Maybe all men got one big soul, what everybody’s a part of. All faces of the same man. One big self.
Check out my podcast appearance with Chuong Nguyen.
This Week’s Posts
Monday, January 9th - The Creative Underclass is Still Raging
The internet is still deeply influenced by the anger of those whose creative dreams have gone unfulfilled.
Thursday, January 12th - ChatGPT and Winograd’s Dilemma
ChatGPT is remarkably sophisticated at what it does, but we should all listen to it about what it’s not trying to do.
Friday, January 13th - There is No Such Entity as Productivity (subscriber only)
I think most Productivity media wastes more money than it saves.
Also, the Jesus’ Son book club is stumbling towards its conclusion, and we had a runner-up from the Book Review Contest.
From the Archives
Song of the Week
Non-Garbage Online Reading
I enjoyed this Matt Levine rundown of the JPMorgan “Frank” lawsuit. May be paywalled if you’ve read other things on Bloomberg.
Book Recommendation
Trask’s Historical Linguistics Third Edition, Larry Trask, 2015
A perfect example of an academic book (a textbook, in fact) that’s compulsively readable for a general audience. The introduction suggests that the reader should have some light knowledge of basic linguistics to understand the text, but honestly, most people will have picked up the concepts simply in the course of reading and learning in their regular lives. The late Larry Trask proves to be an able guide to language change, discussing how it happens, why it happens, and the ways that it can and can’t happen. There’s tons of interesting tidbits to be learned, and not a lot of heavy lifting conceptually if you read attentively. The study questions are easily skipped.
NFL Picks of the Week
Well, when I took the Chargers on my gambling app, I was getting them at -1 and with Mike Williams listed as questionable. At -2.5 and with Williams out, they’re a less attractive option. But in for a penny, in for a pound - this week I like the Los Angeles Chargers -2.5 over the Jacksonville Jaguars. I just like the talent all over the field for the Chargers, even if I’m a little worried about
Season record: 10-6-0
Comment of the Week
One thing I hope we see in the future is more outlets for non-professional creative expression. The need to express ourselves creatively is a universal human desire. But there are very few spots for professional creatives.
I think a better society will have a lot more community theatre, boutique publications, small improv groups, community writers' workshops that can give people outlets for creative expression even if they don't make it their profession. - Mike
That’s it. See you next week.
I have to second the comment by "Mike" about the need for outlets for creative expression I'm an editor working on a memoir by a former Cold War ambassador, who worked with American and Soviet writers and artists in the 60sm 70s, and 80s. What stands out in this book, and in this author's telling, is the power of the human imperative to create. It should be no surprise that the man who led Czechoslovakia out from under its Communist regime was a playwright. The "need' to create, to write, to innovate, and to build is a real thing, a dynamic motivator, and often a force without equal. I hope that everyone who reads this and nods their head in agreement will put action to thoughts and pen to paper.
Re: that linguistics book -- I read Pinkers Language Instinct 15 years ago and was enthralled. Are there better/more modern/more accurate intros to linguistics now/would this book you recommend be interesting if I liked that Pinker one?