The Ballad of Isiah
This is a brief story about a piece of art I made 20 years ago.
29 Sunset Missives
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This weekend, Brentford missed European football for next season after they failed to convert an open header in the 100th minute of their final day match against Liverpool. That feels terrible right now, but before this season, the Bees were widely picked as a relegation candidate after transitioning away from their top two goal scorers and manager from the previous season. Instead, they simply kept on doing what they do, matching their highest-ever finish since returning to the English Premier League in 2021-22 and generally having solid vibes. Be resilient and formidable like Brentford. Don’t be expensive and nonsensical, like Tottenham.
This week, I wrote about my wild NBA Draft Lottery idea, my wild MLB roster construction idea, my super-easy lentils preparation, and more. LFG.
GO DIRECTLY TO
- Improving the NBA Draft Lottery
- The San Francisco Giants Have Been a Boring Kind of Bad
- Do Not Ever Let the Casino Into Your Pocket
- I Almost Hit a Home Run
- The Root of Anti-AI Rage
- Lentils: Hell, Yeah
- What Makes a “Top 15 TV Show”
- “The Ten Year Affair”
Trump Follows Classic Wrestling Logic
I did actually notice that the NBA playoffs began this past weekend, but I only watched a little bit because in my middle age I’ve once again become much more of a Baseball Guy, more interested in watching the end of a regular season Padres-Angels game than a Celtics-76ers first round playoff tilt. I’ll probably get drawn in during the conference finals.
This week, I wrote about Donald Trump’s pro wrestling persona, one’s dominant eye, “Project Hail Mary”, a great baseball book from the 1970s, my recent trip to Ireland, and more. LFG.
GO DIRECTLY TO
- Trump’s Pro Wrestling Logic
- “The Summer Game” by Roger Angell
- Do You Know Your Dominant Eye? What About Baseball Players?
- MLBGuessr
- The Helen DeWitt Drama
- Slop Is Not Inevitable; You Don’t Have to Use It
- “Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir
- Ireland
I Want to Know if AI Is a Washing Machine
This week, I wrote something a bit longer about how my opinion of using AI is evolving as I learn new information. The TL;DR is that I’m trying not to be a kneejerk opponent of new technologies, but the more I see of what AI is, the more I’m convinced its most valuable utility is extremely narrow. Aside from that, I wrote about a rich person saying bad things, a cool chase video, and my redesigned website. LFG.
GO DIRECTLY TO:
- I Want to Know if AI Is a Washing Machine
- Rich People Are Not Necessarily Smart: Exhibit Bajillion
- “A Miraculous Escape”
- The Climate Apocalypse Continues
- It’s Time For Baseball
- My Home Page Is a Motherfucking Website
Driving Like a Maniac Should Have Consequences
The Winter Olympics are basically over as I write this, and I didn’t watch much of it, though I did notice that drone footage following downhill skiers kicks ass. I understand various safety concerns, but at a certain point, one wonders why drones aren’t used more extensively over soccer matches, baseball games, and other outdoor sporting events where cable-guided cameras over the playing surface are impractical.
This month, I’ve written about a cool philosophy book, how I've been radicalized against cars, a critically-acclaimed TV show I’m finally watching, Barack Obama’s opinion on aliens, our gambling dystopia, and more. LFG.
GO DIRECTLY TO:
- Are You Competitive? Know “The Score”
- Which MLB Teams Are Trying to Win?
- American Gambling Culture Is Bad
- “Halt and Catch Fire”
- Driving Like a Maniac Should Have Consequences
- The Worst Class I Took in College
- Barack Obama Got Asked About Aliens…
- Sam Altman Doesn’t Value Humanity
- A Good Toilet Seat
- More About My Next Book
Disarming Frankness, in Fiction and the Real World
January is hard. Find joy and hope where we can. LFG.
GO DIRECTLY TO:
- “Heated Rivalry” and “Heartstopper”
- Don’t Let Anyone Tell You MLB “Needs a Salary Cap”
- More of What I’ve Learned From Playing Immaculate Grid
- Compelling Darts
- How to Win at Monopoly and Lose All Your Friends
- You Should Talk to Friends
- In Case You Needed Another Reason to Watch “Taskmaster”
- Remember Martin Prince? He’s Back, in Tattoo Form
- Greenland
- Occupation of Minnesota
- An Example of Journalism That Doesn’t Call Things What They Are
- The Most Electric Movie Experiences
- My Next Book