After today, whenever things seem really bleak, I will tell myself: At least I am not a nightsoilman.

There’s a story there, but you don’t want to hear it.

Alas! The budding daffodil,
The lenten rose, the crocus
Augur need for Benadryl
To curb the running mucus.

For each season’s timely run
Has each its plus, its minus:
So spring brings blossoms, light, and sun
But also cloggéd sinus.

The One True Groundhog, Octararo Orphie of Kirkwood, Pennsylvania, did not see his shadow, thus predicting an early spring. If you were disappointed to hear otherwise, fear not! The media creation out west got it wrong, as usual.

Anarchy, technology, and community: Some thoughts on The Dawn of Everything More than notes and less than an essay, but it wasn’t doing anybody any good sitting on my laptop.

As you ring the old year out, remember well my verse: Count your blessings every one—for next year could be worse.

Happy new year everybody!

Canning the New Year’s sauerkraut and listening to medieval Christmas music.

An AI researcher on the extreme difficulty of aligning AI with human values.

Family portrait.

Folks, I know we are all tired of hearing about supply-chain issues, but this one is serious: due to years of overexcitement on social media and in text messages, there is a dire global shortage of exclamation points. Please consider using alternate punctunation such as the interrobang, or try repurposing common glyphs like the percent sign for interesting effect. Or just keep calm and save some excitement for the disadvantaged of our increasingly small planet. Thank you for your help ∆