Killing Distraction Potential

 So, I've decided to do an experiment.  What has spawned this experiment is an idea.  I'm frequently that person who will inevitably find himself watching YouTube as I am going to sleep.  However, I want to be clear that 90% of what is on my watch list is intrinsically informational or educational.  This is just a habit I've had with variances in intensity over the course of my adult life.

It's true, there's a lot of good information available on the internet.  There is a lot of good information on things ranging from how to cook the perfect fillet mignon and perform basic maintenance on a vehicle to video series covering a breadth of cerebral topics meticulously broken down into 10 minute easy to understand chunks.  I'm not going to be escaping the world of information any time soon.

I am going to disable the YouTube app on my phone.  I intend for this to prove something that I've been saying for years.  Namely that what seems like an insignificant action can really make a huge difference in the long game.  Disabling or removing an app, while keeping a subscription to an online service has the potential of improving what others critically say is our "relationship" with technology.

If we consider how the word relationship is used in our modern society I think it can't be used to describe our interaction with technology.  I assert that it is a lack of temperance or self control that impacts how much or little we interact with computer based systems.  This lack seems to manifest itself in the modern tendency to prefer escapism and be combined with a careless thrust of ourselves into less cerebral and purely frivolous activities.  What ever happened to occupying our "down time" with taking a walk or reading a book?

So, I am going to do three things:

1. Disable the YouTube app on my phone for the remainder of the month.
2. At times when I would watch YouTube (before bed, breaks at work, performing research) I will instead read a book or take a walk.
3. If I want to watch YouTube I will need to use a computer or the Chromecast device on my TV.

I'm not going to cut YouTube completely out of my life.  What I'm doing is better directing where I watch YouTube.  My hypothesis is that if I'm already in bed, why would I pull myself out of bed, walk to my office, boot up my computer, and launch my web browser?  I already know that I'll see this as a bunch of extra steps that I won't want to deal with.  So, also I'm banking on my preference to do things in the most effort and time inexpensive way.

Wish the best for me.  I'm sure this will require that I come back to write about this again.

Dumped Twitter

Twitter Logo

Today I deactivated my Twitter.  I didn't think twice about it.  I'm sure anyone who followed me won't realize I'm gone.

About 6 months ago I deleted Twitter off my phone as an experiment: to see just how frequently I pay attention to tweets and post.  The result:  I don't care about, or use Twitter enough to justify having a username on there anymore.

Let me take a quick second to reminisce . . .

When I first joined Twitter in 2009 (or was it 2008..?) it was one of those fun social media outlets where you could find pictures of everything you regretted the night before.  It was the college students safe haven where every perversion and virtue was churned out mechanically for the world to see.  There was no shame or repercussions for tweeting a drunk selfie that in the morning you'd regret.  Hash tagging was fun too as a way to search topics.  More often than not Twitter wasn't a place for any honest or serious chat.  It was just a platform for college students to brag and advertise where and how drunk they were.  Honestly, despite all else it was a quicker distraction that at least for me didn't turn into a rabbit hole.

It's just not fun any more . . .

Anyone who's still around on Twitter, or has been on Twitter in the last 5 years, can tell you that it's a total drama fest.  Everyone is pissed off at everything, offended by everyone, and trying to have serious discussion in 240 characters.  God forbid if you deviate so much as a millimeter from someone else's political perspective or don't have a rainbow emoji in your Twitter profile!

The worst is anything connected to #CatholicTwitter.  Ugh!  Don't get me wrong, there are many good and decent Catholics on Twitter who are examples of charity and civil conversation, however there is the much more vocal and darker side of Catholic Twitter that is hand over fist a cesspool of eternal drama and narcissism.  I speak as one who has been blocked by most of Catholic Twitter (something which at first I thought was a badge of honor.  Yeah, turns out it's not.)  You have Catholics who literally make their Twitter "brand" to uncharitably insult everyone who isn't Catholic, but when asked a question to discuss their post they return ad hominem attacks and sequentially block them.  And don't forget many of these took an eight month long pause (unless Pope Francis said or did anything) to campaign for Trump to the point where it just became annoying.

