Another New Year's Wish!

And New Year’s Eve arrives upon our doors encore and once more the eponymous old essay written by the great Charles Lamb all those years ago is my number one ‘go to guy’. 

“No one ever regarded the First of January with indifference. It is that from which all date their time, and count upon what is left. It is the nativity of our common Adam.”

And ain’t that the truth!

And like yours, I’d wager, my own 2024 had its ups and downs, its purple passages, solar eclipses, winning ways and losing streaks. I’ll miss it and I’ll diss it but at least I’ve come out the other side - for better or worse.

Next up, of course, is the year to come and all the expectations and the trepidations that accompany its arrival. But, to be honest, I can’t say I'm relishing the prospects of what it'll serve up as much as I’d hope. 

A line from a song came into my head the other day that resonated in its simplicity and its hugeness. From an old Prefab Sprout song called ‘Mercy' (on the Jordan the Comeback LP) it asks: 

“Without mercy where is goodness?” 

I pondered the question, as I have on many occasions before, and my conclusion, every time, remains that the question is rhetorical. 

But given the times we live in, where super machines know a trillion times more than our gnat’s brains can barely fathom, I decided to ask AI the same question to see where I stand in the paradigm of modern 'thought' and to find the definitive answer for modern times. 

And, after sheets of ifs and buts, this is what it concluded:

“This is a complex issue with no easy answers. It's crucial to consider the context and the specific situation when discussing mercy and its relationship to goodness.”

So, in the modern parlance, there is ‘no easy answer’ to that simple question. Or, in other words, in the AI world, there are no rules. Coming from what is touted as a ‘tool’ to help us hone our own ideas, I can’t say I’d be hopeful for our collective futures if we have to rely on this ‘thinking’ for guidance.

Unless, of course we continue to hone our own ability to read between whatever lines we’re fed.

Just a thought!

And not my main point - which is to raise another "cup of the generous" and propose a toast to you, one and all - me ole segotias, me hearties, my friends!

Happy New Year!

More soon ...

Happy New Year, me hearties!