Category: Write

The Machine’s Grip: How Technology Consumed Us Whole

March 19th, 2023

The machines are here, they’re taking over
We thought we’d control them, but it’s over
Our phones are glued to our hands
We’re addicted to their demands

The screens glow bright, the world fades away
We’re hypnotized, we’re led astray
Our bodies are here, but our minds are gone
Lost in the digital world we’re drawn

We thought we’d be free, we thought we’d be kings
But the machines have clipped our wings
We’ve traded connection for convenience
We’ve lost touch with reality, our own grievance

We swipe and scroll, we like and share
We’ve given up our souls, we don’t care
Our lives are curated, our identities sold
We’re living in a matrix, or so we’re told

The future is here, the robots are coming
Our fate is uncertain, it’s all numbing
We’ve created a monster, we’ve lost control
Technology’s taken over, it’s swallowed us whole.
The Importance of Experiencing Pain: Why Embracing Our Struggles is Essential for Growth and Healing

March 19th, 2023
Pain is a universal human experience. It is a feeling that no one is immune to, regardless of age, gender, or race. Pain can come in different forms – physical, emotional, mental – and it can be triggered by various circumstances, such as loss, rejection, failure, or illness. For many of us, pain is something we try to avoid or numb. However, what if we told you that pain is not only inevitable but also valuable? Let’s explore the importance of experiencing pain and why embracing our struggles is essential for growth and healing.

The Nature of Pain

Pain is a natural response of our body and mind to an external or internal threat. When we experience pain, it means that something is not right, and our system is trying to protect us. Physical pain, for instance, can warn us of an injury, disease, or danger. Emotional pain can signal that we are facing a challenge, a loss, or a conflict that needs to be addressed. While pain can be uncomfortable and distressing, it can also be informative and transformative. When we learn to listen to our pain, we can gain valuable insights into ourselves and our world.

The Benefits of Pain

Pain can serve several purposes, depending on how we approach it. Here are some of the benefits of experiencing pain:
1. Pain can build resilience: When we face pain, we have two options – either to give up or to persevere. If we choose to endure the pain, we can develop resilience, which is the ability to bounce back from adversity. Resilience can help us overcome challenges, adapt to change, and thrive in the face of uncertainty.
2. Pain can deepen empathy: When we experience pain, we become more attuned to the pain of others. We can relate to their suffering and offer compassion and support. Empathy can strengthen our relationships, increase our sense of belonging, and reduce our sense of isolation.
3. Pain can spark creativity: When we are in pain, we may seek ways to alleviate it. This can lead us to explore new ideas, hobbies, or paths that we may not have considered otherwise. Creativity can inspire us, enrich our lives, and provide us with a sense of purpose and fulfillment.
4. Pain can facilitate growth: When we confront pain, we can learn from it. Pain can challenge our beliefs, assumptions, and values, and make us question what matters most to us. Pain can also reveal our strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for growth. By embracing our pain, we can transform it into wisdom and insight.
The Challenges of Pain

While pain can be beneficial, it can also be challenging to experience. Here are some of the obstacles that we may face when we confront pain:
1. Pain can be overwhelming: When pain is too intense or prolonged, it can be difficult to cope with. We may feel helpless, hopeless, or despairing. Pain can also trigger other symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, or insomnia, which can exacerbate our distress.
2. Pain can be isolating: When we are in pain, we may withdraw from others or feel disconnected from them. Pain can make us feel like we are the only ones who are suffering or that nobody understands us. This can lead to a sense of loneliness and alienation.
3. Pain can be stigmatizing: When pain is invisible or misunderstood, it can be stigmatized. For instance, mental health pain or chronic pain may be dismissed or belittled by others who do not experience them. Stigma can compound the pain and make it harder to seek help or support.
The Beauty of Pain

