#67 I think collapse is months away.

Generative AI is eroding our ability to discern reality faster everyday. AI can mimic hurricanes, wars, atrocities, and political events that never happened. Large language models are only as good as the tailored information accessed, like Grok on Twitter. Conspiracy theories are out of control. Meanwhile, Nvidia market cap is 5 trillion. The world is in an AI arms race, and this is only the beginning. I predict that, within months, we will have passed a tipping point. We won’t be able to trust anything that comes through a screen. Anything.

#66 Republicans have the perfect strategy

I have a slight cold, so bear with me as I lay out how the Republicans currently have all bases covered: Use shock and awe theatrics while also committing atrocities, and when the left argues about which is worse — the theatrics or the actual atrocities — win again.

#65 Muscle Gain or Overall Fitness?

Diet and exercise is always important, but after 40 and 50, it really ought to be a part of your life. But what are your goals? Do you seek overall fitness, are you focused on fat loss? What about muscle gain? Because different programs or regimen are going to get you different results. Here’s some of what I’ve found after two years.

#64 The Response to the Poly-crisis is Degrowth and Hyperlocality

I’m not the first to say it. A team of researchers including Donella H. Meadows and Dennis L. Meadows wrote The Limits to Growth in 1971. French philosopher André Gorz coined the term “degrowth” in the 1970s as well. Most recently, Greta Thunberg is something of a degrowth proponent; by calling attention to the poly-crisis caused by a global economic system of endless extraction and growth, we all are. For me the key to implementing degrowth is to see it both at a systems and person level, and to deploy our response locally. Finally, I’m trying something new with this podcast — making video a part of it.

#63 My Gen X Career Crisis

If you’re like me and you’ve spent the past decades building and maintaining a career in the arts, media, etc., then the AI revolution is no joke. I see you, I hear you — let’s figure out what to do next.

#60 The Hard Truth About Working Out at 49

A breathless summary of the past 18 months I’ve been exercising in earnest. I’m rushing here a little bit to get it all documented, and I make a couple of mistakes. When I talk about the Better Me app and say “cardio” I mean to say “calisthenics.” Later, when I’m talking about body fat percentage, I say I am on the upper limit of “athletic,” but I mean “fitness” (the general consensus is athletes = 6%—13%, fitness = 14%—17% and I am 17%).

With those corrections in mind, please enjoy my honest understanding of fitness for a man my age.

#58 The Truth About Free Will

“Free will” is a misnomer. We are susceptible to influence based on prior conditioning. What exactly does that mean? Let’s discuss.

#57 Was Trump Really Talking About Transgender Mice?

I have reason to believe he actually was. Some claim he was citing a University of Cincinnati study on transGENIC mice. But I don’t think that’s right. And in our winner-take-all social media world, there’s no room for disagreement. (Which is a bigger problem than transgender mice.)

We have to be impeccable. Any misstep lends credence to Trump’s claims about “fake news” and only proves him right.