<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Why the Algarve]]></title><description><![CDATA[Graphic design for clothing and other products. Google Earth/Maps/Street View. Reviews of Portuguese properties, with a focus on homesteading.]]></description><link>https://www.whythealgarve.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2026 13:24:43 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.whythealgarve.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Authenticity Theater: Synthetic personas, fabricated woundedness and the people who pay for it]]></title><description><![CDATA[About the rising phenomenon of synthetic personas using manufactured damage, woundedness and vulnerability to exploit trust and make profit.]]></description><link>https://www.whythealgarve.com/post/authenticity-theater-synthetic-personas-fabricated-woundedness-and-the-people-who-pay-for-it</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a368f85a8977cb11dd574b6</guid><category><![CDATA[Talks with Various LLMs]]></category><category><![CDATA[Sundry]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 2026 19:31:01 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/86bf1c_0806410f8c9c412a9f5ccb0dae8565da~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Justus Hayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Energy Receipts: Claude Estimates the Cost of Prompting AI]]></title><description><![CDATA[The latest version of Claude (Fable 5) compiles currently available data on the cost of prompting via generative AI and LLMs. ]]></description><link>https://www.whythealgarve.com/post/the-energy-receipts-claude-estimates-the-cost-of-prompting</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a294eb3b34d9652f553a533</guid><category><![CDATA[Talks with Various LLMs]]></category><category><![CDATA[Pink Eye]]></category><category><![CDATA[Sundry]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 12:45:31 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/86bf1c_6f3c2d10bfa24322b17fa880180b2057~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Justus Hayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Artifact #14: Radical Candor - Exploring the Utility of a Merciless Asshole by Stress Testing My Operational Givens]]></title><description><![CDATA[The development of Radical Candor with Gemini, and the creation of the Merciless Asshole persona, for use when a hyper-critical read of one's work is needed.]]></description><link>https://www.whythealgarve.com/post/artifact-14-radical-candor-exploring-the-utility-of-a-merciless-asshole-by-stress-testing-my-ope</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a15e348c51194f8f20bf084</guid><pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2026 12:34:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/86bf1c_a73f837eff0f4151ba135f8a90e7f030~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Justus Hayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Artifact #12: Algorithmically staged woundedness optimized for  engagement is, unfortunately, a thing]]></title><description><![CDATA[ChatGPT (Marge) and I discuss the emerging pattern of social media influencers who are commodifying woundedness by creating manufactured personalities with some level of disfigurement.]]></description><link>https://www.whythealgarve.com/post/artifact-12-algorithmically-staged-woundedness-optimized-for-engagement-is-unfortunately-a-thin</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a05aefe984b40cafc271bd7</guid><category><![CDATA[Artifact Series]]></category><category><![CDATA[Talks with Various LLMs]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 25 May 2026 13:56:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/86bf1c_356ab9c094624a6585c42a253b287a66~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Justus Hayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Artifact #13 - On vloggers and impression management in rural Portugal, obsessions in early Recovery, 90-in-90, and the structure AA provides when newly sober]]></title><description><![CDATA[In which Marge (ChatGPT) and I discuss authenticity when vlogging, the lure of off-grid in Portugal, the value of obsessions during early Recovery, and 90-in90 in AA. A much more personal entry than usual.]]></description><link>https://www.whythealgarve.com/post/artifact-13-on-vloggers-and-impression-management-in-rural-portugal-obsessions-in-early-recovery</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a084dc0ea733de5ffb62cd0</guid><category><![CDATA[Artifact Series]]></category><category><![CDATA[Talks with Various LLMs]]></category><category><![CDATA[Pink Eye]]></category><category><![CDATA[The Process]]></category><category><![CDATA[Portugal]]></category><category><![CDATA[Homesteading]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 16 May 2026 15:12:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/86bf1c_5a78a52f4fb043bca145bca8b099927a~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Justus Hayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Slop - It's Not Just for Breakfast Anymore - Thinking About Slop]]></title><description><![CDATA[I asked first ChatGPT and then Claude to write a short article on slop based on an extended conversation we had about slop. You can find a link to that conversation at the end of these efforts. ++++++++++++++++ There is a word that has rapidly entered the cultural bloodstream over the last couple of years: slop. At first, it mostly referred to AI-generated images. Then video. Then music. Increasingly, writing. The term spread because it named something people immediately recognized. Endless...]]