{"id":249,"date":"2025-09-05T22:28:32","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T22:28:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/venicecreative.com\/wordpress\/?page_id=249"},"modified":"2025-10-15T20:40:54","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T20:40:54","slug":"morestuff","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/venicecreative.com\/wordpress\/morestuff\/","title":{"rendered":"MoreStuff"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1756740392027{border-top-width: 20px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/6″][vc_single_image image=”260″ img_size=”80X80″ alignment=”right” css=”.vc_custom_1757392261518{border-top-width: 20px !important;}”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][vc_column_text css=””]Home<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

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[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][vc_column_text css=””]Contact<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][vc_column_text css=””]Stuff<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

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[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=””]State of the book, October 15, 2025…
\nArgo is another take on what can happen with AI. We’re at 10,000 words now and things are getting hazy. That always happens after the “gee this is gonna be easy” first two chapters.\u00a0 This is the first, it used to be the third but the first two felt soft.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_text_separator title=”Africa” css=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]The rain rolled in and over the buildings of the Pafuri Border Gate to the Kruger national reserve. It pounded on the tin roof of the ranger station. Ian was on his cot looking at what Tinder had on offer in Cape town. He saw lights outside. Then a knock at the door. Andre Zietsman and Sandy Brooks stepped in from the rain. Andre had on a Crocodile Dundee hat and a wet windbreaker. Sandy was in jeans. Her hair was long, black and wet. She had on a floppy red University of South Carolina hoodie with a Gamecock logo on the front.<\/p>\n

\u201cAndre, good to see you again,\u201d said Ian. He turned to Sandy, \u201cWelcome to the bush, long way from California. Sorry we\u2019re all out of sun today. He motioned to his workstation. I started early tonight. The drone should be near the Mozambique border by now.\u201d<\/p>\n

They stood around Ian\u2019s workstation tracking the progress of the drone. It cleared the clouds along the Limpopo river. Water blew off the sensors.<\/p>\n

\u201cDamn weather, poachers love it,\u201d said Ian. He ran out the far leg of his search pattern. \u201cThose smaller bright dots standing in herd patterns are most likely zebras or impalas. See that? Wow, lucky us. A hot spot down there at the Darfo crossing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAhh,\u201d said Andre, \u201cWe got something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ian moved the drone closer and circled. \u201cIt\u2019s shallow there. You can cross there. It\u2019s hot, like an engine block. A vehicle for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPoachers. Who else would be out there at night in the rain?\u201d, said Sandy.<\/p>\n

\u201cBad guys,\u201d said Andre.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ian stretched out his arms and cracked his knucles. I\u2019ll get the quad ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

Andre dug two rain ponchos from the locker. He handed one to Sandy. \u201cOne size fits all.\u201d He pulled an AK off the rack. \u201cYou know how to shoot?\u201d<\/p>\n

She hefted the gun. She pulled back the bolt. \u201cDad gave me my first rifle for my thirteenth birthday. He and I would go to the dump at night and shoot rats.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d like to meet your dad,\u201d said Andre. \u201cYou won\u2019t have to shoot anybody. Leave it on automatic. If something with fangs in a fur suit comes at you don\u2019t aim, point and spray.\u201d<\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

Armando was at the wheel of the Toyota Hilux, next to him the dog, Simba, the saluki. The Limpopo was shallow. more sandbar than river. The Toyota was up to its rims. He turned off the driving lights as they climbed the riverbank into Kruger park. Simba\u2019s head was far out the window. Palo and Luis were in the back chugging a quart of nipa sugarcane rum.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe gonna make soooo much money tonight,\u201d said Palo.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet the drone ready,\u201d said Armando.<\/p>\n

Palo tossed the drone up and out of the back of the Hilux. It vanished into the dark. Luis scanned the infrared camera feed from the back seat.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat you see out there?\u201d said Armando<\/p>\n

\u201cUsual shit, some antelope, zebras maybe. Nothing big.\u201d<\/p>\n

A column of rain crossed the path and passed.<\/p>\n

Through the bush country they rolled. The moon rose above the hills ahead. \u201cSee anything Palo?\u201d said Armando.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot a damn thing. Jesus these flies are eating me alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere are the beasts?\u201d said Armando.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe got a target,\u201d said Palo, \u201cA big signature one kilometer or so, turn left.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Hilux left the road and crushed its way through the bush.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see two,\u201d said Palo. \u201cBig ones. Some zebras or antelopes too.\u201d<\/p>\n

The saluki whined and scratched at the door. Armando scratched her head, \u201cSimba says we got rhino.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo hundred meters, straight ahead,\u201d said Palo. \u201cLet\u2019s get out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Armando unzipped a bolt action .458 Winchester Magnum from its case. He loaded it from a box of shells from the console. Palo put on a vest with a rack of darts in pouches across his chest. He prepped his dart gun. Luis hit the ground with his AK47 over his shoulder, the drone control in his hand. Simba dived out the window, she stood head high in the air whining.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe still ok?\u201d asked Armando.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve separated. One is moving to the north. The other\u2019s coming our way. We\u2019ll take him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about the smaller hits?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey wandering around.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOk let\u2019s get him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Closer now. The sound of animals feeding up ahead. \u201cThere he is,\u201d said Armando. \u201cHe\u2019s a big one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHorn, does he have his horn?\u201d said Palo.<\/p>\n

