#barry schwartz

[hanedan]

Ne istersek elde ediyoruz ama istediğimiz şeyin bizi umduğumuz kadar tatmin etmediğini görüyoruz. Zaman kazandıran cihazlarla çevriliyiz ama asla yeteri kadar zamanımız olmuyor. Yaşamlarımızın yazarı olmakta özgürüz ama tam olarak nasıl yaşamlar “yazmak” istediğimizi bilmiyoruz.

[downtobaker]

Sul romanzo italiano più bello degli ultimi dieci anni

di Valentina Durante La scrittrice Valentina Durante Da qualche tempo mi sono accorta di un vizio retorico che mi prende quando parlo di letteratura, e frequentemente anche quando ne scrivo, e cioè l’uso disinibito del superlativo relativo o di altre espressioni che implicitamente alludono a una definizione quantitativa del valore. Lo riscontro in me e lo riscontro fuori da me: negli altri, nel…

[memoriae-lectoris]

“The more choice you have, the greater the number of appealing options, no matter how discriminating your tastes,” explains psychologist Sheena Iyengar: At some point, you simply won’t have enough space or money or time to enjoy all those options. So you’ll have to make some sacrifices, and each of these carries a psychological cost. Your enjoyment of the chosen options will be diminished by your regret over what you had to give up. In fact, the sum total of the regret over all the “lost” options may end up being greater than your joy over your chosen options, leaving you less satisfied than you would have been if you had had less choice to begin with.

Psychologists call this “the paradox of choice.” (“When people have no choice,” explains psychologist Barry Schwartz, “life is almost unbearable. As the number of available choices increases, as it has in our consumer culture, the autonomy, control, and liberation this variety brings are powerful and positive. But as the number of choices keeps growing, negative aspects of having a multitude of options begin to appear. As the number of choices grows further, the negatives escalate until we become overloaded. At this point, choice no longer liberates, but debilitates. It might even be said to tyrannize.”)

[igungho]

Just what kind of human nature do you want to help design?

“The distinguished anthropologist, Clifford Geertz, said, years ago, that human beings are the “unfinished animals.” And what he meant by that was that it is only human nature to have a human nature that is very much the product of the society in which people live. That human nature, that is to say our human nature, is much more created than it is discovered. We design human nature by designing the institutions within which people live and work.

And so you people – pretty much the closest I ever get to being with masters of the universe – you people should be asking yourself a question, as you go back home to run your organizations. Just what kind of human nature do you want to help design?“

[younes-ben-amara]

غوغل تُصرِّح: 60% من محتوى الإنترنت مكرَّر - ماذا تفعل إزاء ذلك؟

غوغل تُصرِّح: 60% من محتوى الإنترنت مكرَّر – ماذا تفعل إزاء ذلك؟

مساء السعادة يا أصحاب، اقترحت عليّ الأستاذة فاطمة حداد، مؤسسة منصة استكتب ومديرتها هذا الموضوع فشَكَر الله لها، فاطمة مشتركة في رديف فلا تفكّر مرتان واشترك في رديف 👇 اُكتب محتوى يجنّبك سخط غوغل وغضب القرّاء. اشترك في رديف ✍️ برأيكم ما هي مميزات ال40 % من المحتوى الأصيل الذي ينشر في جوجل؟@YounesTalkDZ نحتاج منك مقالة مميزة بعد أن نستشهد بآراء صناع المحتوى .. https://t.co/hPd8PdzuqP— فاطمة حداد…

[aboutzatanna]

Zatanna, Wonder Woman and Barry Allen go undercover in this issue of DC Retroactive: JLA- The 70's #1 (2011) and Diana is absolutely terrible at it:

For those who don't know DC Retroactive are untold stories set in past continuities mostly by writers from those eras.

This issue was written by Carey Bates with art by Andy Smith.

(Side note: While Diana being 'bad' at going undercover is just a two page gag, it makes more sense for me that Diana, former 'Goddess of Truth' and wielder of the Lasso of True wouldn't be comfortable with secret identities. I never liked the idea of Diana needing a secret identity. )

The plot of this issue mainly revolves around Adam Strange, who is accidentally transported to Earth Prime following a fight with Kanjar Ro so Barry, Diana, Zatanna and Ollie travel to Earth Prime to rescue him while Hawkman and Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) take on the newly empowered Kanjar Ro.

