My first wife (and mother of my children) Denise is a smart and talented author. I still remember the first time she asked me to read an early copy of her work. She never let me do it again.
That being said, she recently released a new book, Earl, Honey. The book is loosely based on the real story of her family history. I enjoyed it. It's a southern coming-of-age story set in the 1920s – which is not my typical genre. Nevertheless, it's a poignant story with insight into the human condition, and its dramatic realities remind us how good we have it.
It's a story she learned, first via her grandmother, long after the events of the book take place. Those events shaped the lives of generations of her family.
It's a tough and heart-wrenching Southern Gothic read that covers incest, domestic abuse, and more. Check it out.
Here's the book's blurb from Amazon:
"Ever since Pa hit him in the head with the two-by-four, Earl had lived with blinders on. Not real blinders, of course, because that would be foolish. It was his own brain that blinkered him."
Earl Hahn is slow, the last one to catch on to things. Since the day his father hit him in the head with a 2×4 of loblolly pine, he's struggled with a "thickness in his brain." It takes him longer to make the connections others arrive at easily. When his father is prosecuted for the crime of incest, it feels like deliverance for Earl, his mother Lizzie Belle, and the entire Hahn family. Unfortunately, his father's abhorrent actions are not done exacting a price.
Everyone in the household will pay for their patriarch's crimes – no one more than Earl.
So begins a powerful coming-of-age tale about a shy, damaged boy who must overcome unimaginable personal tragedy – both as its victim and its perpetrator. Raw, honest, and filled with heart, Earl, Honey recounts an extraordinary search for redemption amid the perilous world of the 1920s American South.
History may not repeat itself exactly … but it often rhymes. News stories, however, seem to replicate.
There is nothing wrong with your television. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are now controlling the transmission. We control the horizontal and the vertical. We can deluge you with a thousand channels or expand one single image to crystal clarity and beyond. We can shape your vision to anything our imagination can conceive. – The Outer Limits (1963)
It almost feels like an episode of Black Mirror, watching these stations quote the same pre-determined diatribe on fake news and its danger to our democracy.
The very message they are purportedly supporting, in the video above, directly contradicts their actions.
Most people realize this happens to some degree, but it seems different when presented like this.
I believe I am reasonably aware and somewhat immune from propaganda. That probably isn't as true as I'd like to believe.
Meanwhile, Sinclar Broadcast Group owns nearly 200 stations in 80 different markets and wants to buy more. That is a powerful platform to deliver mass messages and influence the zeitgeist of its audience.
It used to be true that winners wrote history (think empires, wars, etc.). Now, the one that delivers the most broadcast narratives shapes the emotional and seemingly logical responses to what we perceive to be happening around us.
The result impacts elections, financial markets, buying choices, and countless other areas of our life.
We see and hear it every day about politics, wars, economic issues, and many other things we don't focus on enough to notice.
As A.I., Bots, and social media grow, our ability to discern truth from 'truthiness' weakens. Especially with the growth of deepfakes.
To those of you with young children, here's a peek into your future.
After years of hard work and your best efforts (OK, mostly your best efforts) … I predict that your adorable bundles of joy will someday wish they could send you this card.
So, take a moment to think about your Mom … and remember that she was very young when she did those things to you …
… and what you make them mean is up to you.
Here's a funny clip from SNL in honor of Mother's Day.
Hope you celebrated all the important mothers in your life. And, to the mothers, I hope the people around you recognize how much you sacrificed for them.
A little over a week ago, a deepfake of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was used to try and convince Ukraine's soldiers to lay down their arms and surrender against Russia. On top of being shared on social media, hackers got it onto news sites and a TV ticker as well.
While it's not explicitly known that Russia did this – there's a long history of Russian cyberwarfare, including many instances of media manipulation.
Luckily, while the lip-sync was okay in this video, several cues helped us know it was fake.
Unfortunately, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Many deepfakes aren't as easy to discern. Consequently, as we fight wars (both physical and cultural), manipulated videos will increasingly alter both perceptions and reality.
Even when proven to be fake, the damage can persist. Some people might believe it anyway … while others may begin distrusting all videos from leaders as potential misinformation.
