Tag: dailyprompt

What are you curious about?

So “Threads” didn’t pop. No surprise if we’re looking at the current state of online connecting and distribution. “Why’s that, Jim? Billionaires, entrepreneurs and online pundits want to know!” In my view it’s simple: it’s an over saturated industry that has peaked. As such it’s ran its course.

This is nothing new. It’s happened time and time again since man started writing things down and figuring out better ways to share the messages. It was a matter of technology evolving more so than just new and shiny spokes for the wheel. The papyrus scrolls were a magical advancement from the stone and chisel as was the printing press after the aforementioned papyrus pieces. And with each one came a bunch of equally relieved and terrified members of their respective industries. The stone cutters and carriers were much happier with the lighter load of the paper but the quarry owners were surely pondering; “Now what am I gonna do with all these slabs of rock?!? They took our jobs!!!” Thats not to mention all the blinded monks questioning what that loud noise was in the background that was periodically pounding down on a sheet of paper behind them. If you don’t get that reference, we can chat about that later.

In the end, the latest “greatest thing since sliced bread” has always come and gone so many times since those loaves were even split up and dished out. We of the 20th century saw tons of this. From vinyl to tape to cd’s and then MP3’s. And that’s just portable audio evolution through technology. The same timeline flows for video as well. Film to tape to DVD (all the other type discs offer little more than more storage capacity, so apologies to BluRay and 4KUltraHD snobs. They ain’t that special).

Now thinking about the forms of distribution (newspaper to radio to television to smartphones ) all of those instruments replaced the others taking along with them the best of their predecessors and making them more practical and accessible. With the final stop being the smartphone we find that social media platforms appear to be the final stop on this piece of techs journey. So what’s next?

In pondering this curiosity, the best I’ve got is going to be the device that allows for total immersion via control by thought both in and out. We’re practically there with the exception of the delivery device. I really creeped myself out a bit in thinking about this when I realized that the smartphones coupled with cellular wave riding, has actually made that very possible. Hear me out…

With social media and all that goes into its workings and machinations of collecting, tracking and processing what we all do in our usage of these platforms, the computers that process and store all of this data have indeed nearly perfect clones of our thoughts, actions, desires and intentions. Not that they can read our minds but instead have nearly all the variables to make a damn good guess at what we’re going to do or even think next. The scary part is that with that much information it is absolutely possible to manipulate and influence choices and opinions with ease. I won’t go any further down that rabbit hole but to say that the future is now and the brain wave pounding and sucking device that Edward Nigma created in the movie “Batman Forever” way back in 1995, could be the device… if only people actually sat in front of the television. Perhaps the Riddler could attempt it to an app.

That’s my curiosity for the day. What day you? What comes next in the world of mass information and entertainment distribution and communication?

Now, Go Play!

Jim 08/05/2023

List 10 things you know to be absolutely certain.

WordPress is a platform and provider that I have come to really appreciate for its dependability and functionality. As such, recommending it for anyone needing a new web host is a no brainer for me. It’s served me well since 2010. In the recent past, the upgrades with Jetpack have also been very helpful and useful. This leads to taking the bait with todays prompt about “10 things you know to be absolutely certain about.”

The short answer: that’s actually a pretty tough and deep thought.

That observation comes from an understanding that for me, absolutes can be a very limiting thing. So I guess that would be one thing that I am indeed very certain of. There’s always three sides to ever story. Perspectives from me, you and then the truth in the middle. To that thought I will add this; I don’t have to be right and you don’t have to be wrong. In that philosophy, I have found a sense of peace and balance in the way o observe the world. Perhaps that can help you as it’s helped me.

Another thing that I am most certainly sure of is that there is a higher power / creator that has in motion a guide for us all to follow. The sticky wicket there is the ins and outs of the “why’s and how’s”. In that I will point you back to the last paragraph.

A third thing that is certain in my perspective and experience is the importance of story, organization and sharing knowledge, information and entertainment. Those are the skills and results that in my opinion will allow us all to work better together collectively and for a genuine greater good.

Fourthly, I feel pretty certain that the imagination is a window from the soul that allows us to truly be all that we can be and more as we embrace it as the tool and gift that it is.

Number 5 would be (and these aren’t in a particular order per se, just rolling with free flow thought), the importance of a website in the modern information distribution age. To me a website is my online home that I can invite folks to come and visit, free from the noise and distractions of social media feeds. We can literally hang out here with an assumption of likemindedness.

Sixth would be how important it is to understand that reality is a matter of perception. While there are certain elements that are universal and impact is all the same way (gravity for example) but how we respond to even that can be a matter of debate based on perspective.

In this seventh spot, my hat would have to tip in the need to always be learning. Be it something that enhances what you know or instead, something totally new that enhances us in general and dare I say randomly, it’s imperative to truly experiencing all that life has to offer. With that said I will segue into…

Number 8 – Learn, train, work at learning how to stop. I mean full stop. Turn off the mind. Say no to unnecessary spit of the moment choices that you don’t really have an interest in when a nap would serve you better. Having been a “multi-tasker” for way too long, this necessity has come to me (be it slowly) over the past three years, and only now do I get it and embrace it.

Ninth, I would say is to be understanding to yourself when the to do list doesn’t get done. My experience has shown me that in most instances for me, I made the list to long, wide and deep to ever get it done in the time frame I ascribed to it. Perfect example is the one I made for myself last night. Meditation, prayer and sleep showed me this morning that in reality what I made was a list for the WEEK and it’s a good one. When this one is finished up by Sunday, I will have accomplished the most incredible amount of progress to my greater goals in YEARS.

And finally in the “10 spot”, I would say with certainty that I know I’m my heart and soul that anyone reading this has more potential than they themselves have realized until they take the time to ponder a random writing prompt.

Now, Go Play!

Jim 07/17/2023