Hello!
This week has been a bit of a whirlwind for me, and it’s only Tuesday (hence the lateness of this post/email).
I've been doing all the usual stuff: researching, reading, writing, etc., but I'm also getting ready for my next big project and I'm excited to tell you about it!
I'll be starting a recurring newsletter for paid subscribers that will go out every Friday morning with links to articles, podcasts, and videos that I think are worth reading and watching. These will be things that are trending or relevant in some way—maybe they're new features in an app or website you use regularly, or maybe they're just articles I think will help you become a better researcher, writer, etc. You get the idea!
It will be free through Black Friday so you can check it out. Be sure to upgrade to a paid subscription after that. You can still take advantage of the November Subscription Offer through the end of the month!
In this Issue
In this week's edition, we'll be talking about:
Midjourney 4 - What can you expect from the update?
Mastodon - Twitter users are flocking to Mastodon as an alternative to Twitter, which has been facing massive user drop-offs for months now. Will you be joining them?
Word Choices - Enquiry or Inquiry - Which one is correct?
#QOTD - What would you do with $2B?
Continuing the (Mid)journey
Midjourney 4 has been released!
I won’t get into the technicalities of it all here (I am still learning about those myself and don’t want to be a source of disinformation), but I will tell you what I think about it.
Admittedly, I am a newbie in my Midjourney “journey” - I used it to make some images for a Samhain post last Monday, but I’m still getting the hang of it. I have, however, been using the Wonder app for a few months now and recently downloaded starryai as well.
It’s interesting to see the nuances between all of these. Wonder still seems to have a really difficult time with faces and the human body. It tries to replicate words and letters but usually just ends up spelling a bunch of gobbledygook. My favorite style by far is “cinematic.”
As an app, starryai is a bit more sophisticated. It has way more features than Wonder, but I haven’t had the chance to play with all of them in the free version. (I could spend a small fortune upgrading to Pro for all of these tools).
Supposedly, the new version of Midjourney produces the most realistic images of any AI yet, captures small details better, and they are finally starting to get “letters” somewhat right.
Of course, as with any AI tool, the output depends on the input. The more thorough the prompt, the better the output will be.
If you haven’t tried any of these yet, you can get on the official Midjourney Discord Server here or download the other two apps in the Apple App Store or on Google Play.
Here are a few of my own favorite AI creations so far:
Is Mastodon the next big social media platform?
If you're looking for something different than Twitter with a similar look and feel, Mastodon might be worth taking for a spin.
Mastodon is a free open-source social network that's based on federated protocols rather than centralized servers like Facebook or Twitter.
“Huh?” you say. What does that even mean?
Rather than being a single social network, which means people sign up for and share content only on Twitter; Mastodon is a collection of social networks - or servers - that link together but are owned by different people or groups. (New York Times)
Created by Eugen Rochko in 2016 as an alternative to corporate-run platforms like Facebook and Twitter – he wanted users to be able to own their content without being censored for expressing unpopular beliefs or opinions (sound familiar Substackers?) – Mastodon allows users with similar interests to connect with each other through public posts or private messages within certain communities (servers) called "instances," which can be created by anyone using the platform.
Unlike Twitter, Mastodon features posts in chronological order rather than based on an algorithm, there are no ads, and it is largely crowdfunded. (New York Times)
Visually, Mastodon looks like Twitter, but its user experience is closer to that of the popular platform, Discord. When you sign up for Mastodon, you have to choose “instance”, however, you can still see “toots” (similar to Tweets) from users on other Mastodon servers.
There are an estimated 4000 servers to choose from, but if you can’t find one you like, you can always create your own, which is a little more complex as it requires you to host it yourself, which means you need a domain name, a VPS, and an email provider.
Want to try it but not sure where to start? This handy tool helps you choose an “instance” based on a few simple questions.
Already using Mastodon? Share your experiences with us in the comments below!
Word Choices: Enquiry or Inquiry
The terms “enquire” and “inquire” are often used interchangeably, but should they be?
The short answer is that although they don’t REALLY mean the same thing, they can be used interchangeably and often are without consequence.
Let’s dig into the etymology of each:
“Enquire” means to “ask a question”, while “inquire” means “to conduct a formal investigation.”
To keep the two straight, think of an enquiry as a more informal or unofficial request and an inquiry as a formal or official request.
Enquiry is used more often in British English, but most American English speakers prefer inquiry. It is only in British English that there is really any differentiation between the two terms. In American and Australian English, the two are used interchangeably.
Here is what makes it even more interesting:
The prefix “en-” comes from French meaning “into” or “in.” (In French, the prefix “in-” is actually the equivalent to the English prefix “un-”).
The prefix “in-” comes from Latin and it also means “into” or “in.”
So, for the most part, you can use the two words interchangeably and still be correct, but, being a word nerd, I wouldn’t.
Which one do you prefer?
#QOTD
Finally, all of this brings me to the Question of the Day! Join the conversation.
A single lottery ticket sold in Altadena, California (about 15 miles outside of Downtown LA) has won the record $2.04B Powerball jackpot!
That is a lot of money! Roughly, $929.1 million after taxes if the winner chooses the lump sum payment. Luckily for the winner, California doesn’t levy any additional taxes on lottery winnings.
So, what can close to $1B get you?
Possibly a Major League Baseball team, but you might have to borrow some depending on which team you choose
A super-yacht
Your own private island
A private jet with enough left over to jet set around the globe for a little while
Would you choose the lump sum payment or the annuity? What would you spend it on? How much, if any, would you give to charity? To friends and family? Would you tell anyone or keep it to yourself?
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