🖋️ LongForm
Want to reduce the noice and just focus on things with a little more meat - the this category is for you. Like so much on this site we have a ‘WIP’ as i take some out - and put some in - but safe for at least starting in 2026.
🎥 The Covenant, 2023 - ★★★★
Massive fan of Guy Ritchie. This is not your usual Guy Ritchie. Do not miss it. Wonderful.
🎥 Fast X, 2023 - ★★★★
I’m not a massive fan of the FandF franchise, I am definitely not a ‘hater’. This one though .. X … OH MY .. and totally made my Jason Momoa. Played the ‘baddie’ brilliantly, highly recommend just to see him do his thing. This ain’t Aquaman.
🎥 Renfield, 2023 - ★★★★
Love and Hate Mr Cage … and his movies. This one is definetlu love. Over the top as only he can do, without it being bad. I’m not a Dracula dude. This was great.
🎈022/366 🤖 AI Experiment
… is a picture I took this morning while I sat with a cup of coffee.
If you have been following along with these posts recently, you will have noticed that a lot of images I use in the 366 series are generated by an AI. (More often than not Leonardo.ai) I do not spend a lot of time on creating the perfect prompt. I am really just playing around and creating a little eye candy whilst learning what I can. Which got me to wondering, what would Leonardo make of my view?
I used this prompt.
“I am looking at Auckland Harbour from a balcony in the viaduct. The sun is shining, but the day is still quiet. Create an image for me that you think reflects what I am seeing.
I ran the prompt three times and these were the results.
I decided this was the closest to the right result as in ‘matching the prompt’.
- It has Sky Tower - so ‘Auckland’ - except if I was looking at the harbour from a balcony - Sky tower would be behind me.
- It is very clearly a balcony.
- I rejected the bottom left, because really - to match the prompt ‘I’ wouldn’t be in the picture.
- There were others that were as acceptable. None were ‘right’/
So - why no boats in the AI images? Because they weren’t included in the original prompt.
Just for kicks I modified the prompt
“I am looking at Auckland Harbour with some moored boats from a balcony in the viaduct. The sun is shining, but the day is still quiet. Create an image for me that you think reflects what I am seeing.”
Am I happy with the finished results? Well - no.
But if i didn’t have access to the actual image, for a few minutes of work - the results weren’t too bad.
(These are the results from the free version of Leonardo. I know they would be massively improved if I subscribed and added access to the other models they have available. First though, I want to learn as much as I can for free.)
What do you think?
Maybe The Media Is Biased?
The comforting conceit that Donald Trump is an unpleasant yet passing American aberration, often heard during his 2017-21 presidency, is harder to believe than ever after his Iowa caucus landslide victory last week.
Simon .. it wasn’t a landslide. Even the article you linked to doesn’t say ‘landslide’. You of all people should know this .. maybe you should read your own newspaper more …
🔗 Iowa caucuses 2024: Republican results in full | US elections 2024 | The Guardian
He won 20 delegates .. and 3 more after the idiot Ramaswamy dropped out. 17 more won by ‘others’.
Call that a landslide? Ronald Reagan winning 49 of the 50 states .. THAT’S a landslide. (Tip o’ the hat to Crocodile Dundee.)
🔗 Here’s what Iowa’s own newspaper wrote.
TL;DR 15% of registered republicans actually voted. Around 110 thousand out of 3.2 million people.
It really does seem that we have a biased media .. but not like the Rethuglicans think.
🎈021/366 👮🏼♂️ The Seven Laws of Identity
I was listening to 🎙️this podcast and of course duly reminded of Kim Cameron’s 7 Laws of Identity, so replaying here for posterity. You can 🔗 read a quick summary here.
