HETTY

Category: Technology

  • I Watch Less TV and Cable Now.

    I Watch Less TV and Cable Now.

    What’s something you do completely differently from how you were raised?

    This is probably the biggest difference in my life now. Growing up in the 70s and 80s, I lived in a 2 television household. One TV was a smaller portable black and white television that I often watched in the kitchen or in my bedroom with my 2 brothers. The other color television stayed in the living room. It was too heavy for my brothers and I to carry it. Indeed, the television likely required 2 people to carry the television, or one very fit person with a strong back.

    So growing up, I watched a lot of TV shows and sometimes syndicated movies on broadcast networks. I saw some of the classic series over the years, and then some shows that may last one or 2 seasons.

    My family also invested in premium cable television and later a VCR device and video game consoles. Atari, HBO, and a Nintendo console. Even more time in front of the television. Probably a good fraction of my life was in front of the TV watching some of the theatrical movies, some made for cable series, playing the early more primitive video games. I was entertained enough back then.

    I still love some shows, like I’m still a big Simpsons fan. But over the past 10 years, I started to drift away from watching so much television.

    Maybe streaming services have a lot to do with that, having a laptop and smartphone changed my viewing habits even more. I replaced one screen for another.

    I don’t know exactly why my viewing habits changed. I think I became wiser and more experienced, and became more familiar with the tropes and cliches of TV series. Like I can’t really tolerate laugh tracks on sitcoms any more, cuz some of the jokes on shows aren’t that funny. Other times, television shows like dramas reference real life events, such as real life crimes. I can read about the unsanitized real life events online instead.

    But also maybe I spent too many days coming home from work or school, and ended up watching television or playing video games alone for hours. Not always, cuz I will still watch television with others, but it’s often sport games or a show or movie I’m not that invested in. I think my attention span dwindled over time. I have other interests now.

    So TL;DR version. I grew up in a 2 TV set household watching a lot of television and I eventually drifted away from that to the point where I barely watch any TV or cable programs. I’ll read online articles, go on social media, or play more simple video games on my smartphone.

  • Retirement

    If the salary was the same, what job would you be doing right now and why?

    Retirement. Why work if you don’t have to? You can do what you want. Sleep 14 hours a day even. There’s gonna be more automation in the future, so it’s gonna be harder to find good paying jobs.

    However, if I had to work, I’d choose sex worker. Legalized and decriminalized, of course. And women only. That’s a sweet deal.

  • WordPress Blogging and AI Generation

    WordPress Blogging and AI Generation

    Share a hobby you’ve picked up recently — what got you into it?

    I’ve had hobbies much of my life, and I switch between them. Toys, then reading, then video games, hobby robotics, currently international travel. I have recently gotten into blogging (my HETTY website), and AI generation. I’ll explain why.

    So, I’ve been country hopping since early 2025, and while I have an income, long travel is expensive no matter how frugal one is. I’ve been traveling to countries with lower costs of living, but I have stubborn debt I’d like to pay off as quickly as possible.

    So I have been looking into side gigs, and long story short, decided on a blog. I have education with studying Information Technology, food service and cooking, and English technical writing. I thought the blog based on my education and experience could generate some extra income through donations, but so far nothing. I most likely won’t renew my WordPress by November, but I’m still posting articles and writing for now.

    AI generated content is more complicated, but one of the reasons I’m dabbling in prompting articles, images, and short videos is again money. I’m fully aware of how controversial and troublesome AI apps are. The technology is currently causing problems around the world, and will cause more problems in the future. I fully agree that AI apps need to be heavily regulated, if not banned entirely.

    However, I’ve been exposed to AI content  online for around 2 years. It’s increasingly difficult to avoid AI related content at this point short of staying off of the internet. I gradually used different AI engines over time, with a writing generator, then image and video creation apps.

    I use Gemini to ask questions about different topics when I’m curious about something, or I’ll write prompts on other AI apps to generate images and videos I have to visualize ideas I have. I’ve gotten fairly good at writing prompts over a short period of time.

    So far, I paid for 3 subscriptions to different AI apps. I’m still trying to figure out a way to make extra income with the content I prompted, but I’ll post short videos and images on social media to see if I get a reaction. AI isn’t popular with many people, and currently for good reason.

    Some of the videos and images I had generated are safe for work, others aren’t.

    I’m currently participating in the AI generation bubble, cuz I missed out on the Information Technology bubble in the early 21st century. I’ll continue to experiment with different apps, and maybe some day it can lead to something lucrative or profound.

    I make sure to label any AI generated content that I post online as such. I’m using AI, but try to have standards and integrity in using it.

  • Super Mario World

    Which fictional world would be the most fun to vacation in?

    There were good reasons why I played those Super Mario games so often growing up. They helped me cope with the pressures of school and/or work, the loss of a parent, and the existential pains of puberty.

    I saw the 90s live action movie version of Super Mario brothers, and I still think it’s terrible. I was like, what the hell is this? I saw it once, and never again. Even some of the cast thought the movie was shitty.  No, I would never want to live in such a world.

