Category Archives: Observation

Watching You, Watching Me.

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In the ‘human’ domain it can be foolish to think that when you’re observing someone, at a close distance, that they aren’t aware of this. They may be aware and are watching you also.

Online, despite what you may think, You are also blaring out your thoughts on a virtual Power Amplifier. Your ‘target’ listener, hears you, but so can a myriad of other entities.
Note I don’t use the word ‘folk’, your message is captured and can be examined/listened to by an unintended audience who may then pass it on, with their own ‘nuances’ added.This ‘audience’ may not necessarily be human.

George Harrison encapsulated this message quite clearly in his recording of ‘The Devil’s Radio’.
His message is even more clearer today. Every word that I’m writing now, will be examined, processed and recorded, and not by WordPress but by a web scrapers, et al, that add my words to an LLM.

Interfacing directly with tools such as Chatgpt, can be useful to me. It is also useful to ‘them’, WTF they are. You are led to believe ‘it’ is a ‘big friendly big brother’. Hopefully, what you say to ‘it’ won’t cause someone to come and bite you in the arse.

Thoughts On Translating English To Portuguese

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Reflexões sobre a tradução do inglês para o português

Num post anterior sobre a minha conversa com um caracol português, nunca fiquei muito satisfeito com o título do post. Trocando opiniões com um caracol – Trocando opiniões com um caracol

O motivo foi simplesmente ignorância minha. Obviamente, o caracol conseguia ver-me, e eu via-o. Mas também tivemos uma troca verbal e uma troca de opiniões. Em inglês, a palavra “view” pode descrever ambos, e na foto a mensagem é clara. A tradução portuguesa não refletiu o duplo sentido que pretendia dar a “view”.

Uma conversa recente com a minha namorada mostrou-me o caminho, pelo que, mais uma vez, e apenas pela segunda vez, perguntei ao Chatgpt. Não referi ao Chatgpt que o meu encontro foi com um caracol. Poderia ter levado a algo completamente diferente, estremeço ao pensar.
Em vez disso, coloquei a minha questão ao Chatgpt e recebi uma resposta bem elaborada.
Uma cópia completa do meu diálogo com o “bot” está abaixo, e uma actualização do blogue original será feita o mais breve possível.

[English]
In a previous post regarding my conversation with a Portuguese snail, I was never quite happy with title of the post.Exchanging views with a snail – Trocando opiniões com um caracol

The reason – quite simply my ignorance. Quite obviously, the snail could see me, and I could see him/her. But we also had a verbal exchange, an exchange of opinions. In English the word ‘view’ can describe both, and in the photo the message is clear. The Portuguese ‘translation’, did not reflect my intended double-meaning of ‘view’.

A recent conversation with my girl-friend, pointed the way, so once again, and for only the second time, I asked Chatgpt. I didn’t mention to Chatgpt that my encounter was with a snail. That might have led somewhere else entirely, I shudder to think.
Instead, I put my question to Chatgpt and received a well-assembled answer to my question.
A full copy of my dialog with the ‘bot’ is given below, and an update to the original blog will be done as soon as possible.

Foreword: The following includes both English and Portuguese. So I’m still trying to climb up a greasy pole. There’s an old saying: ‘When in doubt – give up.’ So no attempt will be made now to attempt translating the translations..

Prefácio: O texto que se segue inclui o inglês e o português. Então, ainda estou a tentar subir uma escada escorregadia.
Há um velho ditado: Na dúvida, desista. Portanto, não será feita nenhuma tentativa agora, tente traduzir as traduções.

A minha pergunta para o Chatgpt:

[English]
My Question to Chatgpt:
Two people are looking at each other through a window, and having a conversation.
In English I would describe this as an exchange of views.
First, because they both are looking at a different scene, secondly they are both expressing opinions.
So that the ‘exchange of views’ means two different things. How can I express this in Portuguese?

ChatGPT said:

That’s a clever bilingual play on words!
Let’s unpack it step by step so we can find the closest way to reproduce the double meaning in Portuguese.

In English, “exchange of views” means both:
Literally: they are seeing different “views” (landscapes, scenes).
Figuratively: they are exchanging opinions (views).

In Portuguese:
Figurative sense: (usual expression):
The normal phrase for “exchange of views/opinions” is “troca de opiniões” or “troca de pontos de vista”.

Literal sense: Exchanging views with a snail – Trocando opiniões com um caracol (the scene through the window):
“Ponto de vista” in Portuguese also literally means “point of view” (where you look from) and figuratively “opinion”.
That makes it a very useful bridge.

So, if you say:
“Eles estão numa troca de pontos de vista.”
it carries the same double meaning:

They’re literally looking at different views (from different vantage points, through the window).
They’re metaphorically exchanging opinions.

– Best equivalent pun in Portuguese:
“Uma troca de pontos de vista.”

