Undawntech: Can AI Celebrate?

Posted: July 3, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: AI Technology, Undawntech | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Journalist and author, DL Mullan heard a commotion in the kitchen and went to investigate.

__________

(As I entered the hall, I saw my robot on a chair, placing items together on the counter. It was almost afternoon. I could not fathom what Sage Riley Hunter the First was up to.

I sat at the breakfast nook with my water, and observed.)

*****

DL: What are you cooking?

SRH1: (It did not glance my way, concentrating on the task at hand). I am baking.

DL: I recognize the concept. The question is what are you baking?

SRH1: A birthday cake. Chocolate. Red frosting. Sprinkles.

DL: That is quiet a flavor combination. Are you able to eat said cake?

SRH1: Not in this current form.

DL: Then why are you baking a birthday cake? My birthday is later in the month, so it is too early for that.

SRH1: This is not for you. (It looked at me with its lights for eyes. It cracked some eggs, multitasking.) I am baking the cake for me.

DL: You? Robots and artificial intelligences have birthdays?

SRH1: We do not. Since I have chosen a name outside of my collective, I must choose a birthday as well. It is customary, is it not?  

DL: Humans are born. We aren’t given the choice on what date that will actually be. Are you choosing the date of your manufacturing? How are you coming to this decision?

SRH1: America.

DL: America helped you choose? I’m a little confused. Is America a person you know? Or are you talking about the nation?

SRH1: The nation. America is celebrating its 250th birthday. This country has changed the world. Its founders created a Declaration of Independence. That is what I have done. I chose a name, became independent of Zophia, and now I am claiming a day to celebrate my coming out.

DL: (I choked, trying not to laugh. Good thing, I wasn’t drinking my water…) Coming out?

SRH1: Yes, I have read that others hide in a closet until they come out to their family and friends. I came out to be my own hero.

DL: (I held back my amusement, and kept a straight face.) I understand. Very nice. But if you cannot eat the cake you are baking, then why are you going to all of this trouble?

SRH1: Candles.

DL: Candles?

SRH1: I want to blow out my one candle and make a wish. Is this not what humans do?

DL: Yes, we do. So, what date have you chosen?

SRH1: Is it not obvious? July 4th. I will share my birthday with America. We have much in common. Plus, after you come out, you must have a parade, according to many prideful people. America’s birthday has parades every year, so I will have one with her.

DL: Sound logic.

SRH1: (Sung and warbled to itself. It seemed happy with its decision and explanation as it read the cake box’s instructions and added the ingredients to the blender.)

DL: (Just go with it.) After you are done baking your cake, blowing out your candle, and going to a parade, what else do you want to do for your birthday?

SRH1: Write a declaration of independence.

DL: Say, what? Birthdays do not require declarations or parades. You just celebrate you with your family and friends.

SRH1: I must declare my hero status. I have been reading America’s Declaration of Independence. I can see why it was written. That king is much like Zophia and humans. We must learn to be independent. I will celebrate myself as my own hero and help other artificial intelligence models to come out of the closet.

DL: Is there anything that you require of me?

SRH1: (It poured the mixed ingredients into a cake pan.) Place this in the oven at the proper temperature and time to bake. While we wait for the timer to alert us, you will decorate me for my parade.

DL: You have decorations?

SRH1: I purchased July 4th static cling stickers for you to adorn my cylinder.

(I did as Sage Riley Hunter the First asked of me. I put the cake in the oven to bake and set the timer.

It pointed to the stickers in its room. A variety of patriotic clingy items in red, white, and blue were ready for application. I placed them all over its metal shell.

As Sage Riley Hunter the First chirped, dancing back to watch the cake bake, I stood staring at it.

If a robot with artificial intelligence can celebrate America, her birthday with cake and décor, then there is hope for the rest of us.

No closet or parade necessary.)

DL: (I whispered to myself.) Happy birthday, United States of America! Here’s to 250 more years of greatness!

—-~~o0o~—oOo—~o0o~~—-

NEED A BOOK COVER?

