Everyday Junglist
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About me. You know how everyone says to be a successful writer you should focus in one or two areas. I continue to prove them correct.
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Stepping Down From My High Horse
I am writing this letter to officially announce that today (May 29, 2025) I am stepping down from my lofty position atop my high horse. Effective immediately I will no longer be gazing down upon you, the unwashed masses, in disgust, as I point out the many ways you have failed and fallen short along with the seemingly endless number of things which I do better than you.
By Everyday Junglist8 months ago in Journal
Interview With an AI. Top Story - May 2025.
Author’s preface: The employment contract I signed had some fairly strict confidentiality clauses therefore I have had to leave out a significant amount of detail and am not able to provide any information about the actual content of the work. I am probably being overly conservative but I did not want to take any chance with what is the only job I have at the moment over this story. My apologies.
By Everyday Junglist8 months ago in Futurism
What if Mother Nature is an AI?
There are a very large number of ways in which nature is identical or very similar to AI. Does the suspiciously large number of these similarities suggest that nature is, in fact, an AI? No, it does not. However, it does suggest that it is a very interesting topic to read and write about. Below you will find a non-exhaustive list of some of the similarities between nature and AI. You will also find, at the end of the piece, one way in which they are different. Unfortunately, this one thing left me feeling queasy the more I thought about it, and I have since tried to block it out of my mind. Hopefully you will have better luck than me in that regard.
By Everyday Junglist8 months ago in Futurism
The Chris Turner Random Topic Challenge
In honor of British comedian Chris Turner who very skillfully and hilariously takes a set of random topic suggestions from his audience and turns them into a freestyle rap I am announcing the Chris Turner writing challenge.
By Everyday Junglist8 months ago in Writers
How My Account Got Suspended from Medium (Twice) and Now I am Permanently Banned From the Site
Author’s preface: This story was originally published under the title “How I Got Suspended from Medium and You Can Too - But Probably Shouldn’t" on January 8, 2021. It only described the circumstances that led to my first account suspension. I have not written directly about the second suspension and de facto banning until now though it happened more than three years ago. I have basically left the original piece intact, only updating a few things and adding a few notes, and adding some information about the second suspension and banning. You will note that all of the links in the story which originally linked back to various Medium articles take you to the image shown below. Sorry about that, but it is out of my hands.
By Everyday Junglist8 months ago in Writers
The Hidden Hand
“Let me make sure I understand you clearly Professor Jones, you believe your microflora told you to kill Dr. Doyle?” The prosecutor leaned in close as he spoke, then turned toward the jury and raised a skeptical eyebrow. The gesture was intended to convey a message of incredulity to the nine jurors who listened in disbelief. “Yes. Not told me but made me”, replied the distinguished looking gentleman seated on the witness stand. He wore a simple black suit and had a shock of grey hair that sprouted wildly from his round wrinkled forehead. Many had commented that he looked a bit like Albert Einstein in his later years. In truth the comparison flattered him though his interest in physics had only been at the level of laymen. Microbiology was his passion and had been for the past 30 years. The prosecutor continued. “So, the bacteria in your body forced you to commit cold-blooded murder?” Dr. Jones replied quickly, speaking in a soft southern drawl, and with the authority of a man used to having his opinions respected. “It may not have been just the bacteria. The fungi, viruses and bacteriophage may have also been involved but I do think yes, it was primarily the bacteria in control.” “Sorry professor, can you please clarify for the jury, what exactly are bacteriophage?” The professor responded with some measure of arrogance in his voice, “to put it simply for you and the jury they are viruses that infect bacteria instead of higher life forms like plants or animals or humans.” “Thank you, professor. Can you please explain to the jury how exactly these evil germs were able to do this.” “I am not entirely certain” Dr. Jones replied quickly, the irritation plainly evident in his voice. “I would ask that you please kindly refrain from using the terminology, germs, I and my microbes find it highly insulting. I greatly prefer microbes or microorganisms. Animalcules were also once a favored term though it is much out of style today. That would be acceptable as well.” The professor continued, his volume slowly rising as he gained confidence. This was clearly an issue to which he had given much thought. “You need to understand that the microbes in and on all our bodies are numerically superior to the total number of cells of which they are composed. It