Looks like I have credits at my disposal.
Our hottie Kitten Model:
Sunday, May 24, 2026
Saturday, May 23, 2026
Fifty_Credits
Look like there was some confusion on my part about Google Flow credits. one gets
50 daily credits on the Free Tier, with renewal at the time of day of one's first 'generate'.
And putting something in the trash does not regenerate credits. So I should be at 50 later today:
https://gemini.google.com/share/8947f2566e53
* * *
It took a bit of work, bit I now have an 8 second long walking kitten in a bikini. Need
to find a musical track to upload as background music...
Could have kept going to add lipstick and make-up!!
* * *
Friday, May 22, 2026
FLOW
Been thinking this might be a good time to learn to create videos with AI.
And, by all accounts, the tools provided by Gemini are top tier.:
20+ Google AI Products (March 2026) Latest Breakthroughs & Updates
* * *
Below, a how-to on Flow (which is the interface). The person here wants
quality and is opting for one month free with 'Advanced' which then turns into
a subscription;
* * *
The FREE route:
Copilot:
What is Flow; is there a charge to use it?
Flow is Google’s new creative interface for generating videos with Veo 3 — think of it as the workspace where you write prompts, upload images, and assemble scenes. It’s not a model itself; it’s the platform that lets you use the model.
Let me give you the clearest, most practical explanation so you immediately understand what it is and whether it costs anything.
🌊 What Flow is
Flow is:
Google’s official interface for Veo 3
A web‑based creative canvas where you can:
write prompts
generate videos
chain scenes together
add audio
storyboard
remix clips
extend shots
A place where you can combine text → video, image → video, and video → video tools in one timeline‑like environment.
It’s basically Google’s version of Runway or Pika — but built around Veo.
💰 Is Flow free?
Yes — Flow currently has a free tier.
You can sign in with a Google account and generate Veo 3 videos at no cost.
But there are important nuances:
✔ What’s free
Access to Veo 3.1 Fast
Short video generation
Image → video
Video → video
Storyboard mode
Audio generation
Editing tools
⚠ What is not guaranteed to stay free
Google has not committed to Flow being permanently free.
Historically, Google:
launches creative tools with free access
then introduces quotas or paid tiers once usage grows
So Flow is free right now, but it is almost certainly a freemium product in early rollout.
🧠Why is it free right now?
Because Google is:
competing with Runway, Pika, Luma, and OpenAI
trying to get creators to adopt Veo
gathering usage data to improve the model
building an ecosystem before monetizing
This is the same pattern as:
Google Colab → free → paid tiers
Bard → free → Gemini Advanced
Imagen → free → limited → paid
Flow will likely follow the same trajectory.
🎬 What Flow looks like when you use it
You get:
a left panel for prompts
a center panel for video previews
a timeline‑like strip for scenes
buttons for “Extend”, “Remix”, “Regenerate”, “Add Audio”
a library of your generated clips
It’s extremely simple — more like a creative notebook than a full editor.
If you want, I can show you:
how to write Flow‑optimized prompts
how to chain scenes into a mini‑film
how to get Veo to produce elegant, soft, cozy, Québec‑style visuals
how to avoid Veo’s uncanny valley issues with humans
Just tell me the vibe you want to explore next.
But Veo 3 itself is only free for one month!!??
Ah — I see exactly where the confusion comes from, Louise.
Let me untangle it cleanly, because Veo 3 itself is not “only free for one month.” What is limited is Gemini Advanced, not Veo.
Here’s the real situation, in plain terms.
🌟 Veo 3 is free. Gemini Advanced is not.
Google gives you two different ways to use Veo:
1. Flow (free)
You can use Veo 3.1 Fast
No subscription required
No one‑month limit
You just sign in with a Google account
This is what most creators use
Flow = free access to Veo.
2. Gemini Advanced (paid after 1 month)
This is where the “one month free” message comes from.
Gemini Advanced is Google’s premium chatbot subscription, and it includes:
Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking
Gemini 2.0 Pro
NotebookLM Pro
Extra features
And also access to Veo inside the Gemini chat interface
But this is optional.
