#29: Using Generative AI, reading, and life

CYB is back, every other Wednesday

In 2020, when CYB launched, a big focus was getting through COVID, plus things to do, see, read, make, and occasional reflections,  like this post on breaking up with my sourdough after 70 days.

I’m excited to restart CYB. In 2022, I made the decision to retire from my full-time arts administration job. In February 2023, I stopped working—took the last 7 months off. This fall, I am starting up a part-time consulting practice focused on non-profit development and fundraising. Since I am going to be writing again, it makes sense to come back to this space.

If you’re new to CYB, here’s a little bit about me: I am an incredibly curious person who has retained the capacity to learn new things well into the third stage of my life. Read more about this here.

With that said, let’s get to it: Reflections: On Using Generative AI Right Now

A few nights ago I dreamt  I was on a trip to New York, and thought that I’d misplaced my phone. When I found it in my bag and took it out, the front screen desktop had been replaced by a page run by ChatGPT and The New York Times, which had merged The home page was grey, and filled with inaccurate and useless information. Despite all efforts, my phone could not navigate past that screen and I did not like it one bit.

That day,  I wrote an essay about this, Writing with Generative AI: Frustrations of an Early Adopter, click here to read it all. (And then I asked the AI to write their own essay about MY frustrations).

Books and articles: I’m an avid reader. Mostly, I read Kindle books in Libby, the library app. My interests are wide-ranging–Here are two recent reads I’d recommend, plus a new article (or two) on Jann Wenner:

BUSINESS: Traffic by Ben Smith, Penguin Random House, 2023

If you’re interested–or were involved–in the development of the early Web, the beginnings of click-bait headlines, click-bait web advertising, and the rise of the attention economy, this is your book.  Smith does a great job telling the story of Buzzfeed, Gawker, The Huffington Post, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, and all the other media entities and platforms that changed online advertising and then, through focusing on “engagement,” set the stage for the online hate wars to come. 

Ben Smith, Traffic: “BuzzFeed and Gawker were both pioneers in the art of chasing traffic, and they did it with a mix of genius, rivalry, and delusion. But their success came at a price."

NEWS(AND MUSIC): Jann Wenner’s Faux Pas

Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner is now 77. On the eve of the release of his new book, The Masters, interviews with 7 amazing American musicians, all of whom happen to be white (and male),  New York Times journalist David Marchese, interviewed him  

My favorite teeth-gnashing moment is when David Marchese asks, “So what are valid criticisms of your generation?”  

And Wenner responds,” What didn’t the rock ’n’ roll generation do? I mean, it didn’t get everything done. But I have no fundamental, deep criticisms. Is there something that you think we didn’t get right?”

The self-serving, entitled blindness of that statement feels like so much of what is wrong with too many Boomers–so much pride in what we did right, and no admission of what we did wrong.  Climate change, systemic racism, school-to-prison pipeline, child poverty, and more–Did we get those right? Clearly not.

Update: And then this.

ROMANCE: The Idea of You, a Novel by Robinne Lee, St.Martin’s Press, 2017

I couldn’t put down this romance novel about a stunning 39-year-old LA gallery owner-–think of someone who looks like Sylvie Grateau, the  Parisian ad agency president in Emily in Paris, who gets into a hot romance with a 20-year-old Britsh boy band star who looks like Harry Styles.

Only, Momma met Boo because of her 13-year-old daughter, a total fangirl of the band, so, all hell breaks loose when the story hits the press. Designer clothes, luxury travel, and juicy sex scenes keep it a fun read. (More on this at Vogue.)

MAKE AND DO

WEIGHTLIFTING: The best! I started lifting weights before I heard of Casey Johnson, but I’d recommend her to any woman considering getting into working with barbells.

Casey Johnson, From Couch to Barbell, Phase One Bodyweight Strength Workout for LIFTOFF: Couch to Barbell w 30-second rests. Follow along!

She is just terrific, and her advice is great. If you’re a beginner, she’s the one; if you’re not, she’s a must-read.

COOKING: Ben Mim’s Black Beans and Mushroom Burgers recipe. This is such a delicious and easy vegetable burger and everyone loves it.  I omit the melted cheese, but lean into all the other fixings– brioche bun, mayonnaise, sliced tomato, and red onion–that make burgers rock.

CRAFTING: My ambitions are to get into Sashiko and visible mending, but I have not done one thing beyond ordering the supplies.  However, I did discover Flora Collingwood Norris of Visible Mending, whom I follow on Insta, and Miesje Chafer, an amazing textile design with great needlework kits. Visually, so inspiring!

How are you doing? What’s keeping you inspired right now? What’s great you want to share?

If you enjoyed this edition, #29, please share with someone who might like it, or link to it in your socials.  And if you got this from a friend and would like to subscribe yourself, please do so here.  

#30 will happen in two weeks, on Wednesday–we’re back in action!

Thanks, Susan

PS. I have a new website and I am launching a brand-new non-profit consulting practice, check it out here.