A Day With ChatGPT 4.0
Yes, I do believe it's possible that AI will one day destroy the world.
Absolutely.
I think it's far more likely, though, that humans will destroy the world and blame it on AI.
In either case, there's no reason not to use AI in ways that make us happy. While we wait.
First off, I uploaded this picture (one of my favorite adult pictures with Eli 23.7:
Then I asked ChatGPT to create a new image in the Studio Ghibli style. Here's what it gave me:
Eli's scruffy beard is gone, but otherwise, it's amazingly good. Seeing it made me very, very happy.
I tried a few more times, but I couldn't tell the program to take "the father from the first image you created" and "the son from the third image you created" because it just doesn't work like that. What I essentially wanted it do was a basic Photoshop operation after generating a few images, which was impossible.
I sent the image to Eli and it made him happy, too.
Then I used the "deep research" option to research acid reflux, which I've been having problems with for the last few weeks (along with accompanying nausea at times). I input my symptoms, duration, and what I'd already tried. In seven minutes, it returned a 14-page document. Logically presented, thorough, and with source citations.
It would have taken me hours to do that by myself, and I'm sure I wouldn't have found much of the information.
The image generator is wonderful fun to play with, a toy, but the deep research option is a legitimate research option and an absolute game changer.
Dishes
I'm going to use dishes as a metaphor for life. Don't blame me.
When I see a dish in the sink, I'll wash it out. I don't know why, really. I just don't like seeing dishes in the sink. It's a visual thing, plus it uses space. I put most of the dishes in the dishwasher after I wash them, which is another subject entirely.
It's not something I make a conscious effort to do. It's automatic.
I realized yesterday that doing it that way is easy. Nothing ever piles up. In an organizational sense, it's clean.
Gee, that seems like an easy way to do life. Only I don't.
I struggle all the time with putting off tasks I don't want to do. I spend far more time putting them off than I spend doing them.
Part of it could be that taking care of tasks often spawns a set of side tasks. This happened all the time after Gloria's death. Tasks seemed to exponentially multiple as soon as I started on them.
It's not like that now, really. Financial and medical things are the ones most likely to spawn out of control. That's about it, though. Eli 23.7 might message and ask for a Panda by next Tuesday, but his asks always have a tight timeline attached, so they don't last for long.
I'd be interested in hearing if any of you are highly successful in this area. Maybe I (and all of us) could learn something.
Framing
I think I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was going to frame a copy of the game sheet from the Rivalry Match, and also mentioned how unusual it was of me to frame anything.
More than unusual, really. I've never done it before.
I had an excellent picture Eli 23.7 sent me, so I was planning on having it framed in the next week or two.
Last Friday, I went to get the mail and there was a padded envelope from Eli. It's very rare that he sends something from England, and I had no idea what it was.
I opened it up, and it was the game sheet. He'd sent me the original. I called him and he said it made him happy when he thought about sending it to me, so he did.
I took it on Saturday to a framing place, a real one, and spent about half an hour with a very thoughtful person discussing how framing works and what it accomplishes if you do it the right way.
I'll share a picture when I have it back. Oh, and here's what the framing place looked like:
It looks like my brain.
It's Crowded in Here
I became aware of something last week for the first time.
The only way I can write a novel is to have it all in my head at once. I work on specific sections, sure, but all 90,000 words are in my head.
At first, I feel like I'm just infinitely rearranging a warehouse of Scrabble tiles. That's why 90% of the first draft is gone now.
At some point, though, those Scrabble tiles start breathing on their own. They add color. They become vibrant. It's the best part, which is where I am now, before I see everything so clearly and realize it can never be as good as I want it to be.
It's still hard, and annoying. I spent three days looking for a crowbar to wedge into a particular chapter (that needed to be completely rewritten, of course). If I just keep showing up every day at roughly the same time, though, failure gives up.
That's not a bad way of describing the process of writing a novel: making failure give up.
Things I noticed today
Remember the 23andMe craze? On January 2, 2021, the stock closed at $258.80 a share.
Today, it closed at $0.73. That's right, seventy-three cents. And if you want a cherry on that, they filed for bankruptcy.
