October 22, 2026   Conversation with AI Overview – Subgenres in the Movies and Their Appeal

Below is the first of four questions regarding subgenres in movies and contemporary literature and their appeal for various audience categories. 

AI Overview provides brief but adequate replies that focus on the ...punk subgenres that are closely tied to science fiction, alternate worlds, social commentary, and satire.

I asked:

“Cyberpunk and Steampunk genres end in punk--what does punk mean at the end?”

AI Overview said:

What "Punk" Means by Genre:   Cyberpunk (Where it started): Combines "cybernetics" with a punk rock ethos. . . continue reading, Subgenres in the Movies,  (PDF file  1,931 words, 6 pages).

October 18, 2026  Conversation with AI Overview -- Deep Thinker

I asked:

“In the closed environment of Planet Earth as it travels through space and subjected to gravitational forces, dark matter, light, temperatures of space, and matter entering our outer atmosphere, how does a mere footstep, noise, or interaction of everything else affect the eventual outcome of what we will experience in the future?  Is it the sum total of everything or is it localized and confined to a miniscule area?”

AI Overview said:

A single footstep, sound, or physical interaction on Earth permanently alters . . . continue reading, Deep Thinker, (PDF file, 877 words, 3 pages).

October 10, 2026  Google's Nano Banana -- AI Image Generation

Google Chrome asks for an idea so I gave it one to replicate a scene from a late 1940s to early 1950s bowling alley.  It took a few tries but Nano Banana adjusted its initial image based on further instructions until it got  it right.  

Nano Banana listened carefully to several more explicit instructions--which is not always the way it goes with some of the other image generators--at least their free, tier 1 versions.  Good job Nanner!

October 8, 2026  Conversation with AI Overview – AI for Life (Immortality)

Here is a post that may be worth your while to ponder.   With the help of AI during the next 20 years, the thought of immortality, or at  least  prolonged life may become a reality.

I asked:

“If a human is seeking immortality, what would be the order of human functions that would have to be addressed to prevent death?”

AI Overview said:

To achieve biological immortality, human functions must be addressed in an order that . . . continue reading,  AI for Llife -- Immortality,  (PDF  file, 1,851 words, 6 pages).

October 7, 2026  Conversation with AI  Overview -- Loan words -- English Language

I asked:

“Besides déjà vu, two words, what are other loan words that the English language borrows from, French, German, Latin, etc.?  Another that comes to mind is Zeitgist (sp ??), a German word, as well as other Latin phase words?”

AI Overview said:

The English language is famously a "linguistic sponge," with roughly 60% to 75% of its vocabulary borrowed from other languages. French, Latin, and German are among the heaviest contributors. [1, 2, 3]

The German word you are thinking of is spelled Zeitgeist (literally translating to "time spirit" or the mood of an era). [1]

The table below highlights everyday and advanced loanwords borrowed directly into English from these three foundational languages:

 Common English Loanwords by Origin:

Source Language

Loanword / Phrase

Original Meaning & English Usage

French

Carte blanche

"Blank document"; having complete freedom or authority to act.

Faux pas

"False step"; a socially awkward mistake or blunder.

Entrepreneur

"One who undertakes"; a person who sets up a business.

Cliché

Originally a printing plate; now means an overused phrase or idea.

German

Schadenfreude

"Harm-joy"; experiencing pleasure from someone else's misfortune.

Kindergarten

"Children's garden"; preschool or introductory school.

Angst

A deep feeling of anxiety, dread, or insecurity.

Doppelgänger

"Double-goer"; a lookalike or ghostly double of a living person.

Latin

Ad hoc

"For this"; created or done for a specific, temporary purpose.

Persona non grata

"An unwelcome person"; someone banned or unwelcome in a place.

Alibi

"Elsewhere"; evidence showing you were somewhere else during a crime.

Vice versa

"The position being reversed"; indicating that the reverse of a statement is also true.