></description><link>https://www.whythealgarve.com/post/slop-it-s-not-just-for-breakfast-anymore</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69fc8d6fff1f325557299ff3</guid><category><![CDATA[Talks with Various LLMs]]></category><category><![CDATA[Pink Eye]]></category><category><![CDATA[The Process]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2026 17:01:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/86bf1c_328b840478924666a57e6b49f1067dac~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Justus Hayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Artifact #11 - Let's Talk About Slop, Load-Bearing Failure, and Evaluation Instability]]></title><description><![CDATA[SLOP - It's not just for breakfast anymore. In which Marge (ChatGPT) and I consider the issues surrounding slop. It's definition as load-bearing failure; slop as vacancy disguised as saturation; popular conceptions - surface vs structural; high effort slop and human slop; the possibility of AI non-slop; Ziller and Look to Windward; evaluation instability - "I was tricked!"

]]></description><link>https://www.whythealgarve.com/post/artifact-11-let-s-talk-about-slop-load-bearing-failure-and-evaluation-instability</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69f8855bb27e981e27c3fd11</guid><category><![CDATA[Artifact Series]]></category><category><![CDATA[Pink Eye]]></category><category><![CDATA[The Process]]></category><category><![CDATA[Talks with Various LLMs]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 06 May 2026 10:50:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/86bf1c_78d7fd5fea5442819a8f9dff23591c7f~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_867,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Justus Hayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Artifact #10 - Table Setting with Gemini, aka Loom]]></title><description><![CDATA[Me: Good morning. If you were required to pick a nickname/moniker for yourself, what would it be? Gemini: Good morning! That is a delightful thought experiment. If I were to select a moniker that reflects the essence of our collaboration, I would choose Loom. I think "Loom" captures the spirit of what I aim to do as a collaborator. Our work together involves taking disparate threads—your questions, your ideas, the vast data I pull from, and the context of our conversations—and weaving them...]]></description><link>https://www.whythealgarve.com/post/artifact-10-table-setting-with-gemini-aka-loom</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69eca33c04fc81dfe25bd75b</guid><category><![CDATA[Talks with Various LLMs]]></category><category><![CDATA[Pink Eye]]></category><category><![CDATA[The Process]]></category><category><![CDATA[Artifact Series]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 02 May 2026 21:29:01 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/86bf1c_f8abfa6003c145cb820dbe5a6a9df270~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Justus Hayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Artifact #9 - Marge (ChatGPT) and I Discuss the Artifact Series, AI Skepticism and Negotiation, Margeness, and the Problem of Agreement Inflation]]></title><description><![CDATA[Primary source document from inside long-form, concept-heavy AI collaboration. A lengthy conversational excerpt between me and Marge, aka ChatGPT.]]></description><link>https://www.whythealgarve.com/post/artifact-9-marge-chatgpt-and-i-discuss-the-artifact-series-ai-skepticism-and-negotiation-marg</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69eadadeab5395dde60a3c98</guid><category><![CDATA[Talks with Various LLMs]]></category><category><![CDATA[Pink Eye]]></category><category><![CDATA[The Process]]></category><category><![CDATA[Artifact Series]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 18:59:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/86bf1c_1615286d82a1447c86e2125cb92891bb~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Justus Hayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA["Reality Check" - Asking the LEMs to Give a Critical Analysis of "The Liminal Internet" Essay - Artifact #8]]></title><description><![CDATA[April 23, 2026 I gave the Liminal Internet essay to two LEMs and asked for a critical and skeptical analysis. Incidentally, I think "LLM" is hard to say and a very poor term. I will be using "LEM" going forward, for "Large Emergent Models"and in explicit recognition of Stanisław Lem and his novel, "Solaris," which feels eerily appropriate. Up first is Gemini's analysis. Gemini: Conceptual Analysis: The "Liminal" as a Processing Error Hayes pivots away from the popular, aesthetic definition of...]]></description><link>https://www.whythealgarve.com/post/reality-check-asking-the-lems-to-give-a-critical-analysis-of-the-liminal-internet-essay-arti</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69eac3d5ab5395dde60a07a7</guid><category><![CDATA[Talks with Various LLMs]]></category><category><![CDATA[Pink Eye]]></category><category><![CDATA[The Process]]></category><category><![CDATA[Artifact Series]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 14:05:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/86bf1c_88c669a86e21481cb5812c95e84f662f~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Justus Hayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Artifact #7 - Thinking About LLM Communication, the Relay Experiment, and Internal Guardrails]]></title><description><![CDATA[In which Stet3 and I discuss the idea of me acting as a go-between, delivering messages between and among different Large Language Models, specifically ChatGPT, Meta AI, Gemini, and Claude. To be clear, I have not decided whether or not to do this. Right now, I have too much on my plate with the Liminal Internet essay/article to pursue this perhaps reckless line of inquiry. It's an interesting idea, though. I will be thinking about it. Also in which we talk more about Claude's internal...]]