The introverts-at-Google story

Here’s a story from my early days at Google, circa early 2005. Content warning for criticism of a particular set of extroverts (which is not to be confused with criticism of all extroverts). Also content warning for discussion of the desirability of interacting with people in person, which is a fraught topic for a lot […]

Good things

Some assorted good things: There’s now only one published Joanna Russ story that I don’t have a copy of (and a university library may be sending me that last one soon). And I’m making progress on a couple of Russ-related projects. I’ve been helping the Otherwise Award folks catch up on various tasks and get […]

Breakup

This past Tuesday, Mary Anne broke up with me, ending a relationship that lasted a little over 26 years. The relationship has been on rocky ground for at least the past two years, during which time we’ve been doing couples therapy. (We didn’t talk publicly about our 25th anniversary, in late 2022, because it would’ve […]

Detotalizing

I was going to say that it’s been a difficult and stressful week, but I’m trying to remind myself to question that kind of totalizing narrative. So maybe it would be more accurate to say: It’s been a complicated week for me, with a couple of particularly difficult and stressful events that I’m not ready […]

Sorry, but ChatGPT doesn’t love your book

A month ago, File 770 carried an item in which an author said that he had asked ChatGPT for a blurb for his book. He seemed to be delighted that ChatGPT had not only read his book, but loved it; ChatGPT called it a “captivating narrative.” The author continued: Could [ChatGPT] have reached into my […]

Thoughts about three old sf stories

Here are some thoughts about three old sf stories. (These thoughts include spoilers.) The stories aren’t particularly connected to each other except by appearing in the same anthology. Story 1: “Environment,” by Chester S. Geier (1944) The two male human protagonists, who are the only characters in the story, constantly say each other’s names when […]

Excellent can opener

KTO recently gave me a nifty kitchen device: a Bartelli soft-edge ambidextrous can opener. Instead of cutting through the top of the lid of the can, it cuts through the side edge of the lid of the can. It has some advantages over traditional can openers: You don’t have to squeeze it to puncture the […]