Category: writing

When the Tower Can’t Be Rebuilt: What Institutional Economics Misses About the Next Decade

~ cafebedouin

Rebecca Patterson's recent New York Times essay uses a Jenga tower as a metaphor for the American economy in 2025. Blocks are being removed—small businesses cutting jobs, federal layoffs, consumption concentrating among the wealthy—while AI companies pile massive investments on top. Eventually, she warns, Jenga towers fall down. She's right about the instability. But the … Continue reading When the Tower Can’t Be Rebuilt: What Institutional Economics Misses About the Next Decade

Epistemic Hygiene for the Terminally Secular: A Contemplative Practice Without the Metaphysics

~ cafebedouin

Traditional contemplative practices come wrapped in cosmologies most secular moderns can't honestly adopt. You can't just extract "mindfulness" from Buddhism without noticing you've gutted the thing. The four noble truths aren't optional packaging—they're load-bearing structure. The Trappist monk's lectio divina assumes divine revelation. Zen koans presuppose non-dual awareness. Sufi dhikr requires belief in God. The … Continue reading Epistemic Hygiene for the Terminally Secular: A Contemplative Practice Without the Metaphysics

The Competence Trap: Why Being Good at Many Things Makes Self-Assessment Nearly Impossible

~ cafebedouin

We all know the type who announces their skills on social media. "Crisis management is one of my deepest competencies," they tweet, while actively demonstrating the opposite. The irony is obvious to everyone but them. But recognizing others' inflated self-assessments is easy. The harder question is: how do we avoid the same trap ourselves? The … Continue reading The Competence Trap: Why Being Good at Many Things Makes Self-Assessment Nearly Impossible

What’s Really Happening with “AI Superintelligence” Claims

~ cafebedouin

You've probably seen headlines about AI companies claiming they're building "superintelligence" or that we need to worry about controlling AI before it gets too smart. Let me explain what's actually going on. The Magic Trick Imagine someone shows you an incredible calculator. This calculator can solve math problems faster than any human alive. It can … Continue reading What’s Really Happening with “AI Superintelligence” Claims

The Atrophy of Connection: Why AI Companions Are More Dangerous Than Cognitive Prosthetics

~ cafebedouin

https://twitter.com/henloitsjoyce/status/1955284509886386201 A recent tweet from a former AI companion company founder has been making rounds, describing how their product—an AI boyfriend named "Sam"—unexpectedly attracted more female users than their original AI girlfriend offerings. The thread offers a rare insider perspective on the mechanics of digital intimacy, detailing features like proxy phone numbers with ambient background … Continue reading The Atrophy of Connection: Why AI Companions Are More Dangerous Than Cognitive Prosthetics

The Decisive Simplification: Why the Algorithmic Model Prevails

~ cafebedouin

This is a critique of the following paper, which was recently promoted on The University of British Columbia website and is currently being propagated on Twitter. Consequences of Undecidability in Physics on the Theory of Everything Mir Faizal, Lawrence M. Krauss, Arshid Shabir, Francesco Marino General relativity treats spacetime as dynamical and exhibits its breakdown at singularities. This … Continue reading The Decisive Simplification: Why the Algorithmic Model Prevails

Weak Hips, Anterior Chain & Spinal Flexion

~ cafebedouin

Problems Hip Flexion Range of Motion: capsular mobilization + end-range loading (90/90 stretches, controlled articular rotations) Anterior chain strength in length: exercises that load hip flexors eccentrically or isometrically in lengthened positions (dead bugs, hollow body progressions, leg lowers) Spinal flexion control: segmental articulation drills (cat-cow, pelvic tilts, roll-downs with pauses) Key consideration: Hip mobility … Continue reading Weak Hips, Anterior Chain & Spinal Flexion

Zuihitsu, 2025-07

~ cafebedouin

Technically, zuihitsu are longer reflections than what I tend to collect. But, the general idea is right. Here’s this month’s installment. If you want the complete set, please download the fortune file. Fruit reveals the root.You don't need to be in the same category to have equal value. If you cannot change it, it is not … Continue reading Zuihitsu, 2025-07

Zuihitsu, 2025-06

~ cafebedouin

Technically, zuihitsu are longer reflections than what I tend to collect. But, the general idea is right. Here’s this month’s installment. If you want the complete set, please download the fortune file. You have to keep breaking your heart until it opens.—Rumi I ain't a-saying you treated me unkind / You could've done better but I … Continue reading Zuihitsu, 2025-06