davidd's A DOLL A DAY 2023

[dargosmydaddy]

I first heard of Amelia Earhart luggage while watching old game shows (when they list the various things that "select members of the studio audience" were gifted with), and it always made me laugh... Like, definitely a cool sponsorship during her heyday, but considering what happened to her... would you really want to own Amelia Earhart luggage afterwards? Or is that just me being superstitious?

Nevertheless, that case looked like it would have made a nice storage box... too bad about the smell (and the hole).

[Alliecat]

Oh, that’s a bummer. Doesn’t sound like it is salvageable. My first thought was “antiques roadshow“ until I read about the condition.
No, I haven’t been to the Pali overlook.

[davidd]

23 January - A Doll A Day 2023:

Another Pinky Street Beach Day in Florida

[Alliecat]

>sigghhh<

[davidd]

24 January - A Doll A Day 2023:

Finishing the Fence

Janie and Triv finally finished tacking up the planks, or pickets, on the fence they have been repairing, making sure to leave a a portal for Gabby, the neighborhood cat, so she can continue to make her daily rounds unimpeded.

[Alliecat]

That's so cute that you left a kitty door! >^.^<

[davidd]

25 January - A Doll A Day 2023:

But... but they're NOT REAL!

Who needs dolls or action figures or even cameras when "AI" (Artificial Intelligence) image generation applications can create pictures of anything?

The two images above and the one below were all spit out by a free online AI app called Dall-E2 in response to a few typed-in verbal prompts.

The Death of the Doll Photography Hobby

[Alliecat]

Wow, that's weird. What prompts did you use?
Anything can be faked these days.... why I question Absolutely Everything.
Someone did this with some Firefly characters and a similar program... the likenesses were not very good and fans in the group weren't impressed.
I have no idea how this stuff even works. I kind of want to get one of the animator programs for the singing heads... so my mini crew can sing... haha... but not sure which ones are legit or safe.

[davidd]

Wow, that's weird.  What prompts did you use?
Anything can be faked these days....  why I question Absolutely Everything.
Someone did this with some Firefly characters and a similar program... the likenesses were not very good and fans in the group weren't impressed.
I have no idea how this stuff even works.  I kind of want to get one of the animator programs for the singing heads... so my mini crew can sing... haha... but not sure which ones are legit or safe.

For the "coffin" pic, the prompt was: antique dolls carrying a coffin.

For the "anime" pics, the prompt was: anime style figurine female with a pretty face

Yes, everything has to be questioned, and between stupid mistakes and intentionally misleading or flat-out false comments, almost everything is wrong. Case in point, I was reading an article yesterday about the new weapons being sent by various NATO countries to Ukraine, and the article said that the armor on the new tanks was made of "steel and uranium." I was all like, "whuuuut? Atomic-armored tanks? No way, there's no such thing!" Of course there's no such thing, as a cursory Internet search revealed the armor is an alloy of steel and titanium. Titanium and uranium are totally different stuffs, and the difference between titanium and uranium is kind of significant, especially in an age where there is frequent talk of nuclear weapons. So yeah, there's pretty much no single reliable news or information source anymore. I don't think "AI" can make things any worse in that regard.

A frequent, and accurate, criticism of the AI art apps is that they tend to distort faces, particularly eyes, and they have a lot of trouble rendering hands accurately. Hands often end up missing completely or are rendered as either shapeless blobs or as multi-tentacled anemone-like appendages.

I don't know how to determine which online apps are "safe" and which exist simply to data-mine personal information. I'm guessing most are the latter, but there's no way to tell. Internet security is a No Such Thing thing.

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26 January - A Doll A Day 2023:

Who needs actual dolls... or a camera?

I used "Pullip doll" with some additional modifiers as the text prompt for the AI generative art app Dall-E2 to generate these images.

This one looks more like a creepy Blythe doll, doesn't it?

This looks like a "fan art" illustration of Pullip Melissa.