The cesspool goes deeper still with sedevacantists parading around pretending to be Catholic, an infamous Jesuit and a Bishop creating confusion and division among Catholics, and a self acclaimed traditionalist publication with a vicious, personal vendetta against a community of Catholic Priests and a few other Catholic publications.  Yeah, it's pretty deep.

It's time for me to jump ship . . .

As much as I miss the days of drunk tweets and all the regrets that came with it, I don't think Twitter is going to return.  I think at this point (gee, thanks Trump and all those who encouraged his tweets by replying...) it's clear to say that Twitter has become and exists now to enable those famished for drama and who like missing the point and conflating what they read.  The drunk tweets and regrets have now become a bad hangover and everyone is searching for relief by ripping each other apart, because that is what happy, well adjusted, and mentally healthy people do.

Ciao, Twitter!

Family Day

Now that I have a family some things have become more important - specifically spending time with my wife and daughter in a non distracting environment.  I say non distracting, because it would seem that in the world that I'm raising my daughter in is not lacking in distractions.  If it's not concerns with work and what immediately lies ahead on the daily agenda, then it's technology.  Interestingly, those who know me would be confused at this point.  Technology?  Really?  The self described technophile is concerned that technology is a distraction?  Well c'mon, I'm not naive!  As much as I enjoy working with and learning about and using current tech trends I'm also equivocally vigilant about how much of my life is spent basking in the warm, inviting glow of my phone, tablet, or laptop.  (As an aside, I make every effort not to abuse tech, however that's a discussion for a later time.)

I'm finding myself increasingly aware of the fact that it would be the best thing for my family if I'm not constantly checking social media, reading the news, drafting a new blog post, catching up on the latest research in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), or just aimlessly browsing until I land somewhere interesting.  After a lot of reflection on every pro and con and measuring how much time I really spend using such frivolous things as social media I've come to a simple conclusion:  It's time to set aside an entire day where I don't engage with tech - at very least keep it to a practical minimum.  Of course, in practice this can be complicated.  Look around you and it cannot be more clear: technology is used every day by every person.  This is why being practical about tech is just that much more imperative.  So, just like every goal I've ever set (I'll admit some goals I've set are more practical than others) I have to establish the ground rules, so as the Joker is quoted as saying in Batman: The Dark Knight: "So, here we go..."

1. No checking social media!  That witty response, meme, or group chat?  That can probably wait until the next day.  If it's the family group chat, that's allowed, because... it's family day.
2. The computer stays off!  My internet browser, while good at showing my email, agenda, and to-do list is also a temptation to sit for a while and stare at my social media feed (if I have nothing else to do).  That time spent staring and gawking at society's "epic fails" or shortcomings could actually be spent with family.
3. Phone calls and text messages are allowed, because it could be my boss trying to get a hold of me due to an emergency at work, or maybe a friend needs something urgent.

As I made clear the idea is to minimize my engagement with tech by taking one day out of the week and shifting my focus to something else.  I foresee actually being able to eventually sit down and a couple books that I haven't picked up in a while (books that I'd really like to dive back into!).  I could also see the time spent with family turn into breaking out a board game or even going for a walk (spring is coming soon... I hope!).  The end goal is to make a purposeful effort to give my family the time it very much deserves.  As far as what day that is?  Well, that's easy:  Sunday!

What I'd like to do is also encourage you to try the same.  (No, your family day doesn't need to be on Sunday, that's just what I've chosen.)  Don't try to just give up technology, as that would actually be impractical, and typically those who completely cut the cord with tech usually come off as conspiracy theorists who have a unfounded paranoid opinion linking the government and "Big Tech" as somehow trying to enslave the human race, or some other garbage.

What I'm encouraging here is a chance to take one day a week and do something fun that doesn't have to include technology.  All the advancements in technology are great and totally worth while, and often times extremely helpful, but we have to remember that just like a hammer, a car, or a pocket knife these are merely tools.  Sometimes, even your favorite tool is also allowed to have a day to rest from use.

That Moment When Art Imitates Life

Most of the time--and this is no exception--Dilbert makes a comic that literally parallels how life at work is.

Source

Reminiscence of Social Media Past

Recently, my wife and a couple of friends were discussing social media and how exhausting the internet, with all of its drama, has become.  The conversation eventually became a nostalgic guide through the late 1990s and early 2000s as well as a reminder of the "prehistoric" world that existed before Facebook and Twitter.

