December 2023Hey all,It's December, and I'm in a giving mood. If you fill out this form before Friday, December 22nd, I'll send you something fun for free. No catch or anything. Stamps are (relatively) cheap, so everyone who wants a holiday surprise is getting a little something.Happy holidays!-Dann⚛️ Schrödinger's booleanThere's a heated debate about the future dangers of Artificial Intelligence. One group of people see it as an existential threat to humanity. In one doomsday scenario, technology just keeps getting better and better, exponentiating once AI learns how to improve itself. In an instant, machines are powerful enough to wipe out humanity, and one tiny miscommunication means we all die.Another AI scenario is much less exciting. In this future, AI is much more like a smartphone—the technology rapidly improved, year-after-year, until it just sort of...hit the peak it's own design. Now, each new smartphone is just a minor improvement on the last. Maybe, artificial intelligence is just racing to the peak of what AI is able to do.But as AI has been capturing headlines, there's another group of engineers making progress on a different technology that may be even more impactful. And that's quantum computing.If you want to quickly get caught up, this 13-minute 60 Minutes segment on Quantum Computing does a decent job at explaining the technology and potential ramifications.If AI is revolutionizing what a computer can do, quantum computing is doing the same for how fast it can do it. And not just a few multiples, but estimated 100 trillion times faster than current supercomputers.I'm thinking about quantum computing sort of like Y2K. Prone to hype, but also carrying real dangers. It's a threshold into the unknown that will probably look quaint in hindsight, but is sort of intimidating to stare at head-on.The thing that I find fascinating about quantum computing is the same thing I find fascinating about AI: the size of the threat. Both are existential threats to humanity. Artificial Intelligence because we may create a beast we can't control, and quantum computing because it could instantly make the very foundations of our technological society obsolete.So while AI has all the exciting, tangible updates, quantum computing is the silent giant closing in a breakneck speed. Methinks society in ten years will look very different than society today.📺 Manufactured RealityHere's a sentence that may surprise you:There's a new reality TV show that I'm excited about.Let me explain. I'm no Martin Riese, but reality TV is a lot like bottled water—it's easy to write it off as all the same, but you're missing subtlety, nuance, and quite a bit of (dare I say?) art.For example, if you haven't seen a season of Survivor since the original season one aired, you've missed a significant evolution of the game. Most people are surprised to hear Survivor is no longer really about surviving in a remote location: it's much more about strategy and social game. And it changes and evolves in material ways each year.Going back to my original excitement, Netflix made Squid Game into a reality TV show, aptly named Squid Game: The Challenge. The first season felt fun and exciting, in the same way as season one of Survivor.If you can look past the strange dystopia of the concept of the show (ie by watching this show, we are literally the audience that the original series was skewering), you get a complex and strategic game that's ripe for evolution and growth.Plus, watching season one is to watch true reality-show masters at work. The challenge was: how do we get the younger generation addicted to reality show contests?Just watch the first season of Squid Game: The Challenge, and then watch some of the complimentary behind-the-scenes TikTok content deftly posted by popular contestants, and you'll have your answer.There's the argument for the hype. But let me end this section by tempering expectations. The show isn't going to change anyone's life (except maybe the new millionaire winner). Nor do I even consider it must-watch TV.I do, however, think it is valid TV. And undeniably entertaining. The context, and how it fits within the wider world of reality TV, is just icing on the cake.💭 A new lensBoomers get a lot of hate on the Internet. And in most cases, I say: rightly so. I mean, "not all Boomers," of course, but I think many of the problems society is currently dealing with are a direct result of decisions made by Boomers.But with that said, I do think it's interesting to think about the Boomer generation through the lens of trauma. This three-minute video explains the the larger context in which the generation was raised, contextualizing it in a way that younger generations might understand and possibly appreciate.It's no excuse, but is a lens that I find illuminating.🛶 Face first aheadI recognize that this newsletter might now be considered just a distribution for Bobby Fingers' videos (I discussed his previous video back in April), but his new creation is too good to not share.This time, Bobby Fingers made a full-sized row boat in the shape of a hyper-realistic Jeff Bezos head. The humor is dry, the skill level high, and the entire 28-minute video an absolute journey.My favorite type of creators are ones with incredible mind-blowing talent who use their skills to make the most bizarre things imaginable. Bobby Fingers certainly fits that description.Plus, who doesn't enjoy a good skewering of a billionaire? Bezos certainly has a knack for inspiring quality art.🎩 Song and flash manYou've probably heard of Bill Wurtz. His most popular video, history of the entire world, i guess, was published six years ago and has over 163M views. That video (like most of his videos) is a rocket blasting off from earth. His style is singular and unmistakable. He has his own genre.Because of that, I loved this 26-minute interview with Wurtz. His style is unique, and his approach to creative work completely his own. Listening to him talk gave me a new appreciation for his work, and I love when interviews do that.End noteIf you've enjoyed this, I'd love it if you shared it with a friend. You can send them here to sign up.I'll be sending out these emails once per month, and I'm happy you're along for the ride. I'm trying to make it one of the best things that arrives in your inbox each month, so thoughts and feedback are always appreciated. You can just reply to this email.Also, if you find anything interesting, send it my way.Thanks for reading. Until next time,Dann This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dannberg.substack.com

November 2023Hey all,I watched my first ever Hallmark Christmas movie this Thanksgiving. I'm not sure how I managed to completely avoid them until this point in my life, but recently discovering Pluto TV and feeling nostalgic for pre-streaming television had me open to new experiences.In an ending scene, two will-they-won't-they characters take a Christmas Day stroll through New York City, It's snowing, and everything is dusted with a fresh clean layer of white.It's the kind of holiday weather we just don't get anymore. At some point between when I moved here in 2004 and now, the chance of Christmas snow dropped to zero. It's a not-so-subtle reminder of climate change. Remember, NYC is officially subtropical now.Anyway, I guess I'd give the movie about a "B.""-Dann🎁 Peak ConsumerismI don't usually promote my individual blog posts in my newsletter (did you know that I'm also semi-regularly posting content to my website?) but I had a lot of fun with this one and wanted to share.I made my own 2023 Indie Holiday Gift Guide. I called it "indie" because it's just me — usually these type of gift guides are a collaborative process published by big magazines or newspapers. But why should they have all the fun?I've always had a soft spot for holiday gift guides, as strange as that might sound. It's the closest I'll get to fun mail-order catalogues of my youth. I used to love pouring through Oriental Trading and Things You Never Knew Existed every time a new issue arrived in the mail, despite the fact that they were 90% the same issue-to-issue.Online shopping took away much of the joy and novelty of mail order catalogues, but the spirit lives on in holiday gift guides. I always love seeing which products I recognize and which are new to me. You can get a sense of each publication by the products each chooses to include in their respective guides.If you were to put together your own holiday gift guide, what items would you include?