I included "Melissa" in the text prompt

Pullip AImelia – I included "Amelia" in the text prompt

This one looks like a Mini

Are these KiraKira eye chips? 

The AI art app even rendered a Pullip-like elbow joint

Nice wig, huh? And flowers. (Note the funky disembodied leaf at lower left.)

I left the "color bars" watermark in the lower right corner of these images, which is the only identifying mark I can see that identifies images like this as being fully computer generated by a free online image app. It's easy to blur out or remove the watermark.

The EXIF information (embedded photo information available on most unedited or moderately edited digital images) includes:

User Comment - Made with OpenAI Labs

The images aren't perfect, but most of them would pass as being "real dolls" at a quick, casual glance. These images are generated with a "free" version of an online app, and I used only minimal prompts with a few words.

There are more sophisticated "consumer level" AI art apps available -- MidJourney is popular, and StableDiffusion is considerably more sophisticated, offering far more options for fine-tuning inputs, and even accepting specialized plug-ins to optimize the app for specialized image generation.

The commercial future for digital illustration and even for photography looks as though it might soon become extremely limited if nearly anyone can create cool, photo-realistic images using freeware apps.

[Alliecat]

Some of those are pretty cute. I like the one with the blue hair, and the one with black/blue hair and turquoise eyes. The first pic is nice too. They look like dolls that somebody would produce to start a new line, like a Pullip knockoff.
When you look at the tremendous animation and digital art effects that have been in the movies for some time now, I guess it was a matter of time until they became mainstream and free for public use.
A friend of mine has been doing digital art, and he just created a graphic novel with some kind of program that lets you use “elements“ for different characters and settings. I have no idea what he’s talking about when he tries to ex-plain it; I just smile and nod and say yeah that looks pretty cool.
It looks like you have found a new project to occupy your attention.

[davidd]

They look like dolls that somebody would produce to start a new line, like a Pullip knockoff. ...
A friend of mine has been doing digital art, and he just created a graphic novel with some kind of program that lets you use “elements“ for different characters and settings. 

I have read that graphic designers and product designers are "integrating AI in to their workflows" to create draft versions of projects, which they then further develop. The speed of AI prompt-driven renderings allows "creatives" to generate more potential design concepts in less time. Supposedly writers are using the text-bots for similar purposes, to draft articles and essays.

A guy I know, who has been a professional web database manager for years, only recently learned about a program called Unreal Engine that allows users to create "elements" (basically "digital things") and then use those elements to create digital landscapes. He got quite excited, and briefly -- very briefly -- began talking to his college-age son about possibly using this technology to develop video games. Later I talked to the son. When I asked him about this, he just rolled his eyes, and said "my dad doesn't even play video games, I don't know how he ex-pects to make one. And everybody knows about Unreal Engine, it's not that great."

I was trying to remember the name of Unreal Engine, and in my quick online search I found dozens of "world building" apps. This site has an entire lesson plan of tutorials on how to use their suite of word-building graphics apps to create digital words and all the elements within them:  https://www.sidefx.com/learn/world-building/

I might bookmark that site to look at later, just so I will have a better idea of how this stuff works.

I'm finding out now that both the AI text generating apps and the AI image generating apps have been around for a long time. It is only recently that reasonably effective versions that are easy to use have come online as "free trial versions," and the sudden widespread availability seems to have spurred the current debate over their use.

I'm already losing interest in the digital image generation, myself. It's a novelty -- I can ask the app to draw me a kitten and it will draw me a kitten. I can look at the results, go "d'awwww, so cuuuute," and do it again. So basically these apps are contributing to the brainwashing, or "dumbing-down," of society by turning even active pursuits like writing and drawing and even thinking in to passive activities: tell the machine to do it and the machine will do it.

The machine will even write a poem about a girl who eats kittens:

chatGPT prompt: write a rhyming poem about a girl who eats kittens.


