How I Organize My Records
I have a very finite list of records I have wanted to collect. Effectively records I know like the back of my hand. Albums I had listened to repeatedly in my youth either on cassette (riding on the bus to and from school) or in my room on CD. These are the records I can sit down and appreciate. This is not an endless list though, thankfully, given how expensive records are these days.
Apple Intelligence Review
I have come to the same conclusion on Apple’s ads as this reviewer did. I find this so well articulated. I’m sure Apple will improve their AI offering over time, but this was an absolute advertising failure in my opinion.
The Deep Sea
Creatures under the sea where you scroll for depth.
https://neal.fun/deep-sea/
Predictive vs Radical Theory
From Cal Newport’s podcast, he discusses books he has read. In this 20 minute clip about On Settler Colonialism by Adam Kirsch, Cal discusses a useful framework of academic theory - Predictive Theory vs Radical Theory.
AI is Reactive
The ability for our brains to react to the world around us is not unique amongst animals. What has been our evolutionary accelerant that has set us far apart from the other animals is our ability to predict what might happen based on our life experiences and avoiding bad decisions. This forward looking analysis is that front part of our brain and it’s good at it.
AI is currently very reactive.
The Sunday Edition
Following Cal Newport’s advice in his post-election blog post, we opted to subscribe to a Sunday paper in lieu of constant digital updates of news. This was even more critical for my spouse who was receiving news alerts on her phone and in her email. I helped her disable all of them. This morning, I was pleased to walk out and pick up the paper and thumb through it.
Tech & Loneliness
How Tech Created a ‘Recipe for Loneliness’
Americans now spend more time alone, have fewer close friendships and feel more socially detached from their communities than they did 20 years ago. One in two adults reports experiencing loneliness, the physiological distress that people endure from social isolation. The nation’s surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, declared loneliness an epidemic late last year.
Rules for my Phone
My goal is to make my phone boring and here is how I do it.
No apps that have infinite scroll No social media apps No news apps No streaming service apps All notifications are disabled except phone, messenger, and home security No applications or widgets on my home screen (except message, drafts, reminders, calendar) I do have the kindle app which I will occasionally use to read with
Racks of Macs
I find it amazing how resistant Apple is to the Server market, though they did have XServe at one time, but it was quite expensive. I love how MacStadium approaches racks of Mac Mini’s with some ingenuity and some custom engineering.
Yuval Noah Harari on our AI Future
There is a lot to unpack from this podcast with Yuval Noah Harari. He has a new book out entitled Nexus: A Brief Hisotry of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI which I shall be adding to my to-read list.
Interesting topics that resonate with me
What is AI What is intelligence versus consciousness What is information versus truth How does this apply to government and institutions