Not every anecdote in the seventh issue of the world's most infrequent newsletter deals with AI coming for human jobs, but it the theme recurs enough that it seemed to make for an appropriate title.
That said, I’m not really happy with the title. I wanted to go with the classic Man vs. Machine (being the fan of alliteration that I am), but we're living during a time of rapidly changing meaning in language and I strive for inclusivity. Don't judge me too harshly. I'm only human and titles are hard.
With that out of the way, I do hope you enjoy this issue's selection of textual tidbits.
The Pavementeers
Back in the day, long about 1935 (and even before), pouring concrete was more than a job, it was an art. Hard-working contractors (I refer to them as pavementeers) built the infrastructure that's still with us today. They built it to last, and they built it to look good.
They took pride in their work—marking each piece of art with a stamp like the one displayed here. Many of the companies who did this early work are long out of business, and the newer contractors very seldom stamp their work these days. So marks like these are wonderful artifacts and remembrances of the hard-working men and women who laid the foundations of modern civilization.
Originally published on the now-defunct Findery on August 8, 2013. Findery was something of an Instgram for places, and a site I really enjoyed. It went offline sometime in early 2022. I've decided to reproduce a few of my Findery posts for posterity.
When Cats and AI Collide
These days you can't open a browser window without hearing about ChatGPT and all the benefits (and dread) that embracing AI promises to bring to humanity.
But some mad geniuses took the extreme popularity of ChatGPT and smashed it together with the internet's big love of cats to produce the fantastically wholesome CatGPT, an AI chatbot that spices up plain old text output with cat GIFs.
CatGPT has two modes. The more basic of the two, GPT-Meow (which you can see above) returns results in just meows. GPT-Furr, however, links CatGPT directly to OpenAI and generates "real AI" responses. Both modes also serve up a single cat GIF from the internet's seemingly endless supply. GPT-Meow is open to all users but GPT-Furr requires an account and a log in.
Human Certification
Feeding on the growing fear that everything in the near future will be written by AI chatbots, Union has launched a venture that promises to verify writing done by actual human beings.
Union bills itself as a human-exclusive organization, "... a creator-built and -run organization designed to protect the artistic expression of the Human Race." The company claims that, once they verify a writer's work as "Certifiably Human," Union will maintain a record of that work's certification for the duration of history. That certainly sounds like a mighty long time.
If you're interested in becoming a verified human, Union offers your first certification is free. But after that, each one will cost you. Verifying your authentic person-ness starts at $99 a pop (and going up from there).
Please note. Union, the human verification company, is not to be confused with Union, the AI software development company founded in 2021.
Human Cost of AI
There's a lot of talk about the impact that AI has had (and will have) on humanity. But there's relatively little talk about the impact humans have had on the development of AI.
Over at The Verge, in a piece titled AI Is a Lot of Work, investigative tech reporter Josh Dzieza digs into just how much human capital has been used to jumpstart the AI revolution and get it to where it is today. Turns out it is, in fact, a lot of (low-paying) work.
Speaking of Cats ...
When it comes to concentration and productivity, listening to a style of music known as Lo-Fi offers cognitive benefits and can help enhance memory, retention, and recall (especially useful for studying).
One of the more popular sources for this style of music is Lofi Girl, a 24/7 streaming YouTube channel with more than 13 million subscribers. Maybe you, like me, listen in from time to time. At the very least, you may have heard of her in light of last year's false copyright strike kerfluffle.
Occasionally, when I'm avoiding doing anything meaningful and telling myself I'm searching for music to concentrate to, I will delve into the deep world of Lo-Fi offerings. For my attention, I much prefer the lesser known Lofi Cat (with a mere 36.5 thousand subscribers).
I find that Lofi Cat is slightly more upbeat, significantly more carefree, and a little more fun that Lofi Girl. Currently playing at the time of this writing: Mushroom Picking in the Secret Forest. See? Fun!