________________________

Comment:

Often times, English does not provide a parallel word or phrase that can be expressed as concisely and/or as meaningfully.

October 2, 2026  Conversation with Gemini -- Downloads Folder Issues

I asked:

“I am offering my opinion about Windows 10 Powershell which includes system folders among others for Documents and Downloads. After I finish my explanation, I would appreciate your feedback . . .  Click Here to continue reading,  Downloads Folder Issues, (PDF file, 1,034 words, 4 pages).

October 1, 2026  Conversation with AI Overview:  Biological and Machine Intelligence

I have asked AI Overview several questions regarding the future of Biological and Machine Intelligence.  Here is the introductory prompt:

I asked:

“To reduce the large consumption of electrical energy for processing AI, has there been strides made to interface with the brain power of biological organisms wirelessly?”

AI Overview said:

Click here to continue reading, Biological and Machine Intelligence,  (PDF file, 1,126 words, 4 pages).

September 29, 2026  Go Beyond Your Standard Keyboard Characters (MS Word).

I asked:

“What are the alternate keystrokes in MS Word to obtain the following characters:   degrees, cents, left arrow, and right arrow?”

AI Overview said:

•  Degrees:  Ctrl @ + space = degrees   °

•   Cents:  Ctrl / + c = cents   ¢

•  Thin Left Arrow: Type < followed by -- (<--) ß  ????
  (not compatible with webpage editor)

•  Thick Left Arrow:  Type < followed by == (<==) ç  ????
  (not compatible with webpage editor)

•  Thin Right Arrow: Type -- followed by > (-->) à  ????
  (not compatible with webpage editor)

•  Thick Right Arrow: Type == followed by > (==>)  è  ????
  (not compatible with webpage editor)

_________________

Today’s examples moved to this Google Sites webpage:

        98.6°  😄 75¢ 😀 Left arrow  ß  or ç  😫     Right Arrow à or è 😩 

Important:

Unfortunately,  Some of these special characters entered in this fashion do not translate correctly if a textbox containing these characters are pasted into the New Google Sites webpage. 

The Ctrl keystroke sequence for degrees and cents work O.K. but the character combinations such as <--, <==, -->, and ==> do not.

For the arrows, another way (but not the most convenient) is to enter them is by selecting the special character from beneath the Symbols Option in MS Word and add them to the MS Word document. Lastly, paste the text block into the webpage editor.

At this point, if there are many special characters, I might decide to, instead, save the word document, convert it to PDF, and link the PDF file to my webpage.   However, there other less dramatic options

Here's an easier solution using  Copy & Paste, (PDF file, 486 words, 3 pages).

 Or, just use these:

Thin Arrows:

 ← (Left)

 → (Right)

 ↑ (Up)

 ↓ (Down)

 ↔ (Left-Right)

Thick / Bold Arrows:

 ◄ (Left)

 ► (Right)

 ▲ (Up)

 ▼ (Down)

 ➔ (Thick Right)

 ➜ (Heavy Right)

and these too  . . .

Diagonal up and down arrow symbols like ↖, ↗, ↘, and ↙ can be used on a web page via Unicode and HTML entities. [1]

• North West Arrow (↖): HTML code &#8598; or hex &#x2196;

• North East Arrow (↗): HTML code &#8599; or hex &#x2197;

• South East Arrow (↘): HTML code &#8600; or hex &#x2198;

Notice that all of these arrows are not the same type as thos entered with <-- or <== using MS Word.

September 28, 2026  Conversation with AI Overview – Word Selection

I asked:

“Why are the following words similar and how do they differ? Is there one word that captures the meaning of all of them without splitting hairs:  ornery, stubborn, obstinate, disagreeable, objectionable, malcontent, rebellious, cranky, etc.?”

AI Overview said:

These words are similar because they all describe difficult, uncooperative, or negative human behavior and attitudes. They all paint a picture of someone who is hard to manage, get along with, or please.

