The AI Race: Good or Evil? TIME to Pick a Side

 

I'm posting this on MLK Day as a tribute to the idea that one man's dream and words and idea can change the way we move forward as a nation and a world. 

I have been deeply disturbed by the things going on in politics and business and the feel I need to take a stand about what is happening in these times and those to come. This is the project I've decided to pursue in 2026: #AICovers.

I'll be writing what I believe each media publication can do to outline the stakes in their industry. It is just one small (but tall) gal's attempt to use my creativity to have a conversation. If you'd like to follow along you can find the posts here: GoodCapitalism.info

Theme 2026

When I was a kid it was a thing to celebrate your "Golden Birthday" (you're the age of the day you were born). I was kinda bummed because I was born on the 26th so I would need to wait till I was an adult. But after the excitement of reaching 21 passed I thought oh what fun another birthday to look forward to 🥳

Well turned out that was the year my beloved Ted was sick and passed, so not as fun-filled and memorable for the right reasons. So I'm giving myself a do-over. It's the 26th year of this century so that is going to be this year's theme: Golden Year 

What golden nuggets can I look for in this chaos of our world. What golden opportunities can I take advantage of? What friendships can I treasure more (one is silver and the other gold)? 

Last year I was pretty freaked out when I saw a documentary on space and had to sit in my car for 15 minutes after to comprehend what I had just seen. If you haven't explored how vast the Universe is in the last few years you really need to see the Hubble pictures they have now and how insignificant our tiny tiny little planet is 🌍 🤯

So not that I need a reason to celebrate but after so much there is to drag us down in the world, we need to look for JOY wherever we can find it! 💃

I am also retaking a program I took years ago but felt I needed the inspiration and refresher so as part of that I started to gather some images to put in my Lifebook. So while I will of course be Creating My Year and ME Mapping out details, I decided to make a little vision board to accompany it:

Let me give you a quick couple examples of what I included: 

• Writing (top left): Book cover for a project I'm working on.
• Clouds: Playing off the Pantone Color of the Year with the background of Cloud Dancer and since I LOVE clouds it reminds me that they are beautiful, they pass and make us grow 🌧️
• Giving (top right): The first is an image of a gift I gave to a neighbor who helped bring in my mail when I had ankle surgery last year. The other is from my dear APhi sorority sister, Charito, who sent this handmade gift years ago that hangs above my bedroom doorway. Little generosities that are important from/to our new (silver) and old (gold) friendships in our lives. 
• Good Capitalism: Project about how ESG and our world is in need of a new way to explain how everything fits together: business, politics, our livelihoods, etc. 
• TIME: Coming soon...
• Hubble: It's a miracle we are alive let alone privileged enough to be able to see into space and over to our friends/family on phones that fit in the palm of our hands. 
• Lemon: My friend and I were talking about making lemons into lemonade and she told me this joke about if you didn't get lemons in life you'd have scurvy! 😂 So better lemons than that! 🍋
• Bath: The bath is my relaxing place so- me in mine 🛀  Hands aren't mine but a reminder beauty is simple, clean and to not get anxious and pick at my cuticles. 
  
• Art: Arianna Coroli is this fabulous artist I came across and I loved this pc she did which was then turned into material for other products for a fancy hotel. She's eccentric and cool and it's a reminder to do our own things and be the kooky one in the room. The other image is of Sharon Stone painting. Later in life she discovered even more of her talents. Keep growing and trying things on. 
• AI: Image of me for the year is natural, well other then having my phone in portrait mode and removing a few imperfections around my eyes (makeup smudge and  scar under my eye) that is what I look like at the right angle, in front of flattering sunlight and after about 100 tries. Zoom in you'll see my pores, agespots and wrinkles and I like it that way. Beach pic and the middle studio image are AI images that I was playing with. Yes, I am conflicted about using them but I also feel like it is imperative for us to learn and practice using AI. More about this in upcoming posts. Note: it wouldn't let me AI an image onto Diane (RIP) from a fav movie so that is me with an attempt to slap my face on the pic. Humor me people 🤷‍♀️
  

I'm not sure where 2026 is going to take me, but we are alive and after spending Christmas with my family after not being able to travel last year because of ankle surgery I am filled with gratitude to have been with them. Time away from my friends either through distance or timing has renewed my appreciation for them as well. 

Gold was a choice I thought twice about because of the gaudy use our current POTUS has plastered all over the White House and anything with his name on it. But I won't let him or anyone else ruin my year! It is our lives and our choice what inspires and brings happiness to our life. 

Cheers to your 2026! 🥂 🎊  

May you find peace, love and whatever else that colors your world JOYful! 💛

AI COVERS

More to come...

I woke up to the new year both excited and exhausted. As I normally do, I was contemplating what I wanted to bring into 2026 🤔

Well the two things I can't stop thinking about are how the world is doing both politically and economically and how AI will affect both. I'm also trying to practice detachment to things I can't control because frankly all this chaos is making my nerves a bit crispy. 

So my solution is to use my writing and visual skills to express myself by posting AI Covers.

Basically, I am going to spend the next year using magazine covers as snapshots of conversations I believe these publications should be fostering with our leaders and fellow citizens. You might ask why in a time of digital communication (videos & podcasts) am I focused on this? Well because covers of magazines are the pre-meme original way to draw the masses attention to a topic. They shaped my ideas when I was young and I think they and the articles that accompany them are very important. 

I will be tagging these magazines on social media so that it is clear I am the creator in case the ideas spread and also I want to be upfront these covers are not real but AI/Joy-generated from the ideas I want to write about. My hope is to foster conversations about the various ways AI will be affecting every industry and our world. 

Which leads me back to the origins of this blog: Good Capitalism. 

We are living through the most exciting times of existence. I'm so thrilled to be alive to see it! AND... we have not shown we are very good stewards of each other and our planet so I can't sit by and do nothing. This is me shouting into the void that is our Universe and hoping my voice can be heard. What the hell might as well give it a go 😜 before we are taken over 🤖