I’m glad to see you go! 4 months of pain from a herniated disc and dealing with my father’s death at the same time is not something I enjoyed. I also didn’t do my yearly healthy living calendar this year and basically stopped meditating.
So I’ll buy a new calendar today, I’ll refocus my healthy living goals… and I’ll look forward to 2024.
2023 can kiss my derrière:)
I’m thinking positive thoughts and planning to have a healthy, productive year ahead. May 2024 be a great year for you too!
Last night we went out for a wonderful dinner. I’m the restaurant we had a booth next to a round table which had a mother and 3 daughters. I’d guess the kid’s ages to be about 7, 12, and 14. My youngest daughter was sitting next to me and whispered, “They are all on devices.”
When I looked, the 7 year old had an Anime video playing on her laptop, which was about 8-10 inches (20-25cm) from her face. The 12 year old had over-ear headphones on and was endlessly scrolling on social media. The 14 year old was opposite me and all I could see was that she had one earbud in, on the far side of her mom, and she was bouncing between drawing (she definitely had some art skills) and scrolling on her phone.
The whole table sat in what was mostly silence, eating slowly. This continued from the time they sat down until we left the restaurant.
My daughter then pointed out the table behind us where a boy, about 5, had his face over a tablet, his face lit up from the light off of it, since he was so close to it.
It’s the era of digital babysitting, digital distractions, but creating distraction from what? Mealtime, family time, conversation, social engagement? …All of the above.
I think this form of distraction is fundamentally changing the way we socialize and this will affect our sense of family, community, and culture.
What happens when our screens become more important than the people around us?
I remember in Junior High school when I could buy a bag of potato chips for 25 cents. Then there was a jump in price, with a smaller bag being sold for 35 cents. That was a big jump and it took a while before paying more for less became the norm.
There are distinct times in my life when I recall these kinds of jumps. Like when it was crazy to see gas be over 50 cents a litre, then the price jumped above 70 cents and when it dipped back down it never went below 55 cents again. Give us gas at 71.9 cents a litre for 2 months and suddenly we are quite happy to see 55.9, like it’s a bargain price. Now I’m checking my tank to see how much gas I have when the price is under $1.65, because that’s too good of a price to pass up.
I get that prices need to go up, but what I don’t understand is how this is happening while simultaneously banks, oil companies, and grocery chains are recording record profits. It’s literally a case of gouging the consumer and blaming inflation.
Rants aside, I’m up at Whistler with my family, my mom is visiting and has never been up here. We are staying in a wonderful hotel, a surprise gift from a friend, and my kids can’t get over the way people spend their money. Here, room service for 2 would be a fancy meal for all 5 of us… and no we didn’t order any, we just looked at the menu.
A day of skiing for our family, with 2 parents and 2 adult kids would be $1,200, and if the kids were under 19, $1,100, and under 12 would be $900. Most families are here for 3-4 days of skiing. Many have flights to pay for, and hotels here are not cheap!
But for some people, spending $15,000 to $25,000 for a vacation is… normal. For others that’s a significant portion of their yearly salary and out of the question.
It’s funny, you always hear, ‘money can’t buy happiness,’ and while I agree with that, there is something affluence does buy, it buys a sense of freedom. Money matters because when you have a lot of it, you don’t have to think as much about your spending. You want something? Buy it. You need something done quickly? Pay someone to do it for you? However, when you don’t have the freedom to buy whatever you want, when the cost is prohibitive, money really matters.
Prices have jumped significantly since Covid. There are more people struggling to make ends meet. There are more people choosing not to go out for dinner because the cost is just too excessive for a family. There are people who used to ski at Whistler who have been priced out of that option. There are many more people who don’t make a purchase without thinking of the cost. They don’t have the freedom to spend without thinking of the consequences of a purchase.
That’s what affluence buys, it buys free buying power that doesn’t feel nearly as free for less affluent people. Monet matters less as you get more. I’m not sure what the sweet spot is, where the transition happens, and I’m not sure I ever will. I just know I’m at one of those price jump times where I’m going to need to adjust to the price jumps wherever I look… I’m just not sure I’ll be adjusting to these new price ‘lows’ any time soon. It’s a time where money matters for a lot of us.
In one of my earliest blog posts, originally written back in November 2006, I wrote:
“I come from the Batman era, adding items to my utility belt while students today are the Borg from Star Trek, assimilating technology into their lives.”
I later noted that students were not the ‘digital natives’ I thought they were. Then I went back and forth on the idea a few times on my blog after that, ultimately looking more at ‘digital exposure‘ and not lumping students/kids together as digital immigrants or natives, but rather seeing that everyone is on a spectrum based on their exposure and interest.
Many of us are already a blend of Batman and Borg. We wear glasses and hearing aids that assist and improve our senses. We track our fitness on our phones and smart watches. We even have pacemakers that keep our hearts regular when our bodies don’t do a good job of it. In a more ubiquitous use of smart tools, almost all of us count on our phones to share maps with us, and we can even get an augmented view of the world with directions showing up superimposed on our camera view.
