10

The word author carries very little weight anymore.

9

Humans still enjoy killing each other over fairy tales.

8

The primary role of parents is to brainwash (see #9).

7

I make people uncomfortable, but only when I tell the truth.

6

AI is the best—and worst.

5

We’re all blessed—and screwed.

4

Unlearning is more important than learning.

3

Smart people are dumb.

2

Don’t listen to bloggers.

1

2026 might suck, too.

The post 10 Things I Learned in 2025 appeared first on ComposeMD.

It’s been a year full of adventure, starting with exploring abandoned structures in our hometown of Rochester.

From there, our travels took us to Batavia (NY), site of one of the better Pizza Huts in the Rust Belt.

Finally, we were blessed to sample amazing gas station food, from Speedway to Sheetz to Buc-ee’s.

It’s also been a year of milestones.

The older child finally left the house, claiming he is ready to seize the world. From the outside looking in, evidence to support that claim is lacking. When the goal is the music industry and the transcript reads Bible Study, heads will be scratched.

As for the younger child, there have also been many accomplishments, mostly measured in Amazon packages. Between those and dance, she has proven herself quite capable of pushing back retirement dates. There was only one major argument this year, resolved by her recurrent TikTok scrolling.

Of course, no holiday card is complete without talking about the head(s) of household.

In my case, it’s been another year of wheel spinning and questionable decisions, peppered with flashes of irritability, all in the name of growth.*

And then there is the anchor. She continues to wake up every day and thank the Good Lord that Rochester’s healthcare system does not oppress and demoralize physicians.**

To 2026!

*Of my abdominal girth

**DM me for the truth

The post The Shrikhande Family Holiday Card appeared first on ComposeMD.

In my case, there’s no running—period.

And that’s the point.

Embracing AI is supposed to make our lives easier.

In other words, when I want to lose a few pounds, I shouldn’t have to stop eating Doritos or actually move.

AI should just make it happen.

I asked Gemini, specifically the version of Google’s large language model (LLM) customized for search, about this situation.

AI can support weight loss by providing personal plans, tracking nutrition and exercise, and offering motivation and accountability through apps.

This sounded like BS.

That’s the problem with tech—it’s all about being a partner. Screw that—just do the work, wouldja?

Even worse, Gemini added that combining AI with human coaches often leads to better and more sustainable results.

Now I was using AI just to tell me to use more AI and a human. And I would still have to do the work?!

But I had a feeling I was approaching the matter all wrong.

So I did what I do best. I put on an XXL sweatshirt, grabbed a bag of chips, and sat on the couch—with a Kindle.

I started with this read.

Then I moved on to this one.

They were both quite useful.

You know, don’t be afraid of AI and all that.

Just start using it.

Yes, things will change, but you might as well get ahead of the curve.

Between the two, it was a good pep talk.

Encouraged, I opened up ChatGPT.

I think it’s on version GPT-5.1 or something like that. You can ask Sam Altman.

In any event, I looked at some of my prior chats.

History of New York State.

Famous Syracuse Musicians.

Buffalo Presidential History.

Toledo, Ohio Overview.

Man, I thought, I really am boring. No wonder no one is buying those stupid books.

It was time to play around with this generative pre-trained transformer a little bit.

I remembered a recent picture of mine.

There’s no way I actually look like that, I had remarked.

After all, when I look in the mirror, I still see a 20-year-old. The hair is full and black. The midsection is contained and relatively flat.

Obviously, I knew what the tiebreaker had to be. I needed to look at myself using the most modern lens possible—the eyes of AI.

That’s when the prompt engineer in me stepped up to the plate.

Can you make an image of an overweight, middle-aged Indian man drinking beer and watching sports?

I haven’t eaten since.

(Though I did shave.)

The post How AI Helped Me Finally Lose Weight appeared first on ComposeMD.

Even worse, I’m trying to convert the delusions into income.

How else can you explain this?

Or this?

In the works is perhaps the greatest self-deception yet, a tribute to Syracuse, New York.

But why?

A recent visit to Nashville reminded me about the importance of the delusional, even if all they have to offer at the beginning are just silly thoughts.

Let’s rewind the clock to 1990.

In that year, the modest metro area in Middle Tennessee had just over one million residents. By all objective measures, it was just another dot on just another river (the Cumberland). In fact, in that same Census, another modest metro area on another river (the Genesee) claimed essentially the same exact numbers—a certain Rochester, New York.

Neither town had major professional sports, though both boasted Triple A baseball teams.

The key difference, however, was that one was full of delusional people, the types who thought a landlocked village in the middle of nowhere could blossom.

The other was full of the cautious types, content with their burg and even more happy to ridicule big thinkers, particularly the ones who failed.

