Here are some disjointed thoughts which occurred to me on my morning walk:
Proper and Constructive Attitudes
"Racism" is judging an individual unfairly based purely on their membership to a given racial group, as opposed to getting to know them personally. "Racism" is not citing statistics about how black people are a tiny percent of the population, but commit a huge percentage of the violent crimes.
"Anti-Semitism" is judging an individual unfairly based on the fact that they are a Jew, without getting to know them personally. "Anti-Semitism" is not observing that and wondering why the minds behind the radical ideologies and the institutions destroying the world today-- feminism, Cultural Marxism, giant banks, hedge funds, and so forth-- are overrepresented by Jews to a mind-boggling degree.
The "is" items above are manifestations of closed-mindedness, cowardice, lack of curiosity, and intellectual dishonesty. The "is not" items above are manifestations of open-mindedness, bravery, curiosity, and intellectual honesty.
Therefore it follows that adopting the "is" attitudes above will lead to a rigid, authoritarian, theocratic society hell bent on destroying intellectualism-- while the "is not" attitudes will lead to a flexible, anti-authoritarian, liberal society curiously seeking truth and understanding.
Technologists... Please
"Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should." Any time you have some zany idea, especially but not limited to Machine Learning and AI, or any time you are asked by your employer about a zany idea, think very carefully about what society would look like if your idea gained mainstream acceptance from the "powers that be."
Car technology that makes it trivial for "authorities"-- who may on your side today, but not tomorrow-- to track and remotely shut down automobiles for wrong-think? How about "digital passports" which could prohibit political "dissidents"-- you, if not today then when the next regime is in charge-- from traveling, having access to health care, or holding a job? Or how about facial recognition technology which will profile people for political affiliations or "potential for 'terrorism'", without even asking them as individuals?
Roughly five percent of the society are sociopaths. As much as people rightfully point fingers at that group, it's huge swathes of the other ninety five percent who are doing the bidding. As it was with the "election", the problems come from the bottom-up, not the top-down. As non-sociopathic technologists, you have a choice to say no, or to not pursue your zany pet project-- or at least you keep the outcome of the hobby to yourself.
Video Game Music Over the Years
Video game music from 1993, versus video game music from 2020. From a music theory standpoint the former is like Mozart, the latter is like banging two rocks together.
People might accuse me of cherrypicking: you're wrong. I've reviewed over six hundred games and counting-- releases from the late 1970s all the way to present day triple-A ray-traced and indie titles, and everything in between. The links above are highly representative of the video game music from their respective eras, and if anyone is qualified to make that judgement, it's me.
Changing Assumptions
In March of 2018, I wrote about what I thought were the gravest threats to the world. I should make a revised version: China is still the greatest threat, but with "Bejing Biden" in charge, the risk has morphed from war into the institution of a "CCP"-like model, right here in America.
Additionally, the "Cultural Marxism" risk should be shifted one slot higher: these people are in the process of installing a theocratic, totalitarian monoculture police state.
Several years ago I bought the "bug out house", thinking that a move to a fairly remote rural area would insulate me to some degree from social unrest and give me a fighting chance against the nightmare scenario of nuclear fallout. But now, it's looking increasingly like I may need to minimally flee Minnesota to a "pro-secession" "Red" state, or perhaps even seek political asylum from a South or Central American country.
In other words, the "bug out house" is better than nothing-- but doesn't feel quite like the correct hedge in 2021's reality. I've been stocking up on crypto lately: a crypto wallet can be backed up onto dozens of USB thumb drives and smuggled over a border-- where upon arrival, the crypto can be converted into regional fiat.
The Derby
This is not to take anything away from our own players: Lazzari for example was quite literally unplayable: but what in the world was Paulo Fonseca thinking with his tactics?
Every other Serie A coach has more or less figured this Lazio out: play a deep line, man mark Luis Alberto at all times, don't give the ball away cheaply in midfield, and force Lazio's counters out wide. Fonseca by contrast had the exact opposite setup, and it made his team look like a Serie B side.
It was the most lop-sided derby I think I've ever seen. There was zero chance Roma were going to take anything with the tactical approach they employed.
Site Growth
Over the past twelve months I have grown unique site viewership by one hundred and seven percent. That's growth from a relatively small starting point naturally, but it's trending in the right direction nonetheless.