How else are we going to be augmenting our reality with new AI tools in the next 10 to 20 years?
We now have tools that can: read and help us respond to emails; decide our next meal based on the ingredients we have in our fridge; plan our next vacation; and even drive us to our destination without our assistance.
What’s next?
I know there are some ideas in the works that I’m excited to see developed. For example, I’m looking forward to getting glasses or contact lenses with full heads-up display information. I’m walking up to someone and their name becomes visible to me on a virtual screen. I look at a phone number and I can call it with an eye gesture. I see something I want to know more about, anything from an object, to a building, to a person, and I can learn more with a gesture.
I don’t think this technology is too far away. But what else are we in store for? What new tools are we adding to our utility belts, what new technologies are going to enhance our senses?
I used to make a Batman/Borg comparison to look at how we add versus integrate technology into our lives, but I think everyone will be doing more and more of both. The questions going forward are how much do we add, how reliant do we get, and how different will we be as a result? Would 2024 me even recognize the integrated capabilities of 2044 me, or will that future me be as foreign and advanced as a person from 1924 looking at a person in 2024?
I’m excited about the possibilities!
Dean Shareski asks,
Is Generative AI “just a tool”? When it comes to technology, the “just a tool” phrase has been used for decades. I understand the sentiment in that it suggests that as humans, we are in control and it simply responds to our lead. But I worry that this at times, diminishes the potential and also suggests that it’s neutral which many argue that technology is never neutral. I’d love to know what you think, is Generative AI “just a tool”?
My quick answer is ‘No’, because as Dean suggests tools have never been neutral.
Here are some things I’ve said before in ‘Transformative or just flashy educational tools?‘. This was 13 years ago, and I too used the term, ‘just a tool’:
“A tool is just a tool! I can use a hammer to build a house and I can use the same hammer on a human skull. It’s not the tool, but how you use it that matters.
A complimentary point: If I have a hammer and try to use it as a screwdriver, I won’t get much value from its’ use.”
My main message was, “A tool is just a tool! It’s not the tool, but how you use it that matters.”
I went on to ask, “What should we do with tools to make them great?” And I gave 6 suggestions:
This evolved into a presentation, 7 Ways to Transform Your Classroom, but going back to Dean’s question, first of all I don’t think technology is ever neutral. I also think that technology need not be transformative yet always has the potential to be so if it really does advance capabilities beyond what was available before. So the problem is really about the term ‘just’ in ‘just a tool’. Nothing is just a tool. Generative AI is not “just a tool”.
We respond to technology, and technology transforms us. Just like Marshal McLuhan proposed that the communication medium itself, not the messages it carries, is what really matters, “The medium is the message”, the technology is the transformer, it alters us by our use of it, it is the medium that becomes the message.
Generative AI is going to transform a lot of both simple and complex tasks, a lot of jobs, and ultimately us.
What does this mean for schools, and for teaching and learning? There will be teachers and students trying to do old things in new ways, using AI like we used a thesaurus, a calculator, Wikipedia, and other tools to ‘enhance’ what we could do before. There will also be innovative teachers using AI to co-create assignments and to answer new questions, co-write essays, and co-produce images and movies.
There will be students using generative AI to do their work for them. There will be teachers fearing these tools, there will be teachers trying to police their use, and it’s going to get messy… That said, we will see more and more generative AI being the avenue through which students are themselves designing tasks and conceiving of new ways to use these tools.
And of course we will see innovative teachers using these tools in new ways…
How different is a marketing class when AI is helping students start a business and market a product with a $25 budget to actually get it going?
How different is a debate where generative AI is listening and assisting in response to the opposing team’s rebuttal?
How different are the special effects in an AI assisted movie? How much stronger is the AI assisted plot line? How much greater is the audience when the final product is shared online, with AI assisted search engine optimization?
Technology is not ‘just a tool’. We are going to respond to Generative AI and Generative AI is going to transform us. It is not just going to disrupt education, it’s going to disrupt our job market, our social media (it already has), and our daily lives. Many other tools, will not be just like the tools that came before them… changes will be accelerated, and the future is exciting.
‘Just a tool’ is deceiving and I have to agree with Dean that it underplays the possibilities of how these tools can be truly transformative. I’m not sure I would have said this 13 years ago, but I also didn’t see technology being as transformative back then. Generative AI isn’t a flash in the pan, it’s not something trendy that’s going to fade in popularity. No, it’s a tool that’s going to completely change landscapes… and ultimately us.
After a couple days of busy holiday prep and celebration, I have had an absolutely lethargic day today. It took me hours to get off the couch and actually do some exercise, and now I’m feeling too lazy to go shower.
In an hour I’ll head to a nearby lake that’s lit up and enjoy a walk with my mom and kids, then it’s home for leftovers… and that’s my entire day!
