I Robot

Posted on September 13, 2026 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged AI, Computer, Film, I Robot, Issac Asimov, robots, school library, Sci fi, three lawsLeave a comment

I’m just rewatching the film I Robot for about the fifth time. I remember watching it when it first came out as I’d read the Issac Asimov book that the film is based on when I was a teenager. I read a lot of his other books too. For example the Rest of the Robots. There are several books about Robots but other interesting ideas too.

They were written several decades ago so they are quite anachronistic (this was the era of Flash Gordon and Sci fi anthologies like Amazing Stories). There’s lots to read out there if you can obtain copies although someay have gone out of print. I was always borrowing them from the school library.

I remember being impressed by the three laws of Robotics. To paraphrase , A robot cannot cause harm to a human. A robot must obey the orders of humans unless they cause harm to humans and lastly a robot must save itself unless that would cause harm to a human….

With all the discussions about AI I think that the three laws should apply to computers too…. Hopefully it’s already included in programming?

Sunrise

Posted on September 11, 2026 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Awake, Colours, Dawn, Green, Morning, Night, Orange, Pink, Purple, Silhouette, Sunrise1 Comment

Silhouetted by the sky, the untidy buildings are disguised by the brilliance of the colours above them. I didn’t get out in time for the deep pink colour that had glared out five minutes before. But the orange and purples made me smile.

This shimmering scene may ported rain, it is forecast. Pale ochre feilds in the distance are starting to bleed green shoots through their dusty surfaces.

I don’t normally get up early enough to see the dawn, but this time I’d been awake all night… I’m glad I saw it.

Smug or smarmy?

Posted on September 10, 2026September 10, 2026 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged definition, Dictionary, Mug, pleased with yourself, salami, smarmy, smug, Thinking, Words1 Comment

I looked up both words to find images on the free image search here. Smug (feeling very pleased with yourself, but in a selfish sort of way) came up with a picture of a mug. Smarmy (pleased with yourself whilst not thinking much of others) came up with salami sandwiches.

I’m tempted to post a dictionary description for both these words as I know I probably haven’t got them right, but I’ll leave that to you. I just enjoy using interesting and different words.

Sweet potato

Posted on September 8, 2026September 8, 2026 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Food, Life, Cooking, Curry, Ideas, Potato, Baked, sweet potato, savory, mash2 Comments

I didn’t realise how tasty these tubers were. We always ate ordinary jacket potato’s and boiled or mashed ones, so it was a bit of a change.

But then someone suggested trying them because they have less carbohydrates and they also have fibre. Good if you have diabetes, and reduces sugar intake

They also go really well in curries. So if you haven’t tried them? See what you think. They get my vote. Easy to cook and really tasty.

Green eyes

Posted on September 6, 2026 Posted in Cat, Memories, UncategorizedTagged Black and white cat, boop, Cat, Eyes, Life, Love, olive green, Poem, Poetry, Purring, Tuxedo cat2 Comments

Like olives

Shining ovals

Stare out at me

Boop

Purring…

Touch noses

Then a pounce

Onto the floor

Off on an adventure

Back later

For more

Hero

Posted on September 3, 2026 Posted in Uncategorized, SketchingTagged Art, ArtRage app, Bronze, Digital drawing, Doodle, Greek god, Hero, Imagine, Sketching3 Comments

Doing some digital drawing in Artrage. Since there is a new film out about the trojan horse and it was on my mind I decided to try and draw a Greek hero. It’s meant to look metallic, like a bronze bust. It certainly feels illustrationish. Pure imagination. On another thought. I wonder if I draw left handed profiles because I’m right handed (but right handed three quarter faces.?)

AI thoughts

Posted on September 1, 2026 Posted in Uncategorized, Fine Art, MemoriesTagged AI, algorithms, Art, computer learning, Learning, Opinion, plagiarism, real, Thinking, uncanny valley1 Comment

The question of AI came up in an art group I am part of. I wrote this as a suggestion :

When you think People using photoshop and other illustrative tools to create cartoons and images these tools are quite recent. If AI is used for that purpose then it’s probably OK. Artists also change original art, for example surreal changes to the Mona Lisa by Salvador Dali. What I am concerned about is people taking art and altering it and passing it off as their own. Plagiarism is not OK. As long as that doesn’t happen I can see a place for it. Thinking about the shock of the new book I can see we could be on the edge of a revolution like the impressionists and the changes they unleashed
I think things like extra fingers and and anatomically incorrect bodies take us into the so called uncanny valley. But perhaps artists can use this to our advantage. Creativity boosting AI imagery if we are lucky?

A neighbours cat

Posted on August 30, 2026August 30, 2026 Posted in Cat, Memories, UncategorizedTagged Black and white cat, Cat, Cheeky, dislike, Ginger, My cat, Neighbours, orange cat, Sitting, yowling3 Comments

Seems to be moving in. I turned round yesterday and it was on the arm of the chair, she keeps coming in and stealing my cats food.

The two of them have yowling matches, hurling insults at each other.

I’m sure the cat is from about 3 or 4 doors up and I don’t want to encourage it as they might get annoyed.

It’s just come in again, I will have to go and shoo it out again.

Pink sky in the morning

Posted on August 27, 2026 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged amber warning, Climate change, mud slides, Nepal, Red sky, Storms, Thinking, Thunder, Weather1 Comment

View through my bedroom window this morning. We had a couple of rumbles of thunder last night which resulted in my damp cat jumping on the arm of the chair for a bit of reassurance.

Today’s forecast is for light rain and a light breeze, but more widely our area has an amber warning issued for thunder showers with a risk of flooding and disruption to travel.

However this is so incredibly minimal compared with the terrible mud slides and flooding in Nepal. So far 160 people have died and 1400 people are reported missing. Yet another climate disaster.

We must stop ignoring the damage we have, and are causing to our precious planet.

Window

Posted on August 26, 2026 Posted in Fine Art, Memories, UncategorizedTagged Stoke-on trent, Memory, Exhibition, Window, Silhouette, shadow, Bright light, Fenton Town Hall, ballroom1 Comment

Window with curtains

Town Hall window with curtains, I loved the silhouette this made, the brightness of the daylight outside emphasised the shape, and the height makes it feel elongated. It’s like a tall house with a pointed roof.

Taken in the ballroom of Fenton town hall, Stoke-on-Trent.