My Story...

Back in 1998 I was one of many thousands of people who had a LiveJournal.  LiveJournal was a blogging service filled with everything from the first fan fiction writings to the angst filled verses of amateur poets and song writers trying to express themselves.  Around that same time GeoCities was beginning to take off as the premier FREE website publishing server (now I think it's part of Yahoo! or something).  I had a GeoCities website which functioned as an outlet of my creativity and experimentation with HTML.  With a website or blog you didn't have a comment thread or any of that nonsense; you had this thing called a "guest book."  Across the web you could count on seeing the phrase: "Sign my guestbook!"

(Man it was a simpler time by comparison!)

Also at this time was a phenomenon called a "web ring."  Web rings were the thing that connected your website or blog to other websites or blogs.  To make your website/blog part of a web ring you would paste in an HTML code into your website.  Every time someone would find or visit your page they would be able to scroll to the bottom and click next and would immediately be taken to the next website in the web ring.  Eventually you could make it all the way around - hence the "ring" in web ring.  Web rings proved to be very useful for websites and blogs that had a common topic or interest.  I had a website (GeoCities) that was all about helping people learn HTML and was part of a web ring of the same topic.

All this was short lived though because something was emerging that would be the predecessor of all social networking:  Myspace.

Oh Myspace!  I set up my Myspace in 2003 and immediately noticed I could have a blog and website combined with a continuous comment thread!  It was the birth of the social network, although, at the time, no one I knew called it that.  The world of convenience was at your finger tips.  With Myspace users could "friend" someone and there was such a thing as having your top 8 friends.  It was a way that through blog posts, comments, and who your top 8 was that you could finally compare yourself to your friends.  The race for the most angst filled blog post and most edgy profile (profile songs too!) had begun!

In 2006 I received an invitation to join Facebook.  Since I was working as a college computer lab tech I was able to use my college email to sign up for Facebook.  Back then you could do more than just poke your friends - you could throw a sheep at them or even defenestrate them!  Facebook wasn't serious.  It was that thing you did to keep up with friends and brag about getting enrolled in classes.  When you signed up you had to belong to a "network" which meant that you had to have a valid university email address.

The rest as they say is history: Facebook eventually opened itself up, so now everyone and their five cousins and their grandma are on Facebook.  Heck, I've heard a rumor that some places have started Facebook classes that teach people how to use it!

What has it all become?

It seems anymore that not just Facebook, but all of social media has become an outlet for the very worst of society.  We have become as the sophists of ancient Greece, neither caring for, or much less interested in, what is true, real, and good.  Even our politicians (i.e. President Trump) have given in to and have enabled a culture of living within the borders of 280 characters.  Social media has indeed become competition what 20 years ago was considered normal social interaction.  And at what cost?  We hate each other!  Rather, we hate what we perceive through our narrow lens of social media.

On the contrary it must be said Facebook and Twitter have been great ways for me to keep up with family and friends who live far off.  I mean, it really brightens my day to know that a former colleague got that job he wanted, or that my niece is enjoying school, or that old acquaintance from class was finally proposed to by the man of her dreams!  All this is absolutely wonderful, and I enjoy all the positive.

If there's one thing I wish social media was more of an outlet for, besides catching up with friends, I wish that it provided a constructive forum where ideas weren't needlessly trolled or savagely shot down with prejudice.  Perhaps I'm just babbling incoherent thought vomit, but could it be that maybe this is something?  At least, I enjoyed a cathartic reflection of a time, not long ago, where things seems - at very least - a bit more civilized.

Guess I Crossed The Line?

As I'm sipping my coffee this morning and looking at my social media this morning I can't help but notice that I think I may have crossed over into a new phase of my life on Twitter.  As of the moment I've reached more followers than pages/people I follow.  So I guess that's something.

I've never kept track of, cared about, or taken notice of how many followers I have.  The way I see things on Twitter is the same way I see things on any web presence I have.  Blogs and social media are just outlets I use to express and give some semblance of life to my thoughts.

What does this even mean?  Have I accomplished something?

From my perspective all I think I can really say is, cheers to all those fine individuals who somehow find my rubbish in some way useful or tolerable in your day to day lives.  I'll try to keep things interesting.

