Problems vs. situations: When facing a problem, ask yourself “is it a problem or a situation? Problems, by definition, have solutions. You might not like the cost of the solution, the trade-offs it leads to, or the time and effort it takes, but problems have solutions. On the other hand, situations don’t. Situations are simply things we need to live with.” Excellent life advice from Seth Godin. Working with problems
“If this is the only thing I accomplish today, will I be satisfied with my day?” Outstanding productivity advice from Tim Ferriss.
Feynman stories, Richard Feynman and scientism
Sunday, November 26, 2023
A “Feynman story” is “any anecdote that someone tells that is structured so that the teller comes off as a genius and everyone else in the story comes off as an idiot. “[Many people] seemed to think Feynman was a great guy…. [many] other people didn’t think he was so great. So Feynman seems like a standard case of a guy who was nice to some people and a jerk to others.
“Avoid situations that someone you love might later have to explain on a medical or government form.”
Sunday, November 26, 2023
Merlin Mann has been collecting life lessons in a lengthy bullet list on GitHub. Merlin’s Wisdom Project Some more gems: Minimize the number of conversations you have through a closed bathroom door. Unless you’re outside the door and there’s a fire, or you’re inside the door and you’re out of toilet paper. Otherwise, have a little dignity, and wait for the door to open. Your refrigerator is not a library or a hope chest.
What Old Age Is Really Like. Writer Ceridwen Dovey discusses the role of the very old in society, literature and lived experience, and talks with very old writers.
Are Men Obsessed With the Roman Empire? “In posts shared on social media, women have been asking the men in their lives how often they think about ancient Rome. ‘Constantly,’ one husband responded. ‘Like, every day,’ said a boyfriend. As of Thursday night, a thread on X, formerly known as Twitter, went on like this for MDCLXXIX messages.”
Aack! A Millennial’s Audio Odyssey Through the ‘Cathy’ Comic Strip . “The comedian Jamie Loftus returns with another limited-run podcast, this time exploring white boomer women through the lens of a much-maligned comic strip.” I loved Loftus’s multi-part podcast about the Cathy comic strip and its creator, Cathy Guisewhite, though I found the Boomer-bashing infuriating at times.
Turn Off Push Notifications. App developers want to blast you with trivial notifications all day, every day. The best way to take your attention back is to get rid of notifications altogether (or nearly so).
I’m extremely online, but nearly all my mobile notifications are switched off. There’s nothing Facebook has to say to me that needs my immediate attention.
Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles
Sunday, November 26, 2023
I read Anne Rice’s “Interview With the Vampire” when I was a teen-ager, and did not find it erotic, and didn’t realize it was intended to be erotic. The eroticism just went right over my head. I thought it was long-winded and Louis was a self-absorbed whiner. But I did finish the book. When I was in my 20s, I read “The Vampire Lestat” and loved it. Again: If it was intended to be erotic, I didn’t realize it or even register it.
The Incredibly Strange Career of Anne Rice
Sunday, November 26, 2023
Anne Rice is known for her Vampire Chronicles, including “Interview With the Vampire” and “The Vampire Lestat.” She also wrote bestselling BDSM erotica and two historical novels about Jesus, and fought in a fan war against her own movie. The Our Opinions Are Correct podcast discusses her career and the movie and TV adaptations of her work., including the “Interview With the Vampire” TV series.
I tried to draw a turkey in spray cheese for the dog’s Thanksgiving dinner last night.
Spray cheese is not my medium.
However, the dog was not unhappy with the outcome.
AI developers have turned science fiction stories about godlike supercomputers into a religion, leading to the current infighting at OpenAI. “The field of AI … is profoundly shaped by cultish debates among people with some very strange beliefs.” Crooked Timber: What OpenAI shares with Scientology
Wednesday, November 22, 2023 →
I just got back from lunch. How many CEO changes did I miss at OpenAI?
Today’s ephemera: As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly
Wednesday, November 22, 2023
Today’s ephemera: Uninspired barbecues
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
OpenAI’s alignment problem. The company’s board failed the institution. But did it have a point?
Casey Newton defends – or at least explains – the OpenAI board’s position. The company was supposed to be moving slowly and avoiding the harms of AI while harnessing good for humanity. Altman was running the company as a fast-track start up.
Today’s ephemera: Their remarkable ubiquity
Monday, November 20, 2023
Our server at lunch was named Ginger but her hair was magenta.
I visited with a friend in Oceanside
Today’s ephemera: Worse than a crying baby on a plane
Sunday, November 19, 2023