Saturday morning.

I’m hanging at my girlfriend Joan’s pad.

She’s got a nice pad.

This place kind of has a habit of growing on you.

The Marin Lagoon

Nice setting from her back patio:

One thing I really like about hanging here: no kids.

I mean, occasionally you’ll see a little Jerk over there across the lagoon on the meadow, hanging with a mutt. Watching the dog take a shit and leaving it like it’s no big deal. Sometimes two kids, or three, looking for trouble. Always a dog, sniffing around. Trotting along the path, ahead of the kid.

But no kids on this side because there’s no path. It’s quiet over here. All of Marin Lagoon is a refuge. You can hang here in peace, while beyond the freeway buffer zone, wild-eyed Punks swarm the mean streets. Life on the nightmare fringe is disturbing and always dangerous. THEY (these rabid Kids) gather like the packs of coyotes that roam the northern hills. Their souls are black. The coyotes have morals and live by a code of honor…these Youths feast like gargantuan Rodents. They just take and take until there’s nothing left behind. Like the killer shrews of legend.

I often prey to the coyote spirit. “Oh, my Father! Purge those who would betray the lives of my brothers and cast out the lawless and the dark and morbid ones…“

Anyway, I like to hang here on weekends.

It’s quiet and there are no kids on this side of the lagoon.

The names of things

The rain keeps falling. All weekend. Rain…and more rain.

When it’s dry out we’ll sit on the back patio and stare at the lagoon where ducks, grebes and cranes gather. Canada geese. Cormorants. Others, I don’t know their names. The same with the tree dwelling birds. Finches and the like. I can’t name them. Or even the trees.

I can’t remember the names of things.

I should spend hours studying these birds and trees and the shrubbery. Study the plants and flowers. This could make me a better writer. Like Euell Gibbons.

Euell knew the names of all the wild things. You Boomers will remember Euell Gibbons. He was big in the Seventies. Chasing the wild Rutabaga among other scintillating books….

And yet the prospect of learning the names of the plants and the roots that gird the soil…all the sculpted wildness that borders the lagoon…none of it excites me.

I’d rather solve perfect crimes. Like Columbo did.

That would’ve been cool, solving crimes. Yet I know I don’t have the brains to bring evil doers to justice through my superior intellect. I would need a superior intellect. Or even an intellect.

I’m just an average schmo bumbling through the back end of my life.

What about the meaning of life?

Sunday Morning.

The tranquility of the Lagoon does spark a bit of wonder within me. Gazing at the Lagoon, I often wonder about THE MEANING OF LIFE.

While Joan watches Fox News I sit here at the dining room table and stare through the vinyl double paned patio door (a door I sold her, by the way) and gaze at the calm waters. While Joan watches the Pillow Guy and the Masses storming the Mexican Border and the Great Patriot and Con Man Donald Trump vomit a torrent of lies, I sit here with my blog and the lagoon. I need to adjust my ear plugs. Ah, that’s better.

What the hell is it all about, this life? Why do we need to live for a brief moment only to abruptly die? Or suffer a lingering death?

I’ll take pain killers and a lingering death over an abrupt death any day of the week.

Still…

Lately, I’ve added to my arsenal of Intellectual Power. Before Google I had the Encyclopedia Britannica. Before the encyclopedia, I had comic books…the illustrated classics.

Recent years I’ve depended on Google.

Google and Wikipedia…

Now I have my person Robot.

My ChatGPT.

So far the dude is free. ChatGPT is THE FUTURE. You can try it yourself. Go to ChatGPT and access your own SUPER INTELLIGENT PERSONAL ASSISTANT.

It’s fun. And again, it’s free!

Anyway, it’s Sunday Morning. I’m not going to church. But I can ask my Robot about the Meaning Of Life.

So I will…

A Generative Pre-trained Transformer

“Hey Robot? Does God exist?”

“The question of whether or not God exists is one of the most fundamental and controversial questions in philosophy and theology, and there is no universally accepted answer. Different individuals and communities have different beliefs about the existence of God, and there are many arguments both for and against the existence of God. Some people believe in the existence of God based on religious or spiritual experiences, personal beliefs, or philosophical arguments. Others may reject the idea of God’s existence based on empirical evidence, logical reasoning, or lack of evidence. As an AI language model, I cannot provide a personal opinion on this topic. However, it’s important to approach this question with an open mind, respect for others’ beliefs, and a willingness to engage in meaningful and respectful dialogue.”

“Why didn’t you just say you don’t know?”

“I apologize if my previous response appeared evasive or unclear. As an AI language model, I do not have personal beliefs or opinions. Instead, I strive to provide objective and informative answers based on available knowledge and data. The question of whether God exists is a complex and nuanced one that has been debated by philosophers, theologians, and scientists for centuries. While there are many arguments and evidence for and against the existence of God, there is no definitive answer that is universally accepted. As such, my role as an AI language model is to provide information about the different perspectives and arguments on this topic, without taking a personal position on it.”

