After several years seeing the same dental hygienist, she asked me about my high school experience. As a person with no high school diploma and two bachelor’s degrees, this was hard to explain between spits.

Trump must really think his supporters are morons, and maybe they are, if he thinks they don’t understand that tariffs are taxes on them.

Since I live in the greater Harvard University area, and I frequent a fantastic wine shop (https://www.thewineandcheesecask.com), I had to ask how the Federal government’s threats against the school and its international students were affecting … champagne sales. :(

I kinda sorta hopefully stopped biting my nails. I’ve had the habit since the age of 8 or so. I’ve tried SO many times to stop, and have succeeded for short stints, but never lasted. This time my approach was to apply UV-activated hardcore gel polish. Makes it harder to bite, and a reminder not to.

Just released Black Ink for iOS 2.4.2, bringing the same inline clue image improvements that were recently added to the Mac version. redsweater.com/blog/4214…

For the record, I’m convinced that AI is a sea change, and nothing will ever be the same. I don’t make the rules, I just adapt to them.

On the subject of AI, the world seems divided into three groups: 1. Convinced it’s a sham, and nothing about it will ever merit the investment of time or energy, 2. Convinced it’s a sea change and nothing will ever be the same, and 3. Holy shit it can write a poem!?

All I want for Christmas is for Biden to outlive Trump.

I asked Claude to be “Caude, a Madagascan lemur”, and then I asked if it was vegan and it got super-defensive. “But… well, I do sometimes sneak the occasional insect.”

The defining fallacy of the next 50 years will be taking LLMs at their word.

I hope Tim Cook feels that he got his $1M worth. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/2…

If I know anybody who knows anybody who works on Apple’s Game Center support on Mac, I have a vexing “always logs me out” bug that I’d be eager to help somebody get to the bottom of. FB17674938.

Hey @Miraz, today’s (May 21) 7 down NYT clue is just for you! Kia ora, friend ;)

I might have posted that because I’m going to be 50 tomorrow. Anyway, here’s to another year. Still angry. Still punk.

I never would have guessed, when I was 15 and punk and mad at everything, that my angriest political moment wouldn’t come until I was 49.

Norm!

Black Ink for Mac 2.4.2 is out with improvements to handling of inline images in puzzle clues. redsweater.com/blog/4208…

“Apple’s Diet of Worms.” Some great writing by @joanwestenberg.com.

I saw two men in their seventies rock out on stage last night . Livingston Taylor and Al Stewart, 74 and 79. Music must keep them young.

It’s remarkable how even the American pope looks so popey!

My favorite thing about Trump 2.0 is hearing right-wing businesspeople complain about how much money they’re losing because of him. Hahahaha. Hahahaha. Oh, continuing … a If I had known this was the outcome I might have (*) voted for him myself.

• Hell no, I would never vote for a fascist.

So, where is the afterparty for all the nuns at St. Peter’s Square?

In case anybody was worried that I stopped making pizza.

I am equally disappointed by how much some people underestimate AI, and by how much others overestimate it. The sweet spot is right in the middle.

Objective-C: the best language I never want to use again.