I have too much on my plate creatively to do anything with this, but here’s a fragment of a movie idea that someone, somewhere should do something with. The idea has a touch of magical realism to in a vein similar to The Enteral Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Same same, but different.
The idea is that there’s an app that not only can read your mind, but also manipulate you. So, what happens is our hero keeps seeing a woman who is perfect for him, the love of his life, on his For You Page, but she lives in NYC. But he knows if he ever met her in person, they would fall in love — or at least he would.
So, the plot is something like, he studies the young woman, travels to NYC and they meet. He uses what he’s seen from her videos to strike up a relationship with her.
Now, this is the point where I don’t know what happens. I like the idea that the couple realizes that the app (a Tik-Tok clone) really is reading their minds and they have some sort of adventure together to prove this to the rest of the world.
One of the more curious developments in social media of late is how Tik-Tok of all things is now a female dominated social media service. Or, put another way, it’s either that or because Tik-Tok is actively reading my mind it knows I’m something of a male lesbian and as such I get a peek into what women are seeing on the app. (wink.)
Julia Fox, Tik-Tok lightening rod.
My “For You Page” is dominated by cats, some politics, a little bit of weird conspiracy theory, hot chicks and women talking about various aspects of being female. I’m very pleased that women, for once, can dominate a corner of the online world.
I just find it curious as to why this happened. I think some of it may be that one, younger women who have grown up with the Internet their entire lives are comfortable with being on camera and, even more importantly, because I’m male a sizable portion of the women I’m seeing are hot. They’re hot social media influencers who are already used to running around being salacious with not a lot of clothes on while on Instagram.
So, in a sense, Tik-Tik is a natural progression from what we’ve seen with photography for years on Instagram. Some of the very-female oriented content I’ve seen on my FYP has been rather eye-opening. Like, at one point, I kept seeing a video where a woman narrated a very detailed graphic illustrated depiction of the female genitalia. I’m all for such stuff, but it was rather unexpected on my FYP otherwise filled with the Green brother explaining this or that unknown part of the scientific world.
Anyway, this development with Tik-Tok is pleasant and unexpected. We’re so used to Incels attacking women for not having sex with them that it’s nice that women can do whatever the fuck they want on a social media planform and not feel like it’s a hostile environment for once.
So, how do you explain this one. The last few days, I’ve been thinking hard about some very huge, sharp lives a kitchen drawer in my kitchen. I’ve told no one one about this until now.
And, then, sure enough, I was using Tik-Tok recently and I was pushed on my For You Page what seemed like two or three videos about…huge knives. I get that there is plenty of assumptions that Tik-Tok can make about me because its “algorithms” study how I use the service. I get it. That makes total sense.
But what I don’t understand is why I would get pushed videos about…knives? after I had been thinking hard about the potential dangers of…knives. I know that correlation is not causation but, still. That’s just spooky.
Does that mean that Tik-Tok — and Big Tech in general — have the ability to read our minds. I honestly don’t know. But it’s definitely something I would like someone, somewhere to look into.
Weird “coincidences” like this continue to happen over and over again with me an Tik-Tok to the point that it’s eerie and spooky and maybe a little bit unsettling.
Either way, whatever’s going on with Tik-Tok — which is pretty close to the Chinese government — should be looked into. If they’re reading the minds of America’s youth, then God only knows what they could do with that information. And if their algorithms really are that good, then that, too, needs to be looked into.
For some reason, I’ve found myself with a skin condition similar to what Michael Jackson suffered from. My version is not nearly as bad and, in fact, after I scraped off a huge chunk of skin it now is invisible.
Then, today, I was scrolling through Tik-Tok and…there was a couple doing something in a video and the woman obviously was suffering from the same condition, although hers was far more obvious.
It’s very, very spooky. I’ve told absolutely no one about what happened to my skin until now. The only person who knew it was happening to me, was me. Why would I be pushed that specific video so soon after the idea of having that condition myself had filled my mind? And, what’s more, the woman had the condition on her face in a conspicuous manner — something I was really worried about when I first noticed what was going on.
Very, very strange.
