Thursday, March 30, 2023

The IRS "Free Tax" scam and the hilarious reason why Turbo Tax is the only good free solution.

›
I wrote this for Facebook friends but I keep seeing people praising the "Free Tax" program and dissing Turbo Tax -- without any ac...

ChatGPT's 155 IQ and passing the Sebastian's children puzzle

›
A Scientific American contributor found ChatGPT (probably 3) scored 155 on a standard IQ test : Estimated on the basis of five subtests, the...

A response to Scott Aaronson's rejection of an AI pause.

›
Scott Aaronson, who works on AI safety for OpenAI, wrote a critique of AI Pause that was not up to his usual standards. Here's what I w...
Tuesday, March 14, 2023

Everything is just fine.

›
The ad-funded internet is collapsing. It's been ailing for years but, as seems to the rule, the last bit is happening quite quickly. I...
2 comments:
Sunday, March 12, 2023

I ask ChatGPT about the next step.

›
 Not a bad response. ”Describe what happens when ChatGPT is enhanced with natural language processing and domain-specific knowledge modules....
Monday, February 20, 2023

Be afraid of ChatGPT

›
TL;DR: It's not that ChatGPT is miraculous, it's that cognitive science research suggests human cognition is also not miraculous. ...
Saturday, February 18, 2023

Tips for the geriatric CrossFit addict (Update: a parallel essay by ChatGPT 4)

›
My 10 year CrossFit anniversary is two months away. A few months after  I started as an old man of 53 I wrote : ... I now do CrossFit twice ...
2 comments:
Wednesday, November 02, 2022

What I learned about managing catalytic converter theft: OEM vs aftermarket vs universal

›
The catalytic converter on my much loved 2010 Kia Sedona van was stolen. (I think there are two and the rear converter was removed. I'm ...
Monday, October 24, 2022

Installing a NiteRider headlamp on a Bell helmet's GoPro mount with K-Edge adapter and Suptig thumbscrews

›
My Bell Super Air mountain bike helmet (removable face guard) came with an undocumented snap-in GoPro mount. I figured I'd use it to ho...
Tuesday, September 20, 2022

On buying a less expensive bike for riding dirt trails - used and new

›
A friend asked me for advice on buying a bicycle suited to dirt trails (up to novice singletrack as well as city trails). She would want to ...
Sunday, September 11, 2022

What is "manliness" in 2022?

›
Over the past year or two several of my favorite writers have expressed uncertainty about the American cultural standard for "manliness...
1 comment:
Saturday, August 20, 2022

Phone and data services for travelers to Europe

›
Our daughter is doing a semester abroad in Florence Italy so I've been looking into voice, SMS and data services. In particular the tran...
Sunday, July 24, 2022

Putting down a marker on post-COVID encephalopathy (PCE)

›
I generally have opinions on things even in the absence of science or data. They are often wrong. Even so, for my own future amusement, here...
Saturday, June 11, 2022

Paxlovid indications and the Test to Treat program

›
Paxlovid is indicated for persons at significant risk of bad COVID. As of June 2022 it's crazy-making hard to find a description of what...
Sunday, May 15, 2022

What is Great Replacement Theory?

›
 [Copied over from a tweet stream .] So now I'm trying to figure out what Great Replacement Theory is. It seems to be one part true and ...