Month: July 2024

‘American Terminators?’

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

If things get as dark as I fear and the USA collapses into chaos, war and destruction, it would make a lot of sense if two ideas fuse together — LLMs and all those androids that Boston Dynamics is working on.

So, as the war between Blue and Red drags on and more and more of the country is consumed by hate, I could see Blue and Red essentially using “Terminators” on each other. This is a very, very dark scenario. I do not want it happen, but it has to be broached.

The USA is on the cusp of collapse for macro historical reasons. This is a prime example of “you go bankrupt gradually, then all at once.”

And, yet, there is a real possibility that I’m overthinking all of this. It’s possible that Agenda 2025 will be implemented peacefully, about 1 million smug wealthy liberals will leave the country and that will be that.

Only time will tell.

The Tyranny Of Government Hyper Efficiency

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

It’s easy to imagine a very dark future where the government, because of AI, is super efficient and we all live in a new, unexpected hell. If the government knew everything about our history with it perfectly — even better than we did — the vise grip the government might have on us could be absolute.

And, yet, here we are, careening towards using AI — specifically LLMs — in every possible way. LLMs are going to disrupt EVERYTHING over the course of the next 10 odd years. Everything. Completely everything. And the sooner you figure that out, the better.

LLMs will be bigger than the Internet and the speed of disruption will be counted in months, not years or decades. Just imagine if not just the government, but the medical system was hyper efficient. On paper, that seems great, but in practice would that suck, suck, suck.

I’m too lazy to explain why, but if the government — or your insurance company — knows not just absolutely everything about you, but can act on that knowledge. Holy shit.

We Have To Talk About That Kamala Harris Blind Item Rumor

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

A long time ago, maybe years ago, I saw a blind item about Kamala Harris that stunned me — allegedly, she made a sex-tape with her former beau Montel Williams. Or something like that, it was a long time ago, but who it was with isn’t as important as the rumor — imagine what would happen if there WAS a Harris sex tape.

I do not believe one exists. I think it’s all bullshit. But given how, well, fucking hateful Trump is — and how he’s already tipped his hand on how he’s going to attack her dating history — one can just imagine him ranting about the existence of a non-existent sex tape.

Then we all have to think about such a sex tape for the next few months while the future of our fading democracy hangs in the balance. Ugh.

Again — I do not believe it’s real. Most, maybe all, blind items are fake. But it is a testament to how white knuckled and hateful Trump is that if Harris became the president or nominee he would probably latch on to the idea that a Harris sex tape DID exist.

Hurry Up

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I really need to stop screwing around and get something, anything done well enough that I can query it. This next version of the novel will be it, I believe. It’s got a lot less sex and what sex there is has a lot more context to it — it makes a lot more sense for it to happen.

The last version of the novel was good (at least to me) and I proved a point — that I could write a 120,000 word novel. Now, I have to go through and take things to the next level…so the concept is marketable.

One complaint I’ve gotten about the novel is there are “too many characters.” I get it, but I believe if I keep the main focus on my heroine that, in general, things will make a lot more sense. And, if all else fails, I will put a list of characters at the beginning of the novel before the story begins.

Anyway, I’m very pleased. I just have to stop second guessing myself. I need to just write something, anything and move forward.

Deposing Trump

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

First, some context: I do not see myself as any sort of “revolutionary.” I just love to run scenarios. So, relative to me, this is just running the, “How would you depose Trump?” scenario. I mean no harm. I don’t actually want any of this to happen in the real world.

But I do love a good scenario, so here goes.

The key thing to remember is to remember both how decentralize the USA is on an existential basis and how Godawful dumb and lazy Trump is. So, if Trump manages to become POTUS again — which looks like he is as of right now — his natural inclination will be to go “full tyrant” within moments of being sworn in.

This is where things get….uhhh….interesting.

Way, way, way, WAY too many people — especially older well-meaning white liberals on Facebook — seem to think just posting a sick burn of Trump on social media means jack shit. It does not. It just makes you look like a fool. So, if Trump really does go “full tyrant,” well, some one somewhere is going to have to risk some “lives and sacred honor” in the real world.

