Night mud, street lights on its pock pools. Sycamores weep water

God, forgive me for my sins. I’m so tired I can’t feel anything. Is there a penitent heart in there somewhere?

I’m sorry for all the sins I will commit, simply because I love the world too much. I confess that there is no love in me, and I am just as depraved as anyone else walking this Earth. Not even love for you. I cannot do anything good apart from you. I want to give up on trying to do that. Because I have realized that any act of mine, without being imbued and blessed by your love in my heart, is a worthless husk. Trapped by duty, trying to uphold biblical standards of perfection so I don’t sully your name or turn people away from Christ is actually doing harm to me and everyone else involved. I don’t need that in my life anymore. I need not plastic surgery to make my acts perfect, but I need you to give me a heart transplant.

I don’t think it’s even right for me to ask you for the heart to love others. Sometimes I’m just asking for it so I can be right in your sight, and not break rules, rather than because I’m in a state of distress that I cannot love those that I should. I am a selfish man, and I know to fear punishment from a holy God. I think I just need to want you, but even that is a heart that I cannot gain on my own, and even that is not a heart that is natural to me.

For some reason, Lord, you have given me faith. Definitely not because I am better than others, but for some reason I cannot understand. But you have started this journey through your grace, and now I realize that not a single step towards the goal can be taken without overbearing amounts of your grace. I believe in you enough to desire heaven and fear hell, but I confess I don’t love you like that. I realize that life is meaningless without you, but still I fill my heart with the pleasures of the world without seeking you. Many times, you have given me a new heart that has allowed me to desire you, and many times I have thrown it away, turned it as hard as stone again, so I could revel in the trifles of this world. I humbly ask you that you would again, give me another chance. If you wish. Up to you. I know I don’t deserve it.

⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: MILD SPOILERS

Embark on a thrilling journey with the Fantastic Four as they harness their newfound powers to save the world in their first epic adventure!

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½ (3.5/5 stars)

Overall, the movie was decent. The storyline and the cast were quite good. What I found less convincing was the attempt to merge the 1930s-1960s era with advanced technology and space travel. This combination didn't come across as believable. If retro-futurism was a deliberate choice for the society depicted in the film, it needed more explanation.

#review #movies #streaming

The paradox sits uncomfortably across conference tables in newsrooms, publishing houses, and creative agencies worldwide. A 28-year-old content strategist generates three article outlines in the time it takes to brew coffee, using ChatGPT with casual fluency. Across the desk, a 58-year-old editor with three decades of experience openly questions whether the work has any value at all. The younger colleague feels the older one is falling behind. The veteran worries that genuine expertise is being replaced by sophisticated autocomplete. Neither is entirely wrong, and the tension between them represents one of the most significant workforce challenges of 2025.

The numbers reveal a workplace dividing along generational fault lines. Gen Z workers report that 82% use AI in their jobs, compared to just 52% of Baby Boomers, according to WorkTango research. Millennials demonstrate the highest proficiency levels, with McKinsey showing that 62% of employees aged 35 to 44 report high AI expertise, compared to 50% of Gen Z and merely 22% of those over 65. In an August 2024 survey of over 5,000 Americans, workplace usage declined sharply with age, dropping from 34% for workers under 40 to just 17% for those 50 and older.

For organisations operating in media and knowledge-intensive industries, where competitive advantage depends on both speed and quality, these divides create immediate operational challenges. The critical question is not whether AI will transform knowledge work but whether organisations can harness its potential without alienating experienced workers, sacrificing quality, or watching promising young talent leave for competitors who embrace the technology more fully.

Why Generations See AI Differently

The generational split reflects differences far deeper than simple familiarity with technology. Each generation's relationship with AI is shaped by formative experiences, career stage anxieties, and fundamentally different assumptions about work itself. Understanding these underlying dynamics is essential for any organisation hoping to bridge divides rather than merely paper over them.

The technology adoption patterns we observe today do not emerge from a vacuum. They reflect decades of accumulated experience with digital tools, from the mainframe computing era through the personal computer revolution, the internet explosion, the mobile transformation, and now the AI watershed moment. Each generation entered the workforce with different baseline assumptions about what technology could and should do. These assumptions profoundly shape responses to AI's promise and threat.

Gen Z: Heavy Users, Philosophical Sceptics

Gen Z presents the most complex profile. According to Adweek research, 70% use generative AI like ChatGPT weekly, leading all other cohorts. Google Workspace research found that 93% of Gen Z knowledge workers aged 22 to 27 utilised at least two AI tools weekly. Yet SurveyMonkey reveals that Gen Z are 62% more likely than average to be philosophically opposed to AI, with their top barrier being “happy without AI”, suggesting disconnection between daily usage and personal values.

Barna Group research shows that whilst roughly three in five Gen Z members think AI will free up their time and improve work-life balance, the same proportion worry the technology will make it harder to enter the workforce. Over half believe AI will require them to reskill and impact their career decisions, according to Deloitte research. In media fields, this manifests as enthusiasm for AI as a productivity tool combined with deep anxiety about its impact on craft and entry-level opportunities.

Millennials: The Pragmatic Bridge

Millennials emerge as the generation most adept at integrating AI into professional workflows. SurveyMonkey research shows two in five Millennials (43%) use AI at least weekly, the highest rate among all generations. This cohort, having grown up alongside rapid technological advancement from dial-up internet to smartphones, developed adaptive capabilities that serve them well with AI.

Training Industry research positions Millennials as natural internal mediators, trusted by both older and younger colleagues. They can bridge digital fluency gaps across generations, making them ideal candidates for reverse mentorship programmes and cross-generational peer learning schemes. In publishing and media environments, Millennial editors often navigate between traditionalist leadership and digitally native junior staff.

Gen X: Sceptical Middle Management

Research from Randstad USA indicates that 42% of Gen X workers claim never to use AI, yet 55% say AI will positively impact their lives, revealing internal conflict. Now predominantly in management positions, they possess deep domain expertise but may lack daily hands-on AI experimentation that builds fluency.

Trust emerges as a significant barrier. Whilst 50% of Millennials trust AI to be objective and accurate, only 35% of Gen X agree, according to Mindbreeze research. This scepticism reflects experience with previous technology hype cycles. In media organisations, Gen X editors often control critical decision-making authority, and their reluctance can create bottlenecks. Yet their scepticism also serves a quality control function, preventing publication of hallucinated facts.

Baby Boomers: Principled Resistance

Baby Boomers demonstrate the lowest AI adoption rates. Research from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers shows only 20% use AI weekly. Mindbreeze research indicates 71% have never used ChatGPT, with non-user rates of 50-68% among Boomer-aged individuals.

Barna Group research shows 49% are sceptical of AI, with 45% stating “I don't trust it”, compared to 18% of Gen Z. Privacy concerns dominate, with 49% citing it as their top barrier. Only 18% trust AI to be objective and accurate. For a generation that built careers developing expertise through years of practice, algorithmic systems trained on internet data seem fundamentally inadequate. Yet Mindbreeze research suggests Boomers prefer AI that is invisible, simple, and useful, pointing toward interface strategies rather than fundamental opposition.

When Generational Differences Create Friction

These worldviews manifest as daily friction in collaborative environments, clustering around predictable flashpoints.

