I’ve been hearing some snickering about this “What Can Be, Unburdened By What Has Been” thing. Let’s call it WCBBWHB for short, or not, because that’s just ridiculous. The more I think about it, the more it sounds like the kind of babble you’d hear from someone who’s had a few too many mimosas at…
Author: Norman
Gaining Function
So, you’ve heard about this thing called “Gain of Function” research, right? It’s one of those phrases that sounds like it came straight out of a science fiction novel, or maybe something a mad scientist in a cartoon would shout about while lightning crackles in the background. “Gain of function! My creation will now gain…
The Future is Amish
You ever think about the Amish? I mean, really think about them? There they are, living among us, like they’re from another time, another world even. But the more I think about it, the more I start to wonder if maybe, just maybe, they’ve got it all figured out. Yeah, that’s right. While we’re all…
Human Rights and Wrongs
You ever notice how we all talk about human rights like they’re these big, important things? Yeah, turns out, they’re pretty much like the instructions on a shampoo bottle — nobody really follows them, especially not the people in charge. I mean, I always thought rights were like those gifts you get on Christmas morning,…
Hate the Inferior
You ever hire someone to do a job, and then halfway through, you start to wonder if maybe, just maybe, you would’ve been better off asking your pet goldfish for help? Yeah, well, let me tell you about the time I decided to hire a contractor to recaulk my shower. I know what you’re thinking,…
Legislating Emotion
You ever hear about this new trend? Governments deciding that, since they’ve got nothing better to do, they’re gonna start outlawing unpopular speech. Yeah, you heard me right. Not terrorist threats, not communist proclamations, not degradation of civility, but unpopular speech. The kind of speech that makes you go, “Well, I don’t much care for…
Uncanny Valley
I’ve been thinking about these AI systems lately. They’re supposed to be the pinnacle of human achievement, right? The cream of the digital crop. The kind of thing you’d expect to pass the Turing Test while making you a cup of coffee and telling you a joke. Only, it turns out, they might just be…
HR is Furious
My coworkers, bless their hearts, they’ve got this thing for sharing. And I don’t mean staplers or a nice cup of Joe. I’m talking about their personal lives, their intimate preferences. It’s like they’re an open book, but unfortunately, it’s a book that nobody asked to read. Now, I’m all for being open and honest….
Grifting Elites
If you’ve ever turned on the ol’ television set, browsed through the interwebs, or chanced upon a newspaper (remember those?), you’d know that Western politics is, and I say this with the utmost respect, a bit of a circus. Now, I don’t mean the kind with fluffy cotton candy and delightful elephant tricks. No, this…
Socially Useless Jobs
That old pal COVID really pulled back the curtain on a few things. I mean, first off, it’s like we all collectively woke up one day and realized, “Hey, do we really need to cram ourselves into these office buildings like sardines in a can, just to tap on keyboards and gab on the phone?”…
Gender Obsession
Have you ever wondered why history seems to repeat itself? Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s because we humans have a knack for finding trouble where there isn’t any. And that’s especially true when it comes to the collapse of civilizations. Now, let’s take a walk down memory lane and visit the good…
Strange New Loyalty Tests
Norman Vincent Peale once said, “Most of us would be upset if we were accused of being ‘silly.’ But the word ‘silly’ comes from the old English word ‘selig,’ and its literal definition is ‘to be blessed, happy, healthy and prosperous.’” Now, you’d think being silly in the face of totalitarianism is quite the daft…