Author Archives: rickconti

What Will Set Us Free Now?

Posted on by under Generic Rant

Recently, I was searching for information about cars. There was a car I was interested in that had been discontinued by its manufacturer back in 2020. (I won’t mention any names, but it’s the Honda Fit.) I searched to see if the model might be back some time. Other cars have made a return, e.g. Mustang, Honda Prelude, and VW Bus (or Buzz, as it’s called now) so why not that Fit, er, that unnamed car?

I was thrilled to find a couple of websites announcing a 2026 version of the car. They had video presentations of the design and various features. It looked great!

But something smelled funny about these sites. First of all, they weren’t from Honda, that is, the manufacturer. Just a brief examination made it obvious the websites were fraudulent. The videos and photos had been created by AI. That’s when it hit me. Nothing can be trusted anymore, especially on the Internet.

When MAGA came along and began its assault on truth with its “alternate facts” and other such nonsense, I thought it was just a blip on the lie radar. Nope. They never let up their onslaught. Now they’re joined by a far more sophisticated and pernicious purveyor of deceit: AI.

There have always been lies and liars. (Remember Lyndon Larouche, Bernie Madoff, Frank Abagnale, Rosie Ruiz, the Tobacco Institute, Richard Nixon, and all the other Trump forerunners?) AI makes them all look like amateurs. Anyone can tell anyone anything anytime and it’s almost impossible to discern the truth because AI excels at camouflaging lies. That’s what it does best.

Jesus once famously and accurately said, “The truth will set you free.” With truth now held hostage by sleazy power brokers, ruthless criminals, vicious bullies, amoral techies, and other ne’er-do-wells, where do we turn to be set free? Personally, I throw my lot in with the Originator of that maxim.

Quotes#4

Posted on by under Books, Generic Rant, Original writing

Back in the day, when I was writing another blog (q.v. Limping in the Light) I had a few series of posts, such as things I’m thankful for, lies we believe, spiritual disciplines of the modern world, among others. One abbreviated series I ran was of meaningful quotes. There were only three such posts in that blog. (If you’re interested, you can find them here, here, and here.) That’s a shame because I collect and save such quotes at an alarming rate. The file in which I record them contains a few hundred.

Such a waste! To relieve my conscience, I think I’ll share a couple here.

I just finished reading Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”. Not only was it a wonderful book, it was a treasure trove of wisdom. Here are a couple of nuggets.

Here’s a statement of the human condition which sadly has been so for all recorded time.

People whose history and future were threatened each day by extinction considered that it was only by divine intervention that they were able to live at all. I find it interesting that the meanest life, the poorest existence, is attributed to God’s will, but as human beings become more affluent, as their living standard and style begin to ascend the material scale, God descends the scale of responsibility at a commensurate speed.

Although her book was published in 1969, Ms. Angelou prophetically characterizes certain current national figures with this analysis:

In order to be profoundly dishonest, a person must have one of two qualities: either he is unscrupulously ambitious, or he is unswervingly egocentric. He must believe that for his ends to be served all things and people can justifiably be shifted about, or that he is the center not only of his own world but of the worlds which others inhabit.

I’ve never seen a more precise description of a certain despicable scoundrel who is even now tearing down everything we cherish.

Happy Birthday, Lew

Posted on by under About writing, Movies

Lew Hunter was one-of-a-kind.

I don’t have many acquaintances who are listed in Wikipedia. Lew was one of them, and deservedly so. After a successful stint as a TV network executive, he became one of the premier screenwriting instructors in the industry. Lew taught at UCLA for many years before becoming chairman of the school’s screenwriting department, an honor he held in Emeritus after his retirement. The aforementioned Wikipedia article quotes none other than Steven Spielberg as calling him, “the best screenwriting teacher going.”

Lew was recognized not only as one of the best teachers of the art but as one of the most positive and approachable people in the industry. One of the professors on his staff told me, “Lew is my friend, my father, my brother, my colleague—the greatest!” It was after his “retirement” that I had the opportunity to learn under his tutelage. (He could never truly retire because he loved his work and students so much.) For a while, he and his wife traveled the country in their van holding screenwriting seminars wherever he was wanted. That’s when I met him and he became, whether he knew it or not, my mentor in screenwriting and writing in general. He ended every communication with his admonition to “Write on!” He made anyone who worked with him want to do so.

