14 May 2011, driving home from work

The old Champlain Bridge

Cranes used during the construction of the super-hospital

See those cranes on the horizon? That was the first major construction in Montreal
for many years; what we call the "neverrendums", two referendums on Quebec 
separation from Canada, had killed investment in Quebec

Pictures of my grandmother’s home

On this day in 2009, it was 14 May 2009, I visited my grandmother's home at 2226 Girouard Avenue for the first time since 1969. My grandmother died in 1965, just a few days before my fifteenth birthday, she was one month short of her 90th birthday as my Auntie Ivy told my mother that morning when she phoned to tell her that my grandmother had died. For years, when driving passed the Girouard Avenue flat on my way to work, I would look up at her living room window remembering the many memories of my grandmother. It wasn't until 2009 that the flat was being sold and I had the opportunity to take these photographies. It was the last time I would visit my grandmother's home, where she had lived since the mid-1920s. 

Walking up the stairs to the flat

In the living room facing the Girouard Avenue

Entrance to the flat from the stairs.

In the living room.

The bathroom with the original
claw foot bathtub.

This was my Great Aunt Essie's bedroom,
she was my grandmother's sister.

The back porch facing the lane.

The kitchen.

This room off the kitchen, at the 
rear of the flat, was where my grandmother's
father slept after he moved to Girouard Avenue.

To the left was my Auntie Mable's bedroom,
to the right was the living room.

The living room, facing Girouard Avenue.

Entrance to the foyer from the living 
room; in this room, to the right was a maroon 
couch covered with a white sheet, the springs
touching the floor; to the left in this room
is where an upright piano stood.

The stairs and front door.

The upstairs is 2226 Girouard Avenue.

Review: A Poet's Journey: on poetry and what it means to be a poet by Stephen Morrissey

                               

Published on The League of Canadian Poets website, March 3, 2020.

Reviewed by Cynthia Coristine

Poetry is the voice of the human soul, speaking across time and distance

– Stephen Morrissey

 In A Poet’s Journey Montreal native Stephen Morrissey shares four decades of insight about what it means to be a poet and the process by which a poet can discover his “authentic voice”.  The book  includes astute impressions of other poets Morrissey has met along the way, among them George Johnston, Keitha Macintosh and Artie Gold who, like Morrissey, was one of “The Vehicle Poets” in Montreal, beginning in the mid-1970s.

What makes Morrissey’s book such a fascinating read is the thing which makes his poetry so indelible:  accessibility, and a hard won, pared-down wisdom.

Stephen Morrissey’s father died when he was six, his life abruptly and permanently reconfigured by fatherlessness.  Unable to verbally articulate his emotional devastation, at the age of 15 Morrissey began to express his feeling of being “damaged” and “different” from his peers (and from people in general), in poems.  The inexpressible had become expressible.  Profoundly “dispirited and disempowered”, he had found a way to connect / re-connect with his “spirit”, and to empower himself, by himself – through poetry.  He instinctively knew that this was his only way forward.

A section from Morrissey’s poem The River:

Because I did not grieve

when I was a child,

I have spent a lifetime

grieving, always on the edge

of sorrow

and from My Shadow:

always the shadow

of Father who died-

always the presence

of the knowledge

of death – my burden

I carried even as a child,

my shadow

Morrissey analyzed his life, in his diaries and poetry, during the years in which his stepfather was dying (when Morrissey was in high school), and following the dissolution of his first, early marriage.  During these years he came to the realization that “real art lies in the insecurity of life” – in the ability of art to capture life’s fragility and evanescence.

Early on, Morrissey made the decision not to self-censor.  This was due to his belief that, as he writes In A Poet’s Journey, “A poem that has been censored, that does not hold within it emotional, psychological or spiritual insight, has lost its poetic truth.”

As expressed in these lines from "Divisions" (1983):

all along I have worked at

emancipating my being

cutting through to the truth

this for me was always

the point   the single point

Uncovering his “authentic voice” has lead Morrissey to a meticulous, lifelong examination of his Shadow.  The pursuit of that Shadow, together with his decision against censoring what he writes, has taken him to places in his life that other poets might just as soon forget.  Forgetting is not an option for Morrissey, however.  He believes that “to forget is to lose part of our inner being, part of our lives, part of our soul.”