Law 1: User control and consent
Technical identity systems must only reveal information identifying a user with the user’s consent
Law 2: Minimum disclosure for a constrained use
The solution which discloses the least amount of identifying information and best limits its use is the most stable long-term solution
Law 3: Justifiable Parties
Digital identity systems must be designed so the disclosure of identifying information is limited to parties having a necessary and justifiable place in a given identity relationship
Law 4: Directed Identity
A universal identity system must support both “omni-directional” identifiers for use by public entities and “unidirectional” identifiers for use by private entities, thus facilitating discovery while preventing unnecessary release of correlation handles
Law 5: Pluralism of Operators and Technologies
A universal identity system must channel and enable the inter-working of multiple identity technologies run by multiple identity providers
Law 6: Human Integration
The universal identity metasystem must define the human user to be a component of the distributed system integrated through unambiguous human-machine communication mechanisms offering protection against identity attacks
Law 7: Consistent Experience Across Contexts
The unifying identity metasystem must guarantee its users a simple, consistent experience while enabling separation of contexts through multiple operators and technologies
Down here in sunny New Zealand, I have been helping a local man with his identity solution. More on that in due course - because - guess what - its pretty much ‘tops’ .. and expression I learned last night which is the antonym of ‘pants’ … but I digress.
It turns out his system hits all seven laws - and that’s just how it worked out, to because he designed to them. This gives me even more confidence that we are on to something. It would be kinda like building a robot and then realizing it is ‘Asimov compliant’.
🎈020/366 | 🔮 Future Vision
Over the holidays, down in Wellington, I somehow constantly found myself in conversations about ‘local politics’ … council, city, region … and dare I even say national? (On a global scale ’national thinking’ for a small country like New Zealand is still ‘local’.) No need to talk about the topics discussed - the usual, but my recurring observation that was never rejected is that long term planning anywhere for housing, climate change, infrastructure, EV cars, bike lanes … you name it .. is never that long term because the elected officials - even if they had the vision .. and often they don’t’ (but that is a different story) - don’t think beyond their election cycle.
As a result it is a brave group of politicians that put in place 25 to 30 year plans for anything … much less real long term!
Enter 🔗 The Ministry for the Future - New Ideas From Ancient Wisdom. - with my highlights and annotations on Readwise. It’s not quite the same idea and far more ‘financially technical’ than I might ever hope to completely understand - much less explain - but it is all connected and makes for a fascinating - if technical - read.
Unless you’re a policy wonk or a certain kind of federal contractor, you can be forgiven for not knowing what the discount rate is.
BUT - so you know …
Seperately …
📼 A Long Now talk from Kim Stanley Robinson : Climate Futures: Beyond 02022 (referenced in the article, not yet watched - but is now in my queue). Also, that 02022 is not a typo - it’s a ‘Long Now’ year. I like them just from that simple switch in thinking. It positions us in time very differently to 2022. (Not sure if it is also unseen inspiration behind the numbering system of my series for 2024.)
‘nuff said for now. Suffice to say, I am going to do some further exploring around the ‘social discount rate’. This bear hadn’t stumbled across it previously - but it seems to be an excellent way of thinking about a reason why ‘our’ policies are so broken.
🎈019/366 | 🤩 Excited About The Future
You might think today’s choice of ’image’ is a little odd. I mean, is a black rectangle even an image? And what does it mean anyway? But for me it speaks volumes.
It is a similar theme to yesterday’s post … The Future … and yet, I’m talking about a totally different future. A more personal one, not a societal one.
That all said, not yet ready to talk more publicly about what is going on. I just wanted to capture this day in the ‘live journal’ to remember that the business cards were ordered yesterday, Jax catching a plane to the U.S.A. on Saturday and will be gone for the next three weeks working on this.
‘Pumped’ doesn’t even start to describe my feelings.
🎈018/366 | 🔮 A Better Future
A short one today because the 🔗 📼 Biden video speaks for itself.
For me? One of the best, passionate most comprehensive campaign speeches I have ever heard. In fact, the qualifier ‘campaign’ is probably unnecessary.
