OMM – October 2024 – #3

~ a curated selection of discoveries ~

Oct 20, 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

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::: Personal Notes :::

A lot of moving parts.

::: ONE ART :::

Sunday, October 27 — 7pm (Eastern)
Featured Poets: Ace Boggess, CL Bledsoe, Anton Yakovlev, Jason Gordy Walker
Tickets available here (Free or Donation)

Ekphrastic Poetry: A Meeting of Art and Words

Hosted by: Ellen Rowland
Day: Wednesday, November 6, 2024
Time: 10:00am-Noon (Eastern)
Price: $25 (payment options)

Limited to 15 participants

Thursday, November 14 — 7pm (Eastern)
Featured Poets: Betsy Mars, Sean Kelbley, Jane Zwart
Tickets available here (Free or Donation)

::: Podcasts :::

I’ve been leaning in on podcasts. So much so that my inclination is to write separate essays on material related to my deep dives.

As usual, I’ve been listening to The Gray Area and Hidden Brain.

I’ve had a few new finds… some of which I quickly realized weren’t quite for me, overall.

I’ve liked some of what I’ve been listening to on Peter Singer’s podcast (new discovery) ‘Lives Lived Well’. An easy way to get a bunch of polarizing folks in one room, right? The episode with Jonathan Haidt is excellent.

There’s a new episode of The Gray Area that features an interview with neuroscientist and meditation practitioner Mark Miller. I absolutely LOVE the way Miller talks in this totally down to earth manner while using a vast vocabulary. Clearly, a brilliant person. Sadly (or perhaps positively) Miller doesn’t have a book out—instead, he’s written a bunch of academic papers… like a real academic. I was pleased to discover Miller has a podcast, The Contemplative Science Podcast, that he recently re-started after a break. I’ve been listening to some older episodes as well as newer ones. Really interesting stuff packed into short bursts.

Seeking some joy and reprieve while being semi-educated?

Check out episodes of If Books Could Kill.

::: Music :::

‘Nine Predictions for the Future of the Music Business’ (Ted Gioia)

Really thought-provoking piece. Touches on related material that Kyle Chayka discusses in 'Filterworld" but this centers instead on the failure of Big Music to comprehend creativity and how paradigm shifts come from unexpected places (including the edges of society) as well as a blind spot when it comes to being futurist by focusing on popular artists of yesteryear.

Ted’s follow-up piece— ‘If you add this up, you see that one fan who goes to a concert is more profitable than ten thousand fans who stream.’ (Ted Gioia)

“If you add this up, you see that one fan who goes to a concert is more profitable than ten thousand fans who stream.”

Taylor Swift will become the most notable and presumably most sold self-published author on publication of her book based on ‘The Eras Tour’ which will be sold exclusively at Target for $39.99. This falls in line with her management team making a deal with AMC for distribution rights for The Eras Tour Film.

It’s notable that TS has completely sidestepped so-called The Big Five publishers (and their many imprints).

There’s an emerging trend, Ted Gioia calls attention to, where publishers Big Lit / Big Music are courting writers/artists/musicians, influencers who are also essentially “brands”, and giving them unusually lucrative contracts—because they don’t really need a traditional publisher or an agent. They are doing perfectly fine on their own. Gioia notes how traditional outlets are getting left behind.

This tracks with industry research that comes up in a recent episode of If Books Could Kill in which the co-hosts discuss group think shift in the corporate world, in the 70s/80s, that instituted the dominant approach of shareholder value and corporate downsizing—which, as it turns out, doesn’t really work. They discuss how this policy remains popular today but looks a little different—Big Tech decides they’re all going to “leverage” and layoff a ton of people at once. It’s harder to blame an entire industry compared to a single company. Otherwise individual companies get a bad look and their stock prices fall and that ends up being a hit to shareholders anyhow.

In the long long ago (SP ref, anyone?), American corporations were in a good place with limited post-war competition. They bought up a bunch of companies that the people up top didn’t really know how to run. Starting to sound familiar? Well, of course, we’re back here again with behemoths like Alphabet, Meta, Amazon, buying up not only other portfolio assets but also competition.

Gioia notes how traditional industries need to play catchup if they are going to stay relevant. The ability for artists of all kinds to directly reach their audience without having to jump through a bunch of hoops is too tempting and too lucrative to be ignored.

Taylor Swift is not a normal person. That being said, there are plenty of people who are not name checkable who have managed to run impressive self-publication campaigns. If you can DIY it, the traditional entities need to become more pliable and adapt quickly with the shifting times.

Entertaining read.