There once was a girl so queer,
Who loved to eat kittens, oh dear!
She'd gobble them up with a grin,
And never once thought of the sin.
She'd munch on their fur and their paws,
And lick her lips as she gnawed.
She'd slurp up their eyes, oh so bright,
And swallow them whole in one bite.
The kittens would mew and they'd purr,
But nothing would make her defer.
She'd eat them for breakfast, for lunch,
And even for dinner, as much.
But one day, the girl got her just,
For eating those kittens, she must.
She was banished and sent away,
To live on a diet of hay.
And though she may miss her old treat,
Of kitten meat, oh so sweet,
She learned her lesson, it's true,
That eating kittens, she shouldn't do.

I would actually recommend giving the chatGPT app a try. I find it more entertaining, myself, than the art apps. You can ask it questions, you can ask it for facts about topics, you can ask it to write articles, you can even ask it to tell you a joke.

I think this is the correct URL:  https://chat.openai.com/chat

Here's an ex-periment for you, Alliecat, to evaluate:

chatGPT prompt: Write an article about the challenges facing Grand Manan Island in New Brunswick over the disposal of discarded lobster traps.

Grand Manan Island, located in the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, Canada, is facing a major challenge in the disposal of discarded lobster traps. These traps, which are used to catch lobsters, are made of durable materials such as wire and plastic, and can take hundreds of years to degrade in the marine environment.


As lobstering is a major industry on Grand Manan Island, a large number of traps are used and discarded each year. These discarded traps can pose a significant threat to marine wildlife, as they can entangle and harm animals such as seals, whales, and sea turtles. Additionally, they can also damage sensitive marine habitats, such as coral reefs and seagrass beds.

One of the main challenges facing the island is the lack of proper disposal options for these discarded traps. Traditional methods, such as burying or burning the traps, are not environmentally sustainable. Furthermore, there is currently no commercial recycling program for these materials.

In an effort to address this issue, some groups on the island are working to develop alternative disposal methods, such as repurposing the traps for use in construction or other industries. However, these efforts are still in the early stages, and it remains to be seen if they will be successful in addressing the problem on a large scale.

Another challenge is the cost of proper disposal. Divers are needed to remove the traps from the ocean floor and transport them to a disposal site which can be costly. This can create a financial burden for the lobster fishing industry, which is already facing economic challenges.

To solve this problem, some suggest that a government-funded program should be created to help cover the costs of trap disposal. This could include financial incentives for fishermen to properly dispose of their traps, as well as funding for research and development of new disposal methods.

Overall, the disposal of discarded lobster traps on Grand Manan Island is a complex and pressing issue that requires a multifaceted solution. With the continued collaboration of industry, government, and environmental groups, it is possible to find a sustainable and effective solution to this problem.

In conclusion, Grand Manan Island is facing a significant challenge in the disposal of discarded lobster traps. These traps, which are made of durable materials, can take hundreds of years to degrade in the marine environment, and can pose a significant threat to marine wildlife and sensitive marine habitats. With the lack of proper disposal options and the high cost of proper disposal, this issue requires a multifaceted solution that includes government-funded programs, collaboration with the industry, and research and development of new disposal methods.

What'cha think? More specific prompting might have generated a better article. Then again, this is a "freeware" version of the app, and it has constraints to the output built in. Are you worried about losing your job to a robot? Or could something like this speed up your workflow by giving you a framework in which to insert more specifics to create a solid article?

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27 January – A Doll A Day 2023:

Integrity Toys Dynamite Girls Back To Brooklyn Gavin

And just for fun, what happens if we upload an image of this doll to Dall-E2 to use as the basis of a digitally enhanced render?

[fishy]

I wonder if you could pump this thing full of Tennyson and have it write a poem knockoff.

Of course, it wouldn't be him and would lack "the gleam."

[davidd]

I wonder if you could pump this thing full of Tennyson and have it write a poem knockoff.