Three and a half decades later, delusional Nashvillians can boast the following:

• A metro area of 2.1 million and counting.
• An NFL team.
• An NHL team.
• An MLS team.
• Rumors of an expansion MLB team.
• A new football stadium vying to host the Super Bowl.
• Something like 80 new residents per day.
• The presence of tech companies like Asurion, Amazon, Cisco, Google, Oracle, PwC, and Toast.

Meanwhile, cautious Rochesterians can boast the following:

• A metro area of just over one million.
• A Triple A baseball team.

If I were grooming the next generation, I would send them to learn from the crazy people.

In the meantime, I’ll continue to delude myself and believe that Upstate New York can change, one blog post** at a time.

(**Note: Capital is far more effective than blog posts in effecting change.)

The post Why I Choose To Delude Myself appeared first on ComposeMD.

The Company

Neuralink was founded in 2016 by none other than Elon Musk and is based, as expected, in the Bay Area. Needless to say, the company is not selling baked goods. Its area of expertise involves implantable brain-computer interfaces (BCIs).

The General Concept

BCIs are not new. The idea of having a message from the brain directly trigger an action on a computer has been studied in those with spinal cord injuries that prevent brain signals from getting to the muscles that usually perform such actions. This technology has often involved a bulky external apparatus with a generous collection of wires.

The Device

As is its prerogative, Neuralink tends to hold certain information close to the vest, meaning we mostly know what the company wants us to know.

What exactly is the deal with the Neuralink device?

To start, it is implantable. While not the first in this regard, it is still a far cry from the wired skull caps referenced above. The implantation process is carried out by a neurosurgical robot which places the device in the motor cortex, the part of the brain that controls voluntary movement.

The hardware consists of a coin-sized centerpiece attached to tiny (as in microscopic) threads. Each thread has a certain number of electrodes which detect electrical activity in the brain. Per this NPR article, 64 threads amount to a total of 1024 electrodes, considered a healthy number as of this writing.

Communication with a computer or other entity is via (wireless) Bluetooth technology, and the battery-powered apparatus is also charged wirelessly. The gadget can be controlled using a simple smartphone app.

After being tried in other primates, the first Neuralink device—cleverly called Telepathy—was placed in a human in January 2024.

The Future

Up front, the plan is to study Telepathy in those with spinal cord injuries and other neuromuscular diseases that prevent desired movement. As mentioned, in bypassing nature’s pathways, direct communication between the brain and computer (via the simple desire to perform an action) can allow for typing and other computer-centric tasks.

But why stop there?

Although still in the realm of science fiction, the concept of human enhancement has been proposed. Why go through the hassle of turning on an appliance when you can just think about turning it on and get the same result? Similarly, why not merge humans with artificial intelligence and allow the brain to harness the power of large language models?

Again, for now, these latter capabilities remain a pipe dream (or nightmare). In addition to technological barriers, ethical considerations and more mundane risks like infection and brain damage will be rate-limiting.

So what is Neuralink? Ask ChatGPT.

The post What Is Neuralink? appeared first on ComposeMD.

Only some thinning, graying, out-of-shape, and grumpy dude who doesn’t appreciate her genius.

I’m not that guy.

Well, the thinning (hair not gut), graying, out-of-shape, and grumpy part may have some validity.

But I do admire the brilliance.

For the record, I spent an undisclosed sum of money for a family of four to see the Eras Tour in Mexico City.

Then I spent more money to see the Eras Tour movie (was that really necessary?).

I stream the hell out of Swift’s tracks and, at last count, have five of her albums on vinyl.

I’ve even written about her music.

I quote her lyrics in my mundane day-to-day life.

I might have also bought a calendar—for my daughter, no doubt.

I’ve gone to great lengths to defend her among the middle-aged crowd:

• Fine, she’s not a musical genius, but the whole is far greater than the sum of the parts.
• The lyrics are more insightful than you would think.
• She’s a brilliant businessperson.
• The perfect blend of talent, drive, looks, and marketing savvy.

An on and on.

But at some point, somewhere, mercifully, I have to draw the line.

And I’ve finally found a pen.

A Note

Most of what follows is simply a statement of the facts. There is, however, a dash of speculation sprinkled in.

The Beef

In 2014, shortly after the release of her crossover pop album, 1989, Swift pulled her catalog from the streaming service Spotify.

In pointing out the relatively measly royalty payments from the still-young streaming platforms that made their way to creators, Swift was hailed as the artist’s artist, the one who would go to bat for an entire generation of creatives.

The decision was made at a time when physical sales and downloads still had breath, not quite the relics of the past they have become today. Swift knew that her immense and immensely loyal fan base would pay for her album the old-fashioned way, and her departure from Spotify was a calculated business decision.