Earth-Prime is basically "our world" where the JLA are all fictional characters and the writers and creators exist on that earth. It's also the world where Superboy Prime originally came from. Since Adam had his mind zapped at a mental institute, the only solution is to find DC editor and Adam Strange super fan Julius Schwartz who can jog Adam's memory.

I'm not really a fan of creators writing themselves or their collegues into the story. It feels very self congratulatory. Especially since WW's lasso could have solved the whole thing. I much prefer how Marvel did it, like an Easter Egg, where Stan and Jack would sometimes appear as themselves in issues of Fantastic Four. But I guess you can look at this issue as Carey's tribute to Schwartz. This issue also came with a reprint of Justice League of America #123 where Carey Bates wrote himself (or rather his Earth Prime counterpart) as the villain of the story.

Adam Strange himself is a character that I have mixed feelings about. He's very much a product of his time but the ordinary guy with a space suit, jetpack and helmet really appeals to the young boy in me who loved the Rocketeer. I don't think anyone has ever quite figured out how to make him relevant today. Tom King tried in his mini but it was the usual trope of 'lets reveal this innocent Silver Age character is actually a horrible person' variety of reinvention.

Anyway, enough rambling, since this is a Zatanna blog, here is a few moments with her that I like:

-The League chilling on the tower, Diana looks like she is oogling at Zee plus Hal being a Pink Floyd fan:

-Zatanna and Barry interactions plus Barry taking a leader ship role:

-This bit about mind wipes:

Knowing how much of a nerd Barry is he probably folded inside when she called him boss.

Also while this was most likely an excuse to bring in Julius Schwartz, Zatanna not tampering with minds is more in character for her during this period especially since the arc with her mom also had a subplot of her being mad that her father played with her mind. Another point deducted from Identity Crisis.

Blink and you miss it panels where the artist is clearly showing off their ability to draw human body in perspective:

And Diana wanting to take a selfie after the League defeats Kanjar Ro:

(also Diana's clearly a history geek, only a history geeks would drop random facts about Incas completely unprompted):

Overall, it's an old school issue. Very much a throwback. Still it's noteable that the writer of this issue didn't do the almost obligatory 'Zee gets gagged or taken out early so other characters can shine' plot. Every one has a role and everyone contributes their fair share to help defeat the villain.

[cantsayidont]

October-November 1950. Loath as I am to admit it, I'm with the Joker here — a march in 1950 was pretty corny, although in compensation, this story from WORLD'S FINEST COMICS #48 has an imaginative plot (with some of Bill Finger's most over-the-top narration) and an ingenious death trap involving a gigantic carillon:

The use of the musical notes and sound effects is clever, and makes this story feel all the more like something from the 1966 BATMAN TV show (it's easy to imagine William Dozier reading the narration), but Lew Sayre Schwartz, ghosting for Bob Kane during this period, doesn't have Dick Sprang's flair for giant props or elaborate scenery; the photo references are distractingly obvious and don't fit stylistically with the figure work. It seems like the artist also struggled a little with the script's unusual storytelling demands, especially in panels 3 and 4, where what Batman is doing with the board and the window is none too clear.

If Sprang had penciled this story, it might have been a classic, but alas, comics writers and artists of this period didn't have much say over who drew which script, and direct dialogue between writer and artist was generally rare at National-DC well into the 1970s.

[nerds-yearbook]

On May 25, 1997, "Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction" premiered. ("The Apparition/The Electric Chair/On the Road/Number One With a Bullet", Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction, TV, event)

[daydreamerdrew]

excerpt from Ron Goulart’s Great History of Comic Books, published in 1986

[writerly-ramblings]

Books Read in August:

1). This Other Eden (Paul Harding)

2). Pitch Dark (Renata Adler)

3). The Peppered Moth (Margaret Drabble)

4). Blood & Cord: Writers on Early Parenthood (ed. Abi Curtis)

5). Study for Obedience (Sarah Bernstein)

6). After Sappho (Selby Wynn Schwartz)

7). Three Rings: A Tale of Exile, Narrative and Fate (Daniel Mendelsohn)

8). Pearl (Siân Hughes)

9). Home (Toni Morrison)

10). Wandering Souls (Cecile Pin)

11). How to Build a Boat (Elaine Feeney)

12). Western Lane (Chetna Maroo)

13). Old God’s Time (Sebastian Barry)

[thekimspoblog]

My WIPs (or at least the ones I can remember)

