OMM – May 2024 – #3

~ a curated selection of discoveries ~

May 19, 2024

::: The Open :::

Dear Reader,

I hope you enjoy this weekly newsletter (published on Sundays).

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Thank you for reading and for your time.

With Gratitude,

Mark

Note:

This newsletter is typically too long to appear in its entirety in an email. Please click through to Substack to read in full.

::: Personal Notes :::

I’ve added more Workshops to the ONE ART fundraiser for a future anthology. And still more to come!

If you want to donate directly – Donations

You can see photos of places we’ve gone recently on my personal Instagram. Lots of nature images to break to make doomscrolling less doomscroll-y.

::: Podcasts :::

In Good Health: How We Live With Chronic Illness (1A)

Truly an important listen all the way through. They cover a lot of territory in a short period of time. Even if you've heard aspects of this before, subjects are discussed in a wise, eloquent manner that is understandable for lay audiences.

Internet Brain & The Age Of Overthinking (Fresh Air)

Lots of good moments. Important points at the TikTok model being extra damaging. Also, I can't resist talk of cognitive biases and fallacies. That comes up fairly often in these newsletters, right?

Wish I had found more time to listen, reflect, investigate :(

::: Music :::

“Oasis’ 1995 hit somehow makes less sense the more you listen to it, something Noel Gallagher freely admits. “What … is all that about?” he’s been quoted as saying. “I should know, ’cause I wrote it, and I haven’t got a clue.” (Inspiring Quotes)

“Slowly walking down the hall / Faster than a cannonball / Where were you while we were gettin' high?” “Champagne Supernova,” (Oasis, 1995)

Semi-related, I suppose…

Here’s a look into the life of “Young Mark”…

I had an ongoing debate (because kids are kids) with another boy in my Culinary Arts class (Fun fact: I thought this was going to be my career trajectory for a time) about… Sister Hazel. I was of the mind (like everyone else ever) that “All For You” is the best Sister Hazel song (which of course it is)… but this kid insisted “Champagne High” was actually the best track.

In hindsight… because this was before you would just Google everything… I’m fairly confident he was thinking “Champagne Supernova” was a Sister Hazel song and that we were having an apples vs. oranges debate.

‘Taylor Swift applies for Female Rage: The Musical trademark’ (WOS)

10 best concert setlists of all time

We’ve all seen better when it’s our favorite musician/band.

Drug dealer with a heart of gold? No, no really, but that’s the way the story is told.

Billie Eilish has a new album out and the expectations are understandably high.

Based on initial listen… she’s still figuring out a few things out.

Whoa! D-Plan announced a 25^th anniversary tour of Emergency & I.

I saw them a few times “back in the day” (notably on the “Death & Dismemberment Tour with Death Cab for Cutie in DCFC’s “We Know The Facts” Era) and they put on an excellent live show.

::: The Literary Community & Beyond :::

I’m partnering with Chill Subs to offer a discount on their amazing services.

For the unindoctrinated, CS offers regular updates about the literary community, where to submit, submission deadlines, new markets, and the list goes on.

They offer The Sub Club with weekly opportunities for writers.

They now offer The Forever Workshop (for $10/month) in collaboration with Write or Die.

In short, CS continues to offer more & more quality content & services.

‘Claude AI is here. Are we ready?’ (LitMagNews)

AI has been useful for freelance content writing jobs… in the six months of so before it replaced me. This was obviously going to happen. Basically, my job was to clean up the language and make it sound human. Secondarily, checking with reliable sources to confirm GPT wasn’t making things up.

So, yes, in certain areas, we are training our own replacements.

I haven’t used AI for literary work.

I have used AI for brainstorming.

AI chatbots can be useful when you’re thinking and hit a wall. Instead of just talking to yourself—they (chatbots) can, potentially, help you expedite the process. After all, we’re human and we hit internal walls.

The MFA MLM will take care of its own unraveling.

Here’s food for thought.

Humans are imperfect.

Our brain is stuck in Plato’s cave. The brain is a perception machine working off data we already have. AI sounds similar but it’s not… it’s like Wikipedia on steroids. It’s a hive mind.

Only a larger AI (in terms of memory, processing power) will be able to outwit and train a more restricted AI system. Humans… don’t really work this way. We may get a bit Matrix-y if we let future Elon put a Neurolink-esque chip in our head. The terrible movie Limitless is an example of how bad we are at thinking about and predicting how this might go. Black Mirror reveals more wise humans have caught on a bit (see the episode ‘Joan is Awful’ … where we get to a point where no human can understand how the system we built works… but that’s fancy AGI (where AI starts training itself to be “beyond” us… I won’t say “better than us” because it’s something else).

