Imagine a world where a distant actor can't so readily turn your house upside down.

Full multi-media version of this episode with interesting links and related content: https://blog.awgibbs.com/2025/10/22/our-increasingly-fragile-world-or-death-bed-the-bed-that-eats-people/

Twenty years ago, at the outset of over a decade’s service at the department recently re-branded from “Defense” to “War”, I swore an oath to the Constitution of a country that day-by-day I find increasingly difficult to recognize.

Full multi-media version of this episode: https://blog.awgibbs.com/2025/10/19/this-is-not-fine/

To Kill A Democracy: https://blog.awgibbs.com/2025/09/11/to-kill-a-democracy/

Confronting A Crisis Of Credibility: https://blog.awgibbs.com/2025/08/03/the-data-engineers-struggle-in-a-fragmented-and-politicized-world-or-confronting-a-crisis-of-credibility/

We don't speak enough about path dependency.  The order in which you learn things can, sometimes literally, make or break you.

Full multi-media version of this episode: https://blog.awgibbs.com/2025/09/27/path-dependent-perils/

At times when we most need open, vigorous, and respectful debate, so, too, does the temptation to demonize and quash dissent prove greatest.

Full multi-media version of this episode: https://blog.awgibbs.com/2025/09/11/to-kill-a-democracy/

Gavin Newsom interview of Charlie Kirk: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-is-gavin-newsom/id1798358255?i=1000698060445

Rümeysa Öztürk Op-Ed: https://www.tuftsdaily.com/article/2024/03/4ftk27sm6jkj

Rümeysa Öztürk's story in her words: https://www.tuftsdaily.com/article/2025/07/op-ed-even-god-cannot-hear-us-here-what-i-witnessed-inside-an-ice-womens-prison

Video of Rümeysa Öztürk taken into ICE custody: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/oRiQz7mOY6A?feature=share

Elon being Elon: https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1965859343351558352?s=46

Trump speaks on Kirk's assassination: https://youtu.be/ei-RJQsaRjc

Congressional Baseball Shooting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_baseball_shooting

Minnesota state legislator shootings: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_shootings_of_Minnesota_legislators

DJT mockery of Paul Pelosi assault: https://www.yahoo.com/news/donald-trump-jr-mocks-paul-114116350.html

Overton Window: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overton_window

When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.

Full multi-media version of this episode: https://blog.awgibbs.com/2025/09/05/process-the-last-refuge-of-a-scoundrel/

Goodhart's Law: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodhart%27s_law

Brian Armstrong's Twitter Post: https://x.com/brian_armstrong/status/1963315806248604035?s=46

On The Cruelty Of Really Teaching Computer Science: https://www.cs.utexas.edu/~EWD/transcriptions/EWD10xx/EWD1036.html

Cargo Cults: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_cult

Cargo Cult Science: https://people.cs.uchicago.edu/~ravenben/cargocult.html

Skinner's Pigeons: https://youtu.be/TtfQlkGwE2U?si=ismGAnKaWc7bmEj5

Taskmaster: https://youtube.com/shorts/ev7Kk8Ex2y4?si=cQsJfCneZBLa7o4S

Pragmatic Programmer: https://pragprog.com/titles/tpp20/the-pragmatic-programmer-20th-anniversary-edition/

Samuel Johnson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_views_of_Samuel_Johnson

Three Letters Parable: https://kevinkruse.com/the-ceo-and-the-three-envelopes/

The Psychology Of Human Misjudgment: https://fs.blog/great-talks/psychology-human-misjudgment/

When Good Enough Isn't Enough

Full multi-media version of this episode: https://blog.awgibbs.com/2025/09/02/combating-complacency-when-good-enough-isnt-enough/

Protecting Oneself From Oneself: https://blog.awgibbs.com/2023/12/04/protecting-oneself-from-oneself/

The hits keep coming.

Full multi-media version of this episode: https://blog.awgibbs.com/2025/08/30/another-govie-bites-the-dust/

Borges' Resignation Letter: https://whistleblower.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/bpRYEnf-Imgur.jpg

Borges' Whistleblower Disclosure: https://whistleblower.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/08-26-2025-Borges-Disclosure-Sanitized.pdf

Explain The Deep State To Me Like I'm (Thirty Five): https://blog.awgibbs.com/2025/01/25/explain-the-deep-state-to-me-like-im-thirty-five/

From Signal Pete To Deep Fake Rubio: https://blog.awgibbs.com/2025/07/13/from-signal-pete-to-deepfake-rubio-the-struggle-to-bootstrap-and-protect-trust/

The Hamfisted Hegemon: https://blog.awgibbs.com/2025/08/08/the-hamfisted-hegemon-or-how-to-irreversibly-squander-a-centurys-hard-won-privileges-for-fun-and-profit/

Chesterton's Fence: https://youtu.be/qPGbl2gxGqI?si=A9ZlF1HOYcoJ0nZq

BLS Chief Termination: https://on.ft.com/4odo0PD

DIA Chief Termination: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/us/politics/defense-intelligence-agency-chief-fired.html

Full multi-media version of this episode: https://blog.awgibbs.com/2025/08/27/go-to-the-fucking-gym/

Referenced MIT research: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2506.08872

Join a conversation here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/andrew-w-gibbs_ai-is-making-you-stupid-mit-just-proved-activity-7366570795713642496-2BUO?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=member_desktop_web&rcm=ACoAAAO6Z-sBv-BbROckFtoNE5NBuUYfUXrJ4X8

Full multi-media version of this episode: https://blog.awgibbs.com/2025/08/23/lies-damned-lies-and-llm-statistics/

From Chunky To Smooth: https://blog.awgibbs.com/2025/08/17/from-chunky-to-smooth-or-long-is-the-way-and-hard-that-out-of-hell-leads-up-to-light/

Farewell To Punch Cards: https://blog.awgibbs.com/2025/06/05/farewell-to-punch-cards/

Full multi-media version of this episode: https://blog.awgibbs.com/2025/08/22/how-to-lose-friends-and-influence-people/

Explain The Deep State To Me Like I'm (Thirty) Five: https://blog.awgibbs.com/2025/01/25/explain-the-deep-state-to-me-like-im-thirty-five/

Learning To Talk With Each Other Again: https://blog.awgibbs.com/2024/11/07/learning-to-talk-with-each-other-again/