Showing results by author "Rich Samuels" in All Categories

It's bad enough doing something stupid, worse in front of the entire school, horrible if it's posted online, and a complete disaster if it goes viral - but it's the comments that might send you over the edge.Alexander's the target of online trolls - thanks to one viral video, people everywhere have something bad to say about what he looks like, what he wears, and how he acts. With so many people calling him a loser, a mutant, and a moron, he starts to wonder if they might be right.

Thirteen year-old Alexander has the world figured out--but he's entirely wrong. He's sure that bullies are lurking around every corner in his middle school. He's certain that wedgies, swirlies and pantsings are just waiting to happen. He's even created a smartphone app to help him in his epic battle. He knows just when to pass through the school gate in the morning (7:54 a.m.), how to move through the hallways (fast!) and even how to eat (no condiments!).

In Rich Perceptions, I'll discuss writing with guests who may not realize that they're a figment of my imagination! This is an exciting application of programmed AI, taking the personalities and experiences of fictional characters and applying them to an AI tool (in this case, Character.ai), and then challenging their perceptions of the world beyond their existence. That's where it gets interesting...AI pushes back!

Charlie endured non-stop bullying all the way through the school year. It was probably the worst time in his life. But it was summer now, and he was optimistic that next year would be better. He had a whole summer to recover, and he was sure he would be ready once school started again. He would make new friends and put the bad times behind him. But then...On the first day of summer vacation, Mark—the worst of Charlie’s bullies—knocks on his door to apologize and offer friendship.