Smartphones - Friend or Foe?

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Today I thought I would talk about smartphones. I think that the smartphone is also some what of a totem or avatar for something that one might call the invasion of technology into our lives.

I say invasion but it could also be viewed as an augmentation of our lives. I think that whether something is benign and benevolent or on the other hand some sort of invasive species that must be curbed is an interesting question.

It seems that smartphones and all the relevant technology around them (wireless internet, cameras, etc) have the potential to provide us with real-life benefits as well as the potential for real-life negatives (like ignoring those around you).

If you spend

Sorry. I was just interrupted by my smartphone letting me know that someone had made an offer on one of my eBay auctions.

Through a Glass Darkly - On Improving Our Natures

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What drives the darker natures found in us humans? What drives us to do things that are not only counter to our God-given good natures but also cause us self-harm?

What drives someone to do something that would harm themselves?

That is the question.

I feel that deep down inside of all of use there is a dark swirling pool of what one might call “stuff”.

This stuff is made up of so many different things. It is made up of memories. It is made up of biases and emotions.

Piles of Pebbles - Living Better Each Day

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I think today I’ll write about what it is to be “in the world” and be surrounded by “life”.

As I was sitting at work and listening to some heavy metal music with some explicit words I began to think about what it is about life that makes us want to consume items that are ultimately harmful to ourselves.

I suppose you could chalk it up to human beings being inherently self-destructive beings but I don’t really think that is the case.

Back to Blogging?

I've been getting the urge to blog more and it seems that jimyounkin.com is probably the best place to do it.

In the past this blog has really been a place for me to dump posts and videos that I come up with from time to time.

I don't think that that will change much but I know that unless I start getting back in the habit of blogging the inertia will keep me from getting into the swing of things.

So what to write about? Well, that is a very good question. I recently completed a first draft of a book about technology in the first 30 years of my life.

I've also recently been older computers on eBay mostly Macintosh computers. I think that I've been doing it in service of nostalgia.

Nostalgia is a strong motivator. Many of the computers I've been buying have been ones I've had in the past.

I think I might want to write about those computers and my nostalgic experiences with them.

The Columbia House Music Club Was A Trap

The following is a small unedited excerpt from an unpublished memoir that I am currently writing. All text ©2016 Jim Younkin. Keep an eye out for the book sometime in the future.



A particular event that had a large influence on my cultural growth happened at this time: The Columbia House Music Club.



If you've never been in the Columbia House Music Club let me tell you a bit about it.

Cassette Tapes Were Serious Business

Image: stuart.childs

The following is a small excerpt from an unpublished memoir that I am currently writing. All text ©2016 Jim Younkin. Keep an eye out for the book sometime in the future.



Do you know what a pencil and a cassette tape have in common? Do you know what a cassette tape even is? Your answers the preceding questions will largely depend on when you were born.



I was born in 1977. The following is a reminder of the struggle all of us who grew up in the 80s had to go through to have our music.



I remember first starting my relationship with music when I was about 7 or 8 years old. I had a small radio cassette tape player and I remember listening to the radio at night and recording songs off the radio onto cassette tapes.