Woke up feeling like a steamroller ran me over and wondered “is this what middle age is like?” but no, Apple Watch soon notified me that my sleeping heart rate and respiratory rate both were higher than usual, so I am probably coming down with some virus or another. To which I say, bring it on.

Day one of Apple Intelligence. Trying out writing tools first and apparently the professional version of the sentence “This is a text about something, nothing in particular.” is — drumroll, please — “This text is a general discussion about various topics without a specific focus or subject matter.”

So “make professional” is code for “bullshittify”. How delightful.

I wanted the world to stop, and I wouldn’t stop until it did.

File this one under “sentences of note”. The entire essay is almost too good of a cautionary tale to be true, but who cares if it’s “true” as long as it’s good.

I tried watching a Tinderbox journaling tutorial on Youtube, and it was just way too much overhead for me. But the beauty of Tinderbox is that you can have as much or as little structure as fits my needs, and my needs are modest… for now.

Matthew Gasda for the Wisdom of Crowds:

If, in 1450, someone had gone around Florence saying, “No, no, no, we don’t live in a renaissance, culture is in decay,” I think it would have been possible to throw open the doors of the workshops, cathedrals, churches, and wealthy residences, and say, “Well, you know, I think you might be wrong about that. Take a look at this.” But in 2024, what do optimists see when you throw open the doors? Mr. Beast? Addison Rae? BAP? Talk Tuah?

I don’t know what three of those four are, but I’d show Teenage Engineering, Panic Software and this.

From The End of the Modern World by Fr. Stephen Freemen:

Modernity is a rhetorical device. The modern world does not produce wonders or even Apple Phones. Those are the work of technology, something with roots in the ancient world (cf. the Antikythera Mechanism). Modernity is simply the place where the myth was invented — not technology.

And from a 2018 blog post comment (↬John Naughton):

Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit:

There must be in-groups whom the law protectes (sic) but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.

There is nothing more or else to it, and there never has been, in any place or time.

Today’s LLMs are a litmus test of whether or not the writing job at hand is BS. Can you use the unadulterated LLM output without fear? Then yes.

Book summaries are not BS. Economy as a science is.

A few links, to be filed in the “What a time to be alive” folder:

• AI and Biology
• What’s become of The Times & Co.? (a question ripe for the “always has been” meme)
• Original Sources of the Claim that Haitians Eat Pets in Ohio Admit No First-Hand Knowledge
• I better go superviral for this… (he did!)

A few good links for the weekend:

• Is progress in medicine too slow? by Ruxandra Teslo
• Moleskine Mania: How a Notebook Conquered the Digital Era (ᔥJohn Naughton)
• For Every Winner a Loser by John Lanchester
• Cozytech by Venkatesh Rao, alas the best parts are behind a paywall (coziness costs)

I follow most blogs via RSS and imagine everyone doing the same. This makes me forget that this very blog is an actual website that may need tending, and every time I visit (which is rarely) a thought comes to mind: I should really do something about that font … typeface … those fonts.

But I don’t want to just copy someone else, which is what I did with the current version that uses Iowan Old Style. ⊕ ChatGPT was sadly lacking in font recognition skills. When I showed it a screenshot of this website it said the font was Georgia. When asked whether it might be Iowan after all, it had this to say: Upon closer inspection, the typeface in the image does indeed have characteristics that are more aligned with Iowan Old Style rather than Georgia. Which is some master-work backtracking and a sign of an expert BS-er.Not knowing much about typefaces, I asked someone who might.

Me: What is a high-quality publicly available serif typeface highly regarded by most if not all experts?

ChatGPT-4o: One of the most highly regarded publicly available serif typefaces is “Cormorant.” This typeface is available on Google Fonts and is praised for its elegance and versatility. Designed by Christian Thalmann, Cormorant is inspired by the classic Garamond typefaces but with modern refinements that make it suitable for both print and digital use.

Cormorant is highly regarded for its high contrast, sharp serifs, and a wide range of styles and weights, making it a versatile choice for various design needs. It’s well-crafted and respected among designers for its beauty and readability.

Me: Can it be used as a body typeface? If not, is there a typeface that I can use as body typeface?

ChatGPT-4o: While Cormorant is beautiful and highly regarded, it is generally better suited for display use (e.g., headlines, titles) rather than as a body typeface. This is because of its high contrast and intricate details, which can make it harder to read at smaller sizes, particularly in large blocks of text.

For a high-quality serif typeface suitable for body text, I recommend “EB Garamond.” This typeface is also publicly available on Google Fonts and is an excellent choice for body text due to its readability, classic design, and balanced proportions. EB Garamond is a revival of the original Garamond typeface from the 16th century, known for its timeless elegance and clarity, making it an ideal choice for both print and digital use.

EB Garamond is widely praised for its legibility, even at smaller sizes, making it an excellent option for body copy in various design projects.

Me: What is a good monospace typeface equivalent to EB Garamond?

ChatGPT-4o: A good monospace typeface equivalent to EB Garamond, in terms of quality and readability, would be “IBM Plex Mono.”

IBM Plex Mono is part of the IBM Plex typeface family, which was designed with clarity, neutrality, and versatility in mind. While it’s a monospace typeface, it maintains a sense of elegance and professionalism that aligns well with the qualities of EB Garamond. It has well-balanced proportions and is highly legible, making it suitable for coding, technical documents, or any design where a monospace font is needed.

IBM Plex Mono is also publicly available on Google Fonts, making it easily accessible for a variety of projects. Its modern design and attention to detail make it a strong choice for anyone looking for a high-quality monospace font.

Why ChatGPT would be hawking Google Fonts is a question beyond my pay grade, but hey, it’s free and easily implemented, so I might as well try.