A.C. Flory's Blog, page 4
July 19, 2025
Copyright is dead, long live AI
If you are a creative of any sort, you need to watch the video below because in it, best selling author David Baldacci tells the Senate Judiciary Hearing that Big Tech fed all of his work into AI, and didn’t even buy a single book. Instead, they used pirated copies. Yet the same Big Tech would fight tooth and nail to protect their own copyrighted code!
And Baldacci is only the latest in a long line of creatives protesting about the theft of their work. Not so long ago, I read that graphical AI could create graphics ‘in the style of Miyazaki’.
For those who don’t watch animated movies, Miyazaki is a beloved and very famous Japanese film-maker whose signature style has been honed over decades of work.
ALL of Miyazaki’s movies have deep themes that explore what it means to be human:
For me though, the saddest part is that the work of such a wonderful artist can be mis-used to create awful things like erotica, porn, you name it. All it takes is for the person supplying the prompt to make it so.
If creatives like Baldacci and Miyazaki can have their genius stolen then there is little hope for the rest of us…so why bother creating anything at all?
Creativity is dead; long live AI
Meeks
July 10, 2025
Robotic surgery closer to reality
Back in November of 2016, when I first published Innerscape as a series of episodes, one of the fundamental scifi techs I imagined was surgery conducted by a robot – but with human oversight:
‘“That’s very irregular!” Charles said. “Stage 3 is delicate enough without adding to it.”
“That is true, Dr McGragh,” Kenneth said without inflection, “but the nodes can be removed manually without taking any resources from the AI.”
“Manually?” Charles sputtered. “That’s archaic! You’re not seriously proposing to remove the nodes yourself?”
“Why not?” Kenneth asked. “We’re all surgeons aren’t we?”
“Of course we are,” Charles growled, “but none of us can match the precision of the AI!”
“That’s true, but the removal of a few nodes is very simple in comparison to most other procedures,” Kenneth began, his tone reasonable. “Besides, all of us have to be skilled enough to step in if anything untoward happens, don’t we?”
Kenneth’s words caused a long, and rather uncomfortable silence as the seven other surgeons present secretly wondered how skilful they would be in a real emergency.
As accredited surgeons they were all required to practise their surgical skills on a regular basis. In reality, however, those practice sessions were all just simulations. Very good, very realistic simulations, but simulations nonetheless. Few had touched a real, live body since medical school.’ Miira, Book 1 of Innerscape.
That excerpt from Innerscape was supposed to be set in 2101, yet here we are in 2025, and technology has already progressed to the point where a robot can perform a gallbladder operation, more or less on its own:
‘Researchers at Johns Hopkins University trained a robot on videos of operations, and then had it conduct a gallbladder removal on its own – with no mechanical help, just voice commands, like a theater team assisting the lead surgeon.’ New Atlas, Autonomous robot surgeon removes organs with 100% success rate.‘
But don’t get too excited. The operation[s] were not performed on humans, or even on living animals:
‘While this study details SRT-H’s complete gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy) across eight different surgeries, it’s worth noting these were performed on a realistic human-like model, but, understandably, not a human. However, the tissues used in the human-like models closely mimicked ours, and the robot breezed through the operation that required 17 tasks to be performed, each lasting minutes. It was able to identify specific ducts and arteries and grab them precisely, strategically place clips and sever parts with scissors.’ New Atlas, Autonomous robot surgeon removes organs with 100% success rate.‘
It’s odd, looking back and realising what high hopes I had for AI back then. In my mind, AI would be developed to help humanity. Instead it’s been developed to make money by stealing our creativity. I wonder what history will make of this point in time…Dark Age of the Arts?
Meeks
July 8, 2025
Dyson, robotics, and strawberries
Dyson is famous for making vacuum cleaners, but it may end up being remembered for its innovative vertical farming innovations. You can read the full article on New Atlas or just watch the video below:
I love strawberries but the bugs seem to get most of our homegrown ones, so I’d love a teensy weensy, domestic sized farm like this for our backyard. 
cheers,
Meeks
July 4, 2025
A Nuclear History Lesson
The video below was produced by Matt Bevan, an Australian journalist working for the Australian Broadcast Corporation – our public broadcast service. As such, it is not biased towards either the US left or right.
I watched this video with my first cup of coffee today, and it taught me a hell of a lot about the background to the current situation between Iran, the US, and Israel. I strongly advise everyone to watch it:
Now, have a look at a video published by Kyle Kulinski [US] just a few hours ago:
Kyle Kulinski is American, and he makes no secret of the fact that he is strongly anti-Trump. But. Kyle Kulinski is also a very smart man, and his take on Iran ‘ceasing co-operation with‘ the IAEA – the International Atomic Energy Agency – makes an awful lot of sense.
Remember the IAEA from the first video? It is supposed to be the watchdog that guarantees [sic] the peaceful use of atomic energy. Iran was a member state and abided by the regulations until Trump tore up the agreement negotiated by Obama…and never managed to put anything else in its place.
So now Iran has been bombed.
Israel and the US are threatening more bombing to effect ‘regime change’.
What is Iran to do?
Build a real bomb, that’s what.