That being said, not all deepfakes are malicious, and the potential for the technology is attractive. Production companies are already using it to splice in actors who might have aged or died into scenes in movies. Deepfake technology can also be used to allow a celebrity to sell their likeness without having to waste their time doing all the filming necessary to produce the intended finished product.
Deepfake technology also allows us to create glimpses into potential pasts or futures. For example, On July 20th, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed safely on the moon. They then returned to Earth safely as well. What if they didn't? MIT recently created a deepfake of a speech Nixon's speechwriter William Safire wrote during the Apollo 11 mission in case of disaster. The whole video is worth watching, but the "fake history" speech starts around the 4:20 mark.
"Fate has ordained that the men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay on the moon to rest in peace." – Nixon's Apollo 11 Disaster Speech
“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped.“ – Orwell, 1984
In an ideal world, history would be objective; facts about what happened, unencumbered by the bias of society, or the victor, the narrator, etc. On some level, however, history is written by the winners. Think about it … perceived "truth" is shaped by the bias and perspectives of the chronicler.
Consequently, history (as we know it) is subjective. The narrative shifts to support the needs of the society that's reporting it.
The Cold War with the Soviet Union was a great example. During the war, immediately thereafter, and even today, the interpretation of what transpired has repeatedly changed (both here and there). The truth is that we are uncertain about what we are certain about.
But while that was one example, to a certain degree, we can see this type of phenomenon everywhere. Yes, we're even seeing it again with Russia.
But it runs deeper than cyber-warfare. News stations color the story told based on whether they're red or blue, and the internet is quick to jump on a bandwagon even if the information is hearsay. The goal is attention rather than truth.
Media disinformation is more dangerous than ever. Alternative history can only be called that when it's discernible from the truth … and unfortunately, we're prone to look for information that already fits our biases.
As deepfakes get better, we'll likely get better at detecting them. But it's a cat-and-mouse game with no end in sight. Signaling Theory posits that signalers evolve to become better at manipulating receivers, while receivers become more resistant to manipulation.
I'm excited about the possibilities of technology, even though new capabilities present us with both promise and peril.
Meanwhile, "Change" and "Human Nature" remain constant.
As a fund manager, I am always looking for ways to eliminate emotions (like fear and greed). During crazy times, like these, that is harder than seems.
But as a father whose son just got married, the equation was different. It's been six years since I originally shared this video; but as we near their wedding anniversary, I re-watched this video … and decided to share it again.
One of my son's instructions to the "Officiant" was to make me cry. I made it through the Ceremony; then, I got a chance to say a few words at the Wedding Reception. Here they are …
The words "I love you" are powerful. Most people consider it an expression of emotion. It can also be a promise …
It's always exciting for me to watch the Cowboys make the playoffs. Meanwhile, yesterday, the San Francisco 49ers ended the Cowboys season in the first round of the playoffs.
Only one team can win the Super Bowl. I know that. Yet, most seasons, somehow, I expect the Cowboys to have a real chance. That form of hope and wishful thinking comes with being a fan.
Whether you like football or not, one thing we can probably agree about is that geriatric white dudes shouldn't rap. At least … that's what my kids tell me when I try.
Unfortunately, Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones, didn't get the memo.
In 2017, I shot my first video with Alan Olsen. Alan is a wealth manager to the ultra-affluent. His American Dreams show is immensely popular with the High-Net-Worth demographic in Silicon Valley.
Alan's show is about finding your path in life, and what it takes to make businesses thrive through adversity and challenging times.
In my first video with him, we talked about defining a meaningful life. We started by talking about my career path from a young lawyer to spending over 25 years running tech companies … and the lessons learned along the way.
The main issue addressed during the video is how you can best get what you want as the world changes and forces like AI terraform the world and your role in it.
It's worth watching.
Ultimately, I believe AI is simply another vehicle freeing human nature. As AI does what humans used to … you have an opportunity to choose what to do with the freedom you get. Will you relax or lift your gaze to something better? The choice is yours.
Similarly, some will want to direct new AI capabilities towards things they want to monetize better. Others will want to weaponize AI. Still others will use it to spread peace and love.
You've seen it with nuclear power (and a host of other technological capabilities) … tools aren't good or bad in and of themselves – it is what people use those capabilities for that determines their impact.
