CambriaArea51
Well-Known Member
The next chance for white gold is coming Friday afternoon. Weatherman not sure how much due to we'll be close to the cold/ warm line.
Running Bear's March 2023 Coffee Shop
- Thread starter bnsf971
- Start date
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troyphoto
Snarky Old Fart (in training)
For most that would use it, they might cut out the boring parts of writing. They hate to do descriptive prose, and enjoy writing conversation... so they'd go to AI for the parts they don't enjoy.
Another use might be: I'm stuck in how to get the characters out of this conversation with the store clerk and back to the ice cream store... so type a quick question to the AI and ask it to write a scene that achieves that.
Not my preferred method, but two applications I've seen discussed.
the real kicker is coming from those who want to game the system. Brainstorm a bunch of plot ideas. Feed those into an authoring AI app and have it write the book. Have another AI clean up the prose
EG: I use a grammar checker app that is a light version of an AI... but I make all the change decisions. The system cheats would just automate writing the prose, checking the prose, and hire a human to "edit" it and get it into final shape. Doesn't have to be great literature. Just publishable.
Then upload to Amazon. Rinse and repeat. And repeat, and repeat. One person could easily crank out 4-10 books a week with a single computer. Throw some advertising money and a bit of savvy marketing to make an author person for each genre, and they're pumping out content that is passable.
Eventually the market is flooded, and everything collapses under the weight of the semi-passable pulp ebooks... But the early adopters made their money, then sold the systems to others... Gold rush mentality is hitting the unscrupulous side of the industry.
TLOC
Well-Known Member
Oh yes, thank you I am feeling much better now!! Lol…OK I will go "politically" correct then....
NYS says it is Bearded birds .....so if you are a bird with a beard beware!.............
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Tom
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CambriaArea51
Well-Known Member
Good morning.....The calm before the storm, 40 and mix of sun and clouds.
Coffee Flo and a breakfast sandwich.
Coffee Flo and a breakfast sandwich.
kbkchooch
"retired" conductor
Good morning gang!
45 with light rain ending soon cloudy and 60 later.
No trains last night. After cleaning up dinner wifey and I went into the bedroom with the dog. Dog got on the bed and laid on her back being cute, wife started petting her. Cat joined in soon the 4 of us were sound asleep until after midnight. Then everyone got a pee break and returned to slumber.
BBL
45 with light rain ending soon cloudy and 60 later.
No trains last night. After cleaning up dinner wifey and I went into the bedroom with the dog. Dog got on the bed and laid on her back being cute, wife started petting her. Cat joined in soon the 4 of us were sound asleep until after midnight. Then everyone got a pee break and returned to slumber.
BBL
santafewillie
Same Ol' Buzzard
Good Morning All. Cloudy and 56°, upper 70's later today along with a potential severe weather situation. They really have no clue right now. The huge rain system that was supposed to hit us yesterday, but didn't, has moved southeast and is lingering nearby. How close? At one point yesterday the Weather Underground station about a mile away was reporting rain, but reported no rainfall total for yesterday. Today's system could have wind, hail, tornadoes and thunderstorms; who knows? The weather people are hedging their bets both ways. We'll see. They're now saying that it will be east of IH-35, I'm west. Systems here move from west to east.
Today's grocery trek is being done tomorrow instead of today. We're going instead to a high school symphony orchestra competition in a North Dallas suburb. My grandson plays "first cello" in his orchestra. I have seen him perform solo at many family functions, but this will be my first time seeing him in an orchestra setting. My understanding is that they first play a pre-planned and rehearsed selection, and they are then given a random piece to play. They get 8 minutes to discuss and practice the piece before they have to perform. By the way, he and the rest do not use sheet music, but they use tablets that will automatically scroll while they are playing.
Yesterday, I direct seeded some lettuce and spinach in the garden in anticipation of some potential rain today. The plants in the flats on the porch are doing well and will be planted early next week and will provide greens about three weeks ahead of the garden seeded ones. This afternoon, I will be planting some Summer Squash in pots to grow indoors (or on the porch) until it's time to transplant in early April when the soil is warmer. Yellow Squash and Zucchini. After gardening, I cut up some major tree prunings into firewood for next season. Haven't stacked it yet but the yield looks to be about a two week supply. I need 13 weeks and I have about 3 1/2 weeks left over from this season. Sadly, nearby they have started removing 1000's of hardwood trees for the highway widening project, but they have all been contracted out to some local firewood sellers, and are off-limits to the public. Yesterday, I counted 14 crews working along the 5 mile stretch. Some are sub-contracted from out of state.
Thanks for the comments and reactions received lately for my projects with Chet's transplanted structures. It has been a real pleasure for me to work on them.
Out in the train shed yesterday, I continued painting people. I finally got enough done to send them to the paint booth for dull coating, which protects them from chipping and fading.
