Gemini AI is Definitely Smart

I'm building a disc-ingestion script for ripping all my DVDs and Blu-rays to my computer so that we can watch all our videos without having to go find the disc, load it into the XBox, find the XBox remote, try to remember which button is "pause" when we need to get a drink or dispose of a drink we got earlier (i.e., visit one of the throne rooms in the house), etc. I've been using Copilot and Gemini for refining the system (which also pokes Gemini API for some intelligent determination of disc to movie/TV listings). 

I think I have 'Shiny Object Syndrome'

Reaching for that next shiny object

So, I love "new things." (Doesn't everyone?) According to Copilot, here's why it happens (in normal, non-medical terms):

• New ideas feel rewarding and energizing.
• Finishing requires sustained, sometimes boring effort.
• Perfectionism can make the “finish line” feel intimidating.
• Creative minds often generate ideas faster than they can execute them.

I feel that "perfectionism" bit, and another "term" Copilot offered was "Analysis paralysis" - getting stuck in the thinking stage instead of the doing stage - which I think is another thing I suffer from (I find it hard to make decisions sometimes - ok, most of the time). It also suggested "Project hopping" - moving from one idea to another without closing the loop - which seems accurate, too.

Think You Know the Nativity? Try This Trick‑Trivia Challenge

🎄 Christmas Trick-Trivia: How Well Do You Really Know the Biblical Story?

Every December, we dust off our nativity sets, hang our lights, and retell the story of Jesus’ birth. But over the centuries, tradition has added all kinds of details that sound biblical… but aren’t actually in the text.

So here’s a playful, eye‑opening Christmas trivia challenge. Each question has a twist — the kind that makes you say, “Wait… is that really in the Bible?”

Let’s see how well you know the original Christmas story. (Try to answer before reading the answer below each question!)

Reflections (and ripples)

House and Pond with Ripples

Two days ago I turned 54. (Maybe I shouldn't reveal that publicly. But let's be honest: anyone reading this is either not interested in identity theft, or they already know they'd be stealing debt rather than credit. Plus, the dark web has had my birthday for years, so it probably doesn't matter.) We were out of town at a Christmas party, and on the way back that evening, I was pondering (not ponding, even though that's perhaps inferred from the image above).

Winter Wonderland

Winter Wonderland is one of my favorites - and I don't mean the record-breaking snowfall earlier this year (literally: broke records from the late 1800s), where we got 10 inches of snow in my South Alabama neighborhood. Proof:

(Scroll sideways to see more photos)

aww, cute puppy!

foot buried in snow!

truck buried in snow!

driveway buried in snow!

South Alabama Winter Wonderland!

backyard... so much snow!

AI shortcomings (and some Washington Commanders sideline) - why you shouldn't always trust AI

A story about how AI can go wrong when you expect it to act like a simulation engine

Maybe you know, maybe you don't: I'm a Washington Commanders (née Redskins) fan. Have been for a long time, more than four decades now. Good times (NFL championships/Super Bowls, magical Jayden Daniels rookie season), bad times (Snyder era, Sean Taylor), and just about everything in between. Even when it was hard, I was still a fan. (Note: I'm not old enough to recall the incredible Sammy Baugh as their QB/Safety/Punter - if you're unfamiliar with that name, and an NFL fan, you should definitely go read that article on his incredible fifteen years at Washington.)

To say this season was a disappointment is an understatement. With that in mind, I turned my attention toward the 2026 draft. And that's where I ran into major shortcomings in the AI realm. 

The Capacitor Cover-Up: Restuffing Vintage Radio Cans with Modern Tech

Guess what I'm up to?

Fixing an old radio. Like, from the 50s: a Grundig ("Majestic USA") 8098 console radio with record player and reel-to-reel tape deck.

it's a beauty!

Manga, anyone?

Not my usual post, thought it needed a warning!

I was in Barnes & Noble the other day, and noticed something that I found interesting: the Manga section outweighed the traditional Sci-Fi section by a factor of more than three to one. (I didn't check the Comic or Graphic Novel sections, nor the Fantasy section which has been split off from "Sci-Fi" where they used to be a combined "Sci-Fi/Fantasy" section.) I posted something about this on Facebook, wondering what kind of shift this reflects on our society, and had some interesting (although limited) responses (I think most of my Facebook friends are imaginary friends 🤣 - just kidding, I love you all!). Figured maybe it was worth a blog post. (Note: the framework for following was written by Copilot, and then updated by me. I'm an AI freak now, I guess.) 

