Category: Videos
Jaron Lanier: 10 reasons to get off social media
I recently discovered Jaron Lanier, a world class computer scientist (he’s a capital S Scientist, I’m a lower case s scientist hahahahha – funny but true!) who was putting forth very similar criticisms and concerns to mine, but long before I fully accepted how evil our industry has become, and that I have an ethical obligation to help users by doing what I can about it. Internet users and Texas taxpayers paid for my education, training and experience. I owe them big time – I can’t forget that, either. So please give Jaron a listen, he wants users to be customers the internet industry serves, not data sources to be exploited and sold to people who only want to sell them more crap and take their money.
Vail, CO., Ducks in Gore Creek December 2010
I lived in the USA’s largest ski resort, Vail Colorado, from 2004 to 2014. From 2005 to 2011 we were doing travel and resort websites, producing content and reviews, selling hotel rooms, flights, car rentals, and advertising. One of these was for Vail, and this allowed me to ski and bicycle and go to events and generally explore the area as part of my job. I skied over 100 days a year for many years there, though at the end I was getting tired of it and didn’t ski much. I have dozens of hours of video and hundreds or pictures of Vail, in storage. Someday those will all be posted to this site.
I also worked at the Vail Ski Resort in 1985 and 1986 as an adventurous way to take a break from college and get over a broken heart, when I was 23 and 24 years old. I had no camera to carry about at that time, but I did do some nice drawings which I’ll post later. In my job as warehouseman for the Mid-Vail on mountain complex of shops and restaurants, I skied every work day, and night skied home each night with a miner’s headlamp after inventory. Then skied more every off day!!
It’s almost time for first snow in Vail. In the meantime and to prepare everyone for a new winter season, here is the peaceful view from my close friend Gary’s living room in Vail.