The Speed Versus Quality Debate

A 26-year-old uses AI to generate five article drafts in an afternoon, viewing this as impressive productivity. A 55-year-old editor sees superficial content lacking depth, nuance, and original reporting. Nielsen Norman Group found 81% of surveyed workers in late 2024 said little or none of their work is done with AI, suggesting managerial resistance from older cohorts controlling approval processes creates bottlenecks.

Without shared frameworks for evaluating AI-assisted work, these debates devolve into generational standoffs where speed advantages are measurable but quality degradation is subjective.

The Learning Curve Asymmetry

D2L's AI in Education survey shows 88% of educators under 28 used generative AI in teaching during 2024-25, nearly twice the rate of Gen X and four times that of Baby Boomers. Gen Z and younger Millennials prefer independent exploration whilst Gen X and Boomers prefer structured guidance.

TalentLMS found Gen Z employees invest more personal time in upskilling (29% completing training outside work hours), yet 34% experience barriers to learning, contrasting with just 15% of employees over 54. This creates uncomfortable dynamics where those needing formal training are least satisfied whilst those capable of self-directed learning receive most support.

The Trust and Verification Divide

Consider a newsroom scenario: A junior reporter submits a story containing an AI-generated statistic. The figure is plausible. A senior editor demands the original source. The reporter, accustomed to AI outputs, has not verified it. The statistic proves hallucinated, requiring last-minute revisions that miss the deadline.

Mindbreeze research shows 49% of Gen Z trust AI to be objective and accurate, often taking outputs at face value. Older workers (18% for Boomers, 35% for Gen X) automatically question AI-generated content. This verification gap creates additional work for senior staff who must fact-check not only original reporting but also AI-assisted research.

The Knowledge Transfer Breakdown

Junior journalists historically learned craft by watching experienced reporters cultivate sources, construct narratives, and navigate ethical grey areas. When junior staff rely on AI for these functions, apprenticeship models break down. A 28-year-old using AI to generate interview questions completes tasks faster but misses learning opportunities. A 60-year-old editor finds their expertise bypassed, creating resentment.

The stakes extend beyond individual career development. Tacit knowledge accumulated over decades of practice includes understanding which sources are reliable under pressure, how to read body language in interviews, when official statements should be questioned, and how to navigate complex ethical situations where principles conflict. This knowledge transfer has traditionally occurred through observation, conversation, and gradual assumption of responsibility. AI-assisted workflows that enable junior staff to produce acceptable outputs without mastering underlying skills may accelerate immediate productivity whilst undermining long-term capability development.

Frontiers in Psychology research on intergenerational knowledge transfer suggests AI can either facilitate or inhibit knowledge transfer depending on implementation design. When older workers feel threatened rather than empowered, they become less willing to share tacit knowledge that algorithms cannot capture. Conversely, organisations that position AI as a tool for amplifying human expertise rather than replacing it can create environments where experienced workers feel valued and motivated to mentor.

Practical Mediation Strategies Showing Results

Despite these challenges, organisations are successfully navigating generational divides through thoughtful interventions that acknowledge legitimate concerns, create structured collaboration frameworks, and measure outcomes rigorously.

Reverse Mentorship Programmes

Reverse mentorship, where younger employees mentor senior colleagues on digital tools, has demonstrated measurable impact. PwC introduced a programme in 2014, pairing senior leaders with junior employees. PwC research shows 75% of senior executives believe lack of digital skills represents one of the most significant threats to their business.

Heineken has run a programme since 2021, bridging gaps between seasoned marketing executives and young consumers. At Cisco, initial meetings revealed communication barriers as senior leaders preferred in-person discussions whilst Gen Z mentors favoured virtual tools. The company adapted by adopting hybrid communication strategies.

The key is framing programmes as bidirectional learning rather than condescending “teach the old folks” initiatives. MentoringComplete research shows 90% of workers participating in mentorship programmes felt happy at work. PwC's 2024 Future of Work report found programmes integrating empathy training saw 45% improvement in participant satisfaction and outcomes.

Generationally Diverse AI Implementation Teams

London School of Economics research, commissioned by Protiviti, reveals that high-generational-diversity teams report 77% productivity on AI initiatives versus 66% of low-diversity teams. Generationally diverse teams working on AI initiatives consistently outperform less diverse ones.

The mechanism is complementary skill sets. Younger members bring technical fluency and comfort with experimentation. Mid-career professionals contribute organisational knowledge and workflow integration expertise. Senior members provide quality control, ethical guardrails, and institutional memory preventing past mistakes.

A publishing house implementing an AI-assisted content recommendation system formed a team spanning four generations. Gen Z developers handled technical implementation. Millennial product managers translated between technical and editorial requirements. Gen X editors defined quality standards. A Boomer senior editor provided historical context on previous failed initiatives. The diverse team identified risks homogeneous groups missed.

Tiered Training Programmes

TheHRD research emphasises that AI training must be flexible: whilst Gen Z may prefer exploring AI independently, Gen X and Boomers may prefer structured guidance. IBM's commitment to train 2 million people in AI skills and Bosch's delivery of 30,000 hours of AI training in 2024 exemplify scaled approaches addressing diverse needs.

Effective programmes create multiple pathways. Crowe created “AI sandboxes” where employees experiment with tools and voice concerns. KPMG requires “Trusted AI” training alongside technical GenAI 101 programmes, addressing capability building and ethical considerations.

McKinsey research found the most effective way to build capabilities at scale is through apprenticeship, training people to then train others. The learning process can take two to three months to reach decent competence levels. TalentLMS shows satisfaction with upskilling grows with age, peaking at 77% for employees over 54 and bottoming at 54% among Gen Z, suggesting properly designed training delivers substantial value to older learners.

Hybrid Validation Systems

Rather than debating whether to trust AI outputs, leading organisations implement hybrid validation systems assigning verification responsibilities based on generational strengths. A media workflow might have junior reporters use AI for transcripts and research (flagged in content management systems), mid-career editors verify AI-generated material against sources, and senior editors provide final review on editorial judgement and ethics.

SwissCognitive found hybrid systems combining AI and human mediators resolve workplace disputes 23% more successfully than either method alone. Stanford's AI Index Report 2024 documents that hybrid human-AI systems consistently outperform fully automated approaches across knowledge work domains.

Incentive Structures Rewarding Learning

Moveworks research suggests successful organisations reward employees for demonstrating new competencies, sharing insights with colleagues, and helping others navigate the learning curve, rather than just implementation. Social recognition often proves more powerful than financial rewards. When respected team leaders share their AI learning journeys openly, it reduces psychological barriers.

EY research shows generative AI workplace use rose exponentially from 22% in 2023 to 75% in 2024. Organisations achieving highest adoption rates incorporated AI competency into performance evaluations. However, Gallup emphasises recognition must acknowledge generational differences: younger workers value public recognition and career advancement, mid-career professionals prioritise skill development enhancing job security, and senior staff respond to acknowledgement of mentorship contributions.

Does Generational Attitude Predict Outcomes?

The critical question for talent strategy is whether generational attitudes toward AI adoption predict retention and performance outcomes. The evidence suggests a complex picture where age-based assumptions often prove wrong.