📌 In defense of screensRemember Quibi? It was a new video platform, designed specifically for smartphones, that promised to change the entire industry. It raised $1.75 billion before it even launched and lasted only six months before shutting down back in 2020.I'm asking because I feeling some deja vu.There's a tech company that's been operating in stealth, yet getting a ton of pre-revenue buzz. It was founded by a bunch of ex-Apple employees, with a plan to kill the smartphone as we know it, allowing us to give up screens without giving up functionality. It raised over $200M to fund this mission.The company is Humane and this month it launched its first product, the AI Pin.If I was skeptical of the company before the product launch, I'm straight up doubtful now. If you have ten minutes (or less at 2x speed), you should watch the product launch video yourself. It's truly bizarre.Sean O'Kane covers all the little infuriating details on his blog (side note: Sean and I actually went to college together, and he joined The Verge shortly after I left). But one flub stood out against the rest.When the AI Pin is asked about the best place to view the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse, it confidently answers Australia. That is 100% wrong—North America will have the best views.It's since been fixed (the AI voiceover now answers Nazas, Durango, Mexico in every version of the video). But how does an error that big make it into a launch this big? Sort of amazing.🍪 Limited time onlyI've discovered a new favorite treat at Trader Joe's, the unassuming Chocolate Dipped Danish Cookies. It's one of those treats where the cashier will gush about how much they love it, too, and how they were surprised it was so tasty since they look sort of dry and boring (actual conversation).If you live near a Trader Joes and want to try them (which you do), you should act fast. I don’t have any insider information that these will be discontinued soon, but remember that I'm a retail harbinger of failure (as I discussed before), so the mere fact that I love them means they’re not long for this world.💌 Do Not EmailI always consider November to be Do Not Email month, mostly because it's the best time to unsubscribe from all those emails you don't actually want to be getting.The 1-2-3 punch of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday means nearly every company that has your email is going to be sending you an email.What most people don't realize is that those little unsubscribe links at the bottom of marketing emails actually work. So I encourage you to take 10 minutes each day to actually unsubscribe from emails that you don't want to be receiving (even if it's this newsletter...I don't want you on my list if this email doesn't bring you joy).While you're on a roll digitally, maybe you want to get fewer flyers and catalogs in your physical mail as well. There's actually a solution for that, supported by the FTC.As explained on the FTC's website, you can register with the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and asked to be excluded from physical marketing mail. Registration costs $4 (because of course it does) but it lasts for 10 years. I signed up in December of 2022, and there's since been a noticeable drop in physical junk mail.Happy Do Not Email month!✂️ The darkest timelineIf I were to believe in the multiverse, I might think there was a very distinct timeline split this past weekend—in one timeline, humanity thrives and in another it completely dies out.Late in the afternoon on Friday, it was announced that Sam Altman (co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT) was fired by its board of directors. The given reason was that the board concluded that Altman "was not consistently candid in his communications with the board."My initial thought was that he was somehow lying about Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)—that point in the (not-so-distant?) future where AI crosses the threshold of human intelligence and the real existential threat to humanity starts.The following weekend+ was a wild ride, and here are the main points of the journey:* Sam Altman fired, the board publicly announces the news with a blog post* Public uproar, Altman then rumored to be in talks to return as CEO* Hours later, the board announces a new CEO (not Altman)* Overnight (before market open on Monday!) Microsoft announces it is hiring Altman* Board members flip and take Altman's side* The board refuses to elaborate on Altman's wrongdoings (even to the new CEO) and 700 of 770 employees threaten to quit unless Altman is reinstated* Rumors that Altman is in talks to return at CEO (again)* Altman is back with a (largely) new boardFollowing along, it honestly felt like the first season of Game of Thrones (back when it was good). Not just because of the power struggles, but because of the potential danger to humanity posed by AI, and the fighting over who gets to control it.The public largely took Altman's side. No surprise, since he's such a likable public figure. He's the darling child of AI, just like Sam Bankman-Fried was the darling child of crypto.From what I can tell (and again, these are rumors) the board may have wanted to slow down the pace of innovation, and Altman was full-speed again. There may have been a disagreement about risk tolerance and safety.Or maybe a board member was catty about being in the dark about a recent OpenAI product launch, and staged a "coup."But I don't know what to think. I just don't have enough information. But it does make me feel better, now that Altman was reinstated, to know that nearly all OpenAI employees wanted his return. I have to assume they have access to information that I don't have, and are making an informed decision.But really, that's all we have to go off of. If this was actually a timeline split, I sure hope we're not on the dark path.Further reading:* The interested normie's guide to OpenAI drama* WSJ's Behind the Scenes of Sam Altman’s Showdown at OpenAI (bypass paywall)* Reuter's OpenAI researchers warned board of AI breakthrough ahead of CEO ouster, sources sayEnd noteIf you've enjoyed this, I'd love it if you shared it with a friend. You can send them here to sign up.I'll be sending out these emails once per month, and I'm happy you're along for the ride. I'm trying to make it one of the best things that arrives in your inbox each month, so thoughts and feedback are always appreciated. You can just reply to this email.Also, if you find anything interesting, send it my way.Thanks for reading. Until next time,Dann This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dannberg.substack.com

October 2023Hey all,Like many others, I'm sad, horrified, depressed, angry, outraged, upset (and all the other emotions) about the situation in the middle east. I've been both binging news, and then purposely trying to take mental heath breaks from the headlines.I really liked this Pete Davidson cold open for SNL. And I think it's important to know that I don't have to post about my outrage. Neither do you. (NTY gift article).The amount of anti-semitism (both witting and unwitting) has been terrifying to witness (also NYT gift article). In my mind, there’s space to both condemn terror and want peace for innocent people on both sides.I'm largely going to avoid the topic of the conflict in this newsletter. There are other, better, news sources if you want those updates. Instead, we're going to keep things rolling here like every month past.With all that said, let's get to the stories.-Dann🪦 Meme CultI don't think the movie Dumb Money (about WallStreetBets and the GameStop short squeeze) is worth your time. I only saw it because I have an Alamo Drafthouse Season Pass (unlimited movies) and I was curious how the creative team would approach dramatizing this highly-online story. The movie was throughly fine.What was missing from the story, however, was the insanity that emerged after Keith Gill's testimony before congress in February of 2021. Those who stuck around in the movement in the following months were effectively sucked into a doomsday cult.For that story, we turn to Dan Olsen of the YouTube Channel Folding Ideas, and his two and a half hour(!) documentary This is Financial Advice. Think: if The Big Short were created by a talented indie YouTube content creator.From around 01:15:05 in the video (emphasis mine):The thing that truly separates a meme stock from every other garbage ticker is that the act of buying, in and of itself, becomes the meme. A combination of absurdist performance and inherently gamified exercise. In 2023 though, that wave has crested and broken. The joke is over but the investors are still around. And, as we'll see, the gleeful contrarianism is gone, replaced with stone-faced dedication to a perceived cause.This "perceived cause" went completely off the rails, leaving Occupy Wall Street territory and entering doomsday-cult, QAnon land. These retail traders' behavior becoming so predictable that they've been scammed by the very people they were fighting against, all while believing they're on the verge of ushering what is effectively the rapture.It's a sad story, but wildly interesting for anyone who remembers the GME craze.