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Pigeons V Crows
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Blog
- Hits: 13
Now, the Pigeons have proved a problem. One particularly big and bright one figured out that the Crows appeared when I appeared, thus the peanut crumbs appeared when I appeared and somehow - in some great leap of imagination or reasoning, decided to come straight to me, the source.
So I crushed a couple up under foot, and thus began his harassment of me. All the other pigeons, they haven't figured it out, the bob-around aimlessly in their hit-and-miss style, but the big boss comes right to me.
When he's fed he can get quite aggressive, chasing off the competing pigeons, despite there being plenty enough to go around.
Fact #2, apparently they recognize people.
Now - this is the strange thing, he does all sorts of ridiculous things to get my attention - jumping to sit beside me on the concrete barrier, swooping me, even - while on the ground and running about my feet - tilting his bobbing head to catch me in his eye.
If you've ever watched a pigeon, or stared one in the eye, you'll probably share my sentiment it's hard to fathom what's going on in there, but - nonetheless, there has to be something.
I try the experiment of lying out a half-pound of peanuts and sunflower seeds. The disappear, quickly, and yet none of them seem full. Do they get full? Do they ever leave the buffet? I mean, they're all well-fed, healthy, so what the hell is up with this perpetual eating? Do they have nothing else to do? Is this what the life of a pigeon is, eat your fill and then go look for more to eat? Is there nothing else?
***
The crows, in the morning, are frequently besieged by the pigeons. The smart ones fly away to a tree or lamppost, a brave few try and eat it in the parking lot; they don't want to lose sight of me, they'll run the pigeons off by stooping and stabbing with their beak, when they finish the nut they turn and look beseechingly at me hoping I'll throw another.
Most keep a 20-30 foot distance. But there are 2 that have gotten pretty "Familiar", and will sit a couple of feet from me to eat their nut. One is pretty big and will follow me to the building and sit on the handrail when I'm out of nuts. Naturally these are my favourites.
The crows, while I prefer them, are of course no better than the pigeons, (more intelligent, sure) - jostling and jousting over nuts, 2 peanuts and invariably one crow will try and grab them both while obstructing the other. I swear I heard one growl like a dog at another the other day. And, occasionally if you listen and spend enough time with them you'll hear other vocalizations - more pleasing than the too-oft "Caw-Caw-Caw", low warbles and growls, glug-glug noises, etc. I should download a few of their vocalizations on my phone and see if I can't get a conversation going.
Anyways, the landlady's back in a few days, this party will have to move out of the parking lot to someplace a little further afield, she doesn't approve of my getting-on with nature and having an outdoor pet, and once moved we can undertake some more serious training of this circus...
They're Deliberately Winding Down America
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Blog
- Hits: 11
Tom Bilyeu and Simon Dixon
This was an interesting listen. And it makes sense of current geopolitical events - America can't possibly pay it's debts, they need to destroy the old fiat based currency and create a digital currency. That the world is governed by a few large industrial complexes. That wealth in and of itself - certainly great wealth and power, implies some great degree of "Compromise" and the admission to a club that no one should ever want to be a member of.
It sound's like a load of Whackdoodle, but so did a lot of other things once upon a time...
And he sounds very reasonable and explains it in historical terms and provides a reasoned, verifiable point of view.
This, of course, is the meta-truth; that the "Current Administration" south of the border is governed by megalomaniacal leaders; grifters, opportunists, etc, is a side effect - it's Capital's Last Ditch Grab at what resources remain. Trump's actions, howsoever erratic or insane seeming, are proof that his strings are being pulled, and certain names like Peter Theil, BlackRock, Other members of the club are handing him a script of things to do and say every morning with his Alzheimer's medicine.
Which, in his own inimitable way he's getting done.
There is no doubt that America, regardless of whatever happens, is a failing civilization, but the upside is China is doing well - and will be doing better, and that the Global South (Africa, South America) - long ignored, stands to profit greatly from America's collapse.
YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4RawKdA_gM
ChatGPT: Still Life of a Stoner
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Blog
- Hits: 18
SO, trying to use up my free AI allowance (daily) and I've an opportunity to hang some of my "Artwork" in a local pot shop, only a few things; namely that I'm a little bit (a lot) behind in my art-output, and I want to produce something saleable in the venue provided. Hence the prompt, looking for a little inspiration in that direction.
Could you create me, in the classical manner, a still life that reflects upon the life of a stoner? For example, pot plant, joint, other pot-based parapanelia? I'm in Canada, so any concerns you might have can be disregarded as Cannabis is legal here.
The results?
Pretty fucking brilliant, actually..."Leaves of Grass...". Now, should I bother even trying to paint this, or just have it printed on Canvas at Wal-Mart and claim it as my own? After all, I did come up with the prompt...
A Second Opinion: Chat GPT vs Google
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Blog
- Hits: 20
SO, the rhythm, every day unbox yet another trove of books, take photos, inventory, then take them to the bookstore.
I've got one helluva credit.
This day, however, having exchanged my books I discover that my pictures somehow failed me, and a book went to the bookstore without my inventorying it.
This upsets me. I want to know what I've read, where I've been in this life.
This is the photo I have of the book:
That's it. And, racking my brain, for the life of me I can't remember what it was.
It distresses me more than it should.
I conceive the idea that I can upload it to ChatGPT and maybe it can from this fragment of the spine inform me as to what it was.
It fails. Badly. "Show me the other books" it say, the other books, all fine, but not organized in a manner that would give clues as to this one.
I've despaired, am out of options, trying to search for Roman authors with the last name ending in "...ries", having no luck, then Google AI steps up, offers it's AI analysis, and I try again.
Bingo. It comes up "Metamorphosis" by Ovid, edited/translated by Humphries, and - sure enough, that was the book. From this image.
This is no argument for sentience, but AI - should it survive - is one hell of a tool, and my peace of mind is once again restored...
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