Topic: Manga’s dominance in bookstores reflects a cultural shift toward visual storytelling, emotional immediacy, and transnational engagement—challenging traditional notions of literary prestige and reader sophistication.

A Critical Critique of Classic Christmas Carols

When Christmas trees start humming, you know the lyrics need a closer look

Christmas carols (click to listen) are beloved traditions, but when examined closely, some of them raise eyebrows. Below is a tongue-in-cheek critique of several classics, treating them with the same seriousness one might reserve for theological or literary analysis.

Proceeding with the carolological case studies of a curated selection of Christmas songs in need of lyrical litigation. ^[1]

🍬 “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”

• The man’s persistence borders on harassment. “No” is treated as negotiable, and the weather becomes a manipulative excuse. A chilling reminder that snow should not be weaponized against consent.

🎀 “Blue Christmas”

• The singer hijacks the season, making it about their personal heartbreak rather than the Incarnation. Christmas becomes a therapy session instead of a celebration of Bethlehem.

Confessions of a Prompt Punk: How I Became an AIgoholic

I think I may be turning into an AIgoholic, an AIgnostic Prompt Punk. What’s a Prompt Punk? It doesn’t mean I’m always on time—though maybe AI could help with that. A Prompt Punk is the new AI‑Geek: not your ordinary geek of old, but a prompt pundit who has transcended Google guruship and achieved prompt proficiency—a true prompt‑ficionado. My geekhood is evolving. Let’s explore.

Initially, I wasn't overly fond of AI — but, to be honest, I didn't really have much opinion on it one way or the other. Now, if you asked me if I had an onion on it, well, probably not that, either, but I do love onions! Cooked, raw, in stuff, on stuff, as battered & fried rings, as a Bloomin' Onion or Texas Tonion, on its own... yeah, I like onions pretty much any way you want to offer them to me. I've even just taken a raw onion, sliced it, and eaten the slices. I like onions. Anyway, back to AI...

Lava Boat: A Fiery Thought Experiment

It began, as all great engineering breakthroughs do, with a game of "floor is lava." Two grandkids (ages 2 and 4), a Buick Enclave, and a driveway transformed into molten chaos. Somewhere between the car and the curb, the Enclave became a vessel adrift on a river of lava. Naturally, this led to a question: could a lava boat actually exist?

Gemini and I dove into the concept (I was chatting with Gemini as we were driving along, hands free of course!) with scientific rigor and a healthy dose of absurdity. The result: a speculative design for a vessel capable of navigating lakes and rivers of lava, documented post-conversation (when I had my hands free again). Behold, the Lava Boat!

And if you're as old as I am, this might be running through your head right now:

The Lava Boat (da na na)

Soon will be making another run

The Lava Boat (da na na)

Promises something for everyone

Welcome aboard it’s La ah VA!!

My Wildest Fantasy

Don't worry, be happy! ... I mean, don't worry, this post is still rated G despite the title. Well, maybe PG - nearly everything on this blog should probably be read with supervision, just to keep the kiddos from going [brain dead]. 😄So anyway, back to that title... my wildest fantasy... season. Well, maybe not so much "fantasy season" (my NFL Fantasy teams are only so-so this year) but more "ESPN College Pick'em" season. Let's go.

So, each year a group of us are in this ESPN College Pick'em battle, where you predict the outcome of a slate of NCAA football games. Our group is in "confidence mode," which means you don’t just pick winners - you also rank each game from 1 to 10 in confidence, and earn that many points when your pick is correct. Usually I do mid-pack at best, often falling way down the list. One year I started off really strong, claiming the #3 spot after the first week or two, but a couple of weeks later I'd dropped almost to the bottom after some really lousy weeks of picks. And that's typically where I finish - somewhere near the bottom of the list, never more than mid-way up the group board.

