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The Perfect Workforce (A Short Story)

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The drive to the factory was quiet, as had been the case for more than a year as mass unemployment and localized economic blight forced businesses to shutter and caused homes to be foreclosed upon and left vacant. The boarded-up windows and for sale signs would be a depressing sight for Greg if he didn’t view it as the cost of progress. It was nearly the third anniversary of his decision to copy other factories in the area and replace his human workforce with AI-powered androids. It was a massive financial investment, but Greg did not regret it.  The integration had been almost effortless. The androids were easier to train than most of his human employees had been. Just show them the task once and they would mimic it. With repetition, the androids learned and after the second or third upgrade, were even proactively making changes to make their work more efficient. It didn't take long for his android workers to surpass the productivity of a human workforce twice the size. Greg had g...
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Trail Camera Photos (10/27/2026-10/28/2026)

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I put my trail camera out in front of my house on Tuesday and completely forgot about it until yesterday evening, when I decided to bring it in to make sure the batteries didn't get run down by having it so close to a popular bird feeder. The batteries do seem to be OK but there was quite a bit of activity in the time I had it out. Here are some of the more than 300 photos that were taken: ________________________________________________________________________ Here are some previous trail camera photos:  Trail Camera Photos (7/23/2026-7/24/2026) Trail Camera Photos (7/25/2026-7/26/2026) Trail Camera Photos (8/23/2026) Trail Camera Photos (11/10/2024-11/12/2024)
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Just a Squirrel Photo

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It was a bit cool out today, but I figured it is only a matter of time before the temps become much colder so, since the sun was out, I did get a walk in at lunch. Unfortunately, I didn't have too much luck photography wise. Most of the critters I saw were keeping their distance, making it hard to get a good photo even with the zoom lens on max. And I don't know what's up with those ducks. The second they spot me, they fly off, even if they are on the other side of the pond. I did, however, spot this squirrel as I was walking back to my car and managed to snap a photo of it before it too decided to go into hiding. _____________________________________________________________________ Here are some of my previous nature photos: Frog Photo A Couple Heron Photos (10/7/2026) Hiding Ducks Muskrat Photos
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Movie Review: The Devil's Mask (1946)

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Synopsis: After famed explorer Quentin Mitchell goes missing on an expedition in South America, his wife, Louise, hires private detectives Jack Packard and Doc Long because she believes her stepdaughter Janet and Janet's boyfriend Rex Kennedy plan to kill her. Meanwhile, Janet and Rex believe Louise murdered her husband with the help of Quentin's partner, Arthur Logan. Things take a deadly turn when an assailant with a blowgun kills Louise's butler and the family dog, who always barks at strangers, remains quiet, raising the possibility of Quentin still being alive. The answer may come from a mysterious shrunken head discovered as cargo on a crashed plane. Who's in it? The movie stars Jim Bannon, Michael Duane, Barton Yarborough, Anita Louise , Mona Barrie, Frank Wilcox and Paul E. Burns. Review: I had planned on watching a different movie this morning but as I was looking for it, I came across The Devil's Mask and was intrigued enough by the description to give...
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Movie Review: Rescue from Gilligan's Island (1978)

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Synopsis: After being stranded on the island for 15 years, Gilligan finds a metal disc the Professor uses to fix their barometer just in time to predict a storm severe enough to cause a tsunami. They survive the storm by lashing their huts together as a boat and wind up at sea, where they are finally rescued. However, they find their return to society difficult, plus Gilligan is stalked by two Soviet spies seeking to retrieve their disc. Who's in it? The movie stars Bob Denver , Russell Johnson , Alan Hale Jr. , Jim Backus , Natalie Schafer , Dawn Wells and Judith Baldwin. Review: It had been decades since I last watched Rescue from Gilligan's Island, and I didn't remember a whole lot about the movie other than a few bits and pieces. So, when I came across the film this morning, I decided to take the time to watch it again. Overall, I would describe it as a film that was a good reunion movie but also far from perfect. I thought the overall premise about them being rescu...
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Book Review: Something Borrowed, Someone Dead by M. C. Beaton (2013)

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Synopsis: Widow Gloria French has developed a reputation around the Cotswolds Hills as a woman who both pursued men, including those who are already married, and liked to borrow things without returning them. She has even resorted to stealing the things she wants, including a case of homemade elderberry wine that winds up being her undoing when someone poisons one of the bottles. Fearing what an unsolved murder will do to his community, village leader Jerry Tarrant   hires Agatha Raisin to find Gloria's killer. However, rather than being torn apart, Agatha finds a village that wants to believe it was done by an outsider and shuts her down at every turn. When her own life and the lives of her detectives and friends are put at risk, Agatha must decide whether to admit defeat or keep pushing forward. Review: I requested another book through my library's exchange program but while waiting for it, decided to give Agatha Raisin another read and checked out Something Borrowed, Someo...
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Movie Review: Invitation to a Murder (2023)

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Synopsis: Florist Miranda Green craves for the adventure she finds in the mystery novels she reads, especially the newly written books by Agatha Christie. When she receives an unexpected invitation to a dinner party hosted by reclusive billionaire Lewis Findlay, Miranda decides to attend and learns she is one of six guests who don't know each other and have never met their host.  When one of the guests is found stabbed to death and, later, one of the servants, Miranda finds herself embroiled in a real-life murder mystery. Using what she learned from her books and her ultra-strong powers of observation, she attempts to figure out who the killer is while knowing her own life is likely in danger. Who's in it? The movie stars Mischa Barton , Chris Browning, Bianca A. Santos, Giles Matthey and Grace Lynn Kung. Review: I've had Invitation to a Murder in my library for a few months but temporarily forgot about it until coming across it again last night. I decided to finally wa...
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