Farrah Bostic
@farrahbostic
Founder of The Difference Engine. Researcher, strategist, truth-teller. Host of Cross Tabs. Asking better questions since forever. Also:
I tweaked my shoulder or something in that general region and so I took to my bed and now I am trapped here because my dog is laying on me.
Not a standard height. Not a standard width. I regret discarding the original door (even though it was quite damaged).
This place sold fishing gear, will fix your car, has a gas station out front, and then also has a drum kit, a wall full of amps and guitars and this incredible piece of neon:
Oh fun. It sounds like an apocalypse outside and this is the 10-day forecast. I may be rescheduling some appointments.
Current ratings show GOP (solid/likely/lean) with 212 seats and Dems (solid/likely/lean) with 205 seats. Dems would have to win 12 of the 18 toss ups to win the House. Their Senate ratings show a best case scenario in which, if Dems win all the toss-ups, they get to 50 seats. A tie.
Sooooo… I feel like we are once again in a political cycle in which politics reporters and commentators are mostly (?) working on the assumption that it’s the Democrats’ cycle to lose so Dems are deserving of much more scrutiny, but also, this?
This weekend we tile a floor. Then I become a house painter and cleaner until I get tired of doing those things and hire somebody. Yes this is a funny little bathroom in an attic.
I’ve come to realize I have a custodial relationship with a lot of things - organizations, my home, certain relationships - I see them as my responsibility to look after & improve, knowing they will be handed on. Anyway, we got some new lights installed in our kitchen.
My setter is 10 going on 11 and I know the relief here. My guy’s a bit arthritic and just had a little skin cancer removed from his tail but is otherwise doing great, and sends his heart congratulations to yours on his good health!
The latest episode of @crosstabspodcast.com is up, and features @lindsayscola.bsky.social talking about the work culture of DC and what it means for how our leaders function. (Shorter episode this week, but we covered A LOT of ground.) Get it here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c... 1/
I met a DOGtor today. He visits the local hospital and schools. He felt I needed comforting while waiting for my new windshield. He was quite right. Also he’s even handsomer than his business card suggests.
At long last! The latest @crosstabspodcast.com is uploading right now, featuring the brilliant @kathleenweldon.bsky.social of @ropercenter.bsky.social talking about the power of archiving opinion research - and so much more. Subscribe to get it in your feed: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
“The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure that it is right; … the spirit which seeks to understand the minds of other men and women; … the spirit which weighs their interests alongside its own without bias; remembers that not even a sparrow falls to earth unheeded…”
This little passage stood out to me because when I was in law school you couldn’t swing a dead cat at a hot bar in lower Manhattan without hitting an I-banker who wanted to tell you the price of something they paid cash for so you could work out their net worth. Monastic?
Listen to @charliesabgir.bsky.social talk about what the Young Men Research Project found about Gen Z men’s feelings about masculinity, their economic futures, and technology. Episode is here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
Tomorrow on @crosstabspodcast.com is my conversation with @charliesabgir.bsky.social of Young Men Research Project talking about their November poll of Gen Z men. Subscribe to get it in your feed Thursday AM. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
Coming tomorrow on @crosstabspodcast.com, my conversation with @dhuckelbridge.bsky.social of @paidleaveforall.bsky.social. This is part of a future vision that is (or should be) what the power is for. Subscribe to get it in your ears mid-day.
So the wires with tape pointing up connect to fixtures. The wires with tape pointing down have been identified with a circuit in the panel. What is going on with all the rest of that? Also, a switch (which did not appear to operate anything) had a ground wire just broken off from the switch.
And so the migration is complete (I'll be updating broken links and the like as I have time). More to come as I remember how to customize Ghost themes. (if you see any obvious errors or run into any issues, please let me know) www.crosstabspodcast.com
The Cross Tabs newsletter started out on Ghost. And then I was persuaded that Substack was better for growth. And I had to put away the fact that Substack makes a lot of money running a nazi bar. But I don't really know how you put that away. It spills out. So, at long last:
And of course, there is the most important question: sure, Anthropic sees itself as a B2B specialist now, but will it still see itself ad-free in 3 years (supposing it lasts that long)? I mean, Netflix used to promote itself as ad free, too. www.giantfreakinrobot.com/wp-content/u...
“Why tho?” Indeed. New pitch, same as the old pitch, now with 50% less humaning. Robot bosses are so much better - no small talk, no drama. And you? You can “be the bridge” because “silicon needs carbon.” You know, that’s literally true. You have to burn carbon to extract silicon.
Of course a service like this pays in crypto. Of course it does. Hey did you know a stablecoin can always be de-pegged or collapse? Super stable! Defo better than actual money!
But let’s examine the language here: A CTA button reads “become rentable.” Below it, another button: “browse humans.” (My guy, are you aware of at-will employment?) Also, I want to see the JTBD card: “As an agentic AI, I need a human body so I can do things in the real world.”
Putting final touches on new episode of @crosstabspodcast.com but GET EXCITED. My guest is @kabirkhanna.bsky.social on recent polling by @cbsnews.com & experiments in getting non-political folks to answer politics questions. Subscribe to get it tomorrow afternoon! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...