“Almost Cut My Hair”

(Wikipedia) “Almost Cut My Hair” is a song by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, originally released on the band’s 1970 album Déjà Vu. It was recorded at Wally Heider Studios on January 9, 1970.

The song describes a real-life dilemma faced by many hippies: whether to cut one’s hair to a more practical length, or leave it long as a symbol of rebellion.[3] It was written by David Crosby, and features solo vocals by Crosby, with the rest of the band joining in on instruments rather than on vocal harmony, as in many of their other songs. […] It was one of only two songs from the album that Neil Young joined in on, despite not writing.

Although the notion of long hair as a “freak flag” appeared earlier, notably in a 1967 Jimi Hendrix song “If 6 Was 9”, Crosby’s song has been credited with popularizing the idea of long hair as a deliberate and visible symbol of the wearer’s affiliation with the counterculture, and opposition to establishment values. The song also evokes the singer’s “paranoia” at seeing the police; James Perone writes that, “more than any other song of the entire era”, it “captures the extent to which the divisiveness in American society … had boiled over into violence and terror”.

It became one of Crosby’s signature songs, and “probably his most important political song”.Crosby himself stated “It was the most juvenile set of lyrics I’ve ever written … but it has a certain emotional impact, there’s no question about that.”

AI Snake Oil


(Perplexity) “AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference” by Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor is a comprehensive examination of AI’s capabilities, limitations, and potential misuse. The authors aim to empower readers to distinguish between effective AI applications and “snake oil” – AI that doesn’t work as advertised.

Key points of the book include:

  1. Predictive AI often fails to deliver on its promises, especially in areas like predicting human behavior, academic success, crime likelihood, or civil wars.
  2. Generative AI, like ChatGPT, has valuable applications but also limitations. It can produce convincing-sounding content on any topic, but lacks a true source of truth and may generate misinformation.
  3. AI cannot effectively solve complex social issues, such as content moderation on social media platforms, due to the nuanced nature of human communication and values[.
  4. The authors argue that we should be more concerned about how people use AI rather than AI acting autonomously.
  5. The book highlights the need for better regulation of the AI industry and cautions against leaving AI’s future solely in the hands of tech companies.
  6. While critical of many AI applications, the authors remain optimistic about the future of generative AI and its potential benefits when used appropriately.
  7. The book provides guidance on how to spot AI hype and make informed decisions about AI-based products and services.

Overall, “AI Snake Oil” serves as a balanced examination of AI’s current state, debunking myths while acknowledging genuine progress, and emphasizing the importance of critical thinking in the face of AI hype.

Citations:
[1] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210319458-ai-snake-oil
[2] https://www.sciencenews.org/article/ai-snake-oil-how-to-spot-hype
[3] https://erictopol.substack.com/p/ai-snake-oila-new-book-by-2-princeton
[4] https://www.aisnakeoil.com/p/introducing-the-ai-snake-oil-book
[5] https://www.techpolicy.press/ai-snake-oil-separating-hype-from-reality/

“Silent Authority”

I gave the same prompt to ChatGPT and got what I think is a much better story.

FBI Special Agent Kevin Morales hunched over his workstation, staring at the call logs with mounting unease. The case was already high-stakes: someone was sending anonymous, threatening messages to Supreme Court Justice Robert Whitfield, a man known for his controversial opinions. The number receiving the threats was supposed to be untraceable—accessible only to the highest echelons of government. Yet here it was, compromised.

Morales and his team had traced one suspicious call to a burner phone bought at a Walmart in West Palm Beach. That was unsettling enough. The Supercenter was just down the road from Mar-a-Lago, the residence of the former president. Coincidence? Maybe. But Morales didn’t trust coincidences, especially not in this line of work.

The techs had flagged the call as a possible anomaly—just a brief ping to the Justice’s secure phone. It stood out because whoever bought that burner had gone through great pains to cover their tracks. The usual digital footprints—security cameras, store receipts, or geotagged selfies—had been carefully scrubbed. That level of care suggested sophistication.

But something gnawed at Morales. The encryption protecting the Supreme Court’s communications was among the most advanced in the world, and yet… this burner phone had found a way in. Out of sheer curiosity, and in direct violation of protocol, Morales cross-referenced the numbers of other Justices. He bypassed layers of security to pull their call logs, knowing full well it could end his career.

What he found made his pulse quicken. The same burner phone had contacted two other Justices’ numbers in recent weeks. All evidence of these calls had been meticulously deleted, but Morales’s backdoor tools uncovered them. Someone was trying to erase a trail. Someone connected to this same device from West Palm Beach.

He sat back, chewing on his bottom lip. This was no ordinary prank or political pressure campaign. It had all the hallmarks of something bigger—blackmail, coercion, maybe even a conspiracy involving people who weren’t supposed to get their hands dirty. And yet, it made no sense. Who would be bold—or foolish—enough to tamper with the highest court in the land?

Before he could share his findings with his supervisor, Morales’s phone buzzed on the desk. Frowning, he glanced at the screen. It was a message.

STOP.

Two words, no sender ID. Morales froze. The phone in his hand wasn’t listed in any directory. No one outside the bureau had access to this number.

His heart thudded in his chest. Someone was watching. Someone knew he was digging where he shouldn’t. And now, they’d warned him.

For the first time in his career, Morales felt something cold settle in his gut. Not fear exactly—but the sinking awareness that he was no longer in control. He stared at the screen, his mind racing.

What if they knew everything?