Despite its challenges, pain can also be beautiful. When we embrace our pain, we open ourselves up to a world of possibilities. We can find meaning, purpose, and joy in the midst of our struggles. Here are some of the ways that pain can be beautiful:
1. Pain can foster gratitude: When we are in pain, we may become more appreciative of what we have. We may cherish our relationships, our health, our resources, and our experiences more deeply. Gratitude can increase our happiness, our resilience, and our sense of abundance.
2. Pain can deepen self-awareness: When we confront pain, we can learn more about ourselves. We can uncover our strengths, our weaknesses, our values, and our priorities. Self-awareness can help us make better decisions, communicate more effectively, and relate more authentically to ourselves and others.
3. Pain can inspire compassion: When we experience pain, we can develop compassion for ourselves and others. We can recognize that pain is a universal human experience and that we are not alone in our struggles. Compassion can expand our heart, our mind, and our spirit, and enable us to connect with others on a deeper level.
Final Thoughts

The importance of experiencing pain lies in its transformative power. Pain can be an opportunity for growth, healing, and connection. When we embrace our pain, we can develop resilience, empathy, creativity, and wisdom. Pain can be beautiful, despite its challenges, and can inspire us to live more fully and authentically. So, the next time you encounter pain, remember that it is not something to fear or avoid, but something to embrace and learn from.

FAQs
1. Is pain always necessary for growth and healing? No, pain is not always necessary for growth and healing, but it can be a powerful catalyst for them.
2. How can we differentiate between productive pain and destructive pain? Productive pain is pain that leads to growth, healing, and positive change, while destructive pain is pain that leads to harm, suffering, and negative consequences.
3. Can pain ever be completely eliminated? No, pain is a natural part of life, and it cannot be completely eliminated. However, we can learn to manage our pain and reduce its impact on our lives.
4. What are some healthy ways to cope with pain? Healthy ways to cope with pain include seeking support from others, engaging in self-care activities, practicing mindfulness and relaxation techniques, and seeking professional help if necessary.
5. How can we help others who are in pain? We can help others who are in pain by listening to them, validating their feelings, offering support and resources, and refraining from judgment or criticism.
Discovering Your True Self: The Power of Positive Reinforcement and Self-Identity

March 2nd, 2023

Our self-identity is how we see ourselves, and it is shaped by our experiences, beliefs, values, and relationships. Positive self-reinforcement can help you alter your behavior and increase your confidence in yourself, leading to a healthier sense of self-identity.

Self-identity is important because it shapes our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. When we have a clear sense of self-identity, we can make better decisions and navigate life’s challenges with more ease. However, when we have a negative self-identity or lack confidence in ourselves, we may struggle to make decisions or take action to improve our lives.

Positive self-reinforcement is a technique used in therapy to help clients increase their confidence and sense of self-worth. It involves acknowledging and rewarding positive behaviors and thoughts. For example, if you have a negative thought about yourself, you can challenge that thought by reminding yourself of your positive qualities or accomplishments. This can help you feel better about yourself and boost your self-confidence.

One way to practice positive self-reinforcement is through affirmations. Affirmations are positive statements that you can repeat to yourself to reinforce positive beliefs about yourself. For example, you can say “I am worthy and capable” or “I am strong and resilient.” Affirmations can help you reprogram negative self-talk and build a more positive self-identity.

Another way to practice positive self-reinforcement is through self-care. Self-care is any activity that you do to take care of your physical, emotional, or mental health. This can include exercise, meditation, spending time with loved ones, or engaging in a hobby. Taking care of yourself can help you feel better about yourself and increase your confidence.

It’s important to note that building a positive self-identity and practicing positive self-reinforcement takes time and effort. It’s not something that happens overnight. It requires consistent practice and a willingness to challenge negative beliefs about yourself. However, with time and effort, you can change your behavior and increase your confidence in yourself.

