Tag: online

Posted in Freedom Friday, Other Things

Distractions

Posted on by Jack Flacco

An amazing thing happens when I cut distractions from my life. I write books.

More distractions on the way.
More distractions on the way.

A long time ago, I used to be a Twitter junkie. I couldn’t go two minutes without checking my newsfeed. Somehow, I found someone tweeting about their latest experiment with Mentos and coke fascinating. My DM feed was worse. It became a hodgepodge of ads from folks who wanted me to check out their offers for the latest diet fad, the most affordable bank loan or the cure for the ebola virus.

Facebook had me scrolling through reams of baby photos, birthday greetings, wedding announcements, graduation congratulations, college tuition woes, car crash images, death notices—you name it, I was there. And what would a newsfeed be like without the required charity pitch? California didn’t seem dry last summer when folks were pouring buckets of ice water over their heads.

It doesn’t end on the social networks either. Visiting a news site required me to install ad-blocking software on my browser to prevent me from clicking on related articles dealing with cooking, time management, of all things, and anything else you can imagine as taking an extra few minutes of my day in a senseless pursuit of useless facts.

Now that's a big oops.
Now that’s a big oops.

Add the hours I had spent surfing online “researching” favorite dog toys or best practices in lawn manicures—you had yourself a dull Jack.

Humor aside, it didn’t take long for me to change once I realized I had fallen into a spiral of mediocrity. At the time, I wasn’t writing nor was I thinking about anything that I was doing. I was going with the flow. Surfing. Not ruffling feathers. And any other cliché you’d like to stick in there to illustrate being trapped in the throes of everyday life.

Once I tallied the amount of time I was actually spending with the distractions, I had no choice other than to confront my time-wasting ways.

What happened? I changed. Just like that.

How? Simple. Imagine taking a vacation every week and that vacation turns into quality time with family, friends, and to pursuits that you’ve always put aside because you felt you’ve never had the time to enjoy them.

Now, imagine if you will, actually acting on that idea.

That idea is about taking one day and dedicating it to none other than yourself. Scary, huh? Pretty terrifying, don’t you think? Guess what? It is scary. It is terrifying. How can one do that with the bills to pay, the kids to shuttle back and forth, the meals to prepare, the laundry to wash, and the shopping to bring home? How? Theoretically, it’s impossible.

And you know what? It is impossible.

But once I had decided I needed a change, to cut the distractions, and live a more productive life away from the online world, all of a sudden I had time to do anything. Those little slivers in between tasks where I would have sneaked a tweet, read a Facebook entry or pressed a like button had disappeared, replaced by a meal with the family, a trip to my kids’ recital or simply a talk with someone I love.

That one day in the week I’m now disappearing from the online world has become the day I look forward to the most.

By the way, don’t forget today and tomorrow are the last days to pick up your FREE copy of my first book Ranger Martin and the Zombie Apocalypse from Amazon. It’s my gift to everyone who has stuck with me for the past three years, putting up with my banter while I lost my mind writing the conclusion to the Ranger Martin trilogy due out October 20.

Distractions

What about you? Do you dedicate a day away from the online world? Are you thinking about if?

Posted in Monday Mayhem

The Machines

Posted on by Jack Flacco

What if the machines do attempt to take over the world? What would become of humanity. Would there be an upheaval so great among mortals that the machines wouldn’t have anything else to do other than to surrender? Or, would the machines simply exterminate humans from the face of the earth in hopes of never having to deal with us again?

"I think computer viruses should count as life. I think it says something about human nature that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive. We've created life in our own image." ~Stephen Hawking
“I think computer viruses should count as life. I think it says something about human nature that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive. We’ve created life in our own image.” ~Stephen Hawking

Since the beginning, Monday Mayhem has always been about seeing the other side of the equation. In this case, today’s post will concentrate on explaining the “what if” scenario. What if one day the machines do take over the world?

The cold, hard truth about today’s society is that no matter how anyone looks at it, we cannot escape the reality of being connected. Whether by computer, laptop, tablet or phone, society’s dependence on machines is secure.

For instance, when walking into a restaurant, the first thing to happen is a server helps with customer seating. From there, a computer records how many occupy a booth or table, what the table orders, special menu items and seating arrangements. Should Liam, who is sitting at the far side of the table, have an allergy to peanuts, the computer would flag the order and tell the chef to hold any products made with nuts, as Liam requested.

"Never trust a computer you can't throw out a window." ~Steve Wozniak
“Never trust a computer you can’t throw out a window.” ~Steve Wozniak

Another scenario has a worker in Alaska patching a leak inside an oil pipe while the computer holds the safety doors shut preventing the flow of crude from carrying the worker to an untimely death.

And a last scenario places a crowd of thirty thousand at a hockey game. The computer owns the details to the people attending, the condition of the exit doors, and the placement of security throughout the arena. Via the cameras, the computer even knows who leaves and when.

What if the computer gains sentient life and decides humans are a step lower than the machines? The premise to The Terminator movies is just that. The machines achieve self-awareness and, in turn, attempt to take over the world.

Can it happen?

Who’s to say it hasn’t already happened?

As mentioned, one would find it difficult to escape from being connected. Cell phones are almost in everyone’s pocket—computers that can tell where someone is, what they are thinking, and even measure heart rate or whether the user is asleep or awake.

