Change, Take Two
I’ve been struggling with my online presence for the last year. It’s hard to explain, but it just isn’t working for me and I need a different approach.
AI Slop is Easy Money
More than 20% of YouTube’s feed is now “AI slop,” report finds | TechSpot
Not only are more than half the articles on the web created by AI, but over 21% of YouTube videos being shown to new users is “AI Slop.” That’s according to a new report, which also found that the US is in third place when it comes to consumption of these low-quality generated videos.
I am not surprised by this. As a long-time YouTube viewer I’m seeing a good amount of AI slop myself. But this is what worries me most about the rise of AI; people and/or companies wanting to make a quick buck with the least amount of effort possible are going to increasingly generate primarily low-quality content using AI tools…
One Simple Goal
As I look back on the lost year of 2025, I learned a lot about what’s important to me; faith, health, family, and close friends. This led me to give serious thought about what I want 2026 to look like now that I’ve been given a new lease on life.
Failure
You’ve no doubt heard at some point in your life that failure is not an option. There are times this holds true. But I also think there are times failure should be the only option.
Habits
Old habits are sneaky little monkeys. They work every angle they know to quietly slip back into the circus of our lives without us noticing.
What they rely on most is us caving in to their idea of “just this once” a time or two in order to become the norm once again.
Before we know it, we find ourselves right back where we started.
We need to keep a watchful eye out for these conniving monkeys.
App Defaults 2025
It’s that time of year where I and others look back at the macOS tools that made us productive over the last 52 weeks.
Eleven Pointless Facts About Me
I’ve seen these floating around in the different feeds I read lately, like Manu’s, Scott’s, and Kev’s.
Being one who has major fomo if I don’t join the fun, I had to share my own pointless facts. However, being the one-ups-man I sometimes am, I chose to throw in a bonus fact eleven for your enjoyment.
The Return to Work
The first week back at work. It could have been much worse…
Monday
My first day back was pretty low key. Tasks were mostly around getting access back to systems that were skipped in my reactivation.
The most important one missed was my building badge access. My set working hours are 7am to 4pm, which is an hour earlier than most. Fortunately, I was able to tailgate another departmental coworker in the door. We got this one fixed right away.
Taking a Break
I had a great email conversation with Manu the other day where we talked about the digital fatigue he’s been feeling lately. His approach to overcoming it was pretty radical, much more so than I think I’m ready for.
But if I’m honest, I too am feeling my own digital burnout after consuming it non-stop for the last few months while trying to fill my days doing so little during my recovery.
Changes
If you’re a regular visitor, things may look a little different all of a sudden.
Or if you read with RSS (you’re pretty awesome for doing that, btw), you might’ve noticed the site’s feed suddenly has a lot of older posts showing up as new in your reader, and all the little “thought” posts have suddenly vanished.
Well… It’s because I decided to make a change.
I’ve been running my apex domain (jimmitchell.org) on the Micro.blog platform for the last few years. If you or a friend ever needed a blogging platform, I would 100% recommend it.
Coming to Terms With Age
At 61, I’m transitioning from leading to mentoring. My career’s next phase is about empowering younger professionals, sharing wisdom gained over 45+ years, and creating a meaningful legacy.
Back to Basics
The most effective way to change an organization, a company or a relationship is to identify the invisible centering forces and address them.
As I start ramping up my return to work, I’m giving deep thought to how I can better approach the challenges in front of me with a minimum of stress.
A big part of that is going to be centered around asking the right questions in the moment instead of just reacting to them.
Back in the Saddle
I’ve been a little quiet the past month or so, but I’m back with a mnml update and a new plugin for mnml’s archive page…
Adding Insult to Injury
As I shared a week or so ago, I underwent an angiogram that found some really bad stuff and will require open heart bypass surgery in a week and a half.
Yes, I’m a little scared. But I won’t bore you any further with that one. It’s going to be a gnarly ride. I know I’ll come out aces on the other side.
Or… I won’t know.
Anyway. To add insult to injury, imagine my joy to learn as part of a post-procedure ultrasound of my neck that “significant narrowing” of my right carotid artery was also found.
Giving In
Learning to accept help is powerful. My mentor showed me that letting others support us matters—it connects us, makes them feel good, and reveals the unexpected depth of our relationships.