If you are reading this post on my site, you will see that this link is rendered as an embedded video at the bottom of the post. (THANKYOU @rknightuk]. It will render just fine - unless the video owner wants you to watch it over on YouTube (and to be fair - there are very good reasons for that). If that happens, click on the link above and you will be taken to YouTube. The 'error' is only because the creator wants you to got to YouTube to watch it. That said - on rare occasions, it might actually be broken. If it is - sorry about that - try sending me an email and I will check if I made an error.
🎈017/366 | 🪙 Both Sides Now
No. Not the song.
I don’t blame you if you haven’t been keeping up with ‘SubstackGate’. I have .. so you don’t have to … you are welcome.
Bottom line .. Fascism, Nazis, Support, Deplatform … you get the picture.
🔗 Why the Kākā Is Staying on Substack
🔗Why Platformer is Leaving Substack
My Thoughts?
I am on Substack and read some bit of it each and every day. Never seen a single piece by a Nazi. Never been recommended to go visit a Nazi. The fact is that they are always going to be somewhere - even in real life. On the blogging / newsletter side of the platform - I don’t see the issue - BUT - on the social side of it - yes - it COULD - and when / if I do - I will reconsider - but for now … kinda like Bernard wrote up there.
🎈016/366 | 🌴 Greener Grass Over There
Somebody else’s grass is greener. Always.
Just finished a conversation with a Turkish gentleman who has now lived in New Zealand for 10 years. Came here to learn English. He has. Now moving to Perth …
You can earn twice the money and buy twice the house for half the money. What can go wrong?
Indeed, what can go wrong? So much, but then doing nothing solves nothing and it still can go wrong. Plus his journey time ‘home’ will be halved - as will the cost of the flight.
If people leaving their own country to get a better life in New Zealand are leaving to get a better life in Australia - is it any wonder that so many Kiwis do exactly that?
I hear of this talked about amongst people - a lot. At the policy level - not so much.
If you think housing is expensive where you live, consider New Zealand - where a ’tradie’, a doctor, a teacher, a nurse, a coder, a … pretty much any skill class you can think if can emigrate across the Tasman sea, earn twice the money and buy a similar property for half the price - is it any surprise that they are?
Meanwhile, I know a few Kiwis who have lived abroad for most of their life and will be ‘coming home’ to retire.
Does anyone else see a problem?
🎈015/366 | 🚶♂️They Walk Amongst Us
“We are all going to be saved by King Harry.”
Don’t’ you mean King Charles?
“No no no. He is the evil one. Like his son William. The dynasty is evil. Harry has seen the light. He will come back and save us - together with the son of the Shah. Palestine will once again be reunited with Persia and the descendants of the devils that destroyed us will be no more.”
The son of the Shah?
“Yes yes - he is ready. He has been tutored to show the way. God is on our side. He is the light in the darkness. God, the son of our Shah and Harry are our saviors.
I paraphrase .. but this was roughly the flow of a ‘conversation’ in a ‘rideshare’ the other night in Wellington.
I elected to not engage too deeply. I am far from a mid Eastern scholar, much less of Persia. Although I am pretty sure that for Palestine to be ‘reunited’ with Persia would also require some fundamental changes in countries such as Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Iraq? But what do I know?
Here’s what I do know.
His vehicle was spotless. His timing punctual. Hair neatly cut, his glasses giving a façade of ‘accountant’ were you to meet him at a party. That is what I know.
🎈014/366 | 💩 The Gamekeeper Is The Poacher
An excellent show from the mighty John Oliver taking on McKinsey in this one. You know … the company that advised Purdue on how to sell more Oxy. Spin through to 15:50 … to hear this one.
Mr. Sternfels they didn’t have experience - they were the identical humans working for both at the same time.
💬 Katie Porter
Cleaning out the swamp, stopping the revolving door of public service and corporate interest … it really doesn’t matter what you call it - what is clear that the swamp / cesspool / revolving doors are very much alive and well - no matter what anyone claims.