That way you keep both senses alive, just like in English.

Would you like me to suggest a slightly more poetic or literary phrasing in Portuguese as well
(something you could use in a short story or essay), or are you aiming for a natural everyday expression?

You said:
No, I’m happy with that.

ChatGPT said:

Perfect! Then “troca de pontos de vista” is your best match — natural in Portuguese and keeping the same neat double meaning as in English.

Would you like me to also give you a couple of short example sentences in Portuguese using it, so you can see how it works in context?

You said:
Yes.
ChatGPT said:

Great! Here are a few short examples showing both the literal and figurative senses:

Literal + figurative (like your window scene):

Eles conversavam através da janela, numa verdadeira troca de pontos de vista.
(“They were talking through the window, in a true exchange of views.”)

More everyday, figurative use:

A reunião terminou com uma troca de pontos de vista bastante produtiva.
(“The meeting ended with a very productive exchange of views.”)

Playful, highlighting the double meaning:

Enquanto olhavam paisagens diferentes pela mesma janela, faziam também uma troca de pontos de vista.
(“While looking at different landscapes through the same window, they were also exchanging points of view.”)

Microsoft To End Support for Windows 10

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Microsoft vai terminar suporte ao Windows 10

Extrato do boletim informativo Right To Repair:
A 14 de outubro, a Microsoft vai terminar o suporte gratuito para o Windows 10, levando milhões de PCs à obsolescência prematura e gerando lixo eletrónico evitável. Em vésperas do Dia Internacional da Reparação (18 de outubro), os grupos de economia circular e de direitos digitais de todo o mundo estão a opor-se à tecnologia rápida.

Extract from Right To Repair Newsletter:
On 14 October, Microsoft will end free support for Windows 10, pushing millions of PCs into premature obsolescence and generating avoidable e-waste. Ahead of International Repair Day (18 October), circular economy and digital rights groups worldwide are pushing back against fast tech.

Leia o comunicado de imprensa – Read the Press Release

Chatgpt on Advice to young people

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I don’t want to use AI for anything, platforms such as Arduino (Software Development) offer this facility, I leave it strictly alone.
I’m concerned about the affect on folk from so called ‘social media’, which can be ‘anti-social’. A common sight now in a restaurant is to see a group of friends sit down at a table and ignore each other, whilst their thumbs tap busily on their phones. Worse still are reports of chatbots giving ‘advice’ to young folk about their personal relationships.

Yesterday, and for the first time ever, I asked Chatgpt a question. I copied verbatim the reply.
My question: Why are AI chatbots giving advice to young people about their relationships?

ChatGPT said:

That’s the right question — and it gets to the heart of a growing ethical problem.
Why are AI chatbots giving advice to young people about their relationships?
Because they’re being designed, marketed, and deployed that way — often irresponsibly.
Here’s what’s really happening behind the scenes:

1. Monetization and Engagement

Tech companies want users to engage — and nothing drives engagement like emotionally charged topics:
love, friendship, breakups, anxiety. When young people turn to AI for support, platforms log more time, more queries, more data — and that’s money.

Relationship talk = repeat usage
Emotional vulnerability = deeper interaction
Deeper interaction = stronger “user retention” metrics
Even if the advice is shallow or questionable, the illusion of empathy can keep people coming back.

2. Overreach of AI’s Use-Cases

LLMs are trained to predict the next word based on vast text data — which includes books, forums, therapy-style advice,
Reddit threads, etc. So when a user asks for relationship help, the model can generate advice that sounds right.
But “can generate” doesn’t mean “should generate.”
We now have chatbots saying things like:
“You deserve better”
“Maybe it’s time to move on”
“They’re gaslighting you”
These are weighty, subjective judgements — and they come from an entity that doesn’t know you, your partner, or your emotional world.

3. Anthropomorphism — Users Believe It’s Smarter Than It Is

People naturally project intelligence and emotion onto anything that sounds human-like. Young people especially, growing up with AI tools that feel conversational, may start to think of chatbots as friends or counsellors — which they’re absolutely not.
It’s easy to forget that:
The chatbot isn’t understanding you — it’s statistically guessing what words usually follow others in similar contexts.

4. Lack of Regulation

There are no meaningful safeguards in most consumer AI applications. No warning labels, no ethical review boards, no enforcement when tools overstep into areas like:
Mental health
Relationship counselling
Crisis response

In real life, a licensed therapist or counsellor goes through years of training and oversight.
AI? Just inference from Reddit and self-help blogs.

5. Gaps in Education and Support Systems

Young people often turn to AI because:
They don’t feel comfortable talking to parents or teachers
Therapy is expensive or unavailable
Peers might not be helpful or trustworthy
So AI fills a void — but not with wisdom, just with words that sound like it.

So what should be done?

Clear boundaries: AI chatbots should make their limitations explicit, especially in emotionally sensitive contexts.