Portal:

"Opera Beneath Aperture": Where the Geekenders version is vaudeville, mine is more pop-opera in the style of "Phantom" or "Wicked". Basically just remixing the soundtrack and adding lyrics. There will be comedy, but at the end of the day, playing the melodrama of "Portal 2" straight is just easier. (Progress 30%)

"Rat Race": An homage to the US "The Office", but one by one the characters are axed off as Aperture becomes a more and more dystopian place to work. (Progress 10%)

"Portrait of a Lady: A Romanticized Horror": Prequel character-study on Caroline, obviously. She's preppy like Kim, but being born in the 1930's she's more sexually repressed, and therefore even more of a manic-pixie-nightmare-girl. She blacks out and murders her gynecologist for malpractice in Chapter 3; yeah it's that kind of a story. Also she's pretty racist? To the extent that any person from that era running a dystopian secessionist megacorporation would have to be. (Progress 50%)

Better Call Saul:

"Sheepdog": A traumatic event causes Kim to question the nature of her own reality. We the fans love Kim... but we do not respect her. (Progress 50%)

"Slippin Kimmy": This is my SERIOUS entry for what I think should happen next in the story. Basically a lot of white-hat Heisenberging around. She stops a shooting at a Planned Parenthood in episode 2; yeah it's that kind of a story. If that's what "WYCARO" ends up being, I'll be happy. If not? Hey it's free money, Vince. I'll just leave it on the table 'til you're done being done again. (Progress 5%)

"Last Clear Chance Doctrine": In 6x05 Jimmy calls Kim to say he's going to be late; Howard wants to fight him in the ring. Kim says she'll be right over. (Progress 0%)

"Just Take the Money": Parallel "Breaking Bad" timeline, where Walt accepts Eliot's hand-out. It'll make you wish he had stuck to cooking meth. I'm probably going to include a subplot where Saul bangs Skyler cus it makes me smile. (Progress 0%)

Crossovers/Other:

Steven Universe: "Warp Congestion": Steven figures out how to remove his gem and live as a normal human for extended periods of time. And if you think this sounds like a contrivance to write Rose Quartz back into the story... it is! Pearl was supposed to hold onto the gem for the day, but as the administrative headaches of helping to keep Little Homeworld organized pile up, Rainbow Quartz starts to revert back to v 1.0. (Progress 5%)

Steven Universe: "Roughhousing": You ever have those moments with your spouse, where one minute you're joking around and everything seems fine, and then one little comment gets taken wrong and suddenly everything gets a bit ugly? Even Ruby and Sapphire have those moments. And it made for one hell of a night at Beach City Underground Wrestling. (Progress 100%... but it's in the format of a Torts practice exam. Yes really)

Barry: "A Plan for Sally": My OC, Rita, has been going around to various netflix shows and selling life-insurance and family planning policies to the love-interest characters in crime dramas. Well, Rita will call them "insurance policies"; what they really are are Faustian bargains. If you thought the ending to "Barry" was weird, rushed, or maybe even a little saccharine, Rita is why. (Progress 0%)

Midnight Mass: "The Girl Who Ate the World": Erin Greene wakes up lying in the grass to find herself - not just alive - but sparkling in the sun like a million little diamonds. It's a miracle! Second only to the bad-miracle of news that the Angel survived and is transforming people in the Portland subway system as we speak. Rita is in this one too. (Progress 50%)

"Crack Fic: Torts and Torts": Kim Wexler, Dolores Abernathy, and Love Quinn attend a mobwives convention in Napoli. After a few drinks, Kim and Love get into a tense conversation about dead brothers, and more specifically when/how a spouse is at-fault for the death of a brother-in-law. Kim forgets the argument after she sobers up, but Dolores warns her to watch her back. Sure enough, Love attacks Kim with a katana and they must battle it out as frenemies. (Progress 2%)

"300 Million Cowboys": I re-write Better Call Saul as a pulpy beach-read about vampires. With enough changes to the plot that it can be legally sold on Kindle. Kim is now named Jean Troy. Jimmy is now named Sammy McCormick. Mike and Chuck have been merged into one character. Kevin and Howard have been merged into one character. (Progress 2%)

[ninjastormhawkkat]

What celebrity or notable figure would you love to chat with and maybe interview?

Ben Schwartz, David Tennant, Tom Kenny, and Barry Gordon.

