By Adam Brownstein – July 2, 2024 In his much touted book, A Brief History of Intelligence, Max Bennet begins by asking why AI has little problem besting the finest grandmasters in chess but cannot wash a sink full of dishes. I have long ago given up trying to beat my 11-year-old son in chess,Continue reading “Westin Peace”
Ahola!
By Adam Brownstein – Tokyo, Japan – May 1, 2024 One early Spring afternoon in the crux of my university days I found myself in close quarters with two middle aged couples who were wearing smiles and nothing else. Their nudity was completely appropriate given the five of us were taking in the hot springsContinue reading “Ahola!”
Going Dutch – High Holidays alongside the canals
By Adam Brownstein Dearest Readers, I dug up this quasi-gem from the old Yiddish Hustle days. It was originally published on October 4, 2016 during my quarterly trip to Amsterdam. Enjoy! On a crisp Fall morning in suburban Amsterdam, two young men wielding assault rifles are smiling at me. I grin back sheepishly, reflecting howContinue reading “Going Dutch – High Holidays alongside the canals”
Close Encounters
By Adam Brownstein / January 22, 2024 2023 was a bumper crop year for live concerts. The Fed, in its July print, indicated that the Eras Tour would inject $6.4B into the economy (the latest trailing data indicates it was more). On a personal level, my Baby Boomer father attended Taylor Swift’s sold-out show inContinue reading “Close Encounters”
Poetry: The Package on My Doorstep
By Adam Brownstein Another pod goes in the machine, and I push the button, anxious for the caffeine hit. Buzzzzzz, drip, drip, drip. The espresso wafts, and I get ready. But then, on the last chestnut drop, there is a ring at the door. It’s the Black Cat guy who wears the green and theContinue reading “Poetry: The Package on My Doorstep”
The Interrogation Room
By Adam Brownstein – September 22, 2023 I once devoted this space to the tale of a harrowing visit I made to a local dentist. The experience evoked disturbing recollections of Sir Laurence Olivier’s masterful turn as Dr. Christian Szell, the Nazi-cum-DDS foil to a young Dustin Hoffman in the 1976 thriller Marathon Man. TheContinue reading “The Interrogation Room”
Just Like a Salmon: Going Home to Riverdale
By Adam Brownstein Parenthood is fertile ground for maxims. The Greeks wrote that to a man growing older there is no greater comfort than the love of the a daughter. Yiddish wisdom suggests that you are only as happy as your most unhappy child. Some parental wisdom has come to me by way of familyContinue reading “Just Like a Salmon: Going Home to Riverdale”
Weekly Haiku from Tokyo
By Adam Brownstein “Mushi atsui”Means hot and schvitzy weatherPass the seltzer, please! 96 in the shade in Tokyo this week! #schvitbad
What’s Missing – The Gravlax File(s)
Tokyo, JAPAN — May 26, 2023 — By Adam Brownstein Japanese friends often ask me what I miss about America. Depending on the moment and sentiment I answer in different ways. I long for so much of my first home. But three pieces always weave into the mix . . . . . . myContinue reading “What’s Missing – The Gravlax File(s)”
Fit As a Fiddle
By Adam Brownstein – Tokyo, Japan – May 4, 2023 Having spent more than two decades in tech, I’ve recently been meditating on the notion of compounding variables. Classic among these is Moore’s Law (the number of transistors in an integrated circuit (IC) doubles about every two years). There is also, of course, the PowerContinue reading “Fit As a Fiddle”