However, they differ in their precise nuances, dividing into three main categories:

1. Difficulty with Temperament (Mood)

•  Ornery: Easily irritated, combative, and having an unpleasant disposition.

• Cranky: Short-tempered, irritable, and easily annoyed, often due to physical tiredness or discomfort.

• Disagreeable: Unpleasant, unfriendly, and generally difficult to get along with.

2. Difficulty with Change or Control (Willpower)

• Stubborn: Unreasonably determined to have one's own way, refusing to change one's mind.

• Obstinate: Extremely stubborn, especially in the face of good reasons or persuasion to change.

•  Rebellious: Actively resisting authority, rules, or tradition
  
  

3. Difficulty with Satisfaction (Stance)

• Objectionable: Causing disapproval or disgust; offensive (this describes how others view the person's behavior).

• Malcontent: Chronically dissatisfied, complaining, and rebellious against the current state of affairs.

The One Word That Captures Them All

If you want a single word that captures the essence of being difficult, uncooperative, and unpleasant without splitting hairs, that word is contrary.

When someone is described as contrary, it means they are perversely inclined to disagree, do the opposite of what is asked, or be difficult to deal with. It beautifully bridges the gap between being in a bad mood (cranky/ornery), refusing to budge, (stubborn/obstinate), and pushing back against others (rebellious/disagreeable).

Other excellent, broad alternatives include

• Difficult: The simplest, most universal term for someone who exhibits any or all of these traits.

• Fractious: A slightly more formal word that means both irritable (cranky) and quarrelsome (stubborn).

______________________________

Here's another word choice following a similar line of thought:

Because English frequently borrows from other languages, "au contraire" is widely used by English speakers. It translates directly to "on the contrary" or "quite the opposite" 

September 25, 2026   Conversation with Gemini -- Course Content in Today’s High Schools

I asked:

“Is the 60 day 6% method of interest calculation considered obsolete in banking and lending institutions of today?”

Gemini said:

The 60-Day 6% Method is  . . .  Click  Here to read the two-part post:  Course Content in Today’s High Schools,  (PDF file,  647 words, 3 pages).

60 Day, 6% Method:

For example simple Interest on a $1,000 Loan for 60 days at 6% annual interest is $10.00.  Move decimal place in the principal two places to the left.  For  a 120 day loan it would be  2 x 10 = $20; for a 180 days 3 x 10 = $30; for a 360 day loan (commercial year)  6 x 10 = $60 interest.   Check Annual Interest based on a commercial year, $1,000 x 6% = $60.

September 23, 2026 Conversation with SI Overview --  Super This and Super That

In 1933 the first Supermarkets came to be and in 1938 Superman came to Earth.  Now, in 2026 it has been decreed that we will now have Super Intelligence forever more.

Artificial  Intelligence →  Super Intelligence

I asked:

"What is the evolution of the word super up to the current time?"

SI Overview said:

The word super evolved from a prefix meaning "above or beyond" into a standalone adjective meaning "wonderful" or "excellent" in 1837, with its casual slang usage generalizing by 1895. [1, 2]

The transition occurred through a gradual linguistic shift from the 18th century to the mid-20th century.

[Latin Prefix] -------> [Product Grade] -------> [General Slang] -------> [Modern Intensifier]

"Above/Over"             "Superfine" (1768)        "Super!" (1895)         "Super excited" (1946)

The Evolution Timeline

• The Latin Roots: Originally, super was exclusively a Latin prefix meaning "above, over, or beyond". For centuries in English, it was only used to build composite words like supernatural or superstructure.

• The 1700s (Commercial Quality): The very first record of super standing on its own as an adjective appeared in 1768. However, it wasn't a general compliment yet. It was used in commerce as a shorthand for "superfine"—denoting the absolute highest grade of manufactured goods (like cloth or chocolate).

• The 1800s (The Shift to "Excellent"): By 1837, people dropped the "fine" entirely, and super began appearing in print to mean "first-rate." By 1895, it completely crossed over into popular, everyday slang as a general term of approval (e.g., "He's a super guy" or "That's a super idea").

