Month: January 2024

Better Living Through Technology

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

It definitely seems as though we’re in for a significant “vibe shift” caused by technology in the very, very near future. This fact has gotten me thinking about how there might be some unintended political consequences to something akin to a Petite Singularity.

I came to this realization walking around Wal-Mart today. Imagine if instead of struggling to find a human to tell me what I needed to know, the place was crawling with one of those androids that Elon Musk is working on. Put Grok or ChatGTP in them and download the entire floorplans and the stock of the store and they could replace the humans that work at the store.

This might happen at an affordable level by 2030 — if we don’t blow the world up first.

But imagine if there was a sudden tipping point on the android / AI front and a lot of DDD jobs that undocumented people usually fill were done by androids. That might turn off the tap of people coming across the border simply because androids would be doing the jobs they would otherwise be paid to do.

Everything is so dumb

Also, isn’t it at least POSSIBLE that that, unto itself, might unfuck up our politics when it comes to MAGA and abortion? And if Incels can fuck a sex bot instead being idiots thinking women have a responsibility to fuck t hem, then…maybe a lot of the culture war fueled by feminism and a low birth rate….might just vanish?

So, there might be some upside to the rise of coming AI android overlords. Of course, this solution will, in turn cause the rise of an AI / android rights movement that I’m sure MAGA will love to oppose.

And remember, we still have the possibility of absolute chaos at home and abroad starting from right about now until sometime in 2025. It could be that just like how WW2 paused the development of TV that the coming Second American Civil War / WW3 will do the same thing with the Petite Singularity.

It could be that after about 1 billion people die across the globe — specifically and directly because of the actions of MAGA and Trump — and all that is sorted out that it won’t be until about 2030 that all the cool technological goodies that we’re being promised today will actually be rolled out.

At Least House Republicans Are Being Honest With The Mayorkas Impeachment

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Impeachment, by definition, is a political process. That’s why President Andrew Johnson was impeached by Radical Republicans without there even being any articles — they filled them in later, after the vote.

So, I find the looming impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas rather honest and refreshing — it’s being done by House Republicans for no reason but spite. They don’t even pretend that it has anything to do with “high crimes” — they just want to “send a message” to the Biden Adminstration.

And so, I wish they would do the same thing with Biden himself. Spare me the Hunter Biden bullshit. The only thing President Biden is guilty of on that front is of loving his wastrel son too much.

House Republicans should impeach Biden because of the “crisis at the border” and be done with it, rather than some sort of sham influence peddling charge.

But Republicans can only function in bad faith, so, lulz.

Screw NeuralLink, Give Me A Mindcap

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I joking — not joking — still think that it’s at least POSSIBLE that some sort of digital teleplay technology is floating out there in the depths of Big Tech. Which, of course, opens up the possibility of some sort of technology that would do the same shit that Elon Musk wants his NeuralLink to do without drilling into anyone’s brain.

In Arthur C. Clarke’s novel “3001” everyone wears a mindreading device called a Mindcap. I would much, much rather wear a Mindcap than drill a hole in my head for something like a NeuralLink.

And, yet, it seems as though if any form of digital telepathy actually exists, it’s super top secret and never something that would be commercialized for the average person.

Which I think is a shame.

Civil War & WW3, Oh My!

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

The stand off between the Feds and Texas and the stand off between the US and Iran share one thing in common: they both risk uncontrollable escalation that might lead to some pretty insane things happening.

With the Fed – Texas situation, this is exactly the type of situation that members of the American Far Right have longed for for decades. It doesn’t help, of course, that the Russians are using social media to egg the situation on. One false move or misjudgment by either side and there could be, at least, a severe insurrection, and potentially a secession crisis.

Meanwhile, WW3 could break out if ANOTHER regional war broke out, this time in the Middle East. And such additional destabilizing event on the globe might push the DPRK over the edge and the next thing you know, the nukes are whizzing around.

As I’ve written before, one way to re-elect Joe Biden would be a Black Swan event like WW3 or a Secession Crisis. Hopefully, of course, none of this is going to happen and we can fight Trump politically on the merits.

Even though, of course, if he loses, he might start a civil war by demanding a National Divorce so he doesn’t go to prison.