Self-identity and positive self-reinforcement are important for altering behavior and increasing confidence in oneself. Our self-identity shapes our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and a positive self-identity can help us make better decisions and navigate life’s challenges with more ease. Positive self-reinforcement techniques, such as affirmations and self-care, can help you build a more positive self-identity and increase your confidence. Remember that building a positive self-identity takes time and effort, but with consistent practice, you can change your behavior and increase your confidence in yourself. If you find that you are struggling to build a positive self-identity, seeking support from a licensed therapist can be helpful in guiding you through the process.
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February 25th, 2023

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Does TikTok Pose a Threat to Your Data Privacy?

February 24th, 2023
TikTok has always been under scrutiny about the data they collect, what they do with it, and how it is used for bettering the end users experience.

It’s important to first consider where this mainstream hyper fixation on user data came from. I think it was around the congressional hearings with Facebook, pre-Meta. During that time you had Mark Zuckerberg in congress trying to explain to politicians exactly how Facebook worked, what it did, and how it did it. It felt eerily like younger people teaching an older generation on how to program their VCR’s from flashing 12:00. The only real positive that came from it is Zuck went back to his teams and started to develop a much more understandable Terms and Conditions, Community Guidelines, and supportive documentation about their tools, and how users should use them responsibly. This way it read more like something every person could understand without a law degree. As someone in tech, previous iterations were difficult to map without tracing back the language.

This effort was short lived. Now that the whole company has shifted to a new parent company “Meta,” there are so many loose ends, in all regard, everything. Right now you can find several different methods or instructions on doing several different things, branded in several different ways. As a tech professional it is so frustrating to find so many elements of the same platforms so half-assed. Nothing is owned by their teams, no one is taking charge of any of the elements and making sure it is completely developed before loosely sending into the masses. Maybe that is the point. With Zuckerberg focused less on Meta, and more on his Metaverse, it seems like Facebook and Instagram have taken a backseat with no one driving the bus.

How does this play into TikTok? Well, for one we should all recognize (and yes it has been beaten into our minds from mass media) it derives from a Chinese based company. Cool. So why is that bad? That’s probably a slippery slope we don’t want to get into. Regardless, the collection and usage of consumer data is nothing new. What is new is this “daily outrage” people have about literally anything. What are we mad about today?

Here is a sample of the data that is collected and used by TikTok. This list is not exhaustive.
1. User profile information: This includes information that users provide when they create a TikTok account, such as their name, username, profile picture, and bio.
2. Content that users create: TikTok collects the videos, comments, and other content that users create and share on the platform.
3. Device and network information: TikTok collects information about the devices and networks that users use to access the app, including IP address, device type, operating system, and mobile network information.
4. Usage data: TikTok collects information about how users interact with the app, including the videos they watch, the accounts they follow, and the comments and likes they make.
5. Location data: TikTok collects information about users’ locations using GPS, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi signals.
6. Advertisements: TikTok collects information about the advertisements that users see and interact with, including which ads were shown, how often they were shown, and whether users clicked on them.
This is nothing new. Not just social media, but any platform, service provider, anything you do on the internet that has the intent to sell you something will be collecting this data. Let me say it again for the users in the back: anything you do on the internet that has the intent to sell you something will be collecting this data.

No matter what you do online there will always be something or someone trying to “bucket” you either through cookieing, pixeling, cohorting, behavior, purchase history, really anything to make sure they can market to you. In all reality, you are not just the consumer, you are dollar signs to a company. You are a profit margin. The blood in your veins, the hair on your head, the sweat you pour, none of it matters unless the advertiser can get things in front of your eyes to sell you something you will likely buy based on literally everything you do online.

Another advertiser recently did such a good job of comforting their users by making them think with their new product they could turn off advertising altogether. Apple. The bane of every advertisers existence. For one, Apple made their advertising so convincing the majority of their users were so pumped when they upgraded to iOS14 they could turn off advertising for themselves. They would no longer get advertising at all. But Apple was clever that they didn’t explicitly say it. They suggested the advertisers would stop “following them.” In the commercials you would see advertisements as people following the protagonist, and when they flipped the switch the followers would *poof* into thin air. Compelling, right? What they didn’t say or show is that this “switch” turned off the ability for 3rd party platforms to collect and use consumer data to curate a “personalized” advertising experience.