Ben Schwartz was the voice actor for Randy Cunningham from Randy Cunningham 9th Grade Ninja.

David Tennant who played the 10th Doctor in Doctor Who

Barry Gordon was the voice actor for Razor/Jake Clawson in Swat Kats the Radical Squadron.

Tom Kenny because Dr. Two Brains.

[healingtimebooks]

Book Announcement: 'Bildung's Roamin' by Ross Barry Schwartz (paperback) available for purchase May 15, 2024 on amazon.com

In the vast landscape of literature, certain books transcend traditional genres, inviting readers on a journey that defies categorization. Today, we’re thrilled to introduce you to an exciting new release that seamlessly blends storytelling, poetry, philosophy and art. Bildung’s Roamin’ – A Novella of Inquiry and Observation, authored by the talented Ross Barry Schwartz, promises to take readers…

[unlimited-rice-puddin]

Apple TV+ boasts some of the best original comedy series around

Despite its comparatively smaller offerings, Apple TV+ has some brilliant comedy series on offer. Check out my 4 and 5 star reviews for #TedLasso, #Schmigadoon, #TheAfterparty and #Loot by following the link

From straightforward comedy, to musical parodies and murder mysteries, Apple TV+ features some incredible comedy Despite its firm standing within technology, Apple TV+ trails behind more established streaming giants, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and even Disney+, who have built up an audience with its reliable output of original content. Apple TV+, on the other hand, has a much smaller pool of…

[mariacallous]

A week after its algorithms advised people to eat rocks and put glue on pizza, Google admitted Thursday that it needed to make adjustments to its bold new generative AI search feature. The episode highlights the risks of Google’s aggressive drive to commercialize generative AI—and also the treacherous and fundamental limitations of that technology.

Google’s AI Overviews feature draws on Gemini, a large language model like the one behind OpenAI’s ChatGPT, to generate written answers to some search queries by summarizing information found online. The current AI boom is built around LLMs’ impressive fluency with text, but the software can also use that facility to put a convincing gloss on untruths or errors. Using the technology to summarize online information promises can make search results easier to digest, but it is hazardous when online sources are contractionary or when people may use the information to make important decisions.

“You can get a quick snappy prototype now fairly quickly with an LLM, but to actually make it so that it doesn't tell you to eat rocks takes a lot of work,” says Richard Socher, who made key contributions to AI for language as a researcher and, in late 2021, launched an AI-centric search engine called You.com.

Socher says wrangling LLMs takes considerable effort because the underlying technology has no real understanding of the world and because the web is riddled with untrustworthy information. “In some cases it is better to actually not just give you an answer, or to show you multiple different viewpoints,” he says.

Google’s head of search Liz Reid said in the company’s blog post late Thursday that it did extensive testing ahead of launching AI Overviews. But she added that errors like the rock eating and glue pizza examples—in which Google’s algorithms pulled information from a satirical article and jocular Reddit comment, respectively—had prompted additional changes. They include better detection of “nonsensical queries,” Google says, and making the system rely less heavily on user-generated content.

You.com routinely avoids the kinds of errors displayed by Google’s AI Overviews, Socher says, because his company developed about a dozen tricks to keep LLMs from misbehaving when used for search.

“We are more accurate because we put a lot of resources into being more accurate,” Socher says. Among other things, You.com uses a custom-built web index designed to help LLMs steer clear of incorrect information. It also selects from multiple different LLMs to answer specific queries, and it uses a citation mechanism that can explain when sources are contradictory. Still, getting AI search right is tricky. WIRED found on Friday that You.com failed to correctly answer a query that has been known to trip up other AI systems, stating that “based on the information available, there are no African nations whose names start with the letter ‘K.’” In previous tests, it had aced the query.

Google’s generative AI upgrade to its most widely used and lucrative product is part of a tech-industry-wide reboot inspired by OpenAI’s release of the chatbot ChatGPT in November 2022. A couple of months after ChatGPT debuted, Microsoft, a key partner of OpenAI, used its technology to upgrade its also-ran search engine Bing. The upgraded Bing was beset by AI-generated errors and odd behavior, but the company’s CEO, Satya Nadella, said that the move was designed to challenge Google, saying “I want people to know we made them dance.”