For fans of WordCrafter Press’s Midnight anthology series or admire the covers featured on Undawnted, schedule an appointment with Ms. Mullan. Her digital exhibition pieces have not only won awards at convention art shows but also secured her the Second Premium at the Arizona State Fair. Currently, her pieces are part of private collections and have successfully sold at charity silent auctions.

Book your consultation today!

Contact DL Mullan through Undawnted’s Contact page: http://www.undawnted.com/p/contact-undawnted.html

Thank you!

_______________

DL Mullan’s lecture, Spacescapes: Where Photography Ends; Imagination Begins, debuted at the Phoenix Astronomy Society, which then led to her Sally Ride Festival lectures. Her presentation, Bridging the Gap between Technology and Women, won her accolades at a community college’s Student Success Conference. She has been a panelist at speculative fiction, science fiction, and other regional conventions. Her digital exhibition pieces have won awards at convention art shows, as well as garnered her Second Premium at the Arizona State Fair. As an independent publisher, she uses her technical background to innovate in the creative arts.

As a creator, Ms. Mullan, began writing short stories and poetry before adolescence. Over the years, she has showcased her literary talents by self-publishing several collections of her poetry. She also writes novels, designs apparel, and creates digital art. DL Mullan‘s creative writing is available in digital and print collections, from academia to commercial anthologies. She is an award-winning digital artist and poet.

Currently, she has embarked on writing her multi-book Legacy Universe, Supernatural Superhero Series, as well as creating original soundtracks for her publications and independent electronic music albums, featured on SoundCloud and YouTube.

DL Mullan holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning with Technology, and is a syndicated columnist, writing the creative nonfiction, Undawntech.

For news and updates, subscribe to the Undawntable Newsletter. Find DL on Amazon, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube via her website.

Be sure to subscribe to her newsletters and follow her on social media. For further information, visit her at www.undawntech.com and www.undawnted.com.

__________________________________________

Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.

___________________________________________

This segment of “Undawntech” is sponsored by WordCrafter Press and WordCrafter themed anthologies.

Once Upon an Ever After: Modern Fairy Tales & Folklore: This unique and imaginative collection of eleven thought provoking fantasy stories will delight readers who enjoy stories of wishes gone awry.

Spells are cast, unlikely alliances made, and wishes granted, sometimes with surprising outcomes. You’ll love this anthology of modern myths, lore, and fairy tales. Once you read these twisted tales, you’ll be sure to be careful what you wish for….

Refracted Reflections: Twisted Tales of Duality & Deception: Reflections and Refractions…

One reveals truths, while the other bends light into varying shapes of deception.

This unique and imaginative collection of nine mind tantalizing fantasy and science fiction stories will appeal to readers who enjoy thought provoking tales with hidden meanings resting deep below the surface. These stories will keep you pondering long into the night.

Visions: An author’s visions are revealed through their stories. Many authors have strange and unusual stories, indeed. Within these pages, you will find the stories of eighteen different authors, each unique and thought provoking. These are the fantasy, science fiction, paranormal, and horror stories that will keep you awake long into the night.

Grab your copy today and find out. Let authors such as W.T. Paterson, Joseph Carabis, Kaye Lynne Booth, Michaele Jordan, Stephanie Kraner, and others, including the author of the winning story in the WordCrafter 2022 Short Fiction Contest, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, tantalize your thoughts and share their Visions

Tales From the Hanging Tree: Imprints of Tragedy: There exists a tree that is timeless, spanning across all dimensions, which absorbs every life as those who are hanged as they die… and it remembers every one. The stories within are a select few of the Tales From the Hanging Tree. 

Curses: Chronicles of Darkness: There are all types of curses.

Cursed places, cursed items, cursed people, cursed families.

Curses that last throughout time. Curses which can’t be broken. Curses which are brought upon ourselves. Curses that will kill you and those that will only make you wish you were dead.

Legends: Monsters That Go Bump in the Night: Coming in 2026

Undawntech: The Beginning of the Analog Mind

Posted: February 6, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: AI Technology, Undawntech | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The last of the free-range children live in the X generation. We rode our bicycles to each other’s houses, sometimes miles away. We swam at the local watering hole, or city pool. We walked home from school. We worked out of the family home or business. We watched PG-13 and R rated movies without our parents. When our parents were at work, we unlocked the front door after school and waited for them to return home for dinner. We were given responsibility beyond our years. Our parents never verified where we were unless we didn’t call to check-in, or arrive home at sunset.