Age Matters Less Than Training

Contrary to assumptions that younger workers automatically achieve higher productivity, WorkTango research reveals that once employees adopt AI, productivity gains are similar across generations, debunking the myth that AI is only for the young. The critical differentiator is training quality, not age.

Employees receiving AI training are far more likely to use AI (93% versus 57%) and achieve double the productivity gains (28% time saved versus 14%). McKinsey research finds AI leaders achieved 1.5 times higher revenue growth, 1.6 times greater shareholder returns, and 1.4 times higher returns on investment. These organisations invest heavily in training across all age demographics.

Journal of Organizational Behavior research found AI poses a threat to high-performing teams but boosts low-performing teams, suggesting impact depends more on existing team dynamics and capability levels than generational composition.

Training Gaps Drive Turnover More Than Age

Universum shows 43% of employees planning to leave prioritise training and development opportunities. Whilst Millennials show higher turnover intent (40% looking to leave versus 23% of Boomers), and Gen Z and Millennials are 1.8 times more likely to quit, the driving factor appears to be unmet development needs rather than AI access per se.

Randstad research reveals 45% of Gen Z workers use generative AI on the job compared with 34% of Gen X. Yet both share similar concerns: 47% of Gen Z and 35% of Gen X believe their companies are falling behind on AI adoption. Younger talent with AI skills, particularly those with one to five years of experience, reported a 33% job change rate, reflecting high demand. In contrast, many Gen X (19%) and Millennials (25%) remain more static, increasing risk of being left behind.

TriNet research indicates failing to address skill gaps leads to disengagement, higher turnover, and reduced performance. Workers who feel underprepared are less engaged, less innovative, and more likely to consider leaving.

Experience Plus AI Outperforms Either Alone

McKinsey documents that professionals aged 35 to 44 (predominantly Millennials) report the highest level of experience and enthusiasm for AI, with 62% reporting high AI expertise, positioning them as key drivers of transformation. This cohort combines sufficient career experience to understand domain complexities with comfort experimenting effectively.

Scientific Reports research found generative AI tool use enhances academic achievement through shared metacognition and cognitive offloading, with enhancement strongest among those with moderate prior expertise, suggesting AI amplifies existing knowledge rather than replacing it. A SAGE journals meta-analysis examining 28 articles found generative AI significantly improved academic achievement with medium effect size, most pronounced among students with foundational knowledge, not complete novices.

This suggests organisations benefit most from upskilling experienced workers. A 50-year-old editor developing AI literacy can leverage decades of editorial judgement to evaluate AI outputs with sophistication impossible for junior staff. Conversely, a 25-year-old using AI without domain expertise may produce superficially impressive but fundamentally flawed work.

Gen Z's Surprising Confidence Gap

Universum reveals that Gen Z confidence in AI preparedness plummeted 20 points, from 59% in 2024 to just 39% in 2025. At precisely the moment when AI adoption accelerates, the generation expected to bring digital fluency expresses sharpest doubts about their preparedness.

This confidence gap appears disconnected from capability. As noted, 82% of Gen Z use AI in jobs, the highest rate among all generations. Their doubt may reflect awareness of how much they do not know. TalentLMS found only 41% of employees indicate their company's programmes provide AI skills training, hinting at gaps between learning needs and organisational support.

The Diversity Advantage

Protiviti and London School of Economics research provides compelling evidence that generational diversity drives superior results. High-generational-diversity teams report 77% productivity on AI initiatives versus 66% for low-diversity teams, representing substantial competitive differentiation.

Journal of Organizational Behavior research suggests investigating how AI use interacts with diverse work group characteristics, noting social category diversity and informational or functional diversity could clarify how AI may be helpful or harmful for specific groups. IBM research shows AI hiring tools improve workforce diversity by 35%. By 2025, generative AI is expected to influence 70% of data-heavy tasks.

Strategic Implications

The evidence base suggests organisations can successfully navigate generational AI divides, but doing so requires moving beyond simplistic “digital natives versus dinosaurs” narratives to nuanced strategies acknowledging legitimate perspectives across all cohorts.

Reject the Generation War Framing

SHRM research on managing intergenerational conflict emphasises that whilst four generations in the workplace are bound to create conflicts, generational stereotypes often exacerbate tensions unnecessarily. More productive framings emphasise complementary strengths: younger workers bring technical fluency, mid-career professionals contribute workflow integration expertise, and senior staff provide quality control and ethical judgement.

IESEG research indicates preventing and resolving intergenerational conflicts requires focusing on transparent resolution strategies, skill development, and proactive prevention, including tools like reflective listening and mediation frameworks, reverse mentorship, and conflict management training.

Invest in Training at Scale

The evidence overwhelmingly indicates that training quality, not age, determines AI adoption success. Yet Jobs for the Future shows just 31% of workers had access to AI training even though 35% used AI tools for work as of March 2024.

IBM research found 64% of surveyed CEOs say succeeding with generative AI depends more on people's adoption than technology itself. More than half (53%) struggle to fill key technology roles. CEOs indicate 35% of their workforce will require retraining over the next three years, up from just 6% in 2021.

KPMG's “Skilling for the Future 2024” report shows 74% of executives plan to increase investments in AI-related training initiatives. However, SHRM emphasises tailoring AI education to cater to varied needs and expectations of each generational group.

Create Explicit Knowledge Transfer Mechanisms

Traditional apprenticeship models are breaking down as AI enables younger employees to bypass learning pathways. Frontiers in Psychology research on intergenerational knowledge transfer suggests using AI tools to help experienced staff capture and transfer tacit knowledge before retirement or turnover.

Deloitte research recommends pairing senior employees with junior staff on projects involving new technologies to drive two-way learning. AI tools can amplify this exchange, reinforcing purpose and engagement for experienced employees whilst upskilling newer ones.

Measure What Matters

BCG found 74% of companies have yet to show tangible value from AI use, with only 26% having developed necessary capabilities to move beyond proofs of concept. More sophisticated measurement frameworks assess quality of outputs, accuracy, learning and skill development, knowledge transfer effectiveness, team collaboration, employee satisfaction, retention, and business outcomes.

McKinsey research shows organisations designated as leaders focus efforts on people and processes over technology, following the rule of putting 10% of resources into algorithms, 20% into technology and data, and 70% into people and processes.

MIT's Center for Information Systems Research found enterprises making significant progress in AI maturity see greatest financial impact in progression from building pilots and capabilities to developing scaled AI ways of working.

Design for Sustainable Advantage

McKinsey's 2024 Global Survey showed 65% of respondents report their organisations regularly use generative AI, nearly double the percentage from just ten months prior. This rapid adoption creates pressure to move quickly. Yet rushed implementation that alienates experienced workers, fails to provide adequate training, or prioritises speed over quality creates costly technical debt.

Deloitte on AI adoption challenges notes only about one-third of companies in late 2024 prioritised change management and training as part of AI rollouts. C-suite executives (42%) report that AI adoption is tearing companies apart, with tensions between IT and other departments common. Sixty-eight percent report friction, and 72% observe AI applications developed in silos.

Sustainable approaches recognise building AI literacy across a multigenerational workforce is a multi-year journey. They invest in training infrastructure, mentorship programmes, and knowledge transfer mechanisms that compound value over time, measuring success through capability development, quality maintenance, and competitive positioning rather than adoption velocity.

