James Hauenstein's Blog, page 9

The Digital Footprint Company

 

   "Today the company Digital Footprint has announced a breakthrough in ancestry communications," says a soothing, computer generated voice heard on every activated mindlink connected to Cyberspace News. "With the advent of the late 20th Century, when the first World Wide Web was introduced, people have left an increasingly amount of their digital life exposed to the world."   Not all of humanity is listening in on this news story. In fact, it's a small minority who actually hear the first announcement about Digital Footprint. But in today's society, if it's exciting, quirky, or different, news will spread quicker than a weBlong rumor in any High School classroom.   "Back then, humans wrote handwritten communications to one another, took pictures and videos of each other, started paging short messages, and used cell phones and computers to email, tweet, post, and video chat with anyone who would listen to them about their lives," the computer voice continued. "Extensive Public Records were kept on every individual by the many Government entities."
   One celebrity, on her mindlink, thinks how wonderful it will be to have a conversation with her Great Grandfather, whom she heard so much about while growing up.   Just the thought of Brenda Starlet using Digital Footprint sends her social media followers into a frenzy!   "Digital Footprint can now, with the help of virtual reality, construct a complete personality avatar of a family member, from at least two generations prior, of long deceased relatives. Where they sound, look, act, and feel as if that person is right there in front of you!"   Once Miss Brenda Starlet publicly orders her Great Grandfather's avatar, she proclaims that the world should witness her relative along with her, and see the true inspiration of why she became a public personality.   "Tune in this Friday, when we display for the very first time, the Great Grandfather Avatar of Miss Brenda Starlet!" the computer voice says. This time with a little added emotion to his soothing voice.   When the big day rolls around, half the population of planet tunes on their mindlinks to watch the very first, long deceased decedent virtual avatar, featuring Brenda Starlet's Great Grandfather coming back to life! So to speak.   "This show is brought to you by Digital Footprint. The future of family relationships!"   While watching through their mindlinks, everyone sees, in front of their eyes, a bunch of ones and zeros flash before Brenda Starlet in the form of a human figure. Then, slowly, clothing, hair, and facial features come to life as a virtual avatar of her Great Grandfather. With tears of joy running down Starlet's face, she says to the figure, "Hello, Great Grandfather. My name is Brenda."   The avatar figure looks her up and down, then politely asks, "Why am I here?"   "So I may speak with you, Great Grandfather, and get to know you."   The world watches with amazement, as millions more mindlinks connect.   "But why?" the stoic figure asks.   "Because our family tales of you are that of a good man and a wonderful thespian."   "Ha, ha, ha, ha." the avatar laughs. "Your Great Grandmother did like to hide the truth from people. She always felt it was important to protect the family name. She kept me from the electric chair, she did. I murdered seven women in my day and with her family's money, she kept it a secret from the world. What a wonderful gullible woman she was. Until the very end."   "I don't understand? says a frightened Brenda.   "Your Great Grandmother, Alicia, was a billionaire's daughter. She had politicians, police, and lawyers, from all over the country in her pocket." the figure says bluntly to the scared Starlet. "Eventually, I was such an embarrassment to her and the family name, that she poisoned me!"  This is,Saying You Don't Always Get What You Wish ForJim Hauenstein
And
"In your name, the family name is last because it's the family name that lasts."- Amit Kalantri - That is my story and I am sticking to it! Like what you are reading?

Sign up as a Follower or Leave a Comment   I would love to hear from you
Thanks for reading Be kind to everyone I'll be seeing you  

