It’s always so refreshing to see people doing unexpectedly fun things! Here’s an example from yesterday’s morning walk (of course, not the actual photo - but very, very close)

AI usage has quickly become at least among the top things that I need internet for. Using it for everything from search, deep dives, learning, brainstorming, analysis of notes and other assorted material, planning, coding, generating funny pictures and more.

As such, it is taking more and more of my mind share. While I am offloading more and more of my mental work to it. How ironical.

But I am planning to do an experiment:

each time I am about to start a session with AI, I will write down a sentence or two on what exactly am I going to use it for in that session.

My belief is it will all be harder than I expect because I am probably not even sure a bunch of times, so putting it in words might be difficult. Well, good. Because that should introduce some friction in the usage of AI, the good kind.

Which should a) force me to be mindful and intentional about it b) force me to clarify my goals and so be more efficient. c) force me to articulate and so prevent further atrophy of that muscle.

At least, that’s the hypothesis.

So far, I have below: ## 31-03-26 11.01

Reading Google News and trying to figure out what is the dot splash UI call made from Google News for and why does it need to create a CSS connection to Play Store.

## 31-03-26 11.47

Was about to go search for “is Trump deranged” but stopped myself. Shows that often I just want someone there to have a ‘spur of the moment’ conversation. Instant “Twitter style” engagement.

## 31-03-26 12.20

To check, what kind of foot-pad is required for a car? Is it car specific or can it be generic? If I wanted to buy one for ours.

## 31-03-26 14.16

Working on the outline for my essay and how can it best lead on to the follow up posts I am thinking about …

## 31-03-26 14.19

A short note on this why-AI-notes-practice itself. Cleaning up and posting the note from morning pages around this. Although, now that I say this, may be I can just edit myself.

For example, if there were a “karma impact” guaranteed to strike anyone in power who triggers a war without serving on the front lines - including politicians, dictators and such - how would the world change? Specifically, if this karma resulted in certain, significant bodily harm - loss of limbs or life - at any random time within one week of the provocation.

The world just might be a very different place. For better, I’d think.

I am inclined to run with it to include those who incite riots or even the drone-operators and missile-launchers and such - from the aggressor parties.

Just a few of my possessions that I want to use more often… The Frisbee, Hapi drum, those color pens, the key caps and the crazy ball.

Finally created a simple tool to post these little notes - or full posts - here from anywhere. On the go from my phone like now, or laptop. Without all the git-commit-push.

More here: https://blog.nextfive.in/publisher/

Public Living Room is an idea I’m building slowly - warm spaces open for like minded curious strangers.

Yesterday I walked through a home in CV Raman Nagar I’d been thinking about since I first saw it. It has a well. Actually two. I had never seen a home in a city with wells :D It does not have a municipal water connection or sewage connection either . And fantastically designed with a garden and books everywhere you look.

Robert and Tina built something genuinely beautiful here - opening their space to people to just come in, sit with a book and have conversations. They also do walk-throughs. You can book the next one here: https://www.urbsindis.com/event-details/walkthrough-29?mc_id=publiclivingroom

May be, it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be

I wonder if there’s a secondhand market …

Everyone is fundraising in Bangalore. Scales differ.

This is so totally me.

Screaming baby is a feature, not a bug

The best feature of a baby is that it screams for whatever it needs, whenever it needs something.

Because you cannot stop that screaming without fulfilling that underlying requirement.

For passion projects though - there is no such alarm. If it needs something, to grow into something beautiful, it cannot scream. And you ignore it all too easily. Till it dies of neglect.

From behind the windows of an AC car passing through lush vegetation and forests looking at the villages beyond, it makes you imagine people with hard work yet satisfying lives. And you kind of romanticize that life.

But it’s only when you step out of the car, you realize that it’s not so pleasant, even with the lush vegetation. The weather is still that hot and muggy. The breeze suddenly stopped, because you did.

And it’s only when you live among those people, you realize that there is a stifling sense of being. And not contentment.

[context: looking out of window from Vande Bharat - somewhere in Bihar]