Reading

Created
Fri, 12/09/2025 - 03:03

Joining ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta, and many other powerful chatbot services, we are proud to announce the release of our new RI (real intelligence) service, ChatPerson.

Unlike other chatbots, ChatPerson’s answers to your queries are provided by real humans. Specifically, it is staffed by writers, artists, and researchers whose livelihoods are in peril thanks to chatbots. Ask ChatPerson anything you would ask your favorite chatbot, and it will answer within seconds. Below are a few FAQs about this exciting new service.

Can people really answer as quickly as a chatbot?
Almost! Limited only by their typing speed and their consciences.

And ChatPerson’s answers will be accurate?
They will be confident.

That’s not the same thing.
It is the exact same thing offered by the chatbots you use now.

Come on, ChatGPT is pretty accurate. I use it all the time.
And how do you know it’s accurate?

I double-check.
By?

By… asking ChatGPT.
Yeah.

Created
Thu, 11/09/2025 - 22:00

1. This used to be a rite of passage, but for your generation, I believe it’s considered optional.

2. You may be asked questions that you’re not expecting. Don’t panic. Try to figure out the best response from the available options.

3. Most people just bluff their way through it the first time and see what happens.

4. It might not last as long as you think it will. It’s quicker now than it was in my day because teenagers don’t have the same attention span.

5. The occasional involuntary grunt is okay, but try to avoid making other noises. You don’t want to throw off someone else’s game.

6. At some point, you might wonder why years of schooling have not adequately prepared you for this experience.

7. Once it’s over, you may feel unhappy with your performance. Don’t get too upset. You can always try again, but I recommend waiting until you’re better prepared.

8. Remember, people usually do better on their second try.

9. Keep in mind that there isn’t a level playing field. Data shows that it’s easier for males to achieve a positive outcome.

Created
Thu, 11/09/2025 - 21:50

Every year, we wonder what might be appropriate on this day, and we can never think of anything more appropriate than this piece, which John Hodgman originally delivered at a literary reading shortly after September 11, 2001.

- - -

Good evening.

My name is John Hodgman. I am a former professional literary agent, which on a good day is a pretty small thing to be, and these days feels rather microscopic. Before I was a professional literary agent, I thought it would be a good idea to be a teacher of fiction in a college MFA program because it is easy and you are adored all the time, and of course, it pays a lot of money.

I used to have a lot of bright ideas.

Created
Thu, 11/09/2025 - 18:43
What are the causes of secular stagnation? What are the solutions to revive growth and get the U.S. economy out of the doldrums? … One headline conclusion stands out: the secular stagnation is caused by a heavy overdose of savings … All these savings end up as deposits, or ‘loanable funds’ (LF), in commercial banks […]
Created
Thu, 11/09/2025 - 16:21
Last Tuesday (September 9, 2025), the US Bureau of Labor Statistics published a news release – Preliminary benchmark revision for March payroll employment is -911,000 (-0.6%) – which told us that its employment estimates for the current year are likely to be significantly overstated. Given that the BLS has been under intense political scrutiny in…