Hello Nick, I know I’m a bit late to the game here, but I only recently happened upon your letter on AI and songwriting (ironically served to me by YouTube’s AI-powered algorithms). I found the letter compelling and persuasive and agreed with the thrust of it. I felt, however, that a slightly different approach couldContinue reading “A Letter to Nick Cave—AI and Songwriting”
Category Archives: Articles
When Psychopaths Weaponize Empathy
Hamas noticed your craving for righteous empathy and happily catered to it. They disseminated photos of one martyr after another. They fueled your fury. They fomented your protests. They inflamed your moral sensibilities.
Saba—One Last Hug Goodbye
The world of Moroccan Saba was a magical, mysterious one. Full of miracles and wonders, strange coincidences, tragedy and triumph, and bravery sometimes bordering on recklessness. It was storybook stuff, except it was real. It had happened.
When Religion Borders on Abuse
I still remember listening attentively to a debate between the esteemed philosopher and theologian, Rabbi Sacks, and the distinguished evolutionary biologist and vocal atheist, Richard Dawkins. At some point after calling God a bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser, Dawkins likened religion to child abuse. Indoctrinating children to believe in God, he argued, restricts their freedom to think independently and to choose their own lifestyles.
The Do’s and Don’ts of Self-Love
Among the many new-age, pop-psychological slogans that bug me, the top contenders for my contempt may be the ones that revolve around self-love. These self-love slogans do not irritate me because I’m a brute who believes that people are better off wallowing in self-hatred.
Why Quarantine Distorts Our Sense of Time
There is nothing like a pandemic and ensuing quarantine to throw a wrench into our routines and remind us of the many things we used to take for granted. Who ever thought that we would pine for a mask-free trip to the grocery store or a lazy afternoon at the café? But perhaps the most jarringContinue reading “Why Quarantine Distorts Our Sense of Time”
Purity and Perception
You may think you don’t care about purity, but I’m here to convince you that you do—or at least you should. If you lean conservative or consider yourself spiritual, then words like purity and sanctity may already be part of your vocabulary. But for many—especially liberal and atheistic types—the concept of purity evokes the ritualsContinue reading “Purity and Perception”