Author Archives: Steve Mays
Dog
I can hear him out in the kitchen,
his lapping the night’s only music,
head bowed over the waterbowl
like an illustration in a book for boys.
He enters the room with such etiquette,
licking my bare ankle as if he understood
the Braille of the skin.
Then he makes three circles around himself,
flattening his ancient memory of tall grass
before dropping his weight with a sigh on the floor.
This is the spot where he will spend the night,
his ears listening for the syllable of his name,
his tongue hidden in his long mouth
like a strange naked hermit in a cave.
—Questions About Angels by Billy Collins
Agentic AI
From an article in the Harvard Business Review by Mark Purdy:
“You can define agentic AI with one word: proactiveness,” said Enver Cetin, an AI expert at global Experience Engineering firm Ciklum, whom I interviewed. “It refers to AI systems and models that can act autonomously to achieve goals without the need for constant human guidance. The agentic AI system understands what the goal or vision of the user is and the context to the problem they are trying to solve.”
Agentic AI systems are ideal for non-routine, soft-skills work in areas such as healthcare and caregiving.
“Hippocratic AI, an agentic AI healthcare company based in California, has created a phalanx of AI agents tailored to different areas of healthcare and social support. The team counts among its ranks Sarah, an AI agent who “radiates warmth and understanding” while providing help with assisted living. Sarah can ask patients about their day, organize menus and transport, and regularly remind patients to take their medication. Judy, another AI-powered agent, helps patients with pre-operative procedures, for example by reminding patients about arrival time and locations, or advising on pre-op fasting or stopping medications”
ONISM
ONISM — the awareness of how little of the world you’ll experience
“It’s strange how little of the world you actually get to see. No matter where on Earth you happen to be standing, the horizon you see in the distance is only ever about three miles away from you, a bit less than five kilometers. Which means that at any given time, you’re barely more than an hour’s walk from a completely different world. Alas, even if you lace up your boots and take off for the hills, the circle of your horizon will follow you around like a prison searchlight.”
From The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows by John Koenig
Bandelier history
I became acquainted with Paul Bandelier and his father Ron in 2018 when I fell in love with the old pickup truck he had for sale. I’ve visited often enough to hear bits and pieces about the rich history of their family (see tag below) and a couple of days ago I noticed a framed newspaper story in Paul’s shop. The headline read, “Bandelier property has coal mining, entertainment legacy.” It’s a pretty interesting history »
What Is Consciousness?
I don’t remember when or how I became interested in consciousness. My reading has included some titles by neuroscientists (like David Eagleman) but I tend to lean toward the philosophical or contemplative (metaphysical?). Most of which has been excerpted here (110 posts!) For my money, David Eagleman explains (discusses) this slippery subject better than anyone.
I struggled with how to describe my interest in the non-scientific approaches to consciousness so I asked ChatGPT:
A good term that bridges the gap between the scientific and the mystical without leaning too far in either direction might be “philosophical” or “phenomenological.”
- Philosophical – This captures the deep inquiry into consciousness that isn’t bound by empirical science but also doesn’t necessarily invoke mysticism. Thinkers like Descartes, Husserl, and Chalmers explore consciousness through reason, introspection, and logic.
- Phenomenological – A term used to describe the study of subjective experience, focusing on how consciousness feels from the inside. This is rooted in philosophy but can also align with contemplative practices.
- Existential – A term often associated with the nature of experience, selfhood, and the human condition, which naturally touches on consciousness.
- Contemplative – While sometimes associated with spiritual traditions, it can be neutral enough to imply deep, reflective examination of awareness without invoking religious connotations.
If you’re looking for something even broader, “metaphysical” works, though it might feel too abstract.
“Shoot him in the ass”
“If you’re watching this video…”
Every blog has a final post. Today I had a flash fantasy of what mine might be and asked ChatGPT to write a short story based on the following scenario:
An elderly man has been posting to his blog for more than twenty years. More than 6,000 posts. It was a very personal journal and very few ever visited or read his posts.
Before dying he wrote a post he recorded a video saying he had hidden one hundred thousand dollars in cash somewhere in the world… and a clue to the location was hidden somewhere on his blog. In a single post, perhaps… or one some combination of posts. Or within one of the many videos or audio files on the blog.
Before his death he shared this information on a number of social media sites with no idea if anyone would notice or believe the story.
As these things sometimes do, his story went viral and his blog was deluged with people from all over the world, searching for clues to the location of the fortune.
Prior to his death he set up a trust to cover the expense of maintaining his blog.
This could be a story about one person’s search or the story-line could follow a number of different people. Lots of ways to go with this. Good luck.
George Carlin on Religion
The Good Life
I asked ChatGPT for a little story to go with this photo:
The fireplace crackles with warmth, casting a soft glow across the room. A Christmas tree, adorned with colorful lights and ornaments, stands proudly in the background—suggesting the holiday season is in full swing.
In the center of it all sits a man with a gentle smile, nestled by the fire with two golden retrievers at his side. One dog lies comfortably on the rug, a red toy resting near its paws, while the other sits upright, leaning into the man’s touch. They seem calm and content, reflecting the quiet companionship shared between them.
It feels like a moment of peaceful reflection—perhaps after a long day of holiday preparations or simply a quiet evening at home. The setting invites a sense of gratitude and the joy of simple pleasures—good company, a warm fire, and the unconditional love of loyal dogs.