"Digital minimalism is a philosophy that helps you question what digital communication tools (and behaviors surrounding these tools) add the most value to your life. It is motivated by the belief that intentionally and aggressively clearing away low-value digital noise, and optimizing your use of the tools that really matter, can significantly improve your life."
– Cal Newport
No matter which way you click, it’s been a hell of a few anxious weeks in the news cycle. In Canada, we’ve experienced a veritable pile-on: civic elections, provincial elections, and a referendum about having a referendum. Internationally, there was an election in Israel to keep an eye on, rioting in Paris, and now, the…
Have you stopped laughing yet? I’m aware I have a well-documented propensity for putting wild-coloured streaks in my hair. The relationship app Replika, though, couldn’t have known that. All I told it was that I’m a 73-year-old woman. I was curious about the popular AI companionship app, which describes itself as “The AI friend to do…
I’m still processing my feelings about AI after confessing in my last post that I love using chatbots to help me think, but I’m relieved I’ll probably be dead when the shit hits the fan over them. Naturally, I chose to examine my moral quagmire with ChatGPT and Perplexity. I also included my IRL chatbot—otherwise known as…
Recently, I watched the BritBox series The Other Bennet Sister, the latest television twist on Pride and Prejudice. Everyone, especially Mrs. Bennet, was understandably concerned about what would happen to her and their five daughters when Mr. Bennet died and the family home passed to the male heir. In the opening episode, Mr. Bennet seemed considerably less…
Writers are incredibly needy. We need a good laptop, a creativity-inducing place to sit, and a good cup of coffee to activate the brain cells. But most of all, we need reassurance. Lots of reassurance. We can turn to friends and family to read what we’ve written and lap up whatever gushing comes back about…
I opened our front door this morning, picked up our copy of The Globe and Mail delivered in the middle of the night, and without even removing the elastic band wrapped around it, dropped it straight into the recycling bin in our garage. Rodney’s away in the interior of BC this week, and as he’s the only…