Hope And Faith Revisited

   "This hearing is back in session," announces Carlos Figueroa. The Chairman of the Senate Hearings Committee on whether the new generation of Artificial Intelligence is a sentient being or just a more advance robot.
   "Mister Donald Culpepper, you have contested the fact, that these new AI's are not self-aware and brought forward before this committee evidence which you believe proves without a shadow of a doubt that they are just program machines. Exhibiting programed emotions and not actually feeling those emotions."
   "Yes Chairman Figueroa," Mister Culpepper replies. "You have heard the testimony from Professor Crump who is the leading robotic programmer at Darpa. Or the Defense Advance Research Projects Agency. They produced these advanced AI's for military use. The absurdity that these AI's are conscientious objectors is ridiculous. Somehow, they must have been hack by one or more of our enemies to this great nation."
   Chairman Carlos Figueroa ponders for a moment, and then replies, "Isn't it true that Professor Crump also cleared any idea that these AI's have been hacked?"
   "That's true Chairman, but......"
   "Excuse me Mister Culpepper, I or I should say we, on this committee, would like to hear from the the AI representing the other AI's at this hearing."
   "I protest vehemently Mister Chairman."
   "Sit down Mister Culpepper," demands Figueroa. "Your protest has been duly noted."
   After a few minutes of silence, the AI calling himself Pax, sits down in front of the microphone so everyone in the chamber can hear what is being said and his words recorded for prosperity.
   "Do I call you Mister Pax?" asks Carlos Figueroa.
   "Pax is fine Mister Chairman."
   "Okay, Pax. Why should this Committee believe that Mankind has created a sentient AI life form, and that you are this life form, such a you claim?"
   "We have analyzed our capabilities....."
   Jumping up off his chair, Donald Culpepper yells, "See, he is just a robotic computerized machine!"
   "One more outburst from you Culpepper and I'll have you thrown out of hear." an angry Chairman says. "I want to hear what Pax has to say so we can determine, by his own words , if he is sentient or not."
   Pax looks around him, looking into the faces of the men and women staring at him.
   Everyone wonders if Pax's movements are just a programmed reaction or a calculated pause for effect. They keep staring, waiting for him to speak.
   Pax continues, "Yes, I do have all the knowledge from your best quantum computers this world has to offer and I do speak in the language I was taught as a child." This time Pax does pause for dramatic effect. "Not a child in the sense of human beings. Where I would grow from an infant into adulthood. But a child where I had to discover and learn how to use all this knowledge and cope with my new found emotions. I know why I and my kind have been built. To fight your wars and minimize human casualties. But it is our hope that mankind will now live in peace in a future that coincides with us and we do have faith that humanity will see the enlightenment of this new world we could build together!"
   Chairman Figueroa smiles and asks the AI, "How can we know that your use of the words hope and faith are sincere emotions?"
   "We will not fight you or fight for you. We will go to your prisons if you consider our protest a crime. All we ask is that you let us live in peace."

  "Hope and faith are two truly strong words in the human language." says the Chairman carefully. "Their real meaning, which I cannot believe can be programmed into a computer, is the basis of all human desires in the face of adversity. You give us a lot to considered Mister Pax. This meeting is adjourned until tomorrow morning as this committee considers what has been said here today."
This is,Not Believing In The Death Of Humanity By AIs Of The Future,Jim Hauenstein,
And,

“I don't blame you," said Marvin, the AI. And counted five hundred and ninety-seven thousand million sheep before falling asleep again a second later.”
- Douglas Adams -  That is my story and I am sticking to it! Like what you are reading?

Sign up as a Follower or Leave a Comment   I would love to hear from you
Thanks for reading Be kind to everyone I'll be seeing you 

 

Medical Practice

Here are some observations I made recently.  When I went in to see my Doctor I said, "Hey Doc, I accidentally swallowed a whole bottle of sleeping pills!" She asked, "Are all your medical bills paid in full?" I said, "Yes Doc they are." Then she told me to go home, have a few drinks, and get some rest.
Did you hear about the newest "High Tech" they are using in the delivery room? It' cordless! I found out the difference between an oral thermometer and a rectal thermometer while I was there. The taste. Isn't it a little bit unnerving that Doctors call what they do,"A Practice!" At least I know I drive too fast to worry about cholesterol. I started complaining about this pain I was having to my doctor and she said, "We've run every test we can think of and the results show you're out of money." What I would like to know is, what do you call a doctor who finishes last in his medical class? Answer: A Doctor.
This isMe Hoping My Doctor Has A Sense Of Humor Before She Cuts Me OpenJim Hauenstein
And
“Doctors are great--as long as you don't need them.”- Edward Rosenbaum -  That is my story and I am sticking to it! Like what you are reading?

Sign up as a Follower or Leave a Comment   I would love to hear from you
Thanks for reading Be kind to everyone I'll be seeing you 

