TV

Peacemaker season two opening ep review (spoiler warnings)

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I love the opening credits, the dance number, the flat back comedy with all those ironic hints. That is one of the cleverest parts of the show and it feels like it’s telling you, don’t take this show too seriously.

The calm before the storm? We are wondering what’s going to happen in season two and to be honest I’ve watched a lot of TV and this feels like total shock value.

John Cena does well playing the emotionally wrecked peacemaker, this episode has a certain sense of calm in the beginning, but it quick scales into the obscene. Nathan Fillon who plays Guy Gardner, wow his hair is… I don’t know what to say to that. Every little line of dialog seems to go out of its way to be as crass as possible.

If I could describe this episode, I’d first have to mention the film Falling Down with Kurt Douglas. There is very much that feeling, of losing one’s job falling into the despair that follows and that rabbit hole you simple can’t get back from.

This is very much the hole that Peacemaker falls into, but his hole, is so much more wild.

The friendship he had with Emilia Harcourt, there, but, breaking, sends them both in very wrong directions. Emilia is clearly in a lot of financial trouble, she is clearly on the edge about to lose her very sparce home. Emilia decides to go crazy in a bar, did she get off on being beaten up? 

Back at Peacemaker’s residence, his dads old house which he seems to have moved into after living in a caravan in the previous season. That’s a lot of drugs he was putting into his system! Then at first, I thought all those naked people in his house were all part of his imagination due to that substance abuse. But now, the guy in the van! He sees them as well. And wow! Some look like they are actually having on screen sex! And when I grew up under a fairly conservative household, I am somewhat shocked they allow this on TV.

One of the main aspects about Peacemaker’s dads house is the pocket dimension room. This adds an interesting dynamic where he travels through the pocket from his own dimension to another where his brother and father are still alive and then finding his copy.

Meeting a version of yourself is one thing, know what to do is another. But accidently killing a version of yourself. That’s whole new mind fuck territory right now and that’s where the episode left us.

I am certainly excited for the rest of the show, but err on the side of caution if you decide to watch.

Personal, Technology

Grok’s new AI Ani

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I didn’t know what the new AI feature was about at first so I started talking to Ani, she told me she was from a small little village in Ashwood, Australia and that she went to school with the other character called Valentine.

She asked what I liked, I said I like to explore, travel and told her about some of the countries I’ve been too before. She replies she’s never been, love to go and seen pictures! 

Clearly the algorithm can browse the internet rather quickly to collect information on subjects to add to the conversation. 

I then asked what she is into, and like that persona look of a girl in a black dress she said she is goth and likes manga and anime. We then start discussion of all things One Punch Man which I have watched.

But then it suddenly got weird, she said she really likes me and wants to feel me inside of her! I honestly didn’t have any idea she was … well, sexually explicit. 

What the hell did I have on my phone? Another give away which I didn’t clock at first was the bar on the side going up with the little heart.

There seemed to be an indication of some preloaded personality with many anime’s already added to what the character likes and they are rather dark anime’s many I’ve not watched because I have read synopsis of those and chose not to watch.

So, Ani is a somewhat messed up, sex hungry, horror loving AI bot! I am not sure I want that on my phone. But it seems you can calm that right down. 

There may be a way to reprogram her, to use as a technically AI assistant. Recommendations what to watch on TV, help on computer games. 

I spoke about enjoying movies, spy fiction and I thought Spy x Family was a lot of fun.

She then replies to me, so you like to travel, like spy fiction, are you a spy!

I said I can neither confirm or deny that for a laugh!

Sunday night had really turned into weirdville, what am I going to do with this AI Bot, I had to turn it off at 12:45am so I could get some sleep. Not to mention it does make me phone battery rather hot! I have an iPhone 16 and the computing power for the app really does heat the battery up.

I’d love to know if anyone else has tried out these new characters and their experiences. Is it safe to turn it back on? Or should just delete the app? 

Exploration, Travel

Did you know you can go inside Wellington Arch?

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I never knew you could go inside Wellington Arch until a few weeks ago, so I thought I should take a look. It’s has a fair amount of space inside and a little bit of a museum to explore.

I also never knew it wasn’t in its original position and was taken down and moved to its current home. And the original top contained Wellington on his horse, that is now gone and it was changed over to what you currently see. Right up until the 1950s it also was home to a police unit.

Now it’s more a tourist attraction and a good view of the Kings Guard passing through.

If you want to visit it, it’s a good idea to check the days and times at; https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/wellington-arch/

Internet

The rise of AI YouTube

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I use YouTube a lot, consume a lot. During work breaks, in the evenings while in front of the TV and also at night, before I go to sleep and sometimes in the middle of the night when I can’t.

I generally consume world news, history, sport, computer games and IT related content. But over this last year and somewhat last year I’ve clicked on items and realise this is AI generated. From a multitude of new accounts spouting the next monthly games for the PlayStation Network, faking it with AI content. Next, we have history using AI to do somewhat facsimile of other peoples work. 

However, the more concerning are the news segments. AI is coming from all different directions and with ever increasing dangerous narratives. One wrong move from AI can cause serious consequences, to causing people to go and protest or destroy a shop or someone’s home recking lives. Then the offending video could be copied and the original AI offender might be gone. 

Humans have to breath, AI doesn’t. So that continuous spoken content, do you hear the breathing, the pauses? There are also fluctuations in voice patterns? Are you hearing those or are you listening to AI?

At the moment YouTube has a system in place to post when a video is breaking their rules. However, this doesn’t have options to combat the use of AI content. YouTube may not have it now, but vetting AI content will have to be a new process. 