If you have results from them, you might want to go onto the website and delete them, if you haven't already, due to uncertainly over who might purchase the company.
Second, as the Patron Saint of Lost Causes, I'm of course attracted to the upcoming baseball game between Yeshiva University and Lehman College on April 8.
Why? Because they've lost a combined 124 games in a row.
I was in NYC only a few weeks ago. If only I'd gone in April. You know I'd be there for the entire doubleheader (that's right--two games, not one).
I'm not sure when the other three (!) episodes will be available, but it's worth the wait.
GPT Shanties, day three
ChatGPT
said:
Got it!
Thank you for the clarity. I’ll keep it tighter, more rhythmic, and stripped
down—no excess words. I’ll aim to match the simplicity and flow you’re looking
for with "Tide's Lullaby."
Let’s try
again with a more concise approach, focusing on rhythm and purpose.
1. "Roll
With the Tide"
(Verse
1)
Roll with the tide, the wind’s on our side,
The sea’s in our blood, and the stars are our guide.
We’ve sailed through the storm, we’ve weathered the night,
Roll with the tide, and keep our course right.
(Chorus)
So haul, lads, haul, the ship’s steady and true,
The sea is our mistress, we’re ready for you!
With a shout and a cheer, and the wind in our sails,
Roll with the tide, and set the wind’s trail!
2. "The
Ocean's Call"
(Verse
1)
The ocean’s call is loud and clear,
She pulls at our hearts, draws us near.
Through the mist and the roar, we’ll sail on and on,
The ocean’s call is where we belong.
(Chorus)
So haul, lads, haul, don’t hesitate,
The ocean’s our mistress, it’s never too late!
With the waves at our feet, and the stars in our eyes,
We’ll follow her call, ‘neath the endless skies!
3. "Sail
to the End"
(Verse
1)
Sail to the end, through the fog and the rain,
The sea’s our home, we’ll sail once again.
With the wind in our sails and the stars overhead,
Sail to the end, where the horizon’s red.
(Chorus)
So haul, lads, haul, the course is set,
The sea’s our home, we’ve no regrets!
With the tide in our veins, and the wind at our back,
Sail to the end, we’re on the right track!
These are
more streamlined and should flow better in rhythm. Let me know if any of them
work or if you'd like further adjustments!
You
said:
Sail To
the End is quite good. Thank you.
ChatGPT
said:
You're
very welcome! I'm glad "Sail to the End" hit the mark. If you have
any more tweaks or want to try another round, just let me know. I'm always
ready to help you fine-tune it further. Happy sailing, and may the wind be at
your back!
__________________________________________________________________________________
Taking the lyrics from ChatGPT, I then went to Udio and went through three iterations of song generation. Which I would share for you now but for the radical stupidity of multiple platforms involved in doing this. I'll try to figure it out over the weekend and have it for you on Monday.
GTP Shanties Final Product
After a ridiculous series of steps comparable only to the Manhattan Project in complexity, here's the final result: Sail to the Horizon.
GPT Shanties, day two
ChatGPT
said:
Here’s my
revised set of shanties based on your input:
1. "Sail
Away, Bold and Free"
(Verse
1)
The wind it blows, the waves they rise,
We sail for treasure 'neath open skies.
With a song on our lips, and a heart full of cheer,
Sail away, bold and free, no fear!
(Chorus)
So haul, lads, haul, don’t let her stray,
The ocean’s callin’, we’re on our way!
With the wind in our sails and the stars to guide,
We sail away, bold and free, to the other side!
2. "Heave,
My Hearties"
(Verse
1)
Heave, my hearties, the shore’s far away,
The storm’s on the horizon, but we’ll sail through the day.
We’ve weathered the winds and the heavy, dark seas,
So heave, my hearties, and follow the breeze!
(Chorus)
Heave, lads, heave, we’re strong and we’re true,
The sea’s our mistress, and she’ll see us through!
With a shout and a cheer, we’ll chart our own course,
Heave, my hearties, to the wind and the force!
3. "Tide’s
Lullaby"
(Verse
1)
The tide’s lullaby is callin’ us near,
The ship’s hummin’ softly, no more fear.
The stars are our lanterns, the night’s our friend,
We’ll sail ‘til the dawn, and then sail again!
