What do 2025 AI and parrots have in common?

 AI reflects linguistics

the way a mirror reflects your image

AI has become a dark mirror. The LLMs learn (if one can call it that) by gathering quantity rather than quality and presenting it back to us.

It has become a reflection of popularity rather than probability.

The coding is bad and sloppy at the moment. The algorithms and software do not take into consideration that I do not want opinions written by teenagers or recommendations that are not specific to what I'm actually looking for.

This is driven by investors and big corporations. Thirty percent of the global market is invested in AI. If it crashes because the returns are not there, it will take the rest of the market down with it.

Of course the business model is drive up profits and reduce costs of employees. 

A major concern is the replacement of what actually makes us human: the Arts. There are many reports and documentaries by artists that they are being replaced. A tool that is supposed to help is giving us the trashy romance novel equivalent of language and literature in all aspects of what historically has been used to  inspire and calm us.

I call it parroting.

While parrots are smart, I doubt that they all truly understand everything that they are repeating.

Here's a little hilarious video of what I mean:

https://youtube.com/shorts/OV5NTlJrtOw

I thought of writing a humorous anecdotal post about tropical parrots in non tropical settings and recalled my incredible frustration a few years ago when I was taking a few quick pictures, tried to zoom in and rather than simply giving me a blurred image, AI processed it by applying filters that make a photograph look like a cartoon. The main concern is that I did not tell it to. Fixing my mistakes when I draw or paint is an automatic process and part of the artist experience. Often such mistakes lead to better results. 

The Japanese art of Kintsugi believes that a broken piece of pottery becomes more beautiful when repaired, a philosophy applied to human suffering that once broken one becomes stronger and better through the healing process.

Fixing the time consuming mistake of a program impedes creativity. Most of what we are aggressively offered relies on CGI technoligy used in movies. If I want to see a dragon or alien, the technology does what it is meant to do. However, the technology in reverse achieves the opposite.

Photographs evoke memories. They are passed down through generations. They make us remember moments long forgotten. 

Above is the parrot in a tree. A tree that looks like a japanese anime reflection of nature rather than the original. It is becoming increasingly difficult to discern AI editing online. Movements and expressions appear wrong, images are altered and while I delight in human skill and talent, there is no admiration for a program.

Welcome to the Matrix. You are now the kinetic energy that taps on key boards and screens to power robotic AI.

I believe that the big tech company that heeds science fictions' warnings rather than try to implement it, will see the financial returns it so craves. We are the customers after all.

Cooking with codex

 

I had gotten it into my head that I was going to surprise everyone at a holiday meal with roasting one of my favorite meals: crispy Peking duck.

The main problem of course is that I had never made it. How hard can it be?

Step 1: Research the dish. Discover that it involves pumping air under the skin for three days, preferably with an air compressor and a walk in cooler. I have neither.

Skip Step 1

Step 2 Discover that I don't like the spices (All spice) and marinades among the confusing variety of Hanhan and other regional differences.

Skip Step 2

Buy ducks. Replace unhealthy mixture with mild curry, turmeric and herbs.

Step3 Defrost ducks in fridge. This will ruin the surprise and according to the internet can take 2 hours to overnight.

Skip Step 3

Wait till people are asleep. Put duck on rack. Use fresh orange juice. Smother in spices. Put frozen duck into oven. Cover with aluminum foil cover once a little browned apply orange juice every half hour or so.

Poke it.

The taste test. Delectable. Not as crispy as I like, but good enough. Serve. SURPRISE. Everyone loves it until a family member noticed:"Why did you leave the giblets in?" Laughter errupts. "The giblets? Why are there giblets? I don't know how to cook anything with giblets."

Life is short. Duck is delicious and there are no leftovers when I invite people to Almost crispy Peking duck au giblee.

If you have any hilarious cooking/baking adventures please share.

A little space science

 Here is a creative video on how the moon is drawn incorrectly. Obviously it's art, so we're used to representing the moon as an incorrect symbol. It also made me think about how crescent moons are represented on various flags depending on where on earth the country is located.

Viewing time five minutes

https://youtube.com/watch?v=yY7ZUIbWTyc

About a month ago I saw a green meteor/shooting star. A little while later there were more of them reported around the globe. It is very unusual to see green ones because of their chemical composition.

Turns out certain satellites orbits are degrading after just two to five years and reentering earth's atmosphere. Doesn't strike me as a great investment on communication. In addition, this is getting so frequent that there are concerns about the ozone layer. Again.

Maybe Wall-e had it right. Dumping our garbage and space junk on let's say Mars might solve a few problems.

Antisocial behavior

 

I'm not a senior, but I'm old enough to know that people's behavior has changed and devolved. This started with what people are accessing on social media and young people are particularly susceptible.

