Brian Gongol

That a dog needs you is a *feature* of the relationship, not a bug. Another being depends on you -- it *needs* you. That is a significant part of the pet relationship for a whole lot of people.

These "AI friend" apps are selling chatty Tamagotchi, minus the psychic reward.

It can be really hard to tell with some of these AI "friend" apps how much of their model is just stupid and how much is nefarious.

One of the main things we know about friendship is that it's really important to feel needed by others! It means that you and your actions are important to the world!

I used to worry about people who said things like "My best friends are characters in books."

That would still be materially better in every possible way than this.

South Korea's Kospi sinks over 12% to clock its worst day as Iran conflict fuels risk-off sentiment The Korea Exchange temporarily halted trading for the Kospi index on Wednesday. A circuit breaker was activated on the Kosdaq as well, which closed 14% lower at 978.44.

Yikes:
www.cnbc.com/2026/03/04/a...

It's actually a tidy encapsulation of the very real modern challenge: How to teach people that you can turn to a computer with a question and get a response that *looks* like an answer (like what's in that screenshot), but the real answer is that Clapton's song exists because there is no "answer".

Google search for "How many times must I say I love you", with an AI-generated response suggesting frequency of saying the words to a partner.

I went looking for the title to an Eric Clapton song. Google decided it was a request for AI-generated relationship advice.

It would be more dystopian if it weren't so hilariously lacking in self-awareness.

Erasing the factbook On the costs of hosting a website, the good of a public utility, and the value in preserving access to facts in the national interest

Reality is the best friend of liberty: What’s good for the interests of the United States is maximized by a steady commitment to knowing and telling the truth. (300 words) ⤵️
issues.eveningpostandmail.com/p/erasing-th...

What comes next On the Marshall Plan, time horizons, and why wars aren't over until long after the fighting stops

The most reliable lesson in American martial history is that a war is never really won until the peace has been made secure. That process invariably takes much longer than the armed combat itself, and we are never adequately prepared. (240 words) ⤵️
issues.eveningpostandmail.com/p/what-comes...

It's healthy to compete for good policies On Irish politicians, the 10th Amendment, and the virtue in competing to have the best policies in the neighborhood

On Irish politicians, the 10th Amendment, and the virtue in competing to have the best policies in the neighborhood (380 words) ⤵️
issues.eveningpostandmail.com/p/its-health...

So the future is just rogue AI agents and domesticated trash pandas, huh?

a man with a mustache is talking on a telephone and says hello . ALT: a man with a mustache is talking on a telephone and says hello .

Give "Serena" a day. Then share your hottest selfie:

That's a strong technique, unless it's one of those towns that has an expected outsider pronunciation and a different pronunciation reserved only for locals. It's Schrodinger's pronunciation: You're always right *and* always wrong.

The easiest way to find out is to say it the wrong way -- *any* wrong way -- on the air. Locals will be sure to light up the switchboard with corrections before you toss to the next break.

Wear the message out On written reports, fast fashion, and the mystery of the missing political sashes

If members of Congress want to make statements at the State of the Union (or anywhere else), why don't they wear sashes like the campaigners for women's suffrage did a century ago?

issues.eveningpostandmail.com/p/wear-the-m...

a man is driving a car and the word traffic jam is on the side ALT: a man is driving a car and the word traffic jam is on the side

I'll tell you what's going to radicalize me against AI:

Having to wait an extra 5 seconds for every last page on the Internet while it waits to "verify that you're human".

I DIDN'T CREATE THIS TRAFFIC JAM. The bots did!

Self-interest before pride On Napster, the opioid crisis, and why finger-wagging over AI probably won't do as much good as relating first-hand experiences from the dot-com bubble

Column #1,230: Teachers and professors are lamenting the developing landscape, and there is much that the education sector generally needs to do in order to adapt. But where pride (and shame) fall short, self-interest may have a part to play.
issues.eveningpostandmail.com/p/self-inter...

You just don't have to hug him On workplace interactions, red carpets, and colossally wrong ways to greet an autocrat

Column #1,229: The workplace from time to time forces us to work with people we don’t like. But it doesn’t really force us to lavish our affections on those people, especially if they’re known to possess bad character.
issues.eveningpostandmail.com/p/you-just-d...

Don't lose the plot On Sinclair Lewis, Homer Simpson, and why the AI gold rush shouldn't make us think that computers are really thinking and living for themselves

Column #1,228: We have a fast-closing window of opportunity to anchor our understanding of AI tools in what we know about fictional characters from the world of entertainment. AI agents and programs are not new beings; they are new characters.
issues.eveningpostandmail.com/p/dont-lose-...

Be more On human nature, self-improvement, and why fixating on characteristics like masculinity is a great way to sell books but an inadequate way to improve society

Column #1,227: Parts of human nature are unproductive -- some are even barbaric -- and we need civilizing processes to make us into better people.
issues.eveningpostandmail.com/p/be-more

Teaching through it On kindergarteners as sponges, the skills gap, and why anyone who wants to explain or persuade needs to learn a few basic tricks

Column #1,226: The very act of self-government depends upon people being able to assess problems (especially new ones), apply reasoned judgment, and follow through with appropriate action.
issues.eveningpostandmail.com/p/teaching-t...

To would-be teachers On the Tuskegee Institute, school funding, and what a campaign for a four-day teaching week communicates

Column #1,225: Expectations of schools and teachers may be different now than what they were more than a century ago. But it’s hard to reconcile “reduce classroom time by 20%” with an authentic belief that children’s well-being is being put first.
issues.eveningpostandmail.com/p/to-would-b...

Motivation and character count On unruly boys, the inculcation of worthy virtues, and why it's good for everyone when girls have a path to becoming Eagle Scouts

Column #1,224: There are some who think the contemporary format of Scouting is unfavorable to boys. People with these impressions are, mainly, imposing a wildly erroneous model that doesn’t fit the program -- and never has.
issues.eveningpostandmail.com/p/motivation...

Recipe time On Thanksgiving meal traditions, Tom Brady's glasses, and the challenge of preserving memory in a time of ubiquitous cameras

Column #1,223: Things are forgotten all the time, usually at a rate much faster than they are remembered. Preservation of memory requires some degree of intentionality -- it doesn’t just happen by chance.
issues.eveningpostandmail.com/p/recipe-time

Dress for success On "Mad Men", Craig Ferguson's life advice, and the purpose of a government PSA

Column #1,222: Good sense requires rejecting the hazy illusion of better times in the past, even if that means one has to fly next to some bozo in a “Who Farted?” shirt. is it the Federal government’s job to nag us just to chase a mirage of past glories?
issues.eveningpostandmail.com/p/dress-for-...

All politics is about legitimacy On sham elections, constitutional pacifism, and the need to move public opinion on hard questions before it's too late

Column #1,221: It can be an unenviable spot for a political figure to need to win the public’s consent for policies that may be necessary but unpopular, yet that’s the calling of the job.
issues.eveningpostandmail.com/p/all-politi...

SOTU should be a written report and all Presidential debates should be timed, handwritten Blue Book essay exams.

I will not compromise on these matters.

Man, it's rough to hear this, considering I tried eating my own body weight in Italian beef combos there last year.

If there are any bona fide mathematics experts on the market for $10k, I'll be happy to offer them 1.5x to come work for me. 1.75x, even!

Truly epic amounts of snow.

Finnegans Wake has entered the chat.