🎈013/366 ⌨️ Typewriters .. and more
A quite lovely story which I have chosen to share through my Readwise account, so you can speed through my highlights if you so wish.
Alternatively, 🔗 this is the original New Yorker article, written by Ann Patchett.
It’s from 2021, it’s mainly about removing clutter from your life, but sharing it here because of the ending which focuses on the typewriters in her life, and thought this was quite beautiful.
.. and beyond beauty …
After he died, Tavia found two laminated cards.
‘He’, being Kent, ‘Tavia’s father’, who had seemingly continually transformed his life, leaving behind a veritable museum of artifacts .. and yet these two laminated cards tell the entire story.
I don’t know .. it just stopped me in my tracks.
🎈012/366 | 🎂 Cake By The Ocean
It’s true. My ‘under the rock’ habitat continues into 2024.
I asked a six year old yesterday if he liked music … yes … so what’s your favorite song?
I hadn’t heard of DNCE - but liked this one enough to poke around … wait … it’s Joe Jonas?
Personally, never a big fan of the Jonas brothers - but adding this to my list of (two so far) singers that switched me. The other one is Harry Styles (never a big fan of One Direction).
If you are reading this post on my site, you will see that this link is rendered as an embedded video at the bottom of the post. (THANKYOU @rknightuk]. It will render just fine - unless the video owner wants you to watch it over on YouTube (and to be fair - there are very good reasons for that). If that happens, click on the link above and you will be taken to YouTube. The 'error' is only because the creator wants you to got to YouTube to watch it. That said - on rare occasions, it might actually be broken. If it is - sorry about that - try sending me an email and I will check if I made an error.
🎈011/366 | 🔮 Indie Publishing - Future Vision
A couple of click throughs in this morning’s review triggered this post.
It started here … 🔗 Substack Barely Does The Bare Minimum
which linked to here … 🔗 gilest.org: Make the indie web easier
which then linked to here … 🔗 gilest.org: More on the easier indie web
TL;DR
A few links to interesting places that are about the indie web - but with an undercurrent of something that I have been banging on about forEVER …
If we truly want to open up the web for everyone to publish on, we have to make it easier. Let’s give people choices. Let’s give people options for tools they can set up and use, with no more knowledge than the knowledge they already have.
💬 Giles Turnbull'
YES
There are a few - and indeed MicroBlog is one such example (that is not listed in those links) … although even MicroBlog has its challenges.
I think the overall challenge is two fold;
1] It is not easy.
- so requires significant resources to make it a reality.
2] Does ‘everybody’ care enough?
- because if they don’t - I feel the TAM might be pretty small - and will include a large number of people already in the camp of what we have is good enough.
🎈010/366 | ✍️ Rewriting Future History
🔗 Interesting piece from Om today.
I think he’s right about that up there. What I am not so sure about is this down here.
Why?
Because it will bring all those ‘EEJITS’ out of the woodwork, who maintain that ’Steve’ did everything and Tim has done nothing, isn’t innovative, riding the coat tails etc …
(Count me in the camp of the people that believe that had Tim NOT done what Tim did when he did it, that there wouldn’t even be a significant enough Apple to do what he is doing now.)
🎈009/366 | 👀 The Irony Continues
… at least I think it will.
The furor as to the how and why ’The Facebook' are ’allowed’ to do this will continue unabated as people continue to post these questions on Facebook … and Instagram … and WhatsApp … and Threads.
🎈008/366 | ❓ Solving The Right Problem
Today’s Sketchplanations resonated, even though I had never heard of the ‘problem’ being ‘🔗 The XY Problem
Back at Group Partners we would help people ‘avoid solving the wrong problem really well’
Others talk about ‘peeling back the onion to get to the root cause’ (think a doctor treating your hip to solve your back pain), etc etc.
Whatever it is known as, this is what anyone should do to solve a problem. Never treat the symptom.
If you don’t agree, comment below.
If you do agree - do you have other names you use?