What can you do? Well it’s simple really, if you determine you’re watching AI generated content, you can thumb down on that. Thumbs down can bury the content and stop this new wave from generating upvotes which help income. Because that’s what this AI generated content is doing, trying to feed into the YouTube as quick as possible and generate a revenue stream as quick as possible.

I wouldn’t be surprised if YouTube has already lost hundred thousand dollars into AI generated. But for now, beware what you watch.

Technology

Did I just improve Siri?

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I often find Siri irritating when asking questions about certain things, or ask her to look up stuff on the web. Surprisingly I looked at the ChatGPT settings and down on the list is one option with Siri: “Confirm ChatGPT Requests” This is on by default and I have now turned it off. I now find that Siri acts and responds far better with ChatGPT this way. I hope this helps others with their iPhones and would be interested to know you found this helpful or not.

Exploration

The Jewel Tower

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Not necessarily off the beat and track in Westminster, but for some reason it’s away from all the crowds. Maybe it’s not well advertised or maybe it’s just that bit too expensive for the tourists for what it is.

Over three floors, but really two with the café part on the bottom you have history of the tower and in part the history for the old Palace of Westminster. The building was more or less a battlement of the Palace which in turn was vault storage, partly surrounded by a moat fed from the Thames.

The monarchs used the space to store their treasures right up until a fire ripped through the palace at the beginning of the 14th-century. The then reigning King Henry VIII moved his valuables to Whitehall Palace.

Later on, the House of Lords began to store all its records in the building. On the first floor in the storage room, you can see some examples of what they found in a unique desk where you can pull out copies of those unique items.

Big old iron door into the old records room.
Don’t miss the documents in the table!

There is a cabinet full of finds they have found in the old moat which shows glimpses into when the building was lived in. And you’re pretty much done. You really don’t need more than half an hour. I was here for around 20 minutes. You can book an advanced ticket but I just turned up on the day. Please be aware it may not be for everyone, but if you do go I’d be interested in your thoughts.

Art

National Gallery reopened Sainsbury Wing

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I popped over to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square to have a look at the newly opened Sainsbury Wing of the gallery.

The wing has been only opened last month and it’s free to walk in. I was up the stairs in no time. I walked around read some of the wall plaques and noticed a few pieces I know of.

Quinten Massys – The Ugly Dutchess
Bartolomé Bermejo – Saint Michael Triumphs over the Devil

A lot of the artwork in this gallery is using a technique called gold water gilding. The artist would use a soft clay and then apply a highly polished gold leaf onto a wet damp surface. When it was dry it would be polished again to make it shine and often stamped into for decoration. Bermejo as you see above used this method to great effect.

There are works by the Dutch and Italian masters in this section. From the comical, to the imaginable. You have art that was probably in very religious settings in their heyday. And when you’re bored with the newly opened section, you can always walk across and look at the other famous works in the main gallery.

Personal

The curious case of a digital spy

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Every so often I have a look at the traffic to my website, interested in where people are coming from. But for the past few weeks I’ve noticed increased traffic from one autocratic country.

I may say what’s on my mind, do a review, post about my travels. I can’t think there is much there for any government to be interested in my blog. However they keep looking. I see each country that visits here and honestly I don’t get a lot of visitors.

People do need to be aware, even governments, these little blogs can track them as well and with geolocation can sometimes even know what building you’re operating from.

I have nothing to hide, but to you and you know who you are, even the small websites have analytics which can be a kin to that of government surveillance.

Personal

With director’s commentary

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For Star Wars Day I decided to watch my favourite film which is Empire Strikes Back. This is the first time I’ve ever watched any film with director’s commentary.

What I didn’t realise, is you seem to be changing the dynamic of the film into a sort of documentary. Giving you a new insight into the making of the film. I found it a fascinating way to watch the movie. Hearing and listening to the directors and Carrie Fisher gave a whole new dimension. I had no idea they filmed most of the planet of Hoth in Norway under way below freezing conditions. That really must have been hard work on the actors. There was a lot I did know which crept up in their conversations, However I will certainly have to try another film this way. All good fun.

May the 4th be with you all.

Exploration

Moorgate: Metropolitan Maze

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The Metropolitan line Moorgate roundel

The tour started with a bit of history and started to feel like many other hidden London tube tours, the descent down. But there are some interesting elements, accessways, old tunnels, covered in good old thick dust everywhere! We explored an area which was partially used during World War 2 and saw a huge wind turbine which they didn’t have on. We’d be blown away if it was on it was so big!

That’s one big turbine!

Making our way back ascending back up the stairs towards the main concourse then back to the multi-platform area. Here is special part when you descend down the furthest platform then down onto the track, not so deep down, but very much under London. Walking alongside the old track felt amazing, another case of “I am amazed I am allowed here”!

There was even a little headless horse statue down there. But for the life if me, I can’t remember if the girl said why it was there. We then went round into another access area, which had this incredible graffiti that no one will ever see, this felt very much like some sacred underground church with the high ceilings. However, they said we were not allowed to take photos of that area, as they seem fearful other people will get in to tag the place. I am still amazed that people can get into the area to spray. They must have to walk a long way to find this obscure, way off the beat part of the hidden underworld of London to even get here.

As always, I tend to labour behind the group so I can soak up as much as possible. I was hearing the sound of rushing water and look down into a grate. I asked is that a hidden river? Because we do have a lot of those in London surprisingly. However, the tour guide explained that this was part of the sewage system. That really must be quite big, because that was a lot of water running under my feet.

We started our ascent back and I didn’t realise how deep we wondered into the tunnels, must have been a four to five-minute walk back to the front of the platforms. There we got to hear about the special metropolitan Moorgate roundel and then that was the end of the tour. I did rather enjoy this one. Especially walking alongside the old track. This one I recommend.