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Strange Bedfellows – the Good Kind but not THAT Kind

It’s weird how often we have to remind alleged adults that you can agree with a person on Subject A but disagree with the same individual on Subject B – and still not hate them. The phrase “strange bedfellows” in political context (and not a post-drunken adventure context) are productive but unlikely team-ups. It’s so obvious. But so many restrict their views to false binaries, to all-or-nothing attitudes. I don’t even agree with myself on some things I did or believed yesterday. Everyone is like that. So why are people… Read More »Strange Bedfellows – the Good Kind but not THAT Kind

Gods and Computers

An Upgrade is Available for Your God(s)

The more I write about tech, artificial intelligence, and algorithms, the more I sound like I’m talking about religion. Humans Need to Know Why Like many folks in this era of podcasts, I have listened to far too many true crime stories to be healthy.  There is one thing I find extremely fascinating about the families of the victims. They’ve expressed a common feeling that’s surprising, when the full fate of their loved-one isn’t fully known. Say a person has gone missing, evidence indicates they were likely murdered, but their… Read More »An Upgrade is Available for Your God(s)

A king in an ornate throne room, standing before his throne, angrily pointing out of the room, ordering a messenger to leave, colorful

Mental Model Repair Shop: Remember This Before Blaming the Messenger

Today in the mental model repair shop, we’re going to discuss how we assess hypocrisy. We’ll start with a specific anecdote and expand the lessons learned for many situations. Hating Dissent in the Land of the Free Long ago, my primary cause was animal rights. I read all the books, visited vegan restaurants, and attended protests against animal cruelty. Regarding those rallies, I was shocked at the scorn we received. Not because people disagreed with us, but because they seemed to dislike protest as an idea—without even knowing our cause. Maybe… Read More »Mental Model Repair Shop: Remember This Before Blaming the Messenger

Hordes of Dog-Biting Men! -or- Lessons Learned About News Bias and Disinformation From a Fight for my Honor

I was a teenager when the knock sounded. We weren’t expecting anyone. I answered. Two kids were in my front yard on their bikes. I was immediately suspicious. I knew them from High School. I wasn’t friends with them, but I didn’t like them. I didn’t hate them or consider them enemies, but they were enemy-adjacent: friends with other kids I actively disliked. We’ll refer to them as Messenger and Assistant. “Martin is talking crap about you,” Messenger said.  Martin was another kid from high school, in the same category… Read More »Hordes of Dog-Biting Men! -or- Lessons Learned About News Bias and Disinformation From a Fight for my Honor