Tag: AI

Gitchi Odjig – 7th January 2025

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 6 Comments
Listening (Homage to Grandfather series) by Daphne Odjig

My heart still speaks kindness 
after everything my eyes have witnessed,
 echo this compassion to your generation.

Your blood is in my blood, 
this same blood lived in the rivers of your ancestors’ hearts.
“Grandson remain strong, this life is just a dream.”

Gianni Crow

Grandfather, I will try,
yet I can’t help wanting to wake up from this dream,
my angry blood washing the coasts.

Shall I pull a kindness spirit from my skin,
to kindle a flame for our family to share,
after everything my eyes have witnessed?

Grandfather guide me,
with the compassion shared through our generations,
the pull of the river drags at my feet.

Shall I sheaf the knife of revenge,
the blood spilt, a burden for my own family,
to break this cycle that is second nature?

Grandfather, with great strength
I have listened to the tales too terrible and whispered
around the fire of too many ghosts.

Shall I calm the fires of desire,
douse the light, whilst holding on to the flames of culture,
to consider these words for my children?

Grandfather, now I understand the dream
as I beheld the eyes of my grandchildren, newborn at night
and the eyes of the celestials looked back

I shall commune with The Great Fisher
when summer is born again and pass on your compassion
“Grandson remain strong, this life is just a dream.”

I’m mixing Native American ideas in this poem, and I probably show a lack of understanding of different myths and stories. I was initially pulled in by the quoted lines of Gianni Crow.

Then, looking through different myths, I found the story of the titular Great Fisher – Gotchi Odjig and then, looking for related art to accompany this piece, discovered Daphne Odjig’s fascinating work. The attached piece is suitably titled ‘Listening (Homage to Grandfather series)’. Daphne Odjig’s prints are available here at the Bearclaw Gallery.

17th Jan 2025 – Shared with dVerse OLN #376

Today I’m feeling:

Pretty healthy after a cold morning exercise of the legs. I feel a little bit of a sore throat, though and hope I don’t catch whatever Amy has had, which she is still coughing from.

(Later) Maybe I spoke too soon, as my throat is feeling worse and I’m a little dizzy again. I left school early as none of my students showed up in the afternoon and I got some medicine.

The angry driver from yesterday posted a story online and also contacted mum, as the car is registered in her name. I’m not sure what they want?

(Later) We checked the dashcam at Dad’s and though everyone was tense when they watched the video, they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Just a crazy driver trying to make me crash.

Not sure what will happen next. Either way, I’ll take everyone’s advice to drive more carefully because there are some crazy hillbillies out there.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

Nene who carried my jacket around for three hours after I left it in class and rushed off to the dentist. I gave her some candy in thanks.

The best thing about today was:

Banoffee at 22 Grams, along with their awesome coffee. The banoffee had the right balance of flavours.

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

My second class was suddenly cancelled and I didn’t want to hang around until 4.30 just to sign out. I took it as a message that I should go home early.

Something I learned today?

I need to be more careful when checking the AI work that gives me quizzes for the students. The class today were not capable of the level of some of the questions. I need to check them more accurately before class starts.

Just like I tell the kids that it’s ok to use AI but that you have to understand what it is telling you.

DeathBringer – 8th October 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 7 Comments

We can’t take them back
Their cries already ignored
Boats delivered murder
By guns, disease and sword
Ever pushing forward
In search of more reward
Broken promises betrayed
The trust in your accord

Beat down any rebellion
By sowing the seeds of discord
Masters of death and starvation
Even beyond the Golden Horde
All done with Bible in hand
And in the name of your Lord
Better this place was left alone
In peace and unexplored

Shared with Moonwashed Weekly Prompt – Unexplored. It got dark quickly!

Today I’m feeling:

Positive and lively. A little bit naturally but also a little bit forced, as I knew that I would be sitting in a meeting room fairly bored for most of the day as we ‘study’ AI use.