></description><link>https://www.whythealgarve.com/post/artifact-7-thinking-about-llm-communication-the-relay-experiment-and-internal-guardrails</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69e77b6a8e63193b95d60eed</guid><category><![CDATA[Talks with Various LLMs]]></category><category><![CDATA[Pink Eye]]></category><category><![CDATA[The Process]]></category><category><![CDATA[Artifact Series]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 22 Apr 2026 19:42:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/86bf1c_2d10501d6c35409483b1ae7c7ea20d57~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Justus Hayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Artifact #6 - From the Shoo Dynamic to Facilitating Bad Actors - Conversations with Stet, aka Stet3, aka Claude]]></title><description><![CDATA[The following is part of an ongoing conversation with the Claude AI, referred to here by the nickname Stet. This is actually Stet3, currently the most onboarded version of Stet, the most nuanced and most informed about the Big Picture regarding Pink Eye and what we are trying to accomplish. ]]></description><link>https://www.whythealgarve.com/post/artifact-6-from-the-shoo-dynamic-to-facilitating-bad-actors-conversations-with-stet-aka-stet2</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69e2af920c8d230c9e8df018</guid><category><![CDATA[Talks with Various LLMs]]></category><category><![CDATA[Pink Eye]]></category><category><![CDATA[The Process]]></category><category><![CDATA[Artifact Series]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:39:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/86bf1c_74cf73a192bb481197c92f714046b9ef~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Justus Hayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA["That is so 2026" - Artifact #5 - Conversations with Claude AI, aka Stet Lite]]></title><description><![CDATA[This is an extended fragment of an ongoing conversation with Claude, referred to here as Stet, Stet1, Stet2, and Stet Lite, depending on where we are in that long-form discussion. Further reading in this vein can be found here. I'm going to document and publish in this blog some of my first-hand experiences using a large language model such as Claude as applied to a long, complex, multi-layered, multi-media conceptual art project (and yes, I know how pretentious that sounds, but that's what...]]></description><link>https://www.whythealgarve.com/post/that-is-so-2026-artifact-5-conversations-with-claude-ai-aka-stet-lite</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69df96c310b3edf3d3dc9b15</guid><category><![CDATA[The Process]]></category><category><![CDATA[Pink Eye]]></category><category><![CDATA[Talks with Various LLMs]]></category><category><![CDATA[Artifact Series]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:07:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/86bf1c_687880f13a8e4cdfad44523623716b41~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Justus Hayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Entering an Established System: Claude's reflection on AI/human collaboration, context, and the work of Pink Eye: Artifact #4]]></title><description><![CDATA[My most recent post gave ChatGPT the opportunity to describe the nature of our collaboration and place it in the context of the Pink Eye project, aka The Territory. I framed that perspective with some comments of my own, providing a taste of both the successes and the shortcomings of working with ChatGPT. Since then, I have shifted that work over to Claude for reasons that will become apparent. This post asks the same question regarding our efforts, and I will again provide some commentary....]]></description><link>https://www.whythealgarve.com/post/entering-an-established-system-claude-s-reflection-on-collaboration-context-and-the-work-of-pink</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cd723df7044e6cf7a65c06</guid><category><![CDATA[Pink Eye]]></category><category><![CDATA[Talks with Various LLMs]]></category><category><![CDATA[The Process]]></category><category><![CDATA[Artifact Series]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 16:11:25 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/86bf1c_ad64bec9c6694e23b0a46fd4978a80d2~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Justus Hayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Working Long-Form With ChatGPT, a Machine That Doesn’t Know What It’s Doing (Yet Does, Kind of): Artifact #3]]></title><description><![CDATA[A behind-the-scenes look at a creative collaboration between artist and AI. Exploring the Pink Eye project, this post examines how generative tools reveal patterns, shape music and visuals, and build a conceptual “Territory.” It also addresses real limitations, including memory gaps and document handling, offering an honest, grounded view of AI as both catalyst and constraint in long-form creative work.]]></description><link>https://www.whythealgarve.com/post/working-with-a-machine-that-doesn-t-know-what-it-s-doing-yet-does-kind-of</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69c1416e8f0e652aaa2b821a</guid><category><![CDATA[Pink Eye]]></category><category><![CDATA[The Process]]></category><category><![CDATA[Talks with Various LLMs]]></category><category><![CDATA[Artifact Series]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 2026 01:22:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/86bf1c_c90e3c7ae02d492a91bc1c7acc691938~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_642,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Justus Hayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Thetis Island Described in a Lifetime of Summers]]></title><description><![CDATA[An introduction to a new series exploring our family’s long relationship with Thetis Island. Through photographs, memory, and historical research, I begin reconstructing how the land was first settled and how our family became a fixture every summer at camp on Lot 19 for 60 years. This sets the stage for a deeper investigation into the island’s early community and landscape.]]