Arthur

  • 1.618033988749….

    1.618033988749….

    In mathematics, two quantities are in the golden ratio if their ratio is the same as the ratio of their sum to the larger of the two quantities. Expressed algebraically, for quantities ⁠a{\displaystyle a}⁠ and ⁠b{\displaystyle b}⁠ with ⁠a>b>0{\displaystyle a>b>0}⁠, ⁠a{\displaystyle a}⁠ is in a golden ratio to ⁠b{\displaystyle b}⁠ if

    a+ba=ab=φ,{\displaystyle {\frac {a+b}{a}}={\frac {a}{b}}=\varphi ,}

    where the Greek letter phi (⁠φ{\displaystyle \varphi }⁠ or ⁠ϕ{\displaystyle \phi }⁠) denotes the golden ratio. The constant ⁠φ{\displaystyle \varphi }⁠ satisfies the quadratic equation ⁠φ2=φ+1{\displaystyle \textstyle \varphi ^{2}=\varphi +1}⁠ and is an irrational number with a value of

    φ=1+52={\displaystyle \varphi ={\frac {1+{\sqrt {5}}}{2}}=}1.618033988749….

    There you have it, where there (the above) of course refers to, or better quotes, the Wikipedia article Golden Ratio.

    A little bit about the fonts:

    This website version is supposed to be or become light and modest, elegant, a bit ‘Braun SK 55‘, a pinch of ‘Swiss Style‘.
    This years WordPress theme, Twenty Twenty-Five, proved a good starting point/foundation.

    The theme uses the font Manrope for headings and paragraphs; it also comes with Beiruti, Fira Code, Fira Sans, Literata 72pt, Platypi, Roboto Slab, Vollkorn and Ysabeau Office.

    Beautiful as Manrope is, (indeed) modern and dignified, it looks a tiny bit to thin and cold to me taste. So I swapped (them all) for …

    Helvetia Neue and Segoe UI are both Systems Fonts; Source Code Pro is delivered by Google (I installed the Fonts Plugin | Use Google Fonts, Adobe Fonts or Upload Fonts plugin).
    I do believe these 3 typefaces pair very well together.

    Contemplating the font sizing I remembered someone arguing that 3 sizes, for body text, really should suffice: small normal large. WordPress offers five font size presets as a standard: Small (0.875 rem / 14 px, H5), Medium (the root element, 1,125 rem / 18 px, H4), Large (1.375 rem / 22 px, H3), Extra Large (2 rem / 32 px, H2) and Extra Extra Large (3 rem / 48 px, H1):

    “In the beginning there was nothing, which exploded.”

    “In the beginning there was nothing, which exploded.”

    “In the beginning there was nothing, which exploded.”

    “In the beginning there was nothing, which exploded.”

    “In the beginning there was nothing, which exploded.”

    Terry Pratchett, Lords and Ladies!

    Furthermore there are two Custom Fluid Values ​​ – minimum and maximum – for this type scale, except for the H5.

    Now what if we want to create a typographic scale, small normal large, using the Golden Ration?

    Here I am using large as my default normal size, so 1.375 rem is my root element. Let’s apply the Golden Ratio:

    • Small = 1.375 / 1.618 = 0.8498; round to 0.85;
    • Large (used as medium/normal) 1.375;
    • Extra Large = 1.375 x 1.618 = 2.22475; round to 2.225.

    Good! This newly calculated small fits the original size close enough, so I’ll keep the old 0,875 rem (= 14 px); large will be my root. We only have to adapt the extra large figures: 2.225 rem (Custom Fluid Values: min. 1.875 rem / max. 2.225 rem).

    I think it looks stylish!

    “Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time.”

    “Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time.”

    “Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time.”

    Terry Pratchett, Hogfather!

    Because my Blog page, and all categories & archives, only consist of a list of titles, I make sure that each title contains some kind of description or summary of the post in question.
    But in this case, I really can’t bring myself to enrich the title with something other than 1.618033988749….!

  • EXPLORING AI-GENERATED IMAGERY: A UNIQUE CONCEPT OF GIRLS WITH BLOND PIGTAILS AND YELLOW LEATHER JACKETS

    EXPLORING AI-GENERATED IMAGERY: A UNIQUE CONCEPT OF GIRLS WITH BLOND PIGTAILS AND YELLOW LEATHER JACKETS

    In today’s digital age, artificial intelligence has opened up new avenues for creativity, especially in the realm of visual arts. One intriguing idea that has captured the imagination is the concept of generating images of girls with blond pigtails, adorned in vibrant yellow leather jackets, passionately playing bass guitar. This combination of elements presents a unique blend of youthful energy, style, and musical flair.