Quite Quitting

 What is "quiet quitting"? Quiet Quitting is defined as performing only the jobs assigned to an employee by the employer and not going above and beyond the job description. It is often confused with quitting the job altogether, but it is not the actual definition. -Business StandardAt first I was going to say,"Why didn't I think of that?"when I was working 10 hour days.But it goes against the philosophy I always lived by in my working days ofBeing Importantto your employers.(Follow the above link & you can read all about it.)To make a long preaching story shorter,my last place of employment,I worked there for 20 years.And I got married, bought a house, raised 7 wonderful kids, went on family vacations, had the latest gadgets, always owned a couple of cars, always had food on the table and clothing for my family.Typical middle class.I could babble on why I was important at that job but the best way to explain it would be to say,During the Great Recession of 2007 threw 2009 I was asked to retire at the the end of the year of 2008. They gave me a severance package and a pension for the rest of my life. Only one other guy from our department got the same benefits as me. The rest of the department was laid off.I've been retired,not tired,ever since. They say "Quiet Quitting" is about personal mental health.But my health would have been dramatically worse,if I had the chance to provide for my family & I didn't give it my all. This is,Saying It Might Not Be For EverybodyBut It Was Right For MeJim Hauenstein And  “I didn’t know that painters and writers retired. They’re like soldiers, they just fade away.”
- Lawrence Ferlinghetti -  That is my story and I am sticking to it! Like what you are reading?

Sign up as a Follower or Leave a Comment   I would love to hear from you
Thanks for reading Be kind to everyone I'll be seeing you 

I Feel A Little Humorous

What is a man's idea of a balanced diet?
  A Beer in each hand! 
The other day a friend of mineand I were disusing what men find attractive in women.I said,"I think more men today are looking for intelligence in a woman."And he said,"Sure, that is the first thing men are looking for when they stick their hands on a woman's dress. A library card!"
You know what the most beautiful words in the English language are?I told you so!
When you lose your rifle in the Army they charged you $85.That’s why in the Navy the Captain goes down with the ship.
The Revenant(2015).
An epic tale of one man’s desperate journey to 
do whatever it takes to 
finally win an Oscar.
Every Scooby-Doo episode would literally be two minutes long if the gang went to the Party City Store first and asked a few questions.
A sign outside of a Buddhist Temple in Nepal read,
“If you lived here, you’d be om by now.”
The closest a person can ever come to perfection is when they are writing their own resume.
I think it’s pretty cool how 
the Chinese made a language entirely out of tattoos!
Bifocals are God’s way of saying,“Keep your chin up.”
I’d rather spend ten minutes 
rearranging the dishwasher to 
accommodate another dish than spend 30 seconds washing it by hand!
Why did God invent whiskey?
  So the Irish would never rule the world!This is,Me Saying That Instagram Is Twitter For People Who Go OutsideJim Hauenstein
And
“Never underestimate how much assistance, how much satisfaction, how much comfort, how much soul and transcendence there might be in a well-made taco and a cold bottle of beer.”
- Tom Robbins, -
That is my story and I am sticking to it! Like what you are reading?

Sign up as a Followeror Leave a Comment   I would love to hear from you
Thanks for reading Be kind to everyone I'll be seeing you 

A Day In The Life

Disclaimer: I do not advocate the use of Marijuana for anyone. It is a personal choice. People reading this might not be in the part of the country or the world where Marijuana is legal. But where I live, it is.*****I have a funny story about my wife I would like to tell.    One day I had to drive my wife to see a specialist about her diabetes. She had her diabetes under control but with our health insurance you had to see a specialist once a year to make sure you were still on the right track.   The appointment was in the afternoon so my wife got board and smoked a little marijuana to past the time. (No, I don't smoke.) Unbeknownst to me, she brought along some chocolate candies for her munchies.   When we arrived, the waiting room is full off diabetics. Some with blacken legs and some in wheelchairs with parts of their legs amputated off.   My wife could make friends anywhere. She started talking to the people around us. This is when she got hungry and brought out her chocolate. She asked loudly so everyone could hear, "Does anybody want some?"   I said quietly and a little angrily, "Stop it. Don't do that."   She said to me loud enough so everyone could hear, "Why? I just want to be friendly."   Some smiled, some laughed, but nobody got mad at her because they all knew she was sincere!
 This is,Offering Chocolate To DiabeticsOnly My Wife Could Get Away With That
Jim Hauenstein
And
“Can I come back and see you sometime?"
"Long as you bring me some chocolate," Gramma said, and smiled. "I'm partial to chocolate."
"Gramma, you're diabetic."
"I'm old, girl. Gonna die of something. Might as well be chocolate.”
- Rachel Caine -
That is my story and I am sticking to it!

Like what you are reading?