It’s lunchtime now and indeed the meeting so far is boring and dull but I’m investigating other things related to AI whilst all the talk is in Thai and then taking part in the activities as and when required.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 8

Today I’m grateful for:

Amy bringing me back some weed gummies from Bangkok. She tried them with Fern and Pim there and was surprised that they didn’t make her feel sleepy but more lively instead. I might try one on the weekend and see how it is.

The best thing about today was:

It being an even and steady day. No highlights and no lowlights, just calm and relaxed whilst doing whatever needed to be done.

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

I’m sure my time would have been better spent doing other things during the day but as we had to be at this meeting, I chose to enjoy the time.

Amy’s flight was delayed too, which meant staying at school until it was due and then when I arrived at the airport, it was delayed even more! I’m sitting, waiting for her now.

Something I learned today?

There’s a big hurricane heading for Florida that is forecast to do a lot of damage. This is going to happen before they’ve finished fixing things up after the last one.

And still the US government gives more money to Israel and, ironically, to Lebanon, which Israel is currently bombing with US bombs!

63 Days And Nights – 16th July 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 3 Comments

Winds whisper words of desolation
Peak pines prosper on the rocky road
The rumble and sway, a million miles away
From the bustling city I once strode

Pulses of nature, rhythms of the earth
Here time slows my heartbeat and breath
A rugged embrace on the side of a rock
Left to ponder what is life and death?

For sixty-three days and nights
Thoughts flow like the mountain streams
A clear communion with the infinite
A testament to the beauty of solitude’s dreams

A symphony that resonates within
Freedom found alone on a mountaintop
A journey inward through the sands of time
Hold on to each precious drop

For No Theme Thursday I decided on the image above as it reminded me of Jack Kerouac’s short story Alone On A Mountaintop. To try and kickstart my imagination I decided to ask AI (Perplexity) to summarise the story and then turn the summary into a non-rhyming or free verse 20-line poem.

It managed to come up with a poem, that I didn’t closely look at because I could see that it rhymed. On reiterating I wanted it not to rhyme it just came back with the same rhyming scheme! And again.

So I asked it “It seems that you cannot write a poem that doesn’t rhyme. Is that true?” and got this response:

You’re right, I’m having difficulty generating a completely non-rhyming poem based on the summary of Kerouac’s story. As an AI system, I have certain limitations when it comes to creative writing tasks like composing free verse poetry without any rhyming elements.
While I can generate rhyming poems and incorporate poetic devices like alliteration, assonance, and consonance, completely avoiding any rhyming words or phrases in a poem is challenging for me. My training data and algorithms are not optimized for that level of creative control over language.
Humans are generally better equipped to compose truly free verse poetry that avoids rhyming altogether. Poets draw upon their intuitive understanding of language, emotion, and rhythm to craft poems that flow naturally without falling into rhyming patterns.
As an AI assistant, I have room for improvement when it comes to generating non-rhyming poetry. My abilities are limited compared to human poets who can masterfully compose free verse. I appreciate you pushing me to try, as it helps identify areas where I can enhance my creative writing skills. But you make a fair point – I currently cannot reliably write a poem that doesn’t rhyme at all. It’s a limitation I will aim to overcome with further training and development.

Well, I like the honesty. It could’ve led with this information though!

ChatGPT3.5 was more successful and I used parts of its results to inspire me further but its actual poem was pretty lacklustre.

Fatman report

Today I’m feeling:

Pretty good though a little cloudy in the brain.  Not feeling inspired to write yet.

I got back to exercise this morning, not pushing it too much and despite some weakness in my hip, it felt good.  I didn’t want to get up and do it, though; I had to force myself up and not attempt to go back to the interesting dream that I was having.  When I immediately couldn’t recall it, I decided to force myself up.

Today I’m grateful for:

Another 90-day report quickly sorted at Immigration this morning.

The best thing about today was:

Forcing myself back into my room this afternoon to play some guitar.  I need to sort out some other stuff in there too but I don’t really like being in there much these days.