To all those who find my rubbish nauseating at best or intolerable I ask, why do you keep watching on?  What have you come to see?

Why I Left LinkedIn

Those who know me won't be surprised to learn that after several years of inactivity I have left LinkedIn.  LinkedIn is a social network where you can post your resume and connect with others on the job market.

So, why did I leave?

Well, just as in other postings I've made, I'm cutting down on my social network usage.  With LinkedIn I had a profile set up with my work history and resume, and for a while it was cool to check in and see what new connections I was suggested.  Sure it was great when I received an endorsement on my skills ranging from public speaking to various tenets of computer knowledge, however I never actually used the site, and overall I was dissatisfied.

With all the jobs out there I've applied to - that give the option to apply with LinkedIn - it seemed redundant to import my information, and then fill out the exact same information that was on my profile.

Okay, okay, okay, I probably didn't take full advantage of LinkedIn.  You're right, I didn't.  I just didn't have the drive.  Overall, I've found better usage on job sites such as Indeed.com.  Also, I have a tendency to prefer the old fashioned way of applying for jobs: in person or directly through a company's website!

So, while you won't see me on LinkedIn there are a couple of ways to connect with me via a social network:

Twitter:  @noherp2012
My Twitter handle is used more often than even my Facebook*.  I've been on Twitter since 2009 and pretty much don't take it as seriously (although I've been known to post anything interesting or remotely controversial 😏).  So pretty much I just use it as an outlet for the random happenings of life (hmm, kind of like a 240 character blog post...) what in common parlance is called shitposting.  Seriously, if you're into that sort of thing I'm not going to stop you from following me on Twitter.

Google+:  Link to profile towards top
Pretty much the entire point of my G+ is to utilize a GSuite service that comes free with my email account (like Blogger, YouTube, Drive, Docs, Groups, Photos, Sites, Maps, Keep, Calendar...).  But over the years I've kept it geared more towards sharing and posting stuff relevant to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and connecting with other people who share that common interest.

*Disclaimer: I only accept friend requests on Facebook from people I have actually met in the real world.

I do occasionally pop in and out of Goodreads, but only when I'm updating my reading progress.  Quite frankly I find Goodreads a mere convenient interface to share with others what I'm reading.  Aside from that don't expect me to be on there frequently.

Alright, so I do enjoy a good tangent every now and again, and given that my blog here is more about free writing and life updates I don't feel ashamed for my endless tangents or rants (probably followed by some family and a couple of friends than a random stranger).

That's all for now!  Now to get back to taking care of that pesky laundry that never actually goes away.

Altering My Use of Social Media - Part 2

So, a couple months ago I decided to take the Facebook app off my phone. (You can read about my reasons here.) After a couple of months of not using Facebook on my phone I've discovered more than just some space and battery being saved.

From time to time I just get into a mood. A real mood. A mood to write, blog, tinker with a website, or practice my coding (C++). I have to be honest those notifications were getting in the way of things I wanted to do, and much more than I thought.

After seeing the results of two months without Facebook on my phone, I've decided to keep it off my phone. I'm still going to use Facebook, but I've discovered that I only use it to keep in touch with friends and share... well... pointless stuff. A lot of what I share on Facebook is a lot of inside jokes that only friends and family members understand, so that's also why I don't accept friend requests from anyone unless I've actually met them (you know, in like real life).

As much as I still use social networking I've found that my main outlet is Twitter or Google+. It's not that Facebook doesn't cut it for me, or that I don't find it entertaining. It's mostly the fact that the amount of time I spend on Twitter and Google is considerably less than what I spend on Facebook.

That being said, I've been able to find more time for blogging - which presently is my best medium for writing and getting my thoughts out. So, until next time...

Time to Get Organized

Hmm, well... so I have not blogged on here in almost a couple of years.  So, what has been going on?  Too much and not a lot.