That includes not forgetting “the ancestors” who have come before.  Some of Morrissey’s most evocative poems feature vignettes of who his family members were as individuals. Not having had the opportunity of getting to know his father, Morrissey was determined “to remember as much as possible” about his ancestors, in order to “keep an accurate record against time”.  During the process of which he became, in his words, “an archivist of memory.”  These poems are an exploration of human nature and of the interconnectedness of family over generations – in Morrissey’s case, as set against the backdrop of 20th century Montreal.   He calls them “poems of witness”.

“The ancestors visit us if we listen to them,” he writes, “whether it is in our dreams or by their actual presence”.

As exemplified in these lines from "The Dead of My Life":

how often I return to them

the dead in my life

who inhabit dreams

memories while rocking

my son to sleep or a

dream that my Uncle Alex

was alive although we

thought (in the dream)

that he had been dead

these seven years

they are like flies
beating against an autumn window
… this ever diminishing
circus parade of old
people I hang onto
as though without them
I too would cease to be

As an undergraduate in college (Louis Dudek would later become a mentor at McGill), Morrissey intuited that the “central myth” of his life, and the central theme of his poetry was the Garden Myth – the “fall from innocence to experience”.  As he has said, “My nine published books follow the progression of my life as it fits the template of the Garden Myth.”  The Garden Myth is inherently fascinating and may be one reason why Morrissey’s poetry is so compelling.

Although a life-long observer “of the architecture of darkness” as he puts it (in his poem "Waking at 4 a.m.") in another important sense Stephen Morrissey’s poetry is, as he writes, “an affirmation of the life force , the triumph of the spirit, and the survival of the individual despite what has been experienced.  This is the foundation on which my poems are written.”

The following extract from "Reincarnation" is reflective of this:

We meet again, again flesh

and blood, again bone, tendon

and memory. Events of old lives,

clothes divested as I divested

the past in meeting you,

in meeting you again

and again and again

into infinity.

Forty years of waiting for you,

a dark delirium of the soul;

we met apparently for the first time

but home is where we are together

in this room, this house,

the two square feet we occupy

in a single embrace

The “mapping of the soul” is Stephen Morrissey’s signature – and his genius.  His ability to transform the “the personal” into the “the universal” in his poetry is also what makes A Poet’s Journey an invaluable resource for anyone who aspires to become a poet.

About the reviewer:  A native of Montreal, Cynthia Coristine currently lives in Ottawa.  She is co-author of From Griffintown to the Square Mile: The Life James Coristine

ChatGPT's response . . .

 

Strathern Park, Montreal West, spring 2021

Continuing yesterday's discussion with ChatGPT, I asked ChatGPT (OpenAI) the following:

Morrissey: What do you think of the following? 

These answers from ChatGPT are interesting. Whatever ChatGPT or MetaAI give answers to it is all advertising by them to sell a product. Users of ChatGPT and MetaAI, just like people who use Facebook, are advertising for what AI is selling to other people; this is no free service, this is a way to advertise ChatGPT and Meta and what they are selling are their AI services to wealthy clients. This suggests an different aspect for whatever AI gives you as an answer to your questions; it’s advertising, entertainment. When you, or I, use AI we aren't just talking to a computer, we are talking to the person who programmed the computer and wrote the algorithms. It’s entertainment but fear can be used to sell a product, it is an advertising ploy, it makes AI more attractive and seductive when AI is believed to be taking over the world; but this doesn’t cover up the pedestrian aspect of AI. The following "interview" reads like a brochure selling ChatGPT. Like Facebook, it isn't "free", you are the product they are selling to prospective customers; in effect, they are saying “we have so many million people using ChatGPT, and that means we are successful and you can use our services." AI for the public is an advertising gimmick selling AI; and what is the cost to you? Does ChatGPT or Meta AI have a conscience? Obviously not. It’s all for money baby. And never trust Mark Zuckerberg.

ChatGPT: It sounds like you have a skeptical view of AI services like ChatGPT and Meta AI, seeing them primarily as tools for advertising and monetization rather than purely for the benefit of users. Your perspective touches on several important aspects of AI in today's world, including the commercialization of technology, data privacy concerns, and ethical considerations.