It must change back.

Someone reminded me of a recent encounter. A friend decided to combine our meeting with a business lunch. We chose a hipster style café/restaurant with a great relaxed atmosphere that serves breakfast and lunch to mainly young business professionals.

It is so popular that on sunny days people line up to wait for a coveted patio seat. We ordered and while waiting for our meals, my friend lit a cigarette. To my right a young couple in their twenties. The woman overly made up with long extensions and fake eyelashes. Suddenly she expressed "Can you move? The smoke is bothering me". My friend simply responded. "We're outside this is the smoking area." She started to wave her arms dramatically, became belligerent, insisting that the smoke was bothering her.

She waved over the waiter, who looked like a surfer dude and complained about the smoke. To my surprise the waiter told her: "This is the smoking area, I'll be happy to seat you inside." She declined. As our coffee and water were served, my friend lit another cigarette, she became dramatic, added a little fake cough, complained loudly. The other guests started to stare, some were smoking themselves but no one said anything. Annoyed, I tried "It's a gorgeous sunny day, can't you just enjoy it?"

I had inadvertently given her the reaction she sought; attention. She opened her purse, and pulled out...

a vaper. (You've got to be kidding me???!) She took a drag and blew it in my direction.

She had no "issues", she simply wanted drama and attention. In her little corner of the internet, she had clicked and learned her way into being rewarded for this attention seeking behavior of self-importance. And she wanted her way.

I rarely do this, but after she deliberately blew more vape in my direction, then turned and blew it at my friend, I aimed low. I did not want a scene (I cannot believe this even happened), but I also did not want this important meeting to be constantly disrupted. In the most condescending tone I could manage, I raised my voice so the other patrons could hear me.

"Sweety, this is the adult smoking section, if you cannot behave in public, I can ask the waiter to bring you a child's seat so you can continue to inhale your candy flavored lollyvape. Would you like that, honey?"

Flinch

There was laughter, another patron whooped, her boyfriend smiled, but I was wondering why no one else had said anything. The internet should not be raising our children or teach bad behavior to young adults. I believe it's the cause of inciteful behavior that is getting worse. It's the role of adults and seniors to intervene and reteach.

For the rest of our meal she was quiet, sipping her mochachocayayalatte in pouty silence.

Caturday: To rescue or not to rescue should never be the question

 

 I was looking for something where I could actually make a difference. I was also dealing with the recent loss of a beloved cat that was poisoned, a bad experience with the local spca and had gotten to the point of looking to adopt again.

I came across a cat rescue group, it's board members mostly retired women, many had done well in the finance sector and were running it as a non profit.

I am hesitant and cynical about charities; I've read and knew too many stories of yet another one embezzling donations and turning my heroes into the opposite.

Jane who runs the group, is the Jane Goodall of the cat world. Pragmatic, intelligent, empathetic, level-headed, reasonable balancing politics and solutions in an admirable way. I'm honored to count her as my friend.

After the loss of buddy, I looked for a cat that didn't resemble him. I had decided on a purebred, found a breeder and waited for the litter. The litter came but two had not made it. "I just buried thousands of dollars," said the breeder to me. Disgusted by the comment, I went to local animal shelters. I looked at cage after cage of despondent cats, no magical moment of a paw choosing me. 

I contacted the rescue group, told them what I was looking for and drove to the appointment in someone's home. A cat with the most unusual markings I'd ever seen and striped whiskers zipped by me. I sat on the floor for two hours, but Stripes was not interested.

Based on the conversation with the cat foster parent, I suddenly got a call from Jane. This is how we met. She wanted me to take him. He was problematic, skittish and the alternative was a wealthy woman who had started to offer amounts beyond the adoption fee, because she had to have this decorative cat.

The group's mandate is simple; there is no cattery. All cats are fostered. It reduces cost and gets them used to being in a home, learn their individual behavior and match them accordingly. They rescue from shelters who euthanize because they run out of space and everyone wants kittens. The group has no staff everyone is a volunteer. Volunteers, mostly students feed the feral communities. Along with a male volunteer who constructs cat boxes for the ferals out of his own pocket. I learned a lot, my own preconceptions were set aside. And Jane knows how to use everyone's skill set.

The board members, primarily driven by Jane, copied the San Francisco model of TNR (trap neuter release) for the unadoptables and convinced politicians to fund it. Jane's motto: to prevent suffering, we have to prevent them from being born. Donations meant that the guy with the printshop produced the flyers. Another person with contacts procured petfood to give to grad students who were fostering. People who couldn't afford spay/neuter could take their cats to the vet college for free. No cats were adopted without being vaccinated and fixed.