The Petite Singularity Is Near

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I’m beginning to believe that a lot of our social problems are being caused by the looming arrival not of a Hard Singularity where we’re uploading or minds into a big database, but a much softer Petite Singularity.

If you combine social media, AI, VR / AR, streaming, biotech and robotics, you definitely have the makings of a transformation in human civilization to the point that the average person can’t catch up. What is the whole “trans” movement, but just the fact that changing genders has becoming affordable to the masses on a medical basis?

It definitely seems as though it won’t be too long before the “transhuman” movement goes mainstream, too. And AI / robot rights. Which, of course, makes one wonder if the next phase of MAGA will be some sort of neo-Luddism.

That is a very big question at the moment going forward.

Anyway. All of this could be moot if The Fourth Turning happens and Western Civilization collapses.

Good times!

Trump’s Proposed Tyrannical Moves Should He Win Won’t Happen In A Vacuum

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I hate to even contemplate this, but ding-dong Trump is setting himself up for a pretty astonishing turn of events if he wins this year. He really thinks he can go full tyrant on us in 2025 and there not be any political consequences.


At a minimum, he might get (successfully) impeached.

At worst, something wild might happen that might lead him to be…disposed in some way. I have no idea how that would happen — it would be completely stunning if it happened — but I could imagine some combination of a General Strike and a very fed up U.S. Military using the cover of the 14th Amendment causing it to happen.

Or something. Something huge and dramatic that would be a Day The Earth Stood Still level of bonkers.

Of course, that opens the idea that Trump might pick a veep who was so totally and completely unacceptable and bonkers that he / she would be an “insurance policy” against such machinations.

Seems to me that Gen. Mike Flynn would be just the type of person to be such an insurance policy.

I just don’t know what to tell you, folks. We seem to still be on track to late 2024, early 2025 being totally and completely insane on a political basis.

My Novel Continues To Get Better & Better

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

My general goal is to finally — FINALLY — lock down the first three chapters of the alpha release of the third draft of my first novel by around Feb. 1st. This novel is getting really, really good — at least in my mind — but I can’t keep screwing around.

The dream.

I’ve been spinning my wheels a great deal the last few weeks, only making what feels like incremental progress. But, in general, the overall story is getting much, much better.

There continue to be plenty of things that might go wrong. But I try to stay hopeful. I do know that I really need to read more, watch more and have a few backuup stories worked on.

And that doesn’t even begin to address my concern that the whole world could collapse in on itself because of “vibes.” Ugh. Just let me finish my novel first, history!

Interpolation! Of Robbie Williams & The Escape From New York OST

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I’m way too lazy to see if this was litigated, but here is a cut-and-dry example of “interpolation.”

A bit of THIS song…

…is identical to the backbeat of THIS song….

The Looming End of Traditional Media Websites

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

It may take a little while — maybe a few years — but it definitely seems as though the entirety of the Web will collapse into a singularity when AI finally takes over everything.

Rather than using a search engine to passively brows the Web — and read news — you will have a very active, personal “relationship” with you Her-like digital personal assistant.

Some basic notions of how we interact with the Web and the news will change in a fundimental manner. To me, the undetermined issue is how anyone will make money through journalism. I suppose there might be keywords that, when invoked during a conversation with your PDA might spawn some sort of advertorial?

Once that is figured out, then there will be fork in the road. Either AI will be used to replace all human journalists, or there might be some sort of half-measure that allows some journalists to survive.

I have my doubts.

Only time will tell.

Leave Tay-Tay Alone, MAGA

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I continue to find it very surreal how much hostility there is towards Taylor Swift on the part of the MAGA Right simply because — she wants people to register to vote?

But, here we are, with a wide-range of notable MAGA “thought leaders” screaming at the top of their lungs all sorts of vicious and hateful things about Tay-Tay at very opportunity.

Simply because she wants people to vote.

Very, very strange.

It’s as if MAGA people take the idea of voting as, by definition, a personal offense. They know that the more people vote, the more they lose elections because they simply will note, can not change their policy agenda because of racism and misogyny.

And it seems like it’s only going to get worse as we enter the 2024 political silly season. At this point, I’ll just be glad if we can make it through the election without collapsing into chaos or turning into a MAGA themed autocracy.