And, yet, it can’t possibly be digital telepathy, right? That’s just crazy talk? I mean, if Tik-Tok was reading American minds, then that means the Chinese government probably has access to that information, as well. So, that can’t be happening. I need to cool it with such talk before people think I’m even more bonkers than they already do.
Well, if Tik-Tok really can read my mind, then I guess my old joke about being a “male lesbian” has some validity — Tik-Tok has come to believe I’m lesbian. I get pushed all these ads for lesbian friendly products and some very interesting gynecological videos that as a man are rather eye opening. Oh boy.
But this does make me think about how much heart the novels I’m working on have. I’m not saying that I have any particular insight into the female experience as man — holy shit, no — but I do think it’s at least possible I’m not going to embarrass myself TOO much.
I’m trying to be as empathetic to the female experience as is possible for a man to be. But, I have very low expectations on that front. I just don’t want to embarrass myself, that’s it. My dad, who is a man of few words, told me growing up, “Son, there’s one thing in this world you can never understand and that’s a woman.”
So, I’ve taken that to heart writing these novels. But these first few novels in the series owe lot to Mare of Easttown. Writing something as good as that limited series is my goal, that’s my aspiration. The first two books in the series are very much an homage to Mare of Easttown’s take on the life of an older woman in a small town.
All of this is because I find writing women far more interesting than writing me. Men are pretty simplistic compared to women. It’s a huge challenge for me, a man, to write believable female characters.
I was in a position to count a few hundreds recently. Then, would you believe that within 24 hours, I was pushed a video about $100s? I know this sounds like just a coincidence, but, I don’t know.
It’s spooky.
And, as I’ve said before, the issue is either Tik-Tok can read our minds in some way or their algorithms really are that good. Neither one of those scenarios makes me feel all that great.
Either one of those scenarios is enough to make one sit-up and taken notice. In either situation, I would support some sort of Congressional investigation to figure out what the fuck is going on and what the Chinese government is doing with such information.
But, given that American Big Tech is probably using the same technology, there’s a good chance that any such investigations would make THEM nervous, too.
Several times the last few days, I have again noticed that Tik-Tok has an eerie tendency to pick up things that are rolling around in my mind. I struggle to see how they can push some of the thing they do without being able to read my mind in some way.
And, yet, it definitely comes across as crazy talk to suggest such a thing.
And the last thing I need is for people to think I’m any more crazy than they already do. It’s just very very weird. It seems as though if Tik-Tok was reading my mind it’s designed to push me things connected to my body or things that I think about really intently for a sharp moment.
It’s all very strange. And, yet, I guess I have to just write it off to co-incidence and repeated mistaken coloration.
Repeatedly over the last few days, I’ve been pushed videos that so so specific to me as a person that I struggle to understand how nothing more than “algorithms” could be the cause.
Who knows.
Now, again, I’m not saying that Tik-Tok can read our minds. But I am saying that something is going on that is difficult for me explain to myself without at least entertaining that idea.
There is a lot to unpack with Tik-Tok because it’s not just that I’m pushed very specific videos that seem very specific to me, I also get videos that seem to be making weird editorial comments about what’s rolling around in my head. Specifically, I continue to get videos pushed to me of women who not only look like a type of girl I like, but also the type of personality I like.
And repeatedly in the last 48 hours, Tik-Tok has pushed me specific videos that seem to be addressing specific things I’ve been thinking about a lot. These videos are so specific that it goes beyond “spooky” into the eerie and surreal.
Then there are more nuanced — and equally weird — thinks I get pushed.
Take, for instance, two things that if you know my mind, would be connected. One is I am constantly pushed videos dealing with Emily Blunt. This is no big eal in itself until you that I had something of celebrity crush on another hot British brunette — Alexa Chung.
But, wait, there’s more.
I’ve recently started to get pushed videos of a woman that I know Ms. Chung is fond of, Jane Birkin. Very odd.
Now, those last two are pretty vague and there are plenty — plenty — of other explanations besides digital telepathy. But the net effect of what I’m being pushed by Tik-Tok these days is to spook me.
The only reason why I keep commenting on this is reality — and everyone agreeing upon what is real — is very, very important to me. I don’t like the idea that Tik-Tok (and Big Tech in general) may be pulling a fast one on us and I might be the only person with nothing left to lose and, as such, am willing rant about how I think my mind is being read.
