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
Character Limit by Kate Conger & Ryan Mac
I found this book by way of the Vanity Fair article, mentioned in Salacious Tech Entertainment. Though this was quite the page turner and well written, it was a tough read. I had forgotten some of the awful events of 2016 - 2023 detailed in this book. This was also an unfortunate book choice the week of the election given how, in my opinion, Musk and Trump seem to be cut from the same cloth.
Princples vs Preferences
One of my favorite pieces of parenting advice is to consider if you are using your parental authority over principles or preferences. An example being, talking disrespectfully to others is something you enforce because that is a principle you value, but the color of clothes one wears is a preference, so give some latitude. It can be an interesting lens to hold for those who have authority over you, particularly at work.
My Struggle Book 4 by Karl Ove Knausgaard
Book Four covers Karl Ove’s years from 16 to 18. I decided to start this book a bit early in the Fall as I usually wait until Winter. This is an easy read and I enjoyed it. Again, the My Struggle series hits the mark for my generation and life as a man. His writing is deeply personal and very relatable. As one reviewer put it, you see the world from inside his head and aren’t left with much of an opinion of anyone else because that is not the point.
Another Re-Org
I moved a lot when I was a kid, so I don’t mind work re-orgs.
Wooden Satelites
Only in Japan, a satelite made of wood.
https://www.dw.com/en/worlds-first-wooden-satellite-launched-into-space/a-70691359