Congratulations President Trump. It’s so nice to be back in the Cold War again.
Meeks
June 30, 2025
The cost of those ‘big beautiful bombs’ in Iran
When you add up just the known cost of the bombs D.J. Trump unleashed on Iran, the mind boggles. Especially when you consider that he sabotaged the strikes by announcing them before hand. I’m sure he thoroughly…enjoyed…the spectacle, but that’s one, very expensive <> job.
Donald John Trump’s Big Beautiful Holes in Iran
June 27, 2025
June 25, 2025
UPDATE: Liz Cheney – message to Democrats
The quote below is from Robert Reich’s post in which he corrects the attribution of this message to Liz Cheney. It does NOT come from Liz Cheney:
‘Friends,
I’m told that the following message, which I received earlier today, purporting to be from Liz Cheney, is a hoax. She didn’t send it. It’s an excellent and important message nonetheless. (Several of you say it originated with Dr. Pru Lee.)’
I didn’t realise Reich’s post had been amended until I read Jill Dennison‘s comment. Thanks, Jill!
Meeks
I have admire Liz Cheney from the moment she stood up for the truth and went after Donald Trump for the January 6 insurrection.
I admire courage. And honour. And integrity.
Now, Robert Reich has posted a message Liz Cheney wrote to Democrat politicians, and my admiration for her has skyrocketed:
‘From Liz Cheney
Dear Democratic Party,
I need more from you.
You keep sending emails begging for $15,
while we’re watching fascism consolidate power in real time.
This administration is not simply “a different ideology.”
It is a coordinated, authoritarian machine — with the Supreme Court, the House, the Senate, and the executive pen all under its control.
And you?
You’re still asking for decorum and donations. WTF.’
You can read Liz Cheney’s complete call to arms on the link below:
Given how 129 Democrats just voted NOT to impeach Donald Trump for his warmongering…this message is a million times more important than it was just yesterday.
Meeks
Liz Cheney – message to Democrats
I have admire Liz Cheney from the moment she stood up for the truth and went after Donald Trump for the January 6 insurrection.
I admire courage. And honour. And integrity.
Now, Robert Reich has posted a message Liz Cheney wrote to Democrat politicians, and my admiration for her has skyrocketed:
‘From Liz Cheney
Dear Democratic Party,
I need more from you.
You keep sending emails begging for $15,
while we’re watching fascism consolidate power in real time.
This administration is not simply “a different ideology.”
It is a coordinated, authoritarian machine — with the Supreme Court, the House, the Senate, and the executive pen all under its control.
And you?
You’re still asking for decorum and donations. WTF.’
You can read Liz Cheney’s complete call to arms on the link below:
Given how 129 Democrats just voted NOT to impeach Donald Trump for his warmongering…this message is a million times more important than it was just yesterday.
Meeks
June 20, 2025
UPDATE: TODO, Panatech, and me – 0/5
I just received an email from the Woolworths Everyday Market support team informing me that I will be getting a FULL refund on the TODO. I think they must have recognized the validity of my proofs and put pressure on Panatech to do the right thing. Enormously relieved but… the last month has been insanely stressful, and that is stress I could have done without. My thanks to you guys for having my back, as always.
Sometimes life sends you lemons, and you can’t make lemonade. What then? Give in without a fight? Or dig your heels in and prove that you’re right?
I dug my heels in.
The following is the [condensed] story of my fight with Panatec about the TODO Espresso Coffee Machine Maker Automatic Touch Control 20 Bar Pump 1.5L. The full version would include 40 emails and counting. You’re welcome.
So, I bought the TODO coffee maker via Woolworths Everyday Market [think 3rd party vendors on Amazon]. The TODO was delivered on May 23, 2025.
The Offspring and I tried out the milk frother part of the TODO twice. After the second attempt, the metal sleeve around the frother nozzle came away as I tried to wipe it clean [with a cloth as per the instructions in the User Guide].
I got an almighty shock as I wasn’t expecting the sleeve to literally drop off, especially as it was piping hot. We tried to replace the sleeve, but it wouldn’t go back up. This is a screenshot taken from the video I took of the TODO and shows the difference between the two ends of the sleeve:
On May 25, 2025, I sent the video of the sleeve to the Everyday Market support team:
Please note the dark counter on which my TODO is sitting.
On May 27, 2025, someone from ‘support@efo.net.au’ replied saying ‘Please note that the froth nozzle is removable to allow for easy cleaning.’
As there was nothing in the user manual about the nozzle being removable, much less the sleeve, I disputed that assertion. Panatech responded that I could get a refund if I paid the postage for it to be returned AND accepted a 10% ‘restocking fee’ if the TODO had been used. !?!
After many more emails, from both me and the Woolworths Everyday Market support people, Panatech seemed to back down and sent me a [free] consignment label to be used for the postage. By this stage I was so sick of the whole thing I packed up the TODO and sent it off the next day.
End of story, right? Nope.
Once Panatech finally admitted they had received my TODO, they said that it had been checked out and there was nothing wrong with it. Therefore, they would hold back the cost of postage AND the 10% ‘restocking fee’.
