Monthly Archives: January 2020
#SundayThoughts
Maybe the problem is I’ve been asking what I want to do with my life when I don’t even know what I want to do this week.
The Great Hack
When I was buying a house, I cannot tell you how many mortgage lender, realtor, etc ads i had seen since I had started house shopping.
If they can pay to target me with new home ads when they know I am shopping for a new house, then they can target you with divisive extremist ads for the left or right political spectrum to cause you to become emotionally charged at “the other half” of the American population.
You’re a liberal?
Suddenly you are seeing memes with stats on how conservatives hate college and want to take away higher education.
You’re a conservative?
Suddenly you are seeing memes with stats on how liberals want to take away your guns.
Then our liberal/conservative friends naturally are appalled with how “the other half” of the American population thinks. They share this meme. And the next one. And the next one. *gasp* Republicans want to murder immigrants *share*. And the next one. And the next one. Suddenly walls of people who you know and love are also sharing these extremist views because they are scared of “the other half” of the American population.
Even if they aren’t sharing this information – they are seeing it.
And Subconsciously they go…
Go watch the Netflix documentary “The Great Hack”. The manipulation is real and it is scary.
Tell me what you think in the comments.
2019 Bucket List Recap
New year, new me can be replaced with new decade, new … ? I’ve got nothing. So this is 2020. Anyone feel different?
Well Happy New Year (again) 🎉🥳
Without further ado, here is what I did in 2019:
Completed Items:
Completed in 2019:
Get Engaged (2019)
Get a puppy (2019)
Okay, so neither of those things were on my list before… and sadly I’ve got nothing to move up. Maybe 2020 will be a year of “more”.
Previously completed bucket list items:
Buy a house (2018)
Learn 100 Basic American Sign Language Signs (2018)
Go For Walk in Central Park (2018)
Have a Picnic in Central Park, New York (2018)
Attend a Broadway Show (2018)
Eat Fish and Chips in London (2018)
Eat Greek Salad in Greece (2018)
Eat Olives in Greece (2018)
Build a Website (2018)
Complete a Painting in One Day (2018)
Become a Programmer (2018)
Learn a Computer Programming Language (2018)
Know the Alphabet Backwards (2017)
Attend a Beach Bonfire (2017)
Complete an Online Class (2017)
Attend a Poetry Reading (2016)
Experience the Grand Canyon (2016)
Get a Self Portrait in Italy (2016)
Go on a Gondola in Venice (2016)
Go Shopping in Milan (2016)
Go to Egypt (2016)
Climb a Pyramid (2016)
Cross Country on a Train (2016)
Visit the Grand Canyon (2016)
Eat Pasta in Italy (2016)
Attend a Cirque Du Soleil Show (2016)
Be Photographed Beside the Pyramids of Giza (2016)
Have a Cup of Coffee With a Stranger (Achieved 2015)
Dine in the Eiffel Tower (Achieved 2015)
Be Smiling in a Random Persons Photo in the Back (Achieved 2015)
Jump into a Fountain (Achieved 2015)
Drink Champagne in France (Achieved 2015)
Drink Guinness in Ireland (Achieved 2015)
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin, Ireland (Achieved 2015)
Eat Chocolate in Belgium (Achieved 2015)
Eat Crepes in France (Achieved 2015)
Get Lost in a Foreign Country (Achieved 2015)
Dance Like No Ones Watching (Achieved 2015)
Don’t Use the Phone For a Day (Achieved 2015)
Attend a Yoga Class (Achieved 2015)
Become an Early Riser (Achieved 2015)
Do a New Year Dip (Achieved 2015)
Do a Boudoir Photoshoot (Achieved 2014)
Cut my Hair and Donate It (Achieved 2014)
Become a Film Maker (Achieved 2014)
Fly a plane (Achieved 2014)
Be in 5 Magazines (Achieved 2014)
Eat Cajun Food in New Orleans (Achieved 2014)
Go Ice Skating (Achieved 2013)
Drive around Big Sur (Achieved 2013)
Cross-Country Road Trip (Achieved 2012-2013)
View the Golden Gate Bridge (Achieved 2013)
Drive Along Route 66 (Achieved 2012)
Drive Along the Pacific Coast Highway (Achieved 2012)
Drive from Home to the East Coast (Achieved 2012)
Go to Colorado (Achieved 2012)
Become a Runway Model (Achieved 2012)
Stay in Death Valley (Achieved 2012)
Eat a Lobster in Main (Achieved 2012)
Eat Ribs at an American BBQ (Achieved 2012)
Be a Vintage Model For a Day (Achieved 2012)
Be on the Cover of a Magazine (Achieved 2012)
Bake my Own Bread (Achieved 2011)
Incomplete Items:
Climb a Rock Wall
Drink Only Water For a Year
Achieve 1,000 Goals
