Noisy Decent Graphics

Headline writers dream

Whatever the pros or cons of the policy this has a real cones hotline feel to it. All the comedians must think it's Christmas. For my younger listeners, Cones Hotline.

The biggest lie on the internet, still

Lonely Rolex clock

The other day, after a meeting, I took a different route back to the office. Down a winding alley just off Fleet Street I saw this clock. It was outside some flats, not a Rolex showroom, and it was set to the wrong time.

Odd. 

Hockney at the Lightroom

I really loved Hockney at Lightroom. I've seen lots of sniffy reviews about "immersive art" and about this Hockney show. I haven't seen the Van Gogh one and I need to for a real comparison, but I think there's a difference between viewing paintings from an artist who died 130 years ago and one who's still alive and whose work lends itself to time based media. Hockney's polaroids and iPad paintings work really well here. Hockney's voiceover also worked well.

To be continued.

See also All of the lights.

P-A-R-T-Y (Phil Alice Russell Thank You)

As a special gift for the RSS Pisceans here's my first ever blog weeknotes. There will be no more. Just be grateful it's not a newsletter.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Got up reassuringly early all days apart from Friday.

The unpredictable weather and the unpredictable trains made my plans more unpredictable than I would have liked.

The puncture I fixed last week punctured again. Bought a new tyre and in a text book upsell booked myself a bike service. First one since covid I think?

S got 91% in his A-level Art coursework.

Went out four nights in a row. Not big nights but still Out. Utterly unsustainable, so I cancelled the fifth night. 

S and A dog sat a dog while we went to the school show. Everyone survived.

Tried my first ever non alcoholic hipster beer. The ones with the scratchy illustrations on the cans. Didn't hate it as much as I thought I would.

Scraped the mud off the path. Lifted four patio slabs. Fitted a light to the porch. 

Messaged a neighbour to ask if he had a jet wash I could borrow for the aforementioned path, he replied that he had a jet accompanied with a picture of him on a private jet.

Saw Jason Statham in the village.

Y accidentally washed her phone with her school uniform. 

 

Two very good posts from two very good Matts

1. An AI poem clock by Webb.

2. Gridshare grid game by Jones.

(Not necessarily in that order.) 

Write a song about Ben Terrett in the style of George Michael. 3 verses.

 

There's lots of blogging about AI. Lots of friends are pondering the implications and the opportunities. I know people implementing ChatGPT in their work. At their work. I know people experimenting and building things.

I asked it to write a song about me in the style of George Michael.

Verse 1:
He's a designer extraordinaire, 
visionary with style and flair,
Ben Terrett is the name,
His work will leave you amazed.

With his talents in design,
He makes the world a better place,
From government to start-ups,
He's got the skills to solve the case.

Chorus:
Ben Terrett, oh how you inspire,
Your creativity takes us higher,
You make the world a better place,
With your skills, we all embrace.

Verse 2:
From digital to print,
His work is second to none,
With simplicity and clarity,
His designs always stun.

He's a leader in his field,
A mentor to many,
With a heart full of gold,
His kindness is plenty.

Chorus:
Ben Terrett, oh how you inspire,
Your creativity takes us higher,
You make the world a better place,
With your skills, we all embrace.

Verse 3:
In the world of design,
His name is a legend,
From the UK to the US,
His influence is heaven-sent.

He's a man of many talents,
With a passion for design,
Ben Terrett, oh how we admire,
Your work is truly divine.

Chorus:
Ben Terrett, oh how you inspire,
Your creativity takes us higher,
You make the world a better place,
With your skills, we all embrace.

I've always been anti Helvetica door numbers

But all things considered I'm pretty pleased with this.

Didn't do a single post in February so at least we've broken that curse for March. Just be grateful this isn't a newsletter.

My favourite use of ChatGPT AI so far - the better second draft

One of the most exciting uses of AI is the ability to improve written work through better grammar and structure. By submitting a rough draft to an AI tool, we can get a revised version that helps us to think critically about our writing or even fully completes the task for us. This approach is like having a centaur – a hybrid of human and machine – rather than simply relying on a human or a machine alone. So far, the results of using AI in this way have been positive and I look forward to seeing how it will continue to evolve and enhance our writing in the future.

Ok, that was written by ChatGPT after this prompt with the following text. 

Make this paragraph better "My new favourite use of AI is to write a paragraph and then ask it to make it better. Better grammar, better structure - whatever. After all, a bad first draft is a good idea, so let's get the robots to make the second draft better. So far the results have been good. You get a slightly tweaked structure, that at worst makes you think and at best finishes the job for you. Centaurs not butlers.

It's a bit meta but you can see my point. It works great for emails. 

Anyway.

Entrance

It's just missing the "In Constant Use" sign.