Some experts feel that Google rushed its AI upgrade. “I’m surprised they launched it as it is for as many queries—medical, financial queries—I thought they’d be more careful,” says Barry Schwartz, news editor at Search Engine Land, a publication that tracks the search industry. The company should have better anticipated that some people would intentionally try to trip up AI Overviews, he adds. “Google has to be smart about that,” Schwartz says, especially when they're showing the results as default on their most valuable product.

Lily Ray, a search engine optimization consultant, was for a year a beta tester of the prototype that preceded AI Overviews, which Google called Search Generative Experience. She says she was unsurprised to see the errors that appeared last week given how the previous version tended to go awry. “I think it’s virtually impossible for it to always get everything right,” Ray says. “That’s the nature of AI.”

Even if blatant errors like suggesting people eat rocks become less common, AI search can fail in other ways. Ray has documented more subtle problems with AI Overviews, including summaries that sometimes draw on poor sources such as sites that are from another region or even defunct websites—something she says could provide less useful information to users who are hunting for product recommendations, for instance. Those who work on optimizing content for Google’s Search algorithm are still trying to understand what’s going on. “Within our industry right now, the level of confusion is on the charts,” she says.

Even if industry experts and consumers get more familiar with how the new Google search behaves, don’t expect it to stop making mistakes. Daniel Griffin, a search consultant and researcher who is developing tools to make it easy to compare different AI-powered search services, says that Google faced similar problems when it launched Featured Snippets, which answered queries with text quoted from websites, in 2014.

Griffin says he expects Google to iron out some of the most glaring problems with AI Overviews, but that it’s important to remember no one has solved the problem of LLMs failing to grasp what is true, or their tendency to fabricate information. “It’s not just a problem with AI,” he says. “It’s the web, it’s the world. There’s not really a truth, necessarily.”

[20somethinggirlieboy]

I COULDN’T HELP BUT WONDER…

How the Hell Did Dating Become So Dump-Friendly?

An essay by Nery Sommers

Introduction

Dating in the 21st century has undergone a significant transformation. The traditional dynamics of romance have given way to a more casual, disposable approach, leaving many to wonder how and why dating has become so dump-friendly. In this essay, we will explore the factors contributing to this shift, including the rise of dating apps, changing societal values, and the impact of technology on interpersonal relationships.

The Rise of Dating Apps

One of the key factors responsible for the shift towards dump-friendly dating is the proliferation of dating apps. The advent of technology and the accessibility of smartphones have made it easier than ever to connect with potential partners. While this convenience can be a blessing, it also encourages a disposable attitude towards dating. Users can quickly swipe through profiles, discard matches that don't meet their immediate expectations, and move on to the next without investing much time or effort.

The "Paradox of Choice"

Psychologist Barry Schwartz coined the term "paradox of choice" to describe the overwhelming impact of having too many options. Dating apps offer a plethora of potential partners, but this abundance often leads to feelings of dissatisfaction and an endless quest for someone better. In this quest, people are more likely to give up on a current partner or connection, leading to a dump-friendly culture where it's easy to walk away in search of an elusive "perfect" match.

Changing Societal Values

The values and expectations surrounding dating have also evolved over time. In the past, relationships were often approached with the intention of finding a lifelong partner. Today, the emphasis has shifted towards personal fulfillment and self-discovery. People are more likely to enter relationships with the attitude of "I'm in it for myself" rather than "I'm in it for us." This self-centered approach can make it easier to end relationships when they no longer serve one's immediate needs.

Commitment Phobia

Commitment phobia has become more prevalent in modern dating. The fear of settling down and the allure of endless possibilities drive individuals to keep their options open, leading to a lack of commitment in relationships. This commitment-averse mindset contributes to the dump-friendly nature of modern dating, as people are less inclined to work through challenges and instead opt for an easier way out.

The Impact of Technology

The role of technology in shaping dump-friendly dating cannot be overstated. Online communication, which often lacks the depth and intimacy of face-to-face interactions, has made it easier to disconnect and break up with someone through a text message or a few clicks. This depersonalized approach further desensitizes individuals to the emotional consequences of ending a relationship.

Conclusion

The evolution of dating into a dump-friendly culture is the result of a complex interplay of factors, including the rise of dating apps, changing societal values, the paradox of choice, commitment phobia, and the impact of technology. While modern dating offers many conveniences, it also comes with a challenge: balancing the pursuit of personal fulfillment with the ability to build meaningful, lasting connections. Understanding these factors can help individuals navigate the dating world more consciously and foster healthier, more fulfilling relationships.