These are all either Preciser figures, reworked Chinese figures or a single Woodland Scenics one that I repainted, the little girl. Some are immediately destined to go on the layout while others will head for the "figure box", a compartmentalized craft box for storage of small items.
I also brought out the last (I think) structure from Logan Valley, a residential home.
Mainly I will be adding downspouts to the gutters and figures/furniture to the expansive porch. A few balustrades on the porch railing will also be replaced.
Patrick -
Sherrel - You have been lamenting about the lack of rain in your area for the 13 years that I have read your posts, now it's too much!
Mike - Is your wife having both knees done at once? My wife's were a year apart.
Swal - Loved the video. I always admired people with that kind of talent who could just sit down and play something like that impromptu.
AI (Artificial Intelligence) seems like an oxymoron to me!
Today's birthday's include Dr Seuss and Jon Bon Jovi who is 61. But more importantly, today is the 187th anniversary of Texas Independence Day from Mexico.
Everybody have a great day.
Today's grocery trek is being done tomorrow instead of today. We're going instead to a high school symphony orchestra competition in a North Dallas suburb. My grandson plays "first cello" in his orchestra. I have seen him perform solo at many family functions, but this will be my first time seeing him in an orchestra setting. My understanding is that they first play a pre-planned and rehearsed selection, and they are then given a random piece to play. They get 8 minutes to discuss and practice the piece before they have to perform. By the way, he and the rest do not use sheet music, but they use tablets that will automatically scroll while they are playing.
Yesterday, I direct seeded some lettuce and spinach in the garden in anticipation of some potential rain today. The plants in the flats on the porch are doing well and will be planted early next week and will provide greens about three weeks ahead of the garden seeded ones. This afternoon, I will be planting some Summer Squash in pots to grow indoors (or on the porch) until it's time to transplant in early April when the soil is warmer. Yellow Squash and Zucchini. After gardening, I cut up some major tree prunings into firewood for next season. Haven't stacked it yet but the yield looks to be about a two week supply. I need 13 weeks and I have about 3 1/2 weeks left over from this season. Sadly, nearby they have started removing 1000's of hardwood trees for the highway widening project, but they have all been contracted out to some local firewood sellers, and are off-limits to the public. Yesterday, I counted 14 crews working along the 5 mile stretch. Some are sub-contracted from out of state.
Thanks for the comments and reactions received lately for my projects with Chet's transplanted structures. It has been a real pleasure for me to work on them.
Out in the train shed yesterday, I continued painting people. I finally got enough done to send them to the paint booth for dull coating, which protects them from chipping and fading.
These are all either Preciser figures, reworked Chinese figures or a single Woodland Scenics one that I repainted, the little girl. Some are immediately destined to go on the layout while others will head for the "figure box", a compartmentalized craft box for storage of small items.
I also brought out the last (I think) structure from Logan Valley, a residential home.
Mainly I will be adding downspouts to the gutters and figures/furniture to the expansive porch. A few balustrades on the porch railing will also be replaced.
Patrick -
Even though it has been 7 1/2 years since I retired, I am still waking up around 0400 every morning without the alarm, like I did for 43 years! I have tried to change by going to bed later, but to no avail.
Sherrel - You have been lamenting about the lack of rain in your area for the 13 years that I have read your posts, now it's too much!
Mike - Is your wife having both knees done at once? My wife's were a year apart.
Swal - Loved the video. I always admired people with that kind of talent who could just sit down and play something like that impromptu.
AI (Artificial Intelligence) seems like an oxymoron to me!
Today's birthday's include Dr Seuss and Jon Bon Jovi who is 61. But more importantly, today is the 187th anniversary of Texas Independence Day from Mexico.
Everybody have a great day.
migalyto
Well-Known Member
Happy Thursday all,
Cloudy and overcast this morning. Looks like upper 30s will be the best it will get. Looks like tomorrow’s storm has us in the rain snow envelope. Still not sure if there’s going to be any accumulation. The ground isn’t frozen.
probably nothing much on the train front today. Have to take the car for an oil change and several other errands to run.
have a great day all!
Cloudy and overcast this morning. Looks like upper 30s will be the best it will get. Looks like tomorrow’s storm has us in the rain snow envelope. Still not sure if there’s going to be any accumulation. The ground isn’t frozen.
probably nothing much on the train front today. Have to take the car for an oil change and several other errands to run.
have a great day all!
TLOC
Well-Known Member
Good morning from a surprised So. Central Wisconsin. No where did it say yesterday I would wake up to a fresh 1”+ of snow. It’s already melting at 35f degrees but it’s annoying. Only going to 38 down from the 56 we achieved yesterday.