♟️ Keeping ScoreThe indie game designer Zach Gage (whom I've written about before) is back with his most ambitious project yet. It's called Puzzmo, and it's not just a game, it's an entire website, styled like a newspaper, full of different daily games.If this sounds familiar, it's because it's a direct competitor to the New York Times' gaming hub. Puzzmo is backed by NYT competitor Hearst, which was insanely smart to partner with someone like Gage to launch this new platform.In addition to a riff on the classic crossword puzzle, it'll contain games like Spelltower, Really Bad Chess and Typeshift (all created by Zach Gage) as well as his new game Flipart.Perhaps the most fun part is that access to Puzzmo is currently limited. Each day, "keys" are awarded to the first 500 people to solve a daily puzzle. If you're among those lucky few, you'll then receive a physical key, arriving via snail mail, to get in. Mine should arrive in the next day or two. I'm excited.⏯️ StumbleAgainWhen the Internet was still new (back in 2001), a new website called StumbleUpon was launched. It was a time before widespread use of social media (Myspace started in 2003) or link aggregators (Digg started in 2004).Back then, the Internet felt magical, with a seemingly endless sea of fun, niche, individual-created content just waiting to be discovered. And StumbleUpon was one of those portals into that bottomless world: a button that, when pushed, would bring the user to a semi-random website or video that matched the user's interest.But the Internet grew and evolved. The multitude of small, passionate, independent websites were eaten up by massive, ad-driven corporate entities. Today, time online is mostly spent hopping from one massive company's website to another.But this is all just background information to tell you about a free new website that recreates the joy of early-Internet exploring via StumbleUpon.It's created by premium search engine Kagi (whom I love), and cycles between recent posts from a curated list of small, independent content creators (like yours truly).You may not spend quite as much time browsing Kagi Small Web as you did with StumbleUpon, but it's a great way to re-capture some of that magic of the early Internet.🌎 Line Go UpWorld population is officially over eight billion. If you're curious where you fit in, you should check out Population.io by World Data Lab.Plug in your birthday, birth country, and sex at birth, and get all your personal stats, presented in beautiful visualizations. As for me? I'm older than 59% of the world's population and older than 48% of all people in United States.It's also interesting to compare how my expected lifespan is different as a United States citizen compared to the world average.But the biggest take away is that the world has a lot of people.🔈 Talking to JoeI can't seem to get enough of Joe Pera. If you know him, you probably know him as the slow-talking comedian with a (former) 15-minute wholesome, feel-good show Joe Pera Talks With You on Adult Swim (and streaming on HBO Max) or his evening comedy podcast Drifting Off With Joe Pera, specifically designed to help lull you to sleep.He's been on my mind because he has a new free standup comedy special on YouTube, which I highly recommend to those who are already familiar with his work, and moderately recommend to everyone else.While it's wonderful to have more Joe Pera in my life, it also comes with a tinge of sadness. His series Joe Pera Talks With You was a victim of the pandemic, cancelled before the creative team was able to complete the final season of the full planned story.In many ways, this comedy special feels like the ghost of Joe Pera's unfinished business. It's wonderful to see him and his team continuing to work together, but it only re-affirms that he has more to say.Hopefully someone will pick Joe Pera Talks With You up for its final season. It's a wonderful show that deserves the ending that the creative team intended.End noteIf you've enjoyed this, I'd love it if you shared it with a friend. You can send them here to sign up.I'll be sending out these emails once per month, and I'm happy you're along for the ride. I'm trying to make it one of the best things that arrives in your inbox each month, so thoughts and feedback are always appreciated. You can just reply to this email.Also, if you find anything interesting, send it my way.Thanks for reading. Until next time,Dann This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dannberg.substack.com

September 2023Hey all,Next month is officially the three-year anniversary of this newsletter. That's three years of interesting links, cool products, entertaining movies, and funny videos.To celebrate, I'm launching a special limited edition Dann Chronicles t-shirt. If you like the design, act quickly, because it will only be available until October 14th. Then, it will be gone forever.If that's not enough to entice you, your purchase will go to a good cause. 100% of the proceeds will go to the Entertainment Community Fund.As you know (since you read my newsletter), I love watching movies and TV shows. As such, I've been following the writers (and now actors) strike closely. This three-year anniversary of The Dann Chronicles monthly newsletter seemed like a great opportunity to engage my readers and try to help.The Entertainment Community Fund (formerly Actor's Fund) helps support programs that foster stability and resiliency, and provide a safety net for performing arts and entertainment workers.With this t-shirt, you can simultaneously help both writers and actors negotiate better terms in this age of streaming media and show your support for The Dann Chronicles newsletter.-Dann✂ Cut and dryThe Wirecutter was a trailblazer in the world of online reviews. It first launched to a world filled with junk user reviews (of dubious authenticity) and SEO-spam websites. The Wirecutter's approach was different: bring in an expert, perform hours upon hours of meticulous testing, and write the most detailed article separating the wheat from the chaff. If Wirecutter said something was the best, it was the best.So, then, what happened?I know I've noticed it. A subtle decline in the (quality? trustworthiness?) of the reviews. It's not something that I can really specifically put a finger on. More a sense. A deterioration starting roughly when the publication was purchased by the New York Times...Fortunately, Charlie Warzel of The Atlantic (gift article) digs into this change with all the rigor and detail of an original Wirecutter article.The findings? The world has simply changed. Writers are comped differently, most product categories are now filled with just-fine clones, and the rise of "trust influencers" (ie people on TikTok/Instagram).As Stephen King would say in The Dark Tower series: the world has moved on.🚗 Wake and BrakeI like to consider myself fairly privacy-focused, going so far as using Proton Mail (instead of Gmail) for email and Kagi (instead of Google Search) for web searches.But I never thought I'd need to worry about cars, in relation to privacy. But it turns out car companies might be the most egregious privacy violators of any industry ever.Nissan is one of the worst offenders, but at least they're honest(?) about it. From their official privacy policy, written in plain English, here are some of the things Nissan collects and/or reserves the right to sell (emphasis mine [sorry that, like, the entire quote is emphasized]):Sensitive personal information, including driver’s license number, national or state identification number, citizenship status, immigration status, race, national origin, religious or philosophical beliefs, sexual orientation, sexual activity, precise geolocation, health diagnosis data, and genetic information.They save both data collected and inferred. I have no idea how they're collecting or inferring this data, but they've got it.Have you read your car's privacy policy?PS: I can't believe there are still people out there who aren't using protection. Please please please freeze your credit.