On one occasion Jane called me. Would I be willing to talk to a senior unhappy with her adoption? What do you want me to say, I asked. Just talk to her. So I spent a few hours chatting with a senior, who missed her previous cat and was lonely. What's the problem? asked Jane. This one doesn't want to be petted. She needs a companion commented Jane. Yes. But mostly she needs an affectionate cuddler. Jane found her an older cat, left behind by another senior. The match was made.

Jane is also globally connected. She knows about shelters in Europe keeping multiple cats in a room rather than cages and that Europeans believe that they are nocturnal(they're not) and that it's cruel not to let them roam. They do just fine indoors.

They also run awareness campaigns. Cats are not problematic for the bird population. They barely get them. They're much more interested in small rodents. They should be kept indoors; from cars to kids to being stolen, the dangers are numerous. Most plants are toxic, they still chew them. As the wildlife population is migrating into cities, coyotes do hunt cats. Foxes usually go for kittens, but can spread disease. Cats, especially males will get into fights and FIV is as contagious as a sneeze. Prior to Halloween black cats are not adopted out. That has to be a myth. Jane corrected me; mostly teens who dabble with the occult. OMG.

I helped out with their newsletter researching and writing about cat physiology behavior treatment. Everything backed up by science and statistics. Cat grass doesn't help their digestion, it helps long haired cats who groom themselves a lot get rid of hairballs. Its about the only thing I can successfully grow from seed. I usually plant a few pots every week. Jane taught me that cats are not as independent as we think. They can be trained to fetch, walk on a leash, know a few words, recognize their name. It's just that most people don't know how and can't be bothered. 

One of mine loved joining us for dinner and wouldn't eat in the evening unless I sat with him. Constantly bringing me to his dish until I got it and pulled up a kitchen chair. I would sit and talk to him until he finished his meal. Another would wait by her brush to be brushed. When I heard that any cat can be trained, I taught one of my older cats to sit, give paw and alternate paw. It took half an hour and treats. I had done the same with my dog, it just never occurred to me to try it with a cat. All of them play hide and seek with me. Running up and down the stairs is great exercise for both of us.

We just need to pay attention.

 It's another myth by people who do not know how to communicate with a cat. As mentioned in a previous post they are non verbal, by the time they vocalize we have missed their subtle body language entirely. All of our cats stay off the counter, but not the office desk. Positive reinforcement and a firm "No! Down. Good boy" eventually works. Owners have the patience to train dogs, but not cats.

I found the video of very typical cat behavior not only breaking up a fight but calming the agitated cat.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AnimalsBeingBros/comments/17g4c6a/cat_playing_peacemaker_between_two_cats_that_are/

Not only does she intervene, but she ensures the aggressor is comforted. Another behavior that cats do not forgive is being mistreated. If you're chronically hissed at you're doing something wrong.

While I didn't adopt Stripes, I did adopt others. Mostly "problem cats". I get to make a difference; four paws at a time.

Beauty and a tiny history of Urban design

 

Art deco pool in the movie Passengers

As a teen I read Anne Rice's melodramatic Interview with a vampire series. Mostly trash with a few good passages. In it an intellectual vampire named Louis struggles with immortality and feels detached from the modern world. He spends a few decades reading literature and art and complains about not beeing able to connect to the contemporary world after centuries of being alive.

Of course, too young to have experienced decades of life, I did not understand him. An immortal able to read at supernatural speed, imagine all the things he could accomplish and do and READ.

For some reason I feel this detachment from the modern world when it comes to tech, art and design. An interesting 15 minute look on urban design and history can be seen in the new channel by the Cultural Tutor.

"The cultural tutor how did the modern world become so ugly":

https://youtube.com/watch?v=tWYxrowovts

I'm not sure convenience is the reason that the 60s gave as the ugliest design of all time; brutalism. Gone are the very pretty art deco, art nouveau movements in city planning.

I enjoy walking. Cities like Paris, London and Prague are not more walkable than other cities, but they do provide interesting buildings and details to look at. Slowing down to sit in a park with ornamental features are the oases in modern life.

I'm not fond of Victorian ornamentation, but had hoped that by now design would have thought of our own twentyfirst century ornamentation, rather than the ubiquitous square box look.

In science fiction movies I always pay attention to the set design. The future is always envisioned similarly: white, sleek, clean and sterile. It does not seem more futuristic, but seems to imply that we'll do away with design beyond function.

Main area from the movie The Passengers 

The design from this movie was featured in Architectural digest. To me the main area of the space ship looks like the interior of a mall. The rest is an updated art deco.