The brother was here yesterday and overnight. Right now he’s headed up to Marshfield for a Healthcare system board meeting. He’ll be back tonight but not in time for dinner. My sister arrives around 5 PM.
The son is still planning tomorrow around 4PM to be here as he and the newly crowned girl friend fly themselves in. He was estactic yesterday about a job. The Texas Highway Commission is re-building or building new bridges in the San Antonio area. The bats that use the bridges for their home nesting have to be humanely removed. 30 bridges over the next few years, already funded and he has that contract. They have to go in 2 weeks before the destruction of the bridges and net off the openings the bats use. This forces the bats to find new lodgings. Of course the son will also provide the bats some housing. They will place bat houses around the bridges before the nets are placed. He will order 180 bat kit houses next week, his pole supplier is looking also for material. This gives the bats another option instead of the bridge. With the nets up and access denied they will then find other lodgings and possibly use those bat houses that can be moved to better bat friendly locations. The new bridges when built will get the bat netting installed as soon as possible with bat houses permanently installed near by. Between the commercial bat jobs, window cleaning skyscrapers in Austin and his charter air businesses he keeps himself and 9 full time staff pretty busy. To think 12 years ago it was all about his music and being broke…
Terry and I will around 9:30 head to brunch this morning with Coach and his wife. Then a bakery afterwards for some chocolates, free loaf of bread and something else that I forget. We stop at this bakery at least twice a year and even during Covid we did the pre-order and curbside.
enjoy the day
The brother was here yesterday and overnight. Right now he’s headed up to Marshfield for a Healthcare system board meeting. He’ll be back tonight but not in time for dinner. My sister arrives around 5 PM.
The son is still planning tomorrow around 4PM to be here as he and the newly crowned girl friend fly themselves in. He was estactic yesterday about a job. The Texas Highway Commission is re-building or building new bridges in the San Antonio area. The bats that use the bridges for their home nesting have to be humanely removed. 30 bridges over the next few years, already funded and he has that contract. They have to go in 2 weeks before the destruction of the bridges and net off the openings the bats use. This forces the bats to find new lodgings. Of course the son will also provide the bats some housing. They will place bat houses around the bridges before the nets are placed. He will order 180 bat kit houses next week, his pole supplier is looking also for material. This gives the bats another option instead of the bridge. With the nets up and access denied they will then find other lodgings and possibly use those bat houses that can be moved to better bat friendly locations. The new bridges when built will get the bat netting installed as soon as possible with bat houses permanently installed near by. Between the commercial bat jobs, window cleaning skyscrapers in Austin and his charter air businesses he keeps himself and 9 full time staff pretty busy. To think 12 years ago it was all about his music and being broke…
Terry and I will around 9:30 head to brunch this morning with Coach and his wife. Then a bakery afterwards for some chocolates, free loaf of bread and something else that I forget. We stop at this bakery at least twice a year and even during Covid we did the pre-order and curbside.
enjoy the day
BigGRacing
Aka. Gary Russell
I am with Smudge; put me on your list of renovation projects. You are welcome to my house any time!
migalyto
Well-Known Member
Looks like the NWS has now moved our area into the winter stoem watch area that we wernt in as od 5:30 tha morning. Looks like we could now see 5-8" of the white stuff. Add the 40MPH winds, and it might be our most significant snow of the year, My daughter is hoping for a snow day!
NYC_George
Well-Known Member
That's over in London Willie. I ran across that the other day looking for something else. If you liked that one take a look at this one. Him and another guy doing it up in the mall. Fanatic piano playing at its best.
Swal
NYC_George
Well-Known Member
Gary I actually wanted a contractor named First Class Builders to do the whole bathroom, but they didn't want the job. So I had to do most of it myself. I ended up saving a lot of money though.
Swal
JeffH
Well-Known Member
Happy March, everyone!
Good things on the horizon... Spring is in the air... We had record highs yesterday. My car told me it was 77 degrees on the way home from the office yesterday. I got home, changed my clothes, and took the dog for a stroll to go get the tractor out to pick up all the sticks that have fallen from the trees over the past few months...
The grass carp in our pond are getting quite large... I swear they look to be about 3 feet long. I believe there are 5-6 of these leviathans in our 1/2 acre pond. They are a sterile hybrid that people use to control aquatic vegetation in ponds.
As we were walking around the pond, we spooked several... and they created quite a swirl when they bolt off like a torpedo. They tend to feed near the surface.
Also saw a huge bull frog... way bigger than my hand... And not afraid of much... I tapped it with a stick and it just scooted over a bit...
The tomato seeds we started a couple weeks ago are now sprouting... so far, I see 13 sprouts out of 18 little pots. We will be starting more plants this weekend, looking to transplant outside mid-May.