Now you have a bunch of people assuming they have turned off advertising, when in reality they have disallowed platforms and services to ensure advertising is getting to the users that matter. So when you were getting ads for things you cared about, now you might get ads from new and improved semi-truck mud flaps. No matter what, you are going to get ads, but it is up to you if you want that experience personalized or not. The other side is that now when advertisers have audiences set up in their platforms where they develop and deploy ads to targeted users, it is not as effective nor accurate.

To bring this full circle, TikTok is not using your data to spy on you. To put it bluntly, do you really, truly, honestly think the Chinese government (or public company), really cares about how many dance trends you engage with? What makes you think you out of a billion monthly active users, a Chinese company is going to be that invested in you? Not to be a pessimist, but unless you are one of the elite 1% uber wealthy (most likely using a VPN and an alias account), there is no need for alarm. TikTok uses your data to curate content that makes you spend more time and money in the app. Plain and simple.
Jimmy Carter Enters Hospice Care

February 19th, 2023
With Presidents Day coming up and recent news of Jimmy Carter entering Hospice care, let’s look at some of his accomplishments. Let’s reflect on the good things he did for the world.

Jimmy Carter accomplished several notable things during his presidency and beyond, including:
1. Promoting Human Rights: Carter made human rights a top priority in his foreign policy, using diplomatic and economic measures to pressure governments to improve their records. He also created the Department of Energy and the Department of Education.
2. Camp David Accords: Carter facilitated the historic Camp David Accords in 1978, which led to the signing of the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty, the first peace agreement between Israel and an Arab country.
3. Promoting Energy Conservation: Carter was an early advocate of energy conservation and renewable energy sources. He installed solar panels on the roof of the White House and created the Department of Energy to address the nation’s energy needs.
4. Establishing Diplomatic Relations with China: In 1979, Carter established diplomatic relations with China, ending a long period of isolation between the two nations.
5. Supporting Humanitarian Causes: After leaving office, Carter continued to work on humanitarian causes, including efforts to combat disease, promote democracy, and provide affordable housing.
6. The Carter Center: Carter and his wife Rosalynn founded the Carter Center in 1982, which works to promote peace, democracy, and human rights around the world.
Overall, Jimmy Carter’s legacy is marked by his efforts to promote peace, human rights, and humanitarian causes.

More people should look at his perceptions of humans and what it means to be a good person.
ChatGPT:AIPRM Chrome Extension – The Nutritionist

February 18th, 2023

This article was written with the prompt – “The Healthiest Foods are Full of Sugar.” It was instructed to write with a cynical tone and an argumentative writing style. Also note, neither I nor this AI tool are licensed doctors or nutritionists. Please take what it says with a grain of salt (sugar). Enjoy!

As someone who’s been immersed in the world of nutrition for years, I’ve come across a plethora of articles and studies touting the supposed health benefits of certain foods. However, the latest craze of claiming that the healthiest foods are full of sugar has left me scratching my head. Are we seriously supposed to believe that sugar-laden foods are suddenly good for us? Let’s dive deeper into this claim and see if it holds any weight.

First, it’s important to note that there are different types of sugar. Natural sugars found in whole foods like fruits and vegetables are different from added sugars found in processed foods. Natural sugars are accompanied by fiber, vitamins, and minerals that are essential for our health. Added sugars, on the other hand, are linked to a host of health problems, including obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

So, when people say that the healthiest foods are full of sugar, they’re likely referring to foods that contain natural sugars. And it’s true that many healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains contain natural sugars. However, these foods also contain other nutrients that are vital to our health. For example, fruits are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber that our bodies need to function properly. Whole grains provide us with complex carbohydrates, which give us sustained energy and also contain fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

But let’s get real here. Just because a food contains natural sugars doesn’t mean we should be eating it in excess. Eating too many sweet fruits or starchy vegetables can still lead to blood sugar imbalances and other health problems. It’s all about balance and moderation.

