Everyday Junglist
Bio
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.
Stories (715)
Filter by community
Ten By Ten
It took quite a long time before anyone was able to piece together what had happened, what was still happening. We now know that on Dec. 3, 2027 at approximately 10pm the formerly dead started coming back in spirit form, as ghosts, to use the vernacular. Not just the recently deceased either, but all of them, all of the dead, everyone who had ever died on planet earth, at any time since the dawn of consciousness in man (or thereabouts), had come back as a ghost. These ghosts were of the particularly frustrating, annoying and sometimes, though infrequently, deadly variety. They had a knack for releasing piercing wails at all hours of the day or night, scratching or biting the still living, and any other number of habits all seemingly designed to irritate, bother, and generally make living with or near them, downright impossible. And, unfortunately, as you might imagine, there were quite a lot of them. Estimates put the number at greater than 100 billion. For comparison the earth's population at the time of the rising was right around 7 billion. The dead outnumbered the living by a little over ten to one. The excess of ghosts to living humans has increased significantly since that time, mostly as a result of the actions of the ghosts themselves, but also, that of the living, and how we reacted to them.
By Everyday Junglist4 years ago in Fiction
I'm Sorry Vocal But 8 Days to Publish a Story is Not Acceptable
Actually make it 8 days..... screen shot showing 8 days and counting Below in quotes is copied text from the Vocal help section describing their policy with respect to story publication times. This information was posted 2 years ago. Highlighting with italics/bolding are my own
By Everyday Junglist4 years ago in Filthy
To Be Honest
There are a number of specific phrases that lying persons are said to use when exaggerating the truthfulness of their spoken or written words. One of the most commonly mentioned of these is the phrase “to be honest.” The use of this particular phrase reveals an overemphasis on truthfulness which is often listed as an indicator that someone is lying. Recently a friend called me out during a discussion for using the phrase, and suggested I was likely lying because of it. I am no different than any other human being alive, and cannot claim that I never have, or never do, lie, however in this case I was being perfectly honest (and there I go again overemphasizing my truthfulness, am I lying about not lying? No I am not.) Later I caught myself using the phrase again in an email and again, in that particular case, I was not lying, or dissembling, or misleading in any way.
By Everyday Junglist4 years ago in Psyche
We Have Finally Arrived In Our Partially Simulated Universe
Today we continue our exploration of the partial simulation by trying to figure out what the heck to do next. As you may recall if you have read any of my earlier posts on this topic we have finally arrived at what I believe to be a very likely (perhaps even the most likely) of situations if indeed we are living in a (partial) simulation. Remember it must be partial because of the ‘too good to be true’ problem which I currently believe is a fatal flaw in all total simulation hypotheses I have yet encountered. Notice I say currently as I am prepared to be convinced otherwise by a strong argument as to why it is not. Until that time I maintain that the most likely scenario is that the universe is 50–75% simulated and we are living in it as 100% real beings (assuming a simulation hypothesis of any type is actually correct). So the fuck what, is what I am now asking myself and perhaps you are thinking along similar lines.
By Everyday Junglist4 years ago in Futurism
Thinking About Constraints On Partially Simulated Universe Scenarios
If we can accept the possibility that the universe and/or ourselves may be partial simulations it is easy to be quickly overwhelmed by the various possibilities that might arise and their implications. Not only do we have a quantitative value (% simulation vs % real with possible values of the smallest amount of simulation that is greater than zero to the largest amount of simulation that is less than 100) we also have three possibilities for what is partially simulated; ourselves, the universe, or some combination of both. if we have any hope of evaluating the possibilities and implications of partial simulations I think it necessary to try and focus our efforts on the most likely scenarios. To that end I have been thinking about how we might whittle them down to at least a smaller number of the most reasonable scenarios. As with all writings on this topic if I and you are simulations and/or are living in a simulation then these words, the fact that I am writing them down here and now, may very well have been programmed into me or the universe from before I was ‘born’. If that is the case I say “fuck off simulators, you all can bite me.” You think that was programmed in? If it was then I will grant that our hypothetical simulators have an excellent sense of humor and very good taste indeed.
By Everyday Junglist4 years ago in Futurism
Accounting Rules Stifle Innovation
The system today "According to the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, require that most research and development costs be expensed in the current period." For as long as their have been accounting rules the idea that R&D activities must be entered on the costs side of the ledger has held sway. To my knowledge none or only a very few have ever dared question the wisdom of this approach. After all, it seems obvious, R&D (in its most basic form) costs money, it does not make money, not directly at least. If it does make money it is only indirectly through the products and services that eventually come to market as a result of the money spent on R&D. Much like a building or other capital expense, R&D is viewed as a tool that can be used to make money, but not as a money making enterprise in an of itself. A building, however, is built, and maybe modified some over time, but it does not really do anything. Not anything active at least. It just exists, and is used by a business which occupies it to conduct business, to facilitate the doing of business. In the end it just sits there and does nothing but "exist as a building" On the other hand, R&D, some activities of which can be capitalized like a building (see linked article above for the gory details) is a very active thing (hence the reason we call it an activity or a process). It does much more than just "exist as R&D" waiting for some business to occupy it and use it to make money. Their are alternative R&D models of course that do exist, some of which set up R&D as a profit making enterprise with its own P&L, but these are few and far between and are typically highly risk averse, short term project focused, and significantly limited in scope. Nothing wrong with that model and it can be useful, but it is far from the norm and if all R&D were set up in this manner it is hard to see how real "move the needle" type innovation could actually happen.