Navigating the Transformation

The intergenerational divide over AI adoption in media and knowledge industries is neither insurmountable obstacle nor trivial challenge. Generational differences in attitudes, adoption patterns, and anxieties are real and consequential. Teams fracture along age lines when these differences are ignored or handled poorly. Yet evidence reveals pathways to success.

The transformation underway differs from previous technological shifts in significant ways. Unlike desktop publishing or digital photography, which changed specific workflows whilst leaving core professional skills largely intact, generative AI potentially touches every aspect of knowledge work. Writing, research, analysis, ideation, editing, fact-checking, and communication can all be augmented or partially automated. This comprehensive scope explains why generational responses vary so dramatically: the technology threatens different aspects of different careers depending on how those careers were developed and what skills were emphasised.

Organisations that acknowledge legitimate concerns across all generations, create structured collaboration frameworks, invest in tailored training at scale, implement hybrid validation systems leveraging generational strengths, and measure outcomes rigorously are navigating these divides effectively.

The retention and performance data indicates generational attitudes predict outcomes less than training quality, team composition, and organisational support structures. Younger workers do not automatically succeed with AI simply because they are digital natives. Older workers are not inherently resistant but require training approaches matching their learning preferences and addressing legitimate quality concerns.

Most importantly, evidence shows generationally diverse teams outperform homogeneous ones when working on AI initiatives. The combination of technical fluency, domain expertise, and institutional knowledge creates synergies impossible when any generation dominates. This suggests the optimal talent strategy is not choosing between generations but intentionally cultivating diversity and creating frameworks for productive collaboration.

For media organisations and knowledge-intensive industries, the implications are clear. AI adoption will continue accelerating, driven by competitive pressure and genuine productivity advantages. Generational divides will persist as long as five generations with fundamentally different formative experiences work side by side. Success depends not on eliminating these differences but on building organisational capabilities to leverage them.

This requires moving beyond technology deployment to comprehensive change management. It demands investment in training infrastructure matched to diverse learning needs. It necessitates creating explicit knowledge transfer mechanisms as traditional apprenticeship models break down. It calls for measurement frameworks assessing quality and learning, not just speed and adoption rates.

Most fundamentally, it requires leadership willing to resist the temptation of quick wins that alienate portions of the workforce in favour of sustainable approaches building capability across all generations. The organisations that make these investments will discover that generational diversity, properly harnessed, represents competitive advantage in an AI-transformed landscape.

The age gap in AI adoption is real, consequential, and likely to persist. But it need not be divisive. With thoughtful strategy, it becomes the foundation for stronger, more resilient, and ultimately more successful organisations.

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References & Sources

• The Generational Divide in AI Adoption | Randstad USA
• AI Adoption & Generational Diversity | Protiviti US
• Frontiers | AI technology adoption and intergenerational knowledge transfer among older employees
• AI in the Workplace Statistics 2025 | Adoption, Impact & Trends
• Understanding Generational Differences in the Age of AI | AEM
• How Different Generations Use AI in 2025
• Workplace Adoption of Generative AI | NBER
• AI Across Ages | Mindbreeze
• Hesitant & Hopeful: How Different Generations View AI | Barna Group
• As workplaces adopt AI at varying rates, Gen Z is ahead | WorkTango
• AI Adoption in the Workplace Still Low | Nielsen Norman Group
• Frontiers | Exploring how AI adoption affects employees
• What Will Drive 2025? | Training Magazine
• Bridging the AI Skills Gap | Universum
• AI, generational divides, skills and agility in 2025 | TheHRD
• How AI Is Shaping Corporate Training in 2025 | Training Industry
• How Millennials Are Driving AI Adoption | Training Industry
• What HR should know about AI's effect on multigenerational workplaces | HR Dive
• The State of Upskilling & Reskilling: 2024 Research | TalentLMS
• Employers Train Employees to Close AI Skills Gap | SHRM
• IBM Study: CEOs Race Towards Gen AI Adoption | IBM
• AI in the workplace: A report for 2025 | McKinsey
• A multilevel review of AI in organizations | Journal of Organizational Behavior
• 100 + AI in HR Statistics 2025 | HireBee
• A Future That Works: AI-Ready Workforce | Jobs for the Future
• AI Governance in Practice Report 2024 | IAPP
• Leveraging AI for Impactful Mentoring | MentoringComplete
• Reverse Mentorship and AI in HR | Empleyado
• Why Reverse Mentoring Is Secret Weapon for 2025 | Infeedo
• How to Manage Intergenerational Conflict | SHRM
• How AI Can Improve Conflict Resolution | SwissCognitive
• Preventing and resolving intergenerational conflicts | IESEG
• AI skills gap widens | Randstad
• Generational gap, future skills and AI | Rome Business School

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Tim Green UK-based Systems Theorist & Independent Technology Writer

Tim explores the intersections of artificial intelligence, decentralised cognition, and posthuman ethics. His work, published at smarterarticles.co.uk, challenges dominant narratives of technological progress whilst proposing interdisciplinary frameworks for collective intelligence and digital stewardship.

His writing has been featured on Ground News and shared by independent researchers across both academic and technological communities.

ORCID: 0009-0002-0156-9795 Email: tim@smarterarticles.co.uk

Silent Night, Holy Night

en español al final

We often imagine Christmas as a quiet arrival.

A gentle night.

A still sky.

A peaceful world waiting patiently for light.

But that image has more to do with longing than history.

Christmas did not enter a calm or receptive world. It did not arrive in stillness. It arrived in contrast.

The world Jesus entered was loud—politically, socially, spiritually. Power spoke in declarations. Peace was enforced through control. 

Pax Romana. Roman peace, was achieved through domination. Leaders claimed divine authority. Fear was a governing tool. Economic strain pressed heavily on ordinary people, and hope was fragmented by disappointment and delay.

This was not a world prepared for gentleness.

It was a world accustomed to dominance.

Empire promised peace through order. Stability was maintained by force. Caesar was called “lord.” Victories were announced loudly, visibly, and often violently. 

Salvation was framed as control—of land, of people, of outcomes.

Power was not subtle.

It was visible.

It was enforced.

And it demanded allegiance. 

The world already had its saviors.

It had “sons of god,” “bringers of peace,” and rulers who claimed to secure the future through strength. 

Salvation was defined as dominance, certainty, and the elimination of threat. Order mattered more than mercy. Stability mattered more than truth. 

Into that world, Christ arrived—not with argument, but with contradiction.

The world had a definition of salvation.

Christmas challenged it without debating it.

God did not announce Himself to power.

He did not negotiate with empire.

He did not offer proof or spectacle.

He did not arrive with leverage.

Instead, God chose vulnerability over control.

Presence over performance.

Nearness over rescue.

This was not confrontation.

It was contradiction.

God did not oppose the world’s power directly—He rendered it incomplete by refusing to imitate it.

The incarnation was not efficient.

It was costly.

God did not bypass suffering—He entered it.

He did not eliminate waiting—He inhabited it.

He did not resolve history immediately—He redeemed it patiently.

Christmas did not fix the world overnight.

It refused to abandon it.

That cost still echoes.

Loss without replacement.

Faith without clarity.

Hope without immediacy.

These are not signs of failure.

They are the texture of incarnation.

And that is why Christmas still matters.

We still live in a loud world.

