Mother Nature seems to be in a menopausal state here in North America this year. We had three days in the 80’s then another week of cold and snow. My wife and I ventured across the river into Minneapolis a few days ago to try a new lunch spot and took this footage of the Mississippi River.
I’ve been here in the Twin Cities for nearly thirty years and this is the highest I’ve ever seen the river and the weirdest spring weather I’ve ever experienced.
We Get by With a Little Help from Our Friends
I’ve spoken here on Hive before about how many of my friendships seem to have been fractured by the pandemic and I’ve heard many others saying the same thing. This article from NPR touches on some effective ways to deal with it. Reading this article really helped me so I wanted to share it.
The pandemic, in some ways, was an end to the lives we all knew before but it was also a new beginning. Sometimes simply reframing something originally perceived as a problem can completely change your paradigm.
Cinco de Inko
A few weeks ago I texted this photo to my friend and tattoo artist Greg (please forgive the horrible pixelated photo). The mandala on the lower part of the arm will be my next tattoo. His first open appointment happened to be on Cinco de Mayo so this year that holiday for me will be referred to as, “Cinco de Inko”. Okay, enough with the dad jokes.
Are Some Realities are Born from Fiction?
I’ve been working on a piece of sci-fi fiction for a few weeks so I’ve had ideas ruminating in my mind almost the entire time. My son, wife, and I were in the car and he said something about his music streaming service that sparked an idea that I can see utilizing blockchain tech and quickly becoming a reality.
Like many of these ideas that come to me it seemed as though it was downloaded all at once. Here are the notes I took about it…
"The Digital DNA concept is similar to a Tesla profile which adjusts HVAC settings, seating/driving position, infotainment offerings but only much more significant. The concept is also similar to the avatar that Facebook creates for each of its users only, in this case, the individual user would have full/sole ownership and access to it and would be able to revise it wherever they choose. The owner would also be able to sell/rent pieces of their personal data (of their choosing) for personal profit, creating a UBI-like revenue stream.
Digital DNA would serve as an encrypted buffer of anonymity between the individual and corporate entities seeking to profit from/exploit individuals’ personal data, therefore greatly enhancing individual privacy.
Digital DNA would encompass the entirety of an individual user’s personal preferences — music, clothing/shoe sizes, brands, decibel levels, favorite colors, room temps, lighting, seating positions, food favorites (even spice levels), health info, fitness, hobbies, etc. would be stored on a blockchain (AlephZero).
This anonymous profile linked to each user could interact dynamically with the world around it (via a mobile phone app) in smart homes, hotels, robo taxis, and public places to tailor the environment and would personalize the physical environment (and also soon the AR stream) the person experiences (via tailored ads/recommendations) and each profile owner would have full control of settings.
When in shared spaces, the receivers of this info will take into account all the profiles of everyone sharing the space and tailor the environment to the majority. This digital buffer could also be used as a way to vote in elections, Digital DNA is a secure, encrypted blueprint of who we are and how we wish to experience the world and it could become a person’s greatest asset."
Anyway, this will be a fun element of the story I’m working on and, with the advent of A.I., I could see it coming true sooner than we ever thought possible.
All for now. Trust your instincts, invest in you, live boldly, and take chances.
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Poetry should move us, it should change us, it should glitch our brains, shift our moods to another frequency. Poetry should evoke feelings of melancholy, whimsy, it should remind us what it feels like to be in love, or cause us to think about something in a completely different way. I view poetry, and all art really, as a temporary and fragile bridge between our world and a more pure and refined one. This is a world we could bring into creation if enough of us believed in it. This book is ephemera, destined to end up forgotten, lingering on some dusty shelf or tucked away in a dark attic. Yet the words, they will live on in memory. I hope these words become a part of you, bubble up into your memory when you least expect them to and make you feel a little more alive.
Pick up a copy of Ephemera today on Amazon.
Most of us have experienced a moment of perfect peace at least once in our lives. In these moments we lose ourselves and feel connected to everything. I call these mindful moments. Words can’t describe how complete they make us feel.
These moments are usually fragile, evaporating in seconds. What if there was a way to train your mind to experience more of them? It’s deceptively easy and requires nothing more than a subtle shift in mindset. My new book, Mindful Moments, will teach you to be much more content despite the chaos and imperfect circumstances continuing to unfold around you. Upgrade your life experience today for only $15.99 on Amazon.com.
Let’s Keep In Touch
I hope one day to be able to visit and explore this place. I am keeping my fingers crossed.
The weather has been so unpredictable here too.
How have you been sir and how is everyone? How's our favourite Amstel?
If you visit make sure it's between May and September (unless you like snow and cold), those are the only warm months. Amstel passed away in January but the rest of our family is well. I hope you are yours are all good!
I definitely don't like snow and cold hahaha.
What? Oh my! I am so sorry sir. Wow. Amstel would always be in our hearts.
Glad everyone else is fine as well. My regards to everyone and so sorry about Amstel once again sir.
Yes, we are good. God's helping. Thank you, sir.
I don't like it either! Thank you, Amstel suffered from congestive heart failure and actually lived almost four years longer than the doctors estimated. I'm glad you all are well too!
That idea is awesome, but I feel it's giving too much of our information to computers. Can you imagine all that information in evil hands???? The weather has been awful here too. On Sunday it rained torrentially leaving some people affected, also the electricity and internet went out for a long time. even so, it has been very hot. Some are predicting earthquakes and other atmospheric phenomena. Let's hope things get better. A nice Wednesday to you and your family, Eric. Take care
Thanks Nancy! The thing that would put my mind a little more at ease from a privacy standpoint is the information would be encrypted on a blockchain and wouldn't be easily tied to your real identity. The user would be able to choose how much information that want to share with outside sources too. Oh no! Sorry to hear about the weather there, I hope the Earthquakes don't happen. I wish you a wonderful rest of your week, Nancy! Take care.
