Alexis Kostibas, a young man I know not at all, is visiting us here in sunny LA.

Here's here to face the inquisition, to run the deadly gauntlet to be employed at a2i2.

well, we're not quite that picky. But the job has it's own filters. Almost nobody is actually interested in this stuff to this degree. Fewer have opinions that are compatible, much less similar on the subject. And fewer still can move out and become a monk of AI, for the promise of success, and possible deferred riches, and not much over that.

I enjoy it when people come out. I remember Josh's visit. Paul's, Jeff's, have been privy to a few of the applicants that have bounced off michael.

It reminds me of when I came out here, which was really the first time I met transhumanists in person, having been an internetter entire. I got to talk in person to people about things I've largely been writing to myself about for a long time. It was a really nice time. I enjoyed it, and it was a real turning point in my year, as you can expect.

I can hope that it's just as fun and influential for Alexis, whether he gets the job or not.

I here quote Jakita Wagner, of WildStorm's perfect "Planetary"

"These are the moments I live for. I put up with all the other crap just to get seconds like this. The moments when you know the world is a better place than advertised."
"Aside from a few yarns my boss tells after four bottles of sake, I had no idea the world was other than advertised."
"I envy you, Mr. Wilder. You're about to discover the depth of the strangeness and beauty the world holds."