(Chorus)
So lift your voices, and sing with me,
We’ll sail the wide world, just wait and see!
With the tide at our back, and the wind in our hair,
We’ll chase down the horizon, no matter where!
I’ve kept
the lines tighter and more rhythmic to suit the feel of "Roll, You
Rogues" while making sure they still have that adventurous, bold energy.
Let me know which one you like best or if you have any tweaks to suggest!
You
said:
Sail Away,
Bold and Free is a mess. It's as if your mischievous younger brother broke into
your room and accessed your computer. Heave, My hearties, is still too verbose.
Tide's Lullaby is the best. Remember, these have to be sung in a rhythm, and
any unnecessary words act as friction and slow the words down. If you're going
to introduce friction in a song, do it with purpose, not as a matter of course.
Try again.
GPT Shanties, day one
Please
choose an era-appropriate name for a sailor who sings sea shanties.
ChatGPT
said:
Of course!
How about Silas "Sly" Drake?
Silas has
an old-world charm, and “Sly” as a nickname gives him a bit of a mischievous,
charismatic edge—perfect for a sailor who could be known for his witty
shanties. Drake evokes the image of the sea and adventure, possibly referencing
the famous explorer Sir Francis Drake. It feels like the name of someone who’s
seen many a port and knows the tides like the back of his hand.
You
said:
Let's go
with Silas, then. Silas, I'd like you to write me three short sea shanties.
I'll select the best one and offer additional suggestions. Then you will write
three more. and so on, until you write the perfect sea shanty. For reference,
my three favorites are "Don't Forget Your Old Shipmate,"
"Wellerman," and "Leave Her, Johnny."
ChatGPT
said:
Aye aye,
captain! I’m ready to sing out some shanties for you. Here’s the first
round—let’s see which one strikes your fancy:
1. "Roll,
You Rogues"
(Verse
1)
Oh, roll, you rogues, and make the sails fly,
The wind’s in our favor, the storm's passin’ by.
We’ve got gold in our pockets, the sea at our back,
So roll, you rogues, we’ll never turn back!
(Chorus)
So haul away, boys, and don’t you delay,
The ocean is callin’, we’ll sail her today!
With the wind at our heels, and the stars up above,
We’ll sail 'round the world, for treasure and love!
2. "The
Old Man's Song"
(Verse
1)
There’s a tale the old man’s been singin’ for years,
Of a ship that sailed off, through the storm and the tears.
She creaked and she groaned, but she never did break,
And she found her way home, on the waves of the lake.
(Chorus)
He sang, “Oh, the sea’s my mistress, the wind is my friend,
I’ll sail 'til the end, with no start and no end.
So raise up your glass, and let the wild winds blow,
For the old man’s a sailor, and the sea’s all he knows!"
3. "The
Midnight Star"
(Verse
1)
The midnight star is bright and clear,
She guides us through the dark and near.
Through the fog and waves so wild,
She keeps our ship on course, beguiled.
(Chorus)
So sing ye all, and raise a cheer,
For the star that keeps us steerin’ here.
With the wind in our sails, and the sea’s mighty roar,
We’ll follow the Midnight Star evermore!
Let me
know which one catches your ear, and I’ll spin the next set based on your
feedback!
You
said:
The
Midnight Star has the most rhythmic lyrics of the three, even though I don't
particularly like the words in the lyrics. The individual lines of the other
two seem too lengthy and cluttered with unnecessary words. In terms of theme, I
prefer Roll, You Rogues.
ChatGPT
said:
Great
feedback! I see what you mean about the rhythm of "The Midnight Star"
and the wording in the other two. I'll aim for something with the energy and
theme of "Roll, You Rogues" but with more concise, punchy lines that
maintain a good rhythm.
I Believe We're All in Agreement On This
Until an LLM can be used to write high-quality, period-authentic sea shanty lyrics, it has no real purpose. Furthermore, this must be accompanied by being able to export those lyrics into a music generation program and winding up with a legitimate tune.
As I am on the cutting edge of AI exploration, I'll be attempting to do this. I'll keep you updated.