Advertising and Monetization: It's true that companies like OpenAI and Meta Platforms Inc. (formerly Facebook) have commercial interests and may use AI services as part of their business strategies. AI technologies can be leveraged to attract users, gather data, and potentially market products or services to a target audience. This commercial aspect is a fundamental part of how these companies operate.


User Data and Privacy: Concerns about user data and privacy are significant in the realm of AI and tech companies. The use of AI services often involves collecting and analyzing user data to improve algorithms, personalize experiences, and target advertising. This raises questions about transparency, consent, and data security.


Ethical Considerations: The ethical implications of AI development and deployment are complex and multifaceted. Issues such as bias in AI algorithms, the impact on job markets, social manipulation, and the concentration of power in tech companies are all areas of concern that require careful consideration and regulation.


Trust and Accountability: Trust in AI systems and the companies behind them is crucial for widespread adoption and acceptance. Transparency, accountability, and ethical guidelines play key roles in building trust and ensuring responsible use of AI technologies.

While AI services like ChatGPT and Meta AI offer valuable capabilities and can enhance productivity and convenience for users, it's essential to approach them with awareness of the broader societal and ethical implications. Discussions about AI should include considerations of fairness, accountability, transparency, and the responsible use of technology for the benefit of individuals and society as a whole.


Morrissey: Interesting.

ChatGPT: I'm glad you found the perspective interesting! The intersection of technology, ethics, and commerce is a complex and evolving landscape, and it's always valuable to explore different viewpoints and considerations. If you have any more thoughts or questions on this topic or anything else, feel free to share!

Interview with ChatGPT AI on human intelligence vs. artificial intelligence

Note: These answers from ChatGPT are interesting. Whatever ChatGPT or MetaAI give answers to it is all advertising by them to sell a product. Users of ChatGPT and MetaAI, just like people who use Facebook, are advertising for what AI is selling to other people; this is no free service, this is a way to advertise ChatGPT and Meta and what they are selling are their AI services to wealthy clients. When you, or I, use AI we aren't just talking to a computer, we are talking to the person who programmed the computer and wrote the algorithms. It’s entertainment but fear can also be used to sell a product, it is an advertising ploy, it makes AI more attractive and seductive when AI is believed to be taking over the world; but this doesn’t cover up the pedestrian aspect of AI. The following "interview" reads like a brochure for selling ChatGPT. Like Facebook, it isn't "free", you are the product they are selling to prospective customers; in effect, they are saying “we have so many million people using ChatGPT, and that means we are successful and you should use our services." Free AI for the public is an advertising gimmick selling AI; and what is the cost to you? Does ChatGPT or Meta AI have a conscience? Obviously not. It’s all for money baby. And never trust Mark Zuckerberg. 

Morrissey: Differentiate between the qualities of human intelligence and Artificial Intelligence

ChatGPT: Human intelligence and artificial intelligence (AI) possess distinct qualities that set them apart:

Learning Capacity: Human Intelligence: Humans have the ability to learn from a wide range of experiences, adapt to new situations, and apply knowledge creatively. Human learning is often contextually rich, drawing from emotions, intuition, and complex social interactions.

Artificial Intelligence: AI systems learn primarily through data and algorithms. They excel at processing large volumes of information quickly and can identify patterns that humans might miss. However, AI lacks human-like intuition and may struggle with abstract or emotionally nuanced tasks.

Emotional Intelligence:Human Intelligence: Emotions play a crucial role in human cognition, decision-making, and social interactions. Humans can perceive, understand, and express emotions, which greatly influences their behavior and relationships.
Artificial Intelligence: AI lacks emotional intelligence. While AI can recognize and process certain emotions through sentiment analysis and facial recognition, it doesn't experience emotions itself or have empathy in the way humans do.

Creativity and Imagination: Human Intelligence: Humans are highly creative and imaginative beings. They can generate novel ideas, think abstractly, and engage in artistic, literary, or scientific pursuits that involve originality and innovation. 
Artificial Intelligence: AI can exhibit creativity within predefined parameters or rules. For example, AI can generate art, music, or literature based on existing patterns or styles, but it doesn't have true imagination or originality in the human sense.

Adaptability: Human Intelligence: Humans are remarkably adaptable, capable of adjusting to diverse environments, learning new skills, and evolving their thinking based on feedback and experiences.