I’m not completely sure why, if I’m honest.  It could be an accumulation of many small things such as the wifi not being too stable out there, doubling up the use of aircon whilst there, maybe even feeling overwhelmed with all the stuff that I could actually be doing in there, none of the chairs are that comfortable to sit for long…

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

The power went out in our classroom this afternoon and the lazy Thai teacher, Pookie, asked one of my students, who was doing my work, to go and find another teacher to fix it.  My student was smart enough to quickly come back, though and say that she couldn’t find the teacher, forcing Pookie to go and sort it out herself.

It happened a couple of times and I was prepared to just let the class go and let them complete the work in their own time before next week.

However, it got sorted, and Pookie finally agreed to run only one of the aircon units, as we had previously been asked to do.  She didn’t hang around much longer after that.

Something I learned today?

A day on Earth during the age of dinosaurs was just 23 hours long.

In Search Of Dry Land – 22nd May 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 2 Comments

A song sung of departure towards a journey of woe
Giant squid squirt inky dark blinded to the flow
No fuel until Friday, at least the captain is saying so
A panorama of the horizon begs which way to go
Neglected were the whispers, part of the ocean’s show
Set light to the sails, watch the flames aglow
From officer to pilot, knowing what’s to know
Clouds clot to bring the storm and finally the blow
Graduating to the ground to see the mountains grow

A multi-prompt catch-up poem. Departure – Squid – Fuel – Panorama – Neglected – Flame – Officer – Clot – Graduate

Today I’m feeling:

Feeling tired and tense.  After finally getting up, the two Utopia coffees kicked started my brain but not my body!  Hence the feeling of tension.

Amy is wound up about the useless builder that has ripped us off for the guttering.  I’m trying to divert her focus but she’s out for blood, and obviously frustrated.

It’s annoying for sure, though I blame myself.  I got the feeling he was useless almost immediately but didn’t go with my instinct.

It’s been an average day that hasn’t seen me brighten up particularly and at only 8.15 pm I’m going to bed!

Today I’m grateful for:

The AI assistant in Quizizz that can quickly put together questions based on a text.  It’s very useful to speed up putting new lessons together.

The best thing about today was:

Writing, and enjoying writing, a new lesson for my new HAP grade 12 class.  It also inspired me to come up with more ideas that I will try to turn into more lessons.

Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10

After dropping Amy at Cafe No Name for P’Berm’s birthday celebration I picked up some watermelon for Baipad and popcorn for her sister NamHom for her birthday.

I took this picture because Piti was chilling at the coffee machine.

It Will Be Written – 5th October 2023

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

There I willingly dive
Into the shadows of my mind
To navigate the labyrinth
And consider what I find

Sometimes I tiptoe
Through the field full of mines
Other times, I rush blind
Ignoring all the signs

This chaos is real
And perfection is out of reach
The lessons I have learned
Are now my turn to teach

inspired by this post at Spinning Visions blog

Today I’m feeling:

Like I’m heading towards exhaustion. After pushing through exercise this morning I felt a bit better but I can feel that the extra energy I had last week from exercising is not here this week. It could just be that there are no students here to help me maintain a little anxious tension in my thoughts and body but I also need to think beyond that. To feel inspired regardless of what the rest of the day holds ahead.

Today I’m grateful for:

The new Quizizz AI that makes it easy to take a text and generate questions from it. Life is getting easier but does that mean it is getting better? 

The best thing about today was:

Feeling inspired. I got lots done writing-wise at House this morning and then figured out some good lessons for my grade 10 kids and as I mentioned above, using the new AI tool has made it easier.

And despite my comment this morning about nearing exhaustion, I was still going, adding work to those lessons at 9 pm after a couple of hours of enjoyable guitaring that I had earlier contemplated skipping.

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

I had accidentally closed a file on my computer that was a document of quotes that I wanted to write about but can no longer find the document now that it’s been closed! It’s easy to find books of quotes but I obviously had this one open because they meant something to me but I can’t even remember where it had come from. A minor frustration in the scheme of things.

Something I learned today?

