Another Beginning

We stand on the cusp of an exhilarating epoch, one where the immense promise of AI is coming to fruition, requiring alignment with human insight and ethical principles. In these moments of reflection, I consider the tapestry of my experiences. My involvement in pioneering projects, particularly in AI, is driven by a long-standing enthusiasm for innovation. Emulating MacGyver, a paragon of resourcefulness, I have long embraced a comparable ethos of inventive problem-solving, and surviving long before his adventures graced our screens.

Many times, it was necessary to survive in a long history of World Class Skydiving, Firewalking, racing many kinds of vehicles, Bungee jumping, zip-lining, Parasailing, and other things. I competed in the dual event of Para-Skiing that we were hoping to get into the Olympics. It involved 2 attempts of Parachuting from a plane to hit a 4-inch diameter disk with your foot and racing the Giant Slalom course twice on Skis. It has not been dull, and my remarkable Doctors and Surgeons, have allowed me to keep coming back and enjoying. Now, I am focusing on developing AI and Smart Devices of all kinds to keep me and others capable of enjoying life at the level they desire.

My knack for troubleshooting, honed from a childhood, has served me well. Whether it was hunting, aiding in many kinds of construction, repairing any type of vehicle, or understanding the mechanics of anything that moved on land or soared through the skies, these skills were ingrained early on by my whole family.

My tenure in the Air Force was a testament to this. At 18, I was among the few whose job was to crawl through the wings of the world’s largest cargo plane C-124, the only aircraft of that type that allowed repair of the engines and other systems in the aircraft mid-flight. I have continually embraced challenges when others hesitated, and it has placed me in many unique situations. This adaptability proved invaluable, ensuring we were never left stranded. On one occasion, a simple coat hanger, obtained from a lighthouse keeper’s spouse, was all it took to mend a plane that allowed a takeoff from a remote Alaskan village and continue our mission. Such resourcefulness wasn’t just about fixing the aircraft, it extended that day to providing an incredible meal of salmon to our crew at that same location when a knife was my only fishing tool.

My path to this effort is typical of how I have ended up in many places. It started by helping someone. While many people were sheltered during the Pandemic, I worked outside almost the entire time. It was not the most comfortable thing to do in the hot, cold, and rainy weather, but it was safer than being enclosed, so I have a different perspective on life in the Pandemic era. I have not been ill with anything for over 4 years. I demonstrated that from my outside vantage point, I could provide better information for organization and protection for the Nurses and other personnel.

A young woman arrived early to be tested at the Testing and Vaccination facility. I talked to her briefly while we waited to open and found out she thought she had COVID-19. She was also worried that her sickness would not allow her to complete her project. She had been tasked with finding a suitable fourth person to give a TEDx talk at Diablo Valley College that would allow them to begin their TEDx program officially. I told her some things that I had done that might interest people and I told her that even though I had never done one, I would do it and put her mind to rest on that problem. It turns out she had a great day because she did not test positive for COVID-19, but I was still committed to doing the TEDx talk! In the process of giving that talk, I shared the stage with a rather remarkable person who is a part of this effort, Sejal Thakkar. She gave a great talk, and the video was lost. They simply said, “We lost it!” I was impressed then, and still am now, by her perseverance and persistence in pursuing something! I watched and appreciated her for weeks successfully, going through the process of reassembling all the pieces necessary quickly to re-record her talk. She was a great inspiration to me, and the college people involved. Last week, she introduced me to Dennis Pitocco, another remarkable person, demonstrating again that she possesses exceptional and admirable attributes. I have always enjoyed being the wind beneath the wings, and I will enjoy writing about it!

I plan to contribute many things and support this effort as much as I can. Everything is moving at the speed of AI, and I am loving it. Living by the split-second has been my style, and this is the best drug I have had! I plan to contribute stories of other people that I have helped. From the Lone Ranger series, my Who Was That Masked Man (WWTMM) stories always end with no one knowing me. I am very proud of my mentoring efforts which have worked out very well and I plan to continue. With my extensive experience of navigating unfamiliar environments alone, often without knowing the language, I recognize opportunities to assist others and act. I am aware of many things that people engage with other people or their phones do not see.

I am writing about my experiences in bite-sized chunks so that I am not devoting too much time to writing about my life instead of living it.

The thought of forgoing writing entirely and simply continuing my activities in silence has irrevocably changed. However, AI has shifted my perspective, revealing a multitude of tasks that demand the contribution of as many experienced people as possible to the training of AI. My AI focus now is Active Inference and I plan to work very hard to organize and contribute to that effort.