You do not need Gemini Advanced to use Veo.
🧩 Why Google does this
Google is splitting the ecosystem:
✔ Flow = creative workspace → free
✔ Gemini Advanced = premium AI assistant → paid
Both can access Veo, but only one is tied to a subscription.
🧘♀️ So what does this mean for you?
You can continue generating Veo 3 videos without paying, as long as you use:
Flow
Vivideo
Pika Labs (when they integrate Veo)
Any third‑party platform using Veo 3.1 Fast
The “one month free” message is not about Veo — it’s about Gemini Advanced, which is optional.
If you want, I can show you:
how to open Flow directly
how to avoid the Gemini paywall
how to generate Veo videos without ever touching the subscription page
or how to compare Flow vs Vivideo for your style (cozy, elegant, soft, Québec‑light scenes)
Just tell me what you want to do next.
I would like to use Flow - and presumably Veo 3 - without ever paying anything...
You can use Flow + Veo 3 without paying — you just need to avoid the one place where Google tries to funnel you into a subscription.
Let me lay it out clearly and calmly so you feel in control.
🌼 Yes, Louise — you can use Flow + Veo 3 for free.
There is no requirement to subscribe to Gemini Advanced, and there is no one‑month countdown attached to Flow.
The confusion comes from this:
✔ Gemini Advanced = paid after 1 month
✔ Flow = free
✔ Veo 3.1 Fast inside Flow = free
Google mixes the branding, so it looks like Veo is behind a paywall, but it isn’t.
🌊 How to use Flow without ever paying
Here’s the safe path:
1. Go to Flow directly
You must open Flow from its own URL, not from Gemini.
2. Sign in with your Google account
This is free.
3. Ignore anything that says “Gemini Advanced”
That is the only part that costs money.
4. Use Veo 3.1 Fast inside Flow
This is the free model.
It is the same model Vivideo uses.
5. Generate videos normally
You can:
write prompts
upload images
extend clips
chain scenes
add audio
remix
All without paying.
🧘♀️ Why this works
Google is running two separate products:
Flow
A creative workspace.
Free.
No monthly limit.
Uses Veo 3.1 Fast.
Gemini Advanced
A premium AI assistant.
Paid after 1 month.
Includes Veo access inside the chat, but that’s optional.
You don’t need Gemini Advanced to use Veo.
🌱 What you don’t get for free
Just so you’re fully informed:
Veo 3.1 Pro (the highest‑quality version)
Longer videos
Higher resolution
Priority compute
These are likely to become paid features later, but the Fast model is free and very capable.
🌟 Bottom line
You can use Flow + Veo 3.1 Fast indefinitely without paying anything.
You only pay if you choose to upgrade to Gemini Advanced — and you don’t need that for video generation.
If you want, I can walk you through:
how to open Flow safely without hitting the paywall
how to set up your first project
how to write prompts that give you elegant, soft, cozy, Québec‑light visuals
how to avoid the uncanny valley with humans
Just tell me what you’d like next.
* * *
Beginner how-t0:
* * *
Credits explained:
Thursday, May 21, 2026
Desperate_for_Space
Did Google Chrome secretly install a 4GB AI file on your computer? Here’s what you need to know
In my case, yes, they did!
https://gemini.google.com/share/f39b769d5a97
I used the check-for-yourelf protocol:
* * *
Not deleting it, for the moment. If I am ever desperate for space....
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Dr_Strange
Watched Dr Strange 1 and Dr Strange 2 in the last few days. I like Dr Strange as a character
and appreciate the actors and storyline, but the special effects are overwhelming. I could not
watch either film for long at a time. And the names are other-wordly and impossible to keep
straight.
The heartbreak of childlessness of the 'badie' in Strange 2 was tragic, not comedic.
Why do the inhabitants of other universes have to be such monsters. Yes, it is the Marvel
signature but could we get a break from all that?
* * *
Copilot:
Dr Strange 2 warned about 'product placement'; I didn't catch it in the film...