In general, it seems like easiest course of action for Blues if Trump goes full tyrant would be a General Strike — people in Blue States just don’t go to work until their conditions are met.

I could see the main condition being Trump and his veep stepping down (if the Speaker of the House is a Democrat) or in some way forcing SCOTUS to “review” their decision about the 14th Amendment and Trump. But even if the “good guys” won this initial victory, a civil war would break out because Texas, etc., would be enraged that Trump had to step down.

And that doesn’t begin to address how Trump would not leave office easily. A lot of people would get hurt because he would send Red National Guard troops into Blue States — even if there was no General Strike!

So, let’s call the whole thing off. Rather than any talk of “deposing” Trump, just leave the country if you can.

I Want To Help Hollywood Help Itself When It Comes To Its Use of AI

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

When I was living in South Korea many, many moons ago, random things happened all the time that would dramatically change your life. Well, something has….uhhhh….happened?….that has focused my mind when it comes to my income.

There is one thing that I’m good at besides writing and taking photos — coming up with movie, TV and novel ideas using AI. I have a knack for it, in large part because I don’t see AI as just a “tool.”

Now, obviously, any additional…funds…I might enjoy doing any such thing would just be because I would be sitting at something of a momentary bottleneck. Soon enough, all creatives will use AI the way I currently am and, lulz, I’m back to being a rando nobody that no one likes.

But I’m desperate. I need to think…creatively…to bring in significantly more funds and it seems as though AI and Hollywood would be perfect. It’s not going to happen overnight, but I am thinking seriously of dusting off resume, maybe using some of my better logs from discussions I’ve had with AI recently and TRYING to get a job of some sort.

I have my doubts. I think I’m fucked when it comes to money and, as always, my only chances of escaping the life of a life-long pauper will be either selling a novel or, well, the end of the world happening because of a revolution / civil war in the USA. (Good times!)

‘General Strike’

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

All I got when it comes to “deposing” Tyrant Trump, should it come to that, is a Blue General Strike. If the general American economy cratered because Blues — and specifically women — just didn’t show up to work for a few days, maybe the U.S. Military might be…persuaded…to get SCOTUS to review its 14th Amendment ruling about Trump?

Maybe?

Anything that happened would have to have a thin veneer of legality to it. But, of course, even if Trump just quit, him being forced out would cause a civil war because Reds would leave the Union — even if they were ok with the new MAGA veep turned POTUS.

(Talk about surreal.)

Though, I suspect if Trump were deposed that….arrangements….would be made so a non-MAGA POTUS would become president soon afterwards. I don’t want any of this to happen because….uhhh…the whole thing would be a total catastrophe.

2025: Dictatorship In America

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

The key issue whenever you think about what Trump might do if he wins is how stupid and lazy he is. It is clear that autocracy has the historical momentum at this point and the US — at least the Red parts — have decided that our future lies with some sort of white Christian ethnostate.

But — and this “but” is key — the person history has designated to turn America into the inevitable is so fucking dumb and lazy that he could very well be deposed soon after he starts to go full tyrant (probably through a Blue General Strike.)

Or something. Something like that.

I’m just some rando in the middle of nowhere, but I do love to run scenarios, so you get this bit of drivel that no one should read or take seriously. I can’t predict the future, but, on a macro basis, it definitely seems as though Something Bad is going to happen one way or another in the USA starting in late 2024, early 2025.

At the moment, I would guess it will go something like this — Trump wins, goes full tyrant, gets deposed then a civil war happens when Red States leave the Union. But that’s just one of a variety of scenarios that exist on a pretty wide spectrum.

Anyway. Who knows what is going to happen. I am very worried, I must admit. Very, very worried.

Three Strong Concepts Now

Now, as of July 4th, 2024, I have three really strong novel concepts — two scifi and one thriller. I am a little weary of the differences in genre, but, in general, I’m very pleased.

I just have to sit down and do the work now.

I think that’s my agenda starting to day — “forcing” myself to sit down and get some of these novel done ASAP. I’m growing more and more worried that the country is going to collapse before I can get *any* novel finished.

I’ve been using AI to flesh out my concepts. I’ve been shocked by how much doing that has helped speed up the process.