Impossible
The most difficult thing in the world, far more than breaking into a bank vault or having the nuclear launch codes or climbing Everest with only one shoe--is opening a package of Saran wrap. Pay extra for the authentic product and be greeted with 6-D packaging that makes no sense in any of those dimensions. Perhaps the serrated edge is for your wrists after you've had enough.
Academia
I'm genuinely having a difficult time coming up with topics for the blog as I watch the U.S. being destroyed.
Schools are rescinding grad school acceptances right and left because of funding uncertainty. It's destroying people's lives. There are mass layoffs happening at universities all over the country. Today, the Department of Education had a huge number of layoffs as it prepares to be shut down.
Eli 23.7 had talked about possibly coming back to the U.S. to work on his doctorate, but as it turns out, he's lucky he didn't. He'll be working on his doctorate with no possibility of funding uncertainties, in an environment where his qualitative work is genuinely appreciated.
I know people voted for this catastrophe, and it still stuns me that it ever happened.
Intelligence
I wonder how a kid becomes intelligent these days.
Every kid I see (of every age) is on a phone or an iPad. I'd like to think they were reading books, but it never seems to be the case. They're either watching videos or playing games.
Learning something is a process, and it seems like the process has been entirely short-circuited by the lure of fifteen seconds of gratification. Repeat 100X.
Eli 23.7 is the most intelligent person I know. He benefited, though, from growing up in an era when cellphones weren't quite ubiquitous. He didn't even have one until sixth grade (I held out for seventh, but lost). And when he did get a phone, he watched YouTube videos, but many of them were to learn something specific (which he would then practice endlessly until he mastered it). He was consuming content with a goal in mind.
The kids I see now just sit and watch with absolutely no goal in mind except the next video. If you don't know the process of learning, how do you spend your life? Is it just an endless sea of content?
I can't answer these questions, and it's discouraging.
Severance
I hadn't watched Severance (Apple TV), even though it's science fiction and has gotten rave reviews.
C had watched the first season and said she'd watch it again, so we started last week, and I'm stunned by its quality. The story is excellent and so is the acting. Plus, the pacing is fantastic. It's not overstuffed and bombastic like so many new shows now. Instead, it's deeply thoughtful with lots of breathing room to assess what's happening.
We're almost through season one and I have a hard time thinking of another science fiction show with this kind of quality in its first season.
I give Apple shit all the time (deservedly) for their octopus ecosystem, but they're still trying to make memorable TV shows instead of mass algorithm-driven filler. Full credit to them.
Friday Links!
Leading off this week, a fascinating read: Humphrey’s world: how the Samuel Smith beer baron built Britain’s strangest pub chain.
Here's a fantastic profile of one of the most prolific groups in Hollywood in the 1980s (and beyond): the Pad O' Guys. including DQ reader James Cappe.
From C. Lee (more later), and it's a tremendous read: The CRPG Renaissance, Part 2: Might and Magic VI.
From Rob, and it's a nightmare coming true: 'This isn't your granddad's KKK.' Inside the influential hate group that's expanding in Tennessee.
From Eric Higgins-Freese, and it's useful: How Many Episodes Should You Watch Before Quitting a TV Show? A Statistical Analysis. This is a great read: Why Techdirt Is Now A Democracy Blog (Whether We Like It Or Not).
From Wally, and what a trip down memory lane: Typewriters, stinky carpets and crazy press trips: what it was like working on video game mags in the 1980s.
From C. Lee, and it's a massive, exploitable market inefficiency: Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore? I guess they didn't charge enough to make sure the quality was high /s: Nvidia says around 1 in 200 of its new Series 50 GPUs are missing some render units. Gee, what a surprise: They voted for Trump, but now they're losing their U.S. government jobs. Bad judgment in so many ways: California couple confided about stuffed mountain lion to fellow fliers, authorities say. They were in for a shock. This is both ridiculous and unsurprising: Apartment buildings broken into with phone in minutes — IoT-connected intercoms using default creds vulnerable to anyone with Google. This is fabulous: Amazing Photos That Showcase Early ’30s Bathroom Designs. An excellent read: The Story of the Future Batmobile, the 1955 Lincoln Futura in the 1959 Movie “It Started with a Kiss”. This is fantastic! Every Gamer Should Explore This Archive of Video Game Magazines. Very, very true: ‘One More Turn’ Doesn’t Always Mean A Game Is Good.