Talking About Los Angeles Palm Trees
Some of you know I write about some of the more offbeat destinations in and around Los Angeles for the Los Angeles Explorers Guild. As part of that, I crafted a long analysis about the unofficial tree of the city — the humble palm tree. And that page, titled Palm Trees of Los Angeles, is routinely one of the more visited pages on the site.
Even though it gets a good amount of attention, I was still a little surprised and very honored to be asked to be interviewed about these iconic monocots by Gian Franco Morini for Palms of L.A. A reel from this session was recently posted to Instagram.
Check it out if you want to hear me babble on about palm trees for 90 seconds.
Rise of the Coffee-Making Robots
One of my favorite missions in Borderlands 3 is "Rise and Grind." It takes place early in the game, shortly after arriving on Prometheus. After repelling the initial attack by the vile Maliwan forces, you meet Atlas Corp freedom fighter Lorelei and learn she desperately wants a cup of coffee.
Turns out it ain't so easy getting a cup of fresh, hot coffee during an intergalactic corporate war. Barista Bot, an irascibly friendly coffee-making robot at the Rise and Grind coffee shop on the other side of town can do the job, but he needs you to do a few things first ...
So when I read about ADAM, the new coffee-making robot from Richtech Robotics, I couldn't help but think of my old pal Barista Bot. ADAM even looks A LOT like Barista Bot — all he needs is a trendy hologram moustache and a ponytail.
Richtech Robotics promises that ADAM, who moves around behind the coffee counter at a blistering three feet per second (a little over 2 miles [3.25 kilometers] per hour), is "able to generate revenue 24/7, no breaks needed". He doesn't ask for tips, either.
If you're thrilled at the promise of a future powered by an all-robotic workforce, you may enjoy this YouTube video of ADAM in action.
Whether you find this development exciting or dreadful, ADAM is far from the first coffee robot. In fact, the promise of a robotic barista dates back to (at least) 1967, as evidenced by this coffee robot pouring a cup of coffee for a Betty Myrah at the Biltmore in Downtown Los Angeles.
The Ultimate Lawn Shoe
If you've been following along, you may be aware that I'm the proud owner of a Cub Cadet lawn tractor. So it was with great amusement that I learned about Cub Cadet's entry into the lucrative world of collectible sneakers.
Enter Cub Cadet's Ultimas lawn mowing shoes.
Named after its high-end line of lawnmowers, the Ultimas are Cub Cadet's over-engineered, highly specialized shoes made specifically for mowing the lawn.
These are designed by Omar Bailey, the same gent who — for better or worse — is responsible for bringing Yeezy shoes into the world. In case you're curious, here's a 75-second YouTube video of Mr. Bailey talking about his approach to the lawn shoe.
The shoes feature a trendy simulacra carbon fiber weave over a hefty black sole which is done up to look like the tires on a Cub Cadet Ultima ZPT (that's "Zero-Point Turn" in lawn-mowing lingo). The back of the shoe also sports a snazzy yellow step-out heel (meant to evoke the iconic yellow rear frame of the Ultima) that allows for hands-free removal — a very important consideration after spending an afternoon on the lawn.
The shoes are also water resistant, totally immune to those embarrassing grass stains, include a toggle-based no-lace design, and — as if all that weren't enough — come equipped with a bright white LED Cub Cadet logo on the tongue (for those times you feel the need to mow in the dark).
Just for fun, here's the official 36-second Ultimas launch video.
So now I know what's going through your head. You're thinking, "Wow! How the heck do I get a pair of these on my feet?"
Well, I have bad news.
The Ultimas were offered in a limited release, only available to California residents via NTWRK (an app-based home shopping network sort of thing for urban fashion) beginning on June 22. Prospective purchasers were able to buy a $1 raffle ticket that granted permission to buy a pair of the shoes. They are currently sold out.
However, if you want to score your own set of Ultimas, there's a pair of size 11s going for 900 on eBay. As Mr. Bailey himself says, " ... and the shoe is dope!"
And since we’re talking about robots in this issue, this is a good time to mention the proliferation of electric-powered lawn-mowing robots.