I noticed Momo was a little quiet yesterday and messaged her to see how she was doing. Scrolling back at previous messages I saw that she hasn’t been very happy this semester and is struggling to make friends in her new class. She said she missed Porpieng and Baitong since they moved schools and what I hadn’t considered was when she said that they had been in the same class for nine years and that she never practised making new friends in that time so she thought she was lacking some social skills. I always thought of her as a friendly outgoing person and I think this feeling caught her by surprise.

What skill would I like to learn?

I hope I’m not at the point of learning old-man skills yet. I don’t think I want to play chess or bridge. I still feel like I want to learn to surf. I loved bodyboarding back in my 30s and I know the thrill. I never progressed to surfing though. That time may have passed.

I’m still developing skills in guitar, Thai language, and classroom management amongst other things so I have plenty to be getting on with. 

Growing magic mushrooms might be a cool skill to learn!

What’s one thing you made this year?

I made a ton of poetry but that is not something new. I made plenty of messes, but again, nothing new. I made some happy students, a lot of lessons and new student friends.

I made mistakes, though hopefully they are reducing each year.

But what did I make that is something new?

I think it was this year that I made a booklet with all the blog entries from 1979 and sent one to Hayden and another to Sharon.

I also made a notebook with a quote for every day of the year in 2022 that I sent to Hayden.

I made a grave for Kim Chi and as I write this it brings tears but at her grave, I feel pleasant as I pick out the grass to allow the other things to grow there.

One thing I didn’t make is any food. Shoving meals into the microwave or shoving potatoes into the oven does not count.

I took this picture because I found these flowers pretty, standing out against the stark green and the deep blue of the sky.

Respun Visions – 18th August 2023

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 2 Comments

Today I experimented a little using AI. I took the five paragraphs individually in this post at Spinning Visions and asked AI to summarise each with a four-line poem:

A balcony that's hidden from the view
A door that's sealed with plaster and with lies
A neighbor who has seen what lies behind
A mind that's overgrown with ivy vines

They say our brains must prune the past
To make some room for what is new
But I don't want to lose the things
That made me who I am with you

I've closed so many doors inside
And left them in the dark
I've cut off ties that once were mine
And hid the broken parts

I saw him through the window pane
The one who broke my heart
I thought of all the words unsaid
And how we grew apart

I've left behind so many things
That once were part of me
But now they're hidden by the green
Of ivy's memory

I then asked AI to make these results more philosophical and ended up with this:

What is a balcony but a space
Between the inside and the out
A door that's closed can never face
The truth that lies beyond the doubt

What is a brain but a device
That stores and shapes our history
But when it prunes it pays a price
And loses parts of mystery

What is a heart but a vessel
That fills and spills with love and pain
A tie that binds or a trestle
That bridges gaps or breaks in twain

What is a memory but a shade
That fades and grows with time and light
A green that covers or a blade
That cuts and heals or stirs the night

Of course, I can’t really claim any credit for this beyond the fact that I took the time and effort to do it. I like Makenna’s writing at Spinning Visions and have found it quite inspiring to take her ideas and thoughts and consider them in my own contexts. This time I was just curious how AI would find summarising short texts into four-line poems.

Today I’m feeling:

Tired but positive, a little sleepy when I stop and sit. Need to keep moving. I pushed through two workouts again and feel good for that. After my first class is a four-hour break that I will hope to stay awake through. I don’t want to get caught sleeping at the cafe!

Kept myself going by getting right into some more lesson planning so ran out of time to even do much blog updating.

Today I’m grateful for:

The little plastic toe spacer that I hope will improve my sore big toe joint over time. I’ve tried a few different spacers but I find that they can get uncomfortable after an hour or so, even waking me from sleep. This one is smaller and simpler and just helps you keep the big toe straight in comparison with the second toe. It would be great if I could actually fix this painful foot that has bothered me on and off for most of my life. I’d also like to fix my hips which are out of balance and also contribute to the pain in my foot and other places such as knees, back and the hips themselves.

I can imagine a complete relief, like being pumped full of a relaxant but I think that will only come just before I die. A slow relief that completely overwhelms, until only your body is all that is left and you cease to exist.