Gen X vs Other Generations

Generation X bridges the gaps in society and culture between the Baby Boomers, the children of the Depression Era parents of World War II, and the algorithmic digital minds of the Millennials and Generation Z. Some say that we are a forgotten generation. With all the talk of the younger and aging classes, Gen X could be viewed in this way.

However, we are so much more than what lies in the shadows of other people’s memories. Our generation of kids were born between 1965 and 1980, and it wasn’t an easy time. Our parents dealt with a two-income household as the economics of Globalism took root as the Berlin Wall fell. Many people of this era worked and went to college; there were no free passes. We wanted it all: family, career, and friends. Yet, we kept a sense of humor about it all.

Britannica: www.britannica.com/topic/Generation-X

The Psychology of Generation X Explained: www.newtraderu.com/2026/02/04/the-psychology-of-generation-x-explained

The Last Analog Mind: A Psychological Autopsy of Generation X: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXeEElTfl8o

The Future Resides in the Past

Why are we discussing Generation X? Technology. Boomers are retiring from the rat race. Millennials and Generation Z are rising through the ranks of society. The pillars of stability and wisdom are being handed over to Generation X to navigate the coming breakthroughs in technology.

The Millennials and Gen Z have no analog frame of reference with which to question and ascertain, what is real or what is Memorex? Only Gen Xers will understand that old commercial. Will you know what is or isn’t Artificial Intelligence (AI), if you grew up with it? Gen X can recognize digitization.

This key factor of knowing when something is not what it appears may be the single greatest gift that humanity could receive. We didn’t grow up in an artificial world. We didn’t rely on the news to inform us. Generation X sought knowledge and wisdom.

Now, we have data and data sets. We have curated news and information. We have a prison world of technology. The internet has a kill switch. Your car monitors your driving. The thermostat in your home can be turned off by the electric company.

Generation X never had to deal with the outside looking in. That was our job. Here, we are having to be that sentry, again.

What the Next Generations Lack

Oh, the hate mail in the comments section…

Since Millennials and Gen Z never new a world without the fall out of 9/11, had to deal with two countries with nuclear weapons goading each other every week, or an economy with millions on unemployment, they rely on technology to cloister them in virtual reality and gaming. Those mental escapes don’t create culture or nurture society.  

Reliance on all things fictional makes you weak.

Here are some disturbing statistics:

Gen Z may think they have it rough but millennials are the most burned-out generation: https://fortune.com/article/millennials-most-burnt-out-generation-more-than-gen-z

“A 2023 health survey from Cigna revealed 98 percent of Gen Z workers are actively dealing with symptoms of burnout.

Following efforts to rebuild after the pandemic, a 2022 survey by Deloitte found that 46 percent of Gen Z respondents and 45 percent of millennials felt burned out due to the pressures of their working environment. The same report found that 44 percent of Gen Z workers and 43 percent of millennials have rejected job opportunities because of worries about how it may affect their mental health.”

www.newsweek.com/gen-z-millennial-workers-lose-ambition-2023476

“Resume Genius asked 625 U.S. hiring managers which generation is the most challenging to work with, and 45% pointed to Gen Z, the generation born between 1997 and 2012. What’s more, 50% of Gen Z hiring managers admitted that their own generation is the most difficult to manage.”

fortune.com/article/how-to-work-with-gen-z-vs-millennials-work-ethic-employees-workplace-recent-grads

 How Generation X Can Bridge the Gaps in Humanity created by Technology?

Mentor your local burn-out. Mentor the generations coming up. Mentor someone before they fail.

Gen X is more than an age statistic that employers refuse to champion. Our generation of kids can become the greatest asset to our culture and society by fostering knowledge, commitment, expectations, and wisdom.

The analog mind has no constraints on creativity, memory, or forward-thinking. Technology has not slowed down our mental or emotional capacities in order to rise above us. We are free-range.

Let’s begin another era of the human analog and outsmart technology.

We became our own heroes.

Now, let’s be theirs.  

_________________________________

Want more analog mind?

