01 - And So It Begins...
Salutations, internet friends, and welcome to the first of these weekly-ish newsletters. Since this is the first of these, a bit about me:
Chris Novus? - Some of y’all probably know me as grumpyhawk, a name I’ve gone by for 6+ years, but, for a bunch of reasons I go into at that link, I’ve recently retired that name, so it’s Chris Novus from here on out.
Regardless of the name, I’m equal parts science fiction/comics scholar, ethical/humane transhumanist, weird futurist, and autonomous generated intelligence (AGI) apologist. You can expect a mix of all of that in this newsletter, and from me in general. Some of these will be more of me pointing you to other things, and others will be more of my commentary on what’s going on in the world. For now...
Stuff you should read:
Austin Council Approves Stricter Rules for Ridesharing Companies - I know I’m in the minority on this, but it’s about time garbage companies that exploit the law and their employees "contractors" like Uber are subject to some of the same restrictions/regulations that other transportation companies are. And if they’re really as concerned about rider safety as they claim to be, they should welcome another check on who’s driving for them, not threaten to pull out of any market that asks for some regulation.
Clinton Calls for “Manhattan-like project” to Break Encryption - Just the latest in a long line of “use fear tactics to justify breaking encryption” ideas government officials have thrown out there over the last few years. I can’t be the only one tired of politicians tired of pushing the “but terrorism!” button when in reality they just want an easier way to snoop on everyone and/or prevent another Snowden situation.
Along those same lines, Using Quantum Steering to Create Incredibly Secure Communications - Still in the proof-of-concept stage, but worth keeping any eye on.
The Oatmeal on Autocorrect, or as I’m going to refer to it from here-on-out, a Skynet Spermball. We can curse autocorrect all we want, but it’s a primitive form of AGI that’s only getting smarter.
Consciousness, 140 Characters At A Time - Damien Patrick Williams and Joanna J Bryson on Twitter discussing AGI/robots/what is consciousness and a bunch of other related topics. Just the start of the convo, really, but something anyone with an interest in those topics should read.
What I’m Working On:
The return of Rid of the Bomb - Jetta Rae and I are bringing the show back to it’s roots and recording alternate commentary tracks for each episode of the Batman ’66 TV show.
As yet unnamed collaboration of some sort with Ian Campbell - We’re both slightly paranoid technofuturists who want the future to be for everyone, so this’ll be weird and fun.
Reading and reviewing all the Civil War comics prior to the Captain America: Civil War movie. Keep an eye out for more news on this next week.
Media I’ve been consuming recently:
Books:
Vurt - File under cyberpunk, but it’s so much more than that. This is a book I first discovered at 13-14, and have read every year or two since then. Noon has a way with words that sucks you in and refuses to let go till the last page is complete.
X’s for Eyes - at 94 pages, this novella can and should be read in one sitting if at all possible. While it starts vaguely normal, the existential dread and cosmic horror Barron is known for comes barreling in and doesn’t let up even after the book is over.
TV:
The Great British Baking Show [PBS] - At a birthday party last weekend, someone suggested this show to us. Being the fat kid that I am, I’m always down for a good cooking show, and this one is delightfully charming. Perfect to run in the background when writing and/or you need a break from the horror of the real world right now. (And, because it’s a BBC show, you don’t have to sit through endless recaps of what you just watched before the commercial break.)
Welp, that's it for this week. I'm still working on the style and format of this thing, so, thanks for joining me in this journey.
Welp, that's it for this week. I'm still working on the style and format of this thing, so, thanks for joining me in this journey.
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