Homework

This is a part of the homework feature of my blog, which is an ongoing conversation with my mate S.F.

Hey mate. Lovely to see you again, as always.

First, two things from last time which I forgot to write up:

I mentioned Veritasium which is a video blog of interest.

I have a note here that says “ASI”. And that’s all it says. Not sure what that was about?

I did consider writing my response to Mark Fisher‘s work Capitalist Realism (which is available on the web here), but in researching him and his work this evening I have learned that he died by suicide in 2017. I think suicide is the worst thing ever and I can’t bring myself to write something which tears strips off people who are no longer here to respond. (I intend to read Mark’s PhD thesis Flatline constructs: Gothic materialism and cybernetic theory-fiction.)

You mentioned Pick of the Litter, noting that dogs are trained to sometimes ignore the command of their master, particularly when it wouldn’t be safe.

One good thing about arguments with friends is that there is always time to pee.

Norvig’s Law: Any technology that surpasses 50% penetration will never double again (in any number of months).

This marketing dude Rory Sutherland is actually quite impressive. I hadn’t expected as much from someone in advertising! He has given a number of TED talks and there are many interviews with him on YouTube.

The documentary about the 2008 financial crisis that I mentioned was Inside Job. Not to be confused with the TV series with the same name (which is excellent, by the way).

My favorite philosopher of the day is Iain McGilchrist. I suspect my own beliefs and preferences diverge from those of McGilchrist but I do really enjoy his thought. I have watched a number of interviews with Iain McGilchrist. He has written a number of books, a few of which I have purchased and intend to read: The Matter With Things: Our Brains, Our Delusions and the Unmaking of the World, The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World, and The Divided Brain and the Search for Meaning.

The book Thinking, Fast and Slow by psychologist Daniel Kahneman demarcates two systems of thinking: one fast and automatic, the other slow and deliberative.

The quotation “the stupid are cocksure, while the intelligent are full of doubt” is variously attributed (including to Bertrand Russell).

Check out Mr Inbetween, it’s really excellent!

Love you my brother, see you on Christmas Day! <3

Homework

This is a part of the homework feature of my blog, which is an ongoing conversation with my mate S.F.

Hey mate. Lovely to see you again, as always.

Per the Xbox technical specifications the Xbox CPU was a 32-bit 733 MHz, custom Intel Pentium III Coppermine-based processor using a 180 nm process.

A good essay from Umberto Eco’s Travels in Hyperreality is On the Crisis of the Crisis of Reason.

Is the ABC’s postmodern philosophy thing you mentioned this one: The Postmodern Grand Narrative?

There is a good article on the topic of acronyms and initialisms over here: Acronym vs. Initialism vs. Abbreviation With Examples:

  • Initialisms are when you abbreviate a word to its initials. Then, you say those initials as individual letters, like how “National Security Administration” becomes N-S-A. The United States becomes U-S.
  • Acronyms are abbreviations that also use initials, but those initials are pronounced as a word rather than saying the individual initials. For example, “National Aeronautical and Space Administration” becomes NASA and is pronounced “nah-sah.”

In logic begging the question is jargon for is an informal fallacy that occurs when an argument’s premises assume the truth of the conclusion. This is often mistakenly used where “raises the question” is what is meant. Your best policy is never to use the phrase “begging the question” because it is not reliably understood. Say either “raises the question” or “assumes the conclusion” depending on what you mean to say.

In law mere puffery is when certain statements made by advertisers that are obviously not made in a serious manner can be exempt from usual rules relating to promises in open contracts.

A reminder to check out More, it’s brilliant.

There are some notes on Kraftwerk about the Moog and the Minimoog synths. You can listen to Kraftwerk on YouTube.

There is an article about the “roger beep” over here: Roger Beep – useful tool or annoying toy? As you know the roger beep is a small tone made automatically when the radio operator unkeys their microphone to let the receiver know they have finished speaking.

Heroin by The Velvet Underground was also covered by Billy Idol. The lead singer of The Velvet Underground was Lou Reed.

You mentioned the Song Exploder podcast. I will check it out.

If you can find some time to watch it I would definitely recommend Mr Inbetween.

You mentioned Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk. Annoyingly it doesn’t seem to be available in ebook format.

The opposite of “hyperbole” is “understatement”.

After some ruckus of being canceled Scott Adams seems to have dilbert.com back online with some explanations about what happened here: https://dilbert.com/faq. His new thing is Dilbert Reborn which is subscription only and nsfw.

You mentioned Everything is a Remix which is available on YouTube.

User: define nebulous

ChatGPT:

The term “nebulous” is an adjective that describes something that is vague, unclear, or ill-defined. It often refers to ideas, situations, or objects that lack sharp boundaries or are difficult to describe precisely. The word can also evoke the image of a cloud or haze, suggesting something that is misty, indistinct, or without a concrete form.

The latest Mission Impossible movie is Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. It is good fun!

Metropolis a scifi film from 1927. It is also available on YouTube.

Technological determinism is “a reductionist theory that assumes that a society’s technology progresses by following its own internal logic of efficiency, while determining the development of the social structure and cultural values.”

There is a good intro to some of Kant’s thought over here: Kant’s Theory of Judgment.

User: what are synthetic a priori judgements?