The scary part? What if a glitch in an operating system gives way to the God particle, but on a digital level. The God bit. For those familiar with the concept, it would mean that no matter how much we believe we have absolute control over computers, the computers may have one element we may not be able to control.

Yes, it is farfetched. Nowadays though, the best way to destroy a life wouldn’t be for the computer to add nuts to Liam’s dish, or for it to let loose the floodgates, or to gas a hockey arena filled with thirty thousand people.

Not at all. The computer’s strategy? Simple. Allow humans to do what humans do best. Allow them to destroy themselves. Nothing the computer can do would compare with what humanity can do to itself. All the computer has to do is plant the seeds and wait.

Have a look at the Ashley Madison hack and how many people felt the fallout of their indiscretions. Last count?

Thirty-nine million.

If one were to work within those parameters, one would admit the machines are winning.

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, on sale now.
RANGER MARTIN AND THE ALIEN INVASION, on sale now.
RANGER MARTIN AND THE SEARCH FOR PARADISE, on sale October 20.

What do you think? Do you think the machines have too much control over human life? Do you think they are already winning?

Posted in Freedom Friday

Heads Down

Posted on by Jack Flacco

This week has been interesting, don’t you think? Monday, I talked about my binge watching ways of The Walking Dead episodes from AMC. Wednesday, I wrote about Rick Grimes, a small town sheriff’s deputy who finds himself in a real-to-goodness zombie apocalypse. And today? I’m not sure. Perhaps I can talk about zombies, but I have something else on my mind. Forgive me if I go off on a tangent for the next few minutes. Bear with me, folks.

Heads DownFreedom Friday wouldn’t be the same without me observing something and not telling you about it.

Recently I took the train into the city from my own small town, and although I’ve noticed this before, I’ve never written about it. Seems this is common, and since purchasing an iPhone 6, I’m finding I’m doing the same thing. What am I talking about?

Heads down.

You know what I’m talking about.

Walk into any coffee shop, bus station or simply sit on a park bench. It’s there.

Heads down.

Terrible, isn’t it? There was a time I could stand in line or sit in a waiting room at the doctor’s office where I could strike up a conversation with someone there, talk about the weather, the latest sports scores or anything really. Not anymore.

Heads down.

Even going out to have a meal with the family. Instead of folks paying attention to their menus they’re doing other things that have nothing to do with either the meal or the conversation at hand. In an effort to remain connected, have we disconnected? Well?

Heads down.

I used to love sitting in a movie theater before the feature presentation. I went through the rite of passage of easing the seat back, putting my feet up, and joking with my friends about the silly, stupid things in life that makes us who we are. Hairstyles. Clothes. Talk.

Talk. Talk. Talk.

Not anymore.

Heads down.

It’s silly, isn’t it? We’re living a world where never have we had it so easy to talk with someone, yet we’re still alone.

Train ride. Coffee shop. Bus station. Park bench. Standing in line. Waiting room. Eating out. Movie theater.

What about it? Did you have your head down while reading this?

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, on sale now.
RANGER MARTIN AND THE ALIEN INVASION, on sale now.

Have you noticed it, too?

Posted in Freedom Friday

Social Media Vacation

Posted on by Jack Flacco

The other day a friend of mine asked me where I’ve been. I responded with the “what do you mean?” question. They said they hadn’t seen me around lately and was wondering if everything was all right. I said I was right here. They stated they hadn’t seen me online recently. “Oh, that” is what I said, and then explained that I was taking a planned social media vacation. They looked at me as if I was crazy.

Time for a much-needed vacation.
Time for a much-needed vacation.

I’m not crazy.

A planned social media vacation is exactly as it sounds—time away from the social scene in order to appreciate life. I’ve been planning this for a while, and now that I have a few projects with long timelines in the works, I figure it’s the perfect time to exercise my right to disappear.

Let me explain this in more detail for today’s Freedom Friday post.

I love this time of year. I really do. I’ve written about it countless times, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone. I’m into the whole fall/winter thing—bundling up in my favorite coat, mitts and toque—visiting friends and having a grand ol’ time along the way.

I’m not regretting it. I’m actually enjoying it. I’m in the process of reading three books, watching two TV series, and catching up with a list of summer movies, that if measured, I would estimate it running the length of my arm.

What’s the best part about it? I’m spending more time with the family and less time online, which makes for the perfect segue to mentioning how staying offline keeps my perspective in check. I know I sound like a repeating loop, the kind you hear in one of those awesome rap music videos, but I have no other way to describe it.

How do some folks have time to chat/tweet/message for hours at a time online while life slowly passes them by? It’s beyond my comprehension. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with hopping online to spend minutes posting a few “how-are-you’s” and “thank-you’s”—but all day? Sorry, I’m daft that way. You’ll have to explain it to me.

Here’s a snapshot of my social media life for the next few months: Log into facebook, like and comment on my notifications, and post a link to my latest WordPress post. Log out. Log into Twitter, favorite and comment on my mentions, and post a link to my latest WordPress post. Log out. Quick and simple. No lingering.

I suppose I’m passed that phase where I’m chasing it.

Maybe I’m not taking a social media vacation after all. Maybe, just maybe, I’m taking an anti-social media vacation where I don’t feel guilty for not responding right away to every notification I receive.

Whatever it is, I know it’s the best thing ever.

Dare I say it? Why not try it out, you might like it.

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ALIEN INVASION, on sale now.

Have you planned any time away from the social media scene? If so, what are you planning to do with that time?