It’s so much easier to shock people these days,” he told the Guardian in 2018. “I find it extremely provocative and therefore inspiring to find myself in a society that is so prudish when it thinks it’s being liberal. It’s ridiculous.”
Barry Humphries, Australian comedian and creator of Dame Edna Everage, dies aged 89 https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/apr/22/barry-humphries-dies-australian-comedian-death-dead-dame-edna-everage-sir-les-patterson
The worst part about Twitter’s new ‘verification’ policy is that it affirms the false conflation between money and intellect, or that between wealth and truth.
A very senior judge saying that AI could do some judging / make some decisions.
Aaargh.
Nina Simone left us 20 years ago today, bequeathing her epochal music – and her soulful wisdom on time https://www.themarginalian.org/2017/02/21/nina-simone-time/
Finally started reading Stuart Russell’s Human Compatible - Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Control. #books
Hitting me with insights!
In #Singapore #SG next week.
ISAS Seminar: Geoeconomics, Trade & Technological Conflict in the Indo-Pacific: India's Interests & Perspectives
Date: 30 March 2023
Time: 3.00pm – 4.15pm (SG Time)
Venue: ISAS, 29 Heng Mui Keng Terrace, Singapore
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.sg/e/isas-seminar-tickets-591960388457
After a good discussion today @takshashilainst I created this system map to try and answer "Why do Indian governments employ private consulting firms to do public policy work?"
Marriage is a legitimate institution until the State is involved. Discuss. (15 Marks)
In today’s column I challenge the consensus that decentralised government (panchayati raj) is a good thing. https://www.nitinpai.in/2023/03/13/rethink-local-government
Meirav Arlosoroff: “Is the rift in Israel too large to be overcome? Instead of trying for more unity, should we try a split? That is the question that underlies the idea of creating a federation, or dividing the country into cantons, that is currently being considered by a number of former officials. These are people who know how government works and who are occupied with the question of whether a new and functioning structure can be established for #Israel…”
Work commutes offer space to both mentally transition from work to home roles and to start psychologically recovering from the demands of the workday.
So even if people can’t agree on whether it’s time to #returntotheoffice, many workers miss the commute.
My personal thoughts on staying put in the US (a country I moved to, despite its decline) vs moving to just about any other country is that I’d much rather live in a society that knows it is in decline, rather than one that gaslights you when you point out its flaws (most other countries).
Also, have I mentioned that your countries have few job opportunities for people from the outside?
If we believe the future of money is digital we should be able to tokenise everything. All assets will have their own digital ledgers and by unifying them all we will be able to build a new framework for commerce.
My latest Ex Machina article.
Amit Varma and I spoke for hours on liberal nationalism, India, economics, politics and much else. On the Seen and the Unseen podcast. https://seenunseen.in/episodes/2023/2/27/episode-318-the-liberal-nationalism-of-nitin-pai/
English is an Indian language.
Appropriating it serves India's interests better than trying to reject it. https://www.nitinpai.in/2023/02/27/english-is-an-indian-language
Co-founder and director, The Takshashila Institution