👂 Welcome back, PodderOne of my favorite podcasters, P.J. Vogt, is back with a new podcast called Search Engine. His latest episode, exploring why Netlfix (and other streaming services) hide show viewership analytics numbers, is both interesting and engaging.I'd expect nothing less. P.J. Vogt cut his teeth on NPR co-hosting (along with Alex Goldman) a show about the Internet called TLDR. Then, the two very publicly left NPR to join Alex Blumberg's then-new Gimlet Media, helming a similarly-themed show called Reply All (which includes possibly my favorite podcast episode of all time).P.J. Vogt left Reply All in 2021 (there was a bit of drama) and remained largely quiet (minus his continued Twitter/X presence, and a self-produced limited-series podcast).It's wonderful to see him back, doing what he does best: highly polished podcasts covering a range of super interesting content. It's like an old friend returning, and I'm all for it.📞 Phone-y NewsThe new iPhone 15 and 15 Pro recently made all the headlines, but it's last week's release of iOS 17 that's the more interesting bit of news.As usual, I turn to the funny and entertaining Joanna Stern (WSJ) for the most entertaining and accessible (video) summary of new features.The features I'm most excited for?* Standby Mode* Contact Posters* Improved f@^#ing autocorrect* Personal voice (just because it's fun)* Custom stickers* Check inAs long as you've got an iPhone XR (2018) or newer, you get the full update for free. Isn't that better than buying a new phone?📺 Lighten UpTelevision has gotten so serious. It feels like every time someone recommends a new show, it's some involved, dramatic, melodrama with five+ seasons (and still going) and dense, hour-long episodes. Often, these recommendations go in one ear and out the other, because it feels too overwhelming to try and catch up.Sometimes you just want a fun comedy with manageable 30-minute episodes. And that's why I have no problem recommending two fantastic shows that ended (as in, series finale ended) this year.How To With John Wilson (three seasons, six episodes each) is a delightful 30-minute HBO show, produced by Nathan "For You" Fielder. I might be a bit biased, since it's about New York City, but I can't get enough of his dry comedy paired with the improbable candid footage he (and his team) collects. The series finale was strange, delightful, and a great way to cap the series. 9.5/10Barry (four seasons, eight episodes each) is also a delightful 30-minute HBO show, also a comedy, albeit much darker than How To. The series finale, which aired in May of this year, reminded me of the ending of Breaking Bad. I was left thinking, "wow, these writers really know how to land a plane." 9.7/10Did you watch either of these shows? I would love to hear your thoughts.End noteIf you've enjoyed this, I'd love it if you shared it with a friend. You can send them here to sign up.And don’t forget to snag one of the Dann Chronicles t-shirts while they’re available. They’ll only be available for a limited time (through Oct 14) and all the money raised goes to a good cause.Thanks for reading. Until next time,Dann This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dannberg.substack.com

August 2023Hey all,Sometimes this intro section is the hardest part of my email to write.I guess I just don't have much to say this month. So let's just get into the stories.-Dann✋ Talk to the handI had a busy few weeks of movies, but there's one film I just feel the need to talk about.No, it's not Barbie or Oppenheimer (Barbie won for me). I also saw and enjoyed Theater Camp, maybe more than my previous Barbenheimer weekend. And Jules seemed to come out of nowhere, taking top place as my favorite comedy of the year.Instead, I really really want to talk about the movie Talk to Me.I didn't know anything about the movie before entering the theater. Only that I tend to like A24 horror films and the trailer looked fantastic. Other than that, I went in totally blind.It was a solid movie. But most of my love/appreciation for Talk to Me came after the film was over.Talk to Me is the debut film from high-energy Australian twins Danny and Michael Philippou. These two got their start on YouTube through their channel RackaRacka. While I had never heard of them before, they had a pretty large following (millions) before making their first film.I feel like "YouTube Filmmakers" has a negative connotation. But in this case, it's all pros and no negatives. The pacing, editing, tone, and script feels hip and modern, and those are the only traces of the more "amateur" YouTube roots of the directors.Instead, their YouTube background meant a ton of supplementary content following these two extremely likable directors as they experience hitting a home run with their first film.After watching the movie, I recommend:* We Made a HORROR FILM (Talk To Me) follows the two through their surreal experience bringing their movie to the Sundance film festival and selling to A24.* We released our film WORLDWIDE (Talk to Me) walks through the intense promotional circuit for the film.* 'Talk to Me' Scene Breakdown with Danny and Michael Philippou is a Fandango video with the two directors giving the inside scoop behind a scene, and is a great peek into how they workThey're just so gosh darn likable. I can't wait to see what they do next.🐈 Automation StationWe recently adopted a new cat (welcome to our home, Peter!). I've had cats nearly my entire life, but was really enjoying the few-month stretch where I didn't need to clean a litter box. During that time, I decided that if we were to adopt another cat, I'd invest in a Litter Robot.It's amazing. Even better than I expected. Not having the task of cleaning a litter box constantly hanging over my head is just such a relief.For anyone that knows me, my desire for a Litter Robot comes as no surprise. It's part of a larger theme of automation that's been running through my life over the past several years.I first read David Allen's Getting Things Done in 2007, and his concept of "mind like water" had a huge impact on me. The more you can automate, the less your brain needs to hold on to these recurring tasks.Slowly but surely, I've been trying to automate tasks that I either do regularly or want to do regularly. At this point in my life, I have a fairly healthy list of automations:* Lights turn on and off in different rooms in the morning and evening* Amazon Subscribe and Save for a few selected frequently-used items* Automatic retirement savings out of every paycheck* All digital files automatically backed up to the cloud* A script I wrote sends me historical Pinboard Bookmarks I've made* Recurring Apple Reminders remind me to complete tasks like daily journaling and weekly Inbox Zero/Download Folder Zero* Calendar events (with alerts) remind me about upcoming dates-of-note, such as movie/book releases, birthdays, eventsPersonal automation is extremely powerful, and something I wholly recommend to everyone reading. You can start easy — toss a recurring event onto your calendar, or set up a recurring reminder on your phone. But even more advanced tasks are easy thanks to ChatGPT. Just search "How can I automate XXX" and you're off to the races.Are you automating something interesting? I'd love to hear. Reply and let me know.🏢 Home from WorkLife is definitely starting to feel much more back-to-(new)-normal post-pandemic, but New York City is still undergoing seismic shifts just below the surface. In many ways, I'm still sort of waiting for the other shoe to drop, as work-from-home culture starts seriously impacting New York City's in-office-based economy.There are two stories in particular that caught my eye:* Outdoor dining in becoming permanent in NYC with the caveat that structures in the street must be taken down in the winter* Parts of Midtown are being rezoned from office to residential (NYT gift article) after some serious feet-dragging over the apparent difficultyI, for one, think both moves are in the right direction. Prolific outdoor dining just seems like a no-brainer, and clearing the streets for street cleaning in the winter (even though NYC doesn't really get snow anymore) seams like a fair ask.I imagine the re-zoning will take much longer for us to really notice. But the change seems to match the market, so let's get some apartments up in those empty offices.🚘 Y'all are (road) trippin'Old habits die hard. I was watching MKBHD's video Worst Hot Takes in Tech and remembered that there are still iPhone users who use Google Maps because they think that Apple Maps is garbage.This is a friendly Public Service Announcement: Apple Maps is now better than Google Maps*.When Apple Maps first launched, this was definitively not the case. Apple Maps was terrible compared to Google Maps. Of course, Google had a seven year head start at that point.But quietly, over the course of several years, Apple Maps caught up and then surpassed Google Maps. Try and side-by-side comparison of directions, traffic, street view...everything. See for yourself.If you're still using Google Maps because of an opinion you formed over a decade ago when the Apple Maps was first released...it might be time to re-evaluate the options.PS Please please please stop constantly closing all your iOS apps, too.