ChatGPT:

Synthetic a priori judgments are a central concept in epistemology, particularly in the philosophy of Immanuel Kant. They refer to statements that are both synthetic and a priori. Let’s break down these terms:

  1. Synthetic: A synthetic statement is one where the predicate (the part of the sentence that describes the subject or assigns it a property) adds information that is not already contained in the concept of the subject. In other words, the truth of a synthetic statement is not determined just by the meanings of the words it contains; it requires additional information about the world.
  2. A priori: An a priori statement is one that can be known to be true independently of any specific experience. Instead, its truth can be determined through reason alone.

Combining these, a synthetic a priori judgment is a statement that is known to be true independently of experience (a priori) and whose predicate is not contained within the subject, thus adding new information (synthetic). Kant argued that such judgments are essential for the possibility of certain kinds of knowledge, particularly in mathematics and natural science. For example, the statement “7 + 5 = 12” is synthetic because the concept of “12” is not contained in the concepts of “7” and “5”, and it is a priori because it can be known through reason without needing empirical verification.

Kant’s introduction of synthetic a priori judgments was revolutionary because it suggested that humans have innate knowledge structures that enable them to understand the world in a certain way, which in turn makes empirical science possible.

User: define kitsch

ChatGPT:

“Kitsch” refers to art, objects, or design considered to be in poor taste because of excessive garishness or sentimentality, but sometimes appreciated in an ironic or knowing way. The term is often used to describe art that is overly commercial, cliche, or banal. It can also connote a certain cultural appeal linked to nostalgia or popular aesthetics that are considered tacky or lowbrow by mainstream standards.

Jailbreaking is discussed in iOS jailbreaking. Basically it allows a user to run unsanctioned programs on their device.

Stop Punching Me In The Head. It’s about the idea okay!

I’m a little bit involved.

When I was in Melbourne I bummed a ciggie of Geoffrey Rush. He smokes Benson & Hedges Ultimate.

This is Head Like A Hole and Sin by Nine Inch Nails.

I know fucking heaps and that makes me feel like I know nothing.

Mulholland Drive is a 2001 surrealist mystery film written and directed by David Lynch.

Also from 2001 is Donnie Darko an American science fiction psychological thriller film written and directed by Richard Kelly and produced by Flower Films.

You recommended Succession which is an American satirical black comedy-drama television series created by Jesse Armstrong that aired for four seasons on HBO from June 3, 2018, to May 28, 2023.

We listened to A Roller Skating Jam Named “Saturdays” by De La Soul and The Distance by Cake.

I feel happy when:

  • I am in my lab thinking
  • I am home alone by myself
  • I am enjoying a cup of coffee
  • I am soaking in a warm bath
  • I am talking with my Dad in his study
  • I am hanging out with my mate on the veranda at his house
  • I get to see my mate’s dog, Ruben
  • my friends take me out for lunch or dinner at the Lappo
  • I complete a project
  • I work on a project and make progress
  • I let go of things which aren’t a priority for me
  • I let go of things which I have no control over
  • I write down a list of things that make me happy and that I can be grateful for
  • I eat less than 8,409 kilojoules in a day
  • I imagine how much better the future might be than the present
  • I do some maths homework
  • I learn and understand new things
  • my network backups are up to date
  • I am

Homework

This is a part of the homework feature of my blog, which is an ongoing conversation with my mate S.F.

Reading counts as productivity but 100% reading is problematic.

“Raise your words, not your voice. It’s rain that grows flowers not thunder.” — Rumi

Johann Hari wrote Chasing the Scream and recorded this famous TED Talk: Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong. We also discussed Hari’s other book Stolen Focus.

I did a quick search for pop3 email migration for iphone which suggests you can’t salvage POP3 email from an iPhone. I find that surprising. I’ve emailed a mate to see if this is true or not. Stand by.

As promised my keyboard unboxing video: In The Lab With Jay Jay – October 31, 2023 – Uboxing of FILCO Majestouch 2SS Edition 104-key and tenkeyless keyboards.

The USB HDMI adapters I have are these ones: 4K Audio Video Capture Card USB 3.0 HDMI Video Capture Device for Live Streaming. They have HDMI in and both USB and HDMI out. Which means you can have my old Forty7 AVerMedia BU110 ExtremeCap UVC, Multi-Colour, I will bring it next time I see you.

I found Dr Peter Brain on the web.

Economists talk about normative and positive.

Here is the article about organizational structure The Tyranny of Structurelessness and the article about bureaucracy Inside Bureaucracy.

I am one day closer to being the man I will ultimately be. (A dead man!)

Checkout Last Splash, a 1993 album from The Breeders with the fan favorite Cannonball. “I’m the last splash!”

We mentioned No Surprises by Radio Head.

My hard core dancing video is here: jj5 feels hardcore!. Let me know if it doesn’t play for you and I will find the original.

The video about suicide is here: “Why Do People Die By Suicide” – Lecture by Thomas E. Joiner, Ph.D..

I found Outkast – SpottieOttieDopaliscious but YouTube won’t let me watch it because of my ad blocker.

John Perkins has a new version of his book out: Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, 3rd Edition.

Check out Mr Inbetween.

I found There She Goes, My Beautiful World by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.

And the last thing I have in my phone is: “Who beautiful?? It’s an ugly word” — and I have no idea what that means, I suspect I was quite drunk by that point. :P