A slightly jaded, somewhat pessimistic—but ultimately hopeful—tech worker.
Collage cut out, arranged, and glued by yours truly. I’ve been using AI in limited ways more frequently—mostly at work, where the expectation that we leverage Copilot (in all its guises) wherever possible is very, very high. At home, I use it sparingly, mostly as an aid to learn specific technical topics a little quicker (Apple development topics, in particular). I don’t use it to write any sort…
I’ve been sending an email newsletter in some capacity for something like 15 years. The current version is called Regular Communication and consists of 38 published issues. There are probably about 200 or so in various abandoned email service provider accounts that I never cared to archive. Let’s call it 250 for safe measure. Over the course of 15 years, that averages out to about 16 emails per…
Detail from an illustration by Edward R. Loper from the National Gallery of Art . Like everyone else in tech (and increasingly outside of it), I’ve spent a lot of the last few years thinking about AI and how it can be used in my work. More and more, the framework I’ve been using to evaluate AI tools—or any tools for that matter—can be boiled down into the terms: trusted agency amplifiers (TAA) vs.…
Detail from an illustration by John H. Tercuzzi from the National Gallery of Art . One of the main reasons I like sending out an email newsletter is that it forces me to be curious about things. I mean, I’m naturally curious about things, but I have found that—as the world gets more complicated and moves at an unsustainable pace—that curiosity starts to get sanded down. I feel information overload…
I was talking to a buddy of mine about music and he shared his top 10 albums. I didn’t share mine, because I know I couldn’t whittle them down to 10. I used to spend an inordinate amount of time compiling such lists with friends for fun and to impress girls back in high school. I mean, High Fidelity is an all-time favorite book and movie, so it makes sense. For a long time, I was Rob, Dick, and…
Take 15 minutes and watch this talk from Amie McNee . I’ll wait. Fuck, I want to quote the whole thing. There are so many good points. The part that really got me thinking—especially in light of shit like what’s going on in the US right now with federal agents murdering people on a regular basis —was this part in the middle: So many of us are experiencing a sort of existential depression. This…
Detail from an illustration by Rose Campbell-Gerke from the National Gallery of Art . One of the most important things I’ve learned about myself over the last few years of therapy and internal work is that there are two different types of understanding for me (and, I suspect, most people): Intellectual understanding is when my brain is presented with information and forms mental models about that…
Detail from an illustration by Edith Magnette from the National Gallery of Art . I feel like I’m finally ready to start looking for a new… thing. Like a new project. I don’t know what that is by a long shot, but I know I need something new to work on. A while back, I closed down The Better Email , which was my project for a number of years (it’s gone through a few different names). It was a course…
My local library hosts a few used book sales throughout the year. I try to go when I can because 1) I love books and reading, 2) the prices are insanely low, and 3) you never know what you’re going to find. Last year, I stumbled upon a true gem. My Eye is in Love , by Frederick Franck, was published in 1963. Oddly enough, on January 1st of that year, exactly 63 years ago at the time of my writing…
Detail from an illustration by Harry G. Aberdeen from the National Gallery of Art . While I haven’t done it every year since 2016, I’ve taken a liking to Steph Ango’s 40 questions to ask yourself every year . It’s proven a good way for me to reflect and take stock before kicking off the new year. I haven’t published my past responses, but figure I need to embrace blogging again. And a lot happened…