She stuck to her guns until 2017, at which time the experiment of streaming was no longer an experiment but rather the gold standard for music consumption worldwide.

Of course, something else also happened in 2017—Swift released her next album, Reputation. The same calculation that favored an exit from Spotify three years prior now favored a return to the Stockholm-based platform. Royalty payments had hardly changed, but market forces had.

And the artist’s artist took note.

By 2018, Swift’s contract with her first label—Big Machine Records—was set to expire. The two had grown up together, but all involved fully expected a free agent the likes of Swift to test the market.

A key focus of negotiations was how the artist could own her own recordings, and much has been written about the exact exchanges. Regardless, the superstar understandably left for greener pastures, namely Republic Records (owned by Universal Music Group), which agreed to give her ownership of all future recordings.

Unsurprisingly, Big Machine Records took the opportunity to sell its highly-desirable portfolio. Swift’s father, who had a small ownership stake in the company, landed several million dollars at the point of sale.

Business as usual.

There was only one glitch. Swift wasn’t a big fan of the purchaser, a man named Scooter Braun, well-known in the industry as a shrewd and at times ruthless player, one with strong connections to former Swift rival Kanye West.

To stick it to Braun, Swift—who writes most of her own music—made the decision to re-record her earlier work, using the moniker Taylor’s Version and guiding her fans to buy and stream appropriately.

Another victory for artists everywhere, we were told.

Soon, streaming platforms like Spotify, once the villains, would be flooded with music that already existed. In some cases, the re-recordings were clearly inferior (“Enchanted” and “Haunted” anyone?).

Sure, Taylor’s Versions include tracks From the Vault, but let’s be honest—there’s a reason those tracks didn’t make the original cut.

Quality aside, at least the little artist, now backed by one of the largest labels in an ultra-consolidated industry that includes only two others of similar magnitude, was getting a larger cut for her work.

Much larger.

Overpowering streaming services with old art affects something called streamshare. Spotify reserves about 70 percent of its revenue for royalty payments. That pot is divided among all artists based on a formula that takes into account an artist’s streams relative to the total number of streams. By Swift flooding the field with re-recordings, her streamshare increased to the point of being Spotify’s most-streamed artist in 2023—at the expense of…other artists.

Meanwhile, labels are attempting to rewrite new artist contracts to prevent re-recording, or at least create a buffer of several decades before the process can be undertaken.

As it stands, about ten years have passed since Taylor Swift was widely labeled as pro-artist.

But tracking her moves and their repercussions over that time span warrants a few questions:

Is she really?

Or is she simply pro-Taylor Swift?

And when can we cut the act?

The post The Hypocrisy of Taylor Swift appeared first on ComposeMD.

ComposeMD:

Your one-stop shop for low value content.

Read us long enough and you’ll really have no idea what the site is about.

Wait, what is the point again?

What the heck does MD have to do with any of this?

We make thin content thinner.

Your ad-free home for seriously random stuff.

It’s kind of like AI, just a lot worse.

Our email list has plenty of room.

Whether you want to learn about the NFL or cosmic background radiation, we’ll make sure you don’t know much about either.

Not as bad as social media, but close.

We might make an equally aimless podcast one day.

It’ll all make sense—sorry, cents—one day.

We prove why a society of generalists would collapse.

Is nicheless even a word?

And you thought you were confused.

Shark Tank?! We wouldn’t even survive goldfish tank.

With stock photos and text, you can learn the way they did in 2006.

We take you where you don’t need to go.

A masterclass in marketing nightmares.

Can anyone figure out any slogans for ComposeMD?

The post 20 Winning Slogans for ComposeMD appeared first on ComposeMD.

The human brain seems wired for it.

But does it actually need to be?

Here’s what AI, also known as ChatGPT (GPT-3.5), has to say about the matter.

Some answers have been abridged in the name of brevity.

What is tribalism?

Tribalism refers to a strong sense of loyalty, identity, or adherence to a particular group, often based on cultural, ethnic, political, or ideological affiliations. It’s a human tendency to form social groups or tribes, where individuals feel a deep connection and allegiance to their own group while often displaying hostility or suspicion towards those outside of it.

Tribalism can manifest in various ways, such as favoritism toward one’s group, distrust or animosity towards outsiders, and a tendency to conform to the norms and beliefs of the group. While it can foster a sense of belonging and community within the group, it can also lead to division, conflict, and an us vs. them mentality when taken to extremes.

Is tribalism a necessary part of the human experience?

Tribalism has deep roots in human history and has historically served several important functions. It provided a sense of belonging, safety, and cooperation within a group, aiding in survival and the sharing of resources. In this sense, it was an essential aspect of early human development.