Sometimes a lazy day is a good day, and today is one of those days. I did my cardio, I stretched, I did a long, single set of triceps… and I’m back on the couch writing. I was actually napping for about 20 minutes between paragraphs.
Too many days like this would make me feel unproductive, but today I am cherishing in the slow, lazy pace. If I get up to board games with my family tonight that will be a highlight. If we just spend the evening in front of the TV that would be fine too.
Sometimes doing nothing is a pleasant luxury.
I grew up in a small Jewish community in Barbados. It seems like an odd place for Ashkenazi Jews to be located, but there is a Jewish cemetery on the island dating back to the 1400’s.
However we weren’t Jewish, we were Jew-ish. I shared this previously,
And as for being a Jew, I think most Jews would say that I am not Jewish. You see, Judiasim is a matriarchal religion and my Grandmother, my Mother’s Mother, is to this day a Catholic. She was happily married, a role model marriage like few I’ve seen, to my Jewish Grandfather until he died.
So my mom grew up with a Christmas tree and told my dad that having a Christmas tree was something she and her kids had to have. My dad, esoteric rather than religious, was fully on board. In my childhood there were a lot of jokes about our Hanukkah bush (Christmas tree), and my dad’s favourite joke, telling the more Jewish members of the family that they could eat the Christmas ham because the pig was circumcised.
No matter how I look at it, Christmas, Hanukkah, Pass-over, and Easter were no more religious than Thanksgiving. They were opportunities for family to gather and to celebrate each other’s company.
So no matter what your faith, or what holiday you celebrate this time of the year, have a wonderful time with family and friends.
Cheers to you!
Today was a good food prep day. We are hosting my mom as well as my sister and brother-in-law and their kids for dinner tomorrow, and the making of the feast started today. I haven’t cooked a turkey since some time before we moved to China back in 2009, and with the guidance of one of my secretaries, I decided to try a brine.
That’s what I started my day with, then went on to make two family recipes I’ve never done before. First was our baked stuffing, and then my mom’s baked peas & rice. Working side-by-side with my mom, we spent most of the day in the kitchen.
The stuffing is ready for the fridge until tomorrow, and the rice is coming out of the oven before I finish writing this.
There is something special about traditional family recipes that make them a treasure to eat. I remember the first time I had Christmas at a girlfriend and her parent’s house, and being totally disappointed that I didn’t have ‘our’ stuffing, ‘our’ corn pie, and ‘our’ rice (there wasn’t even rice, just mashed potatoes). I was so disappointed!
Since then I’ve lived provinces away from my family for 30 years, and I’ve gotten used to new foods and new traditions. But tomorrow… Tomorrow I get to feast on some family favourites, and maybe even start a new tradition with brined turkey.
Happy holidays and happy feasting! I hope everyone gathering over the holidays will get a little taste of home. 💜
In video games there are opportunities to power up and replenish your resources. Health and strength are increased and the character is ready for more/new adventures.
After an exhausting week I needed a power up and I got it through sleep. I was passed out on the couch at 7:30pm last night, and I don’t remember anything until I got up just after 2am to brush my teeth. Then I was out again until about 5am. Now I’m up, feel wide awake, and ready to start my winter break.
It feels good to reach this point and only need an early bed time to replenish. There are times when I, and many educators, get to this point and crash and burn. So many times we reach a holiday break and then wake up the next day sick. Our bodies are too drained and we hold on just long enough to get to the break and then our system crashes.
That’s a hard way to start a break. Your body powers down and says, “I’m out… give me a few days to refuel and recharge.” Luckily that’s not the case for me this time. I had a nice extended sleep and I’m ready to go!
I think my commitment to starting my day writing and exercising are a big part of me getting into power up rather than power down mode. I start each day with a couple personal accomplishments and that sets my day up. No matter how tired I am, or how long the week feels, I give myself a daily power up so I don’t drain my batteries so much that I need to power down to replenish.
Going back to the video game analogy, I keep my health line out of the red and so when I power up I’m in the green zone. I’m not letting myself get too drained and staying in the red even after a power up.
Let the holiday break begin… I’m ready!
My wife is a pretty awesome human being. I have so many reasons to feel lucky that she said ‘Yes’ when I proposed to her on a beach in Ucluelet many years ago.
One thing that I often marvel at is how generous she is in showing appreciation to others. She labours and worries about giving just the right gift. And she writes more thank you notes than anyone I’ve ever met.
Me? Not so much. But I’m learning. The hard part is that sometimes I’m a slow learner. I get stuck in between the knowing/doing gap. I know that there is a big difference between being appreciative and showing appreciation, and yet I don’t always show my appreciation and gratitude.
And with that I thank you, dear reader. Thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts with you. Thank you for giving me a tiny part of your day. Thank you for the comments and likes on my Daily-Ink social media posts as well as on my blog. And thank you for the in-person comments about reading my blog.
Those small interactions are part of my own personal growth and recognition that these moments of appreciation we share enrich our lives.
Thank you!