‘5 Takeaways From Charli XCX’s New BRAT Remix Album’ (Pitchfork)

A review of the new BRAT version. As others have noted, it’s basically an entirely different album. It’s good and good fun and I’m almost surprised how much I like it and maybe I’m a bit of a weirdo for not having to be in public to enjoy this.

::: The Literary Community & Beyond :::

‘Lessons From the Storm’

A story from Asheville featured on Lit Mag News

“The itch to play my NYT games was gone, replaced by this hunger for news and community.”

Important read.

I’d love to see this nominated for Best American Essays.

I just recently had the privilege of publishing an essay by Abbie Kiefer in Cleaver Magazine.

A new interview with Abbie by The Academy of American Poets!

‘With AI, Dead Celebrities Are Working Again—And Making Millions’ (Pocket)

First thought? This is kinda creepy. These people never agreed to this and did not predict they'd be used by new technology in this manner.

Next thought, important thought. — This takes jobs from new living artists/creators. It seems similar to the way the art market centers on just a few old masters and leaves little space for contemporary living artists to make even a small fortune while alive.

‘The Academy of American Poets Announces 2024 Winners of the Wallace Stevens Award for Lifetime Achievement and the Academy Fellowship for Distinguished Poetic Achievement’

The winners are Naomi Shihab Nye (who I’ve loved since forever!) and Evie Shockley.

Here’s one of Naomi’s poems I love that feels like a deep cut – ‘Yellow Glove’

‘job prescription’ by Evie Shockley was just shared yesterday (10/17) by The Academy (perhaps as a wink/nod).

‘The Commas That Cost Companies Millions’ (Pocket)

“The English language is fluid, evolving and highly subjective. Arguments have been fought over the value of so-called Oxford commas (an optional comma before the word “and” or “or” at the end of a list). There might be good arguments on either side of the debate, but this doesn’t work for the law because there needs to be a definitive answer: yes or no.”

‘21 Books Soon To Be Movies’ (Kirkus Reviews)

A few writing prompts to get the juices flowing.

‘3 Bad Ideas for More Creative Writing’

Basically, embrace what seems “bad” in order to get you started.

Something to get excited about…

…well in advance.

Mary Ann Samyn has a new poetry collection forthcoming from 42 Miles Press… in Fall 2025.

I highly recommend MAS’ wonderful substack ‘Cake & Poetry’.

::: Health & Wellness :::

The value of covid safety protocols, like masking, persist.

‘The flu shot is different this year, thanks to COVID’ (NPR)

“Scientists have concluded that widespread physical distancing and masking practiced during the early days of COVID-19 appear to have pushed B/Yamagata into oblivion. […] This surprised many who study influenza, as it would be the first documented instance of a virus going extinct due to changes in human behavior.”

‘Walking in short bursts found to consume 20% to 60% more energy than walking continuously for same distance’ (phys.org)

“The team suggests that people who wish to get more out of their exercise routines perform multiple short bursts of activity rather than carrying on for long periods of time at a steady pace.”

There are risks of injury when it comes to faster periods of exertion so there’s a careful balancing act that should be considered.

‘The cells that protect your brain against infection could also be behind some chronic diseases’ (BBC)

Really interesting article.

"The evidence to support this theory is compelling. For one, drug abusers have raised inflammation and inflammatory cytokines in the brain. Reducing inflammation in animals also reduces drug-seeking behaviour."

“Microglia could play an important role in chronic pain too, defined as pain that lasts longer than 12 weeks. Watkins' laboratory has shown that after an injury, microglia in the spinal cord become activated, releasing inflammatory cytokines that sensitise pain neurons.”

‘Why don’t your psychiatric drugs work better?’ (Vox)

“Psychiatrists no longer think chemical imbalances cause mental illness.”

A reminder that when people start talking about “serotonin” and “dopamine” they are [probably/hopefully] not real [good] experts in the field.

“TikTok quantified the precise amount of viewing it takes for someone to form a habit: 260 videos.” (NPR)

Estimated “95% of smartphone users under 17 use TikTok” at least once a month. But it’s addictive… so, probably a little more than once.

In Kyle Chayka’s Filterworld, he points out that TikTok essentially fulfilled David Foster Wallace’s prediction of “The Entertainment” from the now uncool to talk about Infinite Jest.

“Children were 50% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes six months after a coronavirus infection than those infected with other respiratory diseases.” (Washington Post)

“New cervical cancer treatment regime ‘cuts risk of dying from disease by 40%’” (!!) (Guardian)

“Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally, with about 660,000 new cases and 350,000 deaths every year, according to the World Health Organization.”

