Michael T. Starks

Author: admin

  • Alcohol

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    I don’t think of myself as an alcoholic. Even though I realize that I drink more alcohol than is typically suggested for me to be as healthy as I would like. When I look at my aunts, uncles, friends, and other family members, I recognize that I’m not alone in wanting to drink alcohol to…

  • The Academy Awards

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    Ahead of time, I correctly guessed 14 of the 21 Academy Awards granted today. That’s two-thirds, or 66%: not a good grade from an academic POV! But it’s also not bad. My movie sensibilities at least track with the people voting. Have I seen ALL of the movies nominated? No. Especially not the shorts. But…

  • Creative Juice

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    This morning, I recalled the phrase “Is the juice worth the squeeze?” While it’s been used for decades, a related phrase gained popularity in 2004 after appearing in the movie The Girl Next Door. In a pivotal scene, Timothy Olyphant’s character says, “Always know if the juice is worth the squeeze.” I love how this…

  • Time vs. Energy

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    There are many times I’ve lamented the fact that I don’t have enough time to do it all. While time is a constraint, it’s not the most important one. Energy is what matters! There are things that we’re excited to work on. They wake us up! They keep us engaged. We should do more of…

  • Agency

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    Humans have agency. From what I’ve seen so far, I’m not convinced that AI agents have agency. AI agents need to be programmed. They follow a very specific set of steps that need to be defined by humans. While this may change in the future, I think now is the time for humans to initiate…

  • Pretend Experts

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    The “Age of Influencers” promises that you can learn from a plethora of experts and become one yourself. That’s why this article caught my attention. With AI, are we all becoming “pretend experts”? What is expertise? While AI may be “aware” of almost everything written about a given topic, is this the same as having…

  • Not for Me

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    Today, I found myself thinking of the song But Not for Me. “They’re writing songs of love, but not for me,A lucky star’s above, but not for me…” — George Gershwin Here’s the context. I enjoy taking lots of online classes. Like many, I don’t get through all of the material in each class I…

  • Approach to Working

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    I’m not an individual who can work non-stop. I like to eat, I like to sleep, and I like interacting with others. Even when I’m very focused on my work, I like to take short breaks at least once an hour. So, while I can marvel at John Hughes, who reportedly wrote The Breakfast Club…

  • What If? 2

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    Yesterday, I discovered that Randall Munroe has written another What If? book. Now, I’m thrilled to be reading What If? 2! Writing books like this is a great way to leverage a background in math and physics! I’ve been a fan of his web comic xkcd for many years. While searching for the images above,…

  • There is no such thing

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    There is no such thing as a “perfect job”. I defy anyone to tell me otherwise! Actually, let me amend my statement. “There is no such thing as a perfect job for me.” I don’t know what’s going on in other people’s brains. Just as some humans are better adapted to corporate life than I…