Deep Fake

 I don’t know about you, but I find it more and more difficult to see the devastation now being launched at Ukraine. The most poignant photo was certainly the one of the empty strollers in a city square representing all the Ukrainian children the Russians have killed so far. It brought tears to my eyes and everyone else, I’m sure.

            Like many older individuals, I remember the Vietnam War – the first televised war -- with the images of destruction and death seen daily on television. It did not impress me much – I was quite young and it was all so far away. Today, however, with the war against Ukraine things are different.

We’ve all been saddled with a pandemic which made us come to accept that all humans are interconnected because of today’s ease of information and travel. While the war against Ukraine may also be a televised war, it is much more ominous when we realize how far and quickly it is escalating.

            However, another distressing thing this war has brought to the surface is deep fakery. It means essentially changing the comments of individuals and reposting them with the help of technology on social media as the truth. Experts can spot these fakeries but they say it’s getting harder and harder to keep up with all of them.

            Some words that have been put in Zalenskyy’s and Putin’s mouths were not true but were accepted as truth by viewers. I find that terribly scary for the future. As technology continues to evolve how much of a problem will deep fakery become? I mean, innocent people could be framed with fake videos, not to mention a slew of other scenarios.

            That could essentially mean that technology may well become its own worst enemy, thus the need to be more vigilant and aware of the source of our information. I think we should make an effort to talk to young people so that they are aware of the need to question what they see on social media. The truth may not always be what is being thrown at them now and in the future.

 

Positivity

Winter certainly had an impact on all of us. There was ice on the sidewalks, road conditions were accident-causing disasters, and snow had to be shoveled. 

            Some people take it in stride: “We’ll survive, we always do,” to the more negative approach: “Why do have to suffer so much?” It’s clear that winter was no fun, but I think that the right attitude makes life more pleasant all around. Take my friend Wayne’s remark: “Sure it’s cold, but all we have to do is dress for it. Those who have to leave their homes and take refuge in another country to escape war are so much worse off than we are.” Wise words indeed!

            A positive attitude can impact so many areas of our lives. I was reading recently that experiments have proven that being positive can have a beneficial impact on bone health. It appears that bitching and feeling miserable because of things we can’t change makes us produce more cortisol, a stress hormone that can negatively impact our bodies and even contribute to bone loss. Something for boomers to consider as bone health becomes more crucial with age.

            But that’s certainly not the only reason to get into the habit of being more positive. Research has shown that positive people have all sorts of advantages over negative people. Here are a few: they are more resilient when facing stress and challenges; they make overall better decisions; in the workplace they get more raises and promotions; positive people have better marriages than negative people; and best of all they live longer.

            Things to think about as we wait for spring.

 

 

 A New Day

Obviously I was unable to get back to my blog in January. The explanation is simple: I spent the first month of the year in hospital fighting pneumonia, and that stay extended into February. Fortunately I am slowly getting back to my old self.

            The experience brought home the dedication of health care personnel. I had never been in intensive care before and I was amazed how closely I was being monitored around the clock. It seems there was always someone in my room wanting to make certain I would get better. These devoted people deserve our admiration because they are facing the many challenges that have sprouted from the pandemic.

            These challenges may be with us for some time because, if I understand correctly, covid will continue to be on our radar in some form for the foreseeable future. That means that health care workers will continue to be so very essential for all of us because we never know when our health will falter. I certainly never believed that I would get as seriously ill as I did.

            But life is somewhat devious, is it not? We can never bet on what’s ahead. However, amazingly, each day is a new day and we can only hope that it will be better than the one it follows.

             It’s a new day: smile and enjoy.

           

The Unexpected

You’re going along just fine when you suddenly have to face a bump in the road. In my case it was an unexpected hospital visit that lasted longer than I would have liked, but that’s life. Fortunately, the problem is behind me and I’m looking forward to better days.

            One thing I learned is that we are not in charge. We cannot predict, foresee or know when the unexpected will come our way. All we can do is accept and make the best of it.

            Luckily my setback was solved before Christmas, so I am more fortunate than a lot of people, and very grateful.

            My break from my blog will continue until mid-January.

            In the meantime, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and lots of love and joy in the New Year.

 

New Talent

Recently, I heard a commentator discuss the results of a poll which to him—and to me—indicate a radical change in society. The poll showed that many young people today have no clue how to do some of the basic things older folks have always done, such as preparing a decent meal or sewing or knitting.

Traditional skills are being lost to the changing face of society. Why learn to cook when you can order out or quickly heat up frozen meals in the microwave.? Why learn to sew or knit when clothing made in developing nations is so cheap and easily available?

In just a couple of generations, priorities have shifted. My mother—just like yours, I’m sure—had skills that the world is quickly forgetting. We lived on a large farm, and she canned vegetables from the garden as well as fruit from our trees for our winter meals. She found time to mend clothing and sew some of our clothes during the long winter months.

Of course, my mother didn’t waste time updating her social network profile! Her entertainment was a little more basic—it was the radio. I remember that it seemed to be on all the time. She kept up with the news and comments of the day, and was entertained by the music, while her imagination made the most of listening to actors reading radio plays. When I talked about radio plays recently, my grandchildren were at a loss to understand what it was exactly. “You mean, no pictures?” No pictures, just your imagination! What a concept!

But the radio is far from dead as an entertainment medium, even in this age of computers and all sorts of hand-held devices keeping everyone connected all the time. More and more well-known people take to the airwaves with their own podcasts. We can only hope that radio drama will also resurge. In a world where video is taking so much space, it’d be nice to see imagination having room to prosper.

 

 

 

 

Thinking green: New vs Old!

As we face disastrous climate changes that are becoming the norm everywhere, it is easy to see that the earth is mad. In fact, it is not only mad it is furious! It is telling us to clean up our act – and quickly.

The other day I heard someone say that “in the past people didn’t care for our environment.” Really? “Yes,” the person said. “People didn’t bring reusable bags to the store for their groceries.” Perhaps not, but they mostly carried their purchases in paper bags that were reused in the home.

And back then, instead of plastic bags milk came in bottles that were washed, sterilized and refilled so they could be reused over and over. Back then people washed the baby's diapers instead of throwing them away. When my children were born I used a diaper washing service, a lot cheaper than buying the throw-away kind. Today, diaper service companies are starting to make a comeback – thank goodness, I say.

In the past, people dried clothes outside on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine. Wind and solar power really did dry clothes.

People like my mother and my grandmother respected nature and little was thrown away. For those who lived through the Great Depression reusing and recycling was second nature. Clothing was mended instead of going in the landfill, and when it became no longer wearable companies would use woolens to make blankets, the rest was used for rugs. Household appliances were repaired instead of people buying new ones. Today, it seems that appliances, big and small, are made to break down and be replaced by newer models. No wonder we’re in trouble!
             Back then, there was one TV or radio, in the house, not a TV in every room.  Back then, they didn't fire up an engine and burn gas just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.
              They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty instead of using plastic bottles. They refilled their pens with ink instead of buying new ones, and they replaced the blades in razors instead of throwing them away. And they didn't need a computer to receive a signal beamed from satellites out in space to find the nearest pizza joint!

            Our grandchildren may have to pay a high price if each of us, including our leaders, continues to ignore the message the earth is sending. It will continue to be mad and the future will indeed be bleak for the generations that will follow us.

 

 

 

 

        LEST WE FORGET!