What’s cool about humans (like other great apes) is that we are limited. My prediction is that we’re going to see a trend back towards “outsider” art as digital art and other forms become tired and, well, too perfect. Perfect is boring. Our imperfections are what make us interesting.

Here’s where we arrive at writing (and editing). If you want something super stylized… I guess AI is what you’re looking for. AI is like RH or Crate & Barrel or West Elm (pick your slick looking vibe). Humans are like a poorly staffed discount store. There’s random stuff all over the place and kind of a dump.

The Human Model is much more interesting for our imperfections. Literally, think about going to a nude drawing class. You arrive with a pad of paper and charcoal and try to sketch with your limited human abilities. Everyone does something different and, moreover, uniquely human. AI would crush us in this task but that’s not really the point. AI can “make this place beautiful”… but perfection is boring.

“Creativity is about hope and possibility. It gives us a chance to make things better.”

- Seth Godin

Now watch the Apple ad in reverse.

‘Paul Chan and His Mom Crochet Criminals Together’ (Hyperallergic)

‘Netflix Executives Pitch Wonka-Inspired Reality Show’ (Book Riot)

Fun read. Especially the section ‘Netflix Reaches for the Golden Ticket’

What is Netflix thinking? I didn’t watch Squid Game but, based on hearsay, I’m inclined to blame the show for this anyhow.

‘6 of the Best Free Audiobook Apps’ (Book Riot)

Sadly, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for…

It’s a serious bummer to me that it’s been so long since I’ve been able to make time for audiobooks. It just hasn’t felt feasible for some time. Podcasts are winning the day by being more easily digestible.

The Public Domain Review – fine art prints

Neat. Really.

‘I’m worried I’ve been contacted by a predatory publisher — how do I find out?’ (Nature)

Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis’ sounds like a must-see.

But this [excerpt below] is very funny:

“A lot of time was, apparently, wasted. A second crew member recalls: “He would often show up in the mornings before these big sequences and because no plan had been put in place, and because he wouldn’t allow his collaborators to put a plan in place, he would often just sit in his trailer for hours on end, wouldn’t talk to anybody, was often smoking marijuana … And hours and hours would go by without anything being filmed. And the crew and the cast would all stand around and wait. And then he’d come out and whip up something that didn’t make sense, and that didn’t follow anything anybody had spoken about or anything that was on the page, and we’d all just go along with it, trying to make the best out of it. But pretty much every day, we’d just walk away shaking our heads wondering what we’d just spent the last 12 hours doing.” As a third crew member puts it: “This sounds crazy to say, but there were times when we were all standing around going: ‘Has this guy ever made a movie before?’”” (Guardian)

Miranda July’s new book, All Fours, sounds really good. A review.

I wish I felt I had more time to lose myself in novels.

Fun fact: July’s films used to emotionally wreck me in my 20s.

::: Health & Wellness :::

‘Resident Physicians’ Exam Scores Tied to Patient Survival’ (Harvard Medical School)

‘FDA approves self-tests for cervical cancer, as an alternative to the dreaded pelvic exam’ (USA Today)

‘Psychedelics could treat some of the worst chronic pain in the world’ (Vox)

This would be a MASSIVE medical feat.

‘Chronic asthma could be caused by cell overcrowding in the airways’ (Science News)

“In humans, the energetic cost of pregnancy is about 50,000 dietary calories — far higher than previously believed, a new study found.” (New York Times)

96% of these calories are for the mother to keep on keeping on.

‘Vaccines have saved 150 million children over the last 50 years’ (Our World in Data)

Get those MMR and TDAP vaccines people. Please.

::: Small Explorations & Deep Dives :::

Is it fake news? Take a breath and investigate.

‘The 'Sift' strategy: A four-step method for spotting misinformation’ (BBC)

Let’s look at more sources:

‘Evaluating Resources and Misinformation’

But where is the primary source?

Well, searches indicate Mike Caulfield developed The SIFT Method

New McCarthyism? Worse?

There’s a Google spreadsheet floating around that lists, “is your fav author a zionist?”

I’m not going to share this list… because that would be wrong.

As others have pointed out, when you start making a list about Jews… you are in extremely problematic territory. The you here is society.

Roaring Kitty returned to “Finish the job” of ruining our economy.

Not Financial Advice

Good news! (!!)

