Maybe AI will be a good thing.

Bear with me!

I was on the phone with some utility… I don’t remember who. Who can? Their phone prompts sounded just like Apple’s, and every other “Helpful Automated Phone system.”  None of which are helpful to me at all.

In that moment while I was grinding my teeth listening to a bunch of choices that I didn’t want, and having the system telling me, “I didn’t understand what you’re asking for, so let’s try again…”

I thought, “I don’t want or need to deal with this frustration in my life,” in addition to the frustration of whatever problem was serious enough for me to call this Servicer Company in the first place.

Yeah, I’m getting right back to acting like a Nebari. Folks this ain’t gonna be pretty. 

“Servicer, here is the account number, I don’t care what your name is, I don’t choose to give you my name, I give the commands – You execute the commands. That is the extent of our relationship.”

I gotta admit there are some fictional races from science fiction that have really stuck with me. The Nebari from FarScape, The Romulans from StarTrek, The Omecs and the Indogenes from Defiance. There are others, Predators and Aliens for example, and still more which are the stuff of nightmares. 

I think the Nebari stick with me most because they simply “KNOW” they’re right. I identify with the kind of arrogance!

Anyway, my point is that I’m not going to willingly talk to automated phone systems anymore. I don’t as a rule use a company’s website for anything except the simplest of things and these days the list of simple things is dwindling as well. It’s gotten to the point that some websites won’t show you your bill without 97 factor authentication.

If I’ve already set up multi-factor authentication, then let’s do it! Stop changing the protocol such that my stored passwords are no longer functional and my stored user ID is locked out.

Does no-one test their software anymore prior to shoving it down a captive population’s throat?

Due to the ever increasing complexity of corporate phone trees, and the ever decreasing return on my investment of time to get something done I’ve started going to the branches of the corporations in question.

I will no longer be a faceless, imaginary, easily ignored, person. Oh they’re going to have to see me, hear me, and if I’ve been working in the yard… smell me!

If they point out that they have phone and web services I’m going to show them my smart phone or watch and loudly explain that I choose to be a physical pain in their asses because satisfaction cannot be had via their corporate phone or web site. 

I want to see them CRY!

As this particular train of thought derailed in my mind, it occurred to me that AI living on the Web might meet its demise not through corrupted use but through lack of use. AI could be the death of the internet, or at least a driving force in humankind choosing to use the internet less.

For years, there have been “news” sites on the internet that read like the old tabloid publications from the grocery checkout lines. Within the last 15 years or so, even so-called “reputable” news sites have become nothing more than replicators of a single story with a paragraph or two of “Original” material serving as an “Analysis” of the original item that is being reposted.

The same thing is happening on the major broadcast news sites too if you think about it.

The only changes there are the talking heads, and a slightly different spin to appear non-homogeneous but the underlying story is exactly the same shit.

That’s why a lot of people are disconnecting their cable feeds and going back to antennas or just the internet.

Why pay for the exact same take on every single news article from 50 news channels when an antenna can pull the same garbage right off the air for free?

See I just saved you $200 a month. You’re welcome!

I’ve been noticing for years that people “Writing” are actually dictating their articles. I’ve also noticed that they’re not always proofreading their articles. (Yes, I know I’m the kettle calling the pot black. I however am not a trained journalist. I also don’t dictate my pieces, I actually type them. Although sometimes the autocorrect systems “Help” me really fuck up a word I’ve spelled incorrectly.)

Lately I’ve been noticing AI generated output. I’m looking for an example because like an idiot I didn’t save what I was reading when I noticed the Artificial-ness  (I know, the word is “artificiality”, ) of the article. I went with “Artificial-ness so I wouldn’t be called racist for using actual English words correctly. Apparently having a vocabulary these days is in fact a demonstration of white privilege, a micro aggression, and completely racist. So you may notice me giving myself a lobotomy from time to time…

I digress, AI generated articles are interesting and noticeable. I can’t really describe what the tip off is, I can only say you’ll know it when you see it.

