All this AI talk reminds me of an old joke:
Don’t anthropomorphize computers – they hate that.
😉
It is not possible to provide a single, comprehensive definition of AI. What can be stated, however, is that we must avoid the misconception of equating this type of “intelligence” with that of human beings. These systems merely imitate certain functions of human intelligence. In doing so, they often surpass human intelligence in speed and computational capacity, offering tangible benefits across many fields. Yet this power remains entirely tied to data processing. So-called artificial intelligences do not undergo experiences, do not possess a body, do not feel joy or pain, do not mature through relationships and do not know from within what love, work, friendship or responsibility mean. Nor do they have a moral conscience, since they do not judge good and evil, grasp the ultimate meaning of situations, or bear responsibility for consequences. They may imitate language, behavior and analytical skills, or even simulate empathy and understanding, but they do not understand what they produce, for they lack the affective, relational and spiritual perspective through which human beings grow in wisdom. Even when these tools are described as capable of “learning,” their way of doing so is different from that of a human person. It is not the experience of those who allow themselves to be shaped by life and grow over time through choices, mistakes, forgiveness and fidelity. Rather, it is a form of statistical adaptation based on data and feedback, which can be very effective, but does not imply inner growth.
from Magnifica Humanitas by Pope Leo XIV
I can’t quite put my finger on why it’s been strange to hear AI executives and insiders warn so direly about about an almost ‘end to humanity as we know it’ within the next decade unless regulators step in to stop it …
But I think part of it is, that it sounds akin to a man driving his car wildly on the road swerving this way and that, and telling everybody else that they need to stop him.
AI companies: How about you think about what you’re doing (purportedly for the rest of us) and not try to pass the responsibility (and presumably cost) onto somebody else.
Just a thought.
(UPDATE 21 Sep 2026: Looks like Sam Altman may agree as well.)
Pete Alonso hits his 300th home run!
The 10th quickest to do so
While playing with his new team (Orioles) against his old team (Mets)
The Mets fans have shown such class, sportsmanship, and love of the game
And congratulations Pete! 🎉⚾️🏟️
Recently watched “Hoppers” movie from Pixar (Mar 2026 release) with the fam’ and REALLY enjoyed!
Strong recommend, not only as a fun and not ditzy kids movie, but also for a fairly dimensional and insightful treatment of many subjects (reminiscent of Pixar’s stronger works).
Two thumbs up. 👍👍
Holding & Letting Go by Malcolm Guite
We have a call to live
and oh, a common call to die.
I watched you and my father go
to bid a friend goodbye.
I watched you hold my father’s hand.
How could it not be so?
The gentleness of holding on
helps in the letting go.
For when we feel our frailty,
how can we not respond
and reach to hold another’s hand
and feel the common bond?
For then we touch the heights above
and every depth below.
We touch the very quick of love,
holding and letting go.
Only a tenth of the way through Book 1, but really enjoying and charmed by Galahad and the Grail by Malcolm Guite, a poetic re-telling of Arthurian tradition and the beginning of a four-part series under the banner of Merin’s Isle: The Tale This Land Still Keeps.
It’s very accessible and a welcome enriching of the reading experience – do not let the poetry give you pause, it’s highly lucid and flowing. And the artwork is quite nice too: hearkening back, but also fresh.
For the U.S. market, check out the series page on the Rabbit Room Press. And below find the official trialer.
Some days you just lose an hour or two on computer issues that aren’t a problem until they’re suddenly a crippling problem ->
Bose 700 UC headphones work fine and use everyday for years … Then one day the sound is fine, but the mic function has mysteriously disappeared from existence in the computer. Reboot the computer, reboot the headset (try to figure out how), remove Bluetooth entry, try to clear pairing list from headset (try to figure out how), reference AI for help suggestions, etc. …
Then finally, the background functionality you rely on for hours everyday that’s never an issue, is mysteriously back and you can start working again … eesh.
On our recent family road trip to Maine, did some audibook listening via the Libby public library app. I never read C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series as a kid, but have been discovering them with my kids. We ended up listening to two from the series on the trip: The Horse and His Boy, and The Silver Chair.
Enjoyed both, and definitely found the latter particularly engaging myself. A big part of that was the reader: Jeremy Northam. And as the graphic below suggests, it wasn’t so much “read” by Northam, as “performed” (in a good way). Not that it’s an overly dramatic reading, but the character voices he does are great and do draw you deeper into the story (including Puddleglum, a particular star of the tale).
Anywho, a recommend if you’re looking for something and/ or come across. 🙂👍