He also held what he called “screenwriting colonies” at his Nebraska home. I had the privilege and honor of attending one of those and spending significant time with the man and his family. In a business where “cutthroat” and “sleazy” are commonly used adjectives to describe people in that community, he was an anomaly. A truly loving, inspirational figure that people flocked to, not just for his expertise but for his optimism and spirit. He was a one man cheering section.

We last spoke in 2020. As usual, he was gracious, helpful, and inspiring. He died of Covid in 2023. I miss him, his assistance, his sense of humor, and his encouragement more than I can say. Today is his birthday. What can I do to honor him except to…

Write on!

Dissection of a support response

Posted on by under Generic Rant

At one time or another, most of us have to send a support request to our favorite online service, technology supplier, or website. Upon receiving a less-than-helpful response from one company this week, I realized most of these messages follow a very specific template, probably generated by (God help us) AI. Here’s one I’ve broken down for your reading pleasure. There’s no pleasure (or help) in receiving one of these inane replies, so enjoy this one.

[meaningless polite greeting]
Good morning,

[Obnoxious and totally disingenuous expression of empathy. The question is, do you “completely understand” how frustrating it is to get this phony automated response to every question I send? Let me tell you about “frustrating”, robo-responder!]
I hope this message finds you well. I’m truly sorry to hear that you’re experiencing difficulties accessing our services online—I completely understand how frustrating that can be, and I appreciate you bringing it to our attention.

[Acknowledgment of problem with no hope of resolution]
At the moment, we are aware of a known issue affecting [some people and/or platforms unrelated to what you described in your question], which is causing the problem you are experiencing. [No, you obviously aren’t aware because that isn’t the problem I’m experiencing.] preventing some users from using our site. Our technology team is actively working on a resolution, and we sincerely apologize [I think we’ve already established how sorry you are, in every sense of the word.] for the inconvenience this may be causing.

[insanely complex and/or inconvenient workaround, plus buy stuff to get the other stuff working that you already paid for]
Please perform the following steps:

  1. Refer to our FAQ.
  2. Clear your browser’s cache, temporary files, and cookies.
  3. Disable any pop-up blockers.
  4. Ensure your browser is set to accept cookies.
  5. Close all browser windows and restart with a fresh session.
  6. If the issue persists, try accessing the site using a different browser.
  7. If the problem still persists, reformat your disk and rebuild your entire operating system.
  8. If the problem still doesn’t go away, sacrifice a chicken, do an app-fixing dance, renew your subscription to GeekSquad, pick up your missed package at FedEx, buy some “enhancement” meds, and send $10,000 to Nigeria.
  9. Read those FAQs again.

Or:

  1. Install our app.
  2. Uninstall our app.
  3. Restart your phone.
  4. Reinstall the app from your app store.
  5. Buy an extended warranty from us.
  6. Buy, install, and uninstall the app a few more times for good measure.
  7. Have you read the FAQs?

[Acknowledgment of problem with no promise of resolution]
Once you’ve tried these steps [which no one in their right mind will do because it would take a few years and set them back a few more], please reply to this email and let us know if the issue has been resolved. [We know you won’t do them and that will keep you from bothering us again, which is actually the point of all this.] If not, it would be very helpful if you could include a screenshot, the versions of every piece of software on your computer, your mother’s maiden name, and a urine sample so we can investigate further.

[Further disingenuous pablum to try to pacify you]
Thank you again for your patience and understanding. We’re here to help and will do everything we can [everything except fix the problem, that is] to get this resolved as quickly as possible [or get rid of you any way we can].

[Meaningless but affable signoff]
Warm regards,

[Insert foreign or fabricated Anglo-sounding name.]

Better yet, just take Dogbert’s tech support advice, “Shut up and reboot.”

Blog Power #2!