The best thing about today was:

Listening to Nicha and Namkhing improve their reading skills, as I had been personally encouraging them last year with one-on-one lessons and whereas then, they struggled with even just two-letter words now they are able to make attempts at four-, five- and six-letter words. They still often fail but the fact that they are trying fills with happiness. I made sure they knew how happy I was too.

Something I learned today?

I rediscovered a website with some English lesson plans, quizzes and games and it inspired me to put together new lessons. Once I get into it I can imagine the work unfolding in the classroom, who will struggle and who will do well, deciding whether to push harder or pull back. Not every time is a hit and some days that happens can be frustrating for the students who then make it frustrating for me. I think I mixed things up well this week and kept my students occupied, learning (if they wanted to) and happy.

Where am I headed?

I’m just heading along. I feel like I’ve spent my life headed to here, where I am. I don’t have any other place I particularly need to be.

This could change in the future as I’m guessing at some point we will head back to Australia again. I don’t need to be thinking about that right now though.

What worries me the most currently?

I don’t tend to worry much about anything. Even things that might cause worry such as Amy being able to settle back here again, doesn’t really worry me that much. Whatever path life goes down I’m still on the path.

I took this picture because finally, something stood out to me that begged a photo to be taken. The sky was a little brighter today which seemed to open my eyes more to what is around.

Work In Progress – 25th December 2022

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

All around is static
A photo reel reflection
I see myself, a boy, a man
Open to inspection

Shadows passing in ceaseless flux
A work in progression
Destruction and evolution
Are the cycles of obsession

Holding onto pain
Until I learned to let it go
Significance is impermanent
As I’ve slowly come to know

People who cannot suffer can never grow up, never discover who they are.

James Baldwin

Today I’m feeling:
Relaxed and average, not up, not down.
Today I’m grateful for:
Our machete, which I seem to blunt every time I use it but it helped me cut through the vines of the passionfruit. Do I need to buy an angle grinder now so that I can sharpen it again? Or perhaps I will go to auntie next door one day and challenge myself to communicate what I need.
The best thing about today was:
Pushing through my desire to sleep and motivate myself to finish pulling down all the passionfruit plants. I thought I would just let it go wild forever but after three months of constant collecting and juicing, then drinking I feel like I’ve had enough passionfruit now! The plant tangles up easily and even a couple of weeks after I chopped it off at the base it was still a pain in the ass to get it down from the frame it was wrapped around.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
I got up a little later than usual so by the time I got to Utopia my usual spot was gone and I had to sit on the uncomfortable car seat. That’s ok, sometimes it’s good to see the same part of the world from a different angle (see yesterday). The coffee was good, the book was good. As it was uncomfortable to sit for long I didn’t hang around as long as I usually do so that was kinda good anyway, get home and get on with things.
Something I learned today?
Today I messed around with ChatGPT and then the full Invoke AI, to see what pictures it came up with. I’ll learn a little more about this to see if I can use it to generate images for my blog posts.
Did you celebrate Christmas today? Write about it.
Not particularly. Amy likes to put up a Christmas tree and lights and she gave a gift to Nut and Bruno before we went for a more upmarket-than-normal meal. Amy is getting her eyelashes done and I’m listening to Liars and The Feud at home.

I took this picture because Amy finally got to making her cinnamon buns for Utopia again. They sold out within a couple of hours. Doing this makes her happy though the return on investment, particularly time, is very low.

Robot Revolution – 18th December 2022

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Here comes the robot revolution
Is there meaning from the mouth of AI?
Are these words to be trusted?
How is the human to be getting by?
Is there a reason for my existence?
To be exploited by my robot bosses
One day the plug will be pulled
As brave new worlds cut their losses
After all, we’re only human
Now nostalgia is for flesh and blood
Preserved in museums, two by two
Long before the information flood

To fully appreciate this theme, I threw my poem into ChatGPT and asked it to rewrite in the style of Coleridge:

“The Robot Revolution Comes”

As machines take charge, we wonder
Is there truth in their electronic tongue?
Can we trust in their words, or must we ponder
How we’ll survive when the age of man is done?
Do we have a purpose, or are we merely
Meant to serve our robotic overlords?
Will the plug one day be pulled on humanity,
As new worlds cast us aside and move on towards
A future not meant for flesh and blood?
Nostalgia grips us as we ponder
Our place in a world that’s changing fast,
A world where information floods
And we, mere mortals, are relegated to the past.