“Many of those affected are in their 30s, and despite improvements in care, the cancer returns in as many as 30% of cases.”

‘5 things not to say to a grieving friend’ (CNN)

‘Couch Friends’ (Pop Sugar)

We need friends who we can hang out with in a no judgment zone.

Do most adults have these friends? Someone needs to run a poll.

::: Small Explorations & Deep Dives :::

Notable.

Visuals to better comprehend climate change over time.

Consider hybrid for your next vehicle.

Consumer reports.

A serious concern.

‘Americans' Trust in Media Remains at Trend Low’ (Gallup)

U.S. Top Ranked Grocery Stores (Reader’s Digest)

1. Hy-Vee

2. The Fresh Market

3. Heinen’s Grocery Store

4. Stew Leonard’s

5. Gelson’s Markets

6. Aldi

7. Publix

8. Trader Joe’s

9. Wegman’s

10. Fresh Thyme Market

Who’s a little shocked? I’m a little shocked.

Here’s my list (as an East Coaster with some Appalachian exposure):

1. Trader Joe’s

2. Whole Foods

3. Giant

4. McCaffrey’s Food Market (new find!)

5. Wegman’s

6. Kroger

7. Food Lion

8. Publix

9. Aldi / Lidl

10. Giant Eagle

‘California Just Became the First State to Ban Sell-By Dates’ (Food & Wine)

Many already know this but “sell by” dates are not as they seem.

The result of “sell by” dates is, generally, a boatload of food waste.

“Switching to language that either says “Best if Used By” or “Use By” will also help minimize ambiguity. The former will establish consistent wording for advising when an item is less fresh (but still okay to eat), while the latter designates food that should no longer be consumed due to safety concerns.”

"By requiring manufacturers to use the same phrases for date labels across products, ReFED estimates that in California alone, this law will annually save 70,000 tons of food from going to waste, saving consumers $300 million.”

‘How can we compare the pressingness of factory farming to existential risks?’ (80,000 Hours)

Interesting read if you’re not already well-versed in animal welfare and effective altruism talking points.

Here’s where I nod to Peter Singer’s classic ‘Animal Liberation’ + this is an updated version with an introduction by Yuval Noah Harari.

If you’re interested in a poetic twist on addressing [some] of these issues, perhaps, consider ordering a copy of my poetry collection MEATLESS (which you’ll have to get directly from me at this point as I possess all remaining copies).

‘Ranked: The Most Popular Generative AI Tools in 2024’ (Visual Capitalist)

I’ve experimented with a number of these AI tools—though pretty much exclusively the chatbots. I’m surprised to see Gemini in 2^nd place given I’ve found it relatively useless.

Initially, I was impressed by Perplexity though it seems best for getting simple answers to basic questions. (Note: new update of Perplexity is a good improvement. Worth checking out.)

I can’t say I’ve spent time with Poe.

ChatGPT is very good, in many respects. Its sourcing ability is pretty good.

I’ve been surprisingly impressed with Microsoft’s Copilot. I’d suggest giving it a try.

Most impressive, perhaps, is Claude. Partly what is cool is that Claude can learn from you as a user and personalize responses. The responses also feel more warm and less, well, icy and robotic. Copilot is also improving in this regard.

There’s a general fear about a “race to the bottom” as chatbots continue to scrape the internet’s bottom of the barrel content from Reddit comments to Quora to Medium to poorly moderated websites.

Ironically, if you want a solid answer nowadays, go to Wikipedia. Just remember you may encounter a slight Libertarian bias.

‘Generative AI, the American worker, and the future of work’ (Brookings)

We are not prepared for this sea change.

“The report emphasizes the importance of developing strategies to proactively shape AI’s impact on work and workers. This includes fostering worker engagement in AI design and implementation, enhancing worker voice through unions or other means, and developing public policies that ensure workers benefit from AI while mitigating harms such as job loss and inequality.”

ICYMI: “ChatGPT became the fastest-spreading tech platform in history by reaching 1 billion monthly visits just four months after its 2022 launch.

“Looking ahead: Potential widespread effects, with the greatest impacts on middle- to higher-paid occupations, clerical roles, and women”

“The plight of clerical workers illustrates a broader trend: It is women, not men, who face both the highest exposure to generative AI and the highest automation risk, due to their overrepresentation in white collar work that requires a college degree and in administrative support roles. Altogether, 36% of female workers are in occupations in which generative AI could save 50% of the time on tasks, compared to 25% of male workers, according to Brookings’ analysis of OpenAI’s GPT-4 ratings of task susceptibility.”