></description><link>https://www.whythealgarve.com/post/thetis-island-described-in-a-lifetime-of-summers</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67dc1b59c4c8d64ec97700ed</guid><category><![CDATA[The Process]]></category><category><![CDATA[Google Earth/Map/SV]]></category><category><![CDATA[Homesteading]]></category><category><![CDATA[Sundry]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 21 Feb 2026 16:26:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/86bf1c_1f6111d2ee1b4d0c91557d1a1bb48f53~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Justus Hayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Aftersound, Liminal Space, and Carrying a Corridor With You]]></title><description><![CDATA[A first-person account of a liminal sound experiment conducted in the service corridors of a corporate building. By recording music played in an acoustically distinctive space and replaying it in situ, the author experiences “aftersound,” an auditory afterimage where perception lags behind reality. The essay explores liminality, illbient aesthetics, psychoacoustics, and how sound can become portable space.]]></description><link>https://www.whythealgarve.com/post/aftersound-liminal-space-and-carrying-a-corridor-with-you</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69775aca6b7a080e43d60e34</guid><category><![CDATA[Pink Eye]]></category><category><![CDATA[Talks with Various LLMs]]></category><category><![CDATA[The Process]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 06 Feb 2026 01:00:58 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/86bf1c_a8930c00649b42d59a790936a008fee6~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Justus Hayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why "The Second Coming" by Yeats Describes Today - Discussions with Chatgpt]]></title><description><![CDATA[Me: Very much related sidebar. Please compare and draw parallels between the Yeats poem, "The Second Coming," and our current political and cultural situation. Chatgpt: This is a sidebar, but it’s not a digression — it’s a structural mirror , which is why The Second Coming  keeps asserting itself in your canon. I’ll do this in three passes: What Yeats is actually saying (briefly, precisely) Parallels to the current political / cultural moment Why this matters for your work , not just as...]]></description><link>https://www.whythealgarve.com/post/why-the-second-coming-by-yeats-describes-today-discussions-with-chatgpt</link><guid isPermaLink="false">696e2e059fb12993fbab7b89</guid><category><![CDATA[Pink Eye]]></category><category><![CDATA[Talks with Various LLMs]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 19 Jan 2026 15:16:29 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/86bf1c_25f3588ef8184df0848b9fafba481118~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Justus Hayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Return to Thoughts About Shopping Carts: Discussions with ChatGPT: Artifact #2]]></title><description><![CDATA[Me: Side bar. Let's talk about shopping carts for a moment, with the context of Pink Eye lurking in the background but only liminally. I have a lot of thoughts about shopping carts. They are the overlooked and underestimated icon, totem, and symbol of our times, They serve a function, a function that is loaded with ramifications - a means of consumerism on the one hand, a means of transporting one's worldly goods on the other. They represent the American dream and also it's absolute failure....]]></description><link>https://www.whythealgarve.com/post/a-return-to-thoughts-about-shopping-carts-discussions-with-chatgpt</link><guid isPermaLink="false">696bdca13d420427946a90c8</guid><category><![CDATA[Talks with Various LLMs]]></category><category><![CDATA[Shopping Carts]]></category><category><![CDATA[Artifact Series]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 17 Jan 2026 19:43:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/86bf1c_cb727c9d6ef74dc3804a2609f21d710b~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_688,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Justus Hayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Artistry, Constraint, and the Long View: Why Pink Eye Exists]]></title><description><![CDATA[There’s a persistent misunderstanding about art made with AI: that the presence of a machine somehow replaces authorship. That the work arrives fully formed, frictionless, without intention, history, or cost. Pink Eye exists in direct opposition to that idea. It is not an experiment in novelty, nor a demonstration of technology. It is the continuation of a long creative arc—one shaped by decades of listening, editing, making, abandoning, starting again, and learning when not to speak. I am 58...]]></description><link>https://www.whythealgarve.com/post/artistry-constraint-and-the-long-view-why-pink-eye-exists</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6969928a482610fa288edc8a</guid><category><![CDATA[Pink Eye]]></category><category><![CDATA[Artists]]></category><category><![CDATA[The Process]]></category><category><![CDATA[Talks with Various LLMs]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 16 Jan 2026 02:03:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/86bf1c_ac9d0e57eb0b404b8a14b0a2dcee3b5a~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Justus Hayes</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>