Author Archives: Robert Basil

Olympia

Posted on October 28, 2026 by Robert Basil

There was a very fine show in my second hometown this weekend. The theme was “menopunk.” I was very grateful to see these bands. Heavens to Betsy, Calamity Jane, and Bratmobile all got their start here more than 30 years … Continue reading →

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I *deleted* my ChatGPT Pro account

Posted on October 16, 2026 by Robert Basil

The platform became harder and harder for me to abide: as a professional writer, editor, and professor, and as a lover of the arts and other human crafts.

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Who is asking for this?

Posted on October 12, 2026 by Robert Basil

In her recent essay “Wishing It So,” on AI and social existence, writer Megyn O’Glieblyn describes an episode at a recent conference presentation: Some rogue audience member raised his hand and asked, in a calm and reasonable voice, ‘Who the … Continue reading →

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Mayhew Moves

Posted on October 12, 2026 by Robert Basil

No Contest favourite Jonathan Mayhew has moved over to Substack. (You can still find all of this writing dynamo’s first 24 years of blogging on his Stupid Motivational Tricks platform, but it has been discontinued otherwise.) Mayhew has been a … Continue reading →

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Pretend You Actually Like Each Other!

Posted on September 15, 2026 by Robert Basil

I always thought the reason people’s faces seemed stern and frozen in 19th-century photographs was the daguerrotype process, which required extended exposures – too long to keep a decent smile going. This common explanation is wrong, alas. In his article … Continue reading →

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‘Rubio Uses Terrorism Law To Ban Secure Email Service’

Posted on August 28, 2026 by Robert Basil

This doesn’t sound so great: “The State Department doesn’t accuse Autistici/Inventati of doing anything more than providing ‘untraceable’ email accounts. But that’s enough to outlaw it as a terrorist organization.” Instead, the State Department announcement states that the group “builds and operates … Continue reading →

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Street Photography

Posted on August 13, 2026 by Robert Basil

This year’s “Pure Street Photography Awards” introduced me to some dazzling, indeed inspiring photographs. The one below, by Daniel Kashi of France, won the Grand Prize. It’s a mesmerizing triumph. “Chantilly June 2025,” © Daniel Kashi

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Euphemism Effort

Posted on August 5, 2026 by Robert Basil

From The Tyee: The United Conservative Party government must be encountering stiffer opposition than it expected to its plan to make Alberta North America’s dumping ground for the artificial intelligence data centres that citizens most everywhere else are organizing to … Continue reading →

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We don’t have the luxury to ignore it

Posted on July 25, 2026 by Robert Basil

Not long ago we removed our AI newsfeed. That topic’s ubiquity made it not just unnecessary but de trop, as the French like to say. Nonetheless, our colonization by artificial-intelligence platforms won’t stop any time soon if ever. Starting three … Continue reading →

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“public interventions”

Posted on July 18, 2026 by Robert Basil

From Alex Cooke at Fstoppers: Walk past a certain bus stop near Meta’s London headquarters and you see a glossy campaign shot: Kylie Jenner in a pair of the company’s smart glasses. Step to the side and the poster becomes … Continue reading →

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