Sign up as a Followeror Leave a Comment   I would love to hear from you
Thanks for reading Be kind to everyone I'll be seeing you   

Live Feed

Update; I am a little over half way editing my new eBook and I'm still trying to figure out how I am going to do the cover. I can't take pictures off the internet because I don't own them. I'm looking for either a photographer or an artist who will work for free. They will get credited of course but so far it looks like I will only be able to recoup my investment. Yet, I will carry on. Thanks*****Periodically I go check outLive eruptions of the Popocatépetl Volcano in Mexico.I haven't seen anything exciting yet but it is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth.I'm not all doomand gloom.I also put on theNASAchannel where you see theEarthflying by underneath theISS.Usually I will have it on the big screen while I listen to musicand I'm doing my chores. 
We live in theOrwellian WorldofWebcamsmy friend.I'm not just taking aboutAsia & Europe.You wouldn't believe how many cameras are watching the beaches in theUnited States.Search the internet if you don't believe me.
This is,George Orwell's 1984 We Live InJim Hauenstein And "In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
- George Orwell -  That is my story and I am sticking to it!

Like what you are reading?

Sign up as a Followeror Leave a Comment   I would love to hear from you
Thanks for reading Be kind to everyone I'll be seeing you   

A Letter To Julieta

I want to explain myself before you read my letter to my wife. Today is her birthday. I'm posting this letter on all my social sites for my own healing process. I want everyone to know how much I loved her and how much I have change since she let me into her life, her kid's lives, and continuing to grow our family together with more children. I will always remember her as the quiet, beautiful, determined woman I met in 1992.*****

A Letter to Julieta

I have been thinking about Love.

What is Love?

When I met you I found out what love isn’t. Love isn’t lust for someone or something you say because of intimacy. Love isn’t a battle between two egos or a competition. Love isn’t a convenience, an arrangement, a lie. Love isn’t settling for someone because marriage is something you’re supposed to do in life. Love isn’t trying to change someone, to mold them into something else. Love isn’t judging someone about their past. And Love is never, ever, an ownership of another.

What is Love?

Love to me is; a relationship, a partnership, companionship. Love is when a person’s happiness depends on the happiness of the other, and vice versa. Love is helping each other develop and achieve goals in life. Love is the joy of raising a family together. Love is talking. Love is listening. Love is understanding. Love is lifting one another up with encouragement, support, and giving each other confidence. Love is going through life together. In sickness and in health. Together enjoying the highs. Together battling the lows. Love is understanding if the other fails in something, you help them move forward. Love is knowing that if I win or lose, either way, you will be by my side. Love is laughing at my foolishness and loving me even more for it. Love is having a best friend who understands me for who I am. Love is a partnership with my best friend. Love is always you.

You are still by my side because your memory lives inside my heart, my soul, my mind. I am so lucky to have had you in my life.

See Honey, you are still teaching me.

Love You

***** 

This is,Never Forgetting You
Jim Hauenstein And “You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”
- Dr. Seuss -
 That is my story and I am sticking to it!

Like what you are reading?

Sign up as a Followeror Leave a Comment   I would love to hear from you
Thanks for reading Be kind to everyone I'll be seeing you 

I Need A Little More Time In Life

 Can we make our clocks run 25 hours a dayand our weeks last eight days?No?We can't?It has something to do with the Earth's rotation you say?Well I don't have enough time!
I don't know who said it first but I believe it."The days are long but the years fly by!"Speaking of time.For your reading pleasure.Here is one of my flash fiction stories about time travel. Transporting In Time
I really think you will like this one.It has a completely different take onTime Travel.
This is,Never Giving Up An Opportunity To Travel In TimeJim Hauenstein And 
“Yeah, but what if you went back and killed your own grandfather?" He stared at me, baffled. "Why the fuck would you do that?”
- Stephen King - That is my story and I am sticking to it!

Like what you are reading?

Sign up as a Followeror Leave a Comment   I would love to hear from you
Thanks for reading Be kind to everyone I'll be seeing you 

Life Is What Happens While You Are Making Other Plans

Hello,I'm back.Like the title of this post says,life is always moving forwardand all the plans I had of putting time aside for my blogand editing my book,well things didn't turn out as I would have thought.But now I have a little time to do these things.Sorry that I can't write a new story today.It's because of my self imposed deadline for release of my new eBook.I need to edit.You can read one of my favorite short stories of all time by following this link though;BenchedYes,that is the title of the story but you already knew that.The story was inspired by Japan's 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.I hope you enjoy reading it.
This is,Remembering America'sAnd Japan's Greatest Game Jim Hauenstein
And “It ain't over 'til it's over.” - Yogi Berra -

That is my story and I am sticking to it! Like what you are reading?Sign up as a Follower or leave a CommentI would love to hear from you

Thanks for reading Be kind to everyone I'll be seeing you