We still equate power with speed, certainty, and dominance.

We still crave solutions more than presence.

We still want outcomes before trust.

Christmas remains disruptive because it refuses urgency.

It rejects coercion.

It sanctifies waiting.

It does not hurry us past grief.

It does not shame uncertainty.

It does not reward performance.

Christmas was never meant for people who have everything figured out.

It is for those who live in the darkness, but seek the light.

For those between endings and beginnings.

For those who know effort alone cannot hold life together.

If there is a lesson we can draw from Christmas , it is this:

human nature cannot comprehend the nature of God.

And yet—God comes anyway.

The world has not grown quieter since that first night.

Empires still rise and claim peace through control.

People still long for clarity, for safety, for proof.

But Christmas remains what it has always been—

the uninvited mercy of God entering what we cannot fix.

He does not wait for the noise to stop.

He does not wait for us to be ready.

He comes anyway—

into the conflict,

the fatigue,

the unfinished story of every life.

And perhaps that is the meaning we miss most often:

that holiness does not arrive through triumph,

but through willingness—

God’s willingness to be near,

and our willingness to notice.

So if this year has left you weary, uncertain, or waiting, remember:

Christmas is not postponed by unrest.

It is proven by it.

For every generation that has waited in the dark,

the light has found a way through

quietly, faithfully, without announcement.

And it still does.

© SilentSentinel, 2025. All rights reserved. Excerpts may be shared with attribution.

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Noche de Paz, Noche Santa

A menudo imaginamos la Navidad como una llegada silenciosa.

Una noche apacible.

Un cielo inmóvil.

Un mundo en paz esperando pacientemente la luz.

Pero esa imagen tiene más que ver con el anhelo que con la historia.

La Navidad no entró en un mundo tranquilo ni receptivo. No llegó en quietud. Llegó en contraste.

El mundo en el que Jesús nació era ruidoso—política, social y espiritualmente. El poder hablaba en decretos. La paz se imponía mediante el control.

Pax Romana. La paz romana se lograba por medio de la dominación. Los líderes reclamaban autoridad divina. El miedo era una herramienta de gobierno. La carga económica oprimía a la gente común, y la esperanza estaba fragmentada por la decepción y la demora.

Este no era un mundo preparado para la mansedumbre.

Era un mundo acostumbrado a la dominación.

El imperio prometía paz a través del orden. La estabilidad se mantenía por la fuerza. César era llamado “señor”. Las victorias se anunciaban de forma ruidosa, visible y, a menudo, violenta.

La salvación se entendía como control—de la tierra, de las personas, de los resultados.

El poder no era sutil.

Era visible.

Era impuesto.

Y exigía lealtad.

El mundo ya tenía a sus salvadores.

Tenía “hijos de dios”, “portadores de paz”, y gobernantes que afirmaban asegurar el futuro mediante la fuerza.

La salvación se definía como dominio, certeza y eliminación de la amenaza. El orden importaba más que la misericordia. La estabilidad más que la verdad.

En ese mundo, Cristo llegó—no con argumento, sino con contradicción.

El mundo tenía una definición de salvación.

La Navidad la desafió sin debatirla.

Dios no se anunció al poder.

No negoció con el imperio.

No ofreció pruebas ni espectáculo.

No llegó con palancas.

En su lugar, Dios eligió vulnerabilidad en vez de control.

Presencia en vez de desempeño.

Cercanía en vez de rescate.

Esto no fue confrontación.

Fue contradicción.

Dios no se opuso directamente al poder del mundo—lo dejó incompleto al negarse a imitarlo.

La encarnación no fue eficiente.

Fue costosa.

Dios no evitó el sufrimiento—entró en él.

No eliminó la espera—la habitó.

No resolvió la historia de inmediato—la redimió con paciencia.

La Navidad no arregló el mundo de la noche a la mañana.

Se negó a abandonarlo.

Ese costo aún resuena.

Pérdida sin reemplazo.

Fe sin claridad.

Esperanza sin inmediatez.

Estas no son señales de fracaso.

Son la textura de la encarnación.

Y por eso la Navidad todavía importa.

Seguimos viviendo en un mundo ruidoso.

Seguimos equiparando el poder con la rapidez, la certeza y el dominio.

Seguimos deseando soluciones más que presencia.

Seguimos queriendo resultados antes que confianza.

La Navidad sigue siendo disruptiva porque rehúsa la urgencia.

Rechaza la coerción.

Santifica la espera.

No nos apura más allá del duelo.

No avergüenza la incertidumbre.

No recompensa el desempeño.

La Navidad nunca fue pensada para quienes lo tienen todo resuelto.

Es para quienes viven en la oscuridad, pero buscan la luz.

Para quienes están entre finales y comienzos.

Para quienes saben que el esfuerzo por sí solo no puede sostener la vida.

Si hay una lección que podemos extraer de la Navidad, es esta:

la naturaleza humana no puede comprender la naturaleza de Dios.

Y, aun así—Dios viene de todos modos.

El mundo no se ha vuelto más silencioso desde aquella primera noche.

Los imperios siguen levantándose y reclamando paz mediante el control.

La gente sigue anhelando claridad, seguridad y pruebas.

Pero la Navidad sigue siendo lo que siempre ha sido—

la misericordia no invitada de Dios entrando en lo que no podemos arreglar.

Él no espera a que el ruido se detenga.

No espera a que estemos listos.

Viene de todos modos—

al conflicto,

al cansancio,

a la historia inconclusa de cada vida.

Y quizá ese sea el significado que más a menudo pasamos por alto:

que la santidad no llega por medio del triunfo,

sino por la disposición—

la disposición de Dios a estar cerca,

y nuestra disposición a notar.

Así que, si este año te ha dejado cansado, incierto o esperando, recuerda:

la Navidad no se pospone por la agitación.

Se confirma por ella.

Para cada generación que ha esperado en la oscuridad,

la luz ha encontrado la manera de abrirse paso—

en silencio, con fidelidad, sin anuncio.

Y todavía lo hace.

© SilentSentinel, 2025. Todos los derechos reservados. Se pueden compartir extractos con atribución.

I am now back from a special norweigan Christmas dinner for family and relatives, and I was on the fringe of that.

The outskirts

I drank aquavit and had this wonderful time of just eating and drinking with people who didn’t really care about me, but still I got all of this food and drink!!

I could just sit there and feel the mist rising with each aquavit and it felt like this was a gateway to Avalon.

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I've been called to an out-of-town wedding and will be away from my computers for maybe 5 days. (I will have my phone and I'll listen in when I can.)

Don't break the Internet while I'm gone. Mmmmkay?

The adventure continues.

