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From the Archives - Bits & Bobs Volume XXV - Holiday Edition
Introduction This is the twenty-fifth installment in the “From the Archives — Bits & Bobs” series. Volume I of the series is here , Volume II is here , Volume III is here , Volume IV is here , Volume V is here , Volume VI is here , Volume VII is here , Volume XIII is here , Volume IX is here , Volume X is here , Volume XI is here , Volume XII is here , Volum
2025 in Review - The Quiz
Introduction As I close out 2025, I want to give my readers a little quiz about the topics I covered on albertnet over the past year. You can consider this quiz open-book (because after all, how could I police this)? Now, you might recall that I did a similar quiz four years ago, which might have annoyed you because all the multiple-choice answers were corre
New Year’s Resolutions — AI Edition
Introduction It’s that time of year again, when you start planning out how you’ll be better this year. This can be really annoying, especially when you have to read about “SMART” goals even though you know in your soul that “ DUMB ” ones are better. And now you’ve stumbled across this post. Well, fear not – I’m just as fed up as you, and will try to make thi
Old Yarn - The Dark Alley Incident
Introduction This is the seventh “old yarn” on albertnet (following in the footsteps of “ The Cinelli Jumpsuit ,” “ Bike Crash on Golden Gate Bridge ,” “ The Enemy Coach ,” “ The Brash Newb ,” “ The Day I Learned Bicycle Gear Shifting ,” and most recently The In-Flight Voyeur ). This is the kind of story that would normally be a “ From the Archives ” item, e
From the Archives - Bits & Bobs Volume XXVI
Introduction This is the twenty-sixth installment in the “From the Archives – Bits & Bobs” series. Volume I of the series is here , Volume II is here , Volume III is here , Volume IV is here , Volume V is here , Volume VI is here , Volume VII is here , Volume XIII is here , Volume IX is here , Volume X is here , Volume XI is here , Volume XII is here , Volum
Wordle II - The Spawning
Introduction Over three years ago, in this post here , I described how I came to enjoy the Wordle, which is a daily puzzle you can play on the New York Times website or on their app. Though I normally consider games a waste of time, this one is fun and quick. Best of all, since it’s the same puzzle for everyone each day, I can compete with my daughter Alexa
Glossary of Corporate-Speak for College Grads
Introduction Lately it has occurred to me, amidst all the bad news about the job market, that it’s still technically possible for young college grads to land a spot in corporate America. Instead of bemoaning the loss of entry-level jobs to AI—a topic that has already received plenty of attention —I figured I’d help out those who have been hired, who are prob
Ask an Amateur Poet
[GIF by Whisk. No rights reserved.] Dear Amateur Poet, My teenager says my Facebook posts are “basically slam poetry.” Is this a compliment? Melinda S, Chicago, IL Dear Melinda, I confess I am not an expert on Facebook, having never actually seen it. But from what I understand, it’s primarily a platform for sharing brief written updates and photos. I would t
More Advice from an Amateur Poet
[Photo enhanced by Nano Banana 2] Dear Amateur Poet, I wrote a 14-page poem on the ineffable nature of fog. My workshop said it lacked “stakes.” I wasn’t sure what this meant and was too embarrassed to ask. What did they mean? Can fog have stakes? Melissa M, Longmont, CO Dear Melissa, A poem of 14 pages is bound to try the patience of a workshop where everyo
From the Archives - Bits & Bobs Volume XXVII
Introduction This is the twenty-seventh installment in the “From the Archives – Bits & Bobs” series. Volume I of the series is here , Volume II is here , Volume III is here , Volume IV is here , Volume V is here , Volume VI is here , Volume VII is here , Volume XIII is here , Volume IX is here , Volume X is here , Volume XI is here , Volume XII is here , Vol
Biased Blow-By-Blow - 2026 Paris-Nice Stage 8
Introduction Almost thirty years ago my wife and I were visiting the south of France, and at a train station were spied by a fellow American. This was disappointing in and of itself because we were trying not to look like tourists. We probably thought we were dressing in a Euro style, and lots of foreigners wear Levi’s, but clearly we were easily identifiabl
Old Yarn - The Police Raid
Vlog I gather people prefer videos and podcasts to reading these days, and several readers (or would-be readers) have suggested a vlog format. They usually say it should be massively abridged, maybe even refashioned as a TikTok dance video featuring somebody far more attractive than I. As compelling as that idea may be, honestly I prefer to stay as far from
Autocomplete Zeitgeist Revisited - 2026
Before we begin In this post, which examines the American zeitgeist, I adopt a tone of playful criticism. Please don’t mistake me for one of those tedious killjoys who only finds fault. Believe me, I am grateful for my country and its people. Introduction As everybody knows, Google Autocomplete is a function of Google Search that starts providing feedback ev
Autocomplete Zeitgeist Revisited - 2026 - Part II
Introduction Last week , in keeping with my eight-year tradition, I examined Google’s Autocomplete suggestions—i.e., you start a query and have it suggest the rest—to learn about the American Zeitgeist in 2026. Part I focused on crime and punishment (i.e., what Americans fear getting in trouble for) and today I’ll cover everything else. Who, what, where, whe
Biased Blow-By-Blow - 2026 Paris-Roubaix
Introduction This race needs no introduction. But this blog post does, if you’re new to my blow-by-blow reporting, which is biased because I’m a blogger , not a killjoy journalist. My first bias: Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) wins too much and needs to not take victory here today. If he did, he would have won all the Monuments in a single season, whi
From the Archives - Bits & Bobs Volume XXVIII
Introduction This is the twenty-eighth installment in the “From the Archives – Bits & Bobs” series. Volume I of the series is here , Volume II is here , Volume III is here , Volume IV is here , Volume V is here , Volume VI is here , Volume VII is here , Volume XIII is here , Volume IX is here , Volume X is here , Volume XI is here , Volume XII is here , Volu
Should We Be Using GenAI?
Introduction As you have likely worked out on your own already, Artificial Intelligence is not going away. It has gone from being a joke to a novelty to the bogeyman to a tool that many of us use all the time. And yet, there are still holdouts, perhaps you among them. In my workplace, it’s a mixed bag. As recently as 2024 I was forbidden to use ChatGPT or ot
More Advice From a MAMIL
Dear MAMIL, In my regular “non-cycling” life I like to think I’m a natty dresser. I don’t skimp on my cycling kit, either. And yet I get the sense that when I roll up to the coffee shop for a group ride, the other guys are kind of snickering at me. What am I doing wrong? John D, Oakland, CA Dear John, Right off the bat, I’d guess this is all in your head. Yo
albertnet Pledge Drive!
Introduction Wait, don’t leave! I know there’s almost nothing more annoying than a pledge drive, and when I was a kid and some damn telethon came on the TV, my brothers and I would almost injure ourselves diving for the channel-changer knob. But this is different! For one thing, you weren’t about to passively enjoy a bland visual spectacle on this page anywa
From the Archives - Bits & Bobs Volume XXIX
Introduction This is the twenty-ninth installment in the “From the Archives – Bits & Bobs” series. Volume I of the series is here , Volume II is here , Volume III is here , Volume IV is here , Volume V is here , Volume VI is here , Volume VII is here , Volume XIII is here , Volume IX is here , Volume X is here , Volume XI is here , Volume XII is here , Volum