The text is just “off”, and the conclusions of the piece are skewed in an odd way. It’s rather like reading something that’s been passed through Google Translate© several times. The construction is prefect but the meaning is ambiguous or lost entirely. 

Admittedly, there are some articles that are very subtly non human. I’ve noticed that I don’t enjoy reading them. In the case of some “scientific” articles the lead is buried completely.

For Example, there’s an archeological site in Turkey that was thought to be a “One Off” religious site not an example of a civilization. The site is called Göbekli Tepe and dates to somewhere between 10 and 12 thousand years and was intentionally buried.

10 to 12 thousand years ago, Humanity was supposed to be loosely aggregated bands of small semi-agricultural hunter gatherer villages, there was no civilization as defined by archeologists. That’s why the site is called a “one off” religious site and Archeologists breathed a sigh of relief that they didn’t have to explain the sophistication of the site as anything other than religious fervor. 

Then a second site called Karahan Tepe, using the same architecture, and also buried intentionally was discovered 10-20 miles away. Then a third site may have been discovered in the same general area, 10-20 miles from the first two sites, which has yet to be excavated but appears to have the same architectural elements.

We’re talking about a heretofore undiscovered civilization that pushes humanity’s civilization period 5000 years back in time. That’s a big deal! Archeologists are having to rethink civilization and how long humans have been capable large scale coordinated building projects and why.

Interestingly, this discovery also reopens the question of age of the Sphinx. The Egyptian authorities have steadfastly maintained that the Sphinx was built by the Egyptian civilization not an older civilization. The weathering on the sphinx enclosure and the sphinx itself indicate that the sphinx is approximately 12000 years old. Egyptian authorities have denied this age because it predates the Egyptian civilization of the Nile by around 6000 years. 

They’ve been able to maintain their denial because there was no evidence of other civilizations from 10-12 thousand years ago.

Until now.

The AI version of this information was “A site has been discovered in Southern Turkey which has a similar age and building style to Göbekli Tepe, a neolithic site of interest.”

The AI version went on to discuss the original site, and that it was thought to be a Temple Complex for an unknown religion.  The article details the original sites discovery date and makes vague reference to the detailed bass reliefs carved into the stones. 

What the AI articled failed to point out was finding a second site and potentially a third site with the same architecture and artwork isn’t what is typically associated with neolithic people. You might get some petroglyphs on cave walls but you don’t typically get freestanding stones with bass relief depictions of local wildlife, fantasy/mythology creatures,  and humans.

AI doesn’t have soul. AI isn’t going to be fascinated by discoveries. While AI might connect the RAW data, as in this case, AI will not recognize the significance. AI will ultimately produce something that is factually correct but lacks excitement. 

I think that a lot of people will stop using AI because of its lack of excitement in discovery. 

How many people do you know that call utility companies to talk to the helpful people personality phone tree?

One can hope that people with brains will be unimpressed with AI and the technology will be relegated to the pile of interesting ideas that didn’t really pan out.

Fingers crossed! Otherwise the internet is going to become really dull, boring, and extremely annoying to use. Sort of like attempting to contact your local utility company.

I absolutely HATE my Apple TV now! Thanks Apple!

I honestly haven’t been thrilled with Apple TV+. The content is sometimes interesting. Navigating Apple TV+ has always been, uhhh annoying. The most recent updates have made it so annoying that I’m tempted to not even bother trying to use it.

The most egregious example is the dross they’ve pushed upon those of us with actual Apple TVs.

The Apple TV app on apple devices sucks too, but not quite enough to make me super pissed off. For at least the last year the Apple TV app randomly pulled up the spanish titles and covers of movies that I’d purchased.

Before you ask, yes my system settings are all ENGLISH… Oh and the movies in question were produced in America. I could see it if the movie was a foreign film and the title and cover art were indicative of the country of origin.