So the other day while hanging out on Youtube I found a most exquisite, inspiring video.  It is from the Art of Manliness, an online website - and Youtube channel - aimed at helping men be better at being, well... men.  I will not spoil the fun of this video but it is definitely something worth considering if you want to be better organized.  If you have time, feel free to browse around their website and Youtube.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNxLNY6yxRI]

An Evening of Relaxation

I suppose one does not really know relaxation until they remove all distractions, at least for a few hours.  My room mate made a visit to the Newman Center, and with no intention or desire to visit the Newman Center this evening I took to finding something leisurely to do.  I could've watched Frasier or Cheers or any number of TV programs I normally go to when I'm bored, but I didn't.  (Gasp!  I know, right?!)  I decided to make attempts at reading Shakespeare or continuing my reading of Isaac Asimov's The Naked Sun (part II of the Robot series) and fell into making progress on Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.  Then I got an idea.  I grabbed some pino grigio, cheese, crackers, put on my classical station on Pandora, and then... just sat back and did nothing.  Well, okay I ate and drank, but other than that I did nothing.  And it was wonderful!

How strange it is that in this world of comforts such as Facebook, TV, mindlessly scouting the internet for whatever random things you can find, hanging out at a bar with friends, or seeing a movie, that I should find myself content just sitting in my apartment, listening to classical music and just soaking in the evening.  I can't remember the last time I felt so relaxed!  No passively just absorbing whatever the TV or a book wants me to absorb.  No restlessly searching for something new and exciting.  Just sweet introverted solitude.  Perhaps this is something everyone should make a point to pencil into our schedules from time to time.  To just shut out the world for a few hours and just exist.

Perhaps, however I'm being pretentious.  Perhaps I'm longing for some sort of "snooty" lifestyle that is beyond me.  Or perhaps, par chance, I've discovered a gold mine to let my mind wander, imagine, be swept away by crescendos and trumpet blasts, and just recreate for a while in a playground of playful ambiance.  This is definitely something I'm going to make a point of doing every now and then, because it's just so enjoyable!

XKCD Accurately Describes My Life

This is pretty much my life at the moment!

Source: https://www.xkcd.com/844/

What a Way to Begin Blogging!

I've been very much inspired by a great friend of mine who has helped me to realize and to acknowledge some of the problems with the world and how they impact my life. Also, this friend has greatly encouraged me to get back into blogging, something I haven't done since I left Myspace a few years back. And so I bring you things I dislike about the world...

1. When people think that they are better than everyone else just because they think that they are better than everyone else.
2. When people judge the messenger and not the message. Think about it... if the most deranged, narcissistic, immoral person stated that he was converting to Christianity and that Jesus is Lord, would we believe him? Afterall, if he says that Jesus is Lord, isn't that the truth? Does it really matter WHO speaks the truth? Or do we put people into boxes and thus limit their capacities?
3. When we deliberately place people into boxes of social prejudice just because they don't align precisely with our personal world view.
4. The fact that most people will not want to read to the end based on the content of the next statements and the above stated.
5. People who will admit that a person is intelligent and gifted but will avoid them out of fear or feeling inferior without getting to know the person. Think about it... if a person is THAT intelligent or gifted wouldn't it seem logical to get to know the person and thus perhaps risk gaining knowledge making you smarter?
6. When people who know the truth, know what is logical and intelligent, and acknowledge what is real do not act in accordance to it. Think about it... if you know that jumping off the Grand Canyon will kill you and you still (for the thrill of it) jump off the Grand Canyon without a rope or another safety device, doesn't that seem a little dumb?
7. People who ask questions and will not wait to hear the response but rather assume that what you have to say is not important.
8. People who make assumptions about other people based upon their social status, mental capabilities, or world views without hearing them out and getting to know them. See also #3.
9. People who learn one thing about another person and thus assume that they are not worthy of love.
10. The superficial and people who are satisfied with it.
11. The cliche.
12. The fact that over the course of my life I have been guilty of ALL of the above statements.

Know this: I am a Christian, but the worst sinner. I know the Truth, but sometimes do not live it. I desire to be a Saint, but sometimes feel more comfortable being wretched. I desire to evangelize to people the Truth, but sometimes only if I feel like they deserve it. I talk about the importance of temperance and humility, but sometimes pridefully allow myself to eat and drink myself sick. I talk about how we should pray always, but often will make excuses why not to pray.

I sin EVERY day, but I try with every chance I get to say with emphatic conviction: I confess to Almighty God, and to you brethren, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed.

So what's my problem with the world? Me.