What's Inside This Mental Breakdown of Writing? Here, you'll find my wandering thoughts on economics, geopolitics, culture, technology, and daily ideas. Plus, I'll be dropping little peeks behind the curtain on my novel and nonfiction projects.
To ensure that ideas stick, they need to possess two essential qualities that resonate with people, prompting them to eagerly share these concepts with others. Simplifying complex concepts into a simple statement makes ideas more attainable and coherent.
Appealing to Our Natural Curiosity
Journalist authors, such as Malcolm Gladwell, craft captivating book titles to provide the idea that receives the attention it deserves. When presenting sticky ideas unexpectedly, they capture our attention by appealing to our natural curiosity for the unusual. We prioritize the unexpected and are…
Now, Signal Messenger is considered the gold standard for private, secure, and encrypted messaging.
In today's world, journalists are at risk of being killed for exposing the truth and challenging certain governments. Therefore, it is crucial for them to use the best encryption messaging systems to share their findings with the public. In 2023, approximately 45 journalists were killed for these reasons. Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an international non-profit organization, recommends that all journalists use Signal Messenger, regardless of whether they work in a modern liberal democracy…
There's a simple reason why people have been asking for encryption on their mobile and computer devices for the past 15 years.
The public wants privacy from governments, companies, and organizations. I have yet to meet one person who does not mind any of those three organizations prying into a person's personal or social life via their mobile device or computer device.
In the 1960s, '70s, and '80s, people were shocked to find out that specific government organizations and police services were using particular technologies for surveillance via telephone taps against specific individuals.…
In general, a debate occurs when people discuss different ideas and try to convince others that their ideas are right. It usually happens between two or more groups that disagree on topics/issues. Each group gives reasons why it's correct and responds to the other side's points.
A Form of Civic Participation
Debates serve as a form of civic participation in a modern liberal democracy by encouraging critical thinking, exchanging diverse ideas, and building informed decision-making. Debates advocate for change, hold politicians and leaders in businesses, education, and civil service…
Some ideas of creativity that I got from Seth Godin's books:
The Practice - Shipping Creative Work
The Dip - A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit and When to Stick
The change you seek to make, are you to make a contribution, or are you here to take something? Are you here to do what you are told, or are you here to question how to make things different for the better?
Are we going to wake up in the morning and think about how we are going to make a higher net profit on the stock market, or are we going to try to figure out how we can make a person in Southeast Asia or Africa…
Economists call technological unemployment—joblessness caused by automation, robotics, and generative artificial intelligence, which are becoming more prevalent, cheaper, and efficient in all industries.
Employees in all industries will face the following:
Rate of adoption
Nature of the tasks being automated
Ability of workers to adapt
Employee re-education and re-skilling
The legal profession is leveraging AI, which will provide insights and ideas on how to use AI in all industries.
Here are some ideas on how the legal profession will adapt to AI technologies.
Within a few years,…
Men's college D1 basketball UConn Huskies (32-3) remain the favourites to win the NCAA March Madness National Championship.
One team I hope will upset UConn in the final is my cousin's alma mater—the powerhouse Indiana team, the Purdue Boilermakers.
Purdue has a top-ranked senior center, Zach Edey (7.4ft. Canadian), who is #1 in points and #3 in rebounds and is a definite first-round pick in the upcoming NBA draft.
Purdue also has an outstanding sophomore point guard, Braden Smith. In his senior high school year, this baller was named Mr. Basketball Indiana as Indiana's best point…
Thrilling movies often captivate viewers with plots involving unethical use of social engineering by law enforcement.
Real-world Issues Surrounding Justice
We find ourselves on the edge of our seats, hoping for the protagonist to outsmart the "bad guy," who happens to wear a badge. These narratives show the dark side of policing, where individuals abuse their power to manipulate evidence, target specific individuals, and bypass legal safeguards. While these scenarios make for gripping entertainment, they also shed light on real-world issues surrounding justice, civil rights, and public…
Ternary societies, specifically European clergy, nobility, and commoners, spread the groundwork for contemporary capitalist societies and the current inequalities.
Wealth Divide
While these structures have developed, discrepancies continue in today's capitalist societies. Capital remains heavily concentrated, with a small fraction of the population controlling excessive resources, creating a wealth divide seen in historical nobility.
Inherited Privilege
Likewise, inherited privilege continues to shape opportunities, as those born into wealthy or influential families often have…
You're surfing the internet and checking your emails, and suddenly, you receive a message claiming to be from your bank, requesting your login details to 'verify your account.' You might think it's legitimate, but be smart!
Scammers like to fake a trusted company. This is an example of phishing, where they trick you into giving up personal information such as passwords or credit card numbers.
Another fake tactic is pretexting. Scammers pose as friendly tech support agents or bank representatives, spinning a convincing lie to get you to reveal your identity.
Physically, a scammer might…
Sometimes, discussing with individuals with a different perspective than ours can feel like hitting a brick wall. However, if we work towards achieving a common goal, we can have productive conversations even in the most challenging circumstances. Instead of competing against each other, let's find common ground and collaborate.
We can achieve success when we focus on the things we share or the goals we both care about. Those conversations that initially seemed impossible can be transformed into stepping stones toward understanding and progress.
My kôhkom used to say, "Changing someone's…
Imagine a classroom where teachers and students flourish like canola in a well-tended Alberta prairie field, each yielding a plentiful harvest of knowledge and growth rooted in strength and resiliency.
Sustainable teaching focuses on long-term effectiveness and success.
Teachers thrive. Students grow.
It's about creating a balance that prevents teacher and student burnout.
Cultivates interdisciplinary learning.
Building an understanding and knowledge of real-world problems with diverse solutions.
Place-based and project-based learning
Lessons from textbooks are applied to…
As noted in the previous blog post, informal economies can help a certain number of people within a developing nation or an economy in transition.
However, a large informal economy can hamper and disrupt government policies and regulations.
In fact, all four industries within an advanced economy—primary (extraction and agriculture), Secondary (manufacturing and construction), Tertiary (services like healthcare and education), and quaternary (knowledge and information sectors)—can be destabilized by a grey economy or, as some authors suggest, a collaborative economy.
Whenever an individual…
Numerous benefits exist in the informal economy...
A shadow economy assists individuals who are unemployed in the formal job market, offering employment opportunities to marginalized or less-skilled workers who might otherwise struggle to find formal jobs.
Many of these "under the table" jobs are flexible, helping individuals with busy family or college life schedules and accommodating working hours and arrangements.
A subsistence economy encourages entrepreneurship by simplifying the process of starting businesses. It also encourages innovation and creativity while minimizing government…