Category Archives: AI

Commander of the Universe

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Declan, 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.

Monkey Business

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Monkey Business in STL

Saint Louis has made the news this week, but in a good way. National news reports that up to four vervet monkeys have been spotted loose on the streets of north Saint Louis. As this story was breaking AI images of these primates have circulated. The veracity of the underlying story has been verified by a police monkey sighting, but AI photos not only add levity, but also cast doubt. Saint Louis police have waived charges for the keeping of these animals.

Raking Leaves

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AI Anne Furiously Raking Leaves

Before Thanksgiving, when we last went to Ann Arbor all of the leaves were still on the trees. When we came back home, they were all on the ground. They have sat there until this week. For part of that time the leaves were buried under 9″ of snow, which soon melted, but not before I snow shoveled them around some. For most of that time they served to obstruct the walkways. With the return of warmer, drier weather Anne and I got out there and raked most of the leaves onto the parking strip. Where they still sit awaiting the city’s leaf removal service. 

Ra-Ta-Tum-Tum-Tum

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AI Little Dummer Boy

There is a game that I play at this time of year called the Little Dummer Boy Challenge. The object of this game is to not hear the Christmas song by the same name, between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I am honor bound to tell you that this year I lost. Over the last few seasons, I have been doing pretty well, but this year I failed hard. It is a stupid game. The song is really not that bad. True the little drummer boy is a mythical character inserted into a religious story of great significance, but so what. Anyway, there is always next year. I’ll just have to husband what hipster mojo that I can muster until then.

Hovel for Sale

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Little AI House on the Prairie

This old photo of Great-Great-Great Grandma Anne magically appeared. She is pictured wearing homespun standing out in front of our old sod homestead, which with its dirt floor she could never keep clean. Even our Roomba was little or no help, what with it always getting clogged with dirt. It is cold here today but should warm up for the rest of the week starting tomorrow. Last night, we ran the basement sink, to keep the pipes from freezing. Who knew that one could have a basement under dirt floors?

Last night, we watched The Shop Around the Corner (1940). This B&W Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan romantic comedy features two employees of a gift shop who can barely stand each other, all the time without realizing that they are also falling in love each other through the post as they correspond together as anonymous pen pals. An updated remake You’ve Got Mail (1998) featured Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Where director Nora Ephron tried to recapture the magic of Sleepless in Seattle, by substituting email for snail mail and AOL for the Hungarian postal service.

The Clown Prince

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The Clown Prince

I am going crazy under the relentless bombardment of evil obscenities emerging daily from the Trump administration. There is the whole Epstein thing, where he raped children. There is ICE, where masked goons invade our streets and kidnap people from them, many not to be seen or heard from again. Then there is his latest outrage, where he murders people on the high seas, performing war crimes without a war, supposedly to fight drugs, but then he pardons a drug kingpin.

Since his reelection, I have consciencely strived not to rant about his self-evident malevolence and fight against my own Trump fueled derangement syndrome, but his never-ending parade of atrocities makes me want to cry out in anguish. Cannot his 37% see his evil. Are they so blinded by their hate that they don’t care? Are that many Americans complicit? This is his most disheartening aspect.

In less than a year, he has taken what was once a thriving economy and turned into one that is sputtering, gasping and about to choke. As the pain from his greed and incompetence trickles down, more and more people are beginning to feel the cost of this fool. Even though he is a joke, he is no laughing matter. He seems determined to ruin this country. Finally, people are beginning to awake to his danger. Polls have turned to elections, all of which show huge dissatisfaction with this clown and his parade of fools. I only hope that we are not too late and we can redeem ourselves yet.