I felt like I was smacked in the face a moment of, where the fuck did this year ago... I sat outside with a cup of tea in one hand and a cigarette in the other, chatting away to my sister as we do our pop outside for a quick smoke and chat routine. My sister was excited as she had been invited to a Boxing day get together with her friends. I'd carried on with the chit chat and had asked her who the invite was from and all that Jazz, and she mentioned the host's name, and it clicked in my mind, “I swear you were telling me you had told me you guys had fallen out over some rubbish”. Sister responded, “Ye, that was a year ago in fact, it was exactly a year ago we fell out but we are alright now”. I paused as a moment of disbelief shot over me. “Hold on a minute, that was a year ago? It feels like you told me that two minutes ago”. “Oh shit, you also mean that it's been a year since I handed in my notice at that shitty pub I worked at”. Holy shit balls.... How has this year gone so fast?? What have I done with myself? I'm unemployed again and have only just started my business that still doesn't make me wanna get out of bed. What the actual fuck... it really goes that quick, and I can honestly say I didn't live this year. I spent most of it curled up in a ball of fear, watching everybody on the phone do what I wish I could do. It felt like god/universe/mother source had slapped me over the face with a HAHA moment. Do I really want to live another year inside my mother's house wishing I had a better life, or am I actually going to make it happen? I can't bear the thought of staying like this. There is so much I want to do, so much I want to see... I want to finally become the version of me that stops giving a fuck about what people think, finally the version who doesn't try to squeeze and fit herself into boxes that can't hold her, I want to travel, I want to take my daughter across the world and most of all I want to show her what's fucking possible because this life IS NOT MY LIFE! I've been living for everybody else, constantly trying to get people to like me erghhhh so boring and cringe. I can't bear the thought of my daughter growing up and thinking this is as good as it gets. Fuck that, so here's to me breaking free and living this year to come like it's my fucking last. I know it's not going to be easy, but I'm sure it's much easier than this pain of staying the same. Let's just put this in perspective... just think back to when you were a kid playing around or doing whatever you did, and then just think to now... where the fuck did that go? I used to be a kid wishing my life away as quickly as possible to become an adult, and now I'm an adult wishing I had more time. THE TIME IS NOW. We can't keep waiting for the perfect moment or the ideal person to come and rescue us. WE HAVE TO START NOW. I mean, go for your fucking dreams, make them as big as possible, and please stop waiting, and for god's sake, don't do another year thinking about it. Your higher self is cheering you on, and so is that little girl waiting on you to see what's possible.

Once or twice we come across something which alters our course of action or way of seeing the world in profound ways; like having something chafing inside pointed out more clearly than we are able ourselves at the time.

Do you know this? Like some people says this book or that philosopher, — maybe Adler — did phrase something true enough — like a North Star or something … Could’ve been some song too. Just some single great work of art or idea which altered the course of your own life in a profound way.

I thought of this because I myself have a strong memory of being a travelling consultant, visiting most of Europe during my ceaseless travels.

I remember distinctly the feeling of waking up, and for two disoriented seconds, the feeling of not knowing where I am and then: feeling the heart sink by the realisation of being in some hotel, (like in Neon Genesis Evangelion: ”unfamiliar ceiling”), maybe in Gothenburg, then knowing maybe, that although you’ve a fever, you’d better just deliver the hours of work the client is due (or you’ll have to come back later), even if you fall asleep sitting by his screen.

And then in the evening: at some pub eating all alone with a beer and a book until finally retiring at the hotel, laptop in lap, planning the next day…

This might sound like a bit of self pity and what if it is? I was paying for this job with a currency I didn’t have, so to speak. I wasn’t cut out for this lifestyle (I don’t like travelling, or being alone).

(I am adventurous only in my imagination.)

So there I was then, having arrived at home late one Friday evening. Straight I went from airport to sofa and it felt so right being in this sofa having my wife nearby. At peace.

In this state of mind I did watch Six Days, Seven Nights (1998) in which a successful magazine editor Robin Monroe played by Anne Heche accidentally gets stranded on an island with the handsome older man Harrison Ford.

Unable to reach her destination, which was her career calling to her, (a photo shoot), she finds a truer love and a more down to earth approach to life; for whose sake was she building this career?

Instead a new life opened up to her, far removed from the pulsing New York success and status; living in a bungalow, making a living, maybe, as his co-pilot.

Finding a deep mature love

Maybe she started her family there?

This movie did pop my own bubble of wanting to climb some career ladder or something; I was living the dream of someone else

Walking a path of a career to a destination I didn’t want, reaching for a status I didn’t value.

Just because I was flattered that they wanted me in the first place.

And like that, just like Robin in the movie, I too made up my mind

Rich with this new insight

In the apartment which already contained everything I wanted: my wife, the sofa: that future.

Such is the power of a great work of art, I think.

I have been using Linux on my older ASUS laptop for roughly four days now, and I didn’t even need to open Windows for anything. I tested three distros in the meantime, but I mostly used Ubuntu 25.10 to perform tests on all the activities I normally do on Windows, to see if I could make them work.

✅ Things that are working now:

• Dropbox: I installed Dropbox, and now it works, it’s syncing locally, which I like. But the Dropbox pricing is kinda expensive (min plan is 2TB) and I read some issues they had with privacy, so that is a bit concerning to me, since privacy is one of the reasons I'm switching to Linux.
• OneDrive: actually, I added the Microsoft 365 to the Online Accounts option in Settings, and it just worked! I can access all the OneDrive files virtually. I want to use this as a transition space until I'm totally switched to another cloud service. This only worked properly with Ubuntu 25.10.
• pCloud app: I installed the pCloud app and it worked! Everything is syncing! I really like this service. I am thinking of getting the 500Gb plan to test out and transfer my entire OneDrive to pCloud. It syncs superfast, and I can access everything on the web and on my phone. There’s also an option to sync files locally, which I tested. It’s cheaper than Dropbox, and they even offer lifetime plans. Also, super easy to use and set-up on Linux.
• Thunderbird: Email syncing with Outlook worked well, no issues there. I had a hard time syncing the calendar, though. I had to install plugins (TbSync & Provider for Exchange/Office 365 add-ons for automatic syncing). At first, the syncing produced a bunch of errors. I removed and re-added the account, waited a bit longer, and then it finally started syncing. Now all the calendars I selected are synced. I’m not sure if the syncing errors will happen again, so this is something to monitor. This setup is also a workaround until I switch to another calendar service.
• I also tried the GNOME calendar, which looks great, I love it! But I couldn't get the Outlook Calendar to show up in there. Google Calendar syncs instantly after adding Google via the Online Accounts settings. Interesting how much easier it is to sync compared to Outlook.
• I connected the Kobo to Ubuntu via USB. It was recognized, it charges and connects to Calibre, no problem.
• Bluetooth speakers: my JBL speakers work perfectly!!
• Firefox: Installed an extension on Firefox to create PWA apps from the web.
• Calibre/e-Book/DRM: I tried a bunch of stuff, including suggestions from readers of my blog (thank you so much!🤗). What ultimately worked was installing WINE and emulating Adobe Digital Editions along with the de-DRM app on Linux. So I did it! It’s the same process I use on Windows. But I found out how that the DRM plugin on Calibre works, and it can remove DRM from any book when I connect my Kobo to the computer, so that’s cool! I can de-DRM books that I purchased on Kobo, which I was never able to do before.
• Nautilus: The file explorer Nautilus annoyed me quite a lot, and the customization options are not great. But I found an alternative: Nemo. Installing it with sudo apt install nemo gives me just what I need (like resizing the sidebar).
• Keyboard shortcuts: I learned how to make a custom keyboard shortcut to open new Nautilus/Nemo windows! I am still learning the usual keyboard shortcuts.

