WTF-Beta

Hole

I just started Mampuku, which just started on Netflix. It’s a Japanese “asa-dora,” a style of tv show that airs in the morning on NHK (Japan’s public TV station), so people can watch them at breakfast (and there’s a rerun at lunchtime). Each episode is 15 minutes long and airs Monday through Friday, and one series/story usually lasts something like 6 months (and then the story ends, there are never “new seasons” the way there are with American tv shows). The stories are usually based on some real life person, but with enough details changed that it doesn’t make sense to call them biographical or a true story.

Anyway, Mampuku starts in 1938 (in Osaka) and is loosely based on Momofuku Ando, the man who created instant ramen and cup noodles. The characters’ names are changed, and the main character of this asa-dora itself is actually his wife. I can’t say much more beyond that because I just started it.

The shows generally have pretty high production quality, with amazing sets and costumes. So far this one looks to be no exception.

There are very few asa-dora shows available in the U.S., and this might be the only one on Netflix right now, so I was really excited to see it come up in Netflix’s schedule.

If you’re interested in pre WWII Japan, or learning about how instant ramen came to be, check it out! https://www.netflix.com/title/82746649

For work, I use ChatGPT not to help me, but because I'm studying its output patterns for a research project. I don't use AI in my own writing, or for most teaching things (like grading, no AI for grading).

I might start using Notebook LM a bit more in an upcoming project, I haven't decided yet... and in the fall, I might start using AI (maybe ChatGPT? I want to make some GPTs) for some analysis tasks. Also not decided about that yet. I have a love-hate relationship with AI (like a lot of people...) Also, from all that I done with it, I recognize that it is both incredibly powerful and sometimes so bad that it's laughable. And if you're not already an expert, you are most likely going to miss the big errors and hallucinations.

For personal stuff, I mainly use ChatGPT for health-related stuff, and like @wtg I worry about the accuracy/reliability of the output, so for anything important, I tend to use the AI output as a jumping off point, follow the links provided, and then look for reliable sources once I have a better idea of what to look for. So I feel like that's pretty helpful but I can also imagine how you could get sort of lulled into not paying attention or looking at things with a critical eye, and then internalize something that's actually not correct and potentially harmful, esp. with health stuff.

@wtg said:

I have found its fawning to be annoying. "You're so smart to have figured this out." "Mr wtg is so lucky to have you as an advocate in his corner." I haven't asked it to stop doing this yet, but I'm pretty close.

I agree, that gets annoying very fast. Even just starting with "that's a great question" is tiresome.

Bum

dog

Banana

Queen

Jerk

Polar

Elbow

Hair

Underpants

Happy belated birthday @dolmansaxlil !!!

I have never seen the movie or even snippets of it. Perhaps I'll try to watch it some day.

@wtg that was a great read, thank you for posting it!

My step father was a huge fan of comics in general (and he loved all that merch, the coffee mugs, the t-shirts etc) and he was a pretty big fan of Calvin and Hobbes. I always looked at the Sunday comics growing up and then whenever I had access to a paper. I can't remember when I stopped following Calvin and Hobbes closely (probably when I started studying Japanese and basically stopped consuming English language media of almost all kinds). But I have a vague memory of people talking about the comic ending. I googled and I do remember seeing this last strip.

@wtg what a great photo!!

I'm really sorry to hear about the OTist. The "way" things are said is of paramount importance, and some medical professionals do better than others. There were two people involved in my brother's care who, when delivering a status assessment, were so careless and unkind that I was very tempted to file a formal complaint, but my mother talked me out of it. And btw, their message was basically "give up." It was truly, truly awful.

So I am doubly happy that you then had such a wonderful surprise visit! And that his message was "don't give up."

@chas sorry to hear that!

To all who've posted photos, thank you!! I'm enjoying seeing all the beautiful flowers and spaces! I'll try to add some of my own soon.

@wtg said:

As you say, better in someone else's yard.

Yep!

BTW I have been monitoring the lack eyed susan's in the front of our house, and I'm convinced that the animal doing the eating is a deer. The reason I think that is because the spots that are eaten are in the middle of the bunch, as if a large creature walked up and bent their head down from a height, rather than at the edges, as you might expect with a small creature sitting low to the ground and chewing at that height.

This is my current "plant detector" analysis.
I remain hopeful that there will still be blooms come July

@Axtremus said:

filled with pond scum

something something ... like attracts like.... something something

BTW we had an uninvited guest the other day, just making herself at home… If she was that interested in the neighbor’s yard, she should have sat over there!