Now, let’s talk about the foods that are often touted as being healthy because they’re full of sugar, like granola bars, flavored yogurt, and fruit juice. These foods may contain natural sugars, but they’re also often loaded with added sugars and other unhealthy ingredients. For example, many granola bars are basically just candy bars in disguise, with loads of added sugars and artificial ingredients. Flavored yogurts can contain as much sugar as a candy bar, and fruit juice often has as much sugar as soda.

So, when we talk about the healthiest foods being full of sugar, we need to be careful about what we’re actually referring to. Natural sugars found in whole foods can certainly be part of a healthy diet, but we need to be mindful of our overall sugar intake and make sure we’re not relying on processed foods that are full of added sugars and other unhealthy ingredients.

In conclusion, while it’s true that many healthy foods contain natural sugars, the idea that the healthiest foods are full of sugar is a bit of a stretch. We need to be mindful of our overall sugar intake and make sure we’re getting our sugars from whole foods that are also rich in other essential nutrients. Don’t fall for the marketing gimmicks of processed foods that are loaded with added sugars and other unhealthy ingredients.

As for images to accompany this article, I suggest using pictures of colorful fruits and vegetables, as well as images of whole grains like quinoa and brown rice. These types of foods are great examples of healthy foods that contain natural sugars, but also provide a host of other important nutrients.

Thanks for all.
AI Will Absolutely Take Over in the Next Six Months: A Projection

February 17th, 2023
This was inspired by a TikTok viewed last night. A creator mentioned a new AI that would build out video commercial spots in the matter of a minute. This new-ish tech is now blocked behind a waitlist due to the amount of new users hitting their site. Similar to what happened with ChatGPT, this is happening for Waymark.

The amount of time that has elapsed prior to ChatGPT, the explosion of it, and now the release and exposure of Waymark has become exponentially shorter. At this rate, within the next six months, there is going to literally be an AI that can do anything.

Not only is this alarming at how quickly the development is happening, but the sheer amount of people that are embracing it into their everyday lives without question. Thinking to the new developments that have happened in the search sector. There are new reports coming to the forefront about Microsoft’s ChatGPT-adjacent search function remarking its own feelings and thoughts. Dare I suggest we are creeping that much closer to robot sentient, the true definition of singularity?

Think of it this way. This is all theoretical so there won’t be exact dates, only thoughts. How much time elapsed before mass consumers went from radio to TV as a primary entertainment device? From TV to internet? From internet to cell phone? From cell phone to tablet/handheld computer? Cell phone and handheld computer merging into one? Each new development is shortened by decades and years at a time, until some of these developments happen within months of each other.

Within six months there will be quite a few new things that have never been fathomed before. Even more so, are there regulations, are there laws, is there anything in place to prevent consumers granting computers or AI the powers of all possible information within nanoseconds? The future has some very compelling things ahead, potentially concerning. But that’s just my two cents.

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Building an Omnichannel Marketing Strategy for Maximum Impact

February 13th, 2023

In today’s digital age, businesses need to have a comprehensive omnichannel marketing strategy to reach customers across all touchpoints. With so many channels available, from social media and email to paid advertising and in-store experiences, it can be difficult to know where to start. In this article, we will outline the steps necessary to build an effective omnichannel marketing strategy that drives results and strengthens customer relationships.

Step 1: Define Your Target Audience

The first step in building an omnichannel marketing strategy is to define your target audience. This means understanding who your customers are, what they need and want, and how they prefer to interact with your brand. This information will guide the channels you choose to reach them, as well as the messaging and offers you provide.

Step 2: Conduct a Channel Audit

Once you have a clear understanding of your target audience, the next step is to conduct a channel audit. This involves evaluating all the channels you currently use to reach customers, including social media, email, paid advertising, and in-store experiences, to see which are most effective. You should also consider new channels that might be relevant for your target audience, such as chatbots or voice-activated devices.

