A notebook bulletin board
tacked on when randomly bored
applied thoughts in a scribblebook
open for the world to look who passes by
so fast to see like a needle in a haystack we
safely stash those innermost secrets thought to be
at least you see languishing up and into pristine
blossoms for you to pick and sniff and hope
they don't make you sick.

9/16/23

Droplet of Infusoria

 



   In my dreams last night I was a fugitive from some shady organization who's agenda remained unknown, but they had access to sophisticated nanotech controlled remotely by AI algorithms that could achieve some remarkable feats.  For example,  at one point in my dream, they targeted some sort of festival on the outskirts of town.  There was a tension in the air as the signal intensified, an indication they were about to strike.  

   It became suddenly evident when from this one tent where a variety of people, both citizens out browsing through artisan's wares and several bands of gypsy like individuals milling in and out among themselves, an eruption of bizarre wingless insects came crawling out in a controlled tide, spilling out onto the sidewalk and pouring forth into the street.  Some folk indigenous to central and South America cried out a warning, lost among the uproar and the throng of people trying to outrun the surge of crawling insects - which resembled arthropods with spiny appendages, about two inches long or so - but the idea carried on the wind was "they sting" -- so I began running as fast as I could away from their surging tide, and thinking quickly I headed for higher ground, and crawled up some siding against a building, trying to get as high up off the street level as possible. 

  Under and behind me I could see the tide of scurrying insects rushing like a flash flood into the street, and spreading out.  People were fleeing and screaming.  I noticed they continued in an alarming amount of numbers - thousands upon thousands of them, just pouring out of that tent - then I noted that when they reached the walls of the buildings, they easily began scrambling up them towards me.  Why hadn't I thought of that- ? Of course they can crawl up the damn walls ... I scrambled up even higher, trying to reach the roof, but there wasn't any way for me to climb any higher... I wasn't Spiderman.  Thinking too rapidly to fully get a handle on the consequences,  I spotted the top of a tree that had grown from the sidewalk, and just before the scurrying insects reached me on the wall I leapt -- right onto the tree, the leaves and branches striking my thrashing limbs as I hoped for purchase, and luckily didn't suffer too much damage as I landed on a sturdy branch and held on for dear life. 

   I only enjoyed a split-second of thinking I'd landed to safety, when I noticed the surging tide of insects flowing below the tree trunk along the sidewalk begin rapidly crawling up the tree towards me. . . My efforts at escaping them had been to no avail.   But in the manner of dreams, the scene shifted to a later moment, a short distance away, indicating I had managed to escape the strangely controlled tide of stinging insects.   I learned that the organization we were desperately attempting to avoid had access to nanotech that could control insects like this - nanotech that relied on AI and electromagnetic remote control methods to plan out insect plagues and attacks in this manner. 

    At one point in my series of disturbing dreams agents of this organization had caught up to us, and among them there were some men of differing heights, all clad in expensive business attire.  While some stood six feet tall, another was seven and a half feet tall, while one in particular towered at nearly nine feet, a massive humanoid working for the organization.  Somehow we escaped them, as the scene changed once again.   Perhaps the best part of this dream was the part when I was confronted by a small group of individuals who looked roughshod and, of course, I couldn't tell if they were friend or foe. 

    It soon became apparent they were allies, since one of them handed me some sticks of incense, and a small potato.  He instructed me in urgent tones, conveying a sense of vital importance for our continued safety, considering we were all being stalked by agents of the sinister organization that set off the "insect bomb" in the street market, earlier.  He told me to burn the incense and head in the direction the smoke goes, until we had traversed enough distance to reach safety, if only temporarily.  Then he insisted I dig a hole and "bury the potato."  And that's how it went afterward.  I detected the strident tones of a man who'd survived in the underground long enough to have gained some wisdom in certain techniques to help avoid the dangerous agents of this worldwide organization constantly hunting us all down.  And that thing about burying the potato is when I made the irrevocable deduction, which I take seriously in my waking life of our actual present world as I did in the dream itself.  This whole scenario I found myself in while dreaming had everything to do with our being immersed in the world of nanotech and the rapidly evolving development of AI.  Welcome to just one droplet of infusoria within the technological singularity.  You are swimming in it even as I type this, and absolutely while you are reading it, or listening to its message, perhaps even while you're enjoying yourself at a local street fair.  There's no need to dream or wonder about it any longer, what would the so-called technological singularity be like, really?  Just open your eyes and take a look around you.  Like it or not, we're in the very midst of it. 





 

    

9/11/23

The Gallus & the Zygote

    by Shunjinx Talonratios




   The relationship between the pantheon of mythical deities and demigods and their alleged ancestry having crossbred with humans at assorted points in history varies depending on the specific mythology or culture in question. Mythology is a complex and evolving body of stories, and the origins of these tales can be quite diverse. In general, it's often challenging to pinpoint a definitive "chicken or egg" scenario in mythology, as myths can evolve and adapt over time.

    Many myths and legends have developed over centuries through oral storytelling before being recorded in written form. As a result, their origins can be quite archaic and may not always be clear to modern sensibilities.  In some cases, religious beliefs may have influenced the development of myths, while in other cases, myths could have been created to explain religious concepts or rituals.

    Legends such as these often reflect the values, beliefs, and social structures of the cultures that created them. They can serve to explain the origins of important institutions, customs, or social hierarchies. Additionally, different cultures and regions may have variations of similar allegories, which can make it challenging to determine a single origin point.

   In the case of demigods or beings resulting from the crossbreeding of gods and humans, these stories can serve various purposes within a mythology; for example, demigods are often portrayed as possessing exceptional abilities due to their divine parentage. Allegories such as these can be used to explain why certain individuals have extraordinary talents or qualities. Not only that, but demigods can also symbolize the idea that humans have the potential for greatness or divinity within them, even if they are not full gods.

   The folk tales of demigods can reflect the cultural values and aspirations of a society. They can embody the idea that humans can aspire to greatness and connect with the divine. The relationship between the pantheon of mythical deities, demigods, and their fabled crossbreeding with humans is complex and can vary from one mythological tradition to another. It often involves a blend of cultural, religious, and storytelling elements, making it difficult to determine a single direction of influence. Myths tend to be dynamic and can evolve over time, adapting to the needs and beliefs of the societies that tell them.