AI Fueled Performance Evaluation
Mike utilizes Google's artificial-intelligence platform Notebook LM to review his “Open Mike LIVE” video collection.
This AI-generated analysis serves as a unique self-evaluation, highlighting Mike's adaptability, resilience, and observant nature as he navigates various life challenges, including housing insecurity and financial struggles.
The review also praises his sharp insights into American society and technology, particularly his critiques of social media and his unconventional observations on urban walkability and community engagement. Ultimately, the source portrays Mike's journey as a testament to finding profound insights in unexpected places and applying knowledge to understand and interact with the world around him.
I've been toying around with some of the AI platforms out there on the internet. Since I've already sold my soul as a dedicated user of Google’s ecosystem of services, I've decided to use some of Google's suite of artificial intelligence tools.
One of these AI platforms is Notebook LM. I've been using it in my long-winded efforts to chronicle my “Open Mike LIVE” video collection from Facebook Live into something intelligible. It's been an interesting, AI-based evaluation of the past 7 years of my life — basically an algorithm judging me.
I'm going to offer the fruits of that analysis by sharing a conversation this AI tool generated about me, based on the copious amounts of online material I've posted over the past 7 years.
So, buckle up, kids; this is kind of like my own performance review. Humans watching who feel like leaving a comment, feel free to offset the AI judgments with some human ones. Buckle up, kids, because here we go!
The analysis describes me as someone who's incredibly adaptable and very observant. Not always to my benefit, however, but I guess adaptability generally helps. The series covers includes videos from all over Columbus, Ohio, and also Montreal, Alexandria, and Steubenville, Ohio.
The AI notes my "deep desire to settle down." The AI references my time in Natchez, Mississippi, and shares a story from 1 February 2023, when I was stranded in a hotel parking lot with basically no money, nowhere to stay, and no friends in the vicinity.
This AI has apparently thought that WANDA is a car, which just goes to show once again how car-centric our lives really are in America. The AI notes my resilience, as well as ways I’ve found to feel gratitude. It specifically highlights my coping strategies with getting through really tough times, like the "prolonged void" I’ve felt during some holiday seasons.
The AI suggests that my adaptability is something I’ve learned in my circumstances, not just something innate. It says I found some practical, even creative, solutions for housing, like an improvised dwelling—basically a campsite I used overnight in Clintonville, Columbus. That was July 28th, 2024. All right, we're going to fire up my latest incarnation of Wanda! A fabulous and unexpected solution: a house loft. Which, of course, because it's Mike George, an encounter with someone who calls parking garage "Parking Garage Karen." You can see a reality, right? Living exactly... just shows people finding some stability.
They're not intense, come on! That's not tooting my own horn here more than I already have without the help of AI—the imaginary friends known as AI. It talked about it on June 26th, 2024. It really shows how he didn't just understand the problems; he actively tried to apply his knowledge. I actively tried to apply something? Oh my gosh, the journey, the resilience, the education! But his observations weren't just his own. His Open Mic Live archive also gives us a sharp perspective on American society and technology. Like back on December 4th, 2022, he posted a critique about the loss of humility and genuine understanding in conversations, both online and face-to-face. He felt social media pushes people to listen to respond.
Absolutely, that insight is incredibly sharp, and you could feel his deep concern about maybe societal decay. Societal decay? Come on, it's not that bad, you guys! He urged people to get more involved civically, to reject... he urged people to get off their screens, reconnect with their communities. Oh shit, that's way too loud! The experiences library is going to f***ing hate me! Oh my god, for the collective! All right, my god, it's a good thing it's a good thing Heather Smooer isn't here. Well, actually, no, Heather Smoker would have never silenced me. I'm in an unused floor of the library. Thank you very much! So, hopefully no shushers today.
Putting ideas into action with Wanda, he calls it a musical baton. It's basically two Bluetooth speakers on a six-foot stick. But the genius isn't just the tech; it's how he turned it into this mobile, spontaneous performance thing. A spontaneous performance thing! He performed with it and reflected on May 7th, 2024, about how it made a difference, even in small ways. And Glattis... Glattis Wanda, mentioned December 16th, 2022. It really makes me think how personal inventions fill gaps and create connections in ways big companies often overlook. Okay, shifting gears a bit: I want to be a big company!
His unique take on urban spaces and walkability: on April 21st, 2023, he noted something like, "Despite the stigmas of not owning a car, walking records a much more intimate relationship with the place that I live." It's an interesting way to think about how just moving through a place shapes how you see it. It really is. And he often lamented how little thought seems to go into pedestrians in American cities systemically. You know, like his first week in Louisiana, January 6th, 2023, he was already noting the lack of consideration for pedestrians and non-motorists, and how roads... and even that was a screw-up. That's what we call a technical moment. The preponderance of nice butts among his... yes, "nice butts." It's funny, though, the real point isn't it... it shows his way of observing cities isn't just academic; it's really human, sometimes pretty irreverent. It's a very Mike George way to gauge... it's a very Mike George way walkability is something super tangible, like, well yeah, nice butts, exactly. And maybe it nudges us to think what other unconventional signs could tell us about a community's health.
But he wasn't just critical; he also showed real appreciation for positive changes, like the ambient, electric mix of shops and restaurants in University Square near Ohio State. That was May 21st, 2025. And he watched the changing face of Columbus neighborhoods, like Short North and Old Town East, seeing the rapid development. He noted that around October and September 2023. He even found joy in the simple things, like the quiet streets free of amateur drivers after a big snow in downtown Columbus, January 6th. You remember those days, kids? Connecting the small scale of his own walking experience with the bigger picture of urban planning and community. And he had this deep admiration for what he called "transit borders"—people walking in really pedestrian-hostile places: no sidewalks, no crosswalks. He saw the resilience against the concrete.
So, wrapping this up, what we've done today is really take a deep dive into the very dynamic life and the sharp insights of my sharp insights, bitches, archive. We've followed a journey of constant movement, faced incredible resilience, and this unwavering commitment to just observing the world, whether it's how we talk online or how a city walk changes. Yeah, his story really underscores that profound insights can come from unexpected places and people. He kind of embodies this idea that knowledge isn't just about knowing things; it's about understanding and applying. He encourages us all to think more critically about our own communities, our own interactions.
So, what does all this mean for you, listening? Well, maybe it raises a question for you to think about in your own life: What unique sources are around you right now? It could be a person, a place, maybe just a simple observation you make every day. What if you took the time for your own deep dive? What if you took the time, y'all, for your own deep dive?
All right, all right, well, I guess that concludes my pretty decent review of “Open Mike LIVE” by the AI overlords, in the form of what seemed to be an NPR dialogue. But yeah, I think it's time to go outside and play, y'all! Happy Friday, remember to stay hydrated—hydrated, hydrated water! And, well, sh*t, coming at you live from Columbus, Ohio, on this fine Friday afternoon. This is Mike George. Hope you guys enjoy your weekend, and until we meet again soon, take care of yourselves and take care of somebody else. Bye, y'all!