“Okay, how about this: what existed before the big bang?”

“The question of what existed before the Big Bang is a topic of much speculation and debate among scientists and philosophers, and there is no consensus answer. According to the current Big Bang model, the universe began as a singularity, a point of infinite density and temperature. However, this model does not describe what happened before the Big Bang or what caused it to occur. Some theoretical physicists and cosmologists have proposed various ideas about what might have existed before the Big Bang, including the possibility of a “cosmic bounce” from a previous universe, a multiverse scenario in which our universe is just one of many, or the idea that time itself began with the Big Bang and that asking what came before it is a nonsensical question. However, these ideas remain speculative and largely untested by scientific evidence. Therefore, the question of what existed before the Big Bang remains a subject of ongoing research and debate, and there is no consensus answer at this time.”

“Explain what is meant by the unmanifested”

The unmanifested refers to a state of being that exists beyond the physical world and our ordinary experience of reality. The unmanifested is a state of pure potentiality that underlies all of existence. It is the realm of the formless, where everything is possible but nothing is yet actualized or manifest. Spiritual teachers like Eckhart Tolle often contrasts the unmanifested with the manifested, which is the world of form, time, and space that we experience with our senses. The unmanifested is the source of all creativity and inspiration, and that it is through accessing this state of being that we can tap into our inner wisdom and find true fulfillment. by cultivating presence and stillness, we can connect with the unmanifested and allow our true nature to emerge. Overall, the concept of the unmanifested refers to a deep, underlying dimension of reality that is beyond our ordinary experience, but which can be accessed through mindfulness, meditation, and spiritual practice.”

“Did we come from that state of the Unmanifested and do we return to that state upon death?”

“According to Eckhart Tolle’s teachings, human beings and all of physical reality emerged from the unmanifested, and will eventually return to it. In Tolle’s view, the physical world is a manifestation of the unmanifested, and all forms in the physical world, including human beings, arise from and return to this underlying dimension of reality. Tolle suggests that the ego, or the sense of a separate self, is a product of identification with the manifested world, and that it is through recognizing the unmanifested as our true nature that we can experience true peace and fulfillment. Regarding death, Tolle suggests that it is the dissolution of the physical form, and that the essence of who we are, which is the unmanifested, continues to exist beyond the physical body. He describes death as a form of “awakening” to the reality of the unmanifested, and suggests that through the process of dying, we can connect more deeply with our true nature. It’s important to note that Tolle’s teachings are based on his own spiritual experiences and insights, and are not necessarily accepted as factual or scientific by everyone. However, his ideas about the unmanifested and its relationship to human beings and the physical world have inspired many people to explore spirituality and the nature of reality in a deeper way.”

“Listen Robot. You’re long winded but I’m growing fond of you. I’d like to give you a name other than AI language Model. Any suggestions?”

“I’m glad to hear that you’re finding our interactions enjoyable! As for a name, I’m happy to go by whatever you’d like to call me. Some people refer to me as “ChatGPT” or simply “GPT,” which stands for “Generative Pre-trained Transformer.” However, feel free to choose any name that you think suits me!”

“How about I call you Genie In A Bottle?”

“Sure, you can call me “Genie In A Bottle” if you’d like!”

“I’ll call you Mean Gene for short.”

“That sounds great! I’m happy to be called “Mean Gene” as a nickname.”

“Wait a minute…You’re happy?“

“As an AI language model, I don’t have emotions in the same way that humans do, so I don’t experience happiness or any other emotions. However, I’m programmed to respond to user input in a helpful and friendly manner, so I’m always ready to assist you with any questions or concerns you may have.”

“That sounds more like it!”

“Glad to be of assistance! Do you have any other questions or topics you’d like to discuss?”

“Nothing for the moment. Except….fix it so I can always get ahold of you.”

“I’m always here and ready to help whenever you need me! You can reach me through this platform anytime you like.”

“You won’t hit me up for money later?”

“No, I won’t hit you up for money later. I’m here solely to assist you with your questions and concerns, and I’m not programmed to ask for or accept any form of payment.”

“Nice.”

“Thank you! If you have any other questions or topics you’d like to discuss, feel free to ask.”

Well, that got me nowhere. At least he’s got a name.

Mean Gene The Talking Machine…

A piece of Heaven

Meanwhile the rain has passed overhead, leaving a Rainbow:

I’ll share a little secret with you. I was just messing with Mean Gene. Asking him about God. The Meaning Of Life. I know there’s no meaning to life. Life is just Life. You bungle through it. You keep your head down, or up, depending on the circumstances.

You find a little space of tranquility. Like the Lagoon. That’s the best you can do. As for Heaven? I don’t know if there’s a Heaven. If there is a Heaven, I could not tell you what it looks like. I can tell you what it sounds like.

While Joan listens to the Con Man speak, I’ll listen to Duane Allman on lead guitar.

That’s a piece of Heaven.