Ah, Louise — that “product placement” warning in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is one of those odd little Marvel quirks that confused a lot of people. You didn’t miss anything. The film barely contains any noticeable product placement at all.
Here’s what’s going on.
🎬 Why the warning appears even though the movie has almost no product placement
Marvel Studios (and Disney more broadly) often uses a standardized legal disclaimer across multiple films, even when the specific movie doesn’t actually feature obvious branded products. It’s essentially a blanket clause that covers:
Background props that might incidentally show a brand
Cars, phones, or storefronts that appear briefly
Licensing agreements that aren’t obvious to viewers
International versions where different edits may include or exclude certain shots
In other words:
The warning is there to protect the studio, not because the film is full of ads.
🧠So what was the product placement in Doctor Strange 2?
Very little — and none of it is foregrounded.
The only things that might qualify are:
1. Christine’s wedding scene (cars, venue branding)
Some real-world car models and hotel décor appear in the background. Nothing is highlighted.
2. Wanda’s suburban home (generic household items)
These are mostly unbranded or too generic to count as deliberate placement.
3. Kamar-Taj battle gear
Some of the props are made by real-world manufacturers, but the branding isn’t visible.
4. America Chavez’s jacket patches
These are fictional symbols, not brands.
5. Phones and computers
Marvel often uses non-branded or custom UI to avoid licensing issues — so even here, there’s no Apple/Samsung/Lenovo placement.
🧩 Why the warning feels misleading
Because Doctor Strange 2 is visually chaotic and stylized, the viewer’s attention is on:
spells
portals
multiverse jumps
Wanda’s arc
…not on any real-world products.
So the warning feels out of place — almost like a leftover tag from a template.
And honestly?
It is basically a leftover tag from a template.
🌟 Bottom line
You didn’t miss anything.
The film contains almost no visible product placement, and the warning is just a standard legal precaution Marvel attaches to many releases.
If you’re curious, I can also break down:
Why some Marvel films do have heavy product placement
Which MCU movies are the worst offenders
How Disney handles brand licensing in multiverse-heavy films
Just tell me what direction you want to explore.
* * *
Found this very interesting piece on Neanderthal Dentistry on the New York Times.One brave soul went through a root canal without anesthesia. Kudos to doctor and patient
from the 21st Century.
Yes, we should all take note. A no sugar diet made all the difference to pre-agriculture
oral health!!
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Inflation_Watching
Been reading on inflation this morning; in Quebec - if we ignore fuels - it is at 2%
year over year, the Cinderella point. And we are told the government's temporary
suspension of the excise tax was a good decision. Hoorah for the Federal Government.
We may be all speaking Chinese before the end of this cycle, but our finances will be
in order.
Copilot:
Canada; Translate 'taxe d'accise'. This tax on gas was recently abolished. By how much?
Short answer:
“Taxe d’accise” = excise tax.
Canada’s federal excise tax on gasoline (10¢/L) and diesel (4¢/L) was temporarily abolished, reducing pump prices by exactly those amounts.
🇨🇦 What was abolished, and by how much?
The federal government suspended the fuel excise tax from 20 April to 7 September 2026.
This removed:
10 cents per litre on gasoline
4 cents per litre on diesel
4 cents per litre on aviation fuel
This is a full suspension of the excise tax — not the carbon tax, not provincial fuel taxes.
📌 Practical impact for you in Québec (St‑Jean‑sur‑Richelieu)
Every litre of gasoline became 10¢ cheaper at the pump.
For a typical 50‑L fill‑up: $5 saved.
Weekly fill‑ups over the 20‑week suspension: ~$100 saved.
Follow‑up question for you
Do you want me to calculate your exact savings based on how often you fill up and the size of your tank?
* * *
A regular snoop, I also follow the rent situation in New York City. On the internet, this
often comes down to smaller and weidly arranged expensive appartments with shining
Monster appliances. It is a known fact that New York is the hotel capital of the world, and
sees more influx of business conferences than anywhere. The demand to live there sees no
bounds!!
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