The AppleTV+ app on the Apple TV is beyond frustrating. I’m finding that just trying to navigate the app to MY Library, I’m inadvertently starting some movie that Apple’s produced in which I have ZERO interest. This perhaps is attributable to my not having the latest and greatest Apple TV. They’ve changed the remote control since I purchased my model.

All I know is that I had no trouble using the previous iteration of the User Interface and since the change. Not only am I unable to easily navigate, I’m frustrated by trying, to the point that I’m yelling at the fucking device. Shortly after that I’ll power it down via the menu if I can get there OR by pulling the power which ever is easier.

Major FAIL APPLE! If I could roll the software back to something that worked on my Apple TV, I would!

It’s frustrated me enough that I wonder about cancelling Apple TV+ and Dumping the Apple TV devices entirely. My PlayStation can access my movies and shows and play them in surround sound just as easily as the Apple TV.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve been trying to adapt to the POS software Apple shoved out. It’s not getting better, and I’m not figuring out the U.I. So I’m not turning on my Apple TV as frequently. Situations like these always lead me to wonder if I actually need a device that I’m not using or that is not a pleasure to use. I mean why keep something that pisses me of in trying to use it?

The PlayStation 5 works WAYYYY better anyway. Since I’m not now and never have been interested in Apple Arcade losing the Apple TV device wouldn’t cause a hiccup.

I know it sounds like I’m over reacting. I’m pretty patient with software but in this particular instance it really seems as if the Apple Software folks are trying to over complicate what should be a simple thing.

I’m really starting to question the Smart house…

Way back when Nest produced their first thermostats I bought one. Our contractor installed thermostat was the cheapest piece of shit they could install, and honestly it didn’t fucking work.

We’d set the temp, the Thermostat was say it heated the house but a normal thermometer told us that the house was colder than when we’d started.

In the winter this presented a problem for the instruments (Harps, Guitars,) anything with strings. The people weren’t exactly happy either!

So at some point I got pissed and plunked down $300 for a Nest learning thermostat. In the beginning it was great and I highly recommended a unit to anyone and everyone. Then fucking Google bought Nest.

At first there didn’t seem to be too much of a problem. My programming of the thermostat held true and the unit adjusted to our changing schedules. It did what it was supposed to do and for a good 10 years the house was warm when we got home. I know the system was working the way I’d intended because if I was home sick with a cold or whatever, I’d have to override the thermostat during the day. I also saw the difference in the Gas bill in Winter and the A/C bill in summer.

Google got ever more invasive. Google wants to deprecate the Nest application login and force you to make a Google account. I’ve moved as far away from Google as possible and don’t even have gmail accounts anymore. That means I’m resisting.

Every time I log into the Nest Application or the Nest Website. Google has a shit fit! “Don’t you want to create a Google log in? Don’t you want to enable 90 factor log in security? “ On and on and on…

NO! I don’t want any of your shit Google! Just let me get to the actual control part of the damn application!


Lately, my thermostat is being reprogrammed without my consent.

62°F at night is too damn cold! Even with blankets and flannel sheets, I’m not sleeping well. I do sleep soundly if I’m in my sleeping bag that’s rated to 0°F. I shouldn’t have to sleep in a sleeping bag… IN MY OWN FUCKING HOUSE!

During the day if I’m home the temp is set to 66°F in the winter. That’s still a bit too cold but I’m willing to put up with it because I live in terror of the damn natural gas bill. Southern California Gas royally fucked everyone last year. Of course their executives still got their bonuses for incompetence. That’s another story!

I have specifically told the Nest Thermostat that I don’t want it learning. I don’t want it making adjustments, I want it to maintain my set temps within the schedule I’ve created and I want it to go to the lower temps when it figures out I’m not home.

Dirt Fucking Simple!