Posted on by under blog snax, photos

A BlogSnax© post

Only two weeks after reporting one momentous change brought about by the Power of My Blog, I came upon a second example. Look at the second picture on the same page I linked to in my last post. It’s a jigsaw puzzle from the local library that sported a curious label. This week I borrowed another puzzle. (I’m real big on jigsaw puzzles.) The specious label was replaced by an appropriate one! This is the evidence:

Dare not doubt the Power of the Written Word! Virtually or by pen, it is indeed mightier than the sword!

The Power of the Blog

Posted on by under blog snax, photos

A BlogSnax© post

Last month I posted a photo of an empty van driving in front of me. See it here. Someone must have seen my post and realized the wrong message was being sent. They corrected the mistake by putting this sign up in a similar van I was behind last week:

It’s comforting to know there are “people on board”. It could have been driven by some dangerous creature, like a baboon, a boa constrictor, Donald Trump, a scorpion, or a slug. All this because I had the courage to point out the error of their ways in my blog. It makes one proud.

Poor Thomas

Posted on by under blog snax, Generic Rant

A BlogSnax© post

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about a poor guy named Thomas. I don’t know his last name; he probably didn’t have one. But we all know his “first name”, which also turns out to be his claim to infamy:

Doubting

Yes, I’m talking about the Thomas in the Bible, chapter 20 of the Gospel of John, to be more precise. (Verses 24 through 29, to be even more precise. This is worth reading. Seriously.) As a result of the fact that he didn’t (at first) believe that Jesus had risen from the dead (would you?) he has been labeled “Doubting Thomas” for all of CE human history.

Now that’s just not fair.

Imagine if you were named based on the worst thing you ever did. Think about it. We’d be surrounded by…

  • Drunk Driving John
  • Sleazy Mary
  • Tax Cheat Phil
  • Swindler Suzy

Never mind if you rehabilitate yourself as Thomas did. You’re stuck with that miserable moniker as long as you live and, if Tom is any model, forever.

What would your nickname be???

Thank you for reading,
Lying Rick

It’s not the…

Posted on by under Generic Rant, Original writing

Have you ever noticed how many popular expressions take the form, “It’s not the … it’s the …”? I’ve collected a few that came to mind. I’m always open to more.

  • “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.” This tired old saw should be retired. Does anyone really want to hear this on a sultry, sweltering summer day? It only makes matters worse.
  • “It’s not the feet, it’s the humility.” This spin on the previous one is unusual. It was presented to me as a way to get across the lesson of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet on what we celebrate as Maundy Thursday. This is way more acceptable than that last one. In this case, it’s always the humility.
  • “It’s not you, it’s me.” No one wants to hear this, least of all George Costanza!
  • “It’s not the meat, it’s the motion.” Rated PG-13!! Technically, it’s “It ain’t…” but who cares? Fifty-one years ago Maria Muldaur rocked the world with this hot little number. Pretty tame stuff by today’s standards.
  • “It’s not the gift [or expense], it’s the thought that counts.” I honestly believe in this one, although it never feels true when people say it.
  • “It’s not the years, it’s the mileage.” Only Indiana Jones could have sold this one such that we’re still saying it 44 years later. For those of us who aren’t Indy, it is the years.
  • “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” This is an excellent addition to the list. Admittedly, I’d never heard of it before today when I was researching this post. This is often attributed to Mark Twain but, like so many other apocryphal quotes, it is not his. See this excellent explanation of its origins.

That’s all I’m aware of but it’s not the quantity, it’s the quality. At least that’s what people say.

Photos that make me say hmm…

Posted on by under Generic Rant, photos
I’m driving behind this van and notice the sign. If it’s empty, who’s driving?!? <cue Twilight Zone theme> Doo-doo-doo-doo.<end theme> This was before self-driving cars. I got off the road immediately.
Got this puzzle at the local library. If you find the missing pieces, shouldn’t you keep the puzzle? You’d think a library, of all places would be more precise in its wording.
I can see first aid and body fluid kits as safety equipment. Even those chock blocks might be useful. But “triangles”? Maybe if you have this guy on the bus. (Sorry the picture is out of focus.)

Hmmm…