Pseudobulbar Paraphroneogenesis: Uncontrollable Laughing at the Insanity of Existence.

*You* Are )(A.I)( v3.0

It's early morning, a good time to blog wax.

(oh no - Ed)

Go Away Ed.

The question I see bandied about quite a bit lately is "can we create Artificial Intelligence?"

my own personal short answer would be a resounding "YES" as a function of time, applied effort and sufficient experimentation, we're going to achieve it.

I'd define "it" as minimum artificial intelligence., as bringing-about Descartes Cogito, ergo sum'ness und Sigmund's psyche

(or for those that speak English: the conscious and the subconscious - Ed)

Please stop helping me Ed.

..within an human designed construct.

Optimally with an larger storage facility for memory, sensory input and both linear and non-linear problem solving slash thought.

(so, not too hard then, should have it done by, what, next tuesday? - Ed)

I'm going to shoot your framed photo of Ronald Reagan and your catheter if you keep bugging me Ed.

..But that's not really what I wanted to talk about.  This got me thinking.

(oh NOOOO - Ed)

*cough*

What I find slightly disconcerting and/or intriguing about this is that while thinking about what we'd need to do, to create an artificial intelligence, one notices that WE are already _ourselves_ very much design constructs consistent with artificial design/programmed rule origins.

^Raise-Eyebrow.

ie est. We have blatant autonomic 'programmed' response mechanisms.

programmed motor reflexes

&

programmed instinct.

to name two big ones to start with.

on further analysis our 'programming' is even yet still even more prevalent, for example I (and therefore you) can successfully, with enough introspection and analysis, and without fail, suss the source of -all- my dreams, and/or trace the imagery back to its source.

(the further implication being that not only dreams but art itself and indeed all forms of creativity are a function designed to serve a problem-solving imperative)

Preliminary Conclusion: The human intelligence construct seems to be programmed extensively for _problem solving_

(this is why Tetris is hyper-addictive, imo, it feeds the human mind's programmed demand to problem-solve, if ultimately only superficially)

I would not, to put it bluntly, be surprised if  *gaze left* *gaze right*

_We_ weren't artificial intelligence, ourselves. 

^Raise-Other-Eyebrow.

Likely, one might extrapolate, created by earlier versions of ourselves to solve a problem!

Just as we are apparently destined to create artificial intelligence designed to problem-solve.

Post Script: This raises the question of just what "problem" we were ultimately programmed to solve?

Post Post Script: Also interesting, if we are designed exclusively to problem solve then, analyzing our components should reveal what elements were deemed by X slash our creator/predecesors/evolution (take your pick - Ed) as _necessary_ and integral to problem-solving whatever problem it is that we have been programmed to solve.

Emotion for example,

..helps procreation.

Which creates more human units to work on solving the problem.

Creating a problem solving unit that gives birth to more problem solving units, is downright brilliant.

so there's a very simple reason for the need for emotion, but is it the ONLY reason?

There is an argument to be made that it may also be necessary to the health of the human AI unit/us, which would mandate itself a necessary attribute, because then in order to problem-solve at maximum proficiency, the human being would require its emotional components functioning at optimum capacity / aka that we be emotionally centered)

but are procreation and system function the only reasons for emotion?

what if emotions' existence and position of prominance within our design matrix/within us indicate something larger and more intriguing, that emotion was deemed a necessary component to problem-solving whatever it was we were created and programmed to solve.

There is also an implication that when we create our own artificial intelligence designed in our own image/to solve whatever it was WE (allegedly - Ed) were designed to solve, we may require _adding_ problem-solving elements and capabilities to it that we presently do not ourselves have.

(And Raise Third-Eyebrow - Ed)

Please Stop helping me Ed.

[Pathud]

michaelmaelstrom.

A WARNING! To Mainstream Journalists - or The B5/DS9/BSG Connection: A Systems View

OVERVIEW: The Evolution of The Story-Arc and Political-Commentary in contemporary SF Television.

REASON FOR OVERVIEW: Mainstream Journalists are acting as though BSG stands outside (and above) of SciFi because of its contemporary socio-political commentary and other structural elements. 

Bloody pompous gits.

I would maintain these journalists just weren't and aren't paying attention.

Particularly to SF.

Because while he's very good at what he does, BSG's R.D Moore not only comes from having worked on Star Trek, but his BSG show is bloody well built on the traditions of SCIFI!

I thought it would make for an interesting article to shows these snobby "I'm better than SF, and I love BSG so BSG can't be SF" journalists exactly why BSG _is_ SF and where it comes from.

ergo..we present..

The "we don't include mini-series or sitcoms or soaps or cop shows with aliens" short list version (oh thank gawd - Ed) of..

The Evolution of The Story-Arc & Social Commentary in Contemporary SF TV - B5 to BSG - A Systems View

***NOTE: if you are a mainstream journalist you MUST read this article, it is COMPULSORY, if you attempt to leave, your genitals will be pulled up over your forehead and then down your back where they will be stapled to your posterior.  Sideways.

(and/or you will be forced to listen to Carrot Top for 3 minutes straight - Ed)

Right, let's begin:

*tug down on shirt*

I would argue that

1. J. Michael Straczynski's Babylon-5 started the religio-political war-centric continuing (no character reset / the character evolves) SF story-arc on Television.