I'm starting to see a lot of juvenile male Red Winged Black Birds at the feeder. That, to me, is one of the first signs of Spring... not a Robin. They usually come a few weeks later. Although, it is becoming more and more common to see Robins that stay here for the winter rather than fly south.
Bad things on the horizon... Our guest house furnace is almost dead... 53 years old... I guess I can't be upset about it only lasting 52-53 years... Anyone care to set the "over/under" on how long a new fuel oil furnace will last? I'm betting on "under 52 years" lol!
Good things on the horizon... Spring is in the air... We had record highs yesterday. My car told me it was 77 degrees on the way home from the office yesterday. I got home, changed my clothes, and took the dog for a stroll to go get the tractor out to pick up all the sticks that have fallen from the trees over the past few months...
The grass carp in our pond are getting quite large... I swear they look to be about 3 feet long. I believe there are 5-6 of these leviathans in our 1/2 acre pond. They are a sterile hybrid that people use to control aquatic vegetation in ponds.
As we were walking around the pond, we spooked several... and they created quite a swirl when they bolt off like a torpedo. They tend to feed near the surface.
Also saw a huge bull frog... way bigger than my hand... And not afraid of much... I tapped it with a stick and it just scooted over a bit...
The tomato seeds we started a couple weeks ago are now sprouting... so far, I see 13 sprouts out of 18 little pots. We will be starting more plants this weekend, looking to transplant outside mid-May.
I'm starting to see a lot of juvenile male Red Winged Black Birds at the feeder. That, to me, is one of the first signs of Spring... not a Robin. They usually come a few weeks later. Although, it is becoming more and more common to see Robins that stay here for the winter rather than fly south.
Bad things on the horizon... Our guest house furnace is almost dead... 53 years old... I guess I can't be upset about it only lasting 52-53 years... Anyone care to set the "over/under" on how long a new fuel oil furnace will last? I'm betting on "under 52 years" lol!
chadbag
Well-Known Member
yeah I see all sorts of videos with the guy everywhere. Been seeing them randomly pop up on FB, YT, etc.
ctclibby
Well-Known Member
Good Morning All!
34F @ 75% and so far partly.
Missoula trip went has expected. 36F when we left Libby, 5F at Trout Creek ( about 60 miles out ), then went up the further East we got. Hit 40F in Missoula. I completely spaced hitting the cash machine before I got to where the plotter was. Geesh, said I. Smiled and winked at the wife. She just happened to have the cash. Boy, ima gonna pay for this! She wanted to stop at Lowes and check out paint for the mud room. Told her I would pay for it to get us even. Big mistake - $396 for 5 gallons + a quart, tape and roller rubbers. Well, I did get some caulking and a couple circuit breakers for the train cave. Was not a fair exchange. Flip flop was pretty much 40F until Trout Creek, and 36F from there to home.
Picked up a HP DesignJet 750C Plus plotter for $100. This is an 'E' size plotter. Had been sitting in garage for about 10 years so I expect stuff will need fix'n. Powered her up this am; no smoke! Anyway I didn't think to take a pix before I started taking it apart. You probably know what a plotter looks like anyway. You can see from the 2nd pix the carriage belt is toast so ima looking for that. Paper roller gears look to be nice with good edges. 3 of the 4 ink cartridges still 'shake', black is solid or empty. Getting new ones anywho. Waste ink reservoir is probably full so need to deal with that. Guy I got it from said he bought it brand new, used it for awhile then quit his Architect business and stored it.
Y'all have a great day!
Later
34F @ 75% and so far partly.
Missoula trip went has expected. 36F when we left Libby, 5F at Trout Creek ( about 60 miles out ), then went up the further East we got. Hit 40F in Missoula. I completely spaced hitting the cash machine before I got to where the plotter was. Geesh, said I. Smiled and winked at the wife. She just happened to have the cash. Boy, ima gonna pay for this! She wanted to stop at Lowes and check out paint for the mud room. Told her I would pay for it to get us even. Big mistake - $396 for 5 gallons + a quart, tape and roller rubbers. Well, I did get some caulking and a couple circuit breakers for the train cave. Was not a fair exchange. Flip flop was pretty much 40F until Trout Creek, and 36F from there to home.
Picked up a HP DesignJet 750C Plus plotter for $100. This is an 'E' size plotter. Had been sitting in garage for about 10 years so I expect stuff will need fix'n. Powered her up this am; no smoke! Anyway I didn't think to take a pix before I started taking it apart. You probably know what a plotter looks like anyway. You can see from the 2nd pix the carriage belt is toast so ima looking for that. Paper roller gears look to be nice with good edges. 3 of the 4 ink cartridges still 'shake', black is solid or empty. Getting new ones anywho. Waste ink reservoir is probably full so need to deal with that. Guy I got it from said he bought it brand new, used it for awhile then quit his Architect business and stored it.
Y'all have a great day!
Later
- Status