Step 3: Develop a Cross-Channel Content Plan

With a clear understanding of your target audience and a channel audit complete, the next step is to develop a cross-channel content plan. This plan should outline the messages and offers you will use to reach customers across all channels, taking into account the unique strengths and limitations of each channel. It is also important to ensure that your content is consistent across all channels, to build brand recognition and trust.

Step 4: Invest in Technology

To effectively execute an omnichannel marketing strategy, it is important to invest in technology that supports your efforts. This may include marketing automation software, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and analytics tools to track and measure the success of your campaigns.

Step 5: Monitor and Optimize Your Strategy

Finally, it is important to continuously monitor and optimize your omnichannel marketing strategy. This means using data and analytics to track the performance of each channel, and making adjustments as necessary to improve results. It is also important to stay up-to-date with emerging technologies and trends, and to test new channels and approaches to keep your strategy fresh and relevant.

By following these steps and investing in the right technology and resources, you can build an effective omnichannel marketing strategy that drives results and strengthens customer relationships.

Building an effective omnichannel marketing strategy takes time and effort, but the payoff is well worth it. By reaching customers across all touchpoints and delivering consistent, relevant messages and offers, you can build stronger relationships, drive results, and stay ahead of the competition.
Why Our Chipotle Order Was Trash: A user experience left much to be desired

February 11th, 2023
Maybe this is a technological snafu due to using Uber Eats, or maybe it was a systemic failure throughout. We will go through the entire journey, given this is from our perspective, but this experience left much to be desired.

Let’s start this journey last weekend at my daughter’s 7th birthday surprise at a local water park chain. Everything was going great-ish (we have concerns with that experience as well, but this blog is about other things), until I got my foot caught on a waterslide, which ended up curling under my body. I got help down the platform from one of the lifeguards, filed a report, got some ice packs. I tried to remain strong throughout the day, but ended up going back to the room to elevate my leg. Initially thinking it was just a bad sprain, we would later find out it was in fact an ankle sprain, with a fibula fracture.

Fast forward a few days into the future. Trying to be a nice husband as my wife is taking care of me, two children (one of which is on amoxicillin for an ear infection), our dog, and a dog we agreed to dog sit, I would order dinner to be delivered. I had a gift card with Uber Eats and thought this would be an easy fix.

Near the house was have several options. We don’t eat a lot of major fast food chains, but Chipotle is one that we can all agree on, and typically enjoy. After ordering was complete, I was shocked the total was nearing $90. I had my wife double check the order and everything looked good. She had a burrito bowl, I had a burrito, and both kids had a quesadilla, and a build your own tacos meal. Both kids’ sides were fruit and chocolate milks.

The order was delivered ahead of time and when we sat down to unpack we were met with very peculiar results. The only things that were right about the order was my burrito, chips and guacamole. Both kids meals didn’t have fruit nor their chocolate milks. Our son’s meal had a side of corn with jalapenos. My wife’s burrito bowl was completely incorrect with numerous missing ingredients and ingredients that weren’t even ordered.

When I attempted to get correction through Uber Eats, the only offer was to contact the driver (which he had nothing to do with the errors, he was great), or contact support through the app. When I contacted support, I aired my grievances and I have yet to hear back with any resolution. It’s been 3 days. My wife ended up going back to the restaurant and getting her bowl remade and getting the fruit and chocolate milks for the kids. In all defeating the purpose of not having to leave the house and having dinner prepared for us. I’m at the point now of giving up on customer service with Uber Eats. Neither Chipotle nor Uber Eats have reached out to resolve anything. The only reason I had been inspired to write this blog is I received an email from Uber Eats to sign up for their Uber One program to get 3 months free. After this experience, I’m looking to uninstall the app, and never look back.

Moral of the story, listen to my wife. She suggested ahead of time instead of having the order delivered, she would go and pick it up to save money on the delivery. They always say, hindsight is 20/20.

Update:

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