Yellow Poison Dart Frog
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Commander of the Universe
I am less than impressed with AI. Take for example the animated GIF imbedded in this post. I followed Google’s instructions for creating it. Basically, I wanted to merge the still JPEG background showing Declan playing at Dave’s computer with the cartoonish rocket ship bouncing up-and-down on the computer screen, so that it looks like the rocket is displayed on the screen. Following their instructions I ended up with an unwatchable version that shuddered back-and-forth between the background JPEG and the animated GIF. Like I said, it was unwatchable. Trying to watch it would surely trigger an epileptic fit.
I ended up using a flip card approach. A method that I’ve used before. The same method that Disney used to make Snow White, long ago enough that it is no longer copyrightable. Earlier this week I ran into a similar situation while trying to debug Anne’s iPhone. None of the AI instructions matched the menu trees that were actually on the phone. All of the talk of AI replacing humans I think is overblown. Tech companies who claim that they are doing this also happen to be the same companies that loaded up on employees during the pandemic and are only now shedding them using the convenient excuse of AI. Anyway, I finally got an image of Declan flying a spaceship.
HYBYCOZO Update
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War Prints¹
Today, the Pentagon released its budget request for next year, $1.5T. In addition, to being the largest US military budget request ever, it also represents a 40% increase year-to-year from this year’s military budget. In addition to this request there is in a $200B supplemental budget request that was made last month to cover initial Iran war expenses. The Whitehouse announced that it would seek a 10% cut in non-Defense spending to balance these budget increases. Read major cuts to “daycare, Medicaid, Medicare”. All to pay for a war that no one wanted.
Today, we went to the botanical gardens. The weather was warm and the garden was crowded. Afterwards, we went looking for some late lunch on South Grand. The odd hour and quite a few closings left little to choose from. We settled on the Taste of Persia. We decided to share an entree, but each added a beverage, mango lassi, plus we added lamb flavored rice. Muhammad, our server, comped us with their normal white rice, so that we could taste that too. When he came back to ask us how our food was, Anne asked him if he had any relatives in Iran.
He said that he had two daughters, but one of them died when the US bombed the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school in Minab, at the beginning of the war. She didn’t attend the school but lived in an adjoining home. We felt awful and awkwardly offered him our condolences. But what can you say to assuage such grief? At the end of our meal, we asked for a to-go box for all the rice. He brought the box and also a topping sauce that we added to the box. We apologized again for our country. He absolved us with, “What can you do?”
- The print with this post shows how the news was reported in Japan back then. The graphics look cartoonish, by today’s standards. But in a country where most people were illiterate, this is how people got the news then.
Mother and Child Woodblock Print
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My God, it’s full of stars!
Yesterday, after months of delay Artemis II finally launched to the moon. It will not land on but circle the moon, much like Apollo 8 did almost sixty years ago. This back to the future (or is it the past?) flight occurs against a backdrop of our latest so-called Mission Accomplished war against Iran and closer to home, there are the problems with Anne’s iPhone.
She has been complaining for days about problems with her phone. I have offered to help but have been rebuffed. Lately, though they seem to have multiplied. New problems include Google not being able to access the microphone and the calendar app not being able to add new events. When she tries, she gets an error message saying, “Calendar does not have permission to access your calendar.” I googled these errors and found online solutions.
Equipped with this advice I was able to convince Anne to allow me to assist her. Unfortunately, none of the menu trees called out by Google’s AI matched what was available on the phone. With mounting frustration, I tried calling the Apple Genius Bar to make an appointment. All I got was a lot of run around, but eventually in lieu of an appointment, their AI suggested that we reboot the phone. We did this and voilà! Like magic everything was working again.
I guess it was my bedside manner or lack thereof, but Anne was not happy with me. Words were had and at that point I wisely baled. Returning later, ruffled feathers were smoothed and peace reined over the land. Well, at least here.