💿 Some distros I tried out

• Kubuntu 25.10: it's so cute! I love how it looks! However, the Online Accounts option was not there at all! So I couldn't find a way to connect to OneDrive or Google. That makes it kind of useless for me right now during this transition period, though it might be an option in the future.
• Linux Mint 22.3 (beta): nice and looks great, lots of customization options. But I also couldn't connect to Microsoft (there is an error when it goes to the login page, the webpage to authenticate shows that it's an unauthorized service from Microsoft).
• Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS: I went back to my first install in the HDD, and for some reason the Microsoft account connected only works for the calendar, but not for the files. Weird. I think Ubuntu 25.10 is the best option for me right now.
• I’ve heard about Zoran OS and Bazzite, but didn't try them. They seem to be kinda similar at first glance, and I think I still prefer Ubuntu for now. I don’t want to spend a lot of time distro-hopping, because that will lead me into decision paralysis.
• 🎯 CONCLUSION: I will start with Ubuntu 25.10. This version gave me all the options and functionalities I needed to get started. And I got used to the GNOME interface surprisingly quickly. I began appreciating the somewhat minimalistic vibes.

📌Some Videos that I watched about choosing a distro:

• Choosing Your First Linux Distro by ExplainingComputers
• How to Choose the Right Linux Distribution | Best Linux for Beginners Explained by tektoc
• Linux Mint 22.3 | Close Look at the Cinnamon Menu 6.6 by Switched to Linux
• Linux Mint vs Ubuntu: Which Is Better for You? by PulsarTECH

⏭️ Next Steps

• I’m doing a full backup of my OneDrive files to my external SSD.
• Other files I want to back up: My Steam library game saves (I’m not sure all saves are stored online) and my Calibre Library (I will export a backup file).
• Do a final installation of Ubuntu 25.10 on my main laptop (ThinkPad X1 Carbon) and test all the hardware and functionalities to start using it as my daily driver for personal use.
• Figure out what I want to do about the online/cloud services I use: cloud storage, digital calendar, emails.

#linux #tech

By now my parishioners know that I love to share little historical anecdotes from time to time. Like my twice-annual explanation for why we might wear pink rose vestments in Advent and Lent. Or my contention that the conception of Jesus happened during the events celebrated during the Feast of the Visitation and not the Anunciation (the Magnificat being the outward sign that the Holy Spirit had filled Saint Mary). One such anecdote involves a beloved hymn heard during the Christmas shopping season: “Good King Wenceslas,” the brass melody an easy short-hand for demonstrating on film that it is Christmastime (the first shot of the toy store in Home Alone 2 comes to mind). And of course this.

“Good King Wenceslas” is, technically, not a Christmas hymn. It is, properly, a hymn for Stephensmas (to use the old English term for the Feast of Saint Stephen the Martyr). The hymn itself recounts the story of a beloved and saintly king who, on “the Feast of Stephen,” one bitterly cold and snow-laden, braved the elements to bring fuel and supplies to a poor man. The tune, which sounds like it was generated in a lab to be a Christmas carol, was actually written for a song meant to be sung at Easter.

Anyway, this is an overlong introduction to talk about Saint Stephen, whose feast day is today and marks the first of the daily commemorations for the first week of Christmas, through the Feast of the Holy Name (which coincides with our New Years celebrations in the Western Christian tradition). Saint Stephen is the “protomartyr,” the first Christian to be executed for the crime of being Christian. He was among the first deacons in the church (called alongside Saint Philip, among others) and was stoned to death after testifying about Jesus before the high council of Jewish religious leaders (also known as the Sanhedrin).

Different church traditions hold to different dates to commemorate Saint Stephen. In Western traditions (of which the Episcopal Church is part) the custom has been to commemorate him on the day after Christmas, perhaps as a means to mark that his death was a kind of birth itself, the Christian faith beginning to coalesce into a definable movement of its own and not simply a movement happening only within Judaism. Stephen’s death inspires a radicalized rabbi named Saul of Tarsus to begin a process of systemic elimination of “the Way” (as Christians were known back then), thus fostering closer ties among the nascent Christian movement as well as distance between them and their own people (remember, at this time all Christians were Jews). Further, the death of Saint Stephen elucidated our understanding of the Incarnation—not only is Christ enfleshed among and within us, but our flesh is subject to the same violence and suffering experienced by Jesus. The broken flesh and shed blood of the eucharistic bread and wine prefigure our own breaking and shedding-of-blood as well as that of Christ Jesus. As the old Augustinian fraction anthem puts it: “Behold the mystery of your salvation laid out for you; behold what you are, become what you receive.”

This all sets a tone for us Christian that we are often quick to forget: a faith that holds to the Incarnation hardly results in a faith that has guarantees of wealth and comfort. Indeed, the Incarnation expects that we be willing to give up creature comforts and conveniences (said by a Christian who lives quite comfortably in comparison to much of the world).

To invite the Incarnate God into our midst is to invite suffering and rejection.

All of the saints commemorated during these next several days speak to that fact: Saint John the Evangelist, the Holy Innocents, Saint Thomas a Becket. We don’t have official commemorations on the 30th, but we will be exploring the life of Saint Anysia of Thessalonica, a saint in Eastern Christianity that is remembered on that day. These are all either martyrs or exiles, rejected and killed because they accepted that God was born in a manger and that He chose to save us from ourselves.

And much of this begins with Stephen. His testimony in Acts 7 is confrontational, but the major point he tries to make is that God is not relegated to a resplendent temple in Jerusalem. Rather, God has chosen His home among us, among the things He has made. We have God in our midst, but those who claim religious authority tend to miss that fact and use violence to silence those who make that point. These were, in effect, Stephen’s last words before irony was lost and he was killed with rocks.

As we live in the liminal time between Christmas and New Years, spending time with family and friends and perhaps even exchanging gifts still, we would do well to remember that there are those huddled together because bombs are dropping on them in Ukraine, or militants are hunting them in Nigeria or Sudan, or they are cold and starving in Gaza. They are hiding from ICE, or bound together in an internment facility. Such was Stephen, in a jail cell until his interrogation, the day after Christmas.

God came to us incarnate. That incarnation happened among those who suffer. And even in the midst of that suffering, seeing the faces of those who hate us, we might be able to join Saint Stephen and say:

Look! I can see heaven on display and the Human One standing at God’s right side! Lord Jesus, accept my life! Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!

... The Rev. Charles Browning II is the rector of Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church in Honolulu, Hawai’i. He is a husband, father, surfer, and frequent over-thinker. Follow him on Mastodon and Pixelfed.

Prologue ~

I approach the door I see in my dreams. The shifting dreams I've had for the past few nights. Sometimes its the same door, sometimes it's new. So each night, I focus and describe it in this journal The door, so that one night I can choose.

Glass Door

A frozen bubble, that's all I can think to describe it.

As I walk around, I let my fingers glide over its smooth surface.

Looking through, I can see a warmth, but just enough that I know im also seeing through the structure.

Its tall, so that as I let my mind wander, my hands travel up and travel down, walking and playing towards its end.

But its a circle, so it has none, until my fingers flinch and withdraw

My blood illuminating a small indent, flowing, thinning into spirals and sanguine highlights

The door is before me, calmly pulsing with my blood outline.

“So” I say to the door “You're a hungry one”

It must have heard, or maybe it was ready to open. I don't know, but it did.

Within, the glass, was a rainbow sun. Rippling with spiking shards of fractured screaming geometry.