But… Somewhere, deep in the bowels of Google, some little Indian programmer fuck is deciding via programming that I don’t know what I’m doing and they know better what I need.

Every time they send a software update my schedule gets “Fine Tuned”. It used to be that having your temps set to 68° F or lower was considered worthy of a little environment leaf. Now the leaf doesn’t show up until you dial the temp down to 65°F. Nighttime temps of 63°F used to be “efficient” and worthy of the leaf. Now it’s 62°F.  The Nest “Fine Tuning” routine “adjusts” whatever your schedule is, to having the leaf indicator on.

If you scheduled 68°F during the evening… “Well you’re a moron! Let Google set your temp for you. There 65°F aren’t you happy? Gee sorry about that asthmatic child developing pneumonia. We’re about saving the environment, a little collateral damage is acceptable.

I don’t care about the leafs, I care about not having my hands turn blue, or shivering in my bed all night.

Were I not thinking about selling this house and moving, I’d be shopping for a new thermostat. I have reprogrammed my schedule according to my needs 4 times in the past 3 months. If you see a little yellow/gold gear with a leaf at the bottom of your Nest thermostat display, guess what? You’ve been fine tuned! 

We hope you like being cold living above the snowline. You’re welcome! Sincerely Google.

My problem is this. I bought the fucking machine, I installed the fucking machine, I expect the fucking machine to obey my wishes, not the wishes of some asshole I’ve never met who doesn’t live my life, who has decided that they’re my better!

I may start shopping for a new thermostat anyway. I’d go for one of the really old units with a mercury switch and piece of coiled metal that reacted to temperature. Unfortunately, you can’t get mercury switches anymore. 

Mercury is bad dontchaknow even if it’s sealed in a glass ampule that never, or only rarely sees the light of day.

There are some old school thermostats like that in houses in this little town. Those scary dangerous mercury ampules have been in service for 70 years firing up heaters and haven’t hurt anyone yet.

This bullshit with the thermostat has made me seriously start rethinking the smart house concept entirely.

So long as the devices in my home are controlled only by me we got no problem and I like the convenience. But when they start disobeying, or someone remotely overrides my settings we got a serious problem.

That’s why after the house burned, we didn’t sign up for Edisons Power Savings thing again. The A/C Compressor of the old house, Edison could kill remotely.  We were going to drop out of that program. The house burning down simply spared us the annoyance.

That previous summer, Edison shut down the A/C while we were at work several days in a row. The interior temps of the house exceeded 100° F and caused $50-$60 worth of harp strings to snap each day. It also caused a meltdown on a RAID array that contained all our data. The RAID array did a thermal shutdown but the damage was already done. (It was a shitty manufacturer and while it was supposed to shut down prior to damage, it didn’t.)

At the time I remember wondering how it could be better for the grid, to have all the home A/C compressors in Southern California running at the same time for 2 or 3 hours.  That’s what it took to bring the temps in everyone’s homes down to something livable again after work. It wasn’t good for the grid. But it was great for the Electric company executives who were making more money than ever, and bitching about the strain on the electrical grid to justify rate increases to the PUC.

When / If I move. I’m going to be considering very carefully how smart I make things. 

While I like having the lights come on when I get home, I could do that with a motion detector. I like having lights come on at a particular time, but I could do that with a timer. I like being able to turn the lights off at night with a word, but I could do that with The Clapper .

Do I really need the maintenance headache of smart lightbulbs, ceiling fans, thermostats, and security cameras?

Thinking about it, I had most of this back in the ‘80s. 

It was done with the BSR X-10 system. And I had one!

Nobody could screw with the BSR unit via the internet. (The internet existed but wasn’t offered to the Public yet.) If someone was messing around with your lights and things it was an accident. They’d set their box to the same base code as yours and it was easily handled.

I suppose it’s another case of the old way is the best way.

Just how smart does my house need to be to make me happy?

The answer to that question may be, “My house needs a lobotomy.”