But they obviously aren’t. There’s no way that is possible. I’m just imagining things. Right, right? Right?
I’ve decided to listen to Steve K Bannon’s shitty War Room podcast to get a sense of what we’re up against. The latest episode I’ve listened to on Spotify was interesting for a number of reasons, one of them being how completely fucking bonkers Peter Navarro is. That guy is nuts! Or, at Hope Hicks would say — a hot date.
Peter Navarro believes the Chinese government owes the United States ELVENTIY TRILLIAN DOLLARS. He also, apparently, wants to have a celebrity death match with Dr. Fauci. That, or he wants to hate-fuck him. I can’t quite figure out which one.
Steve K. Bannon
But the thing that shocked me the most was my personal nutty idea of “digital telepathy” made an appearance on the podcast in the third act. To hear someone ELSE say such a bonkers thing in the wild was both unnerving and somewhat validating. Too bad it came out of the mouth of a neo-Luddite.
Speaking of which, I also felt validated by how Bannon is toying with neo-Luddism as a potential political talking point. I have repeatedly written that if Trump was smart — which he isn’t –that he would make common cause with the Far, Far Left and embrace neo-Luddism. But for all his being dumb as a stump, Bannon is kind of his “brain” so I guess it’s possible that at some point Bannon will embrace neo-Luddism.
Overall, Bannon is a very, very bad podcast host because he lies to his guests about having them on again in such a breezy casual manner. And, yet, I guess if you think NewsMax and OANN are liberal shills, then you’ll probably love Bannon’s piece of shit podcast.
Before you call the dudes with the butterfly nets on me — I’m just running a scenario. I’m kind of crashing after writing and developing on four novels all day and I have some nice whiskey next to me so you get a post like this. I do not think any of this is happening now, but think of this as wargaming a potential way that China could become a hyperpower like the USA without firing a shot.
I once read a book called “Brothers” when I was young which was so fucked up that it really did a number on my wee little mind. And, yet, that book was so out there and so wild in its conceit that I often find myself thinking about it whenever I come up with some wild plot point for the four novels I’m working on. I think to myself, “Well, if people bought the premise of THAT book, they’ll be cool with this…”
Anyway, something eerie happened recently to me that is difficult for me to explain. You see, I was really thinking about how I need a second creative track. The four novels I’m developing and writing are going really well — if slow — and I just need something to turn my attention to when I get burnt out with writing.
Then something weird happen.
I started to get pushed videos on my Tik-Tok FYP about how to shoot really cool pictures. I didn’t think anything about it until at some point things came to a head and I was like, “Huh, I think I’m going to save up the money to buy a really nice Nikon camera and see about becoming a fashion photographer.”
Then it hit me — something about the lead up to this “ah-ha!” moment felt…unnatural. As I was being gently guided towards that decision. Again, I’m just letting off some steam by saying that. That is such an abstract observation that there are many, many no-Inception-necessary that would easily explain it.
In other words, it’s bullshit to think Tik-Tok using real-life Inception technology was fucking with me.
Here’s my bonkers scenario. China is a rising power. We’re rushing towards the Singularity. Let’s propose that in dribs and drabs Big Tech in both the United States and China have figured out not just Digital Telepathy, but fucking Inception.
They’re not just eaves dropping on our minds, they’re actually implanting concepts into our minds in some way. It’s easy to imagine China, not wanting to blow the world up, begins to, at some point, wage Singularity War against the West to the point that we never have a direct conflict with them because, lulz, strangely, things keep breaking the Chinese’s way at critical junctures
Again, I’m just running a scenario. I don’t believe this is happening. This is way too bonkers for even me to believe in anyway. Think of this is a free Hollywood movie concept, if you will. I’m dropping more log lines than truth bombs. At least in my own mind.
Or, put another way, if I was the Chinese leadership, that’s how I would do it. I would have something akin to Digital Telepathy Manhattan Project where I threw a $1 trillion at weaponizing the technology so I could avoid the Thucydides Trap.
Thankfully, no one listens to me. I’m just relaxing by doing some brain dead writing. Lulz.
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