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In the Name of God بسم الله
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About this blog

I started writing stories for my niece Sakina when she was about 6 or 7 years old. They've always been short enough to fit inside a birthday card. The photo that illustrates the blog is a cake she baked for one of my birthdays.

Entries in this blog

Futures

Yield to companions

By the time the city finished installing ramps for paws beside every staircase, the ramps for people had quietly been removed. No one remembered the meeting where it was decided. Decisions arrived now as laminated notices tied to lampposts with biodegradable twine: PLEASE YIELD TO COMPANIONS; QUIET HOURS FOR CANINE SENSITIVITY. The notices bore smiling silhouettes of dogs wearing scarves. People learned to read them the way one reads weather—by feeling the chill before seeing the cloud.
Haji 2003

Haji 2003 in Futures

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Futures

The dog walker

The first sign was Mrs. Chen's third corgi. When I started walking dogs in 2019, she had one—a cheerful pembroke named Biscuit who actually needed the exercise. By 2021, she'd added Mochi "for emotional support during lockdown." Fair enough. But last month, she introduced me to Wasabi, explaining how each dog fulfilled a different emotional need: Biscuit for nostalgia, Mochi for anxiety, Wasabi for her fear of aging. She'd installed cameras to livestream them while at work, narrating their
Haji 2003

Haji 2003 in Futures

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Futures

Incitement

In the year 2032, the newly formed nation of **Palisrael** emerged as a fragile but determined experiment in reconciliation. Born from the ashes of a century-long conflict between two peoples who had both claimed the same land, Palisrael stood at the crossroads of possibility. It was a state dedicated to coexistence between the two primary ethnic groups who now lived side by side, working together to overcome years of violence and mistrust. Yet, this new chapter of history was not unfolding with
Haji 2003

Haji 2003 in Futures

4
Futures

Art(ificial)

In a quiet, sunlit café nestled in the heart of an old city, two artists sat across from each other, their voices low and contemplative. The first, Clara, was a digital artist whose work had brought her acclaim over the past decade. Her short, tousled hair framed a face that bore the marks of countless hours spent in front of a screen, her fingers still twitching as if they were drawing on an invisible tablet. Opposite her sat Daniel, a younger artist who had recently burst onto the scene with h
Haji 2003

Haji 2003 in Futures

1
Futures

Nice but not too nice

In the sleek, modern conference room of VirtuaComp, the walls lined with whiteboards filled with diagrams and notes, the development team gathered for their weekly brainstorming session. The topic of the day was the company’s latest endeavor: social interaction chatbots designed to combat loneliness and social isolation. "Alright team," began Mira, the lead developer, her voice steady but her eyes reflecting the gravity of the situation, "we've made incredible progress with our chatbots. Th
Haji 2003

Haji 2003 in Futures

3
Futures

Spreading sustainability

In the verdant country of Viridia, nestled between emerald hills and azure seas, sustainability was more than a policy; it was a way of life. The citizens of Viridia prided themselves on their green innovations, chief among them being the near-total eradication of plastic bags. Instead, reusable cloth bags and biodegradable alternatives were ubiquitous, symbolizing the nation's commitment to preserving the environment. This transformation began a decade earlier when the government, inspired
Haji 2003

Haji 2003 in Futures

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Futures

Relationships and robots

In the shadowy conference room of the Athena Institute, a right-wing think tank in the heart of Washington, D.C., key policymakers and intellectuals gathered around a gleaming mahogany table. Dr. Helen Mercer, the chairwoman, wasted no time addressing the stark issue at hand. “The crisis is clear,” she announced. “Birth rates in the West are in freefall, primarily because many are choosing AI companions over human partners. Our data shows a troubling trend: these robots are not just partner
Haji 2003

Haji 2003 in Futures

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Futures

What do we do?

[I co-wrote this with chatgpt4]   In a softly lit, high-ceilinged room, a group of civil servants gathered around a large oval table. The air was thick with tension, a palpable sense of unease hovering over them. At the head of the table, Marianne, the committee chair, cleared her throat. "The reality is unavoidable," she began, her voice steady yet tinged with concern. "With the rise of artificial intelligence, we're facing unprecedented job losses across multiple industries." He
Haji 2003

Haji 2003 in Futures

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