By Everyday Junglist4 years ago in The Swamp
The Standard Simulation Hypothesis (SH1) And Transhumanist Thought
I can’t believe this had not really crossed my mind until now but the standard simulation hypothesis (SH1, both the universe and ourselves are simulations, i.e we are simulated beings living in a simulation), and almost any variant thereof, save perhaps a partial, poses some serious difficulties for the transhumanist position. In particular its most common thesis that human beings may eventually be able to transform themselves into different beings with abilities much surpassing those we have at present. The difference in abilities will be so great that we will no longer be human but instead become posthuman beings. A common version of this suggests that at some point our technology will become so powerful that we will be able to download “ourselves” into a computer and thus achieve eternal life in the digital domain without the need of a physical body.
By Everyday Junglist4 years ago in Futurism
Lazy Worlds
About this challenge The mysteries of the night sky have fueled storytelling since the dawn of time. Almost, but not quite as long as " since the dawn of time" has been considered one of the most cliche phrases in all of writing for describing a long period of time. And only slightly longer than "mysteries of the night sky" has been recognized as an ultra lazy, way overused method for alluding to the various phenomenon of space that have sparked the curiosity of man since the dawn of time. The celestial bodies above tell a tale of the past while beckoning us to step into the future. Meanwhile the future is always sitting there just out of reach, until one shortest measurable unit of time possible later, it is the present, and we are there, thinking to ourselves, damn that was fast. But before we even have time to wipe our butts or blow our noses all of a sudden its the past and we are standing there again with our fingers up our noses asking for change on a street corner somewhere raving about aliens and the coming end of man or some crazy shit like that. What might that future hold? What might you hold in the future? Besides a shit ton of debt of course. Commercial space travel? Travel commercials in space? First contact with alien lifeforms? or first contact with lawyers from the movie Alien unhappy about us ripping off the tagline from their 1979 scifi horror classic to use as a truly terrible writing challenge prompt? Technological advancements that extend the human lifespan to 500 years? or culinary advancements that extend the human waistband to 500 inches? Who can say? Future man, that's who. or you, maybe you, if you are a terrible sci fi writer or just terrible writer. Either future man or you can say in this challenge. Or, you can turn down this challenge like a big wuss and go home to your mom and cry, like you always do.
By Everyday Junglist4 years ago in Futurism
Making the Case for Simulation Hypothesis Variants
Author's preface: See link here for additional info that forms that background of this discussion Logical argument for SH1 (both ourselves and the universe are 100% simulated) — From P. Kassan, Skeptic magazine, 21.4 2016
By Everyday Junglist4 years ago in Futurism
The Simulation Hypothesis and Possible Variants
In the most common and discussed version of the simulation hypothesis all of reality is nothing more than an ultra sophisticated computer program. This includes not only everything that makes up what we consider to be the universe but also ourselves. We exist in the simulation and are also simulated beings. I will call this protypical version of the simulation hypothesis SH1. (pretty imaginative for a simulation right?) There are a few possible variants of SH1 that we might imagine.
By Everyday Junglist4 years ago in Futurism
The Simulationist’s Confession
Examination of Conscience As you prepare to make a good confession, you want to ask the Simulator(s) forgiveness for any way in which you have offended him/them but particularly for any serious offense against/within the simulation. If you are not certain what you should bring to confession, do not be afraid to check online for help. The internet is there to assist you and to share with you the Simulator(s) love and mercy.
By Everyday Junglist4 years ago in Futurism
Sex and the Single Simulationist & The Simulationist's Marriage
One of the questions I get asked most often from young simulationists’s that come to my various seminars or read my books has to do with the purpose of sex and procreation within the simulation. Many are understandably confused when they first become awoken and realize that everything they thought was fact or were taught was true about the universe and their place in it was in error. In many this triggers an extended period of soul searching, deep thought and other contemplative exercises that can result in changes in their personalities and life goals. For a majority the information is taken in stride and these self critical examinations are for the good, while for others they can spiral into self and simulation destructive activities. In either case there often comes a time when questions about relationships with the opposite sex, romantic love, sexual relations, procreation and family become more and more important. At these times deep thoughts about the purpose of sex, love, and procreation are common.
By Everyday Junglist4 years ago in Futurism
