Friday, May 16, 2025

Ann Telnaes on AI, gardening, baked fish

 For anyone who hasn't realized why I am implacably opposed to AI "art" here's why, said by an original artist and brought to you by another. 

Ann Telnaes is the brave and principled cartoonist who quit WaPo when they suppressed her cartoon about oligarchs  worshipping T***p. 

If you play with AI, "creating" your own images, you are participating in the theft of original work by artists whose work and hearts and sweat really did create art.  That's the raw material AI is based on. There are good uses for AI.  This is not one of them.

On to more cheering thoughts. Today, between showers and thunderstorms, I recycled the misfits box, and did a bit of gardening.

I notice the hibiscus is returning


Alongside that dead looking stick that was last year's foliage.

Out front I noticed some interlopers climbing around the ground cover.

I was able to use long handled loppers to reach the vining weeds without bending, and Gertrude Grabber to pick them up and carry them to dry. I'm still in the period of observing hip precautions. 


My theory is that if I let them dry out before I dump them in the woods, they're less likely to continue growing. So they're out of sight until they're dried out.

And today's food was breaded and baked grey hake. 




It's a neutral sort of fish that you can spice up much as you like. I used aqua faba like an egg wash, then panko spiced with umami mix, smoked paprika, fresh ground black pepper,  turmeric. 430°f oven ten minutes, turn over, five more minutes. The breading keeps it moist inside as well as interestingly crunchy.

The salad is plain old mixed greens with bitter dandelion leaves and sweet grated carrot. I didn't think it needed dressing, plenty of taste in the different ingredients. I often omit dressing for that reason, so as not to muffle the natural flavors.

Lovely day again. I wake up each morning and lie there just enjoying nothing hurting! 

Happy day, particularly if you feel well, that's the best.





42 comments:

  1. I love the Janaya Khan quote. And I agree about AI art. It frustrates me seeing people share art online that they “created” only to discover they really didn’t. And I sure don’t like seeing anything I’ve created being freely adapted by someone else... unless I say it’s ok.

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    1. Yes, I've had my share of theft! People using my art to create backdrops, or even cropping out my signature..

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  2. Wise words about AI, and a wise meme defining privilege.

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    1. I think that's one of the best ways to define privilege. I try to remember it daily.

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  3. I think there are many people who do not understand the concept behind that quote.
    I hate AI art. I simply hate it.

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    1. People who don't get the quotation must embody privilege.

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  4. I'm impressed that you have figured out ways to keep up your gardening during your recovery. You are making me feel lazy so I will have to get out tomorrow to pull some weeds! Thanks for the inspiration! :)

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  5. There is something to her take on AI. Although I have played with it, i don’t have much use for it, except for sometimes removing an unwanted object from a photo. We could do that before, but AI makes it easier.

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    1. That's a legitimate use, if it's your own photo

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  6. I love that explanation of privilege. I wish people could understand it.

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    1. It takes a minute if it's a new concept. But it's so true. Privilege by definition is something we aren't aware of.

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  7. I dont think people realise that to program a computer you need to use real things. That’s how it learns. So YES. It is theft. I never even thought of that and I know about programming.
    I’m glad your still being careful with the hip. The longer you allow it to heal properly, The better it will be

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    1. I think a lot of people don't realize it's theft. They haven't thought about it.
      It's worth continuing to be cautious with the hip, so as to preserve the good work that was done on it.

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    2. After reading and commenting, I went to art class and told my art teacher about it all. She too hadn’t thought of it as theft. It’s really opened our eyes.
      Thanks for that

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  8. I cannot see any reason to play with AI, but theft by playing with it is not something I've thought about, and it's very interesting to learn views.

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    1. It's something that doesn't occur to people, I think. Likewise thieving actors voices, and writing.

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  9. It's the same for original writing by authors. AI steals from them, too.
    AI is creepy.
    I do love breaded fish. That looks delicious.
    True about privilege.
    Hope you have a really nice weekend. :)

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    1. Yes, creepy is right. The fish is really good, more tomorrow.

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  10. As I was "fixing" a frozen pizza today I noticed a package of Swai in the freezer. I think we'll have that tomorrow. We should all eat more fish!

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    1. I had to look up swai. That's a fish I've never had. I expect you can bread and bake it. Yes, eat more fish!

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  11. But just to play devil's advocate -- creativity often uses inspiration from previous works of art. I remember Joni Mitchell some years ago painted one of her cats in a Van Gogh style with a missing, bandaged ear. (It was one of her album covers.) Is that so different from what AI does, at least with image generation? With the obvious difference that AI is not sentient, while Joni Mitchell is! (Incidentally I am not a huge fan of AI art or AI in any sense.)

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    1. Telnaes points out that being inspired by previous art is not unusual. But it's completely different from actually stealing the raw material. It's the difference between admiring your writing style, studying it to emulate it, and simply taking your post, erasing your name and entering mine.

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    2. OK, I can see that distinction. Good point.

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  12. Fish is good. We had salmon yesterday, pickled herrings the day before. 'Privilege' made me think.

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    1. I haven't had pickled herrings in so long, not easy to find here. That quotation stopped me when I first read it, too.

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  13. Lots to love in this post but my favorite words are "Nothing hurting." Interesting and insightful observation about AI -- very true.

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    1. "Nothing hurting" is so different from waking up since last fall, it's still a novelty.
      I have great respect for Ann Telnaes. She knows her stuff.

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  14. It is a blessing to have nothing hurting. I have never had that fish but you made it look great.
    Cathy

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    1. I think it's important to mark the absence of pain, so it doesn't go unnoticed. As you say, it's a blessing.

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  15. I love hake and that sounds like a great way of doing it.

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    1. I seem to remember that hake was a choice at the fish and chip shop, though I always chose cod. My mom loved skate, a niche taste.

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  16. What a wonderful feeling, to lay in bed, without pain. I stole the privilege meme. It's a good reminder.

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    1. It's a luxury, being free of pain. And since I swiped the privilege meme in my turn, feel free. Be sure to preserve the identification of the writer.

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  17. I don't like AI at all, somehow knowing it was thievery and certainly fake. Thanks for the great quote on privilege. We all need to be reminded of it...especially our own privileged status.

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    1. About privilege, especially important to remember how we're shielded in various ways that we tend to take for granted.

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  18. You are doing so well. AI makes me nervous. I think I'll bread some fish for dinner tonight. It sounds good.

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    1. Tell us about the fish when you cook it. Pictures, too, pls.

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  19. I've been mighty suspicious of AI and refuse to have anything to do with it. I hadn't, however, given any thought to the possible artistic copyright infringements that must run rampant through it. Sad.

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