    However, I saw the CGI version of Super Mario, and that was a much better movie. The creators got the tone and visuals right, and it was a fun movie. The Nostalgia was there.

    I’ll get around to seeing the sequel eventually (streaming most likely), but yes it’s a fun, colorful, and quirky world, with a more cartoonish and simple version of good vs evil.

    Plus, there’s magic mushrooms with special powers, Tanooki suits that are capable of flight, and dinosaurs still exist.

    “Hedonism World” doesn’t exist in fiction, as far as I know, so I’ll take the fun, thrills, and joy of Super Mario World as a vacation location.

  • The Wild Robot

    The Wild Robot

    What’s the last movie that made you cry?

    I didn’t actually cry (more burnt out than tough or macho), but yes I did feel the tears coming on. I saw the movie on an international flight to Europe. It’s a classic bittersweet movie, and I look forward to watching whatever sequels and possibly getting around to reading the books. I highly recommend the wonderful movie for those who haven’t seen it yet.

  • The Great War

    If you could erase one event from history, what would it be?

    I’m a student of history, not a professional or expert. But to me, the Great War (aka World War 1) should be erased from history/not have happened.

    From what I understand of the war, it was mostly European conflict, over 17 million people died, mainly from poison gas, disease, and other terrible weapons, and in a complex chaotic way further down in time led to World War 2, The Russian Revolutions, and even more deaths, destruction, and terrible weapons (“Der Führer” and Winston Churchill were both Great War veterans, as an example).

    With more time and research I could prove my case better. But I think the repercussions from that war can still be felt over 100 years later.

  • How To Start a Fire

    How To Start a Fire

    Making a fire without matches or a lighter is a valuable skill, especially in survival situations. Here are some effective methods to start a fire using natural materials and simple tools:

    1. **Friction-Based Methods**
    – *Bow Drill:* Create a bow with a flexible stick and string, use a spindle (a straight, dry stick) and a fireboard (a flat piece of wood with a notch). Rub the spindle rapidly against the fireboard using the bow to generate heat and create an ember. Transfer the ember to tinder and blow gently to ignite a flame.
    – *Hand Drill:* Similar to the bow drill but using just your hands to spin the spindle against the fireboard. Requires dry, soft woods and patience.

    2. **Spark-Based Methods**
    – *Flint and Steel:* Strike a piece of steel against flint rock to produce sparks. Direct the sparks onto char cloth or dry tinder to start a fire.
    – *Firesteel (Ferrocerium rod):* Scrape the rod with a metal striker to produce hot sparks that ignite tinder.

    3. **Lens-Based Methods**
    – *Magnifying Glass or Lens:* Use sunlight focused through a magnifying glass, eyeglasses, or even a clear plastic bag filled with water to concentrate sunlight onto tinder until it ignites.

    4. **Battery and Steel Wool:**
    – Touch fine steel wool to both terminals of a battery. The steel wool will heat up and ignite. Transfer the flame carefully to tinder.

    **Tips for Success:**
    – Use dry, fine tinder like dry grass, leaves, bark fibers, or cotton.
    – Prepare kindling and fuel wood in advance to keep the fire going once it starts.
    – Practice fire safety and ensure your fire is completely extinguished before leaving the area.

    With patience and the right materials, you can start a fire without matches or a lighter!

  • 16 Great Quotes about Artificial Intelligence

    16 Great Quotes about Artificial Intelligence

    Here are some famous quotes about Artificial Intelligence from notable figures  that capture its promise, challenges, and impact:

    1. “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.” — Stephen Hawking

    2. “Artificial intelligence is the new electricity.” — Andrew Ng

    3. “The question is not whether intelligent machines can have any emotions, but whether machines can be intelligent without any emotions.” — Marvin Minsky

    4. “Some people call this artificial intelligence, but the reality is this technology will enhance us. So instead of artificial intelligence, I think we’ll augment our intelligence.” — Ginni Rometty

    5. “AI is about replacing human decision making with more sophisticated technologies.” — Dave Waters

    6. “The key to artificial intelligence has always been the representation.” — Jeff Hawkins

    7. “Success in creating effective AI could be the biggest event in the history of our civilization. Unfortunately, it might also be the last.” — Stephen Hawking

    8. “The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than the question of whether a submarine can swim.” — Edsger W. Dijkstra

    9. “Artificial intelligence is the future, not only for Russia, but for all humankind. It comes with colossal opportunities, but also threats that are difficult to predict.” — Vladimir Putin

    10. “The real question is, when will we draft an artificial intelligence bill of rights? What will that consist of? And who will get to decide that?” — Gray Scott

    11. “Our intelligence is what makes us human, and AI is an extension of that quality.” — Yann LeCun

    12. “The pace of progress in artificial intelligence is incredibly fast.” — Elon Musk

    13. “By far, the greatest danger of Artificial Intelligence is that people conclude too early that they understand it.” — Eliezer Yudkowsky

    14. “Machines take me by surprise with great frequency.” — Alan Turing

    15. “AI is likely to be either the best or worst thing to happen to humanity.” — Elon Musk

    These quotes offer perspectives from leading thinkers on the transformative power and ethical considerations of AI.