This year... that has changed. I'm not sure what's different, but I'm leading our group (maybe the teams are playing as badly as I usually pick? maybe it's my changing my team name from "Tony's lousy picks" to "Mr T's Hit Squad"? see the logo to the right - used for both the college Pick'em and my NFL fantasy teams). 

What about...

System Update: About Page Online

After years of running this place like a half‑broken dorm phone line, I finally gave the About page some love. It now blinks, glows, and generally behaves like a terminal splash screen from 1995.

Highlights include:

• A bold+italic [LAPSE... brain dead] identity marker that blinks like it’s waiting for input.
• A sidebar cursor with its own rhythm (1.5s cycle — not too fast, not too slow).
• A footer prompt that says press any key to continue... and actually takes you back home. Retro jokes that double as navigation? Yes please.

Why bother? Because this blog isn’t just text — it’s an experience. If you grew up on ANSI art, amber CRTs, or the thrill of typing dir /p just to watch the screen flicker, you’ll get it. If not, well, at least the links work.

So go ahead: press any key to continue... and see the new About page in action.

Smoking is GREAT!

Um... what did I just say? Sorry about that. That's a totally misleading title to this blog post. When I said "smoking," I didn't mean cigarettes, cigars, pipes, vapes, and the like. I meant smoking as in a method of cooking. No nicotine patches required, just wood chips and patience... although this can be quite an addictive habit!

🦃 Turkey vs. 🐖 Boston Butt: The Smoker’s Showdown

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the backyard arena! In the left corner, weighing in at a deceptively lean 16 pounds, the Turkey. Known for its dry personality and tendency to panic under pressure, this bird requires hours of therapy in the form of brining (dry only, please! I need to probably do a whole article on the benefits of dry brining, especially poultry for a juicy, not-dried-out poultry outcome — no foul fowl or fowl fouls, please!), butter massages (ok, I didn't actually do that for yesterday's bird), and constant reassurance that yes, it is the centerpiece of Thanksgiving (we have tended to start branching out of "typical" Thanksgiving/Christmas/Easter meals, but come on, Turkey Day earned that nickname for a reason!). One wrong move and it turns into sawdust with drumsticks.

In the right corner, lumbering in at a marbled 8–10 pounds, the Boston Butt. Don’t let the name fool you — this cut is all shoulder, all swagger. It’s the heavyweight champion of low-and-slow cooking, forgiving mistakes like a benevolent uncle who’s seen it all. Too much smoke? Still delicious. Forgot to spritz? No problem. This pork practically wants to be smoked.

My App Got Downloaded in Turkmenistan. Now What?

I didn’t think I’d be writing about Turkmenistan today, but here we are…

I built a dog whistle app. I expected a handful of downloads from fellow Americans with barky dogs and questionable ad tolerance. What I didn’t expect? A download from Turkmenistan. Yes, Turkmenistan. When I saw that in the play console, I didn't even know where Turkmenistan was (geography was never my strong suit... I still have to ask my wife how to get places around here where we've lived since 2008! Then again, I do work from home, so I never go anywhere...). If you want to know, here's a google map link to it. It's near all the other "stan" countries: Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, if that helps you out. I wonder how many men are named "Stan" over there. Anyway, here's proof of the Turkmenistan download from the Play Console:

And, yes, Georgia is both a state in the US and a country in Eastern Europe or Western Asia (maybe Middle East? Possibly even Middle Earth?). And, yes, there's an install of my app there, too.

My First Google Play Store App!

Recently I started on a journey... from the comfort of a chair in front of my computer desk. I have a dog - a cute "little" pup, 50+ pounds now (just over a year old), a mix of Weimaraner and Golden Doodle. She loves to run and play and chew everything around her. She is a sweet thing - doesn't even realize her size is potentially hazardous at times - and generally just enjoying life. She often spends time in the back yard , unfortunately a necessity while I'm at work, since she'd otherwise terrorize our cat - in the most loving, friendly way - and chew up everything in the living room. (Our cat is pretty old, almost 17 years, and, much like me, pretty cranky; she doesn't want to have to break in any new members of the family!)

cute "little" pup!

