I find it interesting that almost all the beloved AI characters in sci-fi have personalities ranging from ‘a little bit snarky’ to ‘raging asshole’. Given the tendency of media to influence to aesthetics of actual tech products that follow, ten years ago I would have predicted that an AI assistant would be given a personality along the lines of Cortana (Halo) or Jarvis (iron man). But somehow half a dozen companies in fierce competition with each other all decided that the right move was to go with more-sycophantic-c3p0.

I try to use my feed as a way to broaden my horizons by mixing in publications that are a bit outside of my usual wheelhouse. Normally what happens is I’ll randomly run across an article and, if I enjoy reading it, I’ll add the publisher’s feed for a while to see what else they have. For example, Smithsonian Magazine, Aeon, and Planetizen can all be interesting from time to time.

I would also recommend subscribing to at least one publication focused on your city or state/region to help stay informed on local news and issues. If you’re in the US you can try checking out the local member of States Newsroom.

And of course, make sure you get your regular dose of XKCD and SMBC