That our surroundings influence our mood is scientifically proven. If only the public demanded nicer living spaces and didn't leave city planning and design to cities negotiating building contracts of the cheap for now, pay more later (when it needs to be replaced) mindset.

Hope in the mist

 

I came across this semi precious gem of a movie through a recommendation. I drove by the independent video store after work and was delighted to see the customer service person whom I knew from university working that night. The video store had a great selection of foreign movies and scifi/fantasy and an owner who encouraged his staff to converse with customers. I needed a good movie and Stephen Kings the mist had just been released on DVD. The last thing I need is another formulaic Stephen King story where evil is defeated then returns I told Christine. She smiled. Watch it it's gooood, she told me. I rented it and expected nothing.

If you have not watched Stephen Kings The Mist, this post contains spoilers.

I'm not fond of horror; but this was not horror. It was about a group of people thrown into a frightening and increasingly horrific and hopeless situation. A study in human nature and the breakdown of society. The people who band together to help one another, the macho guy who crumbles in fear and cowardice, the courageous mother walking alone to save her children, the courageous seniors toughened and strengthened by life. The useless young soldiers and MPs. The managers of a store who were surprisingly capable. A cross section of humans from all demographics, each credible within their representation. As I watched I remember thinking I know someone just like that. I watched people grouping and regrouping and know that some people turn heroic and others irrational.

Throughout the movie I asked myself how would I react, what would I do in that particular situation. Since I had read and watched so much scifi, I probably would have been less surprised, probably would have explained that as unlikely as it sounds we were dealing with an alien ecosystem and food chain. Would it have helped? Probably not.

Above all was Marcia Gay Harden's oscarworthy performance as the nut bar fundamentalist Bible thumper; the opposition to rational thought and science. Eventhough science was responsible for creating this mess in the first place. Scientific experimentation gone wrong is a common theme in sci fi.

Below is one of my favorite movie conversations and a great simple summary of human behavioral history. It is also an argument that I've been hearing more of recently. (There is no horror, just conversation)

https://youtube.com/watch?v=YfTU6x_nXso

I watched it for the first time in about 2008, sat in shocked silence as David makes his incomprehensible choice. Well, what was the point of that? Then came the lifting of the mist as rescue came and started to clean up. An incredible scene that epitomized lost hope and never losing it. Eventually the mist and fog disperses.

I watched it again last week as we're in the fog of war to see if my opinion had changed. No. But I did notice Mrs. Carmody more and how dangerous fundamental religion and beliefs have become. I've actually met a few Mrs. Carmodys in the intervening years. I also noticed that I had changed; surprised by the character's shock at watching others suffer. It has become so normalized that I have encountered too many people that are numb and apathetic and needed a movie to remind me that the humane in humanity still exists.

Oh. Yeah. And hope.

Autumn 2025 poetry

 

R.M.Rilke (1875-1926) was a skilled Austrian poet and Novelist. The translations don't do him justice.

Xin Qiji was a military general and poet, who wrote his verses reflecting musical patterns. Chinese is not among the languages that I speak so I'm guessing that it has an even greater impact in the original.

Equality in Fiction?

 This topic has had its online discussions. I've been thinking about Hollywood and casting choices. Along with exceptional older actresses that like Helen Mirren or Judy Dench and the loss of good roles as they get older. I believe it was Mirren who said that women end up as grandmas.

The problem is that good roles are not being written for women. Action heroes are males and even on the rare occasion that it's a female, they're written as emulating male heroes.

I used to watch Dr. Who, an interesting show that I'll always identify with Tennant. When they had a female it simply, imo, did not fit the character. I felt the same when there were resulting conversations about Bond. It was written for a male character. Again, I don't see Bond as a female. There is too much history.

Awareness is important, but fixing it with rewrites and remakes instead of original stories is not the answer. This is particularly bad in fantasy. Geared toward young males Jordan's Wheel of time series has a main character who on his path to rescue the world picks up a fellowship of "strong" female characters, all of whom love him. Game of thrones introduced a very cool character in Khaleesi, who the male author eventually discards as insane. She is the Queen of Dragons a strong mind would have made more sense.

Young geeks grow up. They still enjoy classic literature and fantasy. The only masterpiece of its kind; LOTR was written for an adult audience. The focus was no longer on relationships (as many young adult novels focus on), but the maturity of completing a seemingly impossible mission and friendship. Somehow that book seemed more progressive than what followed. The scene where Galadriel refuses the power of corruption remains incredibly memorable. I cannot imagine LOTRs fellowship to be all female, but I'd like to read an original story in the genre where the fellowship is female. It would offer a different perspective.

The Russian movie Attraction was a little different. Still geared towards teens, but an alien species of scientists and explorers. Apparently different stories can be written.