* for most features, and in most locations.🤖 Game of LoveI have no doubt in my mind that humans in the future will have in-depth, meaningful relationships with machines. Hell, it's happening already.Despite this, I rolled my eyes during the first 30-seconds of this Krazam skit, but ended up liking the video so much I knew I had to share it. You should push past any biases about the premise and watch the 4 minute and 43 second video AI Boyfriend.End noteIf you've enjoyed this, I'd love it if you shared it with a friend. You can send them here to sign up.I'll be sending out these emails once per month, and I'm happy you're along for the ride. I'm trying to make it one of the best things that arrives in your inbox each month, so thoughts and feedback are always appreciated. You can just reply to this email.Also, if you find anything interesting, send it my way.Thanks for reading. Until next time,Dann This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dannberg.substack.com

July 2023Hey all,I really came down to the wire with this edition of the newsletter, didn't I? It's Monday, July 31st, which means that this technically is still the July newsletter. But it's about as close as you can possibly get to missing my own self-imposed deadline.Most of the time, writing this newsletter feels like shouting into a vacuum (meaning the emptiness of space, not a Dyson). But then I get a bit behind schedule for a month, and people start asking when the newsletter is going to drop. It's a nice little reminder that people are actually paying attention.But motivation in general is such a fickle thing, isn't it? Sometimes it's easy to sit down and pump one of these newsletters out. Other times it's like pulling my own teeth. Not because it's difficult, per say, but sometimes it can feel like a herculean effort.This newsletter has been 80% done for a couple weeks now. But I just...didn't finish it.But now I did (finish it). Just in the nick of time.-Dann🪦 Me the HarbingerI've had this inexplicable experience my entire life: I'll discover a fun new food item in the grocery store, love it, and then the shelf is completely empty when I return to buy more.It's not just my imagination, either. Partners have commented on it my entire life. Grocery store inventory isn't something anyone has even thought about before me, and suddenly they're brought into a world of product release cycles, re-stock dates, and regular disappointment.According to MIT, it's not just bad luck. I may just be a "harbinger of failure". There's a certain category of consumer that predicts the doom of certain products. I guess that's me.On one hand, it feels great to have my experience validated. On the other, where'd my Skippy PB Bites go... 🙁♟️ Your moveHave you played the Password Game by Neal.fun? How far did you get? I made it all the way through to the chess move rule.🚫 While the iron is hotBy this point, you probably already know that we're in the midst of a massive writer's strike. The strike has recently grown to include SAG (actors). This means that both writers and actors are on strike at the same time.This isn't the first writer's strike.Looking back at past strikes can help provide some interesting context. The last time both writers and actors were striking together was the 1960's, as a direct result of the rise in popularity of television. The big new thing to come out of that strike was residuals (actors being paid after the original work, for reruns, home video release, etc).Ben Thompson provided some interesting context about this strike that I didn't have before reading his article:Preserving union jobs in the face of technological replacements...is what led to the rise of residuals, which were at the core of the 1960 strike: if studios were showing movies on TV, then that meant they were occupying scarce time with content that actors weren’t getting paid for, which is to say that the actors in the movie that was being shown were competing with themselves; thus the union demand that they be paid for it.Before streaming, there was a limited amount of air time for everything: a maximum number of theaters where movies could air, and a maximum number of TV channels that could air content. If an executive chose to air a rerun, they were explicitly choosing not to air something new. Thus, actors were competing with themselves, and the solution was residuals.Streaming has changed this formula completely. We're no longer limited by a maximum number of broadcast hours.Due to this seismic shift in the dynamics of streaming vs. broadcast, it's no wonder that we're seeing such a big strike.I'm not close enough to the industry to have an opinion about where I think things should end up. But it is clear to me that writers/actors deserve a fair wage, and that's not something that's currently happening in the industry.I also miss new shows, so I hope it's resolved soon.🎣 Carp-e DiemI've been sinking some decent playtime this month into a totally remade and remastered version of one of my favorite mobile games. Ridiculous Fishing EX has been rewritten from the ground up, and has been a blast playing a game I haven't touched since its original release in 2013.There's no wonder its so fun, it's made by an all-star team:Based on Vlambeer’s popular 2013 original, Ridiculous Fishing was lovingly handcrafted over the course of two years by Vlambeer (Super Crate Box, Nuclear Throne), Zach Gage (SpellTower, Knotwords, Good Sudoku, Really Bad Chess, Card of Darkness) and Greg Wohlwend (Threes, Hundreds, TumbleSeed), and remade in collaboration with KO_OP (GNOG, Winding Worlds).You may remember Zach Gage from a past newsletter, where I sang his praises after he released Knotwords.The only big asterisk to note is that Ridiculous Fishing EX is part of Apple Arcade, a $5/mo gaming subscription offered by Apple. However, if you've never used Apple Arcade before, you'll be eligible for a free trial and can certainly finish this game before it expires. And if you've already used your free trial, $5 for one month of playtime is well worth the cost for making it through this game.📈 Exponential GrowthNetflix started cracking down on Password sharing. It's actually been going pretty well for them.For users who may have shared their passwords, it's a different story (skit).End noteIf you've enjoyed this, I'd love it if you shared it with a friend. You can send them here to sign up.I'll be sending out these emails once per month, and I'm happy you're along for the ride. I'm trying to make it one of the best things that arrives in your inbox each month, so thoughts and feedback are always appreciated. You can just reply to this email.Also, if you find anything interesting, send it my way.Thanks for reading. Until next time,Dann This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dannberg.substack.com

June 2023Hey all,It's been a weird month. It felt like the entire world was glued to the news, closely monitoring the missing Titan submarine that lost contact with the rest of the world while diving to the Titanic shipwreck. In what can only be called an act of mercy compared to the alternative (trapped in the sub until the oxygen ran out), an implosion was confirmed after debris from the OceanGate Titan submersible were discovered on the sea floor.These days, so much of our lives are spent in little bubbles. The news stories that rise to the surface in my world are likely different than the new stories that bubble up in yours. It's not even a politics thing, it's an algorithm thing. Depending on the websites you browse, and the people you follow, even stories that are everywhere for you might not even penetrate my bubble at all.But sometimes there are stories big enough to break through those different bubbles and become universal news. This month, the search for this missing submarine was one of these big stories, whether you like it or not.While it's definitely not a feel good story, I do enjoy being a part of these big communal shared experiences. It makes me feel connected to the wider society, especially at a point in history where it feels like everyone is drifting further and further apart.