    The Inspiration Behind the Concept

    Imagery plays a significant role in conveying emotions and stories. The playful nature of blond pigtails is often associated with youthfulness, while a yellow leather jacket exudes a sense of boldness and individuality. When coupled with the dynamic presence of a girl playing the bass guitar, these elements can create striking visuals that resonate with audiences. It’s an exciting challenge to capture this vibe through AI-generated artwork.

    The Process of Generating AI Images

    Several platforms allow users to explore AI-generated art. Utilizing prompts effectively can lead to the creation of unique and engaging images. The key is to be descriptive and imaginative with the prompts, feeding the AI details that can help translate the vision into visual form.

    1. Choosing the Right Tool: There are various AI art generators available, each with its strengths. Tools like DALL-E, MidJourney, or Stable Diffusion are popular choices.
    2. Crafting the Perfect Prompt: A well-thought-out prompt can make all the difference. For instance, you might input something like, “A girl with blond pigtails in a bright yellow leather jacket, energetically playing a bass guitar on stage, surrounded by colorful lights.”
    3. Iterating on the Results: The first images generated may not be perfect. Iterating on the prompt, tweaking descriptions, and adding elements like background settings or mood can lead to more refined outcomes.

    Visual Appeal and Cultural Significance

    The combination of these elements not only lends itself to vibrant visuals but also taps into cultural currents. The bass guitar represents a foundational element in many music genres, from rock to pop. Girls rocking out on this instrument promote a sense of empowerment and challenge traditional stereotypes in music.

    Conclusion

    Exploring the world of AI-generated images through the lens of girls with blond pigtails in yellow leather jackets playing bass guitar is both a creative venture and a cultural commentary. As technology continues to evolve, so do the opportunities for artistic expression. Who knows what extraordinary visuals await in this exciting new frontier?

    Whether for personal projects, social media, or just as a fun exploration, diving into AI art generation can yield fascinating results that are both vibrant and meaningful. So, grab your ideas and start creating!

    The above gospel is entirely written and composed by the Jetpack AI Assistant for WordPress. (The UX/UI ís pretty neat, I must admit!) For about 4 € per month, every aspirant ‘writer’ can blog a loyal and proud readership.
    I have 3 free PROMPTS left, but I’ve decided to quickly crawl out of this deep, deeper, deepest – reaching to the earth’s core – Rabbit Hole! I am done.

    Bugger!

    Forgot 1 critical detail in my rather hurried tinkered prompt: emphasizing the glossy bloody blue bassguitar body. Fuck!

  • CROW HILL’S FABULOUS POCKET STRINGS LIBRARY

    Pocket Strings, Small String Gestures, the free VAULTS instruments! Christian Henson’s Crow Hill Company really ‘Makes Music My Music’

    The above, and all kinds of everything (like ‘WordPress support for Cross-document view transitions‘), coming soon.

    STAY TUNED!

  • WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT SAFARI’S AUTO-PLAY PREFERENCES

    I plan to add a few videos and/or fancy parallax backgrounds to this site. Just for fun. The only annoying thing is that Safari doesn’t allow autoplay. ‘Apparently’ … I thought!

    I was misled when I threw the HTML5 Video tag into the fray. This is factual: ‘in order to enable autoplay on your video, you have to include the attributes autoplay muted and playsinline in your <video> tag’

    <video autoplay controls loop muted playsinline>
    <source src="https://.../my_video.mp4#t=0.001"" type="video/mp4">
</video>

    but unfortunately the movies remained blind, deaf and frozen.

    Long story short: it really turns out to be just another Safari preference, one which is by default not checked.

    If you want to see videos playing automatically after loading choose the ‘Allow All Auto-Play’ option in the Safari settings:

    Or are you wary of all kinds of junk of unsolicited bells and whistles? You should be, shouldn’t you?

    Then restrict this behaviour to specific websites: open Safari settings with your favourite website in a tab and choose the ‘Allow All Auto-Play’ for this currently open website, leaving the default option for all other websites as preferred:

    Safari on iPad and iPhone (I am checking my iOS 18.7.1 Version) does not have any ‘Auto-Play’ preference; you cannot manage enabling/disabling video autoplay.