However, in modern society, while some elements of tribalism still exist and can contribute positively to social connections and identity, its extreme forms—marked by divisions, prejudices, and conflicts—aren’t necessarily crucial or beneficial for human progress. The modern world encourages collaboration, diversity, and understanding among different groups for societal advancement.

So it’s all basically just made up?

In some ways, yes, aspects of tribalism are socially constructed. The divisions between groups, the identification with particular ideologies or cultures, and the subsequent loyalty or hostility toward other groups are indeed constructed by societies and individuals.

However, it’s important to note that while these divisions might be constructed, the feelings, identities, and allegiances people form toward their groups are often very real and deeply ingrained.

Tribalism, in its various forms, has been an inherent part of human societies throughout history. While aspects of it might be constructed, the impact it has on individuals and societies—both positive and negative—is very much a reality.

Why do loser politicians double down on stuff that’s socially constructed?

Politicians, like most individuals, often have their own beliefs, ideologies, and agendas. When they double down on certain socially constructed issues or divisive narratives, several factors might come into play:

1. Appealing to their base: Doubling down on socially constructed issues that resonate with their base can help secure support and maintain political standing.
2. Maintaining power: They might believe that emphasizing these constructed issues and reinforcing divisions will help them maintain or gain power.
3. Political strategy: Doubling down on certain narratives or constructed issues could be part of a broader political strategy. It might be a way to distract from other issues, rally supporters, or create a distinction between themselves and their opponents.
4. Belief reinforcement: Some politicians genuinely believe in the narratives they promote, whether they are socially constructed or not.

It’s important to note that the result can be deepened societal rifts, polarized communities, and impaired progress toward cooperation among diverse groups.

Isn’t it kind of pathetic when highly educated people are tribal?

It can be surprising or disappointing to see educated individuals exhibiting tribal behaviors, especially when education often encourages critical thinking and broader perspectives. However, human behavior is complex, and even highly educated individuals can hold onto tribal mentalities for various reasons:

1. Deep-rooted beliefs: Education doesn’t always erase deeply ingrained cultural, social, or familial influences.
2. Confirmation bias: Highly educated people are not immune to bias. Sometimes, their education might even lead to a reinforcement of certain beliefs, leading to confirmation bias and a reinforcement of tribal mentalities.
3. Identity protection: Feeling part of a group can provide a sense of security and validation.
4. Complexity of issues: Some highly educated individuals might specialize in specific fields, leading to expertise in narrow areas while lacking a broader understanding. This specialization can lead to tunnel vision and tribal tendencies.

Overcoming such tendencies often requires self-awareness, open-mindedness, and a willingness to critically evaluate one’s beliefs and behaviors.

Should everyone just screw their identity and become a particleist?

While embracing a particleist perspective—focusing solely on commonalities and disregarding individual or group identities—might seem like a solution to mitigate conflicts stemming from identity-based divisions, it’s not a practical or feasible approach.

Identity, in its various forms, is a fundamental aspect of human existence. It encompasses cultural, ethnic, religious, gender, and other affiliations that shape individuals’ experiences, beliefs, and connections. Trying to completely discard identity could overlook the richness and diversity that makes humanity so vibrant.

However, fostering a sense of common humanity while respecting and celebrating diverse identities is a more constructive approach. Embracing a particleist mindset where commonalities are emphasized without dismissing individual or group identities can help bridge divides and promote unity without erasing the essence of who people are.

Is AI tribal?

AI itself doesn’t possess tribal inclinations or identity-based affiliations as humans do. AI operates based on algorithms, data, and programming designed by humans. However, the way AI is developed, utilized, and applied in society can inadvertently reflect or amplify human biases, including tribalistic tendencies.

If I do a blog post about this conversation, do you think people will think it’s dumb?

It’s hard to predict how people will react to a blog post, especially one that dives into complex topics like identity, tribalism, and AI. Some might find it thought-provoking and engaging, appreciating the exploration of these concepts and their implications. Others might not relate to the content or might find it too abstract or challenging to grasp.

Thank you for not being tribal.

Of course!

The post Tribalism: What Does AI Have To Say About It? appeared first on ComposeMD.

Here are 10 hints that you definitely aren’t.

10

You still brag about your DVD collection.

9

You finally cut the cord—and got a cordless phone.

8

You actually say kids these days.

7

You just landed a sweet deal on floppy disks.

6

You thought about Bitcoin but invested in a checkbook instead.

5

The bank teller knows you by name.

4

You crack out the road atlas on the regular.

3

You wrap those pennies with pride.

2

You use the Encyclopedia Britannica—offline.

1

You work for Kodak.

The post 10 Hints You Stink at Technology appeared first on ComposeMD.