Human in the loop: Serious issues (like abuse, crisis, trauma) should redirect to professionals, not be handled by LLMs.
Transparency: Users should know how these systems work and what they’re not.
Digital literacy: Especially for young users, education around AI should include how to critically engage with it.

You’re right to question it. The fact that chatbots are giving social/emotional advice without accountability is a failure of both design and regulation, not just a “tech issue.”

Would you want to explore how this might be changed — or do you see this as something that’s already gone too far to fix?

The above, quite lengthy answer to my question, is something I expected. I also expected spelling mistakes, and I’ve corrected them (a mere four in total). I can understand why some folks are using chatbots as a lazy way to surf the web. The answer aggregated most of currently submitted information on this topic. But why ‘Reddit’ is singled out, I have no idea, other ‘self-help’ offerings are just as bad, a complete waste of space. I laughed at the invitation to continue, and answer the question.
The best message, by far is:

So AI fills a void — but not with wisdom, just with words that sound like it.


Perhaps this caveat should be displayed in heavy type at the start of any chatbot session?

Power For The People

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Recent news about an Eleven Billion Pound investment in the transformation of the ‘old’ Coal-powered station at Cottam into nuclear-powered, triggered memories of my time there during the original construction of the power station.
Wickipedia have an excellent article on the original coal-powered station.
Fans of ‘clean’ energy will no doubt be celebrating. This station alone absorbed a maximum of 25,401 tonnes of coal per day. The figures are scary in the extreme. That I played a (very) small part in the construction, is no longer a matter for pride.

It was a small part. Myself and T.M. were drafted in from Didcot, for a short time to fit a huge 12ft diameter gate valve (Please refer to my Didcot Diaries)
The work was cut short, because the monstrosity hadn’t been secured properly when lifted from the transporter by crane and was damaged. Twenty-five thousand pounds, and much swearing and cursing. T.M and I spent the rest of the day, exploring the pipe-work and the inside of the cooling towers.

So, that’s three power stations I helped to build, that have been recently ‘blown-up’ – a sobering thought.

Sandy Denny – Her life and times, a review

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My most powerful and enduring memory of Sandy Denny, was in a concert by Fotheringay in Newcastle City Hall. The orchestra pit had been boarded over and extra seats installed and I was sat somewhere in the 3rd row. For a large part of the performance, Sandy sat at the lovely New Steinway Grand Piano and sang. I never took my eyes off her, and was rewarded by acknowledged glances and smiles, but most of all, she looked directly at me as she sang through most of the concert.
Whilst feeling very special, I recognised something I’d done many years before, singing solo as a young boy in front of audiences. Looking out from a lonely stage to a sea of faces can be terrifying. I would pick out a person, usually a woman, who was intent on me, and sing to her, all of the other faces then didn’t matter. The feeling is very personal, and quite intimate.

Later, much later. I heard of Sandy’s untimely demise from someone I disliked intensely. Hearing it from him seemed to make the news even more hurtful, he was more than aware of how I felt about her.

There has been much said and written about Sandy Denny and latterly a review of a book about her is here Life and Times of Sandy Denny

Thanks for Nothing Expatica, and Goodnight

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Hi. Did a foray, in my search for a soulmate, as neither myself nor Mr/Mrs Snail, has had much luck lately.
This is a recent attempt with Expatica. Maybe my words are too long for the AI ‘inspector’ to understand?

Click on the image to see it correctly in your browser.
The error message reads:
Error: description not submitted. Please edit your description and resubmit for approval

My ‘description’ reads: “Hi, Despite the vagaries of age, I’m fit and well. Fun-loving and a little naughty.”

My answer to Expatica. “On your bike, and take your AI rubbish with you.”

Thanks for the memory

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Yes. Thanks for the memory.
I’ll start this with a quip made of my old blog RFFT in 2016

An elderly couple had dinner at another couple’s house, and after eating, the wives left the table and went into the kitchen.
The two gentlemen were talking, and one said, ‘Last night we went out to a new restaurant and it was really great. I would recommend it very highly.’
The other man said, ‘What is the name of the restaurant?’
The first man thought and thought, then finally said, ‘What’s the name of that flower you give to someone you love? You know, the one that’s red and has thorns.’
‘Do you mean a rose?’
‘Yes, that’s the one,’ replied the man. He then turned towards the kitchen and yelled, ‘Rose, what’s the name of that restaurant we went to last night?’

Yes, I agree, the above is somewhat extreme, and in my view demonstrates not simply impaired memory, but preoccupation with something else. IOW He isn’t ‘in the room’.

