“The Ruins” by Scott Smith explores the harrowing experiences of a group of friends who encounter deadly vegetation while vacationing in Mexico.

Briefing for a Descent into Hell: Mental health treatment in America often neglects patients’ dignity and rights, leading to experiences of dehumanization and inadequate care.

I’m a Horrible Person: The remembrance of 9/11 evokes thoughts of prisoners for the speaker, influenced by binge-watching “Oz” and developing a paranoia about prison.

9/11 Remembrance: Criticism arises over politicizing 9/11 remembrances, as families honor their lost loved ones while simultaneously praising controversial political figures.

The End of Humanity in 2020: The juxtaposition of Apple’s Marina Bay Sands store and the Rehoboam AI from Westworld highlights the contrast between real-world innovation and fictional dystopian technology.

AI and the Threat to Art: AI cannot replicate the human experience, and therefore it cannot truly create art. Psssst, I generated this summary with AI, and not only is it soulless and missing the post’s intent, but it had two grammatical errors

Photography Saved My Mental Health: 

So, I’ve been a deep, dark depression for over a year. I wanted to do nothing but sleep. I isolated, I didn’t eat, I barely left my room, I was happily sauntering down the knobby road of self destruction.

My psychiatrist was desperately trying to break my depression, changing medications each …

Desperation

Not a great photo, but shows the hidden desperation in late stage Capitalism. i took this at 2 am. He was rooting through my house’s dumpster. I dont know if he was looking for food or something else.

But what causes someone to become so desperate that they root through a dumpster? …

Desperation

Not a great photo, but shows the hidden desperation in late stage Capitalism. i took this at 2 am. He was rooting through my house’s dumpster. I dont know if he was looking for food or something else.

But what causes someone to become so desperate that they root through a dumpster? …

AI Writing: 

So I’ve been playing around with ChatGPT and Bing AI Chatbot. The tech world is abuzz about these AIs. Honestly, after playing with them, they suck. They provide wrong answers or no answers at all.

What concerns me though is that major institutions are thinking of using these AIs to write films and …

Those Who Remember Us: 

I wrote something for the first time in countless months. It’s for my next book. I don’t know if it’s any good, but hey, I wrote something.

This is how it went:

The skyline was beautiful on fire.

I remember your hair twisting in the breeze: thin, dark strands whispering in the …

Superman in my Mind: 

I wrote this for a magazine (Zathom) that gave you three words to use in a flash fiction piece.

You had to integrate the three words into your story and keep the word count under 60 words.

I titled it Superman in my mind and submitted it. I didn’t expect any response.

Apparently, Zathom editors …

AI and Existentialism : 

I think with the rise in AI creations and how the Singularity is becoming more and more a real possibility, we need to listen to James Gleick. He wrote The Information which explores “…how digital information is now being understood in relation to physics and genetics.”

Gleick is exploring how …

Kate Spade, Anthony Bourdain, and Suicide *TW*: 

It’s been four years since Anthony Bourdain committed suicide. The same for Kate Spade. Spade died on June 5th, 2018. Just three days later, Bourdain followed her. Tragedy is not the right word. Suicide is not tragic. It is filled with sadness, hopelessness, self-hatred, and love. Love for the …

Hospital Food: After six exhausting days in the hospital, a disappointing dessert of chocolate pudding instead of mousse was ultimately still enjoyable.

Perusing Old Photographs: Nostalgia for 19th-century photography is expressed through admiration for its unique qualities and a personal reflection on a lost ambition to pursue photography professionally.

Letter to my Anxiety: 

I’ve lived with you so long I don’t know life without being afraid. Because of you, I’ve missed out on so many good things in life I want to experience.

I want to go to concerts and music festivals. You keep me at home, making me feel ashamed and isolated. My iTunes account is so …

Briefing on a Descent into Hell: 

Author’s Note: I wrote this piece three years ago during a dark period in my life. Propublica picked it up when I published it on my Wordpress blog, using my experience as evidence of neglect. I am reposting it here since I am shutting down my Wordpress blog and want to keep my experience published. …

Changing Writing Apps: 

So my subscription to Ulysses ran out. I currently don’t have the money to renew (yes, I’m a broke ass chump), so I decided to use 1Writer again.

I still have to get used to it even though I used it constantly 3-4 years ago. The fact tha it’s on par with Ulysses but has no subscription cost is …

I am Asexual.: 

I’m Asexual. Yes, I know, I know. There is the gender parade tromping around in 2021 and uptight, confused people are mocking the myriad genders coming out.

I’m ignoring those people. If you haven’t had a cursory study of Alfred Kinsey’s Work, you have no business discussing …

Back to Wordpress it Seems: 

So a friend of mine noticed I’m pretty good with this online stuff. She’s wanting to start her own service of helping people with art therapy. Which I dig, I’m all into art therapy, especially for kids (whom are her main clients). And these kids produce some friggin’ amazing …

Another Boring Post From my Professional Blog: 

I managed to make it a full week at work. Which is surprising because, about four weeks ago, I was in the hospital with severe pneumonia and in the ICU. Five days in a grubby hospital gown hooked up to countless tubes, getting poked in the arm at 2 a.m.

I got used to the hospital staff rotating, …

Last.fm and Apple Music: 

So I signed up for Last.fm Premium for a year. I was hesitant as there isn’t a reliable way to scrobble my tracks with Apple Music.

I was using an app called Eavescrob, but it only scrobbled music in my library. And I listen to a lot of music that’s not in my library but I want added to my Last.fm …

Last.fm and Apple Music: 

So I signed up for Last.fm Premium for a year. I was hesitant as there isn’t a reliable way to scrobble my tracks with Apple Music.

I was using an app called Eavescrob, but it only scrobbled music in my library. And I listen to a lot of music that’s not in my library but I want added to my Last.fm …

The New Dark Ages: 

When I taught my English classes at the university, I taught my students critical thinking. I beat into them to question their sources and make sure the information they were presenting was factual and true. This was at the cusp of Wikipedia and the explosion of the internet. Smartphones weren’t a …

George Floyd’s Addiction : 

In the trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd—a catalyst that sparked a new civil rights movement—the prosecution and the defense are focusing intently on Floyd’s substance abuse struggle.

On the fourth day of Chauvin’s trial, the prosecution introduced Courtney Ross as a witness to …

George Floyd’s Addiction : 

In the trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd—a catalyst that sparked a new civil rights movement—the prosecution and the defense are focusing intently on Floyd’s substance abuse struggle.

On the fourth day of Chauvin’s trial, the prosecution introduced Courtney Ross as a witness to …

Why the Humanities Matter More than Ever: 

I’m obsessed with HBO’s Westworld. The show’s melding of philosophy and technology is something I’ve always followed and is always present in my writing. In fact, my first book dealt directly with the themes present in Westworld—a robot (or hologram in my story) programmed to be killed over and …