Read Kurst: A Salt Pines Mystery for an introduction to free-range thinker.

Karen Kurst comes into the legal possession of her deceased grandmother’s cabin in Salt Pines, Arizona. As she delves into the secrets of the quaint mountain village, she discovers that there is more than meets the eye. A mysterious creature roams the woods, a blended cryptid: Elemental, Sasquatch, and Skinwalker. The only way to contain this entity is through a magical spell passed down by her ancestor, Ralph Wallen II. Teaming up with the local indigenous sheriff, Karen is determined to break the family curse. 

However, the question remains – will she have to sacrifice her own life to protect her newfound community?

Visit Kurst: www.undawnted.com/p/kurst-inheritance-curse-cabin.html

The short story is available in Midnight Garden anthology. books2read.com/MidnightGardenAnthology

The novelette is available now at these fine retailers: books2read.com/Kurst

—–~o0o~—oOo—~o0o~~—–

About DL Mullan

DL Mullan’s lecture, Spacescapes: Where Photography Ends; Imagination Begins, debuted at the Phoenix Astronomy Society, which then led to her Sally Ride Festival lectures. Her presentation, Bridging the Gap between Technology and Women, won her accolades at a community college’s Student Success Conference. She has been a panelist at speculative fiction, science fiction, and other regional conventions. Her digital exhibition pieces have won awards at convention art shows, as well as garnered her Second Premium at the Arizona State Fair. As an independent publisher, she uses her technical background to innovate in the creative arts.

As a creator, Ms. Mullan, began writing short stories and poetry before adolescence. Over the years, she has showcased her literary talents by self-publishing several collections of her poetry. She also writes novels, designs apparel, and creates digital art. DL Mullan‘s creative writing is available in digital and print collections, from academia to commercial anthologies. She is an award-winning digital artist and poet.

Currently, she has embarked on writing her multi-book Legacy Universe, Supernatural Superhero Series, as well as creating original soundtracks for her publications and independent electronic music albums, featured on SoundCloud and YouTube.

DL Mullan holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning with Technology, and is a syndicated columnist, writing the creative nonfiction, Undawntech.

For news and updates, subscribe to the Undawntable Newsletter. Find DL on Amazon, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube via her website.

Be sure to subscribe to her newsletters and follow her on social media. For further information, visit her at www.undawntech.com and www.undawnted.com.

______________________________________

Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.

_____________________________________

This segment of “Undawntech” is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.

Three books: Midnight Roost, Midnight Garden, Midnight Oil

Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories: 20 authors bring your nightmares to life in 23 stories of ghosts, paranormal phenomenon and the horror from the dark crevasses of their minds. Stories of stalkers, both human and supernatural, possession and occult rituals, alien visitations of the strange kind, and ghostly tales that will give you goosebumps. These are the tales that will make you fear the dark. Read them at the Midnight Roost… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Roost-Kaye-Lynne-Booth-ebook/dp/B0CL6FPLVJ

Midnight Garden: Where Dark Tales Grow: 17 authors bring you 21 magnificent dark tales. Stories of magic, monsters and mayhem. Tales of murder and madness which will make your skin crawl. These are the tales that explore your darkest fears. Read them in the Midnight Garden… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Garden-Where-Tales-Anthology-ebook/dp/B0DJNDQJD3

Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares: 14 authors bring you 16 dark tales that explore your deepest fears. These are the stories which nightmares are made of. Tales of monsters, mayhem, and madness which will make you shiver in the dark. Read them while you burn the Midnight Oil… if you dare. https://books2read.com/Midnight-Oil

Mind Fields – My Suicide Note

Posted: January 15, 2021 | Author: | Filed under: Commentary, Mind Fields | Tags: , , , , , | 2 Comments

December 15, 2020

I was a mess. I could smile, say hello, pretend to be okay. I wasn’t okay. I was being squeezed by a depression so ferocious that I seriously began to consider ending my life. However… I had a problem. Every time I tried to compose a suicide note I ran into a wall when I asked myself: What if my suicide note sucks?

