Welcome to my creative outlet. A place to share ephemera I’ve collected online and offline,
along with some writing.
I discovered John Van Deusen a number of years ago, and keep coming back as he releases new music. His blend of angsty rock and raw but honest lyrics are refreshing and so often relatable.
Make me weird and make me noisy
John Van Deusen, Boring
Prone to flipping tables crazy
Fearsome in the face of evil
Not afraid of broken people
As life gets busy and the world gets crazy, taking a walk has been one of the most helpful escapes. Looking away from the screen and seeing the reality we live in, engaging with people, not profiles, and realizing how much bigger and more nuanced the world offline is.
In these times, I look at the wonders of creation, smell the scents of the season, listen to noises around me, think about my thoughts, and pray to the God who is bigger than it all.
If you can, take that time away from the desk or phone or whatever you are focusing on, and walk.
A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.
Herbert Simon
We are living out the fulfillment of this quote today. We have more information than ever before, but we’re losing our ability to actually focus, and think critically.
This can be seen in the adoption of AI to do work that normally requires deep attention – writing, coding, designing. Yes we can have it done for us, but at what cost?
Additionally, as attention decreases, commanding that attention requires ever greater provocation; no longer can we read and evaluate long form content, but we are swayed by the most shocking soundbites, leading to … even more shocking soundbites. How do we regain our ability to focus and think when every platform is designed to consume us?
Nobigdyl is one of my favourite rappers. His lyrics are not only innovative, but also uplifting and real. You can hear the influence of his southern roots, but he isn’t limited to one category.
My flow handsome like Bradley Pitt …
Nobigdyl, Sleepin’
Although I try avoid using Windows whenever possible, it seems I cannot escape the blue screen of death!
Science finds, industry applies, man conforms.
Chicago World Fair motto (1933)
The motto for the Chicago World Fair sums up how backwards our approach to technological development is.
We leverage science to make new discoveries, which is great, but then let the application of these technologies be led by industry (aka business), which means profit first and people be damned.
Vehicles lead to unwalkable neighbourhoods – man conforms.
New machines replace thousands of skilled artisans – man conforms.
Pesticides poison water sources – man conforms.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. We can use technology to make life better for people, and if it causes serious harm or unintended damages, we can even choose not to pursue that technology, or place limits on its use.
As technologies like AI get rammed into every aspect of life by businesses seeking to grow revenue, thinking critically about how we apply and adopt new innovations is more important than ever; individually, as business leaders, and at a macro level (politically) too.
The photo above was taken from an IBM presentation in 1979, and yet it is more relevant than ever.
With the advances of AI, it feels like the entire tech industry (and everyone on LinkedIn) believes that it can solve any problem, and any pushback will be solved with the next release.
How can we use technology like AI well, without losing human agency and accountability, especially in situations where lives can be significantly impacted (healthcare, transportation and more)?
You have to be happy in those quiet moments when you remember that you are alive; not in those noisy moments when you forget.
GK Chesterton
I have always loved riding a bike, there is something about the freedom of getting anywhere quickly, without being in a vehicle.
This was my favorite bike – a white and purple fixie that was so much fun, and so impractical. Sadly it’s been sold, but the memory remains.
However formidably automatic the machine may look, there is always a man lurking in the background, adjusting it, correcting it, nursing it; and the machine itself is half slave, half god.
Lewis Mumford, Art and technics
I like to collect photos of random signs that I’ve seen around the world. Though crude, this sign is probably more true each day.
Taking a break from news this lent has made me realize how much my media consumption was consuming my mental capacity, and probably increasing my anxiety too.
ephemera
- The minor transient documents of everyday life.
Hey there, welcome to my personal place on the web. Somewhere to share digital ephemera I’ve collected over the years that I find interesting, along with quotes, music, and some writing.
Check out the About page to learn a bit more.
