2024 Quick Daily Posts

[Serinde]

I feel a bout of Arts and Crafts Movement coming on, if not Luddism. Perhaps it's me, but not all change is progress.

[richardandtracy]

I agree that not all change is progress. I want to keep the best of the old and integrate it with the best of the new.

There is a horrible chance of chucking out the cutlery with the washing-up water if we don't think sensibly about it.
(That may seem like an obscure corruption of the normal 'throwing the baby out with the bath water', and I suppose it is. Comes from my mother going out to Singapore in the 'Oxfordshire' troop ship in September/October 1960 to get married. Apparently the section of the trip from India to Singapore was with no cutlery because someone in the galley literally threw all the cutlery out of the port hole after doing the washing up. By complete co-incidence I found at his retirement do that the electrician where I work was on the same troop ship at the same time and confirmed the story. )

Regards,

Richard

[Mabel Figworthy]

Your point about the dangers of hallucinating AI is indeed a very worrying one. There was, as people may have heard/read, the case of the lawyer in America who used it to write their briefs, and it came up with all sorts of convincing case precedents that never happened. Not as lethal as miscalculations in stresses (although it might in states with the death penalty) but even so concerning. And there have been scientists/scholars who found that they have been quoted as having written things (often, again, very plausible things) that they never wrote.

As for the database problem, not sure what gave it the tummy ache. Technology, eh?

[Mabel Figworthy]

And the cutlery story is just very very funny, especially when vouched for by real people

[richardandtracy]

As the AI thread is temporarily dead (sorry ), here's an AI embroidery that would probably turn red from blood very quickly as the owner tried to fit it, if real...


To be honest, it looks both possible and quite nice. Not pushing the envelope in any way, though.

Regards,

Richard

[Mabel Figworthy]

AI blood doesn't stain as badly as real...

[richardandtracy]

Youngest Daughter is now in Osaka, Japan.
Her flight to Tokyo went early yesterday morning, then was due to have a 5hr stop over last night (our time) before flying to Osaka to start a 10 day tour.

Many, many years ago she started reading Manga books (to most, they're comic books with weird stories, but to fans they are almost a way of life.) She now has several thousand in her bedroom, most in collected boxed sets. Her favourite story is 'One Piece', a story that has been going for 25 years, 100+ books and still not reached the end... Reading so many has led to a fascination with Japan and many things Japanese. Over the last couple of years she's been learning first Korean (as an entry language to Japanese because it's supposed to be similar but easier) and then Japanese itself. She can read more than she can speak, but seems to have a similar or better grounding compared to what she has with French learnt at school.

Because the culture is very different, she's gone on an organized tour with her equally obsessed bff who developed her fascination alongside my daughter at school. They are seeing quite a few of the sights, including a temple, the Bullet Train and a trip to Hiroshima.

They're arriving back in the UK on Weds 13th, and I'll be picking them up from Heathrow.

Regards,

Richard

[Mabel Figworthy]

That's going to be a wonderful experience for her - and impressive to learn both Korean and Japanes, now that is taking dedication to your hobby (way-of-life) to the next level!

[richardandtracy]

Absolutely.
TBH it's not a part of the world that has ever attracted me, but she's fascinated, so good luck to her.

Regards,

Richard.

[Mabel Figworthy]

Makes me want to bake Hokkaido milk bread again.... very labour-intensive, but very satisfyingly fluffy.

[Serinde]

@Richard One of my nieces is currently living and working in Korea teaching English to primary school children. She loves it, although it certainly has its challenges. She has also visited Japan, and is fascinated by the culture for many of the same reasons as your daughter.

@Mabel Those rolls look delicious!

[fccs]

Richard,
I would love to go to Japan so I hope she shares her adventures with you so you can share them with us.

Mabel,
And as for those rolls....yes, please.

[richardandtracy]

Had a quick call from my daughter in Japan yesterday (it's amazing one can phone round the world like this).

She has had a fantastic time so far. The flight was a bit of a problem, with her seeming to nearly black out due to lack of oxygen. We've told her to ping a steward/stewardess next time to get some oxygen.

Apparently Mt Fuji has been snow free over summer, but she learnt from the BBC News website that it had snowed the day before her visit, and knew before the tour guide.

Apparently most of the others on the tour are elderly Australians and Americans who have practically adopted my daughter & her friend.

Regards,

Richard

[Roland]

Yesterday I spent the day at the hospital. We went for a short visit to meet our new great grandson.

Since nobody else showed up, and grandson and his gf wanted us to stay, we were there for about 7 hours. The nurse came and took mom and babies vitals, and I put baby to sleep, and nurse & I convinced mommy to have a nap. Daddy also slept in the corner. They all slept for a couple hours.

She had gone in Friday night to be induced. Things were not going as planned, but about 5:40 in the morning he was delivered by c-section. They are both doing well.

[Mabel Figworthy]

Lovely news Roland, and how wonderful to be able to spend all that time with them!

Richard, I love the idea of your daughter having collected a whole troupe of aunties and uncles in Japan
Good snow timing!

[Serinde]

Yesterday I spent the day at the hospital. We went for a short visit to meet our new great grandson.

Congratulations! Glad all went well. Mum will learn that sleeping when baby sleeps is the only solution; embrace the bohemian lifestyle for a while.

[Serinde]

Had a quick call from my daughter in Japan yesterday (it's amazing one can phone round the world like this).

Apparently most of the others on the tour are elderly Australians and Americans who have practically adopted my daughter & her friend.

Rarely can one have too many volunteer aunties and uncles! So glad they are having a grand time and that Fuji is snowcapped as it should be.

[richardandtracy]

Ho hum.

MIL decided to have another turn again. It was Tracy's turn (fortunately, I thought) to deal with MIL. Phone call at 3.30am. She'd fallen over, was dizzy and all the usual stuff. Had had a problem while going to the loo. Possibly - parts of what she says are mutually incompatible. Apparently she fell over, hurt her back and hip as she fell (red marks visible), banged her head on the floor, got up and sat on the loo (where she was when Tracy got there), but says she can't get up off the floor having fallen over, and had no marks on her head, and insisted she was still lying on the floor and was surprised to be told she was sitting on the loo.

Anyway, as Tracy was cleaning up and helping MIL, our big cat Ozzie had a problem, started yowling pathetically & went a huge heap (large dog quantity) on the bathroom vinyl floor while looking desperately embarrassed and uncomfortable. I cleared the heap up, and stupidly I managed to block the loo with paper while doing so. I was concerned that it might happen, but the stench was so eyewatering I was focused on clearing it up ASAP and not waking Enya by flushing the loo too often.. What a noodle. Then had to go out to the workshop & get my loo un-blocker. All of which meant I'd have preferred to be looking after MIL instead... Doh. Live and learn. At least, I hope I learn.

We both finished at about 6am.

Eventful morning, much longer, more eventful and with much less sleep than hoped for last night.

Regards,

Richard

[Serinde]

Sounds pretty full on. My heart goes out to all of you. And Ozzie, poor beast. Better out than in?

[richardandtracy]

I think so.
He was so embarrassed. He also head butted me a couple of times afterwards, which I assume was recognition that I didn't shout at him when maybe I had some cause. Maybe I'm anthropomorphizing, but I don't think it's by too much. We all know each other quite well and he did look abashed.

Regards,

Richard