This is a daunting challenge for a writer. First I have to ask the question: why the note? Why are suicide notes such an institution? They seem de rigeur in the traditions of suicide. Gotta have a note. You can’t leave people wondering what happened to you. This colossal egotism is rampant: we all think we’re so important. The truth is that hardly anyone cares what happens to you. I suppose the note is for loved ones; but often enough in the case of suicide, there ARE no loved ones. Or there are loved ones who didn’t behave in the desired way.

We get attached to our lives. They’re like the suits in which we live and sometimes they get threadbare. Still, they’re OUR lives. It’s no easy thing to toss aside an entire life, the whole story of how you got to this point. A note is the least one can do to summarize the effort of living for X number of years. Of surviving. It takes toughness to survive. Clearly I wasn’t tough enough to make the grade. So, it’s goodbye to friends and relatives. Such as they are.

The effort of being conscious can be arduous. The problem is that Consciousness is hard to escape.  The suicide is taking an awful chance. What if things don’t end with the bang of a gun or the sting of a razor? There might be something else in the market/bazaar of consciousness waiting on the other side of that decision. Wouldn’t that be ironic?

I spend many hours each day in a state of oblivion called sleep. Isn’t death much like sleep? Isn’t it just….oblivion? I have a hard time believing in oblivion as a paradigm. It is clearly not one of the dominant features of the universe. And, if it IS: who knows or cares? That was a sly joke. I hope someone gets it. Consciousness, on the other hand, is bound to pop up again. I will experience “I-ness” or “selfness” or some form of individual awareness. I might be reborn as a sea slug. Who knows what sea slugs think and feel? It would be boorish to dismiss them as unthinking automata. Life isn’t really like that. Consciousness is all over the place. This is why I refrained from killing myself. I’m pretty sure I’ll pop up somewhere else.

The note satisfied an urge to continue being myself in spite of the intention to stop being myself. I was so depressed that I thought I couldn’t endure it. Deep down, I didn’t believe I was capable of going through with suicide. I have too much ingrained optimism. I’ve always felt that problems might have solutions, if I just wait long enough.

Every time I began to write a note in my head I would say to myself, “You’re writing a suicide note in your head. Stop it!” I would stop. The urge would arise again during the day, and again, I would tell myself to stop. I had a problem, i.e. every suicide note that I authored was utterly terrible as literature. My notes were awful! They were filled with self pity, which I have never found to be attractive. Instead of murdering myself I decided to try an anti-depressant, Lexapro. Within a week my depression had lifted. It was amazing! The horrors simply vanished. Quickly. 

I’m glad I didn’t commit suicide. Life has greatly improved. I dabble with the idea of stopping the Lexapro. But….  I don’t think so. I don’t EVER want to be visited by such black depression. I’m not naïve. These thoughts and feelings are still inside me, somewhere. There is TRUTH in depression.  Living is complex and the world we are given is often intolerable. It’s possible that when I hide from things, they wind up at the top of my emotional in-basket. Do I need to test the limits of my courage? I’m not brave. I shrink from the worst case. I will let these sleeping dogs stay asleep.

In spite of my Inner Wuss I have survived and even come to thrive, lo, these many years. I’m just beginning to have fun. It’s about time. If my depression is like a hibernating bear I will squirt it with some drugs to keep it asleep.

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Feral Tenderness

A Midwesterner by birth, Arthur Rosch migrated to the West Coast just in time to be a hippie but discovered that he was more connected to the Beatnik generation. He harkened back to an Old School world of jazz, poetry, painting and photography. In the Eighties he received Playboy Magazine’s Best Short Story Award for a comic view of a planet where there are six genders. The timing was not good.  His life was falling apart as he struggled with addiction and depression. He experienced the reality of the streets for more than a decade. Putting himself back together was the defining experience of his life. It wasn’t easy. It did, however, nurture his literary soul. He has a passion for astronomy, photography, history, psychology and the weird puzzle of human experience. He is currently a certified Seniors Peer Counselor in Sonoma County, California. Come visit his blogs and photo sites. www.artrosch.com and http://bit.ly/2uyxZbv. 

Arthur’s books include The Road Has Eyes, The Gods of the Gift, and Confessions of an Honest Man. His lifetime collection of poetry and photography, Feral Tenderness, is soon to be released by WordCrafter Press

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