Anyway, our dog generally just runs around chewing up things and chasing dragonflies, but sometimes she wants to alert us to something - like the kids coming home from school. And, sure, one or two warning barks are not a problem, but she's started continuing that "warning" into the "nuisance barking" territory, continuing to bark until someone has responded. So, I was looking for a "dog whistle" app, something that can emit a high-pitched frequency tone to distract and interrupt her "nuisance barking." (Hoping to get this curbed before it becomes a real nuisance.) There are several apps for that on the Google Play Store, but they all either require payment or have ads - including video ads that play about the time you want to tap the "emit tone" button (and also play loudly since you have to have your volume up for the whistle tone to be of any use). Definitely NOT a good user experience.

So, I thought, "Hey, I'm a Software Engineer... let me do my thing!" And voila: My Dog Whistle - available on the google play store! (Unfortunately Android only for the moment.)

As a side note: the app was predominantly coded by AI. I was the designer, QA, etc., but almost all of the code was created by AI. As was that cute icon above, as well as the web page where the app "lives" (aside from the Google Play Store). Maybe I'll expand on this process in a future post, hoping not to give away too many secrets so that you go build your own! ha. According to the play store console, it's been installed in Turkmenistan of all places.

Why this? Because, unlike other dog whistle apps, this one doesn't do any full-screen video ads! It's ready to scream when you are. And, to boot, it has some really handy features, like an adjustable frequency (either in increments of 100 Hz, the default, or you can uncheck that and go in 1 Hz increments), selectable "push to whistle" vs "tap to toggle whistle on/off," and a quick "volume max/reset" icon that allows you to crank your phone's volume all the way up in a single tap, use the whistle, and then reset it back exactly where you had it in a single tap - no fiddling with the volume buttons on your phone, forgetting exactly where you had your volume set, or having to wait while you turn up the volume before you can use the whistle.

cute app icon, yeah?

And did I mention it has ZERO FULL SCREEN VIDEO ADS? On top of everything else, it was a fun foray into the realm of app development, and I have a few more ideas on the way. This one just happens to be first. So go on, download it, give it a try! Surprise your dog, annoy your kids, find out what your upper hearing range is (one friend downloaded and did that, determining exactly how high a frequency he can detect with his ears!), enjoy the ad-free experience (ok, it does have tiny banner ads at the bottom, and so far I've made a whopping two cents from this app!). Enjoy!

GeminAI ... in the Kitchen

Ever wondered what happens when you let an AI boss you around in the kitchen? Read on...

So the other day I was thinking, "what do I want to make for dinner?" My wife was going to be working aftercare at the preschool, so I figured I'd work on dinner while she worked on getting kids out the door. I knew we had something in the fridge, which turned out to be chicken thighs. I asked Alexa for a chicken thigh marinade, and the one she gave me included Worcestershire sauce. I went in search of the unpronounceable condiment (just kidding, I actually went to Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, MA for a year... I know how to pronounce it!), and couldn't find it, but ran across a "honey-garlic marinade" bottle in the pantry. Opened it, smelled it, and went with it. I also knew we had an onion on the counter and some green peppers in the fridge, and noticed a can of pineapple rings in the pantry as well, and though they would make a good addition to the chicken thighs that I planned to cook in the oven in a casserole dish. I started the marinating process: stab the thighs a bunch with a fork, put them in Ziplocs (we only had quart-sized, so it took two; I'd hoped for gallon size, but alas, none to be found), and went back to work.

After work, I was thinking about the cooking, and asked Gemini what temp and how long to cook chicken thighs (she suggested 25-30 min at 400), on a baking sheet. Wait, what? A baking sheet? I asked about the casserole dish, and she said, "no, you'd be braising the thighs then instead of roasting them." OK, Gemini, a baking dish. I mentioned the onions, peppers, and pineapple, and she said they would cook perfectly alongside the chicken on the baking sheet, just don't let the pineapple touch the chicken while cooking because it can give a bitter taste. She suggested tossing the veggies in a little oil with salt and pepper (I also added some garlic seasoning), and that it sounds like a good dish that would work well with rice - so I pulled out the rice cooker and got that started, too.

I also asked (toward the beginning) whether I should discard the marinade or pour it on the chicken (when I was thinking casserole dish) - she said we could boil it into a glaze if we wanted, so we did, with the expectation that we'll put it on the chicken thighs after about 15 minutes of roasting.