• The 1900s (The Pop Culture Explosion): While the adjective was well-established by the turn of the century, pop culture supercharged it. The debut of Superman in 1938 and the rise of mid-century terms like supermarket (1930s) and superstar (1960s) cemented it as a dominant word in the English vocabulary. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]

When did it become an adverb (e.g., "super glad")?

If you use super to mean "very" or "extremely" rather than "wonderful," you are using it as an adverb. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, this specific adverbial shift didn't officially appear in text until 1946. [1]

September 22, 2026  Conversation with AI Overview -- Counting the Days

I asked:

"With the exception for leap years, does the calendar follow the same progression from one year to the next?  For example, today is Tuesday, September 22, 2026. What date will Tuesday fall on next year, September of 2027, in the third week of the month?  Please explain the pattern."

AI Overview said:

Yes, the calendar follows a strict, predictable progression from year to year.  Because a standard year is 365 days long, it contains exactly 52 weeks plus 1 extra day (52×7=364 days). This extra day causes any given date to shift forward by exactly one weekday each normal year.  Wikipedia +2

Since September 22, 2026, is a Tuesday, then September 22, 2027, will be a Wednesday. Consequently, Tuesday in the third week of September 2027 will fall on September 14, 2027.  Wikipedia

Explaining the Weekday Shift Pattern

The mechanics of how dates shift across years depend entirely on the remainder left over when dividing the number of days by 7: 

Standard Year Shift (+1): A regular year has 365 days. 365 divided by 7 equals 52 weeks with a remainder of 1. Because of this remaining day, every date lands 1 weekday later the next year. For example:

• • September 22, 2026 = Tuesday

  • September 22, 2027 = Wednesday (+1 day)
    Quora +1

Leap Year Shift (+2): A leap year has 366 days (52 weeks+2 days). This introduces an extra shift. If you cross a February 29th leap day, the weekday skips or "leaps" forward by 2 days instead of 1.
Quora +2

Tracking the "Third Week" of September 2027

To find the third Tuesday of September 2027, you can track how the beginning of the month shifts: 

1. Since September 22 moves from a Tuesday (2026) to a Wednesday (2027), every date in September 2027 shifts exactly one weekday forward compared to 2026.

2. In 2026, September 1st was a Tuesday.

3. In 2027, September 1st shifts forward by one day to become a Wednesday. 

By mapping out the Tuesdays of September 2027 from there, you get a clean breakdown: 

Occurrence

Date

1st Tuesday 2nd Tuesday 3rd Tuesday (3rd week) 4th Tuesday

September 7, 2027 September 14, 2027 September 21, 2027 September 28, 2027

__________________________________________________

Confusion . . . 

I asked:

"In the explanation given earlier, does the day of the week on a calendar shift 1 day to Februray 29, and then 2 days thereafter?   I'm confused about when the transition occurs."

AI Overview said:

No, the day of the week does not shift on February 29th itself, nor does it wait until after.  The actual transition—the "leap" forward by 2 days—takes effect exactly on March 1st.  Quora +1

Here is exactly how the calendar transitions and how the math works: 

1. The Baseline Shift (+1 Day)

A normal year has 365 days, which breaks down to exactly 52 weeks and 1 extra day (52×7=364). Because of that 1 leftover day, any given calendar date naturally shifts forward by 1 day of the week every single year: 

loudmobility.co.uk +2

• If January 1st is a Monday this year, it will be a Tuesday next year.
  Quora

2. The Leap Year Shift (+2 Days)

A leap year has 366 days (52 weeks and 2 extra days). Because the extra day (February 29th) is inserted at the very end of February, it splits the year into two distinct zones:   Reddit +3

• Before February 29th: Dates in January and February have not "encountered" the extra day yet. They shift forward by the standard 1 day compared to the previous year.   wikiHow

