To have and to hold, for better or for worse …

I spent eighteen years as a professional dog walker, before retiring in the autumn of 2024. During that time, ‘technology’ continued to leap forward in great bounds like a playful golden retriever. However, it made no odds to my daily working life, other than my being able to order a delivered lunchtime pizza from my phone. *

*(This is mentioned for illustrative purposes only – there was no way I could afford pizza for lunch. And anyway, have you ever eaten pizza in front of several slavering dogs with pleading eyes? That’s one big guilt-trip right there.)

However, if you count my wee writing hobby as a ‘job’ – a very poorly paid, but fun ‘job’ – then I’d have to say technology in recent years has made a big difference.

For a start, technology has made me lazy. And for all its time-saving advantages, it has in many ways actually presented more time-related pressures.

Artificial Intelligence is wonderful, up to a point. I refuse point blank to use it for actually writing the content of this blog (it’s kinda obvious, isn’t it? 😉 ) or my attempts at books. However, what it does give me, is the ability to create wee, amusing cartoons and a programme that highlights over-use of certain words, punctuation errors and the like.

AI also helps big-time in research. For example, last week I disappeared down a rabbit hole of discovering what would be involved in inheriting a haveli in Rajasthan: what would be the tax implications; what grant funding would be available; the size of inner courtyards – all that sort of malarky. (Stay tuned, folks for my first attempt at a published novel. 😉 )

However, to a degree, I do miss spending my day in the Reference section of a large city library, poring through books to enhance my knowledge. And perversely, I feel compelled to use all that time saved by cramming more ‘stuff,’ more deadlines into my waking hours. I’m not really one for daytime television.

And … duh! ‘Technology’ has afforded me the privilege of entertaining you for these past couple of minutes.

But for every ying, there’s a yang. And that means you’ve just wasted another two minutes of your valuable time in reading this nonsense.

Never mind, time-saving ‘technology’ will help you balance it all out in the end.

🙂

#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #author #bookWriting #DailyBlog #Dailyprompt1889 #HowHasTechniologyChangedYourJob #humor #humour #technology #Writing

Ssssh! It’s a secret.

My secret skill is pretty amazing! Only a very few, select people in the world have this ability, or similar.

No. No, I’m not one of the Fantastic Four. Pah! ‘The Fantastic Four’ indeed.

And before you say it, I’m not a member of The Justice League. Or The Avengers either. Ha! Bunch of losers!

My secret skill puts all those dudes in the shade. My secret skill is …. a secret.

Come on Mr WordPress, your interrogation technique needs a bit of work, doesn’t it! . Do you really expect me to crumble to a polite request? You could at least threaten to tell my mum and dad and get me out on the naughty-step if I didn’t conform.

Sorry, but I’m gonna have to ‘take the fifth’ on this one. But don’t worry – when you need me, just form a hand into the shape of a rabbit head and big ears, shine a torch on it and project the shadow high into the night sky.

I’ll be by your side before you know it.

#aSecretSkillOrAqbilityYouHave #author #DailyBlog #Dailyprompt1887 #FantasticFour #humor #humour #Superhero #TheAvengers #TheJusticeLeague #Wordpress

Why is Bomber still giving this scammer a platform in 2026?

https://thedailyblog.co.nz/guest-blog-talk-liberation-panquake-founder-suzie-dawson-speaks/

Suzie Dawson has been collecting money from people and promising a groundbreaking social network for years now, and all Panquake has presented publicly is a social media dashboard, and a link shortener (in 2026 this is obsolete, as well as being a common tool of scammers). Both of these could have been built in an afternoon using unmodified code found on GritHub.

(1/?)

#SuzieDawson #Panquake #DailyBlog

GUEST BLOG: Talk Liberation - Panquake Founder Suzie Dawson Speaks - The Daily Blog

These days, interviews with Panquake founder Suzie Dawson are rare events. She has largely kept her head down while toiling away at the creation and scaling

The Daily Blog

#KieranMcAnulty loyally towing the Starmerist party line for Hipkins' ;

"If you're talking about the top end of town, then choose the other lot. If you're talking about everyday working NZers, then don't look at them, look at us. And if you give Labour the most votes then we'll have the most sway in govt, and we won't make the same mistakes that Luxon made and just give the small parties everything they ask for."

https://thedailyblog.co.nz/8pm-live-tonight-the-bradbury-group-with-kieran-mcanulty-on-labours-state-of-the-nation-matthew-hooton-david-cunliffe-and-quilae-wong-political-panel/

(1/?)

#podcasts #WaateaNews #DailyBlog #BradburyGroup

The Bradbury Group With Kieran McAnulty On Labour's State Of The Nation + Matthew Hooton, David Cunliffe And Quilae Wong Political Panel - The Daily Blog

A former Labour Leader, a NZ Herald columnist, the leader of a Political Party, the Shadow Leader of the House and a Marxist all walk into a bar.

The Daily Blog

Not a lot to report. Feeling a smidge less flare-y, so that's something. Still extra exhausted though.

Mainly, amused AF that Voldemom (as I call my narcissist mother) has managed to alienate yet another member of the extended family -- this time, my one of my siblings' partners. I can't feel sorry for VM, but I can for my siblings and their spouses/partners that she failed them as well.

Anyways. Gonna enjoy an extra dose of caffeine, curl up with games, and enjoy discount heat. We were able to switch to a new tariff with the heat pump, and there are periods of the day when the electricity is cheaper; we're in one of those right now, so smug discount laundry washing, ha ha.

#deardiary #dailyblog #cats #caturday #catsofmastodon #halothecat

https://myshetland.co.uk/a-lovely-day-3/

A day out on Bressay - small island next to Lerwick. Lovely to see somewhere different.

#myshetland #shetland #bressay #shetlandislands #dailyblog