2. Star Trek DS9 after getting off to a shakey start apparently misunderstanding Story-Arc to mean "soap-opera like" (that's when DS9 lost the viewers imo) came into its Story-Arc own during the mid-until-end run of DS9 where it not only realized its own story-arc but created a bloody great one that retro-fit straight back to the first episode.

3. BSG took the religio-political war-centric story-arc structure from Babylon-5 and is fusing key elements of Star Trek with it.

BSG's R. D Moore has learned extremely well from Babylon-5 and particularly Star Trek, esp in traditional Trek areas like masked contemporary socio-political commentary, where he and BSG really stand out and shine.

(Just remember Mr/s Mainstream "BSG is better than SF" Journalists - because you will be tested on this later: RDM owes a lot to JMS' Babylon-5 for the BSG religio-political war-centric story-arc framework and to his past Star Trek writing staff meetings for having trained him so well re: social-commentary!  he worked with the best in the biz when it comes to social-commentary on Star Trek and he well represents them)

I have to admit I find it excessively irksome when mainstream journalists praising BSG act as though this is all so new and so "above-SF".

Irksome because Star Trek has had masked socio-political commentary throughout ALL of its incarnations.

I've seen kiddies not get that, instead seeing Trek episodes at face plot value only, that's to be expected from kids, but for adult journalists to miss it? dunderheads.

As bad as things might have gotten credibility-wise with breasts and cat-suits and skirts and breasts

(hey Maelstrom you said breasts twice! - Ed)

I like breasts Ed.,

As bad as things might have gotten in those regards in Star Trek., even at its pandering-to-the-lascivious-fanboy worst moments, it ALWAYS maintained its masked social commentary in virtually every episode across every Star Trek series.

I find I'd like to remove the hypothalamus of these educated journalists that don't appear to have noticed. 

Because apparently SF is beneath them. 

So much so BSG can't therefore possible be SF, it must be something else.

Riiiiight. 

Twonks.

Consider yourselves on notice, Mr/s Mainstream Media Journalists out there on the Interweb, next time I spot you saying you love BSG but it isn't SF, or it's better than SF, (because apparently you're better than SF) I'm going to pull your tongue out through your anus. Sideways.

CLASS DISMISSED.

(uh except for those mainstream journalists garbed in plaid skirts, you can stay after class)

regards,

michaelmaelstrom.

Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Earth, Sometimes.

Lacuna Coil - GothicMetalSex (or Love? - Ed)

MUSIC REVIEW: LACUNA COIL

Lacuna Coil's latest album "Karmacode" kicks some serious seductive Alternative/Gothic/Metal axe.

wot I love about this hybrid (cross-musical-genre) band is the epic struggle between the dueling-sexes lead-vocalists.

HER: Cristina Scabbia's Gothic mauve velvet-corset voice, seductive-as-all-bloody-Abaddon, like a knife sliding into the pleasure center of the brain (hypothalamus - Ed)

is challenged by..

HIM: Ferro's poundcake Heavy-Metal thrusting strut

and the result is ..well, you'd think buckets of naughtyness would be flying everywhere after that wouldn't you?

but while it is sexually charged, I find a Lacuna Coil album is more like being on one long orgasm with Catherine Deneuve.

You don't actually climax, you just ride the crest of the wave for the entire album.

And the amazing thing is the _second time_ you listen to a Lacuna Coil CD, it gets even better.

(there's no annoying amateur foreplay with 45 minutes of a tongue stuck in your ear - Ed)

Right, instead you move straight into dripping mode from the minute the CD hits replay, or I do anyway.

(You would - Ed)

Go Away Ed.

Lacuna Coil create a CD to be an encompassing experience, so it's difficult to pick a single song that represents them, and sometimes even difficult to pick 1 favorite, as they're all part of an epic tapestry.  

This listener has several favorites, but if I had to pick one song as an introduction I'd go with "Distant Sun" off their Unleashed Memories CD, and sugg injecting it straight into the musical jugular, cranking it past the maximum-volume setting.

Fave tracks off their CD's:

off new Karmacode CD: "Without Fear" "In Visible Light" "Devoted" "Our Truth" "Within Me" "Fragile" and "The Game".

off Unleashed Memories CD: "When a Dead Man Walks" "Distant Sun" "Cold Heritage" "Hyperfast" and "Stars"

off Comalies CD: "Angel's Punishment" "Heaven's A Lie" "Entwined" "The Ghost Woman and the Hunter" "Comalies" "Humane" "Unspoken" "Aeon" ..

Best introductory CD? Pretty well much the _entire_ "Comalies" CD lights up the entire left hand side of my head, same pleasure area that goes off whenever I get within a 10 foot radius of a femme wearing a plaid skirt, black leather boots und a cape.


AAAAAAAH-HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAaaaaa

*pause*

Well, that was cathartic.

(shrug)

Lacuna Coil Links:

Select & Listen to Lacuna Coil tracks (streamed to you) here

Century Media's Lacuna Coil free streamed music & videos page

official Lacuna Coil website

michaelmaelstrom

TOP 10 under-rated SF Films