The Bluestocking: the one where AI finally learns what a blackbird is (we hope)

[Magpiecomplex]

Welcome all, New Year (nearly), new thread!

I was in Lahndon a couple of months ago. We walked past the Design Museum on the way to Holland Park (so many rats in Hyde Park!!) to see the Japanese Garden. Fella got climbed by a squirrel. It tried with me, I looked at it right in its little squirrelly eyes and it decided it had business elsewhere. I'm not usually very good at being intimidating so yay me!

I don't think we'll come dahn sahf...I'll stop that now...just to see that but if something else crops up I'll definitely give that a look too.

There's an exhibition in Tokyo atm, traditional Japanese crafts applied to Pokemon! It's moving to LA in February, if it comes to London i know sprogs will want to see it. Pokemon don't interest me but the craftmanship and art definitely would. Fingers crossed it tours to Lahn London and it'll overlap with the Tim B exhibition.

Yes, but it was waaaayyyy more impressively techie than this.

• No offence, Magpie *but what kind of explanation is: AI doesn't actually spell, it's creating a picture of a word.

Don't you be comin' round 'ere with your easily-understood succinct one sentence explanations couched in everyday language! 'Tis flyin' in the face of nature..

The original impressively polysyllabic techie explanation was probably accompanied by removing glasses and undoing hair... y'know, proper scientist-y stuff

Can tell I'm a teacher, can't you?! 🤣

Cake, that Pokémon thing looks great! Fingers crossed it does indeed make it to "that London" as a friend of mine calls it.

Yep, and a good one I bet

I feel your pain. Every time I want to type lovely, I get autocorrected to lovejoy.

Except of course on this occasion 😂

I'd be wary of the squirrels in the Japanese garden, Cake, you got off lightly - they are prepared for you if you come back again..

..and I'd keep a fire extinguisher handy at home if I were you, they're out to torch your house in revenge..

The photos are from Squirrel Warriors - who needs AI when you have websites like that??

How on earth did you find that website, Marie?

I think I'd rather they'd been the creations of AI tbh!

Your wish, Errol...

Well... I was amused by Cake's recounting of her glorious victory over a squirrel, and it made me think of how the Squirrel Community might feel somewhat slighted by it all, and then I thought of armed squirrels and then I googled Armed Squirrels and this website popped up
I prefer the AI version too, Errol, as the squirrels were not willing participants.. unless 'Dress me up as a Japanese Warrior and put me on the Internet' were their last words.

Presumably they are a development of the very weird time in December - 2022? 2023?? when the Christmas presents threads had a disturbing outburst of recommendations for dressed-up taxidermied mice. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a vegan or anything, but just no.

I take it we've all seen the 'flying squirrel plays dead' video? If not, google it.😂

No I hadn't seen it! It's wonderful... weirdly wonderful. I suppose flying squirrels play dead as a defence mechanism. But a sweeping brush?? Maybe it hates housework
What a little performer - and it looks like it's really enjoying the attention

Isn't it brilliant? Someone suggested it's a house pet.

I wondered what the AI would make of it...

There's men in that pub. It's not our Bluestocking.
But I quite like the circus squirrels..

Cirque du Squirrel? (Pronounced Squirèl, obviously.)

I'd watch it!

I presume the sequence was something like - someone sweeping with the broom accidentally clipped Bobo on a fly-past. Everyone immediately gathered round, appalled; - 'poor Bobo, brave little squirrel, dear little squirrel, here, poor squirrel, have a cuddle, what about your favourite snacks, dear brave good squirrel'.

Dear brave good (and very very intelligent) little squirrel thinks - 'hmm, this is all right, what happened exactly?' and started re-staging the accident. And people, being rotten stinkers, stopped reacting as expected after the first 20 or 30 times.

It could be worse Bobo, they just film and laugh at you, they haven't sent you to the taxidermist. Yet.

Has anyone noticed how bright and clear the Moon looks tonight? And whichever planet is near it too. Looks very pretty!

It's Venus! Someone said the moon and Venus should get a room as they're so close.

I was wrong 😮 (which doesn't happen often). It's actually Saturn today.

Does this merit removal from Pedantry Corner? 🤔

Or may I stay because I corrected myself as soon as I realised?