The Challenge Matrix
I was thinking about life on the way to the gym.
I'm vaguely dissatisfied with the pace of my life. There are gaps in productivity as I age that bother me.
It particularly bothers me when I see Eli 23.6 motoring through the world at record speed (Oxford notified him this week that he'd been accepted into the doctoral program, and he'll be working with the professor he most wanted). What about his life is different?
I realized, after some consideration, that Eli's life is a daily challenge matrix. Almost everything he does has a level of challenge that makes him stretch and grow.
I have that challenge, up until about 1 p.m. Writing and working out, basically. Then there's a big gap. I told myself I don't need a challenge after that--writing is hard--but it's not true. I do need another few hours of challenge, and without it, the dissatisfaction isn't going to go away.
This is all tied up with spending too much time scrolling through Reddit and other websites. Scrolling through websites is fun. It's entertaining. When I'm consuming non-targeted content, though, it lacks challenge. It's passive. Micro-content isn't good.
How do I change that?
My initial plan is to incorporate an hour of Spanish and an hour of using AI video tools on a daily basis, when I can. Those are both challenging and have future utility. It also reduces the amount of time I have to consume micro-content.
I'm also adding a second session of writing (again, when it's possible). I'm in a good position with the book, and I'd like to increase the rate of progress while I have a handle on things.
I'll let you know how this goes, in case any of you are in a similar position.
Coming Like a Freight Train
Ars Technica published an article this morning with AI voice demos from Sesame. It's here: Eerily realistic AI voice demo sparks amazement and discomfort online.
If you can tell the voices in the two samples aren't human, I'd be surprised. I can't. The second example is two persons conversing, one of which is AI. I couldn't tell them apart.
I discussed this with DQ Film Advisor and Greatest Guy in the World Ben Ormand, and he agrees that the samples are incredible. He sees all of this coming to Hollywood, along with AI video creation, but when he tries to explain, no one is listening.
It's coming very, very quickly.
The example he used was a group of outsiders making a film with a 500k budget that looks like it cost 150M to make. When that happens, people will finally understand, he said.
If what he mentioned sounds impossible, maybe it is, at least today. But fully creating a feature-length film with AI In 2-3 years? Maybe. In 5 years? Almost certainly.
One of my challenges this year is to stay briefed on what's happening in this field and to become proficient with the tools. It all sounds arcane, at first, but it's going to a primary driver of creativity going forward, whether we want it to or not, and I don't want to get behind.
Book Update
I'm now about 2/3 of the way through the second section of the book. The writing isn't final, but it's within one or two drafts, so it's well along. I'm more efficient this time.
The last third of this section, plus the last section, are going to require a bit of rewriting to fill in holes in the narrative. It's all problem-solving at this point, though, and I understand what needs to be done.
I'm becoming more confident that this will be ready by the end of 2026. I'm looking forward to seeing what you think.
Best Picture Nominees 2025
We've seen four of them so far, and here are some thoughts.
The Nickel Boys is so brilliant and transcendent that of course it didn't win. A staggering adaptation of an equally brilliant book. It manages to be both lyrical and incredibly uncomfortable at the same time. When has anyone ever managed to do that? Also, if you haven't read the book, please do. Colson Whitehead is a ridiculous, fantastic writer.
Anora was a worthy Best Picture winner (if the Nickel Boys couldn't win), and Mikey Madison was an even more deserving Best Actress winner. She was riveting. This movie is so darkly funny that it can be a bit of an adjustment, at first, but it was a brilliant script.
Emilia Perez is a level below the previous two, but still very, very good. It's a musical, but the film itself tells a story that might have been better served without the musical numbers (even though they're very clever).
The Substance is a campy B-movie with no original ideas whatsoever and it's a crime it was nominated instead of far more deserving movies (like A Real Pain). This movie is two hours and twenty minutes of cymbals clashing together. It's a quilt of ideas taken from far better films with body horror thrown in. The entire script reads like it was written by AI after feeding in every cynical popularity algorithm currently existing in cinema.
Not that I have a strong opinion about it or anything.