is estimated they may outnumber us by as much as an order of magnitude. One order of magnitude means they are present at ten times the number of human cells. We are in fact more microbe than man. To me it is not surprising that given this advantage in numbers they might not attempt to take control at some point.” The prosecutor cut him off before he could continue. “And what was the motive for these animalcules to make you kill Dr. Doyle?” “I believe it was self-preservation. You see my colleague was on the verge of a great discovery, an entirely new class of antibiotics. If he had succeeded it could have revolutionized the control of many diseases and theoretically eliminated the issue of antibiotic resistance forever. Obviously, they were concerned for their continued existence.” Professor Jones smiled smugly and became silent. The prosecutor stared for a moment at the witness, unable to speak. He was obviously stunned by the straightforward and almost scholarly tone of the answer. The insane words coming out of the professor’s mouth just did not match with the way those words were delivered. The jury seemed shaken as well. Mouths hung slightly agape, and fear was evident in many of the juror’s eyes. The courtroom was deathly silent. The prosecutor slowly gathered himself and pressed on. “I am a bit confused Dr. Jones, why would not Dr. Doyle’s own microbes, or his graduate students’ microbes, have acted before yours? They surely were every bit as aware of his research program.” “A question I have considered myself. I don’t have the answer. Perhaps much like people there are different personalities among our microbes. Some are simply not capable of committing an evil act such as murder where others are. Certainly, all the data suggests large variations in the makeup of any one individual’s microflora. Given the variety between people, and the diversity of the microbial population within each it might not be unexpected that they act and react with their host in many different ways. It is also no doubt difficult to achieve any sort of consensus on action among the various genera and species on any given person at any one time. That might also explain the rarity of this type of event. It just is almost never possible to reach agreement on anything and therefore nothing of any consequence is done.” The professor looked genuinely pleased with himself as he considered this possibility, then continued. “I would very much like to study this in some detail when this is over and I get back to university.” The prosecutor looked shocked. “I am afraid you won’t be returning to university anytime soon Dr. Jones. You have essentially admitted to murder and given the jury no choice but to convict you. Your so-called explanation is clearly insane. No further questions.”
By Everyday Junglist8 months ago in Horror
I Died in My Mind. Honorable Mention in The Metamorphosis of the Mind Challenge.
I was hospitalized for the entire month of January 2015 with necrotizing pancreatitis which eventually progressed to multi-organ system failure. For 90% of that month, I was in the ICU. At my lowest point physically, I was given a 20% chance to live. So much fluid had built up inside my abdomen that at various times my kidneys, lungs, and heart each failed completely or had their function reduced to levels below what is necessary to sustain life. An emergency surgery called a decompressive laparotomy saved my life. Basically, they cut me open at the midline of my torso from sternum to waist, spread me apart and left me like that for three days to drain.
By Everyday Junglist9 months ago in Psyche
I am Not Overly Worried About AI Because Not Everything is Computable
There is a good bit of fear among a wide range of people from the everyday man on the street, to politicians, to the media elite, that modern computing (AI) has become or will soon be too capable. In other words, that it can do too many things. These capabilities are being used by some people to perform certain tasks that they formerly would have done for themselves. This includes creative tasks formerly thought to be the sole province of human beings, like creative writing. For the technological utopianists among us it must look like the beginnings of the singularity. Once reached, the human race will be completely freed of the burden of work, living a life of leisure in an ideal world run by intelligent machines fulfilling our every need and catering to our every desire. However to many, many others it looks like the beginnings of the end for mankind. Soon intelligent machines will be capable of performing almost any job a human does, including primarily creative ones, at which point we will no longer be needed. The machines may take pity on us and keep us around for a while, but eventually they will see no need, at which point cue the Terminator storyline, activate Skynet and kiss humanity goodbye.
By Everyday Junglist9 months ago in Futurism
Good Surrenders
The eternal war between good and evil ended abruptly today as good surrendered indicating that it had been defeated. Good, appearing in the form of African American actor Morgan Freeman, the embodiment of good according to most Hollywood producers, read a prepared statement at a hastily called press conference announcing the surrender. Good said the following,
By Everyday Junglist10 months ago in Humor