• After February 29th: Starting exactly on March 1st, the calendar has absorbed that extra 366th day. Therefore, every date from March 1st through December 31st "leaps" forward by 2 days compared to the prior year.   Quora +1

A Real-World Example (Looking at Leap Year 2024)

To see the transition clearly, observe how dates shifted from 2023 (Normal) → 2024 (Leap Year) → 2025 (Normal): 

Date 2023 (Normal Year) 2024 (Leap Year) 2025 (Normal Year) The Shift

Feb 28 Wednesday Thursday Friday +1 Day (No extra day hit yet)

Feb 29 — Friday — The Leap Day itself

Mar 1 Wednesday Friday Saturday +2 Days (2023 Wed → 2024 Fri)

Summary

The transition happens on March 1st. If you are looking at a date in a leap year, ask yourself: Is it March or later? If yes, advance your day-of-the-week calculation by 2 days instead of 1. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Click Here for a Downloadable Copy of this post:  Counting the Days, (PDF file, 784 words, 4 pages).

See more examples below:

September 17, 2026  Conversation with Gemini AI – Adding  Elements to  a Scene (Old Kitchen)

Here's another nostalgic peek at the past.  Today's image  focuses on a corner of the kitchen and the small multi-use kitchen cupboard found in many homes.  Food was prepared here and served as a location for washing dishes and washing your hands and face if no other facilites were available.

Click here to read the prompt provideed for Gemini as well as view elements that were to be added to the image it generated:  Old Kitchen Cupboard,  (PDF file,  705 words, 9 pages).

The teapot. cups and sugar bowl were rendered from SkettchUp Export images and were included in the kitchen image by use of the prompt instructions.

September 3, 2026  Gemini's Imagery

Gemini does nice work.  It took a few prompts before Gemini created this scene.  Several prompts were required to get the sack of tobacco and pull string looking authentic and to position and size it correctly.  It was also necessary to describe the scene, clothing, and how the rolling paper is dampened on the lower lip (or tongue) as shown in the image below.

August 22, 2026  Conversation with AI Overview – Ice Boxes

This post is an excerpt from a longer conversation about the day’s before refrigerators.  It reflected on the procedures for daily ice delivery—especially in the South where ice was not obtained from natural means (ice blocks cut from frozen lakes or riverbeds). Instead, many areas required manufactured ice from ice plants to provide stores, fishing boats, rail transportation, and homes with a way to keep perishable meats, vegetables, and dairy products fresh.

Cold storage utilizing ice continued to be used in many households into the 50s.  I remember having an ice box in our Florida kitchen during the early 1950s.  Refrigerators were  still pretty new (and expensive).  If you've ever used a cooler with crushed ice, it's about the same thing as what you'd get with an Ice Box--it was not a freezer by any means.  Ice Boxes would keep milk from souring most of the time.

I said:

“All I remember about the ice box was its unique smell of metal and cold as it blended with the smells of chilled food items.”

AI Overview said:

That sensory memory is incredibly accurate and something that modern plastic-lined refrigerators just can't replicate.

That unique "icebox smell" was a distinct combination of three specific things:

•  The Metal Lining: Most mid-century iceboxes were lined with galvanized zinc, tin, or porcelain-enameled steel to prevent the wooden outer frame from rotting. When damp, those metals gave off a sharp, distinct metallic tang.
  
  

•  Stagnant Humidity: Unlike modern refrigerators that circulate dry air to prevent frost, an icebox relied on a 100% humidity environment created by the melting ice block. That heavy, cold, damp air trapped and amplified the aromas of whatever was inside.
  
  

• The Drip Pan: Because the ice was constantly melting, water flowed down a small tube into a drip pan underneath the box. If it wasn't emptied daily, the standing water mixed with tiny food particles or dust, creating a very specific, slightly musty underlying scent.

It truly was a sensory experience unique to that era—the heavy thud of the insulated wooden door, the latch clicking into place, and that immediate rush of metallic, cold, food-mingled air.

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