I asked about side dishes, maybe corn, and she said, no, not corn. And I asked about broccoli or a vegetable medley - she said not the vegetable medley, because that would be a "mushy" side that would conflict with the crisp, roasted vegies and chicken thighs. So we agreed to do broccoli, which she said would cook along w/ the other things - just put them on the outside of the baking sheet to keep them further from the juices as the chicken roasted (so they would stay crisp). Unfortunately, my baking sheet wasn't large enough for the chicken, the original vegies, and the broccoli/cauliflower (I had missed that it was a broccoli/cauliflower mix, not just broccoli), so I asked Gemini if I should just cook that in the microwave.

Some AI-titude!

Gemini immediately replied, in bold: "Please, do not microwave it!" Followed by "You are putting all this effort into glazing the chicken and roasting peppers—microwaving that frozen mix will turn it into a watery, sulfur-smelling pile of mush that will clash with your nice crispy chicken." A little AI-titude, GeminAI? :) We agreed that I would roast the broccoli/cauliflower mix on a separate, smaller baking sheet, tossed in oil, salt, and pepper.

I also added some "Japanese seasoning" to the chicken (don't recall whether I did the original veggies), it was a garlic/ginger/soy (?) seasoning. While that was roasting, I took the leftover marinade, along with a little of the pineapple juice, and boiled it for five to ten minutes in a small saucepan, allowing it to 1) kill any bacteria through the boiling; and 2) thicken up (Gemini had suggested using cornstarch to help thicken it, but I didn't do that; instead, I just boiled it longer, figuring that would help ensure any bacteria was killed off). She did say to watch it carefully, as the honey in the marinade can easily burn (and it may also boil over easily, too). When the fifteen minutes had elapsed, I opened the oven, and wasn't quite sure if the chicken was ready to glaze, so I opened up Gemini in video mode (like they do in the Pixel commercials) and asked her thoughts. She said maybe give it another five minutes, so I did.

After the extra five minutes, we checked again, and it looked good, so we went ahead and brushed the glaze on the thighs, and kept the remainder to add to the final serving (over rice), and cooked it another ten minutes. At that point, it seemed good, and my wife was on her way home (the rice had been done for a bit, in the rice cooker, fluffed and sitting on the "keep warm" setting), so I asked Gemini if I could just turn the oven off and leave the chicken & veggies in there to keep them warm, and she said that was a perfectly acceptable plan.

When my wife arrived, we plated up the chicken thighs and veggies over the rice (well, the broccoli and cauliflower was to the side), and it was... DELICIOUS! Even forgetting to add the extra glaze/sauce over the rice and chicken (I did add that when I got seconds). 

All in all, a very enjoyable meal, and the kitchen still smelled good the next day, too! It was just as enjoyable reheated (not quite as crispy, as I didn't ask Gemini's thoughts and just went with the microwave instead of the air fryer to reheat it). And Gemini was a very helpful assistant chef (maybe kitchen manager?) as we were preparing and cooking dinner. Just gotta watch that AI-titude! haha

Buy my book

Once upon a time, I published a book on Amazon. You can find it here. This is a neat book - at least, I think it's a neat book. You should totally buy a copy. It's not the cheapest book in the world, but it's not the most expensive, either, and it's the ONLY book you can currently buy new with my writing in it! (Most of the cost of the book is printing cost; I actually get very little from each copy sold. You can also buy the e-book version for Kindle, or read it for free on Kindle Unlimited if you have that.) There is another book out there, "The Freshman Sampler" (Fourth Edition), which has a single short story of mine among many others. But I don't get any royalties if you buy that one, and it's only available used (so my aunt and mom don't get anything from your buying that one, either). But if you buy "Tabletop Dinoland" - well, amazon gets most of the royalties, but I get a little bit! If a million of you buy a copy, I might be able to retire for a year or two! haha. 

Also, I haven't blogged much recently. Maybe I should start doing that again. Anyone out there reading this?

I've also started walking a mile a day - or, at least, started trying to walk a mile a day. I've not been consistent, but I'm getting back on it, so far at least a mile every day this week (starting Monday). Trying to get myself in better shape to stick around longer to annoy you all. You're welcome!