    I am very happy with my antique iPhone SE (2nd generation) and equally baroque iPad (9th generation), but, matured as they are, I’m reluctant to update both to iOS 26. So I’m not able to check iOS preferences after this latest update.

    And Bob’s your uncle! Now let’s play bass:

  • THE PHRASE ‘FRECKLES’ MADE HER SO DAMNED CUTE AND ENJOYABLE

    Believe it or not, the prompt ‘freckles’ made her, this beautiful yellow-haired fairy, so enjoyable!

    As a footnote: what continues to surprise me, however, is the apparent non-existence of real rain drops in AI generated clips. Those tears from heaven always look a bit like wallpaper paste (through the eyes of every handyman) or sperm (through the glances of the mentally retarded) or … like the very ominous oily gunk clattering on the limbs and faces of Jessica Chastain, Michael Shannon and little Tova Stewart in the ending scene of Take Shelter (that marvelous 2011 movie by Jeff Nichols):

  • PROMPTING THE PERFECT PRE-RAPHAELITE POSTURE

    Yesterday I entered the Google AI Studio because I needed an image of A GIRL WITH PIGTAILS, A BLOSSOMING SMILE AND THE PRE-RAPHAELITE ELEGANCE AND POSTURE OF LONNEKE ENGEL. You can imagine the enthusiasm and eagerness of the AI ​​entity on the other side of this exchange! AI diligent started to indicate what was and was not possible: a striking resemblance was out of the question but a girl with the vibes and charms of Lonneke … hmmm!

    The conversation went along these lines:

    ‘I can do that — but before I generate the image, could you please clarify:’

    ‘Would you like the girl to resemble Lonneke Engel’s style or vibe (e.g. similar hair, facial features, or mood), or do you want her to look directly like Lonneke Engel herself?’

    ‘I can only create an original character inspired by her style, not an exact replica of a real person.’

    ‘Once you confirm that, I’ll generate the image (and you can specify details like: clothing style, background, or mood — e.g. “soft natural light”, “fashion shoot”, “casual outdoor scene”, etc.).’

    ‘Oh sweet baby Jesus’, I thought out loud … and off it went!

    After some 40 expectant seconds, there she was/is:

    ‘Hartstikke fijn. Top!,’ I pretended.

    ‘You’re very welcome! I’m glad you liked it 😊
    Would you like me to create another image in a similar style — maybe with a different outfit, lighting, or setting?’

    ‘Nou uhh, doe maar niet,’ I thought, and ‘Nee bedankt’ I mumbled.

    ‘Alright! 😊 If you ever want to make more images or adjust the style later, just let me know.’

    With a polite ‘That’s nice to know’ I ended our causerie.

    This beautiful girl, crowned with 2 pigtails and wearing her favorite sweater, is definitely not a suitable replacement for Lonneke; she is simply too different.

    But (I’ll take an different exit) here’s the thing: I do think my Little Miss Sunshine really and honestly looks very very much like a – much younger – Noaomi Watts.
    Now thére is an actress:

    Phew, the epilogue of this post is very concise and pointed. I had to go somewhere, which is true but that may sound a rather lame excuse, so I apologize.

    Okay, back on the subject: as you can spot in the previous post I didn’t use my artificial Lonneke as a featured image, as it was all planned so carefully to begin with.

  • I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT YOUR PIGTAILS

    I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT YOUR PIGTAILS

    But I’m talking ’bout your sex appeal.

    Yesterday evening, before hitting the asphalt back home, I visited the AH store beneath the parking-lot, where these two young people, armed with a video-camera and blossoming smiles, tried to capture passers-by.

    Normally I would prefer having my head chopped off before … .

    She didn’t have any pigtails, but, err well, you know, there was a welcoming sight: countenance and appearance!

    She did have that kind of Lonneke Engel pre-raphaelite elegance and posture. Not all that perfect, so perchance even more graceful!

    Reflecting on the subject I told them I really wasn’t the man they wanted. They acceded this truth quickly enough but we kept chatting for a while – both guy and girl very relaxed, noticeably enjoying their little project.

    They probably have wiped this Ugly Faustus Face already, for all that!

    A pleasant encounter.

    This is a reprint from an entry written on Saturday, January 21, 2006.
    Since then I am dragging this text along as my personal ‘Lorem Ipsum’.
    Don’t ask me why.

  • I FIND THIS MISS TILLY NORWOOD ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!