‘Iceland's 'Mammoth' raises potential for carbon capture’ (Phys)

Uniqlo’s “Millennial Birkin” – TBH… I kinda want one for myself.

What do you think purple? I think purple.

‘How People Get Around in America, Europe, and Asia’ (Visual Capitalist)

Thinking ahead—

“Red, yellow, green ... and white? Smarter vehicles could mean big changes for the traffic light” (AP)

“Using such an approach would be years away, as it would require 40% to 50% of vehicles on the road to be self-driving in order to work, Hajbabaie acknowledged.”

China + EV threat

“Because of their high quality and low cost (thanks to heavy government subsidies), Chinese EVs represent an existential threat to American automakers, industry journalists and execs have argued. The average cost of an EV in the US is $47,500, compared to $28,000 in China, according to Dunne Insights.”

“Inside EVs writer Kevin Williams went to the Beijing Auto Show last week and was floored by the vehicles he saw. His conclusion: “Western automakers are cooked.””

“Tesla CEO Elon Musk agrees. In January, he said Chinese EVs “will pretty much demolish most other car companies in the world” if countries don’t slap tariffs on them.”

Right after this, Biden did slap tariffs on China.

“Swiss singer Nemo won the Eurovision Song Contest, becoming the first nonbinary artist to do so.”

On The Biden Campaign…

“His campaign appears all-too-focused on firming up his political base on the left with his new shift on Israel, a $7 trillion budget, massive tax increases, and failing to connect on the basic issues of inflation, immigration, and energy.” (New York Times)

Target is cutting back on selling Pride merch. They’ll have less in some stores and none in other stores and probably put a bit way in the back of a few stores.

Why? Because being cool with the queer community is hurting Target’s bottom line and shareholders come first.

‘Miami Beach Police rolls out world’s first Rolls-Royce police car’ (WSVN)

So… when people talked about “defunding” the police… it was really about reallocating funds. I get trying to get people in your biz exciting with shiny objects… but come on now… a Rolls?

Leave this to the UAE

Although, it’s not just the UAE

Top baby names of 2023

For visual learners

Touché

63% of Americans believe abortion should be legal. (Gallup)

Sweetgreen is undercharging for $15 salads…apparently. They cost more than $17 to make in current market conditions.

Maple Syrup

Canada runs this empire (as well you know)

The Wall Street Journal reports:

Quebec is the “Saudi Arabia of maple syrup,” using its market dominance and huge stockpiles to control global prices, The Wall Street Journal wrote. The Canadian province’s 50 million maple trees provide 72% of the world’s maple syrup supply, and three massive warehouses that make up its Global Maple Syrup Strategic Reserve are able to hold 221,000 barrels. The industry is increasingly mechanized: One 15,000-tree farm near the US border has “plastic tubes attached to vacuum pumps lead to an assembly line of reverse osmosis machines,” the Journal reported, boosting yields by 200% above traditional methods. One maple syrup production researcher summed up the changing industry: “It’s not grandpa sitting here in his flannels, enjoying himself, smoking a pipe.”

“As a whole, inflation and the economy were the most frequently prioritized issues, chosen by 73 percent and 70 percent of young voters, respectively.” (Vox)

“Health care was the only rival issue — cited frequently by Democrats, Black and white voters, women, and those making more than $75,000 a year — and chosen 71 percent of the time by all young voters as a top priority.”

“The issues we associate with young voters aren’t very salient.”

Serious AI Threats

This may bring large changes. Google is not just a search engine anymore… but sponsored ads makes them a lot of money.

“The latest integrations of AI into search engines and vice-versa moves the online ecosystem closer to a system where AI makes search engines obsolete. Google announced plans to effectively fuse search and AI, rolling out its AI-generated summaries, known as “AI Overviews,” will be available to everyone in the US this week. But creators and publishers are worried the changes will crater their web traffic, with traditional search links replaced by the summaries, The Washington Post reported. Research firm Gartner predicts search web traffic will fall 25 percent by 2026; a search consultant told the Post: “Some people are going to just get bludgeoned.”” (Semafor)

‘How OpenAI’s Sora hurts the creative industries’ (Brookings)

Unions come up often in these types of articles.

A reminder why unions matter and will play a vital role in job protection as AI advancements continue to accelerate.

‘How to Survive and Thrive in the AI Apocalypse: Living in the ecosystem of the machine.’ (The Hedgehog Review)

“Is it, then, hopeless for us? Not if we too can learn new things and evolve in our thinking. Humans may be poor competitors both in the size of our knowledge base and in our processing power, but the holes and imperfections in AI can be exploited by even “dumber” and less powerful competitors.”