Armando sighted the Winchester, \u201cCan\u2019t tell, he\u2019s moving away. I\u2019m gonna shoot him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t get a clean head shot. He\u2019ll run off. I\u2019ll dart him.\u201d said Palo.<\/p>\n

\u201cOk, get closer.\u201d<\/p>\n

The men worked their way through the tall grass.<\/p>\n

\u201cWatch out,\u201d said Armando. \u201cYou get that yellow goop on you and you gonna ride in the back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJackal puke,\u201d said Luis, \u201cNothing stinks like Jackal puke.\u201d<\/p>\n

The dart gun popped three times.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got him,\u201d said Palo. \u201cThree darts up his ass.\u201d<\/p>\n

The rhino jumped at the impact and ran. He tore through the bush.<\/p>\n

\u201cPalo, go get the truck. We\u2019ll follow this guy until he falls down.\u201d<\/p>\n

The rhino ran on for close to a kilometer, slowed and faded into the ground. Palo arrived in the truck. He took a battery chainsaw from the back. The three men approached the huge animal with caution.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs he out?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, three darts is a fat dose. He got nothing going.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s still breathing. I\u2019m gonna shoot him in the head anyway,\u201d said Armando.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t need to risk gunshots,\u201d said Palo. \u201cRangers have microphones out here. Let\u2019s get the goods and go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luis tried the chain saw, \u201cBattery\u2019s dead. Gotta another in the truck.\u201d<\/p>\n

Armando and Palo squatted in the low grass. The rhino was breathing heavy and slow.<\/p>\n

Across the field came the sounds of high pitched chirps and hoots.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJackals,\u201d said Armando. \u201cMy god they\u2019re here already. They smell an easy meal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t sound like jackal to me,\u201d said Palo.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing to worry about. We\u2019ll get our horn and get the hell out of here. They\u2019ll go for the rhino.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLook at that horn. Nice. Where\u2019s Luis with the saw?\u201d<\/p>\n

From the truck. Luis screamed and went silent.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the fuck?\u201d, Palo ran for the Hilux.<\/p>\n

Armano stood holding his rifle watching Palo. From out of the bush came a dark figure the size of a feral hog. Armano fired at the body mass. The animal went down. Armando reloaded. The bolt action jammed. Another animal came. Armando beheld 170 lbs. of spotted hyena coming at him at 40 miles per hour. The animal leapt and knocked Armando down with his front paws. Armando raised the gun against the open jaws. The hyena bit the stock of the rifle in half. Armando rolled over. He held his hands up to block the head coming down on him. The hyena came down on his forearm. He heard his bones crack. His torn skin ran red with arterial blood. Then his neck. Armando\u2019s last moment was filled with rasping hot breath and the stink of wet hyena fur. The beast tore him apart.<\/p>\n

Palo stopped at the sound of Armando\u2019s screams. He saw Armando fall. He looked for Luis. There, just behind the Hilux door, Simba the saluki lay dead, its head crushed. Palo heard crunching noises. He backed off and peered around the back of the truck. A hyena was gnawing the meat off of Luis\u2019 thighs. The beast looked up with a dripping mouth full of Luis. It made a deep, vicious grunt and resumed feeding. Palo put five AK rounds in the animal\u2019s head.<\/p>\n

Palo ran back to Armando. His body was gone. He ran back to the truck. Except for his clothes, Luis was unrecognizable as a human. Palo backed up against the Hilux. He felt for the door handle All around he heard the hoots of the hyenas. To his left, to his right, behind him. He passed his lantern over the edge of the clearing. Seven sets of glowing eyes reflected back from the bush. They moved left and right in unison to their hoots. A young one came out of the crowd. He was fast. Palo slipped in the mud. He tried to bring the AK to bear but the cub was too fast. Palo\u2019s gun fired wide. The hyena came on. Palo stood only to be knocked down. He felt jaws on his leg below the knee. Then the sound of bone snapping and the searing pain of the bite. He bashed the hyena in the head with the stock of the gun. He hit home, the beast let out a yelp. Then a bullet from the AK tore through the hyena\u2019s scalp tearing off an ear and a section of flesh. The beast ran off. Palo arteries flowed. He fell back into the grass. Another hyena was on him now, this time his arm. He gasped for air, he felt his strength fading, his vision dimmed. The howling of the wounded hyena sounded dim and far away.<\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

The quad\u2019s fat tires threw up a wake of mud. Ian was at the wheel. Andre was riding shotgun. He had on night-vision goggles and an AK-47 against his shoulder. They topped a small hill. The moon cleared a set of running clouds. Andre stood and surveyed the field before them. \u201cOver there, a Toyota Hilux over there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou see any movement?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it\u2019s still. I don\u2019t see anyone. Something\u2019s wrong. Nobody hangs around a kill this long.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ian pulled his AK from behind the seat and checked the load. \u201cLet\u2019s find out.\u201d<\/p>\n

