The Loss of History
The Night 17 Million Precious Military Records Went Up in Smoke by Megan Greenwell
Interesting article on what happened to an incomprehensible number of records going up in flames fifty years ago. Some 17,517,490 Soldiers’ service records were lost forever, including my own grandfather’s. I had heard stories of what he did, but will never be able to verify them.
The World-Ending Fire: The Essential Wendell Berry
This collection of essays from Wendell Berry is thick and luxurious as it has taken me over a month to get through it. It is also deeply serious and passionate in a way that can be draining on one’s soul. I would almost call the tone scolding. I would say read it but give it some room to breathe in your brain.
Eaters, that is, must understand that eating takes place inescapably in the world, that is inescapably an agricultural act, and that how we eat determines, to a considerable extent, how the world is used.
AI Created Art
AI-Created Art Isn’t Copyrightable by Winston Cho
There is no magic in how AI creates new works as it is based on prior art in the learned model. This is arguably not different from how humans derive new art, but I am pleased that we are not rushing to give the output of these algorithms human status with copyright protections.
A federal judge on Friday upheld a finding from the U.
Can Anyone be a CEO?
Anyone can be a CEO… given enough drive, a growth mindset, and massive luck.
Drive - You must have some motivation to achieve what you want. Your drive can be intrinsic or extrinsic which is for you to sort out. Lazy people without drive will likely not achieve these big roles.
Growth Mindset - You must be able to adapt as your responsibility and situation change. You must always be optimistic as nobody likes following a pessimist.
Kanban Board for Household Communication
A big breakthrough for my marriage and how I have a healthier relationship with home improvement projects has been the use of a Kanban board to organize what we wish to do and turn it into action. It’s cheap and easy to have a wish, but it’s quite another matter to turn that into a completed project. The agreement is, that anything can go on the Kanban board, but it’s a joint decision of what gets prioritized.
Kinko's Culture of the Mid 90's
I needed a job when I started college. Kinko’s seemed like a good place to work, so I applied at the location nearest to where I lived in Las Vegas. I immediately liked it. It was fast-paced and had just enough computer-related things to hold my interest. Best of all, I worked the second shift, which meant we were left without the store manager to fend for ourselves. The customers at this store were an interesting mix of local businesses and people, both needing something in a hurry.
Moral Grandstanding
The Inescapable Rise of Moral Superiority by Michelle Cyca
As cathartic as venting one’s outrage can be in the moment, it’s clear that moral grandstanding accomplishes very little beyond the fleeting satisfaction that it brings. Shaming people doesn’t seem to change their behavior, and invoking mass shooting victims in an argument about hamburgers doesn’t move the needle on gun control. Social change doesn’t come from posting but from purposeful collective action: organizing, voting, protesting.
My Rules for a Spiritual Practice
Does your spirituality involve working on your character?
Does your spirituality acknowledge we are all deeply flawed?
Does your spirituality prioritize lowering others over working to elevate you?
Does your spirituality exclude groups of people based on rules that require you to actively judge your peers?
Does your spirituality require marketing efforts that pester others over attracting by their good works?
Does your spirituality encourage you to serve fellow humans outside of your circle?
New Running Hat
My new wonderfully ridiculous running hat is from https://getsprints.com.
Running Injury Progress
I’ve had a running injury since April. It has been an ongoing source of annoyance and demoralizing to my spirit. I had thought it was plantar fasciitis, but through the magic of the YouTube algorithm one night, I stumbled upon this video:
This is exactly what I have. I have been following the strengthening exercises and overall framework that she lays out. Just in one and a half weeks, most of the pain has gone away and in week two, I’m adding one additional run to the week.