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Denver from the Museum of Nature and Science

deja vu

Of Phantoms and Vampires

The phantoms and vampires of the season may soon be at temporary rest. That said, malevolent beings and evil are still around.  It is a regrettable deja vu of a fallen humanity. A recent viewing of the 1922 German silent movie 'Nosferatu - A Symphony of Horror' reiterated this reality.  One may wonder what a silent movie and a symphony have in common. In this instance it was Andrew Peters, organist extraordinaire, who provided a hauntingly beautiful musical accompaniment for this 90 minute film.  


Nosferatu was a not too subtile plagiarism of Bram Stoker's classic Dracula tale. Some Ivy League college president's might have called it, an unauthorized adaptation. Ultimately, Bram's wife Florence sued and the German court verdict in her favor demanded that all copies of this movie be destroyed.  Because judgement was delayed, the movie already had international distribution. So copies of the film, but not the original sound score, existed and were saved. 


Total film destruction would have been a tragedy. Though the art form and the acting seems a bit peculiar today, the film's creativity, especially in use of light, and the impact on viewers was undeniable.

Directed by F.W. Murnau with Max Schreck as Count Orlok, the Vampire

Reportedly there were underlying, inferred themes in this silent movie, that have some similarity (deja vu) with today's events.   One of the inferred themes is antisemitism. If this is true it wasn't that the Jewish people were considered vampires. They were more likely portrayed as rats and mice. They were the bearers of pestilence and plague. Sadly the response to plague in this movie of a hundred years ago was almost identical to that for COVID19, isolation and fear. Professor Bulwer in Nosferatu (Dr. Van Helsing) seem to have been the role model for the 2019 Dr. Fauci. People are getting sick and Bulwer is showing how a Venus Fly Trap entraps and kills its' prey. Dr. Fauci is introducing bats, pangolins and a wet market to a population hyper-focussed on learning the plague's origin. 

Count Orlok suddenly realizing he didn't have an hour til sunrise w/ the Fall DLS time change.

AI - Trick or treat

Of course AI (Artificial Insemination) has been around for some time. Now the more common use of the acronym AI, refers to 'Artificial Intelligence'.   However, Artificial Intelligence is a bit of a trick or treat and has some ghoulish outcomes, intentional or not. Real, flesh and blood service agents have been replaced by AI phantoms. Never-ending decision tree drill downs on the phone (dial '1' for this, '2' for that...and give up all hope for a real person) suck the life out of the caller. And don't you just love the fake typing background noise. Abandon any thoughts of a productive service call if you hear that creepy AI typing. 


 Some recent examples of Artificial Intelligence horror follow.

COMCAST/XFINITY

If you have internet service through COMCAST and have a service issue, good luck. The AI 'agent' taking/blocking phone service calls will incessantly try to send you a link to help self diagnose the problem.  The logic of not having internet service, and insisting on troubleshooting using internet service is a digital disconnect.  


Ultimately at the Comcast store the service representative responded "we hate our service hotline". A service visit was ordered.

EXCEL ENERGY

Energy companies have use AI to spy on you, amplify profits and decrease their liability.  New electrical meters are installed at homes so usage can be read sans Mel, the good ole meter reader. Homeowners are told no Mel will reduce costs. Unless homeowners ask they won't know it is the energy company's cost that will be reduce. The real AI intent of new meters is to facilitate higher charges for electricity (water, etc.) during peak time use. And companies that install the expensive new meters (like Excel) are willing to connect you up with an insurance policy should the meter need replacement. 

SIRIUS/XM

Many may find the satellite radio service, while omnipresent, real expensive.  When that realization hits, and you want to save money, prepare to be accosted by the latest in AI 'you cannot quit' weaponry.  


An AI agent is likely to respond "may I ask why you wish to cancel your SXM service?" Try responding "No" or "None of your business" and see what happens.

TOLLWAYS

Tollways have set new standards in the efficient use of AI to track you down and automatically charge for highway use.  Many of those former toll booth employees have long had to find other jobs. Now one rarely has a choice of 'manual - pay as you go' or 'automatic - we will find and bill you' lanes. The only difference now is in an elevated fees if you've not loaned the tollway system ample (purportedly for a convenient  transponder, but really for investment. If only the tollways were as efficient and diligent in repairing the highways.

Kinley and Ashley - resting from late afternoon Trick or Treating. Getting ready for an evening tour

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MAY 2025

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