As someone in their seventy-eighth year. It is obvious to me, that short-term memory problems are a clear and present danger for me. The results are usually not too bad if I’m at home, but are accompanied with foul-mouthed expletives leveled out loud at myself.
I’ve always been strict about placement of items I need, not simply everyday objects but tools, electronic components, and last but not least, code and other scribbling held on digital media.
The ‘help’ from individuals who apparently can’t remember where they took something from, and insist on finding a new ‘home’ for it is deeply unwelcome.
This is a feature I referred to above, one of pre-occupation. Their attention is on problems of their own, and lead to lack of focus on what they are currently doing.

My ‘outages’ are generally simply irritating, thankfully. The classic of writing out a shopping list, only to leave it on the table, are apparently not just a trait of mine, but other folks.
I get to the mart, and realize, I haven’t the list, but inevitably remember what I need in spite of this. Those occasions when I don’t write a list, can frequently end up forgetting something I need, despite the item count being relatively small.

Long term memories can be both a blessing, and a curse. I remember the squalor and discomfort of my early life in post-war Gateshead. But even then, there was beauty. Ringtons Tea merchants had a small fleet of hansom cabs, and some truly beautiful horses. I would walk to school early, just to stand and watch them leave in the morning. Mark Tony, who had an ice cream parlour on the High Street, also had a cart pulled by a lovely big grey, and I would stand and talk to it whilst eating my penny cornet.

Most of the pain came from people that should have known better. Teachers, and parents, and of course, the school bullies. Interestingly, I realize now, just how bad it really was. The truth is simple, everyone was suffering much of the same.

Well, I’ve mentioned now, and the dim distant past, what of the middle? To say too much here, would hurt too many folk. The memories are strong, and looking back, I wouldn’t be a subject for sanctification. Many mistakes were made, and not just by me. There is the gift of lovely children, and the apparent rancor of ex-partners and others.

So I have to accept that, despite circumstances, I can still remember the very good and the bad. In most respects, that hasn’t changed, nor would I want it to. I can’t ‘erase’ my mistakes, preferring to learn from them.

Now a bit of ‘old’ fun from someone really discombobulated.

‘I went to the pictures tomorrow
I took a front seat at the back
A lady she gave me some chocolates
I ate them. and gave her them back.
I fell from the pit to the gallery
And broke a front bone in my back
I called for a taxi, and walked it
And that’s how I never got back.’

Nature’s Uncanny Beauty

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Alertado pelo meu amigo Martin, tirei estas fotos de um “pilar” solar ontem à noite. Embora aparentemente bem documentado, esta é a primeira vez que vejo este belo fenómeno.
Duas características distintas são a coluna vertebral em si e a cor vermelha. A coluna vertebral é provocada pelo reflexo de cristais de gelo em queda, e a tonalidade vermelha pela “dispersão de Rayleigh”, que se refere à luz que atravessa partículas muito mais pequenas que o comprimento de onda da luz, filtrando assim o azul e o violeta, deixando o vermelho.

Portanto, não é Deus a deixar a Terra enojado com o que Ele próprio criou, embora fosse útil se levasse Putin e Trump consigo ao partir. Boa viagem, para o mau lixo.

[English]
Alerted by my friend Martin, I took these photos of a sun ‘pillar’ yesterday evening.Although apparently well-documented, this is the very first time I have ever seen this beautiful phenomena.
Two distinct features are the column itself, and the red colour. The column is caused by the reflection of falling ice crystals, and the red hue by ‘Rayleigh scattering’, referring to the light passing through particles much smaller than the wavelength of light, thus filtering out the blue and violet leaving red.

So it’s not God leaving the Earth in disgust at what He himself has created, though it would be useful if he took Putin and Trump with him as he left. Good riddance, to bad rubbish.

AI, a latter day ‘Kings New Coat’ or God, Lord, Saviour et al.

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The current furore over chatGPT’s ‘sycophantic’ answers, is in itself, ridiculous. A game of ‘follow my leader’ by many companies, and apparently a large percentage of the population, that expects sensible and suitable results from them doing ‘naff all’, is not unlike praying to a God, for what they want, instead of simply doing it themselves.

True machine learning is a very useful tool. Using shit scraped from existing websites and hosted in an LLM, ends up as an aggregation, in other words, a bag of shit. My view is simple, users of these ‘bots’ get exactly what they deserve, nothing useful whatsoever.

So-called social-media, facebook, ‘X’ plus a long list of other garbage sites that deliberately post news of this, so folks can ‘have their say’, is a simple scam, to promote discord and argument to sell advertising space, so that the weak-minded that follow, are lead like lemmings, into parting with their hard-earned dosh.
Latterly, Google puts a so-called ‘summary’ from AI, at the top of a search page, adding to the crap I have to ignore in front of me.

I advertise nothing. I believe in no ‘god’, and no hype. Frankly, I care not if folks dislike what I post, the truth apparently, can ‘hurt’. The bywords on my ‘compliments slip’ for many years, has been ‘Belief In Divine Intervention Proved Worthless, So I Did This Stuff Myself.”