HNMNBM Book One

= = = Everett, Washington PRESENCE: Hey Wonk, Gizmo gave me a Presence node, is it working OK? Yup, doing just fine for a mobile, great resolution and decent sound. How is Hawaii treating you? Pretty good, they gave me a Jeep Wrangler, it blends in really well here, all of the rentals seem to be Jeeps or Mustangs. Really reminds me of a Carbanado. I never noticed them before, but it seems like there are only 3 kinds of cars here, Jeeps, Mustangs and the locals all have Toyota Tacomas. I think this is my first Baader-Meinhof. Baader-Meinhof? You have never noticed something, then you see it all the time. Anyway, thanks for being available to test my Presence node, that's why I called. You got anything for me? Nothing of import, take care amigo. Out. END PRESENCE. Wonk was hungry so he jumped in his self drive for the robodeli on Bayside, (he was in his roast beef on rye phase). As his self-drive turned off Rucker, a van cut him off, ran so close the self-drive declared a...

Lillian Russell was puzzled and asked, Yolanda are you sure you want to go public with this story in HNN. There are some threads that just don't make sense, maybe we should run them to ground before we go with the story. We have an exclusive on the story with a photo of Kelsey Kegel of the Flat Earth party apparently engaged in eroticism including strangling Harold, who ends up dead of asphyxiation. That's news and breaking news is usually not all nice and tidy, if we sit on it, we lose the moment, retorted Yolanda. So what do we know about the Flat Earth candidate for Governor, Kelsey Kegel? Lilian pulled up her note pad, here is what I was able to come up from file notes. She supports the nation of Israel, has been behind efforts to raise private funding for a Holocaust museum. She has raised $21M for her campaign as of 6 weeks ago. She is a straight arrow, her aggressive TV ads pass the FACTCHECK smell test, while her opponents don't. Background in finance, par...

Gizmo, you mentioned a project in Louisiana, that could use recycled plastic. What is that? I wondered, Traveler, how long it was going to take you to ask about it. I met Father Lafitte at Cursillo, a Catholic retreat, and we have stayed in touch. His parish is in Southern Louisiana and is threatened by loss of land. His church will probably be gone in 5 years. I don't know if you have seem the pictures, but it is incredible how much land mass has been lost. Yes, I have seen the satellite photos. I don't think it is a solvable problem, levies, combined with dredging canals for oil drilling and sea water rise, is pretty unstoppable, replied Traveler. Perhaps, Lafitte was reading about floating gardens made of water hyacinths and bamboo and closer to home for him, the well developed Chinampa, and the Uros people in Peru. Then he read the story about the floating church in Scotland, Strontian, turns out there are several of them. OK, I know about floating gardens, there ...

Gizmo, I'm wondering, you're Catholic right, asked Traveler awkwardly. What tipped you off, asked Gizmo? When I gave up social media for Lent? The medal around my neck? That I make the sign of the cross before I eat? That my password is the name of my confirmation saint spelled backwards? Because I know there's a deeper meaning to St. Patrick's day than green beer? He flashed that big ol Gizmo grin, I'm guessing you're asking for a reason? Traveler had to laugh at Gizmo's characterization of being Catholic. How important is Mother Mary to you? Pretty important, Gizmo replied, she was the mother of Jesus, if He had not been born, lived a sinless life, gave it up on the cross for our sins, and then was resurrected on the third day, we would be lost in our sins, might as well get in line for some opiates. Why? But couldn't God have used anyone, is Mary really that special? God could have brought Jesus forth out of a rock, I suppose, but that wa...

But Fonz self checks fine and he has a few new skills. Have you ever thought about getting a newer model, there is only so much that you can do with this motherboard? Yeah Guy, I have, but it is only a roombot. It would be nice to maybe get a robodog some day, neat trick with the goal that let it trip those Robusts, I didn’t know that was possible. Well, that isn’t like stuff, but if your PSE network ever gets off the ground you are going to need to think about protection robots, not much room for error there. Really need to think through your goal satisfaction. Simplest solution is to have a unique wake word for any protection goals, mine was “help Cecil help” from an ancient Bob Clampett cartoon, that is the only way to unlock the “disrupt the aggressors” skill. And he can’t fight? Never, all he can do is get between the aggressor and me, but that is actually very complex, I did most of the training using college basketball video. Look, I gotta ...

Smynerrat was always a curious beast, already 2 weeks old and venturing far outside of the conference with his friend Wildherat, who was a few days older and considerably wiser. They came upon the trap by following their noses, that heavenly aroma of sliced tilapia. That doesn't belong here chirped Wildherat, we should give it a wide berth. Smynerrat started moving closer, he was fascinated. He knew it was probably dangerous, didn't intend to go inside, just get close enough to have a look. What he didn't realize was that he didn't have to go inside to get trapped, the noose was on the edge of the doorway, as soon as he put his head in, it pulled around his head and neck. Then the machinery pulled him further into the trap, until the door closed behind him. Trapped like rats! He started screaming, help, help, get me out of here. Wildherat heard him, but didn't know what to do. The heater came on, soon Smynerrat could feel the mositure being sucked out of his t...

The winds from the East were gusting to 50 KM fanning the wildfires on the Kamchatka peninsula, there was so much smoke navigation was difficult in the Okhotsk sea. DROP IN: Call request from Anechka  Yaroshenko DENY DROP IN: Urgent call request from Anechka  Yaroshenko PRESENCE: Thank you or taking my call Angelica, look I understand that might be angry with us. Angry? Why would I be angry?  Pissed because several hundred HNMNBies have been put into labor camps, or ticked because you never paid for the last order. Look, we need those fire fighting robots, this is worse than 2022, pleaded Anechka. I know, I really do. Try to understand the whole planet is burning down. I am back ordered and that's with customers that pay their bills on time. I'm not calling from the Forestry Agency, they've pretty much given up. And my robots? Blue Crescent is operating them. Blue Crescent? A loose alliance of corporations. Here is what I am prepared to offer, I can s...

The hairs literally stood up on the back of Traveler’s neck. Jennifer was acting odd. One of the customers waiting looked over at him a couple of times. Traveler closed his eyes trying to remember, the camera across the street that used to point to the intersection was pointed directly at the shop. Facing away from the camera, he said, “Cody, LOOK”, and to no one in particular, “ever feel like you’re being watched?” She jerked.