Fake videos on social media, news about aliens living in our oceans, even congressional hearings… It seems everywhere I look there are reports about aliens from outer space.
Disregard the click bait title, and watch ‘The UFO Movie THEY Don’t Want You To See’.
It’s a full dose of scepticism, based on science. Whether you believe there are aliens visiting us, aliens too far away to visit, or that we are alone in the universe… it’s worth an hour and a half of your time to watch this documentary.
I’ve watched a couple movies recently that were both the telling of a stories that were very influential on a global scale. The movies are Tetris and Air Jordan. These are both so iconic that I don’t need to give further explanation.
Both movies are worth watching. They share the backstory you probably didn’t know about a pivotal contract signing that made these products a worldwide phenomenon.
I’m not that much of a fan of these based-on-true-stories movies, and so it was a pleasant surprise that I enjoyed both of these films. Perhaps it’s the fact that these two movies don’t glorify serial killers or dig into crime scenes, which are the kind of stories that dominate this genre. And so these two movies are uplifting, and I really enjoyed them both.
Spend an hour and a half watching Social Dilemma on Netflix.
The section on fake news about an hour into the show is truly alarming. Fake news travels 6 times faster and further on Twitter than real news. Think about that as a battle against or for Truth. It’s an unfair fight.
Polarization is growing because polarized messages feed the attention algorithms better than centrist views and ideas.
Your social media feed isn’t designed to give you what others get, it’s catered to keep your attention. Your attention is the product. Social media sites vie for that attention and then sell it to the highest bidder… and the highest bidders are not just shoe companies and consumables, the highest bidders are wanting to influence the next video you see, and the next idea that moves your thinking where they want.
If you use social media, you are not in control of your own attention.
One day I’ll share the story of how I got my nickname in water polo. It was in a game that didn’t matter in the standing at Nationals, but it mattered to me. I wanted to win.
I was a defensive player, not a playmaker, or a goal scorer. I wasn’t talented, but rather a hard worker… and I always wanted to win, and was willing to do what needed to get done. I’ll share the full details another time, but I was reminded of this today and wanted to bring this idea up.
I just finished Episode 7 of The Last Dance on Netflix.
‘The Last Dance is a 2020 American sports documentary miniseries co-produced by ESPN Films and Netflix. Directed by Jason Hehir, the series revolves around the career of Michael Jordan, with particular focus on his last season with the Chicago Bulls.’
I don’t know if anyone had both the desire to win and also the ability to put themselves into ‘the zone’ and perform at their peak like Michael Jordan did. This got me thinking about the athletes that I worked with as a coach. If they showed this drive during the game, they usually showed it elsewhere too.
In the past 20 years I’ve seen a drop in competition and opportunities to compete (beyond sports) in school. With most sports seasons cancelled this year, its even more obvious. I also see a huge increase in anxiety from students put into competitive situations. I’m not saying we need to create win-at-all-cost opportunities in schools, but I think we need to keep some level of competitiveness in schools. Things like the YELL Entrepreneurship Venture Challenge pit students from different districts against each other in a Dragon’s Den style pitch-off. The students put everything on the line and often aspire to pursue their ideas beyond the competition.
We need to foster teamwork and collaboration and maximize participation in schools, but we also need to create situations and scenarios where competition and competitive drive are encouraged. We need to allow the Jordan’s in our schools the opportunity to excel in their areas of passion, not just on sports fields, but in academics too.