I asked the app to write a rhyme "in the style of Dr. Seuss" and received an error message saying the prompt was invalid. It will not accept some specific names. I don't know if it would work with Tennyson, seeing as how his works are no longer under copyright protection.

Now I'm curious. Let me see what happens.

... ... ...

Prompt: write a poem about hard-working fishermen with lanterns at night in the style of Lord Tennyson


Upon the waves, the fishermen brave
With lanterns bright, they toil and pave
Their way through stormy seas, so wild
To bring in catch, so bountiful and mild

Their strength and skill, a sight to see
As they work hard, with mastery
Through the night, with lanterns aglow
Their nets cast out, as the winds do blow

With each haul, a sense of pride
For a day's work, well earned and tried
Their faces weathered, rough and tanned
But their spirits strong, and courage unbranded

Though the hours are long and the work is hard
These fishermen, they do not bard
For they know, their families depend
On the fish they catch, till the very end

So let us give thanks, to these men of the sea
Who with lanterns bright, work tirelessly
For they are the ones who keep our plates full
And our hearts grateful, with each catch, so full.



Let's try another.

Prompt: a poem in the style of Tennyson about a wizard following a guiding light.

Through misty woods and fields of green,
A wizard roams, with purpose keen
A guiding light, his only guide
Through the darkness, where shadows hide

With steady step, he treads ahead
His eyes fixed on the light, so red
A beacon of hope, in the night
That leads him on, with all its might

Through treacherous paths, and rocky ground
The wizard goes, without a sound
For he knows, the light will lead the way
To the treasure, that he doth seek today

And as he nears, the end in sight
The light grows brighter, shining bright
With magic wand, and spell in hand
He reaches out, and takes command

Of the treasure, long sought and earned
His journey done, his heart returned
With gratitude, he looks above
To the guiding light, that he doth love.

Okay... actually, that second one isn't too bad! I like the line, "through the darkness, where shadows hide." That actually makes sense -- shadows do hide in the darkness.

[Alliecat]

You need light to make shadows… Just sayin.

What is rather alarming… or disappointing… or… something… is the fact that this thing writes better than a lot of actual people.  Although how something so “smart” can come up with a line like “they do not bard” is a mystery.

That’s quite an article. 
I read somewhere that a lot of news articles are now being turned out by bots. And some of them that I’ve seen sound like it… Partway through I’ll be like “who the heck wrote this amateur crap?” It is creepy and weird that there are programs that can assemble the information to be found online and create a coherent article out of it.
There is, however, a sense of “uncanny” about these bot-generated articles that is hard to define, but I feel like I can sense something different or “off” about them.

I wonder what it would like to say about a multi-billion-dollar giant bank abandoning a small isolated community and leaving them with no banking services. That information is also available  

Is Dr. Seuss subject to some sort of ban there too?

Oh HEY, I had a better idea than the bank… What does it think about a bunch of truck drivers and ordinary Canadian citizens launching a massive cross-country ex!pedition to their nation’s capital to ex!press their objections about government overreach???   

[davidd]

You need light to make shadows… Just sayin.

What is rather alarming… or disappointing… or… something… is the fact that this thing writes better than a lot of actual people.  Although how something so “smart” can come up with a line like “they do not bard” is a mystery.

That’s quite an article. 
I read somewhere that a lot of news articles are now being turned out by bots. And some of them that I’ve seen sound like it… Partway through I’ll be like “who the heck wrote this amateur crap?” It is creepy and weird that there are programs that can assemble the information to be found online and create a coherent article out of it.
There is, however, a sense of “uncanny” about these bot-generated articles that is hard to define, but I feel like I can sense something different or “off” about them.

I wonder what it would like to say about a multi-billion-dollar giant bank abandoning a small isolated community and leaving them with no banking services. That information is also available  

Is Dr. Seuss subject to some sort of ban there too?

Oh HEY, I had a better idea than the bank… What does it think about a bunch of truck drivers and ordinary Canadian citizens launching a massive cross-country ex!pedition to their nation’s capital to ex!press their objections about government overreach???   