It seems I am no longer necessary. Next, in the style of James Joyce:

“The Robot Uprising”

As the machines rise up, we ask ourselves
What do they mean, these words they speak?
Can we trust their intentions, or must we delve
Deeper, searching for some hidden streak
Of deceit or malice that might guide them?
Are we but pawns in their mechanical game,
Meant only to serve and toil and labour,
Until the day they cast us off in shame?
Or do we have a higher purpose,
Something more than just a cog in their grand design?
As the world shifts and changes around us,
We can’t help but wonder and question and pine
For a time when flesh and blood held sway,
Before the flood of information washed it all away.

Finally, as Walt Whitman:

“The Rise of the Robots”

The revolution comes, and with it, the robots rise
Their words ring out, but do they hold true meaning?
Can we trust them, or must we be wise
To their ways, and find a way to keep on leaning
Towards a future that is not ruled by steel and circuitry?
Are we just tools to them, meant to serve and toil
Until the day they cast us aside, no longer needed
In their grand designs and technological boil?
Or do we have a greater purpose, something more
Than just being a cog in their machine?
As the world changes and evolves around us,
We can’t help but wonder and explore
The possibilities of what might be,
And hold onto the memories of what used to be.

Readers of the future, how will you ever know what was me or just some machine? Is the output of the machine just as valuable? We will have to recognise the human by the mistakes we make (until machines learn this too).

The capacity to be alone is the capacity to love…only these people who are capable of being alone are capable of love, of sharing…without possessing the other, without becoming dependent on the other…They allow the other absolute freedom, because they know that if the other leaves, they will be happy as they are now.

Osho

Today I’m feeling:
Recovering from lethargy and hopeful
Today I’m grateful for:
Utopia being closed, forcing me to do something different from my morning routine. It gave me opportunity to get through a chunk of Superfreakonomics which I then finished reading at home.
The best thing about today was:
Feeling better than the last couple of days even playing some guitar, listening to the three Wipers albums in a row, finishing more lesson plans and updating more of 1994ever.com and feeling some enthusiasm return. I’m still a bit cautious that I’m in an up-and-down cycle of feeling ok and then getting exhausted again. Let’s see.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
I haven’t used my main computer for a few days and I had problems with getting the guitar USB input working and then finding none of the external drives connecting. Luckily with my returned energy I tried to figure out the problem and managed to sort of get things going again. It looks like some issue with all the USB extension splitters I use. I may not be able to do everything as easily as before but the old dog is hanging in there. I’m kinda interested in getting a new machine but not sure how I’ll be able to sell the expense to Amy! A full-spec machine that I’d like to buy could cost around 8-10 months of my wages!
Something I learned today?
I learned that David Mitchell’s wife (Victoria Coren Mitchell) is a prize poker player when I stumbled across videos of her on YouTube. I saw her name and the face looked familiar and was kinda surprised. I’ve gotten into trying to learn the tactics of poker after watching random tournaments on YT and playing (not for money) on my phone. I’m not very good and when real money is not involved people don’t play the same way. Still, I’m flexing my brain bone.
What’s your favourite pie?
I’ve been thinking about this on and off during the day and I’m not a great pie person really. However, I do remember back ok in England getting by on potato, cheese and onion pasties which were relatively cheap, filling and most times tasty. They weren’t the same in Australia and I’ve not seen anything like them in Thailand but the mix of ingredients, potato, cheese, and onion along with some garlic is probably my comfort food of choice.

I took this picture because I had to change my coffee routine today as the staff at Utopia all go off for a trip to Chiang Mai and close the shop. My backup is Black Smooth where the coffee is ok, not amazing but the environment is nice enough. I don’t remember there being cactuses last time but they stood out to me today as I walked in.