Artificial Intelligence: AI's adaptability is limited to the algorithms and data it's trained on. While AI can improve its performance through iterations and updates, it doesn't have the intrinsic flexibility and generalization abilities of human intelligence.

Ethical and Moral Reasoning: Human Intelligence: Humans possess complex ethical frameworks, moral reasoning, and a sense of right and wrong shaped by cultural, societal, and personal values. They can navigate ethical dilemmas and make judgments based on a wide range of considerations.

Artificial Intelligence: AI lacks innate ethical reasoning and moral understanding. It operates based on programmed rules and objectives, which can lead to ethical challenges when faced with ambiguous or value-laden situations.

Physical Interaction: Human Intelligence: Humans have physical bodies that allow them to interact with the world in multifaceted ways, including gestures, facial expressions, touch, and complex motor skills.

Artificial Intelligence: AI typically operates in digital or robotic forms that are limited in their physical interactions. While advances in robotics enable AI to perform certain physical tasks, the nuanced and versatile nature of human physicality remains unmatched.

In essence, while AI excels in processing data, performing specific tasks, and optimizing efficiency, human intelligence remains unparalleled in its emotional depth, creativity, adaptability, ethical reasoning, and physical presence.

Morrissey: Each human is an individual and speaks with one voice; does AI speak with one voice?

ChatGPT: AI does not inherently have a single voice or personality. Instead, AI systems can be designed to have different voices, tones, or styles depending on the specific application or context. For instance:

Text-Based AI: In text-based AI, such as chatbots or virtual assistants, developers can define the tone, language style, and personality traits of the AI. This allows for variations in how the AI communicates, from formal and professional to casual and friendly.

Voice Assistants: AI voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant can be programmed with distinct voices and speaking styles. Users may even have options to choose from different voices to personalize their experience.

AI in Media Creation: AI can generate written content, such as articles, stories, or poetry, with different voices and perspectives. These voices can be tailored based on the desired audience or literary style.

Character AI: In video games or simulations, AI characters can have unique voices, personalities, and dialogue patterns, adding depth and immersion to the experience.

However, it's crucial to note that AI voices are synthetic and lack the underlying emotions, intentions, or individuality that characterize human voices. AI generates speech based on algorithms and data, without personal experiences or subjective nuances. While AI can mimic certain aspects of human communication, it doesn't possess genuine consciousness, emotions, or a singular identity like an individual human voice.


Morrissey: Can human consciousness, including the unconscious and subconscious mind, dreams, synchronicity, archetypes, hunches and intuition, creativity, emotions, ever be duplicated in artificial intelligence?

ChatGPT: The duplication of human consciousness and all its facets, including the unconscious and subconscious mind, dreams, synchronicity, archetypes, hunches and intuition, creativity, and emotions, is an immensely challenging task for artificial intelligence (AI) and remains largely beyond the current capabilities of AI systems. Here's why:

Consciousness and the Unconscious Mind: Human Consciousness: Consciousness encompasses awareness, self-reflection, and subjective experience. The unconscious mind, including dreams, influences thoughts, emotions, and behaviors without conscious awareness.

AI Replication: AI lacks subjective experience, self-awareness, and consciousness. While AI can process vast amounts of data and simulate decision-making, it doesn't possess an intrinsic sense of self or subconscious processes like humans do.

Dreams, Synchronicity, and Archetypes: Human Experience: Dreams, synchronicity (meaningful coincidences), and archetypes (universal symbols and themes) are integral to human psychology, culture, and spirituality. They involve complex cognitive, emotional, and symbolic interactions.

AI Replication: AI cannot experience dreams or perceive synchronicity and archetypes in the human sense. These phenomena are deeply rooted in human consciousness, imagination, and cultural frameworks that AI doesn't inherently possess.

Hunches and Intuition: Human Experience: Hunches and intuition often involve subconscious processing of information, pattern recognition, and emotional cues, leading to gut feelings or intuitive insights.

AI Replication: While AI can analyze patterns and make predictions based on data, it lacks the intuitive leaps and emotional depth of human hunches and intuition. AI's decision-making is based on algorithms and statistical models rather than instinctual or intuitive leaps.

Creativity and Emotions:Human Experience: Creativity encompasses originality, imagination, emotional expression, and the ability to generate novel ideas, art, music, and literature. Emotions play a central role in human cognition, motivation, and social interactions.