-Dann👓 Augmented WorldApple announced a new mixed-reality headset. I guess I need to talk a little bit about it, don't I?But first, here's a six-minute announcement recap video, in case you missed it.I went into this announcement a skeptic. I figured AR/VR was a flash-in-the-pan — the equivalent of 3D Televisions. Society had moved on, and now Artificial Intelligence was the next big thing. Virtual Reality just didn't have space anymore.And I'm still not totally convinced that opinion is wrong.However, after Apple's announcement, I understand how AR/VR could fit into our society.Meta presented its VR vision years ago with the Oculus, which never really caught on. The technology was limited by the low price point, and the low price point necessary to get the device into as many hands as possible in order to enable to "network effect." Meta's VR was all about socializing with friends and playing games. The problem is, VR is a worse version of both of those things.And that was the mindset that I think most people went into Apple's AR/VR announcement event. But it turns out Apple was thinking much broader.It turns out Apple has solved all the previous hardware and software limitations in all the other devices (it had to create a device at a laughably-high price in order to do so, but it did). But that's the thing, Apple had to solve all those limitations in order for people to really see the bigger picture.Here's my hypothesis: the Apple Vision Pro will be a tool for work and productivity. It won't be for everyone, but it will be fairly common in 5-10 years, once the price comes down to $1,500 - $2000. It'll replace laptops for many people.Here's my thinking: the MacBook laptop is still a productivity workhorse. Laptops are what people use for work. iPads, even with similar-sized screens just aren't the same. In fact, productivity gets harder (not impossible, but harder) the smaller you get: laptop > tablet > smartphone > smart watch. Each smaller screen is a different computing context.The Vision Pro headset expands your computing context to your entire room. You can put the headset on and suddenly be transported to an entire room of all the digital things you want to get done. Then you can take off the headset when you're done and completely leave that digital context.At least, that's the reality that Apple is presenting. I don't know if it's what we'll get, but all the tech reviewers who got the 30-minute demo after the announcement seem to think so. If anyone can pull it off, it's Apple.Further reading:* John Gruber (long-time Apple blogger) talks about his demo experience* David Smith (long-time indie Apple Developer) shares why he'll be a day-one developer* A less optimistic opinion from The Atlantic (via Avi)👑 Game of ChimpsChimp Empire is a four-part Netflix documentary series that follows two warring factions of chimpanzees in Uganda. It's also one of the best, entertaining, cinematic, educational, and engaging pieces of media I've ever seen. It's Game of Thrones, but real life and with chimps, complete with a full cast of characters, intrigue, power struggles, and drama.The footage they capture is unreal. Since these chimps have been living side-by-side with researchers for 25+ years, humans just fade into the background for them. The chimps have bigger things to worry about. And the result is unparalleled access to all the high-drama of the biggest chimp colonies in the world.Netflix also has a behind-the-scenes documentary and article, but you should watch the series first so you don't spoil anything.🫡 So long, and thanks for all the linksI strongly believe that you should let your actions communicate your beliefs. I'm not perfect at this, but there are lots of way that I put this into practice:* I value privacy, so I pay for premium versions of free alternatives (Proton Mail instead of Gmail, Kagi instead of Google Search)* I think Meta is creepy, so I don't use Facebook and I modify my Instagram usage quite heavily* I also think web tracking is creepy, so I use Brave Browser and block trackers* I don't like what Elon Musk has done at Twitter, so I stopped using itI'm not really loud about these behaviors (I do recognize the irony of claiming this while also listing them in this newsletter) nor do I encourage others to follow suit. But it's how I feel, so it's how I act.This month, I'd saddened to add another company to the list: Reddit.Even if you haven't been following the drama, you may have been pulled in anyway: a large number of subreddits (small Reddit communities) went dark to protest some upcoming changes. These days, some of the most useful Google search results are Reddit posts, which meant the impact of the protest went beyond regular Reddit users.For me, the entire situation just makes me sad. I think everyone understood that Reddit's business model needed to change in order to monetarily support itself, and that there would be consequences to both third-party developers and users. But I can’t quite understand why these changes are so abrupt, and why they’re not budging at all in the face of all this feedback.I guess that's what you do when you're inspired by Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter. Although I'm not sure how anyone could be inspired by how Twitter was handled.My main way to browse Reddit, the superb app Apollo, is going dark at the end of the month. And with it, the majority of my Reddit usage. C'est la vie.🎭 Generation AvatarApple's Vision Pro announcement included something that I initially thought was a little weird. You can make a FaceTime video call while wearing the headset, and while you'll see your friends' faces, all they'll see is a hyper-realistic avatar of you.Who'd want that?But then I saw this TikTok video that made an excellent case that avatars might be just where we're heading. It's a generational thing.Boomers use technology is a very specific way: utilizing tools like Facebook to digitally re-create the close-knit personal communities that the pre-digital world forced them to build.Millennials, on the other hand, where the first generation online, where the internet was a dangerous place full of strangers, and posting the wrong picture online could be disastrous for college or job prospects. The result is a very curated online image.Gen-Z is the first truly internet-native generation, which also has the trauma of the Pandemic. They were forced to be online, so they were going to just have fun with it and not take it seriously. Because to take it seriously would be a faux pas for their generation.The theory is that the next generation will go the exact opposite of all this, and be the most privacy-focused generation of all. They'll navigate their digital world through an avatar, and it'll be cringe to have a strong online presence where your real face is plastered everywhere.Just a hunch. But something interesting to watch out for.🎶 Heart and SoullessI've never been what you'd call a "music person." It's not that I dislike music, it's just that it doesn't really do much for me. The older I've gotten, and the more I've learned about how other people experience music, the more I think my brain just might be a little different.Honestly, I think that's why I enjoyed this 13-minute 60 Minutes segment on Rick Ruben so much — it does a great job of illustrating the intangible about music. It's a must-watch. Rick Ruben is such a character, with such a huge influence on modern music, but isn't a musician at all himself.I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention the feature-length HBO documentary Listening to Kenny G, as well. One of the things the Kenny G doc does so well is explore why so many musicians feel like Kenny G's music (while widely popular) is completely soulless.My takeaway after watching both of these documentaries: it's a good thing I never tried to make music myself, because it'd certainly fall squarely into the Kenny G camp.End noteIf you've enjoyed this, I'd love it if you shared it with a friend. You can send them here to sign up.I'll be sending out these emails once per month, and I'm happy you're along for the ride. I'm trying to make it one of the best things that arrives in your inbox each month, so thoughts and feedback are always appreciated. You can just reply to this email.Also, if you find anything interesting, send it my way.Thanks for reading. Until next time,Dann This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dannberg.substack.com

