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Marginalia - 1/22/2023

Aliens, cuteness, desired behaviors, Wikipedia.

Paul Craig
Paul Craig
3 min read
Marginalia - 1/22/2023

Marginalia is a weekly synthesis of the flotsam, jetsam, and whatnot of the news cycle with a few dry, sarcastic one-liners here and there.

Hope We're Cute

It is statistically likely there are more advanced alien civilizations out there.
Hopefully, they're good environmentalists and find us cute.
- Naval Ravikant

Execupundit is the blog of Michael Wade. It's a must read blog.

As for the quote... what happens to those of us who aren't "cute?"

Respectfully submitted for your perusal — a Kanamit. Height: a little over nine feet. Weight: in the neighborhood of three hundred and fifty pounds. Origin: unknown. Motives? Therein hangs the tale, for in just a moment, we're going to ask you to shake hands, figuratively, with a Christopher Columbus from another galaxy and another time. This is the Twilight Zone.
– Rod Serling, "To Serve Man" - The Twilight Zone
To Serve Man (The Twilight Zone) - Wikipedia

The prospects aren't all that appetizing. At least for us.


Desired → Normal Behavior

“Surround yourself with people where your desired behavior is the normal behavior.”
– James Clear via swissmiss
Join Groups Where Your Desired Behavior is The Normal Behavior | Atomic Habits Author James Clear
Brought to you by Athletic Greens all-in-one supplement http://athleticgreens.com/tim, Peloton Row premium rower for an efficient workout https://www.onepelo...

I'm 52. I feel 82 most days.

And that does have its upsides.

One of those upsides is quickly identifying individuals with whom I wish to associate. I'm comfortable at this point in my life with a tight circle of family, friends and acquaintances. Those who are in the circle are those I trust... those with universal principles and values minus fanatical, delusional religiosity.

That is exceedingly rare in this time of rancor and polarization.

When the desired behavior of others doesn't match yours, take a step back.

Or several.


In the Event You Need a Reminder

I have something to tell you, dear reader. The web is fucked. It’s a sad state of affairs that we’re in - gone are the days of Web 1.0 where the humble personal blog and the likes of GeoCities reigned supreme.
Instead we’ve been left with Web 1.0’s rotten remains where centralisation, monopolies and tracking are the order of the day.
It’s shit.
– The Web Is Fucked
The Web Is Fucked
The web is fucked and there’s nothing we can do about it. Kev Quirk looks back fondly at Web 1.0.
The Web. It's Fucked.

A one-page manifesto.

If the word "fuck" is the only thing that bothers you after reading that link, then you have something in common with the web.

You are fucked as well.


Not a Scream, But A Smile

All the scaffolding is the same: Wikipedia is still Wikipedia, just with more whitespace, a more prominent search bar and language switcher, and a sticky table of contents. There’s also a collapsible sidebar and maximum line width, which make the site more clean and less cluttered.
– Annie Rauwerda, Slate
Wikipedia’s Redesign Is Barely Noticeable. That’s the Point.
The Wikipedia editors are waiting to hear you scream about it.
Wikipedia’s Redesign Is Barely Noticeable. That’s the Point. - Slate

I clicked on a Wikipedia link last week and instantly said, "Something's... different."

Congratulations to Wikipedia for creating a new skin that results in highly readable text with reduced eyestrain.

For us aging GenXers, it's a godsend.

Marginalia

Paul Craig Twitter

Father. Husband. Practicing Stoic. 30+ years Printing and Substrate Technology. One step at a time.


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