June 8, 2025

Random Thoughts: AI, Reboots, and a Bit of Gardening

Random Thoughts: AI, Reboots, and a Bit of Gardening

I’m going to write a quick blog post—just a couple of things on my mind that I may expand on later.
Topics: Microsoft’s Recall feature, British politics fragmenting, Malcolm in the Middle reboot, Andor, SSX and Wipeout, and gardening.

Microsoft Recall

Microsoft is expanding its use of AI and has decided to add a Recall feature—no, not the movie. It takes snapshots of your activity and saves them. A local AI model scans everything, allowing you to quickly find something.

In theory, this should improve search functionality. In practice? Not so sure. I’m a bit worried that this is basically a keylogger on every system. It also seems like a security nightmare—what if it sends something to someone else who has it active when you don’t?

I can’t help but think they’re doing everything they can to avoid fixing search. Seriously, Windows search is terrible. Okay, they’ve made some changes, but I don’t trust the company. I feel this is an awful idea.

British Politics Fragmenting

British politics is shifting towards multi-party politics. The media landscape has fragmented too, meaning traditional media is being replaced. As a result, many within that group don’t fully understand the world. Analysts are still rooted in a two-party system, often providing shallow analysis.

With a voting system designed for just two dominant parties, this shift will lead to some unique results. It’s a winner-takes-all system, but voters want change. They want things to be better, and they don’t trust the old parties. They’re willing to shop around. Their view is short-term, and they’ve been told they can have their cake and eat it too.

Britain finds itself in a poor position—rising debt and low growth. The good news? There’s still room to raise taxes and reduce debt. The problem, however, is the trade-off required to do this. The focus should be on honesty and delivery, rather than trying to cosplay as populists. That’s how we got into this mess. The legacy of Osborne and Cameron may mark the death of their former party—and, frankly, the death of liberalism.

Malcolm in the Middle Revival

A four-episode revival of Malcolm in the Middle is coming. We don’t have a release date yet, but the plot centres around Hal and Lois’ 40th wedding anniversary party. Very little is known beyond Malcolm having a family now.

At the end of the original series in the early 2000s, it was hinted that Malcolm had a bright future ahead of him. Bryan Cranston has been trying to get this revival off the ground for a while now. Frankie Muniz did some acting roles but focused more on racing.

I’m hoping for some Breaking Bad references. Hopefully, this revival captures the fun and charm that made the show so great. Plenty of shows have done revivals—some have failed, while others have succeeded. I’d guess this one will be released around 2026.

Wipeout and SSX—Both Need a Revival

I quite liked the Wipeout series, but the studio behind it shut down. Studio Liverpool closed in 2012, and the last Wipeout game was a remaster released in 2017 by other studios. There was a mobile game in 2022, but it wasn’t a racing game.

SSX is another racing game that disappeared. The last game, SSX (2012), was a reboot. For me, the best in the series was SSX 3. A spiritual successor was cancelled by another publisher. Since then, snowboarding games and racing games have remained small parts of the market—snowboarding games, in particular, have almost vanished. Racing games still exist within their own niche.

Andor—A Pricey Production

Two seasons of Andor cost $650 million for 24 episodes. It’s unlikely we’ll see budgets like that again for a streaming show. The business model is shaky to begin with.

Since Disney took creative control, Star Wars has been rocky in terms of quality. Based on reviews, Andor looks like it’s one of the best things they’ve made in the last few years. It follows Andor’s story from Rogue One—which, in my opinion, was the last good Star Wars movie.

Streaming platforms barely make a profit, and cost-cutting has been a major theme lately. Quality productions are now being made on smaller budgets. Disney has announced several Star Wars projects, but many movies have been delayed or cancelled. Instead, we’ve seen a wave of TV shows.

The plot of Andor explores the early days of the Rebellion and what life is like under the Empire.

Short Story Writing and Editing

I’m currently writing a short story. The process has been both relaxing and stressful. I may publish it at some point, but I need to edit it down to 10,000 words.

Quite a few adjustments are needed, but I have an ending in mind. Overall, writing creatively has been a fascinating experience. I’ve been trying to expand my wheelhouse and avoid common tropes—which is easier said than done.

I’ve learned that sometimes less is more. Writing and editing take a decent amount of time, but you can’t force it. It’s best to write what you know. You can’t help but plant a little bit of yourself into the story.

Gardening

I never thought I’d enjoy gardening. Outside of dealing with pests, it’s been a fun experience watching things grow—although sometimes not at the speed I’d like.

It’s been relaxing, even if occasionally frustrating. One thing I dislike? Roses.

I still have jobs to do, but I’m waiting for the weather to improve. This year, I’m going to try growing some fruit—blackberries. As for my houseplants? They’re not dead; I just need to move some into bigger pots.