They rolled down the hill and stopped at the edge of the clearing. Ian took the lead. Andre two steps behind, Sandy was to the left. They stood apart, weapons in hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cJackal stink,\u201d said Sandy. \u201cSomething\u2019s tagging.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ian laughed, \u201cYou have jacals in California?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA few,\u201d said Sandy, \u201cIn my lab. Hyenas too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll take point. Cover me,\u201d said Ian.<\/p>\n

The three approached. Ahead a massive hulk. \u201cLook at that,\u201d said Andre, \u201cmust be a thousand kilos.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sandy moved closer, \u201cDarts\u201d. The rhino moved its legs. Sandy put her hand on the rough, wet hide. \u201cI got them. Maybe we can get some prints.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ian stopped. \u201cHoly shit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d, asked Andre.<\/p>\n

\u201cDead hyena, a busted Winchester and a hand,\u201d said Ian. There\u2019s some arm, I see a watch and part of a shirt. Bone looks bit right through. Looks like something drug the body off.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sandy walked to the Hilux. \u201cAnother dead guy, and a dog. Looks like a Saluki, head bit off at the neck. Shit! I can\u2019t look at this. That guy\u2019s got no face.\u201d<\/p>\n

Andre took inventory, \u201cChainsaw, high power rifle, drone controller, dart gun. Another hyena, his head all shot up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ian picked up the chainsaw and stood over the dead hyena. \u201cWe\u2019ll take the heads, rabies most likely.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy didn\u2019t they go for the rhino? It\u2019s just lying there.\u201d asked Ian.<\/p>\n

\u201cHyenas are smart as chimps,\u201d said Sandy. \u201cMaybe the guns scared them off. That rhino\u2019s still beathing. Legs moving. He\u2019ll be ok.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sound of moaning came from nearby. \u201cOver here.\u201d said Ian.<\/p>\n

They stood over the dying Palo.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis leg\u2019s gone. Arm chewed up. He\u2019s bleeding out fast,\u201d said Ian.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere the leg?\u201d, asked Liam.<\/p>\n

The man lifted his hand. It was a chewed mass of crushed bone and bloody meat. His dying words were slurred, \u201cBouda, bouda.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s he saying?\u201d asked Sandy.<\/p>\n

\u201cBouda.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man cried out, \u201cBouda,\u201d his arm fell to his side.<\/p>\n

\u201cAndre poked Ian with his elbow. \u201cHe\u2019s dead Jim.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that bouda stuff all about?\u201d said Sandy.<\/p>\n

\u201cEritrea lore,\u201d said Andre, \u201cThe bouda is a mythical shapeshifter. Like a werewolf. People take on the form of the hyena and stalk human prey. They enter huts and drag off babies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ian started the chain saw. He cut the heads off the hyenas and tossed them in the back of the quad. From the woods came the sound of restless beasts. Hooting and chirping. Andre put on the goggles. He scanned the tree line. \u201cWe got hot spots all around.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got a full den out here,\u201d said Sandy. \u201cCould be as many as thirty. They\u2019re singing. Listen, one does a chorus, the others repeat and call back. Back and forth, call and response. Then another. Let\u2019s get the hell out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ian drove to the rise overlooking the clearing. Rain came and went. \u201cStop.\u201d said Sandy. \u201cSomething\u2019s going on back there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sandy, Ian and Andre stood in the drizzle. Moonlight illuminated the scene. Down below the hyenas emerged from the bush. The hyenas began to play. Round and round, nose to tail around and around the rhino they ran. They made no sound.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the hell is going on down there?\u201d said Andre.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re dancing,\u201d said Sandy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLook,\u201d said Ian, \u201cthat big one, on top of the rhino. It\u2019s got white fur.\u201d<\/p>\n

The hyenas stopped. They all faced the leader on high. They stood on their hind legs and cried out in unison.<\/p>\n

\u201cRitual,\u201d said Sandy. \u201cMystic. It\u2019s a celebration.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve seen them run in packs, I\u2019ve seen them cooperate in the kill, but never anything like this,\u201d said Ian.<\/p>\n

Sandy opened the back gate. \u201cIt\u2019s not rabies. I\u2019m taking some ears back to the lab.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bloody ears in a zip lock in her pocket, Sandy twisted in her seat. Ian started the quad.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1756740392027{border-top-width: 20px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/6″][vc_single_image image=”260″ img_size=”80X80″ alignment=”right” css=”.vc_custom_1757392261518{border-top-width: 20px !important;}”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][vc_column_text css=””]Home[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][vc_column_text css=””] About [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][vc_column_text css=””]Contact[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][vc_column_text css=””]Stuff[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][vc_column_text css=””] New Stuff [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=””]State of the book, October 15, 2025… Argo is another take on what can happen with AI. We’re at 10,000 words now and things are getting hazy. That always […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-249","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/venicecreative.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/venicecreative.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/venicecreative.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/venicecreative.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/venicecreative.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=249"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/venicecreative.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/249\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":431,"href":"https:\/\/venicecreative.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/249\/revisions\/431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/venicecreative.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}