After yet more back-and-forthing, Panatech sent me a video of ‘a’ TODO with the sleeve apparently working as it should. I took a video of that video in case it was taken down, then I disputed that it was actually my TODO. This is a screenshot from that first video:
In the screenshot you can clearly see that the smooth end of the sleeve is down, which means that the toothed end is up, but WE couldn’t get the toothed end to go back up. Please note the white counter which shows that this is taken from the Panatech video, not mine.
Then today, June 21, 2025, I received a second video from Panatech, and this time it shows the box with the label addressed to me. I cannot tell you how happy this video makes me!!! <>
No, I haven’t gone crazy! Remember how part of my complaint was that I couldn’t get the sleeve to go back on the right way? Well have a look at this screenshot from the second video. Can you see how the smooth end is up?
I know it’s a bit hard to see as I had to zoom in a long way, but in this second screenshot you can see the other end of the sleeve, and it has teeth!
What I call teeth are actually more like the crenellations on a medieval tower. If you click on the image you can see one of the gaps a bit easier.
Why does any of this matter? It matters because I believe that the second video is actually of my TODO because Panatech couldn’t get the toothed end to go back up either. And that means that the TODO in the first video is not mine.
I hate liars. The TODO I bought is/was faulty, and this company will do anything to avoid taking responsibility for it. And I am not the only victim. This is a screenshot from productreview.com.au where people are complaining about the same thing:
I still haven’t received any part of my refund, but I’m not playing the email game any more. I now have proof and I’m naming and shaming.
If you have had a similar experience, I’d love to hear about it in comments.
Cheers,
Meeks
TODO, Panatech, and me – 0/5
Sometimes life sends you lemons, and you can’t make lemonade. What then? Give in without a fight? Or dig your heels in and prove that you’re right?
I dug my heels in.
The following is the [condensed] story of my fight with Panatec about the TODO Espresso Coffee Machine Maker Automatic Touch Control 20 Bar Pump 1.5L. The full version would include 40 emails and counting. You’re welcome.
So, I bought the TODO coffee maker via Woolworths Everyday Market [think 3rd party vendors on Amazon]. The TODO was delivered on May 23, 2025.
The Offspring and I tried out the milk frother part of the TODO twice. After the second attempt, the metal sleeve around the frother nozzle came away as I tried to wipe it clean [with a cloth as per the instructions in the User Guide].
I got an almighty shock as I wasn’t expecting the sleeve to literally drop off, especially as it was piping hot. We tried to replace the sleeve, but it wouldn’t go back up. This is a screenshot taken from the video I took of the TODO and shows the difference between the two ends of the sleeve:
On May 25, 2025, I sent the video of the sleeve to the Everyday Market support team:
Please note the dark counter on which my TODO is sitting.
On May 27, 2025, someone from ‘support@efo.net.au’ replied saying ‘Please note that the froth nozzle is removable to allow for easy cleaning.’
As there was nothing in the user manual about the nozzle being removable, much less the sleeve, I disputed that assertion. Panatech responded that I could get a refund if I paid the postage for it to be returned AND accepted a 10% ‘restocking fee’ if the TODO had been used. !?!
After many more emails, from both me and the Woolworths Everyday Market support people, Panatech seemed to back down and sent me a [free] consignment label to be used for the postage. By this stage I was so sick of the whole thing I packed up the TODO and sent it off the next day.
End of story, right? Nope.
Once Panatech finally admitted they had received my TODO, they said that it had been checked out and there was nothing wrong with it. Therefore, they would hold back the cost of postage AND the 10% ‘restocking fee’.
After yet more back-and-forthing, Panatech sent me a video of ‘a’ TODO with the sleeve apparently working as it should. I took a video of that video in case it was taken down, then I disputed that it was actually my TODO. This is a screenshot from that first video:
In the screenshot you can clearly see that the smooth end of the sleeve is down, which means that the toothed end is up, but WE couldn’t get the toothed end to go back up. Please note the white counter which shows that this is taken from the Panatech video, not mine.
Then today, June 21, 2025, I received a second video from Panatech, and this time it shows the box with the label addressed to me. I cannot tell you how happy this video makes me!!! <>
No, I haven’t gone crazy! Remember how part of my complaint was that I couldn’t get the sleeve to go back on the right way? Well have a look at this screenshot from the second video. Can you see how the smooth end is up?
I know it’s a bit hard to see as I had to zoom in a long way, but in this second screenshot you can see the other end of the sleeve, and it has teeth!
What I call teeth are actually more like the crenellations on a medieval tower. If you click on the image you can see one of the gaps a bit easier.
Why does any of this matter? It matters because I believe that the second video is actually of my TODO because Panatech couldn’t get the toothed end to go back up either. And that means that the TODO in the first video is not mine.
I hate liars. The TODO I bought is/was faulty, and this company will do anything to avoid taking responsibility for it. And I am not the only victim. This is a screenshot from productreview.com.au where people are complaining about the same thing:
I still haven’t received any part of my refund, but I’m not playing the email game any more. I now have proof and I’m naming and shaming.
If you have had a similar experience, I’d love to hear about it in comments.
Cheers,
Meeks
