Chips and Salsa: Snack-sized news and posts
Photo by Tim Toomey on Unsplash
We took a trip to Pennsylvania to visit my father-in-law, so I published fewer newsletters than usual last month. I have collected a lot of articles that I hope you find interesting.
Articles about AI
To get the most out of AI and make the best of ourselves, we need to use AI well.
'Think outside the bots': How to stop AI from turning your brain to mush | BBC
This article is written with a tone that implies that Claude Code was responsible for deleting a production database. This was NOT an AI failure. This was a governance failure. Throughout my career, which is scairly approaching 50 years, there has always been one rule never to be broken. NEVER EVER MAKE CHANGES TO PRODUCTION WITHOUT FULL TESTING.
The concept of AI swarms will become prominent. The idea that hundreds or thousands of independent bots or drones act independently and coordinate with each other poses a real threat. When quantum computing becomes commonplace, the threats will only increase.
AI Swarm Attacks Are Coming, Is Your Business Ready? | Bernard Marr
In a previous newsletter, I wrote about the seeming lack of concern people have about giving up their digital privacy. This article talks about the risks posed by AI-generated notes. It does not talk about consent. In the U.S., eleven states require all parties to agree to recording and digital note-taking.
All Those AI Note Takers? They're Making Lawyers Very Nervous. | New York TImes
Here is the link to my newsletter.
From Outcry to Acceptance: The Evolution of Digital Surveillance | Mark Rapier
Glamour Shots were a thing in the 1980s and 90s. Now you can do them with AI. That's fine if you choose to do it. It is stalking if someone else does it without your consent.
The rise of 'Stacey face': How AI is warping our beauty standards | The Independent
People who allow themselves to become commodities by failing to learn new skills are the ones most at risk of being replaced by AI.
How AI is reshaping workflows and redefining jobs | MIT Sloan
In today's market, the cost of an AI query is not covered by flat subscription costs. This is about to change. It will be interesting to see how many cost-saving initiatives cease to be cost-effective when the full cost is considered.
The $20 AI subscription era has become untenable | PC World
AI regulations are likely and necessary.
Six-Chart Sunday – Why AI Regulations Are Likely | Bruce Mehlman's Age of Disruption
The Economy
There are hundreds of measures to consider when determining the health of the economy.
Why this number might be more important than GDP | Marketplace
A tale of two barrels.
Why oil prices predicted by financial markets are missing the mark | Marketplace
Measuring unemployment does not tell a complete story. The number of people who have to work multiple jobs just to get by is staggering.
Why are so many workers holding multiple jobs? | Marketplace
Another key statistic.
Here’s the inflation breakdown for April 2026 — in one chart | CNBC
If you follow my newsletter, you know that I have been writing about how the federal debt represents an existential crisis. The growth of the debt is the result of failed American political leadership since President Clinton left office with a balanced budget. Presidents, Senators, and Congressional Representatives from both political parties are at fault.
Global debt hits record of near $353 trillion, with signs of move away from US | Yahoo!Finance
America's debt disaster is a five-alarm fire — and there's only one fix | New York Post
Links to a couple of my newsletters.
The Economy Looks Strong; Why Does It Feel Fragile? | Mark Rapier
The Federal Debt: Decades of Absent Leadership | Mark Rapier
Entertainment
Project Hail Mary is a great book and a great movie – a rare combination.
Science Fiction, when done well, takes plausible ideas from today and extrapolates what is possible in the future and tells stories about people. Here are 12 examples from the Twilight Zone.
12 Twilight Zone Episodes That Predicted the Future | MovieMaker
I never cared much for Gilligan's Island. The Beverly Hillbillys was much more entertaining. I never knew the show had an unaired pilot. Watch at your own risk.
Gilligan's Island - S1xE00 - Pilot - Marooned | DailyMotion
If hanging out with my grandchildren is any indication, Bluey is on, but rarely watched.
Streaming's Biggest TV Show is for 5-Year-Olds | Stat Significant
Here's What's Left In The Kitchen Sink
This sounds like a problem for people with more money than sense.
In Wine Country, Sales Are Down and Fraud Is Rampant | The New York Times
The world is highly interconnected. It is easy to miss the ripple effects of throwing stones into the water. I do not know if this article's hypothesis is accurate. We probably will not know for years.
The Iran War Is a Win for China | Foreign Affairs
This is a bad omen.
As American politics has become more fractured, the willingness of those in power to work outside the intended Constitutional process has increased.
How many executive orders has each president signed? | USAFacts
A T. rex cannot do pushups.
Why did Tyrannosaurus rex have such short arms? | The Conversation
It is possible to have too much of a good thing.
Do You Really Need All That Data? | Northwestern Kellogg
Quotes
“The business world is littered with dead documents that do nothing but waste people’s time.”
Jason Fried, David Hansson
“Be yourself. Who else is better qualified?”
Frank J. Giblin, II
"Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get lucky breaks from bad shots, and you get bad breaks from good shots—but you have to play the ball where it lies."
Bobby Jones
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Leadership is the most important work we do—in business and in life. I've spent over 40 years working with leaders across more than 100 companies, and I'm still learning. These newsletters share my thoughts on leadership today and what we can learn.
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Find The Leader With A Thousand Faces and other recommended books on my website.