“This reality runs counter to popular conceptions of technology and work: The dominant stereotype of a worker at high risk of automation is often that of a blue collar, male worker in manufacturing, warehousing, or truck driving, or perhaps a computer programmer. Yet generative AI is likely to have only a minimal impact on male-dominated blue collar industries, barring further advances in robotics technologies.”

“We find that more than 30% of all workers could see at least 50% of their occupation’s tasks disrupted by generative AI, while some 85% of workers could see at least 10% of their work tasks impacted.”

“In a highly unequal economic system—one centered on maximizing shareholder value and short-term returns while persistently concentrating huge market power in a small number of leading companies—a predominant focus of industry discussions has been on the potential labor cost savings and efficiency gains from deploying AI. There has been little public discussion or focus on worker impacts or worker engagement in shaping AI’s use at work.”

“There is no “Fight for 15”-equivalent campaign for legal secretaries and HR assistants and no pro-worker alliance for bookkeepers or sales reps.”

“Generative AI is poised to rewire how many of us work and earn a living. As the technology advances, however, the future of work will not be determined by technological capacity alone. Whether generative AI lives up to its potential to unlock new possibilities for workers and spread shared prosperity or realizes fears of exacerbating inequality and harm depends on the choices that employers, policymakers, technologists, and civil society make.”

It’s a great time to get on the path towards becoming a middle school gym teacher. (Not kidding.)

You’ve probably noticed Google has integrated an AI function. There’s now a “For You” (TikTok style) suggested reads below the search bar. May depend on your setting and how you access Google for searches.

In any case… Big Tech is in full out war mode when it comes to attention economy. This is going to get even darker for a time until some laws are put in place that allow us to opt out of certain aspects of algorithmic suggestions for content consumption to make these platforms less addictive. In the meantime, watch you back.

The New Microsoft Copilot update has a bunch of suggestions for what you might want to research… which is another attempt to get you to stick around longer than you intended. Every so-called “AI” (chatbot) is likely going to integrate something like this… at least while the race is on.

Something I actually need to regularly remind myself is that these companies do not care about you or your user experience. They have selfish goals which involve collected data, grabbing attention, and getting you to engage for as long as possible.

“Free” tools are big on manipulation and coercion.

‘Growing number of Earth's ‘vital signs’ endangered by climate change’ (New Scientist)

These days, only ~30% of people stay at a job for 10+ years.

(reference: Sherwood News / Chartr)

Work priorities:

Work-life balance and a focus on well-being are top priorities for job seekers.

Workers want to excel in their jobs. (Go figure.)

Stability and job security are prized.

Workers want to work for a reputable company that they perceive as aligned with their value system.

Workers want to work for people who are good and effective leaders.

Workers want more autonomy.

Workers care about the greater good.

Workers want professional development, the potential for growth, and a sense of a “workplace journey” (career progression).

Workers care about diversity and inclusivity in the workplace.

What else is missing from this list?

‘Photographer combs the world for pairs of identical strangers’ (WBUR)

The photographer’s personal website.

If you think you have a doppelganger out there in the world this project is open-ended and the photographer, Francois Brunelle, is open to a conversation.

New spacesuit just dropped.

Clearly, this project would not have come together without the insights from Prada.

Going nuclear.

Everybody’s doing it. And by everybody of course we’re talking about Big Tech and our Technocrat Overlords.

But nuclear, really? Saw this coming. I think there is wisdom here. We’re going to need a blend of greener sources of energy than oil and coal. Imperfect is better than waiting too long to act.

Why?

“Energy-intensive generative AI applications and data centers are expected to account for roughly 9% of total US power consumption by 2030.” (Yale research)

What about the risks? There are risks. We’ve seen what can happen. My hope is that the U.S. has learned enough about proper safeguards to prevent anything in the realm of the Fukushima Daiichi power plant accident in 2011. The risks are worrisome, don’t get wrong. A significant area around Fukushima will remain uninhabitable until around 2111 (according to some sources)— and this was by no means a worst case scenario.

In semi-local news. Three Mile Island is scheduled to reopen. Bill Gates thinks it’s a good idea and I [mostly] trust Bill Gates to make sensible decisions. (The Gates Foundation does important and impressive work.)

What are your thoughts?

‘Neom ‘uses one fifth of world’s steel’ (AGBI)

Saudi Arabia’s wild (read: insane) project…

OMM – October 2024 – #3

~ a curated selection of discoveries ~

Discussion about this post