AI Replication: AI can simulate creativity by generating content based on existing patterns or styles (e.g., AI-generated art or music). However, true creativity involving emotional depth, originality, and subjective interpretation remains a challenge for AI.

In summary, while AI can perform specific tasks, process data, and simulate certain aspects of human cognition, consciousness, dreams, intuition, creativity, and emotions are complex, multifaceted phenomena deeply rooted in human experience and understanding. Replicating these aspects authentically in AI would require advancements far beyond current capabilities, potentially involving breakthroughs in neuroscience, psychology, and AI development.

Morrissey: So, the development in artificial intelligence rests in greater speed in synthesizing and gathering information and greater articulation in expressing this information and not in duplicating human intelligence

ChatGPT: Yes, you're right to a large extent. The current trajectory of artificial intelligence (AI) development is indeed focused on improving its ability to process, analyze, and articulate information more effectively rather than duplicating human intelligence in its entirety. Some key areas of AI advancement include:

Data Processing and Analysis:AI systems are becoming more adept at handling vast amounts of data from various sources, including text, images, videos, and sensor data. Techniques like machine learning and deep learning enable AI to extract insights, identify patterns, and make predictions from these data sets.

Natural Language Processing (NLP): NLP technologies allow AI to understand and generate human language more fluently. This includes tasks such as text generation, sentiment analysis, language translation, and context understanding, enhancing AI's ability to communicate and interact with humans.

Computer Vision:AI has made significant progress in computer vision, enabling it to interpret and analyze visual information. Applications range from image recognition and object detection to facial recognition and medical imaging, improving AI's capabilities in tasks that rely on visual data.

Automation and Decision Making: AI is increasingly being used for automation and decision-making processes across various industries. This includes automated manufacturing processes, autonomous vehicles, predictive maintenance in healthcare, and algorithmic trading in finance.

Personalization and Recommendation Systems: AI-powered recommendation systems are becoming more sophisticated, providing personalized content, product recommendations, and user experiences based on individual preferences, behavior patterns, and historical data.

While AI's progress is impressive in these areas, duplicating the full spectrum of human intelligence, including consciousness, emotions, intuition, and creativity, remains a long-term and challenging goal. Current AI systems lack the holistic understanding, subjective experience, and ethical reasoning capabilities that characterize human intelligence. Instead, AI development is focused on augmenting human capabilities, improving efficiency, and solving specific problems through data-driven algorithms and computational techniques.

Morrissey: What is the advantage and disadvantage of artificial intelligence duplicating the full spectrum of human intelligence?

ChatGPT: Duplicating the full spectrum of human intelligence in artificial intelligence (AI) could have both advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages:

Expanded Problem-Solving Abilities:AI with human-like intelligence could potentially tackle complex problems across various domains, leading to advancements in science, medicine, engineering, and other fields.

Enhanced Creativity and Innovation:AI capable of creativity and innovation may lead to the development of new technologies, art forms, and solutions that benefit society.

Improved Human-AI Collaboration:AI with a deeper understanding of human cognition and emotions could facilitate more effective collaboration with humans in tasks requiring creativity, empathy, and complex decision-making.

Comprehensive Data Analysis:AI with human-like intelligence may excel in analyzing large volumes of data, identifying subtle patterns, and making nuanced predictions, leading to more accurate insights and informed decision-making.

Disadvantages:

Ethical and Moral Concerns:AI duplicating human intelligence raises significant ethical dilemmas, including issues related to AI rights, responsibilities, biases, privacy, and the potential for misuse or unintended consequences.

Existential Risk:AI with full human-like intelligence could pose existential risks if not properly controlled or aligned with human values. This includes concerns about AI surpassing human control, leading to unpredictable outcomes or conflicts of interest.

Socioeconomic Impact:The widespread adoption of highly intelligent AI could disrupt labor markets, leading to job displacement and socioeconomic inequalities if not accompanied by adequate policies and measures for reskilling and workforce adaptation.

Psychological and Social Implications:Human-like AI may raise psychological and social challenges, such as questions about identity, relationships, trust, and the impact on human well-being and mental health.

