The Dice — 009

This is late and given the news that hit just a few hours ago, I don’t know if anyone cares or, frankly if they’ll notice. When it comes to living during interesting times, we are way way way past that point. The way things are going, I would not be surprised if aliens finally made themselves known or if baby dinosaurs were discovered hatched somewhere in Latin America.

Check to make sure you are registered to vote, grab a beer, and roll the dice...

Let's start with a wholesome break and look back on the day Terry “Knievel” Bolinger attempted the daring feat of jumping ten trash cans in a back alley of Indianapolis, Indiana in the 70s. Watch Barbara Boyd of WRTV cover the daredevil story of Knievel’s courage.

Until today, I was unaware that the movie Hot Rod was based on a true story.

This summer the Data Scientist and I have learned how to watch two sports that are new to us: T20 cricket and team cycling. The next sport to learn—quickly—is Breaking in the 2024 Paris Olympics Games. The only thing I recall from childhood is that you need to find a big piece of cardboard to break on (refrigerator boxes are the best) and that and when you're done breaking you have to crouch and look as tough as you can.

For the designers in the audience, check out the pictograms designed for the Paris games.

If there is a silver lining in Crowdstrike’s shit-the-bed moment this week it’s that we now have a simple way to shut down the Matrix when AI gets too big for its britches. Just deploy another Microsoft Windows patch to the cloud. Also helpful in this fight, Cloudflare’s new firewall for AI. Or, maybe you’ll consider a career in preventing an AI-related catastrophe.

Deep thoughts: “We’re truly on the verge of the end of the internet.”

“I’d rather be happy than look accomplished,” said Corynne, who doubled her take-home pay by quitting her job as a news editor and camera person at a local news station and joining Dominos to deliver pizzas. “Now I can travel, hang out with friends, do my hobbies, live my life, and not get burned out.” I’m glad to see younger generations figuring this out long before hitting 40.

Meanwhile, “Over 2,000 students there who get no need-based or merit aid will soon pay $100,000 or more” per year to attend Vanderbilt University.

“Expose yourself to the best things that humans have done, and then try to bring those things into what you are doing.” That inspirational quote is from young Steve Jobs explaining his drive to learn and understand good design, and how it drives the creation of the best products. There is more to learn from Steve’s curious pursuit during the time he drove the development of the Macintosh in the online exhibit, The Objects of Our Life.

If we are to mentally survive the next six months (yes, I know the election is in November but then we have Thanksgiving and Christmas which means enduring close proximity to unhappy family members bitching and moaning and hating on everyone who isn’t like them) then we need a way to keep our head straight. Here are three ways to defend your mind against social media distortions. Good luck!

If you made it this far, then it's time for another beer followed by a nap.

Published in Tacoma, Washington in silence. There's too much in my head already.