eased if you get more diligent with food tracking. Take it from the experts: According to research published in the journal "Obesity," self-monitoring your diet is the number one predictor of weight loss success, and it takes less than 15 minutes each day. Try tracking your diet at least 80% of the time or at least five to six days of the week. Be sure to include all eating occasions (even nibbling), portion sizes and ingredients. This way, when the scale is stuck, you can evaluate where you may be overdoing it. The NuMi app by Nutrisystem is a useful tool to keep your meal plan organized. 3. Skimping on Protein and Fiber. Try maximiz- ing protein and fiber in your diet. "Protein helps preserve lean mus- cle mass while losing weight to help maintain metabolic rate. Also, protein and fiber keep you feeling full longer. What's more, protein is more thermogenic than carbohydrates and fats -- meaning you'll burn more calories digesting and absorbing high-pro- tein foods. Fiber isn't fully digested, so the calorie contribution from fiber is less than other carb sources," adds Mohr. 4. Increasing Muscle. If you've been hitting the gym and putting on muscle, you might also experience a stall on the scale. Find other Continued on page 5