We're having crazy weather here too. It was sunny and nice part will and this week we had hail and mighty cold. That was one high Mississippi River!!
It seems to be wacky everywhere judging from the comments! The river's supposed to rise even higher before the spring melt is done. I feel bad for those beavers!
Them beavers are in trouble!
I am hoping for one last bout of bad weather before we get a bit of double figures centigrade. I can't be doing with this cold coming into May!!
You guys must have weather similar to Minnesota! It's a crapshoot here until mid-May.
That sounds exactly the same. Sometimes we luck out and it gets good from late April but not this year. Today we are hemmed in by leaden skies and rain! Meh
That is pretty crazy. I think it would be cool to drive up to the headwaters of the Mississippi sometime. I remember looking at it on Google Earth and there is a small town I think and that is about as far as you can get. Might be interesting to visit one day! If the water is high there, just imagine what it will be like downriver!
Yes, I've never ventured up there either but have always wanted to. It would be a great road trip. Here in St. Paul it's about 3ft above flood stage but could get much worse before it gets better.
Oh wow, that is pretty bad! Stay safe! That looks cool for tattoo. My wife has wanted a small one, but she wants to go to someone she trusts. We live in a pretty small area, so there aren't a lot of options when you are looking for quality. I've seen too many bad tattoos in my day to put her through that!
Thanks! I'm sure there are lots of good tattooists in Columbus. There's nothing worse than a bad one, I can't imagine the regret. At least you can have them removed now.
Yeah, that is a good point about having them removed! Columbus might be a good option if she ever decides to move ahead with one.
Cinco de Inko needs to be a thing! I thought it was some tattoo convention for a second there :D Pixelated or no, that design looks very graceful. I look forward to seeing the ink! :) The story sounds promising, too, if a little scary (something about tuning yourself to the majority freaks me out a bit). Good luck with that, too, friend!
I couldn't help but laugh at that phrase! It does sound like a tattoo convention. Thanks! I'm drawn to the sacred geometry, there's so much meaning in those designs. I'm a little concerned that people will think the triangles are a symbol of the occult or something, I'll have to tell them, "No, I'm not a Wiccan priest, just a math nerd."
TBH, I would actually feel better having my personal data on an encrypted blockchain than owned by a corporation. With the advent of quantum computers even encryption will be at risk but the devs will have to, somehow, stay a step ahead of the hackers. Thanks, I appreciate it! Most stories I'm writing now I'm just cataloguing and not publishing. I might try to find a home for this one though.
True. I guess when you put it like that, it's the lesser of the two evils.
In view of a larger, later project, or..? If you don't mind my asking :) I did always so enjoy your stories.
Let them think whatever they want :D You don't owe anyone an explanation for why you'd put X on your body ;)
Quantum computers are the only thing that worry me when it comes to blockchain security. I think we're still quite few years away from them being able to crack the encryption (fingers crossed).
Thank you! I'm considering publishing a book of short stories at some point soon so I'm tucking some away for this project. I may serialize this newest one on Hive though.
That is true, and as my Mom says, If they're talking about me they're leaving someone else alone.. Lol. Enjoy your weekend!
Your Mom sounds very wise! I'm keeping that one in mind :) Thanks, you too!
That looks terrifying. It's ironical how little people care about nature and how easily they forget about its force and when something bad happens everyone is wondering why... when the reason is no one else but us.
It was just unbelievably powerful. Yes, it's like people are walking around with amnesia. That's what happens, I guess, when people live their entire lives separated from nature.
Mother Nature really is playing up all over the world, that river is pumping! We don't realize the power of water until we see something like that.
The pandemic certainly changed things in a big way, some good, some not so good.
We were supposed to go away this weekend to a big family gathering on the North Coast, my nephew from Minnesota is here, he's turning 30, but my sister-in-law has just tested positive for Covid!
It's quite a dilemma as this strain has landed a couple of people in hospital.
We can't take a chance because hubby has just gotten over the stent surgery plus we can't expose our guests.
The theme of your book sounds really exciting!
That river made the ground rumble! I agree about the pandemic. It's a completely different world now, in good ways and bad. I see it as a kind of fracturing. It really helped to reframe it (in my mind) as a new beginning.
I'm so sorry to hear about this new round of Covid in your family. I hope they all have a quick recovery. It's practically disappeared from the news here in the U.S. but I know it's still lurking. You're smart for keeping your distance.
The story's been a lot of fun to work on! I hope you have a good Friday, Lizelle!
This is especially true in my current lifestyle (living in a cave living community). Every help everyone.
Maybe all. Because fiction comes from thoughts, and the thoughts have the power of creation and attraction. Fiction is already a reality on some level (or some kind of reality). Anything/everything is possible. Our physical "reality" is also some kind of fiction (or rather illusion). Because we are not really physical.
Have a nice day. All the best. Greetings and much love from Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
It sounds like you've found a great community of people there. This is how communities should be.
That is exactly how things come into the physical world, manifested from our thoughts.
Thank you, my friend, enjoy your weekend and I'm looking forward to learning more about your new home!
The same here. We had had warm and sunny weather till Wed. Today, it has been cold and raining cats and dogs. It seems seasons delayed.
The weather is messed up everywhere this year!
Looks like you will perpetuate something that you really like as a tattoo on your body. Just like the Amstel tattoo that has been on your hand first. Have a nice day, Eric.
Yes, I've been searching for a while for my next one and I'm glad I found it! Have a wonderful weekend, Eliana!
We all experience different weather conditions that are sometimes very unbearable to bear but have no choice than to endure.