Technological Dependency:Relying heavily on AI with full human-like intelligence could lead to technological dependency, vulnerabilities in critical systems, and potential disruptions in the event of AI failures or malfunctions.

Overall, while achieving AI with the full spectrum of human intelligence holds potential benefits for addressing complex problems and driving innovation, it also poses significant risks and challenges that require careful consideration, ethical frameworks, and responsible development practices. Balancing the advantages and disadvantages of such advancements will be crucial in shaping a beneficial and sustainable future with AI.

Fire at the Village Shopping Plaza

A fire at the Village Shopping Plaza (corner of Robert Burns Avenue and Cote St-Luc Road), on 5 May 2024, has gutted the interior of the building. Arson is suspected. The building was destined to be demolished but this kept being postponed; maybe this pushes up the date for demolition and new construction.  

A Canadian Cottage Garden

 On May 5, 2024: rain all day; +10 C. this afternoon.

It’s taken over ten years for this lilac bush to recover from being cut down to the ground,
but here it is with many blooms; now 15 feet tall.

Day lilies, hydrangeas, and hostas.

Hostas coming up…

It was a mild winter but lots of rain, muddy and the grass has died here.

Hosta

The sumac on the left self seeded about three years ago.

A newly discovered painting by Darrell Morrisey

"Sunset Landscape" by Darrell Morrisey, dated May 1917

In March of this year I was contacted by Gretchen Shoring of ARTI, a company selling antique paintings located in London, UK, about a painting possibly by Canadian artist Darrell Morrisey. Darrell was a "forgotten" member of Montreal's Beaver Hall group of artists; while some members of the group have become famous, Darrell and several others have mostly disappeared from public view.            

"Sunset Landscape" is not signed on the front of the painting, but Darrell's signature is on the reverse, written in pencil in cursive; on the previously discovered painting (see below) by Darrell, her name is printed in block letters at the lower left of the painting; in both cases she has written her name, "D. Morrisey". Duggleby Stephenson, the auction house based in Yorkshire, UK, which first acquired this painting, describes it as follows:

Description: Darrell Morrisey (Canadian 1897-1930): Sunset Landscape, oil on board signed with initials, inscribed and dated 1917 verso 13cm x 19cm

Here is a suggestion of what might be the provenance of "Sunset Landscape". The painting might have been a gift by Darrell to someone she knew, I suggest it was given to Charles Darrell (or a member of his family), after whom Darrell was named, as he was both Darrell’s godfather and a close friend of  T.L. Morrisey, Darrell's father. In 1913, when Darrell was about fifteen years old, she left Montreal for the UK, accompanied by Charles Darrell to his family home in Chiselhurst, Kent, where she would board at Tudor Hall School. Charles Darrell and his wife, Emily Harries Jones, had four daughters, all older than Darrell, and Darrell could easily have been included in family gatherings. Charles Darrell was born and raised in Yorkshire, where Duggleby Stephenson is located; is it not possible that a descendant of Charles Darrell returned to Yorkshire and, many years later, in 2023 or 2024, decided to sell the painting? Someone identified the artist, Darrell Morrisey, who was a family friend, on a note attached to the reverse of the painting. I think this is a possible scenario. But, obviously, I am just speculating and I could be totally wrong.

Finally, I like this painting very much; it demands our attention. To me, the painting has a charisma (assuming a painting can have charisma; Darrell definitively had charisma). Of course, what we need are more paintings by Darrell, and we may find a few more, but for now we have her life story that is still unfolding, and we have these paintings by her.    

Here is a link to my 2012 essay on Darrell Morrisey: Darrell Morrisey, a forgotten Beaver Hall artist.  

In our living room: on left, a painting by Mary Harman, used as the cover image for
my selected poems, Mapping the Soul, Selected Poems, 1978-1998 (1998); on the right
is a watercolour by J.F.B. Livesay, the father of Canadian poet Dorothy Livesay; 
the painting by Darrell Morrisey is below the Livesay.

"Sunset Landscape", by Darrell Morrisey, 1917

                                            Reverse side of "Sunset Landscape” with Darrell's signature
                                and a sticker identifying Darrell and her brother, Thomas Sydney Morrisey  



Two paintings by Darrell Morrisey

Painting by Darrell Morrisey discovered in 2014

Newly discovered painting by Darrell Morrisey, 2024