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.