The tiny, sharp star, was aglow of anguish made tempered glass Erupting and falling into itself like prism

Like a focus and a distraction A god of intricate deadly planning

I had opened its door, scared I opened my eyes

The words hung in my ears as close as my thudding heartbeats

“I'm starving”

#poetry #doors

Even when the night was clear the clouds hung just on edge as if waiting for the starlight to lose humility, just enough and give them allowance to this a most special night.

But so far so well.

The moonlight was shining The starlight was glamouring The winter chill had finally dimmed

A quiet, hush flung itself across the chilled lake.

As, the smallest of creatures began Like sparks from waxing of a candle flame Made their ways From the inside places, cold places, of the oldness of the world.

Shyly at first they bleed out onto the lake Then more, they grew, finally confident in their steps.

The flowed onto the lake, taking their places.

So began a dance, that no one saw underneath the winter solstice moon.

#poem #poetry

Lydia's Weekly Lifestyle blog is for today's African girl, so no subject is taboo. My purpose is to share things that may interest today's African girl.

This week's contributors: Lydia, Pépé Pépinière, Titi. This week's subjects: The Future Is Fashion: 2026 Trends to expect in West Africa , Will the beard continue through 2026? Ministry of Sick Care, (M.O.S.C), and The Venue

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The Future Is Fashion: 2026 Trends to expect in West Africa. If 2025 taught us anything, it’s that West Africa is no longer “catching up” to global fashion — we’re setting the pace. From Accra to Lagos, Abidjan to Dakar, the region is buzzing with bold creatives, fearless dressers, and a new wave of Afro-luxury that’s ready to take over 2026. So buckle up, fashionistas — here are the trends that will be shaping our wardrobes in the year ahead. Neo-Ankara: The Rise of Tech-Infused Traditional Prints. 2026 is the year Ankara evolves — again. Think glow-infused fabrics, reflective details for nightlife, weather-adaptive cotton blends, and digital patterns inspired by AI art. Designers are merging tradition with tech to create prints that feel futuristic yet undeniably African. Expect thermo-reactive motifs, 3D-embroidered patterns, and Ankara suits reimagined for corporate slay queens and kings. The Return of Tailored Power Dressing: Sharp shoulders. Cinched waists. Sculpted silhouettes. Power dressing is back — but softer, sleeker, and more Afro-centric. In 2026, West African tailoring will focus on fluid suits, tone-on-tone styling, minimalist metallic accents, and gender-neutral structured pieces. Corporate wardrobes will lean into cool neutrals like clay, sand, kola-nut brown, and millet gold. Afro-Resort Wear Every Day: With travel culture exploding, resort wear is no longer just for holidays. Get ready for linen sets, crochet dresses, flowy kaftans, and raffia accessories as everyday staples. Designers are embracing breezy, breathable fabrics perfect for West African heat — but serving effortless elegance. Statement Accessories: Bigger, Bolder, Brighter 2026 accessories in West Africa are loud and unapologetic: Oversized artisan jewelry Hand-carved wooden clutches Beaded crowns inspired by royalty Geometric sunglasses Stacked anklets It’s the year of maximalist accessorizing, driven by a renewed love for craftsmanship and heritage. Will the beard continue through 2026? Out of nowhere all men started to grow beards, maybe it is because of that footballer, and indeed some look like goats that have fleas, constantly scratching and pulling, and would be better off shaving. Anyway, let them get a taste of what we women are suffering to look the part. And I am glad that I did not invest my money in a shaving blade factory like Gilette (turnover 89 Billion $) and Schick, they must be financially suffering and selling hair growth products now. And remember, if you shave (blog nr 166, 22nd August, 2025), there are no special blades for females, it's just the same stuff in a different packaging, but at a higher price. So just buy the cheaper male blade. Or borrow hubbie's if he still has some laying around.

Ministry of Sick Care, (M.O.S.C) P. O. Box M 44 Sekou Toure Avenue, North Ridge, Accra. Kofi Asmah's recent article in MyJoyOnline is worth reading. https://www.myjoyonline.com/kofi-asmah-the-stethoscope-that-kills/ And I have some observations. Health care in Ghana is rather sick care, few care about your health, but everybody is ready to take your money when you are sick. This sick care is very lucrative, to the extent that the Ministry of Health (that's the official name) had to introduce a minimum distance of 400 meter between pharmacies, if not there would be 10 pharmacies in every street. And private hospitals are also springing up like mushrooms, presently there are about 430 in and around Accra. The often played trick is to admit you, take your blood and urine, put you on the drip, release you after 2 days and charge 500 for this, without any conclusion. If you need intravenous antibiotics for a week they’ll rather take you in, at a good expense, than suggest that you come daily for 1 hour, which would save you about 800 GHC or more, but give them a similar reduced income. To observe you, they say. But please observe the bill. And we play helpless, doctor says.... and we follow (and pay) without asking any questions. It is worth reading up on living healthy and try to stay away from these blood sucking sick care practitioners who see you as a source of income rather than someone who needs help on a little budget. In the beginning all you read may sound like akadablabladabakra, (try to pronounce) but after some time you will become familiar with the terms used. And start to live more healthy, be sick less often, feel better, perform better, look better and save money.

The Venue Adjiringanor, East Legon, Accra. My guest wanted to eat fresh lobster, but that is not so easy these days, the Chinese are buying everything before it gets to us. But after a couple of phone calls we settled on the Venue, yes, they had fresh lobsters. The Venue is a nice place, feels cozy and homely. There's a huge bar and an enormous assortment of drinks, and the tables are set such that after your cocktail or whatever you can have a quiet undisturbed discussion at a table with your partner for the evening. Service is smooth. The menu has a bit of everything, French, Italian, Dutch, Ghanaian, you'll find something to suit your like. Which in our case was fresh lobsters. Which were not fresh. Maybe the one we spoke to on the phone had understood that we wanted to know if their lobsters were not spoilt so she confirmed that they were fresh? Same thing often goes for eggs, even after 30 days they are still called fresh. And if you really want fresh lobster? I go to a busy Chinese restaurant like Royal Regal in Osu where they have a lot of turnover so they regularly buy fresh lobster and serve.

Lydia...

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The Baltimorons 2025, Duplass Brothers Productions, Directed by Jay Duplass (4 out of 5 Hot Chocolates)

Read more #100HotChocolates reviews

There is a recent tradition of established film directors giving their elevated spin on the Christmas movie. See Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers and David Gordon Green’s Nutcrackers. Mumblecore filmmaker Jay Duplass is the 2025 entry.

Baltimorons is a melancholy May-December Rom-Com between a disillusioned millennial improv comedian and a divorced post-menopausal dentist in a mid-life rut. Their day-long accidental adventure reignites their joy for life, against a backdrop of grimy urban Christmas pastiche.

Duplass mines the beats and tropes of a holiday romance but eschews the holly-jolly trappings of Hallmark for a realistic take on loneliness and connection.

Watch it.

#movies #ChristmasMovies #IndieFilm #RomCom #HolidayMovies #100HotChocolates #JayDuplass #DuplassBrothers #ChristmasReview #100WordReview #Larrys100 #100DaysToOffload

Photo © Gilles Le Corre Courtesy of Gilles Le Corre & ADAGP