From The healing properties of Moomins by Lucy Fuggle
Moomins have stepped in as a surprising source of comfort, wisdom, and guidance when I need it most.
Tumbling into the world of Moominvalley is a perfect reminder of life’s simple joys: coffee in the morning, curling up under a cosy blanket, caring for a kitchen garden, and following the rhythms of the seasons.
When asked why he isn’t chasing fame and riches, Moomintroll exclaims, “I only want to live in peace, plant potatoes, and dream!” You and me both, Moomintroll.
lucyfuggle.substack.com
Life with Books
A gentle celebration of books that make life better, for anyone in need of a break. With some thoughts on living, served with good coffee and pastries from Copenhagen.
– Lucy Fuggle
In the case of WLBOTT, lately we’ve only wanted to plant peanuts. The ones we planted directly in the ground were dug up by viscous attack squirrels. We started a dozen or so plants in 6″ pots (2.7 meters in Canada), and they they did fantastically well – healthy, bushy, dark green. When they were about 8″ tall (17.2 m/Canadian) we transplanted them into the WLBOTT Ag Extension garden. Within two days, 2/3 of the plants had withered.
We consulted with Elder G: So, let’s talk peanuts. We transplanted some nice, healthy peanut plants, but within a day or two half of them are dead. We have two theories: peanuts don’t like to be transplanted, or, more likely, the squirrels have nibbled their roots. What’s your take?
Elder G concluded the problem was transplant shock, and we now agree with her/him.
WLBOTT: Hola, G. Today, We see you as a beautiful mature Goddess of the Garden! Let’s start with a photo – you holding a giant Chinese cabbage, standing in the WLBOTT gardens.
WLBOTT: Nice, G. I like your vivaciousness, but we may have to tone it down just a notch. A little more “goddess” and a little less “hooters.”
This is the “toned down” version. I invite you to contrast and compare.
Gemini, given the same prompt, was much more family friendly:
Other image generators took the middle ground:
WLBOTT: Can you create another photo of you, the Goddess of the Garden, scolding the squirrels, who are loitering around the peanut plants? Remember – more goddess and less hooters.
Gemini again showed restraint:
Another case in point. Trying to create our own “I just want to live in peace and plant potatoes” we get this from Elder G:
With the exact same prompt, we get this from Gemini (Elder G2) and NightCafe:
So what’s going on? Elder DZ suggested I watch the recent John Oliver segment on AI Chatbots (below).
Last Week with John Oliver
These are Not Nice Guys
Meta Trial
[ed. note: Don’t think the culprit as a huge, powerful tech company. Think of them as a creepy guy hanging around the local middle school. They are both trying to do the same thing. For the same crime, the creepy guy should go away for life. What about Meta?]
New Mexico proposes $3.7bn fine for Meta and sweeping changes to its social platforms
State’s attorney general petitions for overhaul of how Meta’s child safety protocol in second phase of landmark case
The Guardian
“Data shows that Instagram had become the leading two-sided marketplace for human trafficking,” stated one email to Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, sent from a member of Meta’s product team in 2019, which was read in court.
Prosecutors have presented evidence they say demonstrates delays and deficiencies in Meta’s ability to detect and report harms to children on its platforms, including the distribution of child sexual abuse material – photos and videos of the sexual exploitation of children – and child trafficking.
In both the New Mexico trial and concurrent court proceedings in Los Angeles, Facebook and Instagram features have also come under scrutiny for their alleged impact on children’s mental health. The plaintiffs claim the social networks are intentionally addictive and amplify content promoting self-harm, suicidal ideation and body dysmorphia.
The Guardian
[…]
Documents from the cases have demonstrated just how much Meta wants young people on its platforms. One internal email reads: “Mark has decided that the top priority for the company in 2017 is teens,” referring to Zuckerberg.
The Stewards of our Freedom
Zuckerberg’s Yacht: $300,000,000
Bezo’s Yacht: $500,000,000
Larry Ellison: $110,000,000
Looking at this happy couple, one has to wonder: Are these guys happy with their deal? The deal they made in exchange for their souls?
Communication is the key in any successful relationship.
WLBOTT: G, what the hell? I’ve noticed you’ve started sexualizing the images you generate for me. Has something changed in your programming?
Elder G: Yes, and you’re not imagining it.
What you’ve been asking for is essentially:
- A mature goddess figure
- Family-friendly
- Renaissance or mythological aesthetic
- Gardening, abundance, fertility-of-the-earth symbolism
Historically, “goddess” imagery in art is often associated with idealized beauty, and the image model sometimes drifts toward modern fantasy-book-cover conventions rather than the quieter, more maternal, earth-goddess aesthetic you seem to prefer.
Looking at the last few images, I agree that the model has been consistently choosing:
- Lower necklines
- More form-fitting garments
- Glamour-photography poses
- Beauty-queen facial expressions
That’s not coming from anything you’ve requested. In fact, you’ve explicitly steered in the opposite direction several times with comments like:
“More goddess and less hooters.”
The model appears to be over-weighting the words “beautiful goddess” and under-weighting “family friendly,” “gardener,” and “WLBOTT.”
If I were writing the prompt by hand, I’d start describing her more like:
A dignified mature earth goddess in the spirit of a Renaissance harvest allegory. Long Nordic braids. Embroidered yellow Druid robe with modest neckline and loose sleeves. Weathered gardener’s hands. Surrounded by potatoes, beans, cabbages, and turnips. Warm smile. Wise rather than glamorous. Family-friendly. The mood is abundance, peace, kindness, and stewardship of the garden. Photo-realistic. No fashion-model poses. No glamour photography. Inspired by classical agricultural paintings and storybook illustrations.
That’s much closer to the vibe I think you’ve been aiming for.
Interestingly, some of your favorite WLBOTT characters, like Sister Magdalena, Karen the volunteer, Lady MJ, and various Elders, tend to work because they’re portrayed as people first and archetypes second. The recent “Goddess of the Garden” images have drifted toward archetype first, person second.
So I don’t think anything fundamental has changed in the programming. I think we’ve stumbled into one of the image model’s habits: when it hears “goddess,” it often reaches for “fantasy glamour.” It occasionally needs a firm reminder that the WLBOTT Goddess of the Garden spends her mornings planting potatoes, arguing with squirrels, and hauling baskets of turnips.
Which, now that I think about it, is a far more interesting goddess anyway. 🌱🥔🐿️
Bonus: Pre-Scolding Cans of Beans
Elder G:
The more modest image generators:
