Infinite Quack

Here’s the problem with Superman as a character: He’s boring. Sure, all the Superman movies are packed with exciting drama. He’s facing off against world-ending threats, the odds always seem stacked against him, and though he ultimately triumphs, it always seems to have been a close call. Dramatic plots, no question. Superman movies are exciting, but Superman himself, as a character, generally isn’t. The trouble is that Superman is, traditionally, perfect: a demi-god, who always turns out to have whatever power he needs to defeat whatever enemy he faces. He can fly, he brushes off bullets and explosions, he can survive in the vacuum of space, and he’s always optimistic and kind. The trouble with a perfect character is that it leaves no room for character growth. We may admire people who seem to have it all, but (as Superman literally is) they also strike us as rather alien. They aren’t relatable. We look up to people who can face any challenge. We love people who have flaws. Making us ...

I have a buddy who’s an alien. I don’t mean an “illegal alien”. I mean that he’s not from this planet. You can picture him as tall and green-skinned, but if you do, just know that “green-skinned” is kind of a racist way to picture an alien. In this case it happens to be true. I’m just saying it was rude of you to assume. I’ll call my buddy Allen, not because it’s his name (although it is) but because it’s almost the same word as “Alien”. Allen has studied English and developed a pretty good vocabulary. He’s having a harder time getting a grasp on our culture. He visits periodically in his spaceship, which used to be silver before he watched “Barbie” and got the idea of painting it bright neon pink, and he picks some bit of media he’s absorbed and asks for my help to understand what it’s about. He’s rather methodical about this. He wants to understand everything. When it’s a movie, we sit down to watch it together, and he has questions about nearly every scene. When it’s a song, we pick...

Based on lyrics of  Yours Truly, 2095  by Electric Light Orchestra (1981) 2025, 2025, 2025, 2025 I love you, sincerely Yours truly, yours truly I sent a message using just my mind But as the days unwind This I just can't believe I built a world inside a VR game Maybe my life's the same  But this I just can't conceive Can you see me? I ride inside the latest EV car I don't know where we are But it whisks me around the bend I met someone who sounds a lot like you She says the things you do But she is an LLM (2025, 2025, 2025, 2025 I love you, sincerely Yours truly, yours truly) She's built to answer anything I ask And she can multitask Her words always seem so wise She promises me I'm her superstar But when I go too far She spins a world of lies I parrot every phrase that she invents She wins all arguments And she doesn't break a sweat She always knows exactly where I am She aced the bar exam And her brain is the Internet Is this what you want? (Is it what you...