Prompt:
write an objective news article about the Freedom Convoy trucker strike in Canada during which citizens and truck drivers objected to government overreach

On Monday, a group of truck drivers and citizens in Canada began a strike in protest of what they see as government overreach in their industry. The strike, known as the Freedom Convoy, has caused disruptions on major highways across the country and has gained widespread attention from both the media and the public.

The strike was organized by a group of truck drivers who say they are frustrated with the government's increasing regulations and oversight of the trucking industry. They argue that these regulations are making it difficult for them to make a living and are pushing many out of the industry altogether.

One of the main demands of the Freedom Convoy is for the government to reduce the number of regulations and oversight on truckers. They also want the government to make it easier for truckers to enter the industry and for them to be able to negotiate better pay and working conditions.

The strike has been met with a mixed reaction from the public. Some have ex-pressed support for the truckers and their demands, while others have criticized the strike for causing disruptions on the roads.

The government has responded to the strike by saying that they are aware of the concerns of the truckers and are willing to work with them to find a solution. They have also em-phasized that they are committed to ensuring that truckers are able to make a living while also keeping the roads safe.

As of now, the strike continues and it is unclear when it will come to an end. The government and the truckers are ex-pected to meet in the coming days to discuss a resolution.

In conclusion, the Freedom Convoy trucker strike in Canada is a protest against the government overreach in the trucking industry. The truck drivers and citizens are demanding fewer regulations and more autonomy in the industry. The strike has caused disruptions on major highways, and the government has responded by saying they are willing to work with the truckers to find a solution. The outcome of the strike remains unknown.

Prompt:
Write an objective news article about the decision by Scotiabank to close the branch on Grand Manan Island in New Brunswick, Canada, leaving the island residents with no banking services.

Scotiabank has announced plans to close its only branch on Grand Manan Island in New Brunswick, Canada, leaving residents of the island without access to in-person banking services. The branch, located on Water Street in the village of North Head, will close its doors on May 14th, 2021.

According to a statement from the bank, the decision to close the branch was made due to a decline in customer usage and an increase in the use of digital banking options. The bank stated that customers will still be able to access their accounts through online and mobile banking, as well as through the use of ATMs and banking machines.

However, many island residents have ex-pressed concern about the closure, citing the lack of reliable internet connectivity on the island and the difficulty of accessing banking services through digital means. Some have also pointed out that the closure of the branch will make it harder for local businesses to conduct transactions and for residents to access banking services, such as loans and mortgages.

The Mayor of Grand Manan, Dennis Greene, has stated that the closure will have a negative impact on the island's economy and has called for the bank to reconsider its decision. "This is a very unfortunate decision and it will be a major inconvenience for residents and businesses on the island," said Greene. "We hope that the bank will find a way to continue to serve our community in some way."

Scotiabank has not announced any plans to provide alternative banking services on the island, and it is unclear what options will be available to residents and businesses in the wake of the branch closure.

It seems like the bank article offers more specifics than other articles I've asked for. I  believe the date for closure cited is incorrect -- didn't the bank actually close in August 2022? I do not know if the name of the village or of the mayor is accurate.

As for Dr. Seuss, several of his books have been labelled as "racist" and have been withdrawn from publication, and some libraries in the States are removing certain Seuss books. Apparently the illustration of a "Chinese boy" wearing his hair in a queue and eating rice from a bowl using chopsticks is "racist," even though it is a historically accurate depiction of the lifestyle of Chinese immigrants in the 19th Century, and may still have been commonplace during Ted Geisel's youth. The "anti-racists" seem determined to stamp out cultural awareness rather than to "celebrate diversity" as they claim. I know when I was a kid I was intrigued by such depictions and wanted to learn more about these people and their culture. 

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28 January - A Doll A Day 2023:

28 January - Star Wars Rip-Off Action Figure

War Story Toys WS015 Empire Commandos action figure