Various and Sundry

Six Skills to Stick it to Skynet

Building on last week’s post about liberal arts majors having value in this brave new AI world, here’s Daniel Pink (whom longtime readers may remember I posted about at the beginning of the year) and he lists six skills in his usual pithy style. You can absolutely use them to make yourself more valuable in the workplace (void where Skynet goes full murderbot or bosses go towards “maximizing innovative synergies”).

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Various and Sundry

Into the Woods… with Laika

As the seven or nine longtime readers of this blog will recall, I love a good movie trailer, which I define as a trailer that gives you that emotional tone of the story and type or story you’ll be going on with said film… without revealing too much of the story. Indeed, I would say the central question such a trailer should ask is “Look at this! Can’t you imagine what kind of journey you’ll…

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Writing

What’s in a Name? Sci-fi Edition

It’s the weekend and weekend plans are upon me, including both reading and writing some sci-fi stories, so I wanted to leave you with something thematic to ponder. I too love words. And ranking… as much as I may not agree with others’ rankings. Is it as much as other people dislike my ranking? Probably not (though some people clearly like it). But in any case, ‘ansible’ is A tier.

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Various and Sundry

AI Entering the Danger Zone?

As AI continues to tap-dance through the zeitgeist of society, I don’t have any family references this week, but I do have an Archer/Kenny Loggins reference, and isn’t that the same? An AI chatbot would say so… unless you correct it. Anyway, OpenAI, Anthropic, and SpaceX are all looking to have IPOs this year which has market musing being cranked up to 11 (if you want analysis in manic video style, Hank Green has your…

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Various and Sundry

AI as a Kind of Magic Trick

Growing up, my dad exposed us to a number of board games and, while he was open to all sorts of game mechanics, he especially enjoyed the wonkily strategic ones that might be best described as “simulations.” Yes, we’re talking cardboard chits and plenty of rules in strict number-outline order about how those cardboard chits operate. My dad was tough to beat in such simulations, because he absorbed the rules with a precision that many…

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Acting

All Good Things to Those Who Persist

A little over a year ago, I felt the need to post a motivational video about beginnings. Today, we’re beyond beginning, into persisting with a video from Lewis Woods that reminds us that it’s not about the expectant outcome, but the journey and the journey and, yeah, we’re still journeying. And it doesn’t hurt that he references the always reliable Bryan Cranston. So keep on showing up. Keep on creating. True, one day you might…

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Producing Various and Sundry

Stephen Colbert takes another Michigander at Monroe

Still thinking of The Late Show coming to an end last week, I enjoyed one of Colbert’s jokes: that he’d probably wind up hosting a cable access show. I clearly forgot that, back in 2015, that’s exactly what he did in the run-up to his tenure on The Late Show. So, in what must have been planned as part of his exit, Colbert closed his show Thursday… and then he went back to host that…

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Producing

A Great Show Needs a Great Theater

Speaking of all good things coming to an end as I was on Tuesday, tonight is a good thing I definitely don’t want to end: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Tonight is its last night. In fact, they may have finished recording their final episode by the time you’re reading this. And I was reminded by a fellow theatrical how important a theater space is. That it can be like a garden where people…

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Various and Sundry

You Weren’t Wrong About Panera

They say all good things come to an end, which mainly makes me feel “They” need to stop doomscrolling and go outside. However, one thing I don’t remember them touching upon is how some good things don’t just end, they wither. And that withering often comes from a serious of decisions. For instance, take Panera… and if a bunch of you just reflectively reacted “No, please no!” you know where this is going. Back in…

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Various and Sundry

Syttende Mai: Metal Mom Edition

I am, perhaps, remiss in having a regular post around the 17th of May, because the second oldest constitution in use deserves some democratic love, but if you haven’t seen this one, it’s a humdinger. There are many places around the United States that celebrate Norway’s Constitution Day, but no one should be surprised that towns in Wisconsin and Minnesota celebrate it. Enter Stoughton, Wisconsin, founded by Norwegian immigrants and don’t you forget it! In…

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