“NEVER THOUGHT I’D live to see this,”
I said to myself
two years ago
today.
I said it again
this morning.
What would Life be
without its
occasional
surprises?
Tag: Tirebiter for Political Solutions Committee
Tim Leary says the only intelligent way to discuss politics is on all fours. Works for me.
Wholly Toil
IT’S NO SECRET that I loathe AI.
Well, “loathe” is rather strong language, especially since I believe modern tech in general to be an evolutionary leap comparable to the discovery of fire, or the invention of the wheel. Let’s just say I am deeply distrustful of AI, and more than a little saddened and dismayed by how quickly and eagerly it’s infiltrated our culture, our devices, and our minds.
Fortunately, I have some Jewish ammunition backing up my “danger-Will-Robinson” disdain. In this week’s edition of The Forward‘s “Looking Forward” newsletter, Louis Keene makes a good case for why Judaism may hold the key to the AI Resistance.
“That key is the Jewish value of עֲמֵילוּת (ameilut), or toil,” Keene writes. “As far as Jewish values go, ameilut is an obscure one. It lacks the celebrity swagger of its better-known peers like chesed [lovingkindness] and tzedakah [righteousness] or the political power of tikkun olam [“repairing the world,” sometimes understood as social action]. … Yet I believe it is just as crucial. Yes, toiling is a mitzvah. And in the age of AI, ameilut can be a human road map.”
The concern among fervently religious Jews and others, Keene relates, is that anyone can feed, say, the week’s Torah portion into ChatGPT and have it spit out a sermon. But that misses the point. Knowledge shouldn’t be commodified – it should be earned through a lengthy (and rewarding) process. Ameilut means toiling for the sake of personal growth. It’s about the means, not the end; the discovery, not the destination.
A cliche, perhaps, but an apt and important one. And a warning: don’t embrace a shiny new toy without examining, or at least giving serious thought to, any consequences.
Words to Bring Back: “Obviate”
– Definition: verb remove (a need or difficulty)
– Used in a sentence: Popular voting would obviate the problematic and obsolete Electoral College.
– Why: Because the phrase “get rid of” lacks a certain finesse.
We’re All Americans, Dammit
I’VE SAID THIS BEFORE, BUT it’s more important now than ever:
“I pledge allegiance to the Constitution
Of the United States of America
And to the ideal on which it stands:
One nation of individuals
Indivisibly intertwined
With liberty, justice, and peace for all.”
(So help me, G?d. And so help all of us.)
“Room 101 Amusement Park”
RELAXING IN PUBLIC CAN SOMETIMES bring unexpected consequences.
Seated in the Walnut Creek BART station in the spring of 1980, I was reading my well-thumbed copy of 1984. So engrossed was I in Orwell’s pessimistic prose that I didn’t hear the man approach.
“You’re only reading this NOW!?” he demanded in an outraged bellow.
His intensity belied his nonchalant appearance: mid-30s, cleanshaven, plaid shirt, blue jeans, loafers. Although he seemed a normal human (for some values of the words “normal” and “human”), it also seemed best not to provoke him.
“No,” I replied with calm sincerity. “I’ve read it a couple of times.”
His blue eyes speared mine with an emphatic glare.
“Good!” he declared, and stalked off toward the escalator.
I guess it pays to be polite.
Best Advice Ever
LAUGH. SEE?”
— J.R. “Bob” Dobbs
Epitaph
July 4, 1776 – January 20, 2025. Magna dum duravit.
Shock Absorber
THE MORNING OF NOVEMBER 6, 2024 gave me the biggest and most horrific shock of my sixty-two years.
I won’t go into why, because half the country already knows why, and those processing the same emotions could use fewer words rather than more.
And yet, I do have something to say.
Continue reading “Shock Absorber”
Sales Experience Necessary
IT HAS LONG BEEN PROPOSED in some circles that, in order to build a better class of citizens, we need some sort of national-service program along the lines of an in-house Peace Corps or revamped Works Progress Administration. “Give people the tools to literally build the country they live in,” goes the argument, “and they will obtain a greater sense of national ownership, pride, and responsibility.”
Not a bad idea, that. Here’s another:
“Everyone should work retail for a year. Especially during the holiday rush.”
I’m not joking. Continue reading “Sales Experience Necessary”
Wish List
I want the rockets and bombings to stop.
I want Hamas to surrender.
I want the hostages released.
I want civilians to stop dying.
I want peaceful coexistence.
I want to live without fear.
I want to live without being hated.
I want a better world for everyone.
I want this to be not too much to ask.
Life 2023 Style
ALWAYS ASSUME A CAMERA.
Word to Bring Back: “Privacy”
– Definition: n. the quality or state of being apart from company or observation
– Used in a sentence: American culture’s “instant celebrity” fixation is playing hob with the basic concept of privacy.
– Why: Duh.