Add a Picture /video/blog of all my Goals
Attend a 10-Day Vipassana Meditation Course
Attend an Inner Awakening Retreat
Be a Mentor to Someone
Be a Part of an Important Movement
Be a Part of Habitat For Humanity
Be Blind For a Day
Be on Stage in Front of Thousands of People
Be Part of a Disaster Relief Team
Be Part of a Peaceful Protest
Be Passionate About a Cause
Become Courageous
Become First Woman President
Break a Guinness World Record
Build Schools For Women and Girls in Developing Countries
Buy a Stranger a Meal at a Restaurant
Change Someone’s Life For the Better
Completely “Unplug” For a Week
Create a Travel Journal
Do 365 Random Acts of Kindness in a Year
Do a Buddha Meditation
Do a Favor For a Stranger on the Scale of “Pay It Forward”
Do a Twenty-Four Hour Silence
Do Charity Work Abroad
Do Something Crazy For Charity
Do Something New Every Month For a Year
Do Something Nice For a Homeless Person
Do Something Nice For Someone Who Will Never Find Out
Coast to Coast Train Trip
Couchsurfing in 10 Countries
Cruise Around the World
Cruise Mexico
Cruise the Caribbean
Cruise to Alaska
Cruise to Antarctica
Drive Around Australia
Explore Africa
Explore Asia and the Far East
Explore Australia and New Zealand
Explore the Amazon Rainforest
Explore the Desert on a Camel Safari in India
Explore the Galápagos Islands
Get a Lei in Hawaii
Go Backpacking Through Europe
Go on a Real African Safari
Go Swimming in the Dead Sea
Go to a Big Medieval Fair
Go to a Big Time Movie Premiere in Hollywood
Go to a Cherry Blossom Festival in Japan
Go to Brazil
Go to China During Chinese New Year
Be Time Magazine’s Person of the Year
Become a Cheese Connoisseur
Become a Freelance Writer
Become a Published Author
Become a Supermodel
Become a Translator
Become a Travel Writer
Become a Wine Connoisseur
Become an Author a Successful Blog
Travel By Seaplane
Backpack Across Europe
Backpack Across South America
Backpack Across the Himalayas
Backpack Appalachian Trail
Backpack South East Asia
Backpack Trough Australia
Backpacking Through New Zealand
Camp in the Backyard
Travel the Amazon River
Climb a Mountain
See the Northern Lights
Hike in Nepal
Visit Yosemite National Park
Hike Machu Picchu
Bake a Cake For Someone For No Reason
Cook 30 Recipes from 30 Different Countries in 30 Days
Cook an Entire Meal from Another Culture
Eat a Gyro in Greece
Eat a Six-Course Meal That I Prepared
Eat a Traditional Food from Every Country
Eat Apple Strudel in Vienna, Austria
Eat Chinese Food in China
Eat Curry in India
Eat Maple Syrup Pancakes in Canada
Eat Mexican Food in Mexico
Eat Poi in Hawaii
Eat Sushi in Japan
Eat Using Chopsticks in Asia
Create Passive Income
Establish my Business Before I Turn 40
Gain Financial Freedom
Go an Entire Month Without Spending Any Money
Invest in a Stock
Invest in Gold
Invest in Real Estate
Invest in Silver
Invest in the Stock Market
Save $10,000
Stay on a Strict Budget and Save For a Goal
Attend a Presidential Inauguration
Attend a Sydney Opera House
Attend a TED Talk
Attend a Writing Class
Become Bilingual
Become Fluent in French
Become Fluent in German
Become Fluent in Italian
Become Fluent in Spanish
Complete a Course to Become a Photographer
Complete a Novel
Complete a Rubik’s Cube
Complete all the Books from ’1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die’
Do Crosswords Every Day For a Month
Do Sudoku Every Day For a Year
Get a Scholarship For University
Get a TEFL Qualification
Get Certified As a Lifeguard
Go on a University Exchange
Learn a Burlesque Routine
Learn a Form of Martial Arts
Learn a New Language and Speak It Fluently
Learn a New Word Every Day For a Year
Learn a New Word from an Unknown
Language Every Day For 30 Days
Learn a Trade
Attend a High School Reunion
Attend One Wine Tasting a Month
Create a New Family Tradition
Grow Old With the Love of my Life
Have 50Th Wedding Anniversary
Have a Romantic Flight in a Hot Air Balloon
Apply to Be a Jeopardy Contestant
Apply to Be an Amazing Race Contestant
Attend a Charity Ball
Attend a Concert As V.I.P
Attend a Film Premiere
Attend a Lantern Festival
Attend a Masquerade Ball
Attend a Paint Party
Attend Carnival
Be in Time Square on New Years Eve
Build a Snowman Taller Than Me
Celebrate the 4Th of July in Washington DC
Dance Salsa in Rio Di Janeiro
Dance With an African Tribe
Dine in the Dark
Drink a Glass of Red Wine in Chile
Drink Rum on a Caribbean Beach
Drink Tequila in Mexico
Act in a Movie That Hits Theaters Nationwide