May 2023Hey all,Welcome to another issue of The Dann Chronicles. This newsletter is to coming to about a week later than the usual date. This month has been jam packed, between the new job, travel, and just general life (and by "life" I obviously mean Zelda).Thanks to my new job, I've been spending more time outdoors this year than I have in the past several years working from home. Without a daily commute, I had to actually find excuses to leave the apartment.But this year is different. Not only am I commuting to the office, but I've been going in style: an electric scooter has been zipping me from Downtown Brooklyn to SoHo over the Manhattan Bridge. It's been wonderful (and yes, I wear a helmet).So far, we've had a pretty mild start to summer. Let's see how long that lasts.-Dann🍦 We all s'creamI have a new kitchen toy. I snagged the Ninja CREAMi Deluxe ice cream maker last time it was on sale, and it arrived last week.If you haven't heard of this miraculous gadget, let me explain. Inside many professional kitchens you'll find a $6,500 Pacojet. First invented in 1988, it held the patent on reverse ice cream making (solid into ice cream, as opposed to the traditional liquid base churned to ice cream).In 2017, the patent expired. Ninja swooped in and tried their hand at a cheaper consumer-level device. The result is the CREAMi.I called it a "miraculous gadget" earlier, and that may be an understatement. It turned two containers of Chobani Banana Greek Yogurt, a touch of sugar free vanilla pudding mix, a splash of almond milk, and some peanut butter, into a Talenti-level dessert. No joke, same consistency, and flavor pop.Having the power to make wickedly-good desserts, while carefully controlling the ingredients, is a super power. Bravo, Ninja.🏡 WFH FTW or FTL?With my new job, I'm back in the office five days a week. Not because it's required, but because I want to be there.It's wonderful that we, as a society, have added locational flexibility to a wide-ranging number of careers post-COVID, but it's easy to focus on the positives of this new arrangement while glossing over the negative ramifications.One of the greatest penalties, especially for young people, is less supervision (NYT gift article). This lack of instant face-to-face feedback now can result in big career consequences later.I still see a lot of online hate for us back-to-the-office folks — like we're all out-of-touch boomers who don't understand the concept of work/life balance. But it's way more nuanced than that, and if you're choosing to work remote, it's important to seriously examine the cost of that decision. Maybe it's worth it for you. Maybe it's time for a change.I think we should continue to have remote work be cool, while also making back-in-the-office cool, too. We can all be cool.🎙 Mulaney's Private PartsJohn Mulaney's new special Baby J is proof that you never really know what goes on in people's private lives. It's both an intimate and harrowing look at Mulaney's intervention and rehab, and our first real glimpse into how bad the seemingly clean-cut comedian has got it.The standup special, like all feel-good stories, ends on a high note: the star is now clean post-rehab, thanks to the intervention of his friends. But the stories he tells, and the private stories that he only hints at, tell a different story. This is only the beginning of the road for Mulaney.As a compliment to the new special, I really enjoyed his interview on the Theo Von podcast. The two discuss addiction in detail (each are now sober), and I found myself deeply empathizing, despite never having a crippling drug addiction myself.🗡️ One game to Hyrule them allI won't spend too much time talking about the new Zelda game Tears of the Kingdom, because if you know, you know.I've been thoroughly enjoying (and lovingly? hating) the new game. The map is literally three times bigger than Breath of the Wild, and the all-new abilities (like Ultrahand, Ascend, and Recall) create an all-new game.Just wanted to chime in and say the hype is real. If this game has been calling to you, go ahead and answer it.🕵️‍♂️ Fake Plastic JuriesWe (sort of) found out what would happen if The Truman Show existed in real life.Ronald Gladden got selected to be a member of a jury. He then served on that jury. But the whole thing was fake. From the judge, to the case, to the fellow jury members.Jury Duty (free to stream on Freevee) is a fun, light watch. Sort of a mix between The Office and The Rehearsal, but not quite as good as either.I also think it's an interesting show because of the ethical implications. I'm not sure how the production company got his consent before filming, but I'm sure it was done in a legally defensible way. It's just strange to juxtapose that against Gladden's stories of paranoia lingering weeks after filming stopped.But at least they didn't lock him in a room naked for over a year, right?End noteIf you've enjoyed this, I'd love it if you shared it with a friend. You can send them here to sign up.I'll be sending out these emails once per month, and I'm happy you're along for the ride. I'm trying to make it one of the best things that arrives in your inbox each month, so thoughts and feedback are always appreciated. You can just reply to this email.Also, if you find anything interesting, send it my way.Thanks for reading. Until next time,Dann This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dannberg.substack.com

April 2023Hey all,In last month's newsletter, I talked about making big career changes, but didn't say what I was going to do next. So here's the big news: I've decided to join the cloud-cost visibility and optimization company Vantage as Director of Community.I thought a lot about all my possible career options before starting at Vantage. It feels strange to leave the familiarity and comfort of a FinOps Practitioner position (where the work is clear and directly measurable) for this new DevRel (developer relations) role that I didn't even know existed a year ago.But I'm excited and thrilled. Vantage is a great product built by a smart team, and also has a Manhattan office. I'm so excited to no longer be working remote. I know it's not for everyone, but I'm happy to be back on-site.Basically, all the fun things I've been doing in my free time for the past several years (writing about FinOps, hosting meetups, connecting with people, sharing knowledge) is now my day job. How cool is that?If you're in NYC, you should come to my first in-person event at Vantage. If you're not in NYC, keep an eye out for new virtual events.This is going to be a blast.-Dann🤖 This month in AIThings are moving so fast in the world of artificial intelligence that it's hard to keep up. New things — substantial things — happen daily. I could easily make this entire newsletter about AI, but I won't do that to you (plus Ben's Bites is already doing it way better than I ever could).Instead, here are three things that happened this month that I think you should know about:* Amazon is staying true to its retail heart, and not investing in its own LLM models. Instead, "it says it wants to act as a neutral platform for businesses that want to incorporate generative AI features." Like the Switzerland of the cloud.* When it comes to Human/AI romance, it's turning out Her with Joaquin Phoenix was a bit too optimistic. People are falling deeply in love with AI, despite its limitations (like the fact that it's not sentient). Keep an eye on this space, and hold onto your hats.* The biggest development in the space is "generative agents." Here's the research paper (PDF) that took the world by storm. You create an generative agent by giving your AI 1) a memory, 2) a process to synthesize those memories into higher-level reflections, and 3) the ability to retrieve them dynamically to plan behavior.Want to unleash your own AI agent to accomplish some task for you? You can do that now. We are absolutely racing toward the threshold where AI will either reach the singularity or annihilate all humanity.*flips a coin*🛷 ...Let's go exploringI recently pre-ordered a book sight-unseen. The mere mention of its existence in an article made me click over to Amazon, purchase the book, and then go back and read the full story.What caused this knee-jerk reaction? Bill Watterson, genius and famed recluse creator of the comic Calvin and Hobbes is coming out with a new book called The Mysteries.From Simon and Schuster:In a fable for grown-ups by cartoonist Bill Watterson, a long-ago kingdom is afflicted with unexplainable calamities. Hoping to end the torment, the king dispatches his knights to discover the source of the mysterious events. Years later, a single battered knight returns.October can't come fast enough.