It’s happened, folks. I have been ChatGPTsplained. The unpleasant exchange took place on a social media site whose name I shan’t mention. It went something like this (paraphrased): Me: Working on a white paper this morning, which prompted me to shake my cane and yell at capitalism [link] Them: Get ChatGPT to give you a…More
Inflation is Enshittifying Restaurant Menus
I have officially reached grumpy old age. It wasn’t when I found my first gray hair. It wasn’t when doctors started signing me up for tests ending in -ogram or -oscopy. It was yesterday, when I found myself kvetching with several friends about how QR codes are replacing printed menus in restaurants. Let’s get Grandma…More
“I Am” Songs and Structural Villainy in American Musicals
Most American musicals identify the hero and the villain through two distinct types of songs: The “I Want” song and the “I Am” song, respectively. They’re both pretty much exactly what they say they are. “I Want” songs focus on something the hero wants. It’s often a pretty vague “want,” such as “I want adventure”…More