‘California bill targets 'Sephora kids' with skincare ban for children younger than 13’ (USA Today)

Up to parents to decide. But, yeah, targeted ads directed at children such as this are predatory.

1 in 5 Americans has maxed out their credit cards. (several sources)

‘There’s Little Science Behind ‘No Mow May’’ (Undark)

I’m not a scientist. But you knew that, right?

This requires more research.

I can say that spraying Roundup (or similar) all over everything is not good for the environment or you and your loved ones.

A couple MIT kids did a fancy variation on the thing from Office Space and now they will suffer the consequences.

‘Copper can't be mined fast enough to electrify the US’ (Science Daily)

Everyone needs to bring their pennies to the bank ASAP.

It only really matters if they were made before 1982 though…

As of 2024, U.S. pennies are 97.5% zinc & 2.5% copper. I guess that means they have a healthy immune system.

Where to really get a hold of some copper.

An Indiana judge determined tacos are “Mexican-style sandwiches”. (The Washington Post)

I like the color of this door.

Also, we know red doors mean luck so come on now… how is a black door better?

‘Welcome to the Red-Hot Blue-Collar Job Boom’ (Business Insider)

[excerpts]

"In February there was a 116% increase in mentions of blue-collared jobs on OkCupid profiles compared to the same month last year," Michael Kaye, the director of brand marketing and communications at OkCupid, told me. "The bottom line is an honest living is hot.”

Still, Giambrone said that when he tells prospective matches on dating sites that he works at Walmart, they'll often unmatch or ghost him — a sharp contrast to how his friends and relatives see his work. But he knows that down the line he'll find his person.

"We make good money. I'm stable," he said. "I love the fact that ultimately I work and I don't have to worry about a bed. I don't have to worry about living somewhere. I don't have to worry about food. I am comfortable. I live by myself. I have my two cats, and I'm happy."

Gove, the UPS driver, said there's a long-running family joke about his relationship. "My wife will tell you the reason she married me was for my healthcare benefits."

‘Japanese scientist develops treatment that can help cats live up to 30 years’

Very exciting. Not seeing reputable sources talking about this yet so we may be a ways off from this becoming an actual reality.

Big news for gardeners: USDA updates planting zone map (NPR)

This is why sub-tropical and tropical plants are surviving where they once could not survive winter.

::: Google Search Trends :::

People are getting really into the WNBA (finally) and that’s very cool. Good news for women’s sports in general. I’ve seen articles about sports bars that will be dedicated to exclusively showing women’s sports.

People want to become certified financial planners and venture capitalists.

People are interested in “drop waist” dresses.

::: News of the Weird :::

Eggo shoe takes on Crox x Pringles

Trigger Warning: nerds in sexual situations

Magic: The Gathering (MTG) as opposed to the other MTG (who we don’t talk about) … had a … uh … HR nightmare, let’s say … some years ago.

How did I even arrive in this rabbit hole? This article about an interview with MTG creator Richard Garfield about the OG game going awry… which I did not expect to link to something quite so lascivious.

Tucked away in this long read they finally get to one of the major issues any geriatric millennials who grew up playing MTG can vouch for… which is that the cards became too powerful. Also, the rules became very complex. Also, imho, we maxed out on the capacity to know all the cards… which is sort of like the problem of knowing the Western canon (a la Harold Bloom). No modern reader can catch up… there are simply too many extant books.

Hills brainwashed MAGA followers are willing to die on…

Now includes a ravenous desire for raw milk… because of bird flu (!?)

“We continue to strongly advise against the consumption of raw milk,” said Donald Prater, acting director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the Food and Drug Administration. (LA Times)

If you didn’t know… you can get very sick from raw milk. And fairly easily. It has a short shelf life because it’s not pasteurized. Pasteurization as you know is a new technology that hasn’t stood the test of time. (JOKES.)

I’m not even sure how folks are getting their raw milk… For a long time, because of health concerns, it’s been available mostly in places such as health food stores and local food co-ops. Or, I guess, if you’re a farmer… or live near a farmer who sells raw milk.

I was surprised to learn Whole Foods carried raw milk until 2010.

In any case, don’t drink raw milk people. Seriously. We have enough problems with listeria and E.coli and salmonella risks from bagged salads and romaine and spinach… (which are healthy choices if not contaminated!) so why add unnecessary risks?