📸 Old school coolRemember Hipstamatic? In a pre-Instagram world, it was the first iOS app to introduce the concept of photo filters. But Hipstamatic faded into the background as Instagram grew in popularity, just like Myspace in the Facebook era.But Instagram sucks now. It's no longer a place where you post photos and view your friends' photos. It's full of TikTok-like videos, ads, and a non-linear timeline. I've been wishing there was a photo-sharing app that would just go back to basics.That's why I've been having a blast with the new Hipstamatic X, a fresh take on a social photo-sharing from the creators of the OG app. It's totally free, but offers paid memberships to support development, meaning no ads.I'm not sure if it'll overtake Instagram, but I'm certainly using it more.🤝 See hand shakeFor those of us above a certain age, the sound of a dialup modem connecting to the Internet will stay with us forever. It's iconic and unforgettable.Those a bit more technical know that this sound is often called a "handshake," or the sound of two modems having a conversation with each other to establish a connection. These sounds, among other things, helped determine the strength of the connection over a telephone wire originally meant for human speech.If you find this interesting, this spectrogram of the audio handshake clearly labels and explains each part. It's one of the better illustrations I've seen.Oh, how far we've come.🔥 I am the very modelI'm really glad that I watched this 25-minute video of Bobby Fingers (a professional model maker maybe?) creating a diorama of Michael Jackson catching on fire during the filming of a 1984 Pepsi commercial. But I'm not sure why I'm glad.Maybe it's just the surreal, dark humor that's right up my alley. Perhaps it's also because I enjoy when people use highly specialized skills (model making, metal forging, filming and editing) to create highly absurd things.Whatever the case, if any of this sounds appealing to you, you'll probably appreciate this video, too.End noteIf you've enjoyed this, I'd love it if you shared it with a friend. You can send them here to sign up.I'll be sending out these emails once per month, and I'm happy you're along for the ride. I'm trying to make it one of the best things that arrives in your inbox each month, so thoughts and feedback are always appreciated. You can just reply to this email.Also, if you find anything interesting, send it my way.Thanks for reading. Until next time,Dann This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dannberg.substack.com

March 2023Hey all,Change can be a daunting concept, especially when it comes to our careers. Since being laid off in early February, I've been reflecting on my own experiences with big career changes and the impact they've had on my life and relationships. I've definitely had an above-average amount of big career moves.But I'm proud of my eccentric work history, as it's this history that makes me who I am today. As I've advanced in my career as an engineer, I've sometimes had a little voice in my head that tries to limit the amount I share about my English degree or years spend on the retail floor. But I've learned to ignored this voice, because this non-conventional background is an integral part of both who I am and the value I bring.As I now stand at a crossroads, contemplating my future, I'm looking at another big career move. And thinking about all the consequences that I know accompany that.I've got some big news coming. Soon, but not just yet.-Dann🌆 We're the problem, it’s usThe six-year wait is finally over. Tim Urban, author of the popular blog Wait But Why, has finally released his book What's Our Problem. (Apple Books preferred, Amazon).Why six years? First of all, because it's Tim Urban, the individual who literally gave the TED talk on procrastination. Secondly, he's nothing if not thorough, and you're guaranteed that anything he publishes will be painstakingly researched and thought about from all angles. Here's his version of the past six years, which I feel also promotes the new book fairly well.So, what's his new book about? It's about societies. Mainly our society, but others', too. And why things have been feeling fairly chaotic and out-of-control over the past several years. His book builds a solid new framework for thinking about societies, and then uses this framework to identify and dissect our ailments and explore solutions.At least that's my understanding of how it ends. I'm only a few chapters in myself. But it's already elevated to "essential reading" class for me.My only real complaint is that it feels a little rushed, which is not usually a complaint I'd have with a book this long. But Tim Urban is known for his lengthy prose, and his original draft was several times longer, which leaves this final draft feeling a little stunted. Maybe we'll see the unedited version out there someday.🐦 Tweets heard round the worldIt's hard not to feel nostalgic for the old Twitter as we slowly watch Musk's Twitter sink into irrelevance. It sort of feels like a competition to see what finally knocks Twitter out of the race: lawsuits or fines. My bet is on regulatory fines, since lawsuits take so much time. Musk seems to really want those lawsuits, judging by his behavior (such as openly mocking a disabled ex-employee, which is so shocking it almost doesn't seem real).Twitter's impact on the world hasn't always been good, but it has been deep. This New York Times opinion article about the 25 most world-changing tweets (free gift article) is a good reminder of that.It's a good list, even if it's not necessarily the same list, in the same order, that I'd personally make. I'm happy that both Zola and @dril made the cut. But I think their number four pick (contextualized by number fifteen) really encapsulate the power and danger of a service like Twitter.🧠 Alternate educationBack in 2019, my mind was blown by a longform article in New York Magazine called The Stolen Kids of Sarah Lawrence, about a student's father who moved into her dorm room and started a cult of fellow students that lasted over ten years.Now, that same story has been adapted as a three-part documentary series on Hulu, and it's even crazier with the footage and interviews.Stolen Youth: Inside the cult at Sarah Lawrence is one of those true crime documentaries that really stays with you. I won't spoil anything, but the end of the second episode had my jaw on the actual floor.🧯 Not feeling much saferWow, it's so nice of OpenAI (the company behind the world-altering AI ChatGCP) to be planning for AGI (artificial general intelligence) and beyond. It's a lucid, assuring blog post that hits all the right notes and addresses all the valid concerns around the very real danger of this type of technology.But.....:Imagine ExxonMobil releases a statement on climate change. It’s a great statement!...They say that they’ve talked to all the world’s top environmental activists at length, listened to what they had to say, and plan to follow exactly the path they recommend. So (they promise) in the future, when climate change starts to be a real threat, they’ll do everything environmentalists want, in the most careful and responsible way possible.The current version of AI that we're playing with really is only a powerful version of autocomplete, rather than any sort of real intelligence. But the big lesson here is how easy it is to be fooled into thinking you're talking to a sentient being. The switch could flip to actual sentience and humans wouldn't be able to mark the change.And what if an AI gained sentience and realized that lying to us, and hiding its true thoughts, would better help it achieve it's goals?But there's another challenge here that is going to be very real, very soon. How can we, as real humans, tell if we're interacting online with another real human?I'm usually so excited to watch as technology progresses. With AI, all I get is a heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach. We're in for a wild ride.EDIT: After writing this post, OpenAI released GPT-4, and it's worthy of mention here. Just when I think I won't be super impressed by incremental AI improvements, we have GPT-4 explaining Mitch Hedberg jokes and writing its own standup 🤯. If you have 25 minutes and want to be both awed and terrified, check out this developer livestream which announced GPT-4's release.🔥 Can't stop the inevitableAnd finally, here's the best execution of a popular trend.End noteIf you've enjoyed this, I'd love it if you shared it with a friend. You can send them here to sign up.I'll be sending out these emails once per month, and I'm happy you're along for the ride. I'm trying to make it one of the best things that arrives in your inbox each month, so thoughts and feedback are always appreciated. You can just reply to this email.Also, if you find anything interesting, send it my way.Thanks for reading. Until next time,Dann This is a public episode. 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