The 2025 Post

Hello to my millions of loyal readers!

Apologies for not posting anything for the last 19 months, but in my defense I've been quite busy with other efforts. Turns out event planning is a lot of work! Even without having to fundraise the budget.

To make it up to you, I've taken the time to dive deep into the past, present, and future of artificial intelligence.

I'm kidding! The last thing the internet needs more of is treatises on AI. Instead I'd like to do the opposite. For this post I'd like to turn outward to reflect on the important humans in my life. Celebrating the growth and change that they have experienced over the past year.

Then I'll make silly predictions for 2026.

Family

My brother moved into his first home and got engaged! I'm looking forward to the wedding next year and to having someone so witty and driven for a sister-in-law!
My mom is volunteering her time all over the city now that she's retired. She's much happier now that she's no longer working a job that didn't value her.
My dad is thoroughly enjoying the respect he's getting at work, mentoring younger members of the team without having the responsibility of a manager.
My wife and I adopted a dog who has now been with us for over a year. She's an adorable puddle of fluff who just wants to snore in your lap.
My wife and I have decided to start a family. We feel ready for the way in which having children will totally transform our lives

Friends

One of our closest friends is getting diagnosed and treated for cancer. That might not sound like a good thing but finally having a plan and some certainty is wonderful!
Their spouse seems poised to get a new a job at a place they really like
A friend of mine who I roomed with in college got married, and another is on their way to a PhD
Another friend just got engaged to someone wonderful after a few awful years of dating apps. The whole friend group picked them from the bunch at a party!

Coworkers, neighbors, and acquaintances

My younger coworkers are in deepening long term relationships and are looking to establish their first more permanent living situations
My boss is thriving fixing up an old jeep, taking his kids on college tours, and spending time with friends and neighbors
Someone I volunteer with is spending time travelling and living in a remote cabin appreciating nature
Another person I volunteer with just bought a home with a ton of land that is brimming with potential for native ecosystems and education
The neighbor group chat finally moved to Whatsapp which has made conversations waaay less confusing
After many years of health problems one of my neighbors lost their spouse this year. I can't imagine how hard that must be. They asked to mourn privately and seem to be doing so with dignity.
A young couple who lives near me just welcomed their first child. My neighbors wanted to start a meal train but their friends and family had already filled almost all the slots!

2026 Bingo

One of my friends got me into making silly predictions for the following year.

Here's my 2026 bingo board:

B	I	N	G	O
Pepsi comes out with a new flavor that's really good. Nobody buys it.	New war but not the one you expect	Major artist raps over the Macarena	Amazon loses money on their healthcare push because nobody trusts em	I finally grow apricots!

My spouse gets promoted right before parental leave	UFC sports betting scandal	Someone I know goes viral	National phones in schools ban	The pope drops the F-bomb

Twitter gets renamed again	Acton wins governor race because Ramaswamy won't shut up	FREE SPACE (Trump say something idiotic)	Alzheimer's cure	AI doesn't do anything particularly exciting, public begins losing interest

Restaurants with elaborate gimmicks are popular	Cowboy boots are fashionable	Chuck E Cheese movie	Court decision on home rule reshapes cities	Zohran hit pieces become a meme

My dog eats my homework	Firefighter becomes global icon	Carly Rae Jepsen album of the year	New map of the universe leads to new theory about its origins	Live action Pocahontas is good?