Act in a Short Film
Appear As an Extra in a Drama
Appear in a Music Video
Appear on Television
Attempt a New Recipe Once a Month For a Year
Be a Part of New York Fashion Week
Be on More Than 4 TV Shows
Become Great at Playing Guitar
Build a Computer
Build a Functioning Solar Still
Build a Giant Sand Castle
Build a Gingerbread House from scratch
Live in a Log Cabin
Put together a complex Puzzle
Build a Sauna in my Home
Build an awesome Tree House
Build Affordable Green Communities
Complete a Wine Journal
Create a Children’s Book
Create a College Photo Album
Create a Documentary
Create a Publication
Put together a Scrapbook
Create an Iphone Application
Create Melted Crayon Art
Decorate a House
Capture a Tornado on Film
Circumnavigate the Globe By Sail
Climb to the Top of a Rope in a Gym
Cross a Country With Bicycle or By Foot
Do a Firewalking
Do a Polar Bear Plunge
Do Human Bowling
Go at the Top of the Highest Building of the World
Go Bull Riding
Go Dog Sledding
Go Go-Karting
Go Into a Zero Gravity Room
Go Storm Chasing
Go White Water Rafting
Go Zip Lining
Hang Glide
Have a Nascar Experience
Arrive at an Airport and Take a Flight Randomly
Attend a Beach Party
Attend a Mind Reading Show
Attend an Event at Buckingham Palace
Bathe In Chocolate
Bathe In Milk
Bathe In Oil
Be a Contestant on a Game Show
Be a Couchsurfing Host
Be a Flashmobber
Be a Member in the TV Audience
Be a Street Performer For a Day
Be a YouTube Star
Be an Extra in a Television Show
Be in Two States at Once
Be Inside an Igloo
Be Interviewed By Jay Leno
Be Interviewed On Oprah
Be Invited to the Playboy Mansion
Be Listed As One of People Magazine’s Most Beautiful People
Be Nude on a Nude Beach
Be on a Radio Show
Be on the Cover of Rolling Stone Magazine
Be on the Front Page of a Major Newspaper
Be on Webcam With Someone For Twenty Four Hours
Become Ambidextrous
Belong to a Secret Society
Blow Bubbles in the Rain
Buy Someone’s Groceries Just Because
Call Someone, Tell Them to Look Out Their Window, and Be Standing on Their Front Lawn
Celebrate my Birthday in Another Country
Change Clothing in a Phone box
Climb a Light House
Collect a Coin from Every Country I Visit
Collect a Jar of Dirt from Every State
Collect a Penny For Every Year I’ve Lived
Create a World Map With Pins of Where I’ve Been
Dance all Around the World
Dine at Sanyou Cave Hanging Cliff Restaurant, China
Do Everything With my Left Hand For a Whole Day
Do Something Absolutely Spontaneous
Do Something Unexpected
Don’t Talk a Whole Day
Draw Funny Faces on all the Eggs in my Fridge
Age of Censorship
Welcome to 2020. We just left the last decade of lies marketed as it’s prettier narrative “false news”. We start the new decade by media giants censorship under the guise of fact checking.
Censorship under the guise of fact checking.
If haven’t seen this censorship yet, here is an example post where Facebook blurs out the photo (like they do with flagged violent posts), where you can click to go to an alternate explanation of the photo or in small print you can reveal the labeled-false photo:
The site Africa Check site claims they have partnered with Facebook to combat fake news and false information on the social platform.
The site continues on that content rated as “false” by fact-checkers will be downgraded in news feeds meaning fewer people will see it.
I should lead with I am not against fact checking.
I would prefer instead of hiding the meme like it’s some violent crime that the fact check hyperlink was just present at the bottom of the image (where the ‘show picture ‘ icon is listed).
I also do not think Facebook should suppress the viral nature of a meme.
Whenever I am presented with information, I go to find articles about what’s being stated so it’s nice that one article is instantly available. I like having this option to think for myself, and not to have this false hope that people should trust Facebook all of a sudden for their “protection” *cough* censorship *cough* against false news
This is where I find the irony of Facebooks “third party fact checkers”. Facebook censors the viral posts of the general public, but are still okay with taking money for political ads forced into unsuspecting individuals news feeds that present false narratives to spin their own agenda.
To me it just feels like a false bravado of “oh look at me – I’m Facebook and I’m so socially responsible by flagging memes with lies in them…. just not the ones people pay me for”
Ashlee Karin 