Tag: technology

Categories
motivation

Relying on Technology or Persistence?

Cartoon of woman spying a periscope in her backyard.

You have to wonder how animals would fare if they had similar technology to what humans have. There are some critters like raccoons, coyotes, and moles that are so persistent, they have learned to thrive in spite of human intervention.

They also thrive despite their lack of technology.

  • They have no smartphones to tell them where to go
  • They can’t text their friends or use workflow software to stay productive
  • They keep plugging away with what they possess
  • They can get quite creative in evading capture without group chats

I tend to rely on technology a lot. Email is the primary form of communication at work. It’s necessary when I communicate with people across the country. But we use it a lot internally, even though we may be within walking distance of visiting a coworker and clarifying a confusing conundrum.

At the end of a busy day, I’ve found it is persistence, creativity and a good attitude that keeps me going. I have learned to use technology when it is helpful and pull back when it is not. Relying too much on one type of tool can become a crutch, and even a hindrance if I am not careful.

Even so, I have always loved periscopes. Perhaps I should get one of those whenever I am searching for someone in a cubicle. Maybe I can find one with a HUD (Heads Up Display) and night vision! Wouldn’t that be cool? Now here I go, geeking out on technology again!

Has there been a time when you found technology wasn’t helping and you had to find another way? Let me know in the comments.

Cartoon of woman spying a periscope in her backyard.
Categories
technology cartoons

When Your Electronic Device Breaks…

Since I drew this cartoon, we have become a bit less dependent on desktops and laptops and more dependent on our smartphones. I’ve witnessed this recently.

When I was in an airport, the majority of people were on their phones. We keep in touch. We make our calls, text our friends and family and find out what the latest news is. We shudder to think what would happen if our favorite electronic device broke.

Today, if our electronic device broke, we would be hard pressed to find anyone willing to let us borrow theirs. It’s become an extension of us. It would almost be like asking a friend to borrow their toothbrush!

Are we getting too dependent on our electronic devices?

This has made me reconsider my smartphone addiction. I’m not sure I want to willingly give up my phone, but perhaps I depend too much on my electronic devices. How about you?

Cartoon of an elderly mom with packed suitcases talking to her adult daughter
Categories
cartoon

Cartoons, Memes, and Stranger Things

Cartoon of a pastor and a sound technician

The cartoons I have posted on my site are considered single-panel gag cartoons by the industry. (Yes, there is still a cartoon industry!) But when memes came along a couple of years ago, I realized the single panel cartoons I have drawn over the years would fit in that category.

The other day, I came across this article that reinforced my conclusion. While it focuses on political cartoons, it also applies to single-panel, gag cartoons.

Political Cartoons are Relics, Replace with Memes
From The Daily Cartoonist

Technology has made it possible for nearly anyone to make a single panel gag. No, I don’t mean something so bad it gives you a gag reflex! I mean a gag as in a joke.

Cartoon of a pastor and a sound technician

Thanks to image programs like Photoshop, and scores of others, anybody can take a photo and add a clever quip to it. I realize this may rub many fellow cartoonists the wrong way. After all, today is nothing like the glory days of magazine gag cartoons in The Saturday Evening Post, Colliers, or Esquire. Back then, a magazine cartoonist could earn a living with sales from these magazines.

I don’t think today’s trend is such a bad thing. While anyone can do this, it still takes creativity to match an image with the text. Sure, the cartoon industry has changed and declined. But other industries have gone through similar changes. We learn to adapt and move on.

So a gag cartoon is a meme before there were memes, it seems. It may be strange, but I am fine with that.

Categories
CHOG News church cartoons Newsletters

Working the Bugs Out

Cartoon of two men standing in water. One says, "We have some bugs to work out before we live stream the service."
Published in the January 2020 Church of God Newsletter

Let’s face it! If you start something new, there will always be some bugs to work out. No matter how well you plan, you can’t expect to make allowances for every conceivable obstacle.

  • Technology never quite works the way you expect
  • There will be some misunderstandings between the team
  • Get used to expecting the unexpected
  • Weather and other natural causes may strike without notice
  • You may not realize how many people are affected by the launch or know how they will react.
Cartoon of two men standing in water. One says, "We have some bugs to work out before we live stream the service."
Published in the January 2020 Church of God Newsletter

If you’re waiting for perfect circumstances, it will never launch. Even if you are able to plan for every possible obstacle, you’ll be disappointed because most of them will never come to be.

Expect a few bugs if you launch anything new. Be fine with it. It’s part of the process. Success comes from addressing the bugs and working them out. Flawless launches may mean you set your goal too low.

I drew this cartoon for the January, 2020 Church of God Newsletter.

Categories
motivation

How to AI Proof Your Career

Cartoon of love in the Modern World
It’s just not working out, Rob. You’re love is so... so mechanical!”

A few weeks back, I read an article on CNBC about the threat Artificial Intelligence (AI) may have on white-collar jobs. The article states that we have been so focused on the threat to blue-collar jobs, we haven’t considered that managers, occupational therapists, even accountants and lawyers may be affected.

The dire predictions about artificial intelligence taking jobs have been around for years. It reminds me of an episode of The Twilight Zone from 1964.

“The Brain Center at Whipples” 1964

In the story, the executive eventually finds he too is out of a job. It’s a cautionary tale of mankind being very clever while not very wise. It’s also a reminder if a leader thinks he or she can’t be replaced by the same technology, they are fooling themselves. So how do we keep ourselves from being victims of AI?

The article quotes Anima Anandkumar who proposes a solution we examine if our jobs are repetitive or and involve a large amount of data that can be used to train AI systems. If so, she says to aim for jobs that require use creativity and human intuition.

“This doesn’t necessarily mean an entire career change. For instance, for lawyers and accountants, there are aspects of the job that require human interaction, collaboration, high-level strategy, and creativity. These will be more valuable in future.”

Anima Anandkumar High-paid, well-educated white collar workers will be heavily affected by AI, says new report

Focusing on creativity, human relationships and intuition in a career is the antidote. If any of us are doing repetitive tasks, let’s consider how we can allow bots and computers to do the boring work, and free us up to dream, imagine and work with our fellow humans. A little compassion and wisdom is the key.